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Using the X Station's Hardware Accessories

This chapter describes how to use the various accessories that you can add to your base unit. Topics include:

You can also install one of the network accessory cards to connect your ENVIZEX X station to various types of networks, including:

For network troubleshooting information, refer to:

If you have not yet installed your accessories, you can find installation instructions in the box for each accessory kit.

Using the Floppy Drive

If you have an HP ENVIZEX station, you can install a floppy drive that allows you to transfer files between DOS and UNIX. The floppy system currently supports DOS versions up to and including DOS 6.0.

Topics in this section include:

Formatting a Floppy

You can format a floppy disk from the configuration screens, or from the command line as described below.
Note: Be sure to use the correct density of disk corresponding to the formatting used. High-density disks have holes in two corners. Low-density disks have only one write-protect hole.

Formatting from the Command Line

To format a high-density (1.44 MB) disk, type:
remsh terminal_name format -h
(On Sun systems, use rsh instead of remsh.)

To format a low-density (720 K) disk, type:
remsh terminal_name format -l

Refer to the man page for hpxt.format for more information.

Formatting from the Configuration Screens

To format a floppy disk, follow these steps:

  1. Insert the floppy disk into the drive.

  2. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  3. Click on [Utilities].

  4. Click on [Format Floppy].

  5. Click twice on the format button that matches your media density.

Reading and Writing to a Floppy Disk

When you log into a computer that has the HP ENVIZEX software installed, the floppy drive is automatically mounted and accessible as $HOME/floppy (or if you prefer, $HOME/a:).

You can proceed to read from and write to the floppy drive as if it were a directory on your UNIX system, with one exception: if you are working within an application program, you must save the file to the UNIX filesystem before you copy it to the floppy.

For example, to save a file from a spreadsheet program, the user Smith first needs to save the file to the UNIX filesystem. To write the file data.tmp to the floppy drive, Smith types:

cp data.tmp $HOME/floppy/data.tmp
or
cp data.tmp ~/a:

The floppy's DOS-based file system does not support UNIX hard links. If your application tries to perform a hard link operation on the floppy drive, you will see an error message.

A Word about File Naming Conventions...

When you transfer files back and forth between DOS and UNIX, select file names that suit DOS naming conventions. With DOS, a file name can be eight characters with a three-character extension (for example, acctdata.wrk) If your file name is too long, the system uses the last eight characters of the name and the first three characters of the extension.

Logging Out When You Have a Floppy Drive

If you use a session mount, which is the default, you need only to log out from your X session before you switch off the X station.

If instead you use the optional mounting methods described in Changing How the Floppy Drive Is Mounted, you need to unmount the floppy before switching off the HP ENVIZEX. Failure to do so may result in "hung" mounts until the floppy is remounted.

Troubleshooting the Floppy Drive

If you have problems with the floppy drive, confirm that the drive has been installed properly and that the X station has loaded the "Floppy" module.

To Confirm that the Floppy Drive Is Properly Installed

  1. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  2. Click on [Utilities]. A Format Floppy option should appear. If this option does not appear, the floppy has probably not been installed correctly. Follow these steps:

    1. Power off the X station.

    2. Open the chassis.

    3. Confirm that the connectors are seated properly.

    4. Important: Confirm that the floppy drive has a two-wire connection to the power supply and a 34-pin connection to the main board.

The following diagram illustrates both connections:

To Confirm that the X Station Loaded the Floppy Module

When you switch on the X station, it automatically detects the floppy drive and attempts to download the "Floppy" module, which contains the NFSServer and DOSServer extensions.

To confirm that the X station loaded the Floppy module:

  1. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  2. Click on [Diagnostics].

  3. Click on [Installed Configuration].

Under Other Peripheral Devices, you should see:

Under Downloadable Extensions, you should see:

If these lines do not appear, you or your system administrator needs to reinstall the HP ENVIZEX HPXT-FLOPPY fileset.

Changing How the Floppy Drive Is Mounted

When you log into a computer that has the ENWARE software installed, lines added to Xstartup and Xreset by the ENWARE installation scripts automatically NFS-mount the floppy drive and create a symbolic link to $HOME/floppy. If you are using CDE, use the instructions in Using an Automount Daemon as an example.

