Manuals

Back to Contents Page

Ports and Connectors: Dell™ Inspiron™ 7500

	I/O Connectors		Parallel Connector
	Infrared Port		Monitor Connector
	Modem Port		PS/2 Connector
	USB Connector		TV-Out S-Video Connector
	Serial Connector

I/O Connectors

Figure 1. Input/Output (I/O) Connectors

Infrared Port

The infrared port is IrDA 1.1-compliant. An infrared data stream is transmitted through a lens in the computer, up to a distance of 1 meter (m), and received by a compatible computer, printer, mouse, or remote control. The infrared port allows the transfer of files from one computer to another infrared-compatible device, without using cable connections. Dell has installed data communications software for you to use with your infrared port. You can also use other commercially available infrared-capable application programs.

For information on configuring the standard infrared drivers that come with Microsoft® Windows® 98, see your operating system documentation. To install the fast infrared drivers provided by Dell, see the instructions in the readme.doc file on your System Software CD.

If for some reason you need to change the infrared port address, be careful not to create a conflict with the addresses of the serial port or the parallel port.

To use the infrared port, point the computer’s infrared port directly at the infrared port of the compatible device. Infrared devices transmit data in a 30� cone of infrared light (see Figure 2). Start the data communications software on both devices, and then begin transferring files. Read the documentation that came with your compatible device to make sure you operate it correctly.

Figure 2. 30� Cone of Infrared Light

NOTE: Make sure that there are no books, papers, or other objects between the two infrared devices and that the two devices are within the 30� cone.

Modem Port

The Modem Port option appears only if your computer has an integrated modem. This option allows you to map the address of the port to avoid address conflicts with other devices.

When this option is set to Customized (the default), the base I/O address/interrupt request (IRQ) is 2F8 IRQ3, the configuration port is 130, and the 16-bit direct memory access (DMA) channel is DMA 6.

Set Modem Port to Off if you want to disable the port and free its assigned address for another device. When this option is set to Auto, the operating system or the basic input/output system (BIOS) configures the port automatically.

USB Connector

Use the Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector (see Figure 3) to attach one or more USB devices, such as a mouse, to the computer. USB is a peripheral bus standard that enables automatic detection of USB-compliant peripheral devices.

Figure 3. Pin Assignments for the USB Connector

Table 1. USB Connector Pin Assignments

Serial Connector

Use the 9-pin serial connector (see Figure 4) to attach a serial device to the computer. The serial port passes data in serial format (1 bit at a time over one line). This port supports a variety of devices, including a serial mouse, that require serial data transmission. If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal information for the serial connector.

Figure 4. Pin Assignments for the Serial Connector

Table 2. Serial Connector Pin Assignments

Parallel Connector

Use the 25-hole parallel connector (see Figure 5) to attach a parallel device to the computer. The parallel connector is used primarily for printers. The parallel port sends and receives data in parallel format, where 8 data bits (one byte) are sent simultaneously over eight separate lines.

The parallel port can also be configured for compatibility with the Personal System/2 (PS/2) standard. Support for the Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) feature improves network adapter performance (adapters connect to the computer's parallel port and require the appropriate software drivers from the adapter's manufacturer).

If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal information for the serial connector.

Figure 5. Pin Assignments for the Parallel Connector

Table 3. Parallel Connector Pin Assignments

Monitor Connector

Use the 15-pin monitor connector (see Figure 6) to attach an external monitor to the replicator. If the image does not appear on the monitor immediately, press <Fn><F8>.

Figure 6. Pin Assignments for the Monitor Connector

Table 4. Monitor Connector Pin Assignments

PS/2 Connector

Use the 6-hole, miniature Deutsche Industrie Norm (DIN) PS/2 connector (see Figure 7) to attach PS/2-compatible devices such as a mouse, keyboard, or external numeric keypad. If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal information for the PS/2 connector.

Figure 7. Pin Assignments for the PS/2 Connector

Table 5. PS/2 Connector Pin Assignments

TV-Out S-Video Connector

If the television has an S-video cable, plug it directly into the system at the TV-out S-video connector. If the television has a composite cable, perform the following steps:

1. Connect the cable that came with your system to the TV-out S-video connector.
   
   
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the television's composite cable.