miro Computer Products AG                       November 10, 1994
                        Current Information
                    ===========================

General information:

Information on the installation:

        If you have problems to install from diskette you can also 
        copy them into a directory on your hard disk.Then, assign a 
        drive letter to this directory with the SUBST command. Please 
        refer to the MS DOS manual.

        If you installed a Windows network version, there may occur 
        problems resulting from the configuration. The miro software 
        has to be installed at the work place. The installation program 
        has to be able to copy drivers, applications, and configuration 
        files to the local Windows directory of the computer at the 
        work place. In addition, it is neccesary that the local files 
        SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, CONTROL.INI and MWINTOOL.GRP can be
        created/overwritten. With the help of the monitor-select-
        program each work place is adapted to its individual equipment 
        by entering specific data in the OCTO.MON and the three *.INI 
        files mentioned above.

        If you exchange your old graphics board by a miroCRYSTAL 
        graphics board or if you exchange one miro board by the other, 
        you should reconfigure Windows for VGA. In doing so, you avoid 
        that a wrong driver runs on your new graphics board when 
        starting Windows and that your system crashes. Install the 
        driver for the new board in the VGA mode.


Installation under Norton Desktop:

        If you use the Norton Desktop instead of the Microsoft 
        Program Manager, the miroWINTOOLS group (MWINTOOL.GRP) 
        which the installation program generates may not be 
        integrated in the Norton Desktop. To avoid this, start 
        the Program Manager (PROGMAN.EXE) as a symbol before 
        starting the installation program or integrate this 
        group manually in the Norton "Quick Access" group after 
        the installation. To do so, open the drive window containing 
        the Windows directory and the "Quick Access" window 
        and drag the MWINTOOL.GRP file from the drive directory 
        window to the "Quick Access" window. Also refer to your 
        Norton desktop manual.


Information on Windows:

        Upto now the miroTINTCONTROL-Tool works only in 8 Bit
        color depth.

        If you want to use a special driver cache, you must change in the file
        SYSTEM.INI in the section [9100.drv]
        DEVBITS=ON
        Using this entry may cause a malfunction of the mediaplayer.

        Please use the appropriate resolution for viewing avi files.
        The miroCRYSTAL 20 PV AVI works best in 1024x768 with 16 bit color
        depth. For the miroCRYSTAL 40 PV VIDEO the optimal resolution is 1280x1024
        with 16 bit colors.
        If you use higher resolutions with fullscreen avi files, the you
        may have a jitter in your display.

        For better performance copy the files from CD to your harddisk.
        Please defragment the harddisk. If it is possible, enable 32 Bit access
        mode of the ide harddisk drive. 
        
	miroCRYSTAL 40PV and VfW:

        For capturing under VfW use max. resolution 1152x864x24 or 1280x1024x16.
        This modes have enough offscreen for capturing. Don't use 32 bit. 
	
	If you have problems with the scrubbing under adobe premiere 1.1, please
	check that you have set the dithering option under project-preview-option.

	
	
	Glossary
	=======

	This glossary contains the most important concepts from the field of 
	computer hardware. Cross-references are marked by this symbol ~.

	Address
	All memory positions in a computer have numbers (addresses). Through these 
	addresses each memory position can be addressed directly. Some addresses are 
	reserved for certain ~ hardware components and must not be used. If two 
	hardware components use the same address, there is an address conflict.

	ANSI
	American National Standards Institute. ANSI character set (~ Font): used by 
	Microsoft Windows and Windows applications. The character assignation only 
	differs slightly from the assignation of the ~ ASCII character set.

	ASCII
	American Standards Committee of Information Interchange. ASCII character set 
	(~ Font): standard character set used by IBM and compatible computers. 
	The ASCII character set consists of 256 characters, the first 128 of which 
	are standardized. 

	AUTOEXEC.BAT
	A special DOS ~ batch file which is processed automatically after the 
	computer has been started. The file contains among other things commands 
	which load the country-specific keyboard driver (~ Driver), set the time or 
	load programs automatically.

	Batch file
	A ~ DOS file where a sequence of commands is processed one after the other.