With this mount and symbolic link in place, you can use the floppy drive as if it were a directory on your UNIX system.

To change the way NFS mounts the drive, refer to the following sections:

Changing the Automatic NFS Mounting

In a default environment, the X station floppy drive is automatically NFS-mounted when you log in through XDM, dtlogin, or vuelogin. If you want to change this behavior, you can set an option so that:

If you prefer to use either of these options, follow these steps:

  1. Copy the sample file basepath/examples/hpxt_floppy to your home directory.

  2. Uncomment the option you wish to activate (remove the comment character). The options are:
    MOUNT
    Always auto-mount floppy
    NOMOUNT
    Never auto-mount floppy
    PROMPT
    Prompt user at login

  3. Save your changes as $HOME/.hpxt_floppy. The next time you log in, the floppy mount behavior will be changed accordingly.

Using a Session Mount

By default, the HP ENVIZEX uses session mounts set up in:

where path is:

/usr/lib/X11/xdm
with XDM
/usr/vue/config
with HP VUE
/opt/hpxt/enware/xdm
HP-UX 10.x with XDM
/etc/vue/config
HP-UX 10.x with HP VUE

These files mount the floppy drive and create a symbolic link to $HOME/floppy when users log in and unmount the drive when users log out.

Using an Automount Daemon

If you use applications that require access to the floppy drive, you may want to set up automount daemons so that your application servers can mount the floppy as required.

For example, if you use an application that runs on a server other than your login server, you can use an automount daemon to enable that host to access your floppy drive.

Once you have set up the automount daemons, whenever you access one of these servers, the daemon:

To set up an automount daemon, perform the following steps on each computer you access:

  1. Remove the lines from Xstartup and Xreset that mount and unmount the floppy.

  2. As superuser, create the file /etc/auto.hpxtfd and put the following line in it: 
    *       -soft,timeo=50  &:/hpxtfd

  3. Tell the automounter to run the file that you just created.

  4. Create the link between the user's /floppy directory and the automounter's mount point. Type:
    ln -s /hpxtfd/terminalname $HOME/floppy

Mounting from the Command Line

If you have superuser privileges, you can mount and unmount the floppy as required:

  1. Remove the lines from Xstartup and Xreset that mount and unmount the floppy.

  2. To mount the floppy, use the command: 
    /etc/mount terminalname:/hpxtfd /users/username/floppy -o soft,timeo=50

    For HP-UX 10.x systems, mount the floppy with the command: 
    /sbin/mount terminalname:/hpxtfd /users/username/floppy -o soft,timeo=50

  3. To unmount the floppy, type: 
    /etc/umount /users/username/floppy

    For HP-UX 10.x systems, unmount the floppy by typing: 
    /sbin/umount /users/username/floppy
Note: If you encounter difficulties on Sun, SCO, or IBM systems, refer to /usr/bin/X11/700X/admin/mountfloppy.

Using Floppy Drives in a Single-Account, Multi-User Environment

When you log in from an HP ENVIZEX that has a floppy drive, a line in the Xstartup file automatically NFS-mounts your floppy drive. To enable other HP ENVIZEX station users to log into the same account and access their floppy drives, modify Xstartup as follows:

  1. Log into the account and create the directory: $HOME/floppy

  2. As superuser, edit the X session manager's Xstartup file:

  3. Find the line that mounts the floppy: 
    .../mountfloppy $DISPLAY $USER $HOME/floppy
    and add /$DISPLAY to the end.

  4. Save the changed file.

  5. Again as superuser, edit the X session manager's Xreset file.

  6. Find the line that unmounts the floppy: 
    .../unmountfloppy $DISPLAY $USER $HOME/floppy

    and add /$DISPLAY to the end.

  7. Save the changed file.

At log in, users can access their floppy drive as $HOME/floppy/$DISPLAY

For example, the user of the X station called xterm12 accesses the floppy drive as: 

$HOME/floppy/xterm12

Mounting using Your Own XDM (or scologin)

If you use an HP version of XDM (including dtlogin or vuelogin), the floppy drive is mounted automatically. If you choose to use your own version of XDM (or if you have an SCO system running scologin), you will need to modify some files so that the floppy can be mounted automatically.

