Rainbow 100 Owner's Manual

This document is the Owner's Manual for the Rainbow 100 computer, published in November 1982 by Digital Equipment Corporation. It provides a comprehensive guide to the computer's hardware components, setup procedures, and troubleshooting.

The Rainbow 100 features a dual-processor design (Z80A 8-bit and 8088 16-bit) which utilizes a CP/M-86/80 operating system, allowing compatibility with a broad range of software. It includes 64K of main memory (expandable to 256K) and a dual-disk drive offering 800K bytes of auxiliary storage, with options for further expansion. The manual describes the human-engineered design of the system, detailing the monitor's display capabilities (12-inch, anti-glare, 80/132-column modes, various character attributes, auto-screen blanking), the 105-key keyboard (with editor, cursor, numeric, and special function keys, adjustable keyclick), and the system unit (containing the power supply, system module, disk drives, and connectors for communications and printers).

A key focus of the manual is the "Set-Up" features, which enable users to customize system parameters such as screen width, tab stops, and communication settings for printers and modems, including baud rates, parity, and modem protocols. It outlines the step-by-step process for connecting peripherals, emphasizing the correct cables and signal configurations.

The document also provides detailed information on system diagnostics and troubleshooting. This includes internal diagnostic tests performed at power-up, extended self-tests, and diskette diagnostic tests designed to identify and isolate hardware problems. Appendices offer a summary of the Rainbow 100's specifications, a list of potential error messages with corresponding corrective actions, and a parts list with references to other relevant manuals. A glossary of technical terms is also included for clarity.