THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY
In this issue: Five Twelve K: A better way, by Richard King Multi-Command, by Frank Durda, IV Touch/ccc, by Kenneth Peck uw Expanded 800-MISOSYS Order Line Fixes for LS-DOS 6.3.1 w DoubleDuty Version 2.6.0 released
and MISOSYS releases SAID-86 for MS-DOS
MISOSYS will be clo: 6th through 10tt
It's time to renev~ your scription I Volume
Volume IV.iv $10 Summer 1990 GcVr A (DINT WLTR I3AC1C WHEN PEOPLE ASK FOR TRS - 80 SUPPORT!
'r]L tiim Dc1t Cmt 1'Tew 80 Computer News 80 is the only MONTHLY magazine with a worldwide readership that supports the Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80 Computers Model I III 4/4P/4D. Now in the third year of publication Computer News 80 offers hints, tips, programs, problem solving and how-to-do-it articles. There is an open forum for readers questions and answers. There is an advertising section with those companies that still sell and support TRS-80 products and a classified section for reader ads, both of which creates a source guide for the TRS-80 user. 48 to 56 pages of solid information monthly! Subscriptions for 12 Months $24 in US, $35.50 Canada & Mexico, $36 all other countries...... If you want a sample issue send $2. In addition to the many software products we have available for the TRS-80 computers and the FILE CABINET public domain library of over 15,000 programs, we also have printer ribbons for your Radio Shack printer at reasonable prices, fan fold labels, A-B switches, DRAM memory upgrade kits and printer cables - all at reasonable prices. We also have MS—DOS PROGRAMS **PACK by David Coben MS-DOS version .... $l7.95 + $4.00 S&H A Basic Program Packer, Unpacker and Compression Utility, packs your basic program in the minimum amount of space on your disk to save disk space. **The BIBLE King James version for MS-DOS Computers. Double Sided or Single Sided - 5-1/4 or 3-1/2 disks. New Testament.. .$19.95 Old Testament.. .$39.95 Both for.. .$49.00 Add $4.00 S&H in the US, $6.00 Canada, $8.00 all other countries. **XTCAD by Microdex MS-DOS Version .... $95.00 + $4.50 S&H Computer Aided Drafting program, professional drafting quality, precisely scaled technical drawings up to 24"x36" on your plotter. Will do detail sheets on your dot matrix printer. **x'.CAD D mo Disk and Manual .... $20.00 + $4.50 S&H Purchase price of the Demo Disk and Manual is applied to the purchase the XT.CAD program.
Sn tc b-m &nna.incd, th. CN80 MS - DOS public dDmnin/kiftraw -. librnry ftnd t:ha CNBO CPM public 1te4t4 tO cic,mft library icr- anct 6W# 307-265-6483 MS-DOS camput.r. P.O. BOX 680/CASPER, WYOMING 82602-0680 Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
I Table of Contents The Blurb 2 Announcing TMQ Volume V 2 Enhanced 800-MTSOSYS order line 3 PD Software Librarian 4 Out of print TMQ's 4 DISK NOTES 4.4 4 DoubleDuty Version 2.6.0 released 5 SAID-86 Version 1.0, by Mark Allen Reed, released 6
Letters to the Editor 7 Correction to "Upgrading the 4P" 11 Resource: Companies 15
Applications for the User 16 Multi-Command, by Frank Durda, IV 16 TOUCH.CCC, by Ken Peck 19
DOS Subjects 20 Model III DOS 20 Model III Programs 23 Model 4 DOS 23 Model 4 Programs 26 LS-DOS 6.3.1 notes 27 Patches to 6.3.1 32 Model 4 Programs, Part II 35 MS-DOS Topics 39
The Hardware Corner 42 Five Twelve K: A better way, by Richard King 42 Miscellaneous hardware topics 55
List of Advertisors Computer News 80 JFC MTSOSYS, Inc. 41,63-64,IRC,RC Pacific Computer Exchange IRC Flaming Sparrow Press 18 Empac, Inc. 18 TRSTiines magazine 6
List of Patches in this Issue DSORT5 1/FIX 23 DIR1/FIX correction 31 FIX631A through FTX631E for LS-DOS 6.3.1 32 GMAPO1/FIX to GO:MTC MAPPER/CMD 39 XLBOOTK/FIX, XLBOOTS/FIX, XLSYSOS/FJX 48-50 SDFORM61/FIX 56 MSCRES5 1/FIX, MSCRES61JFIX for MSCSI 57,58 MSCSI52/FIX, MSCSI62/FIX for MSCSI 59
The Blurb - 1 - The Blurb Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
MAJOR i ANNOUNCEMENT I I I Due to the tremendous appeal to con- tinue publishing lodged by my readers, THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY will Verbatim Corp subsidiary to Mitsubishi tems has recently released a new data I move on to Volume V. I just couldn't Kasei for some $200 million. Verbatim, compression chip. The IC- 105 implements I stop afterhearing and reading so many I as you recall, was one of the early floppy a noiseless, non-lossy data-compression I encouraging remarks. But TMQ will I diskette manufactures here in the States; algorithm that can effectively triple stor- take a slightly different tack so that it all of my Model I diskettes were Verba- age capacity in magnetic disk drives and is less of a burden on my time, but still tim. Incidentally, Verbatim filed a for- boost throughput. Considering that most significant in content for the reader. mal complaint to the U.S. Commerce compression techniques apply only to I Current plans are to reduce it to about Department a few years ago claiming sequential data transmission, InfoChip's I 48 pages. I will eliminate the plastic I Japanese firms dumping of floppies at device claims to be able to support ran- I wrap for both environmental concerns I below cost. This resulted in anti-dumping dom access! and for the cost of labor to implement I duties of 28-5 1 percent against Japanese the wrap. I will eliminate class B for diskette manufacturers. Now that Verba- The IC-lOS coprocessor chip uses a fast- I domestic U.S. which will reduce the I tim is owned by a Japanese firm, I wonder converging string-matching adaptive al- I manual efforts needed to get it out the how that will impact those duties? gorithm to build a dictionary of the data I door. I have been studying the Postal on the fly as the data is compressed and I rates. In spite of the reduction in size, I Just the fax: The chip wars are heating up then stored in 32K of static RAM. Com- I I cannot reduce the TMQ rates due to I as far as fax chips are concerned. Exar pression takes place at up to 2 Mbytes/s, I current and projected postal rates and I now has available a 2-chip set imple- and decompression at 5 Mbytes/s; this costs of preparation. My current rate menting a 9600 baud send/receive combi- avoids any degradation of throughput even base was originally established four nation fax/modem. Fax transmission on high speed LANs. I years ago and was based on a Quar- supports CCITT V.29 standard Group ifi terly magazine of 64 pages. After I at 9600 baud. Modem transmission sup- I've already seen ads for a short board I numerous postage increases, and con- I ports V.22 at 2400/1200/300 baud. With using the IC-105 chip; the board is de- I stant weight overruns due to TMQ I the chip set priced at $36.82 in 100 quan- signed to plug into a standard PC bus. exceeding its size target, 48 pages tities, look for fax/modem boards to con- This is just what I need to expand the u seems like a good target. But in this I tinue their downward trend in pricing. storage capability of my 80 Megabyte I way, I can continue to publish what I Silicon Systems, Rockwell, Yamaha, Sierra drive which always appears to be full. I consider to be a publication highly I Semi, and now Exar all are manufactur- More on this hot board later. I useful to my readers. I ing fax/modem chip sets with differing I I capabilities. There's space in Tucson: Finally on the Most of you currently under a sub- I news front, if you have a spare few hun- scription need to renew for the next Starving Bill Gates: After the 2 for 1 split dreds of million dollars, IBM has about volume. Please continue your encour- in Microsoft stock, Bill winds up with 2.1 million square feet of plant in Tucson I aging support by getting that renewal slightly more than 40 million shares. That up for sale. The complex, covering 1,350 I in promptly. I gives him a net worth of over $2 billion. acres with 11 buildings, was just built Not baaaaad! about a dozen years ago.
Points to Ponder Computers get bigger: Now comes news Credit Card Orders: Just a reminder to that the Boston Computer Museum opened anyone submitting an order using a credit Floppy drives: Citizen Watch Company its "Walk-Through Computer" exhibit on card, I need the expiration date! Also, has announced what they claim to be the June 23rd. This two-story, two-room model don't forget to include all of the digits: first 20 megabyte floppy disk drive with of a 486 PC with 16 megabytes of mem- MasterCard account numbers are 16-dig- true read/write downward capability us- ory features a 25-foot keyboard you can its in four groups of four; the last four ing conventional media. Production quan- walk on, a trackball the size of a bumper digits are usually in the position of the tities at $200 in OEM volumes are ex- car, a wall-sized motherboard, and a 486 hologram and sometimes hard to see, but pected this summer. Don't forget that we chip blown up 50 times its size to show they're there. VISA account numbers are sell 720K 3.5" drives in a 5.25" 1/2 height electron flows and interconnections. Of either four groups of four or one group of form factor housing at competitive prices. course the whole thing is just a model four followed by three groups of three. controlled and driven by a Mac IIFX. Errors in account numbers usually delay Floppy Diskettes: Speaking of drives, your order. Also, please include a day- apparently Eastman Kodak has sold its The squeeze is on you: InfoChips Sys- time telephone number (that's daytime
The Blurb - 2- The Blurb Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv referenced to Eastern Time). Phone ginia, I would have needed a second ac- tually, the SSCs came to provide inter- numbers are absolutely essential for for- cess line; to handle Canada, a third. With state long distance service through exten- eign hard drive orders. this service, everything comes into the sive litigation and FCC rule changes. Local one access line; I pay only for the addi- service was, and is, still the domain of the Tandy Software Products: Tandy is tional usage. And there was no setup or telephone companies (Telcos). getting closer to a distribution procedure signup charges. I've wanted to handle for the "discontinued" software for which Virginia for some time; now it's done. Now what does all of this have to do with they own rights. Their Consumer Mail my 800 service? Well 800 service was department has already taken over the For those uneducated in the nuances of originated by AT&T years ago. But AT&T LS-DOS 6.3.1 product. According to my telecommunications, let me shed a little could legally provide only interstate 800 source, Consumer Mail has already re- light on the subject. Up until about 1970, service; if you wanted to also support in- ceived a considerable quantity of other all telephone communications in the United State 800 calls, that service had to be merchandise from TEW - the Tandy Elec- States was handled by regulated telephone provided by your local Telco. That's why tronic Warehouse. Expectations are now companies. There was the Bell System a company wanting 800 service had to for some major activity in the mid-sum- handling perhaps up to 75-80% of the have two different 800 phone numbers. mer time frame. So hang in there a little traffic, GTE and United Telecom han- One number is for all out of state calls longer if you are trying to find some older dling maybe 15%, and the remainder while another number is for in-State calls. product not currently available. Most likely handled by a few thousand small "inde- A dedicated local access line is needed to I'll be able to address specific products pendent" phone companies. Franchised connect each 800 service. Eventually, and prices in our next issue of TMQ. jurisdictions were carved out by law once AT&T added 800 service to Canada at the the Federal Government came to decide cost of another access line and monthly TMQ IV.iii lateness: Sorry about the that multiple servers within one territory service fee. To have acquired all three lateness of TMQ 4.3. The problem was were detrimental to the provision of serv - services, a user would have had to have that I was about a month late preparing it ice. It's the same way with electric utili- three access lines and pay three service due to the workload of 6.3.1. LS-DOS ties. fees. I know it seems kind of stupid with 6.3.1 had to be finished, tested, and re- all the computerization used for routing leased before I started on TMQ. I just Then came the Carterphone decision which telephone calls. But that was the law. cannot do two big projects simultane- is historic to the field of data telecommu- ously. I'm a Touring machine! Addition- nications. Carterphone was a company A few years back, AT&T initiated what ally, unknown to me, my printing com- which manufactured an acoustically- they called Readyline service. That al- pany was physically relocating. I nor- coupled modem. Remember them? The lowed then to handle interstate 800 calls mally get a week turnaround from them Bell System, in infinite opposition to tele- to a non-dedicated access line by routing from the time they pick up the masters phone attachment devices, lost the court the call to your regular number. But I then until they drop off boxes of completed case in which they litigated Carterphone's would have had to give up my "MISOSYS" magazines. On the IV.iv issue, I got about right to illegally connect to the telephone number and would also be unable to de- a 3-4 week turnaround. They've com- network. Carterphone was the first. If my termine whether an incoming call was pleted their move into larger quarters with memory serves me correctly, MCI be- through the "caller-pays" or "answerer- more capabilities. So I shouldn't run into came the second with court approval of a pays" telephone networks. That was not that snag again. TMQ IV.iii was mailed microwave communications private line too useful. on April 3rd, 1990. link between Chicago and St Louis. Al- though I believe that AT&T was correct I checked into adding Canada about a As I write this sentence, it's Friday the in their analysis that the link was "skim- year ago and it would have cost me about 15th of June. This issue will be finished ming the cream", AT&T nevertheless lost another $ 150/month just for the monthly up this weekend and off to the printers on that argument as well. Those decisions, service charge - no calls. I don't have Monday. If all goes as it should, it should were the basis for the tremendous growth room for another access line. get into the mall about one week shy of in the cross country private line micro- the three-month interval between issues. wave networks builtby the entities known So when I heard about the new Masterline That's not bad! Look for TMQ V.i in as Special Common Carriers (SCCs). service, I jumped! This new service will September. make it a little easier for more folks to call Throughout this time, though, there were in an order - as long as the 800-line 800 ORDER LINE still such things as interstate service (calls doesn't get abused, it will benefit my originating and terminating in different customers. Effective May 1st, our OR- States) and intrastate service (both ends DER LINE - 800-MISOSYS - began Well, AT&T's deal on 800 service was too of a call within one State). Intrastate serv- accepting calls incoming from all 50 states hard to pass up. The latest direct service is ice was considered the domain of the (including in-state Virginia), DC, and from similar toReadyline in capability - able to local telephone company. Interstate serv- CANADA. Please note that this expan- handle all incoming 800 calls into one ice was the domain of Long Lines, a sion of service can only be continued if direct line. Previously, to handle Vir- wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. Even- folks ensure that calls placed to our ORDER
The Blurb -3- The Blurb Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
...... LINE are for orders, questions on an or- • Current space rates are as follows: • and leave a message to SYSOP. Joe Kyle- der, or for a brief question about a product • . DiPietmpaolo will get to you. Please don't • . call me here at MISOSYS because I can- which may lead to an order. This service • Full page cannot be continued if it is abused with $125 not answer any questions as to its opera- • Half page $75 • questions involving a need for technical Quarter page tion. support. I thank you for your considera- : $50 : • Ninth page $20 tion; we can work together on this. .•••••••.•••••...••• The forum contains a great deal of pro- grams which you can download, as well I compose the ninth-page ad layout so you It's summer vacation time at have no artwork charge. Just submit your as enter into the lively discussions which thread through the message system. If you MISOSYS text. We accept only black & white ads; do programming on a PC, the forum also however, ads for our inside covers are contains the listings from printed in the same color as the cover Programmer's If I don't shut down for at least a week (TMQ alternates between PMS colors: Journal. If you want to direct a message during the summer, the Soltoff' swill start green 354, purple 266, blue 293, and red to me, my user ID is 70140,3 10. Post a to fade. Brenda suggested the first full message in private if you don't want it 199). If you would like to place your ad in "broadcast"; some folks even send me week in August. So MISOSYS will be THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY, call me. closed from August 6th until August 10th orders via a PRIVATE message. (plus surrounding weekends, of course). We will resume normal business opera- PD Software Librarian DISK NOTES 4.4 tions on Monday August 13th. Each issue of THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY TMQ Schedule usually contains program listings, patch listings, and other references to files we Our target for mailing the THE MISOSYS have placed onto a disk. DISK NOTES QUARTERLY is the last week of the re- 4.4 corresponds to this issue of TMQ. If spective month as follows: Spring issue in you want to obtain all of the patches and February, Summer issue in May, Fall is- all of the listings, you may conveniently sue in August, and Winter issue in No- purchase a copy DISK NOTES is priced vember. Due to the lateness of the last at $10 Plus S&H. The S&H charges are issue, this issue is not on target, but it was $2 for US, Canada, and Mexico, $3 else- mailed less than three months since the where. last mailing! Out of print TMQ's Note that your mailing label usually has the expiration date of your subscription. For out of print issues, we are providing For instance, those with 1190/08" com- back issues of THE MISOSYS QUAR- plete their subscription with this issue. TERLY via copier reprint. The price is If you want to save me the cost of mailing $12.50 plus $2.75 S&H in the U.S. and a renewal notice, send in your renewal fee CANADA. For foreign zone D, the S&H quickly. I usually wait about a. month rate is $5.50; zone E is $6.50. The price after TMQ is mailed before sending out for regular back issues still in print is $10 renewal notices. + S&H. We are currently out of print on all issues of Volume I and Volume II. TMQ advertising MISOSYS Forum Special deal now in effect for all four issues of Volume ifi: just $24 + S&H $5 (US), $6 (CAN), $14) ZoneD, $20 If you are interested in reaching a dedi- In case you have been off the planet for (ZoneE). Here's a synopsis of past issues: cated TRS-80 audience, consider THE some time now and just returned, don't MISOSYS QUARTERLY. If you have a forget that IvIISOSYS sponsers a forum Volume I See the index in issue TRS-80 Model III or 4 related product to on CompuServe. You can reach many III.i. sell, you can reach these buyers by plac- "experts" on TRS-80 and MS-DOS sub- ing your advertisement in our publica- jects by dialing in. The forum is reached Volume H See the index in issue tion. TMQ is read world-wide. Our sub- via GO PCS49, or GO LDOS. The forum III.iii. scribers are predominantly in the United name is the LDOSJTRSDOS 6 forum. States; however, we do have a significant MISOSYS took it over from Logical JILi Reading NEWDOS/80 number in Canada, Europe, and Austra- Systems over four years ago. If you have disks; An LB archival utility; Popup lia. Application Window; XMODEM in any questions concerning access, get on C; Getting into computer math, part