For an example of how to mount and unmount the floppy drive automatically, refer to the following files:

For HP-UX 10.x systems, refer to the following files:

For AIX (If You Use IBM's XDM):

You can make similar modifications to your own XDM files. These files will normally be found in /usr/lib/X11/xdm with filenames Xstartup and Xreset. Under some versions of AIX, these files have been renamed to GiveConsole and TakeConsole.

For SCO:

You can make these modifications to your own XDM files. These files are normally found in /usr/lib/X11/scologin with filenames Xstartup and Xreset.

Using Audio

With the HP ENVIZEX and HP ENTRIA audio accessory kits, you can build or use multi-media applications that incorporate audio components.

Topics in this section include:

System Prerequisites for Audio Support

You can use the X station audio kit with any application that has been compiled with the HP audio libraries.

However, if you wish to use the full suite of audio tools, you require access to an HP audio server running on an HP 9000 Series 700 or Series 800 workstation. The host must be running HP-UX 9.03 (or greater) or HP MPower 1.2 (or greater).

Audio Specifications

The following audio specifications apply to both ENVIZEX X stations and ENTRIA X terminals with audio capabilities.

Frequency Response

25 - 20,000 Hz

Input Sensitivity/Impedance at 1 kHz (Typical)

Line In
42.0 V(p-p) 47 kohms
Microphone
44 mV(p-p) 1 kohms

Output Impedance (Nominal)

Line Out
619 ohms
Headphone
118 ohms

Max. Output Level/Impedance at 1 kHz (Typical)

Line Out
2.8 V (p-p) 47 kohms
Headphone
2.75 V (p-p) 50 ohms
 
8.5 V (p-p) 600 ohms

Signal to Noise (Typical)

Line In
61 dB
Line Out
65 dB
Microphone
57 dB
Headphone
61 dB

Total Harmonic Distortion at Nominal Load (Typical)

Line In
-75 dB
Line Out
-73 dB
Microphone
-73 dB
Headphone
-70 dB

Starting Audio

Before you begin:

For example, on the ENVIZEX `p' series, connect the audio jacks as follows:

If you have external speakers, ensure they are plugged into the line out connector. Note that external speakers must be amplified.

At power up, HP ENVIZEX and HP ENTRIA X stations automatically detect that you have installed an audio card and configure the X station accordingly. The audio data goes to the device specified by the DISPLAY environment variable or to the device specified by the AUDIO environment variable. If the audio server cannot find these values, the audio data goes to the workstation, not the X station.

If your audio plays on the host instead of your X station, you need to set your AUDIO environment variable as described in Directing the Audio Data to the X Station. If your audio plays on the X station but you need to change where it plays (the internal speaker or your headphones), refer to Directing the Audio Data within the X Station.

Directing the Audio Data to the X Station

If your audio plays on the host instead of your X station, you need to set your AUDIO environment variable. To do this, put the following line in your $HOME/.xsession file or, for HP VUE users, in your $HOME/.vueprofile file:

Directing the Audio Data within the X Station

You may need to control whether your audio plays to the internal speaker or to your headphones. You can do this by setting the SPEAKER environment variable or, for the Audio Editor, by using the audio control panel, as follows:

Setting the SPEAKER Environment Variable

To set the SPEAKER environment variable, put the following lines in your $HOME/.xsession file or, for HP VUE users, in your $HOME/.vueprofile file:

Using the Audio Editor's Control Panel

To access the audio editor's control panel, type the following from a terminal emulator window:
/usr/audio/bin/AudioCP &
For HP-UX 10.x systems, type: /opt/audio/bin/AudioCP &

You control where the audio goes by selecting the "Output" pulldown, then choosing "Speaker" and/or "Headphones."