	BIOS
	Basic Input Output System. Number of basic input and output commands stored 
	in a ~ ROM, PROM or EPROM. The ~ operating system uses these commands. 
	The basic task of the BIOS is to control the data input and output. After 
	starting the system the ROM BIOS performs some tests (checking the 
	~ interfaces, the disk drives, etc.).

	Bit
	Binary Digit. Smallest information unit in a computer. One bit can take on 
	two states: «0» and «1», two bits can take on two to the second power=
	four states and three bits two to the third power =eight, etc. In a computer 
	those states are realized by «0 V» (no current = 0) and «5 V» (current = 1). 
	To display a character (letter, number etc.), 8 bits = 1 ~ byte are required.

	Bus
	In a computer, busses provide for the communication between the ~ processor 
	and the installed hardware (hard disk, graphics board, etc.). Depending on 
	the bus width, the bus transfers a different amount of information. An 8-bit 
	bus can transfer 8 ~ bits (= ~ byte = one character) at a time.

	Byte
	One byte consists of eight ~ bits. One byte represents exactly one character 
	(letter, number etc.). The characters are binary-coded with «zero» (0) and 
	«one» (1). The character «E» has the ~ ASCII code «01000101» or «45h» 
	(hexadecimal).

	CGA
	Color Graphics Adapter (IBM). Graphics board which displays four colors in 
	the graphics mode.

	Clock frequency
	Rate at which individual commands are processed in a processor. The higher 
	the ~ clock frequency, the quicker the commands are processed.

	CLUT
	Color Look Up Table. Color table which contains all indexed color values.

	Color depth
	Number of ~ bits used to represent the color information for each ~ pixel. 
	At a black and white display 1 bit color depth displays two to the first 
	power=two colors. At a color depth of 8 bits two to the 8th power=256 colors 
	are available and at 24 bits two to the 24th power=16,277,216 (~ TrueColor) 
	colors are available.

	CONFIG.SYS
	A ~ DOS configuration file which is processed automatically when the system 
	starts. The CONFIG.SYS file includes ~ drivers which control the output to 
	the monitor and the keyboard and the mouse.

	DIP switch
	Dual Inline Package switch. A row of small switches designed to make certain 
	hardware presettings.

	DOS
	Disk Operating System. The most common ~ operating system for PCs (Personal 
	Computer). MS DOS is the Microsoft version of DOS.

	Driver
	Programs which integrate the hardware (e.g. driver for a CD-ROM drive) in 
	the computer and which adapt the software to the hardware (e.g. driver for 
	a graphical user interface, such as Microsoft Windows). The software then 
	uses the features of the graphics board.

	EGA
	Enhanced Graphics Adapter (IBM), graphics board which displays 16 colors 
	in the graphics mode.

	EISA bus
	Extended Industry Standard Architecture. 32-bit bus: The EISA bus can 
	transfer an amount of data of 33 ~ MB per second at a ~ clock frequency 
	of 8.33 MHz.

	Fixed-frequency monitor
	Monitor operating at a very small frequency range (~ multifrequency monitor).

	Font
	Character set in a certain type, size and style, e.g. 
	Times New Roman 11, normal; Times New Roman 11, italics; 
	Times New Roman 11, bold; Times New Roman 11, bold, italics.
	
	Graphics board
	Graphics boards are the «link» between the computer and the monitor. Without 
	a graphics board no image appears on the screen. Graphics boards operate 
	in two modes: the text mode and the graphics mode. In the text mode only 
	~ ASCII characters are displayed. The ASCII character set includes some 
	simple «graphical» characters to display simple graphics. The graphics mode 
	uses individual ~ pixels. The more pixels are available (the higher the 
	~ resolution) the more detailed characters and graphics can be displayed.

	Hardware
	The hardware includes all computer components which are «hard», such as 
	the monitor, the hard disk, the keyboard, the mouse and the printer.

	HGC
	Hercules Graphics Card, monochrome (black and white) graphics board.

	Horizontal scan rate
	Number of horizontal scans of the electron beam per second required to 
	create a new line. The higher the ~ resolution the higher the required 
	horizontal scan rate.