The Blurb -4- The Blurb Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume W.iv
I; TMQ Volume I index. How does M.A.D. Software accomplish This piece of hardware can also handle a this? Well, it turns out there are two things wide assortment of PALs and PLDs, such lILA Getting into computer math they do which are different from other as the memory expansion PAL (U72) Part 2; Writing interactive RATFOR/ XLR8er @BANK interfaces. First, needed to upgrade a 64K 26-1069 Model FORTRAN programs; PRO- 4 to 128K. Prices as follows: EnhComp: a review; Desktop pub- XLR8SET does away with memory resi- lishing and the Model 4; A better dent code to check on the amount of RAM TERM/APP; adding floppy drives; installed since the check is done by the 64K-15 DRAM @ $2/chip and a new XLR8er interface. AUTO'd command installation; it won't 256K-15 DRAM @) $4/chip permit installation of its memory-resi- U72 PAL16L8-25CN () $8/chip ffl.iil The CRC program; PG: a dent code if it doesn't find the needed page display program; Locating high extra memory. Second, M.A.D. has ap- memory routines; FIXMA3; Jumbo parently swapped around the two 32K Ribbon Cable Assemblies tape backup forPC clones; New style banks of RAM previously designated as MISOSYS has also acquired a Cirris for TMQ using Pagemaker; and an banks 1 and 2 in order to simplify the Z80 Index to Volume H. Systems cable tester. This interesting piece code necessary to create the memory of equipment performs a 100% test for ffl.iv Checking for a ifie from management port bank images used to shorts and opens on cables. It handles Model 4 BASIC; Surviving the Hard image the two banks. The only caution I many different kinds of connectors based Disk crash; An "interview" with can suggest is that programs which use on switchable test assemblies. I have Nlklaiis Wirth; Keep your printer clean the DOS @BANK to determine memory acquired an assortment of test assemblies and oiled; On-line HELP with PRO- availability but then turn around and use to support the kinds of connectors typi- WAM; MISOSYS announces availa- their own hardware twiddling may cause cally associated with the TRS-80 micro- bility of Hard Drives; Logic in the C problems if the programs are to use but language. computer. Thus, I'm custom fabricating one of the two banks. That's a small price low-volumes of cables according to your to pay for another great reduction in low- hA Cataloging files with a specifications, as well as providing stan- word processor; Page display PRO- memory use. dard replacement cables for your needs. WAM application; File undating with These are all using unshielded ribbon FUNDATE; Array load routine for To be transparent, XLR8SET treats the cable. I can provide cables using DB-25 BASIC; XLR8er and the GT-180 remainder of the command line as a sub- MJF, 34-pin edgecard M/F, 36-pin printer, graphics board. sequent command. This allows XLR8SET 50-pin edgecard F, 50-pin SCSI M/F, 34- to be specified in the AUTO command pin Header M/F, as well as DB9 Male. JYJi Printing from BASIC along with the command that was already Need a replacement RS232 or printer without cutting words; LOAD 100 for there. For example, if your AUTO line cable? Probably about $10420 depend- Model 100; Generating date/time was DO = STARTUP/JCL, you can change stamp; Favorite recipes; Some BA- ing on the connectors used. SIC routines. it to XLR8SET DO = STARTUP/JCL and both commands will be executed. Kel-AM 34-pin male edgecard $8 XLR8SET is priced at $10 plus shipping @ IV.ffl Fast in-memory sort Kel-Am 34-pin female edgecard @ $5 using XLR8er RAM; XLR8er RAM and tax (Texas only) direct from M.A.D. as graphics video RAM Upgrade your Software. In the U. S., the shipping is $2. 4P with external floppy drives; Dou- See the Resource:Companies listing for DoubleD uty Version 2.6.0 bling of files solved; SuperScripsit the address. document file format' FELSWOOP DoubleDuty has been revised to work PRO-WAM export utility. Product News with all expanded memory known to the DOS. I have also added a BANK parame- XLR8er support memory ter so that you can have DoubleDuty use DRAM and PALs: any two adjacent pair of memory banks shrinks again! for its "second 64K Model 4". For in- I keep a supply of 256K-150ns DRAMs stance, if you have an XLR8er board If you are using the XLR8er adapter and on hand for our XLR8er board, and usu- installed with 256K additional memory the Houdd patches, you may be interested ally 64K-150ns DRAMs for motherboard (banks 3-11), you could install DoubleDuty in a utility available from M. A. D. Soft- replacement. These chips are available using banks 10 and 11. In this way, you ware. It dynamically applies the patches for separate purchase. Note that I gener- would have a 128K Model 4 partition and to the system each time the system boots ally stock DRAM "Pulls"; chips used a 64K Model 4 partition still with six and locates the first available location in previously in sockets but pulled, refur- more memory banks available. Programs low memory to load them. The modifica- bished, and tested. All DRAMs are 100% which use extra memory but are not tions XLR8SET applies are functionally tested again by us before shipping. I also "expanded memory literate", such as identical to the Houdé patches, but only have a BP Microsystems Logic Program- Multiplan or enhanced Visicaic, could be use 35 bytes of low memory, instead of mer to program the Programmable Logic installed in one DoubleDuty partition and the 125 bytes the Houdd patches require. Device (PLD) for our SCSI host adaptor. use 128K, still having another program
The Blurb -5- The Blurb Volume W.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv installed in the other DoubleDuty parti- acquiring it. In case you don't know what machines (version 3.x or greater). SAID- tion. I have even had PRO-WAM and it does, it turns a 128K (or greater) ma- 86 can beeasily used to edit batch files, DoubleDuty both installed above bank 2 chine into two partitions with a third able CONFIG.SYS files, program source files, in expanded memory. What a machine! to invoke DOS library commands. This plain text files, and all other ASCII files lets you run two programs concurrently you can think of. SAID-86 sports quick If you already own DoubleDuty and have switching between either at the flick of a operation, nine editing buffers, nine lev- expanded memory known to the DOS function key. It doesn't support multi- els of UNDO, mouse support, color sup- (seethe MEMORY command ofLS-DOS tasking, so only the foreground applica- port, macro support, DOS SHELL sup- 6.3.1), then you really ought to have this tion receives CPU time. But DoubleDuty port, and Wordstar-command operation. version of DoubleDuty. Just send your does let you run two programs such as If you use MS-DOS and don't have a text original DoubleDuty master disk to MI- Multiplan and Superscripsit without hav- editor, or are struggling to edit text files SOSYS for a disk refresh; the fee is $10 ing two terminate one to run the other. while trying to use a word processor, plus S&H ($2 in U.S. & Canada, $3 else- Theregular price of DoubleDuty is $49.95 SAID-86 is for you! At just $29.95, you where). It doesn't matter if your Dou- + $2 S&H (U.S.). can't afford to go editing withoutit. Check bleDuty was purchased from Radio Shack out our ad for SAID-86 in this issue. or direct from MISOSYS; I'll take it ei- SAID -8 6 Version 1.0 ther way and convert it into a 2.6.0 "ex- panded memory literate" version. Finally, after almost two years of work by If you don't already own DoubleDuty, Mark Allen Reed, MISOSYS releases his maybe now is to time to think about SAID-86, a text editor for MS-DOS
The Blurb -6- The Blurb Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume W.iv
Fm Ken Strickler, Stanwood WA: Roy, [see New Harddisk System for Radio Shack Model 11114, by Ken Strickler printed in TMQ IV.ii pp 59-60] I really did have the problem with not being able to find the clock, and having the disk errors, although I sure can't repeat the problem now! Most disturbing to say the least. Have you could have the real time clock? I don't As for running the Low-Level Format, I a PATCH which would force the sending know how this would interface through did this for a couple of reasons. First, of the ACK (hex 06) code. Jam using the the RS-232, but just an idea! (Nothing is since I think that you are a great program- RS internal 300 BAUD modem, with the TOO tough for the person who doesn't mer, I like to run your software, just to see patches provided by MISOSYS applied to have to DO IT!) it work, the messages that are given, screen the DIALER program. presentation and all of the stuff that many One last question, I asked about the cost users don't care about. Doing some pro- Another interesting bit that I have en- of adding another 40 MEG bubble to gramming myself, I appreciate the huge countered is that when I switch to the mine, and hadn't heard. Does that have to amount of effort that is required to write MOD ifi mode, (I have an XLR8er) and be done at the FACTORY, or can the and debug quality software. The other run the M3BOOT program, I have to use FIELD do it? reason, is that since my 40 MEGGER left an old version of MODELA/IJI. The your TLC hands and got to my TLC MODELAJIH on LSDOS63 doesn't work. Hope that this letter finds you and the hands, the shipping box was converted I does work if I am BOOTING up one of family in fine spirits for the holidays, and from NEW to USED. I wonder how far my regular 4P's into MOD ifi mode keep up the great work. the box had to DROP to SMASH one of however! I have composed a FLIPPY the CORNERS into a ROUND shape with disk which allows me to boot up ANY about a 1 inch radius? The fact that the Model III x IV, with or without anXLR8er, unit RATTLED when rotated slowly in but I have to have 2 versions of MOD- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Ken, my hands removing the Bubble Packing, ELA/uI to do it. I could sure use the extra I'm trying to ca tch prompted me to look inside and find that space if! could eliminate one version. up on the boat the Power Supply card with connecting load Clock/Joystick interface card had been I have purchased an Anitek 3/4 Meg kit shaken loose at one end! I wondered if the (that is all that will fit in the Mod 4P, and heads might possibly be jarred slightly, so even then I have to keep the "PAN" I felt that "Laying" down a new low-level from closing all the way to protect format was probably a pretty good idea! (I the PC graphics mod from An- needed that "CUP-0-COFFEE" anyway! itek) and seem to recall that you had some patches to As for the problem with not being able to make ERAMDISK create a 720K disk under LDOS 5.3, that work on the An- problem disappeared also! I am having a itek? Is that true, bit of a problem with the real time clock in or has my mind MOD III mode, in that after it is initially slipped again? (I'm getting so old set, it doesn't update. The problem doesn't now that I have to have my "Old occur until AFTER I have sysgened the Man Glasses" to read for very long! system and re-booted! I will still investi- Arms are getting too short!) I have gate it some more, to see if can pin down searched through my TMQ but haven't the exact location, before I write any been able to locate just what I'm looking more WILD comments. for, which is to make use of ERAMDISK to look at the 768K Anitek memory. For Since I wrote last, I have had the opportu- those who have one, I find that I have to nity to FIRE up the DIALER portion of RESET my 4P several times before it will PRO-WAM. The application that I am load properly. This particular 4P only has using is to just place phone calls to REAL the Anitek modifications in it, including PEOPLE, no machines. Even though I hit the SPEED-UP, PC Character Set, and Of corre- the
Letters to the Editor - 7 - Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv etc...). Thought I would surprise you with isn't it? I believe page 6 (3rd through 5th containing 12-4K (10,000 octal) words. a letter. Incidentally, since my commu- paragraphs) of the Ml{l)T34 manual Total storage 576K - 33 bit words. (4 nity is beginning to push recycling, I explains what has to be done to add a bytes+ parity). And so on! As for power thought I would go ahead and put together second drive. I do recommend that you consumption, we (USAF) generated our a package of all the disks you have sent may want to keep that spot open for a tape own using 4 - 970 Brake Horsepower, 6 me. In that way, you can recycle them drive backup device. That may material- cylinder diesels. Yes sir, folks, a mere back with more letters/articles/whatnots... ize later this year. 3,000,000 watts of power to run a 'pair' of That's why this is a bundle. computers and the peripheral equipment! How would you like to have one of these The only other person with a clock prob- 'BABIES' all of your own? Had a 'CREW' lem in the Model III mode still had the Fm Ken Strickler, Stanwood, WA: Roy, of 18 or so to maintain them too. About remains of a NEWCLOCK80 patch in his This letter is "away" behind. I meant to 50,000 vacuum tubes, as I recall! No system disk which interfered with the get to this, like in JANUARY! So much is HEAT required, but plenty of air condi- MSCSI clock patch. I also have no inten- changing in the field and at such a rapid tioning! The blinding speed came in at tions of trying to design any other standa- pace, I find that I am running full speed 166,666 additions per second, I remem- lone clock boards; if you need something ahead just to stay even! I'm sure that you ber it well - STATE OF THE ART. The else, look into a Smartwatch. recognize the feeling! whole system was housed in a 4 story building! Total cost for the complex, about Turning to the Tandy 4P 300-baud mo- I see that in the current CN80 that you $30,000,000! dem, I know of no patch which would have released another version of LS-DOS cause the kind of modem disconnect which with some new, neat features and I was 27 Years ago, thanks to the transistor, you would prefer. I believe it is a design wondering if the updates were going to be computer technology had been signifi- flaw in the modem itself since it doesn't available as a SITE LICENSE as well as cantly reduced in size and power con- support the usual "Hayes-type" feature of REGULAR version? I have both, and sumption, in addition to increased relia- any character terminating the connection would like to keep the SITE version screen. bility. Still the cost was approaching unless modem tone has been established. In either case I will be ordering one or $ 1,000,000! The SPACE program was in I do still sell the 1200-baud internal 4P more when I get the next MISOSYS QUAR - full swing, and one of the great spin-offs modem... TERLY! was the shrinking of computers for the rockets. The problem with the version of MOD- Along the same line (spending money), I ELA/Ill supplied with LS-DOS 6.3.0 is was wondering how much it would cost 25 Years ago, when I started with IBM, that the end-of-file offset byte for that file together to add another 40 Meg bubble to the System 360 was all the rage! The in the directory is WRONG! You also my Hard Disk System? capacity had risen to 512K of 64 bit words probably have an old version of the XLR8er (Model 50) supporting tape drives (6 feet Model III interface disk. The guy who I have been doing some reminiscing of tall) and disk drives (a 'CUBE' about 3 wrote that M3BOOT/CMD program for late, in conjunction with the current de- feet on an edge). While you couldn't HiTech really blew it - the thing didn't velopments on the micro-computer field, exactly "PLUG'ER IN TO THE WALL", even trap disk errors! Ire-did it to at least and have put together this little history. I a 50 amp -208 volt -3 phase circuit would abort with an error. Unfortunately, the hope you will enjoy it! handle the load! Cost - still $500,000 to logistics I have to go through with Tandy $1,000,000- with a substantial increment to make even a one-byte change to the COMPUTERS - THEN AND NOW in computing power. Model 4 disk prevented me from chang- ing the directory - especially since it 30 Years ago, when I began working on 20 Years ago, MINI computers were impacted on so few folks. Those who computers, a computer room was fairly making in-roads into the main frame were affected could either ZAP the direc- large, say 20 by 50 feet, and housed 1 computer domain, by offering machines tory or use an older MODELA/Ill file. (count' em one) computer! Main Memory with quite a lot of computing power, and Actually, I had even recommended that as was a whopping 100,000 octal (65535 no longer requiring huge amounts of spe- the 6.3.0's MODELA/ilI file had a cor- decimal) addresses and the main CORE cial power wiring. Cost is down to a mere rection for the Model III mode clock ARRAY was housed in a cabinet 4-5 feet $100,000-$200,000 depending on what timer, but LDOS 5.3 also corrected that; square, standing 6 feet high. The support was required. thus, using LDOS 5.3 on a 4P with the hardware to access this 'BABY' was newer MODELA/Ill file resulted in a mounted in 'wings' extending from 2 All of the above machines were time half-speed time clock. On the other hand, sides, about 8 feet long! Then, there was shared due to the cost, and would support I did correct the offset byte in the 6.3.1 the ADDER/ACCUMULATOR, another many users, or run programs, one after the release. MONSTER 12-14 feet long and 6 feet other, in a BATCH mode of processing. high. Two more 12-14 foot frames held Anyone can add a second drive to their the 'DRUM' storage, one MAIN DRUMS, 15 Years ago, MICRO computers made MHDT34 package; it is your equipment, one AUX DRUMS - each having 6 drums their arrival. Memory configurations from