Playing a Sample Audio File

To load a sample audio file:

The "Select File to Load" window appears. You can find sample audio files in /usr/audio/sounds (/opt/audio/sounds for HP-UX 10.x). To choose one of these samples, do the following:

  1. In the "Select File to Load" window, set the filter to /usr/audio/sounds/* or /opt/audio/sounds/*

  2. Click on [Filter].

  3. Click on a sample file.

  4. Click on [OK].

To play the sample file, click on [Play]. You can control the volume of the sound by using the audio editor's control panel.

Troubleshooting the Audio Card

To confirm that the audio card was installed correctly and its software loaded, follow these steps:

  1. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  2. Click on [Diagnostics].

  3. Click on [Installed Configuration]. You should see a display similar to the following: 
       Other Peripheral Devices
    Audio Board installed.
   Downloadable Extensions
/usr/lib/X11/700X/bin/Aserver

    If you do not see any references to the audio board, check that it was installed correctly:

    1. Power off the X station

    2. Open the chassis

    3. Confirm that the connector is aligned properly and pushed down so that no pins are visible:

    4. Important: Ensure that the grounding screw was replaced:

    If the audio board is installed correctly, but you do not see the Aserver extension, the system administrator needs to install the HPXT-AUDIO fileset.

Using the MPEG Video Player

With the optional ENWARE MPEG accelerator card (HP Part Number C5208A), you can view full-motion digital video movies with synchronized CD-quality sound (with the optional audio accessory kit). By using the ENWARE Video Player local client, you can play and manipulate MPEG movies directly on the X station without significantly loading the network or the host.

Topics in this section include:

System Prerequisites for the Video Player

Note: You cannot simultaneously play a digital video that contains an audio track and play another file through the audio server.

Video Player Specifications

Input

Output

Configuring the Video Player if You Are Running MPower

You can access the ENWARE Video Player either as a standard local client or through MPower. Before you can access it through MPower, you must configure MPower as follows:

  1. Log into an MPower session.

  2. Pull up the Tools icon.

  3. Click on the "General" toolbox.

  4. Double-click on the "X_Terminals" icon.

  5. Double-click on the "Utilities" icon.

  6. Double-click on the "SelectMPower" icon.

  7. For each MPower application, a dialog box appears. It says where you are currently running the application (from the host or from the X terminal), and asks if you want to change this.

    To use the MPEG accelerator card, you must run the ENWARE Video Player from the X terminal. If you are currently running the Video Player from the host, select [Yes].

Playing Videos

There are three ways to play a video:

Working with the Video Player Window

When you start the Video Player, the following window appears:


Video Play Window

The Video Play window has the following elements (from top to bottom):

The File pulldown contains the following options:

New
Unloads the current file and resets the player to its default state.
File
Lets you select which file you want to load.
File Information
Displays detailed information about the current file.

The Options pulldown contains the following options:

Frames
Displays the frame number (not the number of seconds) for each frame.
Seconds
Displays the number of seconds (not the frame number) for each frame.
Hide Controls
Lets you remove the frame controls, or remove all of the controls and the menu bar leaving only the main window. To recreate the menu bar, click the right mouse button in the main window.
Loop Play
If this is set, the video starts again from the beginning when it reaches the end.
Play on Open
If this is set, the video starts playing immediately after it is loaded. (By default, it waits for you to select the [Play] button.)
General Setup
Lets you set various options, as described below.

The following General Setup options are available:

Using a Scanner

With the SCSI/ROM accessory kit, you can attach an HP ScanJet IIc or IIcx scanner to your HP ENVIZEX station.

Topics in this section include:

System Prerequisites for Scanner Support

To use the scanner, you require an HP 9000 Series 700/800 workstation that is running DeskScan/UX. (You must purchase DeskScan/UX separately and install the scan license to run the scanner in the HP MPower environment.)

Before you power on your X station, ensure that the scanner cable is connected securely to the SCSI port at the back of the chassis.

Starting the Scanner Software

To start the scanner software:

Selecting the Scanner

You can use a scanner that is connected to your host computer or one that is connected to your X station. The X station automatically detects a local scanner. If you want to use another scanner, you need to change the SCANNER environment variable by putting the following lines in your $HOME/.vueprofile, .xsession, or .profile file:

Once you have made these additions, restart HP VUE to use the updated .vueprofile file.