	Interface
	Link between two parts of a system or between two systems where information, 
	pulses and signals are adapted in a way that the receiving part can 
	understand the sending part. For example, signals which the computer sends 
	to the printer have to be adapted by an interface so that the printer 
	«understands» what it has to print.

	Interlaced
	Image refreshing technique: the screen is subdivided into lines. When 
	refreshing the image first all even lines and then all odd lines are 
	refreshed.

	ISA bus
	International Standard Architecture. 16-bit bus which transfers 8 ~ MB of 
	data per second at a ~ clock frequency of 8 MHz.

	Jumper
	Jumpers can set up or interrupt electrical leads. To establish electrical 
	leads with a jumper, the jumper has to be mounted, to interrupt the lead 
	the jumper has to be removed.

	KB
	1 KB (Kilobyte) is equal to 1024 ~ bytes. Here «K» (kilo) is always equal 
	to «1024».

	MB
	1 MB (Megabyte) equals 1024 ~ KB.

	MDA
	Monochrome Display Adapter. Monochrome (black and white) graphics board.

	Multifrequency monitor
	A multifrequency monitor adapts itself automatically to different 
	frequencies supplied by the graphics board (~ fixed-frequency monitor) and 
	can display different ~ resolutions.

	Operating system
	The operating system provides for the communication between ~ hardware, 
	~ software and the user. The tasks of the operating system are among others 
	the file and the program management.

	Parallel interface
	The parallel or Centronics ~ interface transfers data through an 8-bit data 
	line. This means that 8 ~ bits (1 ~ byte) can be transferred at a time. 
	The transfer through the parallel interface is considerably faster than 
	the transfer through the ~ serial interface, over long distances the 
	parallel data transfer is, however, more susceptible to interference. 
	Parallel interfaces are designated by LPT and a number (e.g. LPT1).

	PCI Local Bus
	Peripheral Component Interconnect. Local Bus concept by IBM: 32-bit bus, 
	a PCI bus can transfer 132 MB per second at a ~ clock frequency of 33 MHz.

	Pixel
	Picture element. Pixels are the smallest elements of a monitor image 
	(~ resolution).

	RAM
	Random Access Memory. An RAM is a read-write memory component from which 
	data can be read and to which data can be written any time. The computer 
	memory is equipped with RAM components. The memory is a so-called «volatile» 
	memory meaning that the memory contents are removed as soon as the computer 
	is switched off.

	Refresh rate
	Also vertical scan rate. Number of image refreshes per second measured in 
	Hertz (Hz). The higher the vertical scan rate the less flicker.

	Resolution
	Number of ~ horizontal and vertical pixels. 1408 x 1024 means that 
	1408 horizontal pixels and 1024 vertical pixels are displayed on 
	the monitor. The higher the resolution the more details the monitor 
	can display.

	ROM
	Read Only Memory. A ROM is a memory component which can only be read but 
	which cannot be modified. The ROM's contents remain in the component also 
	after the computer has been switched off. All functions which have to be 
	available immidiately after switching the computer on, e.g. the data for 
	the system test, the character output on the screen, etc. are stored 
	in ROM components. There are also PROMs (Programmable ROM) EPROMs (Erasable 
	PROM) and EEPROMs (Electric EPROM).

	Serial interface
	Also RS232. The serial interface transfers data through a data line bit 
	by bit (all ~ bits of a ~ byte one after the other). The serial data 
	transfer is considerably slower than the transfer through the ~ parallel 
	interface but it is less susceptible to interference. Serial interfaces 
	are designated by COM and a number (e.g. COM1).

	Software
	General term for all programs a computer can run (system programs, 
	application programs, ~ drivers etc.) and files.

	TrueColor
	16.7 million colors can be displayed at a time (~ color depth).

	VESA
	Video Electronic Standards Association. Committee founded in 1988 in 
	the USA which establishes common standards for the computer technology. 

	VESA Local Bus
	Bus concept defined by the ~ VESA committee: 32-bit bus operating at 
	a ~ clock frequency of up to 50 MHz. At a clock frequency of 33 MHz 
	the VL bus transfers up to 132 ~ MB per second.

	VGA
	Video Graphics Array (IBM), graphics board which displays 256 colors in 
	the graphics mode.