Letter to the Editor - 8 - Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume W.iv
4K to 64K ram were available running that 29 pound MODEL 4P that I carried If you want more than just a RAM-DISK, various operating systems, I remember didn't feel so PORTABLE! But, all things how about a Terminate and Stay Resident running at a 2 Mhz clock rate, and think- considering, let's see - 128K, dual 186K program like a Window! Handy for a ing that while it wasn't breaking any floppy drives, monitor, and running at 4 calculator, calendar, dialer - you know a speed records, at least I could plug it into Mhz, internal modem (300 baud), hi-res paperless desk! (You would never know it any HOUSEHOLD outlet, and I didn't graphics adapter (640 x 400 pixel). The by looking at my desk!) Give PRO-WAM have to call the power company when I software operating systems had come quite a shot! Only takes 1 bank of 32K memory. 'FIRED' it up! It still wasn't exactly cheap, a long way, and the very-limited original You can even run it if you only have a by the time I had finished with my MODEL operating systems had long been replaced 128K machine. Use a 'HOT-KEY' to call I (TANDY) computer system, I had over by fairly complete systems allowing the it up, and 'BREAK' returns you to your $3,000 invested, but it only cost about user a large amount of flexibility! (You currentprogram. Justlike the BIG GUYS! $.02 per hour to run! We hadn't heard of could do a lot of 'STUFF')! I think that I - cost $74.95 + S&H - source MISOSYS, RFI or EMI in the HOBBY WORLD, but had about$1450 invested - through a mail Inc. (price from MJSOSYS QUARTERLY we were soon to find out! Little SOFT- order discount place. Volume N.ii) WARE companies started appearing, writing programs for making the HOME TODAY - 1990 - the 640K boundary is How about a little more speed on the computer do something! Graphic presen- gone - machines with up to 24 Meg of 32 telephone lines! Now it ain't 19,200 but it tations left a little to be desired, and real bit memory - running at up to 33 Mhz, is 4 times faster than the 300 baud modem animated stuff - wasn't real animated! with floppy disk drives of 1.2 or 1.44 that RS sold. A 300- 1200 baud modem - Remember PAC-MAN? Any software Mbyte capacities, Hard disks of up to 4.6 internal mount for $89.95 + S&H - source programmer could fill the available Gigabytes, modems at 19,200 baud, laser MISOSYS, Inc. (price from MISOSYS memory in a minute, and be complaining printers - yes-sir-re-bob - step right up - QUARTERLY Volume IV.ii) [note: the about writing modules which had to load we can let you have this for ONLY $10,000 TF512P modem is currently priced at 1 or more additional modules in order to to $15,000 (without the $20,000 4.6 Gig $79.95 + S&H] complete a task! (We were just lucky to harddisk!). Excuse me! I had to scrimp have our 'own' system!) Still, it was a and save for the $1450 machine, and now How about all this RAM-CACHE and HACKERS world at home. I was building this! NO WAY! In reading about the DISK CACHE that we are all hearing a VECTOR 1+ - slOO bus machine! latest and greatest, since I can't afford about, and all of the wonderful things that one, I note with some interest that the is supposed to do - I know it is hard to 10 Years ago, with the memory limit programmers are still complaining about believe, but MISOSYS, Inc. had a pro- pressed to the 640K (nobody will ever the lack of memory, and the cost, and the gram SEVERAL YEARS AGO, which is need more) limit - the IBM personal speed and whatever else. What with their out of production, I suppose BECAUSE computer or CLONE had started to make memory caching, and disk cashing soft- NOT ENOUGH OF US BOUGHT IT had real progress. Businesses started to see ware/hardware, trying to get bigger and some very similar features! Since I have the value of what the computer could do. faster! The latest complaining is the amount been trying to get EVERYTHING pos- We could now provide pallets of printed of time that it takes to read these HUGE sible, I was fortunate enough to obtain as paper that nobody cared about or read! modules into memory, that now smaller, copy of OVERDRIVE in the MARK N The paper companies were glad to feed say 32K modules are written, so that the collection! Requiring 1 bank of memory our machines, at a profit too! Old TELE- wait on load time can be reduced. Load- (32 K) system files SYS1 thru SYS5, TYPE printers had been replaced by DOT ing a 640K program to-run a 5K module SYS9 thru SYS 12am loaded for INSTANT MATRIX printers, and the price had fallen isn't too efficient! However, with mem- ACCESS by the operating system, and to where only a 2nd MORTGAGE was ory sharing between Terminate and Stay BUFFER (Read that DISK CACHE) space required! The market, for me at least, had Resident programs (TSR), and applica- is allocated for 2 drives. (Allows com- started to leave me in the DUST. I had tion Window programs (WINDOWS 286/ plete tracks to be read into the RAM, and spent a 'SMALL FORTUNE' getting to 386) the 'ole computer sure stays busy. repeated access to the disk is reduced, where I was for I feared that the interest Have you ever wondered what it would be significantly reducing some types of pro- would not be great enough to sustain like to have your 'ole MODEL IV running grams data access times.) continued growth, and as a computer some of this neat stuff? Could it be pos- fanatic, I wanted to get one before it was sible? Wouldn't itbe fun! - Now Let's See Ali - yes, but what about MASS STOR- too late. As a matter of fact, I got 2, just in AGE - you mean like hard disks - How case I had to fix one! about that 80 MEGGER from MISOSYS. Now it ain't 33 Mhz, but you could get 8 How Much do you need? We are, after all 5 Years ago, RN and EMI problems were Mhz (throughput) plus 256K ram board. talking about a HOME COMPUTER on a well in hand, and even PORTABLE Makes aniceRAM-DISK - instant access limited budget! Just How much data do computers were available. PORTABLE - no waiting - easy to install, gives a total you think that you need at one time? It is meant that there was a HANDLE mounted of 320K in the Model N - cost $182.00 + true that the device is a EXTERNAL on the machine. Running through an air- S&H- source MISOSYS,Inc. (price from connection, but when equipped with the port to the next interconnecting plane, MISOSYS QUARTERLY Volume IV.ii) CLOCK/CALENDAR option and JOYS-
Letters to the Editor - 9 - Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume JV.iv
TICK interface not only keeps track of the than I expected, but I feel better having I submitted over the years! I will try to put time and date, interfaces the KRAFT put it into words! I can easily see that I them to good use by submitting more Joystick, but allows storage of 1250- 64K would not be having near as much fun information. blocks of storage. That's 16,666 -8 1/2 x with my computer system if it were not 11 pages, each with 60 lines of 80 charac- for your efforts and continued support. I will keep the second slot open for a ters, with each space containing a charac- The 40 Megger hums along beautifully possible tape drive later this year. What a ter - no blank lines! - cost (20 Meg w/out (knock on wood) without any problem. neat idea! I know that when we discussed clock/joystick $495 -.additional as capa- Daylight Savings time was on the right that possibility early in the development bilities increase) - source MISOSYS,Inc. day [note: the real time clock used in the of the external hard disk box, you indi- - (price source MIS OS YS QUARTERLY MISOSYS MSCSI host adaptor correctly cated that the tape controller used some- Volume IV.ii) adjusts for daylight savings time]. The thing like a 765 chip ... et al, and that we auto park feature allows me to forget (I probably wouldn't be able to do it. For So - how can I use all of the enhancements did anyway) about having to park the whatever reason that you changed your just mentioned. Well, you are limited to heads. By being able to power down the mind, I am glad! (How about one of the your desires! I can only tell you what I do! disk drive, I am not running it continu- NEW 20MEG FLOPPY 3 1/2 inchers?) In the GOLDEN OLDIES Series is a ously adding unnecessary wear to the program called DOCONFIG which al- bearings. Thanks again. I received the TMQ in the mail yesterday, lows changing the was a system looks to and have of course, read it now a couple of the user [note: DOCONFIG is currently Just a passing question, could DDUTY be times. I trust that all the listings will be on available in GO:SYS]. Currently, for structured to run with ERAMDISK, the DISK NOTES 4.3 disk, as always. I writing articles or letters, I reserve banks PROWAM and the other LOW MEM- have a machine with the AT (768K) 1 and 2 for my ALLWRITE word proces- ORY stuff by committing another XLR8er memory, and am anxious to try the patches! sor, bank 3 is the printer spooler, bank 4 bank to it. (Probably not enough interest - contains PROWAM containing a calcula- but a neat idea!) Any plans for re-releas- I missed the recapping of the COMPUS- tor, card filer, calendar, and dialer pro- ing OVERDRIVE again? ERVE information, as I am not a sub- grams as the 'HOT KEY' and the remain- scriber! I live so far out in the "boonies" der of PROWAM and MR ED applica- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Double Duty can that every call is LONG DISTANCE, and tions by Universal call. Banks 5 thru 10 run with PRO-WAM, and perhaps ERAM- the amount of time that I would have to are used for a RAM-DISK allowing for DISK - but not in addition to a hard disk spend getting the information would pay 184K formatted storage. It is true that in driver all in low memory. See the infor- for my TMQ subscription! Besides that, my 4P, I don't have a modem since I used mation about the latest 2.6 release of in the TMQ you have sifted the informa- that slot for my XLR8er card, but I live Double Duty elsewhere in this TMQ. lam tion, and! know that I will be getting the way out in the boondocks, and download- also considering a review of Overdrive HOT STUFF! I do understand that the ing by mail is a lot cheaper! for restructuring to use less main mem- time involved is too much, and for the ory; it uses too much for my tastes. subscription base that you are currently NOW INTO THE FUTURE supporting, just doesn't put bread and As far as adding a second 40-Meg drive, I butter on the table. None the less, I will The industry magazines are all aglow would hold off for now for two reasons. I miss that part of the TMQ. with the new 25 MHZ 80486 machines do have under development, albeit slow touting here-to-fore unheard of capabili- progress, a TAPE backup/restore program In reading the BLURB, I see that even the ties. Local Area Networks (LAN), Unix for use with the QIC-40 40-Meg tape continuation of the TMQ seems to be in Networks, Micro-Channels and related drive available for MS-DOS. Another question! I want to say that I appreciate software abound at prices that make bank- reason is that I will be shifting over to 3.5" the effort that you have put into the TRS ers SMILE! Artificial Intelligence (Al) Kalok 40-megabyte drives as soon as they 1,3,4 market over the past years, and fully and Neural Networks (You will be hear- start shipping them and I have had the understand your wish to move on to ing more about this in the future) are time to evaluate them. The 3.5" drive uses something else, especially with a growing being developed. Both of these technolo- less power and generates less heat. That family! (Have you seen the price of shoes, gies require HUGE amounts of SPEED would be a useful ingredient when adding clothes, not to speak about FOOD!) Does and MEMORY to say nothing of the MASS a second drive bubble. that mean that you will be moving into the $$$$$$ to buy the stuff! Certainly not cost PC machines, or will you be supporting effective in the HOME MARKET NOW, If you have already purchased a Site Li- the TRS 1,3,4 and advertising in another but HOW ABOUT IN 25 YEARS! cense for LS-DOS 6.3.0, then all you need magazine (CN80)? to purchase is one copy of the 6.3.1 re- From NOW until NEXT TIME - I'll be placement disk. I have no expectations of I understand that the market is rapidly trying to move the utilization of my creating different signon screens. moving to the 3 1/2 inch disks, and it will MODEL IV from 11% to 11.1%! be a whole lot easier as the manufacturers Fm Ken Strickler, Stanwood, WA: Roy, "DRY UP" production of the 5 1/4 inch Well Roy, I guess that was a little longer Thank you for returning all my disks that drives! I have around 1000-5 1/4 disks,
Letter to the Editor _10- Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume W.iv
many configured to 720K, and I buy them and related machine environments". Iwas Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Nothing in low for $.25 each (200 at a time). The best considering stopping TMQ because it was memory changed - that includes the boot price that I can receive on the 3 1/2 inch no longer a profitable use of my time. Let track (except for the patch to the floppy disks is $.49 each, so it would cost $500.00 it be said here and now that as long as driver); thus, I would not think that those in disks plus 11 computers 2 drives each MIS OS YS is still in business selling soft- would be impacted. Anything which X$88.00, which equals $2436.00! A little ware, MISOSYS will continue to sell TRS- patches SYSO/SYS or any other module steep for me! (I would take donations! I 80 software. True, it may take a different would be affected. Note also that any- might buy 1 (one) 3 1/2 incher to try it. I form over the years, but we will still thing which tried to open any /SYS ifie sure like the way the disk is protected. If remain in that business. TRS-80 software using the password of "LSIDOS" would I didn't have to support so many systems, may be sold, "as is". But that's the future, give an error of "Illegal access attempted and had it to do over again, I would go and this is now. to protected file". You could easily counter with the 3 112 inch drive!) that by ATFRIBing the password of the system file back to LSIDOS from SYS- I enjoyed the article on upgrading the TEM6 for the duration of the program's Model 4P with the new drives, and it is implementation. For instance, a simple: very similar to the procedure that was Excellent TMQ Article published in 80 MICRO some years back. ATTRIB BOOT/SYS. SYSTEM6 A month after the 80 MICRO was pub- Fm Peter Van Caeseele: Roy, The article (O="LSIDOS") lished, some knowledgeable person (I by Rich King in the last issue of TMQ (All assume) wrote to 80 MICRO and said that the way to 512 K) was excellent. It solved reverts that system file's password to the the 'FAILURE' mode of the 'MOV' is too all my memory refresh problems. Just for one used all releases of 6.x prior to the 'SHORT'! He recommended that the your information, I have a Pre revision A 6.3.1 release. 'MOV' be inserted AFTER THE FUSE board and the modification works fine. instead of BEFORE THE FUSE, as indi- With the revised patches that Rich pro- Removing the forum excerpts saves me cated in the TMQ. I have structured vided, my system has never run better. I about a week and helps to slim down the machines both ways, and the 'MOV' legs must congratulate Rich and extend my issue. With postal rates going up 20% are long enough to reach the other land deepest thanks to him for providing me next year, printing costs escalating, and patterns! AS INSTALLED, A SHORTED with the helpful personal support. my time becoming mucho valuable for 'MOV' WOULD NOT BE FUSE PRO- trying to get revenue generating work TECTED, AND WOULD HAVE TO POP done, keeping a slim TMQ is essential. If THE HOUSE BREAKER (15 OR it is to be continued, it could well remain 20AMPS). THERE MIGHT BE SOME TMQ IV. iii as slim as 4.3 (or slimmer), probably ACCOMPANYING 'SMOKE'! I haven't saddle stitched to save a few bucks but to had any failures of the 'MOV's yet, and I make it easier to bind (perfect binding is have only WIRED ONE COMPUTER Fm Gary Phillips: Roy, the new (slightly tough on 30 sheets), and probably remove PAST THE FUSE. I'm sure that sooner or slimmer) TMQ looks fine. The Compus- 1st class mailing for US folks to make it later I will have wished that I had wired erve extracts were fun, but if taking them easier for me to get out the door. Also, them PAST THE FUSE! out eases your workload a bit I won't continuing to get "article input" is essen- complain. The detective work on the tial. I just don't have the time to write all Well, since I have just written to you, (our "doubling" of file names on some gate- of TMQ; have to do things to keep putting letters passed in the mail) I will get my array model 4 systems was great reading, food on the table and try to save a little to order together and get this out for TMQ sort of a techie whodunit. I do want to put three kids through school. But then, W.iv (MAY DEADLINE for 'MOV' point out that Scott Toenniessen is giving most folks are in that boat these days. warning!) I will be recycling one of those credit to the wrong person for the direct disks that! sent you before! boot patches for the 4P. Adam Rubin was Fm Louis Clarke, Sycamore MS: I en- the author of those fixes. All I did was joy your "Quarterly" very much. I have a adapt them from TRSDOS 6.2toLS-DOS Model 4P and an upgrade cassette based 6.3. And since then, Adam has improved on them even further, correcting some Model III that's now adual floppy Model FmMISOSYS,Inc: Thanks forthe warn- oddities encountered on certain gate array 4 e/w 128K. I enjoyed the article "Up- ing, Ken. You're not the only one who machines, in spite of the fact that neither grade your 4P with external floppy drives" advised me of that. he nor I have gate array machines our- which was a reprint of "On the upgrade". selves. Now who is going to go on and There was asubsequentcorrection printed Although I previously stated that the in 80 Microcomputing June 1986 page adapt them to 6.3.1? (Adam, are you 27. There are a few female connectors continuation ofTMQ was "questionable", reading this?) Or do we just hold off until that in no way implied that I was going to that are supposed to be male connectors, M.A.D. software produces an improved and that the last physical drive should be stop selling TRS-80 software. First of all, boot ROM for us? remember that TMQ was a support ve- terminated with a resistor pack. But most hicle of "all MISOSYS software products importantly, there was a change in the