Troubleshooting the Scanner Installation

To confirm that the scanner card was installed correctly, follow these steps:

  1. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  2. Click on [Diagnostics].

  3. Click on [Installed Configuration]. You should see a display similar to the following: 
                          SCSI Devices
Vendor ID: HP  --  Product ID: C1750A   --  Revision 3226
                  Downloadable Extensions
             /usr/lib/X11/700X/bin/ScanServer
Note: The HP ENVIZEX automatically detects a scanner attached to the SCSI connector. No user-specified SCSI address is required.

Using a ROM Server Card

By installing a ROM server in your HP X station, you can:

Note: If you plan to boot your X stations from ROM cards, you should ensure that someone at your site also orders the host-based ENWARE software. You will need access to the host-based software for your X station if you want to:

You can use a ROM card with all types of HP X stations:

If you have an ENVIZEX station with a Token Ring or 100VG adapter card and want to use a ROM card (for example, if you do not have access to a file server), you will need to reprogram the ROM card using xflash. When you reprogram the card, select the appropriate image (CxxxxAVG or CxxxxATR). For more information about using ROM cards, refer to:

Inserting the ROM Card

To install a ROM card into an X station:

Note: You must insert the flash ROM card into the X station before you switch on the unit.

Using a ROM Card with an X Station

Once you have set up your X station in the host files (by using xtadm or equivalent), you need to configure your X station to use the ROM card.

To configure the X station to boot from its ROM card the next time it is switched on:

  1. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  2. Click on [Server].

  3. Enable [ROM Fonts]. (If the ROM card is not properly installed, you will see a warning popup window. If you see this warning, check the installation of the ROM adaptor board and the ROM card.)

  4. Select X Server from [ROM] and RGB file from [ROM].

  5. Click on [Network], then click on [Ethernet], [Token Ring], [100VG], [SLIP1], [SLIP2], [PPP1], or [PPP2] as appropriate.

  6. Click on the IP Address field and enter your IP address.

  7. Click on the File Server field and enter the IP address of a computer on which you will be running applications.

  8. Click on Subnet Mask and enter a suitable subnet mask if the default is not appropriate.

  9. Click on [OK].

Programming a ROM Card with xflash

This section explains how you can use the local client xflash to reprogram a flash ROM card. Topics in this section include:

Note: The amount of local memory required depends upon whether you are running other local clients. If you are not running any other local clients, you need approximately 2.5 MB of X station memory for xflash. If you are running other local clients, the incremental memory will be considerably less. For example, if you are running ENWARE VUE/RX, you need only 1.5 MB of additional memory to run xflash.


xflash Main Screen

Starting xflash

To start xflash from a command line in a terminal emulator window, type:
/usr/bin/X11/700X/hpxt.xflash &

For HP-UX 10.x systems, type:
/opt/hpxt/enware/bin/hpxt.xflash &

Starting xflash from mwm

To start xflash from mwm or local mwm, you may need to add the following line to your .mwmrc file, under the "Root Menu Description":
xflash f.exec /usr/bin/X11/700X/hpxt.xflash &

For HP-UX 10.x, add:
xflash f.exec /opt/hpxt/enware/bin/hpxt.xflash &

When you restart mwm, xflash will be available on your root menu.

Starting xflash from ENWARE VUE/RX

To start xflash from ENWARE VUE/RX click on the xflash icon on the "tool box" slide-up.

Starting xflash from HP VUE 3.0

To start xflash from HP VUE 3.0:

  1. Click on the Toolbox arrow.
  2. Click on General.
  3. Double-click on X_Terminals.
  4. Double-click on Local_Clients.
  5. Double-click on HpxtXflash.

Selecting Files for the ROM Card

To program a ROM card, you need to create an image, a set of files that can boot and run an X station. When you choose files to include on the ROM card, you need to ensure that you have included all the files the X station requires to boot and that the files you have chosen fit on the ROM card.