Letters to the Editor - 11 - Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv design of MOV placement to the power Fm Frank Durda, IV., Fort Worth, TX: potentiometer, adjust it so it has the same pack. Roy, The article on upgrading your 4P resistance values as the original, and then (TMQ IV.iii, p. 27) makes me want to install it. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Thanks for the tip. bring up a couple of additional points. Here's the correction as published in the Radio Shack used two different power Finally, if you want to check the power 80-Microcomputing you noted. supplies in the Model 4 and 4P systems. supply 5 volt level, a load must be at- One was made by Astec and the other was tached for the power supply to work prop- According to Tsun Tam, the instructions built by Tandy. The MOV modification erly. Check at Vi, and you want to have for upgrading the 4P contained a few shown is correct for the Tandy supply. between 4.95 and 5.25 VDC. The volt- errors. In photos 8 and 9, the internal MOVs can be applied to the Astec supply, ages at the CPU board are usually lower. cables should show male, not female but the PC board etch arrangement is connectors. On the external cable in Fig. slightly different. (See attached tracing.) Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Thanks for the tip, 2, the pin labels for the two female edge Frank. I know a lot has been said over the connectors (right end of the diagram) The second item is a problem with the years about those Tandy supplies. were reversed. Tandy supply, which if left uncorrected, could damage a system. On many of the For those who may not know too much In addition, the last physical drive should Tandy supplies, a voltage-adjust potenti- about Frank, recollect that he was the one be terminated with a resistor pack so that ometer at R15 was sealed in place with a who ran down that obscure hardware the signal reaching the drive is the proper material (orange-colored) that was im- problem in the gate array Model 4 which voltage. proper for this task. Over time a solvent caused random problems with floppy leaches out of the sealing material and diskette recognition. Frank Durda N has Finally, because blown MOVs short out, attacks the carbon conductor in the poten- been with Tandy Corporation since 1982 they should be installed after the fuse. tiometer itself. The result is that the value and has designed hardware or developed The Figure below, which replaces Photo 6 of the potentiometer can change gradu- software for the Model 16, ifi, 100, 12,4, of the original article, indicates proper ally with humidity and temperature 4P, 4D, 2000, 6000, and several of the placement. changes, or quite suddenly. The visible MS-DOS-based systems. He also is an signs of this problem are blooming or instructor of assembly language, C and Although many 4P owners have success- shrinking of the display, sometimes ac- computer system design at Tarrant County fully completed the upgrade, a few have companiedby the system rebooting itself. Junior College. had problems getting the disk drives to In a few cases, the voltage levels have read double-sided disks. Tsun's upgrade gone high enough to damage the com- requires that the drives be configured puter. (Apparently this power supply has according to the industry standard - a also been banned from Radio Shack hard standard that Radio Shack doesn't follow. disk systems because of these problems.) To ensure proper operation of the drives. follow the directions for modifying the In photo 7 on page 30 of TMQ IV.iii, the old cables carefully or purchase new in- Tandy power supply can be seen. It is ternal (and external) cables. readily identified by the wing-style heat sink on the switching transistor (upper- left corner). (The Astec power supply uses a well-style heat sink and has a 1 iSV I 230V option jumper, usually marked with an orange label.) When you bring a machine with these symptoms to Radio Shack, they either replace the Tandy power supply with an Astec or replace the potentiometer with a pair of resistors that provide equivalent resistance. The way you do this is to remove the potentiometer (intact and without changing the setting), and then measure the resistance between each outer contact and the inner contact. The two values are the resistor values you should try to obtain and install in place of the potentiometer. 1/2 or 1/4 watt resistors Read on for more updates on power are suggested. Or you can obtain a new supplies...
Letter to the Editor - 12- Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
Tandy Consumer Mail Specific application code to solve spe- I have no final decision at this point, but cific problems is really what I "do", so, don't forget that CN80 is not the only given a stream of suggestions/requests, I other publication - there's also TRSTimes, Fm Donald P. Vincent Jr.: If anyone else could come up with some code and an TRSLINK, and club newsletters. Support needs it, here is the address for TANDY's explanatory article for every issue. I'm of MISOSYS products will be by MI- Consumer Mail Center Service that Roy getting to the point now where I'm run- SOSYS. mentioned to me. TANDY CONSUMER ning out of ideas for new programs, any- MAIL CENTER 401 NE 38th St. Ft. way. Worth TX 76106 Fm Danny C. Mullen, Ft Polk, LA: Anyway, on a different subject; life or Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Frank, As far as death for TMQ. Some observations and Registration Cards? contributions to TMQ, I have found comments follow: over the years that the total produc- Fm Gary Phillips: Roy, 6.3.1 and Mr. Ed tion of TMQ is a burden on my time; it I really like the professional way it's been received. Both look good, though I didn't leaves too little left over for produc- put together since I subscribed. I will get them installed because Comm Ed saw tive program development and man- somewhat miss the COMPUSERVE ex- fit to allow TWO power failures in my agement. Something has to give. To cerpts - somewhat because at times they neighborhood last night. At that point I continue to publish TMQ, I have to did seem to drag on about obscure/unin- shut everything down so as to reduce risks minimize my involvement. But I am teresting subjects to me; however I did to the hardware. I noticed that there were concerned as to its appearance. That pick up some REAL niceties, notably the no registration cards to return. Does this means that I want to have control over SMAR1WATCH installation for MODEL mean that you are no longer keeping a final production; I just don't have the 4, which was immediately installed. database or just that you're automatically time to do a lot of writing. I need registering the products? Thanks for the articles. I am no longer going to in- If TMQ can't continue in present format good software and quick service in any clude forum excerpts. For one thing, and/or size, PLEASE try smaller or cheaper case. they are too time confusing to groom. version; disk version (maybe with limited The appearance of the excerpts is also HI-RES ads for HI-RES board owner & less than what land my readers want. (much work?) (scanned with your page The correspondence I receive concern- scanner) (high duplication cost, high ing TMQ requests more articles; after distribution cost) (long duplication time)?) Fm MISOSYS, Inc: I am no longer using all, TMQ is a magazine! I believe that (maybe on a common word processor registration cards for TRS-80 products words with program listings as illus- (LeScript) format or TED for ASCII and except those sold through Tandy - the trations, are what folks want to see. no graphics). Loss of TMQ may signal only outside entity. All other products are Your articles, for the most part, are death knell for TRS-80 even with CN-80, sold direct and I already have the infor- exactly what is needed. Your articles TRSTIMES, et al. mation from the invoice. I also no longer contain a lengthy discussion covering keep product specific records; there turned the technique with a code stream Many of us TRS-80 users have indicated out to be no economic reason for doing so. providing an implementation of that When was the last time you had to fill out its cheap costs to operate/maintain and technique. Ainsworth's articles are also have no desire for those costly 'other- a registration card for a non-hardware the kind people want to read. So if you consumer product which was < $100. I than-8 bit machines'. Makes me wish 16 have anything else along those lines of bits were illegal for home use! In this didn't even get a reg card the last time I format, that would be superb. bought a car? I do get them for toasters, respect, I hope you can attain economic woks, etc., but that's only to build up possession of older TANDY software I believe there are still users wishing to rights/software so it can be sold at TRS- customer lists for selling to other direct read about programming technique; i.e. a mail merchants. 80 affordable prices and allow you profit. regular column on BASIC, assembler, C, Though what I'LL call the 'old TRS-80 etc., would be useful. There are a few stable' will probably possess several of folks who have an interest in hardware the titles, I'm sure there are TRS-80 neo- who could generate a hardware column. phytes who could certainly benefit from On TMQ Contributions With sufficient input, I could spend just a it. little time in formatting the magazine. I Fm Frank Slinkman, Glen Allen, VA: would also reduce its size a little further Again on TMQ life or death. What about Dear Roy, As you know, my knowledge than the last issue - maybe to 48 pages. It instead of or in addition to on-line with of computers and programming is some- would be saddle stitched, sent only via COMPUSERVE to you and LDOS forum what narrow, to say the least, so I don't bulk mail, and probably not plastic wrapped folks, a MISOSERVE BBS for TMQ al- know what I can offer in the way of (Gotta save the environment). ternative. Possibly multiline board with contributing to the preservation of TMQ. subscription costs to keep out the less-
Letters to the Editor -13- Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv than-desirable types. Ads, info, patches, older or newer version. There was never a easier by you (don't know if you do that updates, etc could be posted, and could follow-up to the article to answer the now or not). Downloads could be avail- even be run by..(Vic Mclung or ...)? Just question, that I know of. I thought I read able in measured amounts. Maybe some a thought. Get some use out of that AST that even though this routine is in THE surcharge after so many? Contributors Premium/386!
Letter to the Editor - 14 - Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSIIS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv combination? I'm not sure what your I also have the answer for Patrick H. Computer Reset, P0 Box 461782, Gar- implication is. The CTL-255 *KI control Larkin, of Bedford, Texas, on corruption land, TX 75046 [214-276-8072] call returns the keyboard's matrix scan of VisiCaic data by the spooler. Yes, it into the caller's "row" array. There is no does happen. Here is why, as explained by Cornucopia Software, Inc., 1625 Beverly combination of keyboard keys which util- Mercedes Silver in the Feedback column Place, Berkeley, CA 94707 [415-528-7000] ize the code executed on that service call. of 80 Micro magazine (she was answering What do you need patch space for? my question): ORL Software, Suite 209,1051 KLORd., Kelowna, BC V1Y 4X6, CANADA Now here's the "skinny" on the IN1TCRTC "Thing the bank overwrite problem would table. When Ireceived the initial specs for require a major patch. ... VisiCaic does Howe Software, 64 Windmill Road, 6.0, it appeared that the Model 4 was not respect the TRS/LS-DOS 6 banking Armonk, NY 10504 [914-273-3998] going to use a standard software program- scheme, simply because it requires the mable video controller chip (CRTC). The extra 64K of memory space for operation. Hypersoft, P0 Box 51155, Raleigh, NC BOOT routine was provided to configure Its approach also allows it to speed up 27609 [919-847-4779] the chip for 80x24 video. But I was not bank switching without going through the able to get the CRTC cursor addressing to slightly slower supervisory call selection M.A.D. Software, P.O. Box 331323, Fort operate the cursor.! later was advised that techniques." Worth, TX 76163 the specific CRTC chip used was mask programmed (firmware encoded) so that Ultimately, I bought an outboard printer Microdex Corp., see Computer News 80 it would not be able to be programmed by spooler. But until then I reserved as little the DOS. Supposedly, the reason was that memory for spooling as I thought! could Micro-Labs, Inc., 7309 Campbell Road, there was insufficient room in the Model get away with when using VisiCalc, and III C-ROM to implement the CRTC ini- kept a close eye on remaining KB in the Dallas, TX 75248 [214-702-8654] tialization programming; thus, the dual- upper righthand corner. registers on the chip were factory pro- IVIISOSYS, Inc., P0 Box 239, Sterling, grammed for Model ifi and Model 4 modes. VA 22170 [703-450-4181: Orders to 800- Now, here's a question about mainte- MISOSYS] Too bad, as a programmable chip's abil- nance of your hard drive: Do I need to ity to implement hardware scrolling would clean the fan area from time to time? have made the video fly. The BOOT/SYS Anything else! need to know?! can't find Pacific Computer Exchange, 1031 SE Mill, code to "program" the CRTC remained anything in the paperwork that came with Suite B, Portland, OR 97214, [503-236- even though it served no purpose because the 20-meg machine about maintenance, 2949] I didn't need the space for anything else. other than replacing the clock-and-calen- dar battery someday. Powersoft: See MISOSYS, Inc. As far as a BBS,! already sponsor one - on CompuServe. It has the resources I could Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Folks continue to Practical Programs, 1104 Aspen Drive, not provide. Joe does an admirable job as have problems with their BOOT/SYS file Toms River, NJ 08753 [201-349-6070] SYSOP. I can't see supporting another as noted in this issue's DOS column. service. Besides, I couldn't put another RANTECH Computer Systems, P0 Box phone line into the house - I have four Since our hard drive fan does not have a 1101, Clackamus, OR 97015 [503-771- already! fine mesh screen, there is nothing to clog 0390] up in ashort time frame. In the long run, Fm Henry A. Blumenthal, Jacksonville, you may want to vacuum dust and dirt Storage Power, 10391 Oakhaven Dr., FL: Dear Mr. Soltoff, Success! Thanks to periodically from the hard drive fan - as Stanton, CA 90680 [714-952-2700] your Spring TMQ (which arrived two well as from your keyboard and monitor days after! dispatched a postcard asking screen. Tandy National Parts - Hardware [817- why I hadn't gotten my copy, despite a 870-56001 first-class rate), I fixed the Error 7H cor- ruption that would occur whenever! would Resource: Companies T/Maker Research Company, 812 Pollard try a backup to or from hard drive 0. Aerocomp, P0 Box 223957, Dallas, TX Road, Suite 8, Los Gatos, CA 95030, 75212 [214-637-5400] [408-866-0127] It was your answer to David J. Kelton on directory pointers. I inspected that byte Anitek Software Products, P0 Box 361136, TRSTimes magazine, 20311 Sherman and found a 14 rather than a 4C. 14, of Melbourne, FL 32936 [407-259-9397] Way, Suite 221, Canoga Park, CA 91306 course, is where the directory of the boot- ing floppy is; how it worked its way over Computer News 80, P0 Box 680, Casper, Try-o-Byte, 1008 Alton Circle, Florence, to your MISOSYS hard drive system files SC 29501 [803-662-9500] months after the partitions were installed, WY 82602 I have no idea. But that was the problem!
Letters to the Editor -15- Letters to the Editor Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
MULTI-COMMAND
As a long-time writer of code for the LDOSjTRSDOS/LS-DOS environment, I have been frustrated from time to time with the difficulty of writing a program that has to be run when the system is first booted. The problem is, how do you ex- plain the steps that are needed to add your program to someone else's system (that you have never seen), without inadver- tently wrecking their existing configura- tion? For example, if you knew they al- ready had an AUTO command, the logi- cal thing to do would be to have them write a Job Control Language (JCL) file that contains the command I wanted per- formed and the command they wanted performed. Then that JCL file would be invoked with the AUTO command. But, since there are many people who never learned how to use JCL at all, this seem- ingly simple task could take some time to set up correctly. And what if their com- mand invoked a JCL file already? As you can imagine, covering all the possibilities becomes a problem. Similarly, sometimes it would be very useful to perform several commands while using very little of the screen. I frequently find myself displaying a directory and then executing a series of commands on files in that list. Invariably, the directory listing scrolls off the screen before I have finished using it, so I have to issue the directory command again and again. Most of the scrolling is caused by the DOS Ready prompts and the individual com- mand lines. The following program, which is called MCM (Multi-CoMmand), helps solve both of these problems by allowing more than one command to be typed on the same line. Each command is separated by a semicolon and the commands are exe-
Applications for the User -16- Applications for the User Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv cuted from left to right. So if you wanted your AUTO command to set the clock, load the RS-232 driver, and then run BASIC, your AUTO command could look like this: MCM CLK4 ; SET *CL COM; BASIC and all three commands would be per- formed without having to use JCL. You can execute as many commands as you can fit on a line. The spaces around each command are not required. MCM also has an option (-v) that displays each command as it is about to be executed. As written, MCM will stop when a command returns an error. So, if COM was spelled wrong in the above example andaFile not found error occurred, the BASIC com- mand would not be performed. MCM can be used in the AUTO com- mand or at the DOS Ready prompt. If you desire, you can place MCM in your SYS13/ SYS file and invoke it like this:
*DATE;LIB;THV1E;FREE;DEVICE MCM actually mimics one of the capa- bilities of the command interpreter (shell) that exists in UNIX and XENIX systems. The code was written for the Radio Shack ALDS assembler, but can be easily con- verted to other assemblers. Note that MCM can be assembled in two different ways. In one form, the program places itself on the system stack so that none of the com- mands or programs you execute can over- write it. This uses a lot of stack space, and depending on the number of drivers and filters you have and the programs you want MCM to execute, this strategy may not be practical. When MCM is assembled in its second configuration, it uses RAM in the range 00800 - Ox79ff, and you must make sure that the commands you want MCM to execute don't try to write into that area of memory. (This address range was chosen so that MCM could be run on XLR8er-based systems before the Memory Management Unit (MMU) is initialized.) The last command on the line is the exception to this rule and can use any part of memory.
Applications for the User - 17 - Applications for the User Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
There are a lot of things that could be added to MCM. For example, you could add an option switch to indicate if you wanted MCM to load itself into the stack or not. It could also be used as part of a utility that performs its own tasks and then allows trailing commands to be exe- cuted. If you were very ambitious, you could even write an extended command interpreter that allows multiple commands all the time. Have fun!
ROBOTICS Vifi
The ROBOTICS Vifi program was inspired by John Webster's BYTE Magazine article. The program has a task, the robot has eyes and tries to go around objects with minimum moves. You can manu- ally set a task. Program on 5.25" disk fOr TRS-80 in BASIC for Model III 32K, Model 4 64K at $45. Consulting services for Heat Transfer Analysis and Math pro- grams available. Program has been sold internationally and is avail- able from EMPAC, INC., 439 Edge- wood Place, Rutherford, NJ. 07070 [201-939-83041.
TRS-80 NOSTALGIA?
you need a copy of
WHAT I DM WITH MY TRASH: About the author... Ten years with a TRS-80 For those who may not know too much about Frank, recollect that he A new book by Eric Bagai. was the one who ran down that obscure hardware problem in the gate Essays and parodies, weird array Model 4 which caused random problems with floppy diskette rumors, mythic hacks, and recognition. Frank Durda IV has been with Tandy Corporation since Just plain country sense. 1982 and has designed hardware or developed software for the Send $5.95 now to Flaming Model 16,111, 100, 12,4,4P, 41), 2000,6000, and several of the MS- Sparrow Press, Box 9747, DOS-based systems. He also is an instructor of assembly language, C and computer system design at Tarrant County Junior College. North Hollywood CA 91609. Order yours today!
Applications for the User -is- Applications for the User Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
TOUCH The following program was submitted back in early 1989 by Ken Peck of McGregor, Texas [see reference to touch/ccc in TMQ flI.iv pp 67-69]. Although I mentioned at one time that Ken's touch program was printed in TMQ, it apparently never was. "Touch", under UNIX, is a command to alter the date of a file to a selected date. Version 6.3.1 of LS-DOS provides the capability via the RESET command to alter a file's date to current system date and time; this touch/ccc allows arbitrary dates.
Applications for the User - 19 - Applications for the User Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
LDOS 5.3 Timestamping
Fm Dan Berky: Is there available, a utility comparable to the UNIX and MSDOS command TOUCH that allows the user to change the time stamping on files, either to the current system time/ date or a user definable time/date? Is there a work around within LDOS itself to do this?
Fm MISOSYS, Inc: (1) The new LS- DOS 6.3.1 release includes the command, RESET filespec (DATE) to set the file date/time to current system date/time. (2) Look for a touch command written in in this issue. I expect to be releasing a ver- sion of 5.3.1 in the future later this year.
LDOS Boot step rate
Fm Kevin R. Parris: I have an LDOS boot disk that changes step rates after 'CONFIGURING'; it was formatted while the system was running on a backup of the original master system disk, which has a slow step rate (quite understandable, considering the variety of equipment ROM reads the BOOT/SYS sector for the CONFIGURING message goes away, configurations it must support). Where continuing the booting by the DOS. After the 6ms step rate is in effect on the boot can I ZAP the floppy step rate that is you are at LDOS Ready, you can change drive. But during the time before it gets to loaded during boot time, before the sys- the drive stepping rate by using the SYS- CONFIGURING it uses the 30ms step tem reaches the sysgen processing phase, TEM command i.e. SYSTEM rate that was put on it when I formatted it. to make the whole thing go a little bit (STEP=s,Drive=d) where s is 0-3 (0 fast- Which byte of what sector do I ZAP to faster? I know the "correct" way to do this est). You can change the step on all en- change the step rate that it uses prior to is just format another disk, with the de- abled floppies by omitting the Drive=d loading the SYSGEN config file? My sired step rate, and rebuild the boot setup parameter. Itis this value of the SYSTEM experience is that the SYSGEN does not on it, but I just don't want to take that step setting which takes hold after a change the step rate used during the initial much trouble right now. I am using ver- CONFIG file is installed. So don't patch boot stages. sion 5.3 on a 4/p. I just need to know anything; just invoke the SYSTEM com- which byte on which sector has the step mand, then invoke another SYSTEM rate, and what values I can stick in there. (SYSGEN) - which can be included in the same SYSTEM command. i.e. SYSTEM Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Sorry, I misunder- (STEP=0,SYSGEN) changes all floppy stood. The easy way, without knowing step rates to 6ms and then SYSGENs the exactly where the boot step rate is en- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Two things effect result. coded, is to format a new disk specifying the boot rate. One: When you format a boot step rate as 6ms (0 as a parameter). disk, you can specify the boot-strap-step- Then compare the boot sector (track 0, rate. This is the rate used for disk access sector 1) of each disk. There should be a during the boot process. That's after the Fm Kevin R. Parris: Roy, The disk al- ready has a SYSGEN file on it, and after
DOS Subjects -20- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv one byte change in the seek command make the commands as compatible with design of the DOS - which was inherited code of the FDC. Finding it yourself that 6.3 as possible. I'll look more closely at by LDOS and subsequently LS-DOS, the way is better for you than me telling you that grooming for a 5.3.1 release. Finally, directory allowed only 3 bit positions to where to look. UNKILL is available as part of the UTIL- store the file year. In three bits you can ITY DISK 1; a small price of $19.95 gets represent only one of eight values. That's you UNKILL along with COMP, DCT, the origin of the original range of 1980- DIRCHECK, MAP, RAMTEST, READ40, 1987, a range of eight years. When LSI and TYPEIN. expanded the date support of the direc- LDOS 5.3.1 Wish List tory, they chose to provide both a 5-bit field (capable of supporting a 32-year Fm Lloyd Evans, Arlington, TX: Roy, range for new dating) and retained the old Since it appears that you have fulfilled Fm Michael E. Webb, Gainesville, FL: 3-bit field to provide complete downward most of my 'wish list' for an update to 6.3 I am writing as a TRS-80 Model ifi user, compatibility. LSI furthermore chose to please send me one. You better be careful and as a very satisfied registered user of restrict the year support to just 20 years - or you are going to put the hackers out of LDOS 5.3. I am appreciative of your from 1980-1999. That was most likely business. continued support of the Radio Shack done to avoid the complications of rollover TRS-80 computers. from 1999 to 2000. Just in case, here is my 'wish list' for 5.3. (1) Single key escape from Basic
DOS Subjects -21- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
In your letter, you stated that you would to scan through the longer document to should make it abundantly clear that all be working on LDOS again soon. I look get to the one I wanted to review. full file extensions which have a partial forward to hearing of LDOS 5.3.1 or character string which matches the part- whatever you will be calling it. I write I don't know if anyone else has com- spec are part of the class of files identified again to pass on a suggestion to review plained about this (or if you may have and designated by that partspec for those while evaluating for the upgrade. already prepared a fix for this and pub- DOS commands which supportpartspecs. lished it in The MISOSYS Quarterly), but Incidentally, DIR,, PURGE, and BACKUP One "bug" that has occasionally caused I know for me that! would really like to be share the partspec support which is to me trouble in LDOS (both 5.1 .3/R - which rid of this little complication. You have operate identically across all three com- I started out on - as well as 5.3) is in the rightly pointed out that a major change in mands. wildcard functions, which sometimes the dating scheme probably would be wildcard when I don't want it to. It seems unnecessary considering how few TRS- What I gather you would prefer is that the to work consistently, so its different 80's will be in operation past 2011. I do implementation of "wildcarding" in LDOS manifestations are probably in the same think, however, that this particular adjust- (and subsequently LS-DOS) would match part of the code. ment would be worth making, or at least identically to the wildcarding implemen- noted so that people don't get unnecessar- tation in CP/M and subsequently MS- How it works is this; when using the ily surprised when extra files get backed DOS. In that implementation, there is no BACKUP and PURGE commands, as well up, or worse, wanted files get PURGED such thing as a partial file specification; as when I am using Richard VanHouten's by people who don't know about how to the use of wild card characters, asterisk DEARC and DEZIP utilities, I find that un-PURGE files by using SuperUtility or and dollar sign, introduce respectively LDOS has a tendency to include files that the PD program RESTORE/CMD. And match all remaining or match position I had not intended. For example, I regu- there ARE new TRS-80 users coming on only. But that's another DOS. LDOS and larly create what I call a "microsystem board - I myself was introduced to TRS- LS-DOS behave according to their im- disk" to allow maximum data storage 80 Model III computing only a little over plementation which matches their docu- when copying files to and from MS-DOS two years ago (recent for TRS-80) when mentation. disks using SuperCross/XT. I place only my father got himself an XT clone and system files 1,2,3,4,8, 10 and 12 on the passed his TRS-80 on to me for my home disk. However, I found it quite discon- computing use. certing that when the command "BACKUP DOS Error Codes SYS1/SYS:0 :1(S)" is given, the com- Regardless, I do truly enjoy using LDOS, puter responds by copying SYS1/SYS, and whether or not you incorporate this SYS1O/SYS, SYS11/SYS and SYS12/SYS suggestion, Jam sure I will continue to be Fm Neil L. Van Leuvan,Abington, MA: all from that one command! Of course, a faithful and satisfied user. We purchased a LDOS 5.3 Model 3 up- that means that I have to go back and grade kit in January of 1988. We sent in KILL or PURGE SYS 1 1/SYS. Likewise, the registration card, but! have enclosed if I (for whatever reason) want to use the a copy of the invoice to verify this. Since PURGE command to kill a certain file Fm MIS OSYS, Inc: You have misunder- this time we have notreceived anypatches (let's call it "FILETFXT"), I cannot use stood the implementation of a "partial or notices of upgraded versions. the (Q=N) parameter if I have files that filespec" (partspec) in LDOS. The User start with the same letters in the filename Manual notes one syntax of BACKUP as Although the program works fine under (such as "FILE1jTXT" and 'PILE2JTXT) follows: most conditions, we have recently en- or else the program will delete them as countered a possibly serious bug. We are well. Using DEARC and DEZIP, before BACKUP partspec w/wcc:s TO running LDOS 5.3 on a Model with a 15 they supported the (Q=Y) parameter, I :d (parm,parm) meg Radio Shack hard drive partitioned was occasionally surprised to see it ex- into 7 logical drives (5 on the hard drive tract more files than I wanted it to, like- Further text states, "The use of partspecs, and 2 floppies). Under LDOS we are wise because the file(s) I didn't want had -partspecs (not partspecs), and the wcc running the Tandy Network 3 host pro- the same first letters as the filename proper (wildcard character) will let you choose gram, so this hardware and software con- of the file I did want; for example, an files based on their filename and exten- figuration serves as a host for 16 Model 3/ ARC or ZIP file might have a file called 4 stations. Usually the directory of a logi- sion." Many examples are provided. Also cal drive fills up with small student pro- "KZ/DOC" (made-up name) as ashort4K noted is, "you can see exactly what files README-type file and "KZ43/DOC" as will be moved by a particular BACKUP grams way before the entire drive space is a longer 55K manual file. If I entered used. When this occurs, LDOS indicates command by doing a 'DIR' command of that the disk space is full. However, when "DEZIP KZ/ZIP KZ/DOC (LIST)", the the source disk using the same partspec computer would not only list KZ/DOC, the available space on a logical drive is and/or parameters you intend to use with full but there are still directory slots open, but KZ43IDOC as well. Once I tried this the BACKUP." The General Information where the longer file came before the section includes a subtopic entitled "En- LDOS puts the file name in the directory short file, and it was very irritating to have tering LDOS Commands". This section and does not indicate that it cannot store