Upgrading the X Server

To create an image with the 7.0 version of the X server, do the following:

  1. Click on a Package name.

  2. Click on [Add Package/Fileset]. The contents of the package appear in the "Image File List" window.

  3. If you do not want to change any files, click on [Write File List To Card]. xflash automatically erases and reprograms the ROM card. The time required for erasing and reprogramming depends upon the type of ROM card:
    For 4 MB Series I Cards:
    10 minutes
    For 10 MB Series I Cards:
    27 minutes
    For 4 MB Series II Cards:
    2 minutes
    For 10 MB Series II Cards:
    6 minutes
Customizing the File List

You can customize your image file by adding additional files such as font files. To add new files:

  1. From the File pulldown, click on [Custom File Chooser].

  2. On the "Custom File Chooser" menu, use the "Filter" field to go to the directory you want.

  3. To choose a file, highlight it in the "Files" list, then click on [Add File]. The file appears in the "Image File List" on the main menu.

  4. If you add files, you may need to remove files so that the image will fit onto the ROM card. A 4-MB ROM card's capacity is about 4,190,000 bytes. You can remove a file by double-clicking on the file in the "Image File List" window.

  5. To determine whether your image file will fit on the ROM card, click on [File] and choose [Write List To Image File]. Use this menu to write the image to a temporary location and watch the main menu's "Status" window to determine the image file size. If the image file will fit on the ROM card:

    1. Click on [File].

    2. Click on [Write Image File To Card]. xflash reprograms the ROM card.
Note: If you see the message:
Warning: File xxxx already exists. File not added.
it means you have selected a file, fileset, or package that is already in the current Image File List. To prevent this message from occurring, from the Options pulldown, click on [Replace Duplicate Files]. This causes xflash to overwrite any existing files with the corresponding new file.
Customizing the xflash.pkg File

If you want to make significant changes to the File List, you can use a text editor to edit xflash.pkg, the file that generates the File List. To customize the xflash.pkg file, follow these steps:

  1. Copy basepath/config/xflash.pkg to $HOME/xflash.pkg

  2. Edit $HOME/xflash.pkg by following the instructions contained within.
Other xflash Options

From the [File] pulldown, you have the following options:

From the [Options] pulldown, you have the following options:

For More Information

For more information about xflash, refer to the man page. Type: 

man hpxt.xflash

Booting One HP X Station from Another

When you switch on an X station it downloads its base system, X server file, rgb.txt file, and fonts from a file server. In most cases, the X station receives these files from a host computer (the file server) or from a ROM-based server card installed in the X station. However, you can also set up an HP X station with a ROM-based server card to boot any number of similar X stations. In this case, the X station with the ROM card functions as the file server.

Step 1: Program the ROM Card

Use xflash to program the ROM card with an image file. The image file must match the X station you are attempting to boot, not necessarily the X station with the ROM card. For instructions, refer to Selecting Files for the ROM Card.

Step 2: On the X Station with the ROM Card

  1. Install the ROM card in the X station you will be booting from.

  2. Power on the X station

  3. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  4. Select the [Server] configuration screen.

  5. Click on [Extensions].

  6. If the NFSServer line says "Current State - Loaded", exit the configuration screens and proceed to Step 3. If the NFSServer line says anything else, follow these steps:

    1. Double-click on the NFSServer line so that it now says "Next Reboot - Load".

    2. Click on [OK]

    3. Click on [OK]

    4. Reboot your X station.
      Note: The X station must be completely up and running before you attempt to boot the other X stations. You may wish to discourage users from turning off this X station since it may affect other users.

Step 3: On the X Station You Want to Boot

  1. Power on the X station

  2. Press and hold [F12] to access the configuration screens.

  3. Select the [Network] configuration screen.

  4. Locate the [File Server] field and enter the IP address of the other X station (the one with the ROM card installed).

  5. Set the access method to [NFS].

  6. Select the [Server] configuration screen.

  7. In the [X Server file] field, enter the following:

  8. Make sure the [Base path] field is set to:
    /usr/lib/X11/700X.

    For HP-UX 10.x systems, the base path is: /opt/hpxt/enware/xthome.

  9. Click on [OK]

  10. Click on [Start] to initiate the download.
The X station should successfully boot from the other X station with the ROM card installed. 
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