DOS Subjects -22- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv TRE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv the data on the drive because there is no using LS-DOS 06.03.00 Level - H, room. Thus, the student thinks that his DDFORM/CMD Version 1.01(c) 1983, program has saved when in fact nothing DD/CMD Version 1.0.1 also. has been stored under that directory entry. In fuct, even though the file name is in the Note on DSM51 directory, aDlR reveals that the file has 0 records and the date field is empty. There was a short fix to DSM4, DSORT61/ Fin MISOSYS, Inc: Suffice it to say that FIX, printed in THE MISOSYS QUAR- Carl and I went round and round on this I would appreciate any patches that may TERLY, issue I.il, back in Fall of 1986. subject until he sent me a copy of his have been written since we purchased our The fix was to correct DSORT's index "patched" DDFORM. I was then able to version of LDOS. 5.3 and any informa- file generation when virtual memory was discern the problem. The fixes for both tion you may have regarding this apparent used for sorting and the number of records Model ifi DiskDISK and Model 4 LS- bug. was a multiple of 128 (i.e. was divisible DiskDISK printed in TMQ issue ILi al- by 128 with a remainder of zero). It's tered the programs to support the DOS x.3 taken close to four years for the same bug extended dating structure. A sample patch to surface on the model HI version of line from one of the fix files was: Fin MISOSYS, Inc: Neil, I beg to differ DSORT. with your opinion, butLDOS does indeed D02,A5=63;F02 , A562; D02, B84P; return an error code when a WRITE Scott Ranstrom, of Portland Oregon re- F02,B8=47;D03,7D00 00;... SECTOR service function is requested cently called that to my attention. I re- but the disk drive referenced has no avail- searched the problem he was having with Where fix files of this nature were printed, able space. There is never any error re- DSM5 1 when the index ifie generated accompanying text stated, "In order to turned when creating a file directory en- was associated with a data set with a conserve space in THE MISOSYS QUAR- try when an unused directory slot is avail- number of records evenly divisible by TERLY, we may logically print more than able but free space is not because that 128. I believe the following patch will one FIX line on a printed line; HOW- scenario is NOT AN ERROR. All pro- correct that. EVER, ALWAYS USE A HARD grams using DOS service functions are
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face between the files/devices and the and KSMJFLT - but why should I add any LS-DOS 6.3.1 Coming user. Therefore, the shell should provide thing just because some folks think it the basic interface with allowances for should be part of the DOS. Personally, Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Prior to the formal applications to take over command entry there is too much in the DOS product now release of LS-DOS 6.3.1 version in March when needed. that should not be there. What other DOS of this year, I let it be known via our provides a communications program? At CompuServe forum (PCS-49) that MI- The main problem with add-ons over shell- the price of the Model 4 DOS, it already SOSYS was soon to be releasing the update. provided interfaces is "extra baggage." I goes overboard. I encouraged readers to submit any re- use CED under MSDOS. It supports ex- quests for enhancements to be evaluated cellent command line editing and com- for adoption. Herewith follows some dia- mand review abilities. It also supports logue received both on-line and from let- other features that I just cannot grasp ters concerning the release. It demon- what they should be used for and haven't strates that users do indeed have a valued really paid all that much attention to them. Fm Adam Rubin: Roy, After much thought opinion which helps shape the operating Unfortunately, these unused "other fea- (and considerable editing), here are a few system they use. tures" are still using their weight in RAM things I'd like to see in LS-DOS 6.3.1. whether I want them or not. A shell wouldn't provide all this "extra baggage." Just a Housekeeping: 1) Fix overlay lengths (at straight editing/review implementation 23FE) of SYS2, SYS5, and SYS 12.2) Fix Fm John Tollini: Roy, I have been mean- would be provided which allows add-ons EOF byte offset in directory for MOD- ing to check on a quirk (maybe even bug) from applications or utilities. My prob- ELA/ifi. 3) Shortening FORMAT/CMD that has been in at least 6.3 from the start. lem with CED is that some programs need by eight bytes would free up another When a directory is requested either from that extra 14K (with CEt) installed I have granule on the distribution disk. (Reword BASIC (system "dir") or through PRO- 547K free). To run these other programs, a message or two?) Reducing SYS8 by WAM, it is not sorted as it would be I must write specialized startup proce- fifteen bytes would also free up a granule. directly from DOS. dures which are pains to write and run. Documentation: Document the parame- The same basic problem holds for the M4 ters CREATE (FILL), DATECONY (CS), if you don't have enough memory, you PATCH (O=N), and perhaps SYSTEM Fm MISOSYS, Inc: What do you mean need to write messy specialized environ- (CKDRV). quirk? DIR can only sort the directory if ment disks OR write nasty JCL things. sufficient buffer space exists for the sort. Yuck! I know the history idea would be Bug fixes: 1) @LOC/@LOF - These When you invoke DIR from @CMNDR hard to fit into a Model 4 with limited actually return a 3-byte result (in A, BC). (as is the case with BASIC's memory ... but couldn't SYS 1 provide the When the value returned (number of rec- SYSTEM"command" or PRO-WAM's line editor? ords) exceeds 65535, they return error LIB function), the only free buffer space number (# records MOD 65536). This is is the DOS library overlay region - up to easily fixed by changing the instruction at 2FFFH. Sorting cannot be done in that 14DCH from OR A to CPA, so they will space as DIR occupies most of the overlay Fm MISOSYS, Inc: The "who" or "what" return the same value but with the Z flag region with its own code. of responsibility for providing a given set set. Unfortunately, this instruction is the of features is the designer of the DOS. The ORARET@ used by DEBUG (EXT), so design has to take into consideration an the declaration of ORARET@ in SYSO implementation of features to serve the would need to be changed, along with one widest audience recognizing that mem- reference in each of SYSO and SYS9 and ory space for system code is finite. There two in SYS7 (DEBUG). 2) RESET file- Fm Shane Dawalt: Roy, Who (software is no room in the present design of the spec - file access level error, "Source" level) is actually responsible for a 'basic' DOS to include command line editing. I p.339 lines 2471-2478, similar to FUN- interface. (A basic interface would be also question whether such a feature should DATE. (But I'll bet you already got this command-line editing with, perhaps, a be part of the basic set of functions. one, right?) 3) @GTMOD - When low simple review facility. Full-screen edit- memory (driver region) is exactly filled, ing and/or cut & paste ability is not needed You claim that you don't want to include high memory isn't checked. Offhand, it as far as I am concerned, that is, not if extra baggage. But why would you just looks like changing line 5210 (Source command review is implemented.) In most assume that an add-on, such as DOEDIT, p272) to CP @BYTEIO<-8-i-1 should systems, you have the DOS, the shell and would add any more baggage than just probably do it. the applications. The DOS shouldn't be implementing the command at the DOS bothered by user input, it should only level? I am puzzled by your remark. Yes, Bug fixes or enhancements, depending on provide system services. The shell, on the I could have added DOEDIT as another your viewpoint: 1) SYS1 - Move lines other hand, is the communications inter- module - like FORMS/FLT and PR/FLT 1370-1380 (Source p.134) before the label
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CMD3A (line 1320). This willkeep SYS 1 of memory if you used SYS1EM (SYSRPS) BASIC. First, it is not a MISOSYS pro- from displaying a CR for @CMNDL - the whole reason for OVRLEN. gram. Second, maybe programs exist which (@EXIT would then display a CR every trap those errors. All changes to BASIC - time, even when the line entered begins The EOF offset in MODELA/1I1 was al- other than the LSI enhancements - were with ".".) 2) BASIC translates some DOS ready corrected. requested by Tandy. errors inappropriately. Change X'1 A' "No directory space available" from "Disk CREATE (FILL) and PATCH (O=N) are BACKUP & COPY vs CREATE: Other write protected" to "Too many files" documented only in the DOS/RP file; anomalies exist. If the source is created, (change X'52B8' or record, byte 23,44 I'll also note (FILL) in the 6.2 -> 6.3.1 the destination doesn't equal the size of from 44 to 43), change X' 1E' "Directory upgrade docs; not 6.3.0 -> 6.3.1. the source. Why should a BACKUP copy full - can't extend file" from "Disk full" to use more space than necessary? If you "Too many files" (X'52BC' or 23,48 from The CS parm of DATECONV is covered want to restore the source of a "created" 3D to 43), and X'21' "No device space in Addendum 1A of 6.3.0 upgrade docs. file from the BACKUP, the source is still available" from "Disk full" to "Too many correct I think you are confusing the files" (I couldn't find a more appropriate SYSTEM (CKDRV) is covered in the intent of a backup file; it is used to save a BASIC error, that's X'52C0' or 23,4C HELP; it's use is too technical to discuss copy of-a file's contents. from 3D to 43). 3) BACKUP and COPY it in the upgrade documentation. If MI- (except when CLONE–NO) — lithe source SOSYS ever puts out a DOS manual... The pitch of all notes in @SOUND varies file is not CREATEd but the destination with the speed of the CPU; different ver- exists and is CREATEd, the destination's FORMAT/CMD actually grew a little bit; sions of the Model 4 (i.e. 26-1069, 26- size is unchanged but it loses its CREATE but I took a look at the code and was able 1069 rev C, 26-1069A, 26-1080,26-1080A, flag. It seems to me it would make most to perform local optimization without etc.) have different effective CPU speeds. sense for the destination to end up match- message chopping. This dropped it to I have about 4 machines each producing a ing the original, with the exact amount of different set of tones because each runs at space allocated. 18:206 saving a granule. I also optimized CONV/CMD to cut it back to 6:255; that a different speed. Whose machine and you didn't mention. Another granule saved! whose ear should we use for one DOS? No Enhancements: 1) @SOUND - I never need to change that. liked the pitches as supplied. Changing @LOC/@LOF: We don't see eye to eye. the note table at X'03D1' to 3D 5C 4156 A record position has always been a 16- COMfDVR: If you have some specifics, 494D 5245 5C 3E 62 3A 6E34 7C 2E hex bit value; the functions were never docu- you have about one day to report; other- produces a nice E-flat major scale. 2) mented to return a value in registers ABC. wise, the 6.3.1 is set in GOLD. COM/DVR - The resident portion of In fact, the actual result is perfect NZ this driver can easily be shortened by return implies that the result has over- Although I differ with your suggested use eleven bytes. If you'd like details or source for CREATE (i.e. you can easily code that code for this, just ask. 3) CREATE—I'd flowed a 16-bit value but the overflow like to see an option NOT to set the byteisinaregister - A! If the return flag in your assembly programs), and the CREATE flag on the file. (In other words, state were always Z, then existing pro- documentation for CREATE has always just initialize an "ordinary" file of the grams may not operate correctly; It works underscored the aspect of NO DEALLO- requested size.) This is very useful when as undocumented... CATION, I went ahead and added a I need to preallocate space for data that SHRINK parameter (no abbreviation - I I'll only be writing once - my applica- RESET filespec was already fixed when I couldn't find a better word). tion can @IN1T, @WRrFEPUT, added the additional parameters. @CLOSE, and voila! my data file is exactly Finally, I changed from the asterisks to a the size of my data. 4) SYSO - Any @GTMOD: You're right about that one. thin graphics box which works fine on the chance of getting a more attractive startup I never had a report about it before. It's Model II as well (different character val- logo than the current "Welcome to LS- fixed in 6.3.1 per your suggestion. ues). Thanks for the input DOS"? I can't accept your suggestion for SYS1. Why LSI put in that CR @DSP is a mystery; but the code operates exactly as Fm Adam Rubin: Thank you VERY Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Adam, The overlay it is commented. The comments say "Do much, Roy! I was very pleased just to be length of SYS5 was not corrected when a line feed on CMNDI and @EXIT'. The told that my list would be considered; I LSI introduced the patch to SYS5; that's code specifically avoids the CR display never expected a detailed reply to each taken care of by re-assembly. SYS2 and on "." commands. Thus, changing it to suggestion. I realize 6.3.1 is almost fin- SYS 12 overlay length words are now re- CR would inhibit it for CMNDI but not ished, but there are three things I wanted adjusted by moving LAST to precede the for"."! Why change? Is that a preference? to mention before it's finished. DS. That's not what I call a bug/enhance- I'll leave it as is. ment, although it would save a few, bytes 1) Shortened COM/DVR: I have not only I am adverse to changing anything in specifics, but the complete source code. If
DOS Subjects - 25 - DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv you'll check your EasyPlex mailbox (or Fm Pete Granzeau: Roy, I understand whatever they call it this week), you'll you are NOT fooling with BASIC (for find a 7K /ASM file from me that will obvious and good reason). But I always Fm David Huelsmann: Fred, What you produce the 6.2 or 6.3 version of COW wished that the /BAS extension would may want to look into is a combination of DVR, standard or shortened. Comments automatically be added on the command the normal JCL function plus the utility from "The Source" are omitted, but all line and in LOAD and RUN commands. program TYPEIN/CMD. I won't swear my changes and additions are commented. that TYPEIN will work with MULTI- Set the EQUates for DOS 63 and NEW as PLAN since I haven't tried it but it gives desired, assemble with PRO-MRAS's - you the best chance. Nothing I know of GC switch, and you'll get either exactly Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Don't you believe will record all of your keystrokes while what was released, or the 1 1-bytes-shorter that I would prefer that too? I can't stand you are executing theprogram in question version of it. having to add an extension; and I refuse to (LB - a database manager is an exception use extensionless files. One day, in my to this). So you will have to manually 2)@LOC/@LOF: I never thought about spare time, I may look to work up a patch record the keystrokes and then feed them it that way, but NZ to indicate an error to add that. But it's also a nightmare with into TYPEIN (which will create a file) for makes sense. However, both the RS docs customer support. I know that from my later playback. and "Programmer's Guide" state that if LDOS 5.3 release where I dropped the NZ is returned, then the error number is in BASIC/CMD program which just dealt TYPEIN/CMD used to be available from A. This means that a file with 64K to with the extensionless programs. You can't MISOSYS (703)450-0239 as part of the 128K records returns error X'Ol', "Parity begin to believe how many folks couldn't LS-UTILITY package. Error During Header Read"; a file with get their previously RUNnable programs 128K to 192Krecords returns errorX'02', to work because their BASIC programs "Seek Error During Read", and so on. had no extension of "/BAS". Guess I'll have to live with this one, right? Fm MIS OSYS, Inc: Dave, better rethink your position. KISTORE was part of the 3) I found one more spot where, if you old ZSHELL package. KISTORE saved want, you can free up a granule without all keystrokes to a disk file. Then could be any code changes. In BASIC/CMD, 5 replayed using ZSHELL. Worked with enhancements and initialization load right just about anything. over the original MicroSoft initialization code when BASIC/CMD is loaded. (The LSI mit code essentially duplicates the original, including the copyright notice.) Fm Fred Sinder: Thank you very much Since MS's mit code is now superfluous, Key Stroke Memory for recommending your GO:SYS disk to changing record, byte 51,41 (hex) from me. KISTORE exactly fills my needs. 02 to 4A, and removing 5 1,8C through Fm Fred Sinder: Does anyone know of a Interestingly, David Huelsmann' s sug- 54,4B (inclusive) will get rid of enough to fuliblown keystroke memory program for gestion about using TYPEIN from the free up a granule. LS-DOS 6.3, or earlier, that will record LS-UTILITY DISK, combined with keystrokes for playback later and will KISTORE'S ability to record keystrokes, Again, thanks for looking at my sugges- work with most application programs, is what finally did it. Believe me, though, tions and for your thoughtful reply. especially Mukiplan? It may be some- the rest of the programs on both the GO:SYS thing simple, such as being able to make and LS-UTILITY DISK disks will get type-aheadplay from adiskfile. Can KSM good use as well. be used to playback elaborate routines Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Thanks for your that include arrow key movements, etc? I, and I suspect others, would have pur- input. I did look at your COM/DVR changes And, is it able to wait to deliver the next chased these two disks long ago, if we had after our phone conversation and saw command until after the results from the known what was on them. Merely a sug- nothing that should prohibit their inclu- preceding command are completed? gestion, but if your ads could list the sion. They were integrated. I've always descriptive names of all the programs on said that one person cannot deal with the with each package, you might get more entire DOS. That's why I'm extremely sales and those of us who depend upon cautious about any change. There's just Fm MISOSYS, Inc: KISTORE is part of your continued existence will be better too many global aspects to consider. But the GO:SYS package. It will store all off. as I said previously, I'm not touching keystrokes to a disk file to be played back BASIC. at some future point through ZSHELL - Now, one last thing. Is there any way to the 1,0 redirection facility. Has been around easily edit the KISTORE keystroke files? for about five years or longer. For now, I deliberately record the key- strokes with extra characters, so that I can
DOS Subjects -26- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOS1S QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv go in later with a direct file editor, make tion level is "Full" and there is no owner not working with 6.3.1, after all Roy is desired changes and fill-in trailing blanks password. I then tried installing the under no obligation to guarantee that all with X'OO's nulls. Memdisk that comes with 6.3.1. It worked software from third parties will always perfectly,both on adisk with the@BANK work, but why doesn't Memdisk work? patches and on a pure, unmodified 6.3.1 After all, going fmm 6.3.0 to 6.3.1 shouldn't backup. change that much especially since so much Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Probably the best effort was made to make the program editor to use to edit those "keystroke" I then tried some experiments. I took a interface in 6.3.0 the same as 6.2.1 and I files is SAID, the editor which comes pristine Diskcopy-made backup of my consider that a much more major up- with MRAS and EDAS assembler pack- master 6.3.1 disk. I purged everything grade. ages. SAID has a hex input mode so that from it except the System files and any character value can be inserted; it Memdisk/DCT. I then backed-up a copy also: displays the hex value of the charac- of Memdisk from an unmodified 6.3.0 ter at the cursor position so "unprintable" disk to the 6.3.1 disk. Upon trying to Fm MISOSYS, Inc: The clue is to check or strangely "displayable" characters can install 6.3.0 Memdisk while 6.3.1 was the loading location of any DCT program. be discerned. running, I got the message "Disk space The 6.x.x documentation provides for user full", and was returned toLS-DOS Ready. programs which utilize any DOS library Everything that is in the GO:xxx pack- A quick list of the directory showed that function to stay out of the DOS library ages are program products which have SYS6/SYS was now 1305K but the DATE, overlay space; that means to stay away been sold for years. True, catalog space is TIME & MOD FLAGS HAD NOT BEEN from 2400H-2FFF'IL Unfortunately, some at a premium. On the other hand, I am in CHANGED! Yet when I listed the direc- programmers did not heed that caution the process of working up an entire new tory in hex mode all of the extent fields in and origined a DCT at 2COOH - probably catalog. Since I took over PowerSoft the File Primary Directory Entry had been where it was safe from 6.0.0 up through products, I need a new catalog. I am filled and an Extended Directory Entry 6.3.0. But in order to add additional capa- toying with the idea of putting it on disk. had been created in an empty directory bilities in the SYSTEM command of 6.3.1, slot. I then made another disk purged the that library module takes up more space. same way but this time write-protected it, Note that the SYSTEM command is used both with software and on another test to install /DCT modules; thus, a /DCT with a sticker over the notch. In each test module which origins its initialization the write protection worked but I received code at 2COOH will overlay the SYSTEM a new error message, "GAT Write Error". command's /DCT loader during the load. What happens is that the loading crunches Tonight I tried another test. I formatted a the SYSTEM code and all sorts of error double-sided disk and copied all of the messages can be the result. I am positive 6.3.1 system files to it starting on track 17. that the problem you are having is caused I placed a copy of Memdisk 6.3.0 on track by that error. Even the RAMI)ISK/DCT 1. I again got the "Disk space full" mes- done by HiTech which is on the XLR8er Ramdrive and/or Memdisk sage but the file sizes were not what I disk is at fault. I had to disassemble that to expected. SYS6/SYS was now 162K and re-assemble it at a new origin. It's not the Fm Bruce J Hutchison: I am having a the total size of all files on the disk only fault of the DOS. Folks must stay out of problem using the extra memory in my added up to 216K but at the top of the 2400H-2FFFH if the "program" is to util- Alpha-Tech board under LS-DOS 6.3.1.1 directory screen it said that OK was avail- ize DOS library overlay facilities! have been using the Ramdrive driver able and afree space map shows the entire uploadedby Michael Jacobs (74076,762). disk allocated. Another check of the di- It has worked fine with LS-DOS 6.3.0 and rectory in hex shows all extent fields the @BANK patches provided by Roy. filled and an extended entry being created My system is as follows: Model 4 Gate for SYS6/SYS. I purged SYS6/SYS and GRAFDISK Problems Array 5 Meg RS Hard Drive using then looked at a free space map. The last RSHARD drivers from MISOSYS Anitek two grans of track 39 and all of tracks 1 Fin Pieter J. Plomp, Amsterdam, Hol- I Alpha Tech Memory Board with 512K through 16 are still shown as allocated, land: Roy, I am very much puzzled with Smartwatch. even though nothing had ever been put on trouble Iran into practically the first time them. I used LSDOS 6.3.1. After reading the I applied Roy's latest @BANK patches lastCN80 I decided to try the GRAFDISK for 63.1 and then tried to install Ramdrive. I am at a loss trying to figure out what is program to create a GRAFDISK memory The system was booted up in floppy mode happening here. Any ideas? At this point disk. with the hard drive powered off. I got an lam sticking with 6.3.0, as Iknow that my error message "Illegal access attempted memory board works with it, but I would But I am getting a Directory Read Error to protected file" even though the protec- like to use 6.3.1.1 can understand Ramdiive when I use LSDOS 6.3.1 in drive 0. With
DOS Subjects - 27 - DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
LSDOS 6.3.0 or TRSDOS 6.2.1 however for "free-of-charge" refresh, otherwise it's done to it, the password of the /SYS files everything works fine! $10 + S&H). Note that the combination of will not have been changed to "system6". PEXMEM and ERAMDISK with the That would cause problems with the pass- Of course. I made backups of everything Michel Houd6 patches still works per- word entry in the filespec of the patch on new diskettes - but the same result. The fectly. line. Suggest you just do as you did, or directory sectors are without errors. Ergo patch a working floppy made from the the Read Error must be a software error I caution anyone that using /DCT pro- 6.3.1 and back that up to your other sys- due to LSDOS 6.3.1. Directory structure. grams which violate the documented user tem disks. range will cause you problems. I recom- Before I shall publish this I should like to mend you refer these problems to the Incidentally, LS-DOS 6.3.1 doesn't re- hear from you about it, as this could a source of the offending program. place any date string with the "level" reason for a few not to update. But I told nomenclature; that's identical to 6.3.0. Stan Slater who sells Grafdisk on his But the last release of 6.3.1, for instance, CN80 diskette that it will not work with had "Level-L+" in the position where the new LSDOS. How can this be pos- 6.3.1 has "Level-iF' (currently). Your sible, and will it not occur with other Format patch patch would only need to alter the last two programs? characters of that string. Fm Dave Krebs: Roy, A couple of ques- To make it easy for you I shall send you a tions and/or comments on the patches in disk with my (mini) Dos 6.3.1, plus the TMQ W.üi. First, is the DISKCOPY patch Grafdisk files and a "auto" Do System. on page 10 for 6.3.0 Level L+? It looks like it is! Second, if it is, is the appropriate SPOOL Bug? change made to 6.3.1? Fm William J. Newman: I have 6.3.1 Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Pieter, This is in Finally, the comment! The F1X63 1A1JCL purchased earlier this month. SPOOL gives response to your letter wherein you posed worked fine on my backup of yourmaster me this with my Anitek upgrade to 512K. that attempting to use a shareware utility 6.3.1 disk, but not so good on my double I have a 15 meg RD (no drivers, etc., called GRAFDISK - which uses the hires sided boot disks that were updated with being used) graphics RAM as a RAMDISK - cannot the procedure in the LS-DOS update! The be installed under LS-DOS 6.3.1. The patch aborts with the error "find line SPOOL *PR (BANK=4,DISK=0) reason is due to the GRAFDISK/DCT mismatch" 'cause my boot disk has the violating the documented program inter- date in the area that you put "Level 1A" Requested bank in use face of the DOS. The DOS documents the on your master disk, and the password of user address range for programs utilizing BOOT/SYS was still LSIDOS. I did get When I do SPOOL *PR DOS library functions as the range 3000H- things going by ATFRJBing BOOT/SYS (BANK=2,DISK=0), the spooler is op- HIGH$. GRAFDISK/DCT loads starting and changing the PW to "SYSTEM6" and erational. How do I access other banks? from 2COOH. This causes it to overlay a used FED2 to change the DATE area to portion of the SYSTEM library function read "Level-1B". A suitable patch line module resulting in an error. Because of would be: the additional functionality of the SYS- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: The DOS can only TEM command in LS-DOS 6.3.1, the d02,18=4c 65 7665 6c 2d 3142 access memory banks known to the DOS. SYSTEM module is larger - but the Adding memory boards beyond the 128K SYSTEM module does NOT violate the I don't like to patch without a 'find' line. requires making modifications to the DOS documented range of the library overlay Would a find line of: f02, la=2f work? so that the @BANK service call is region - GRAFDISK does! Thanks for your time! "memory-aware". For the Alpha Tech memory board, use the AT patches we Another IDCT program which apparently published in TMQ issue N.h. If MEM- violated the rule was RAMDISK/DCT ORY doesn't show extra memory, the supplied as part of the Model 4 XLR8er Fm MISOSYS, Inc: The DISKCOPY DOS doesn't know of it! interface disk. This RAM drive program patch has nothing to do with the DOS was developed for Hi-Tech and subse- Level; but the patch is only for the 6.3.0 Incidentally, the AT patches referenced quently provided by MISOSYS. As I did release as it has been added to 6.3.1's herein are not for Anitek's latest hyper- not have the source code, I had to disas- DISKCOPY. mem board which uses a means of port semble the program, re-ORG it to 3000H, access different from the Alpha Tech board. then re-assemble it. The revised program Anytime you are patching the BOOT! is on recent XLR8er disks. If you need it, SYS file of a disk not directly made from send in your XLR8er disk for a refresh 6.3.1, things may be different. For one (include mailer, label, and return postage thing, if only backups by class have been
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Fm Fred Oberding: I have a problem worked up a patch for that correction. See it very easy to rename a mass of files reclaiming banks 8, 9, or 10; although F1X63 1E/JCL. using a template. banks 0-7 will re-claim okay. After doing a "SPOOL *PR (NO)" using either of the top 3 banks I get the following messages: Fm Dick Hollenbeck, El Paso, TX: if using bank 8: 6.3.1 JCL bug? Nope! Gentlemen, Just received your new re- "Memory space reclaimed" lease and wanted to thank you for your Fm Alan Varga: Hi, Roy, I just received efforts in keeping the Model 4 alive until if using bank 9: my 6.3.1 disk and I really like the new 2012. It'll outlive me if the biblical "three "Memory space reclaimed" features. I've only had one problem so score and ten" is valid. "Bank 1 released" far. I wrote a JCL to update my system disks in drive 0 while leaving the upgrade I have encountered a problem: I'm sure if using bank 10: disk in drive 1 (check your mailbox for it's another example of "forest for trees" "Memory space reclaimed" UPGRAD.JCL). When the backup com- that I'm frequently guilty of - but please "Bank 2 released" mand completes I am returned to DOS help! instead of continuing with the rest of the JCL. Am I unintentionally misusing JCL? "MEMORY" shows these banks still in BACKGROUND: I'm running a 128k, 5 use and they can not be used for other meg Model 4. The hard drive has been programs. On the lower banks the mes- Aside from that I'm quite pleased. I read partitioned with three drives for LS-DOS. sage indicates that the correct bank has a couple of suggestions for a proposed 6.4 I've used the Radio Shack RD initializer been released and it has been indeed re- for whenever that comes out. My wish list (cat # 26-0316) for this partition. It was leased. is short and, I hope, simple. Could TED initially set up for TRSDOS 6.2.0, and has be modified so that
DOS Subjects -29- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv separately and together with their LS- mate configuration or one SYSGEN'CI configured system was established (with DOS 6.3.0 counterpart. 3. Made numer - after the JCL ran at one point. Is that a the 6.3.0 system files), the AUTO'ed ous LS-DOS 6.3.1 backups on several 6.3.1 generated file or the old 6.3.0 STARTUP/JCL ran, thereby installing "good" disks of appropriate files. CONFIG/SYS which was copied over to a diskDISK, a protective screen filter, and 6.3.1 disk? You really ought to rebuild PRO-WAM. The important thing to re- DISCUSSION: Drive 3 is the logical drive your configuration from scratch. Start clean member here is that the system was run- containing the boot disk on boot-up after with no CONFIG, then install your HD ning under 6.3.0. the system has been configured for hard driver and other filters of your choice. drive, and refers to the lower, floppy Then SYSGEN. Use the AUTO'd JCL to I then placed a copy of my boot-disk in the drive. I conclude from this that my prob- bring in PRO-WAM and DD, etc... upper floppy drive (logical drive #4 in my lem lies with the JCL file (or its handier). system), and a copy of LS-DOS 6.3.1 in In as much as the JCL is not compiled, I Backing up a new OS in: I to an old OS in the lower floppy drive (drive # 3), and do not understand the error message "Open :0 is not the best procedure covered in the entered the command: FCB." Admittedly I have a bunch of stuff 6.3.0 Upgrade Documentation. It works crammed in high memory, but I don't only if your old CONFIG file has no DOS BACKUP :3:4 (S,I,OLD) think any of it is overwriting the FCB? module (or fragment) configured which The line of "Oh's" is also confusing, as is has changed address position between When the backup was complete, I SYS- the freeze-up. When a JCL aborts, it re- releases. Addendum 1A, page 6, covers GEN'ed the updated boot disk (but turns to DOS? I'd appreciate any, guid- the best procedure since it starts out the diskDISK, the screen filter, and PRO- ance or suggestions you may feel appro- installation from scratch. WAM were all in the instant system). priate to my situation. Right now, I'm Consequently, the CONFIG/SYS ifie was frustrated. Another puzzling remark you made is bombed. I also suspect that there were "when the HI) system is up and running - some (major?) changes in the updated DO the JCL executes perfectly until it en- handler, which also contributed to the counters a "device-in-use" situation; it STARTUP/JCL's aborting. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Dick, I think that then exits to DOS with an appropriate you did not install 6.3.1 properly. To error message." Are you implying that the The fix was easy (once I recognized the begin with, I checked all relevant SYS JCL runs if it is not invoked from an problem). Boot up in the floppy configu- files on the 6.3.1 startup disk you sup- AUTO command? Or does that statement ration with no special confiquration pres- plied. BOOT, SYSO, SYS1, SYS2, and mean something else entirely? ent. Remove the AUTO'ed STARTUP! SYS 11 all compare perfectly. Your JCL JCL and then perform the update proce- runs on my machine until it aborts when it I suggest you confirm just what specific dure - BACKUP :0:1 (S,I,OLD) - on the cannot find the designated /DSK file. commands you used to install 6.3.1; just boot disk. Reboot the hard drive with the where that CONFIG/SYS file came from; updated boot disk, and do another backup You claim that you applied the upgrade as check to ensure that the hard drive system (update) of all system files residing on the before with the command, partition contains 6.3.1 /SYS files; and hard drive. Finally, reinstall the AUTO'ed that the JCL does or does not work irre- STARTUP/JCL, and reboot the system BACKUP :X :Y (S,I,OLD) spective of being AUTO'd. with the updated boot disk and updated hard drive resident system files. Worked however, you neglected to mention what like a champ! was drive :X and :Y! That's important. I have found some folks booting up 6.3.0, Fm Dick Hollenbeck: Roy, Thanks for OK, so I didn't rebuild the CONFIG/SYS then backing up 6.3.1 from drive :1 to :0. your prompt reply to my "little" problem file from scratch as you suggested. I'm That's not correct. That winds up mixing regarding updating my hard drive to LS- not sure where I'd have to begin - suspect 6.3.1 system overlay files with the resi- DOS 6.3.1. You suggested that the CON- that I'd have to start completely over from dent OS, which is 6.3.0. You also did that FIG/SYS file had become corrupted, and scratch; ie: Reformat and partition the in testing, but you should never intermix needless to say, you were right! The prob- drive, then load it, etc.. When I first DOS files from one release with another lem is now fixed. Thanks! installed the hard drive with R/S's driv- unless specifically told to do so. That's ers, I sweat bullets getting it work like I because system overlay files are implem- In the event some other folks have the wanted it to. I don't think I want to go entation dependent on the resident SYSO/ same problem, I'd like to describe what I through that mess again. However, if you've SYS code! think happened. I have been using sloppy got a short cut to suggest, I'm more than update procedures and getting by with willing to listen. I've nothing but respect Something also peculiar about that startup them since TRSDOS 6.1.1 days. for your suggestions, and am most appre- disk was the configuration file. It has ciative of all the help you've given. PRO-WAM in it. You can't SYSGEN When I received LS-DOS 6.3.1,1 booted properly with PRO-WAM. I wonder up the hard drive with the 6.3.0 boot disk whether that CONFIG is in fact a legiti- to begin my update procedure. After the
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Fix for DIR - DIRJ/FIX not DRIVER - although it is supposed to SYS ifie as a TMQ article some time in be DRIVER. Adjust the PATCH com- the future?! don't like being at the mercy mand line accordingly. Now why didn't! of my machine; I'd like to understand it as Fm Fred Oberding: Roy, I don't know pick that up? I suspect at the time that my much as possible. whether I fouled-up, or there is a problem system had global password matching with this patch. I couldn't quite figure out disabled, although I usually do not dis- Again, thanks very much for your help your JCL file, so I made two patch files. A able that function. and! hope you and the family had a happy 1-liner to boot/sys and the 4-liner to sys6/ holiday season. sys. The patch to sys6, record 10, byte OC I checked my procedure library and found seems to be causing a problem with disk that the JCL procedure which applies the dates in the first half of the year. The passwords has "UTILITY" for both month is changed to some special charac- MEMDISK/DCTandFLOPPY/DCT. It's Fm Carl Berger, Largo, FL: I have ter, and the entry is wrapped around to a too late to change that now. second line. questions about BOOTj'SYS: 1. What is the purpose of the BOOT/SYS file on a disk. Is it to help locate the directory? (especially a DATA disk). 2. Why is there BOOT/SYS - What's it for? no MOD date for BOOT/SYS in the direc- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: That's because I tory? 3. Why does BACKUP/CMD abort overlooked adding a patch to the routine when the BOOT/SYS file is corrupted? 4. which calculates the disk pack date. What Fm David J. Kelton, Richmond, VA: What is causing my BOOT/SYS files to was originally omitted from DIR1/FIX Roy, Ijust wanted to than you for the best get corrupted with text, scripsit or BASIC was Christmas present I received this year. program files? 5. How does text get into a Your letter explaining how to fix BOOT! password protected system file like BOOT! D07,D3=DC 04;F07,D3=76 2D SYS ifie so the BACKUP command would SYS? 6. Does LS-DOS put data at the end work [see TMQ IV. iiipages 8-91 came on of files like BOOT/SYS when the disk is Seems like after I worked up the DIR1 December, 23 and I set about the task of full? 7. Does this have anything to do with patch, all my testing was on disks with a fixing things up that very day. There was the fact that the BOOT/SYS file is larger pack date from June through December one small glitch. You indicated that I on the system disk than on a data disk? 8. which would, by coincidence, still dis- should fix the third byte of sector 1 of the Will LS-DOS 6.3.1 correct this problem? play correctly. The patch listed in this BOOT/SYS file. When I examined it, it issue is complete. Anyone still experienc- was correctly set to proper value. The I thought this was only happening on my ing a problem with DIR incorrectly dis- third byte of sector zero, however, con- hard drive, but the other day my Mom's playing disk pack dates from Jan-May, tained the value that BACKUP was put- Scripsit system disk would not boot up apply the above patch to SYS6/ ting in the DCT. When I changed that byte her Model 4, so I tried to backup new SYS.SYSTEM6. to X'4C' BACKUP worked correctly. system files to it and the backup aborted with the message: "Attempted to read As I was backing up EVERYTHING, I system data record". After I looked at the started examining all the files on the disk BOOT/SYS file and found text in it I FIX631D password to decide if! really wanted to keep it. At copied the BOOT/SYS from another LS- one point! SAVEd a BASIC program to DOS 6.3.0 system disk and then backed which I had added some comments. Lo up the scripsit files to a new copy of the Fm Alan Varga: Roy,! am having trouble and behold BOOT/SYS was again clob- system disk. patching MEMI)ISK/DCT, and I'm won- bered. This time one could see that the dering if you could offer any suggestions text comments I had added in the front of One should always have about what I'm doing wrong. I'm trying the program had been written on top of to patch a working copy of LS-DOS 6.3.1 one's boots on, and be BOOT/SYS. (The first time! couldn't see ready to leave... but for some reason the file password isn't anything that looked familiar.) I fixed Montaigne DRIVER, although my working copy BOOT/SYS again and continued on. All should be an exact duplicate of my 6.3.1 drives have now been reformatted and the master diskette. I've upgraded a couple of Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Let's take a look at system drive has been rebuilt withthe the history of BOOT/SYS in an attempt to other disks from 6.3.0 to 6.3.1 and tried contents of the original 5.1.3 and 5.3.0 applying the patches to these as well, but disks. All seems to be OK now. understand it's uses, both past and pres- with no better luck. ent. I was always under the impression that the The word "BOOT" is derived from the BOOT/SYS ifie was really only impor- common expression about "pulling one's tant for disks used for booting. Now I self up by one's bootstraps", which essen- Fin MISOSYS, Inc: Seems like the pass- know better! Would it be possible for you tially means self starting. Bringing up an word on MEMDISK/DCT is UTILITY, to expand on the importanceof the BOOT! operating system to its "Ready" state
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Fixes to LS-DOS 6.3.1
Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Here's all of the fixes installed onto LS- DOS 6.3.1 disks to date. Note that the "level" letter advanced by one character for each fix installed. If, for instance, you see "Level 1D" when you boot your 6.3.1, you would need to apply patches starting from F1X63 1D/JCL. Note also that the level letter is stored in BOOT/SYS. If you are patching a disk (i.e. a hard drive system partition) formatted with 6.3.0 or earlier, the password on the BOOT/SYS file is "LSIDOS"; make any change to the fix as necessary.
DOS Subjects -32- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOS 119 QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv requires a series of such steps. In the days used for anything; the hidden copyright of the track which stored the directory. of the very early microcomputers, there sectors were likewise not needed for Since the DIR/SYS file could be on any were no such things as inexpensive Read anything beyond their intended purpose. track, the DOS used the following method Only Memory devices (ROMs) or Pro- The only other significant piece of infor- to read a directory sector The table entry grammable devices (PROMS). When you mation contained in that BOOT/SYS ifie was used to identify the track number. If wanted to start up your computer, you was a pointer to the track (cylinder) which the FDC status following the sector read generally used a series of front panel contained the directory. Here's why. indicated the directory DAM with no read switches where you literally entered your error, it was assumed to be correctly read. code bit by bit. Those were the early days of the 5.25" If it indicated a data DAM with no read floppy disks; media was not guaranteed to error, the BOOT/SYS sector containing Technology advanced to the point where be error-free. The DOS utilized a proce- the directory pointer was read to update the TRS-80 Model I Level II had three dure during the format of a disk to verify the in-memory disk table; then the sector large ROMs totalling 12K of memory. the readability of each sector and to in- read was re-attempted. This directory Those ROMs contained primarily a BASIC hibit "bad" sectors from being used; this pointer was positioned as the third byte of interpreter, device drivers, and code to was known as the lockout table in the the boot sector read by the ROM, which start up the machine - boot code. OAT. Since the directory had to be writ- was sector 0 of track 0. ten to a track which contained no errors Enter the floppy disk drive system. Since (i.e. no lockouts), its position was not Technology advanced and Lobo Drives ROM memory was at a premium, it had fixed. The directory could be located on International began marketing a Model I little code to access the disk drive. In fact, any track. It was necessary, therefore, for expansion interface called the LX-80. This it had the bare essentials to be able to read the DOS to know where the directory was E/I had the unique ability of superimpos- one sector of a floppy disk. The Model I located. Three schemes were used. ing its own ROM during the boot process. started out as a single density system; Instead of the ROM's boot code reading tracks were numbered from 0-34 while A little background is necessary. IBM sector 0, it read sector 1 of the boot track. sectors were numbered from 0-9 on a designed the first floppy disk drive - the This was probably to support CP/M which track. Typically the first sector on the first 8" floppy. Their scheme used a method of typically numbered sectors from 1-non a track is reserved for the "boot" sector; logically dividing the surface of a disk track. But it also gave the ability for the thus, the Model I ROM had code to read with concentric tracks and further subdi- same LDOS system disk to boot up on track 0 sector 0 into memory - specifically viding each track into groups of bytes either a normal Model I with a Radio memory starting at 4200H. If it success- called sectors. The actual division was Shack Eli or one with a Lobo LX-80 Eli fully read that sector, the ROM then con- laid down during the formatting process. since the DOS used sector 0 for Radio tinued CPU execution at4200H. It was up Each sector was prefaced with a header Shack standards and sector 1 for the LX- to the 256 bytes contained in that sector to record, within which was information that 80. To accomplish this, the hidden copy- continue the process of bringing up the identified the track, side, and sector numbers right code went The bottom line is that as Disk Operating System. That code typi- of the sector prefaced. There was also a far as the Model I was concerned, BOOT/ cally needed only a slightly more sophis- code to designate the "type" of sector; this SYS contained just the startup code and ticated floppy disk driver to contiiie code was designated the "data address the directory pointer. LDOS did use BOOT/ reading theresident and startup part of the mark", or DAM. IBM format designated SYS for additional data. operating system which was stored in the two types of sectors: one DAM indicated SYSO/SYS file. a d= sector; the other a deleted data When Tandy introduced the Model ifi, sector. they used a 1-n sector numbering scheme As the Model I TRSDOS blocked a disk on a track; thus, the BOOT ROM read into groups of sectors called "granules", The floppy disk controller (FDC) chip sector 1 of track 0. It read that sector into five sectors were allocated to the Model! used in the Model I machine supported 4300H. The Model ifi also used a FDC BOOT/SYS file - five being the size of the four discrete data address marks, two of chip which reduced the number of DAMs granule on that disk. So aside from the which were used by the DOS. One desig- supported from four to two [see Data actual boot code, there were four addi- nated data sectors, while the other desig- Address Marks by Roy Soltoff in The tional sectors. They weren't used for too nated directory sectors. The DAM is LDOS Quarterly July 1, 1981]. Unfortu- much. The second and third sectors had encoded during the operation of writing a nately, the DAM used on the Model I for some hidden code which was used to sector to the diskette; different FDC write the directory sectors was NOT one of the originally display Randy Cook's copy- commands tell the FDC to generate one of two supported on the Model ILL The LDOS right message given the simultaneous the four acceptable DAMS. This was one implemented on the Model III was de- depression of three specific keys when scheme used in the Model I DOS. The signed tobe able to read both Model land RESET was pushed. The fourth and fifth second was to maintain a data table in Model Ill LDOS disks. Logical Systems, sectors had identical copies of the first memory for each disk drive with one table Inc., bit the bullet when we decided to sector of the directory file, DIR/SYS, entry being the track number of the direc- change the DAM convention used by our which is typically known as the Granule tory. The other was to have a byte in the Model! LDOS to utilize the two DAMS Allocation Table (OAT). These were never BOOT/SYS file contain the track number supported commonly across both the Model
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I FDC and Model ifi FDC chips. We took there are not two DAMs to differentiate of the directory pointer which should be a lot of heat on that decision, but to this the directory track sectors from normal of equal value. When a disk is converted day, I firmly believe it was a correct data sectors. As the DOS has to utilize the to a system disk, by backing up an exist- decision. To be able to support both Model dual convention, the hard disk driver ing system disk to a data disk, the entire I and Model ifi diskettes, the directory emulates the dual DAM convention by BOOT/SYS file is replaced except for the pointer needed to be stored in both sector returning the "directory read" status when bits representing the "bootstrap step rate" 0, for Model I, and sector 1, for Model Ill the cylinder of a sector read matches the (see the earlier discussion under LDOS operation. As Model III LDOS was ported current value of the directory cylinder in topics), and the directory pointers if a from the Model I version, many of the the in-memory disk table! If the directory reconstruct BACKUP is involved. The DOS functions and utilities which ac- pointer in BOOT/SYS is incorrect, system disk boot code is also not identical cessed the BOOT/SYS directory pointer BACKUP will still think it is reading the across sectors 0 and 1, but the two sectors actually still used the one in sector 0. directory because the in-memory table each still contain their own directory pointer Later, as new commands and functions has been updated. But what is read is - which should be identical. were added in subsequent releases, the garbage! BACKUP actually doesn't up- DOS shifted to use the pointer in sector 1; date the system's table, but rather its own So there, in more than a nutshell, is the although for a time, both were used - table; thus, only BACKUP is affected. Of evolution of BOOT/SYS and a summary which caused some headaches trying to course, it does impose a hardship if you of its utilization. Now let me respond read non-LDOS Model ifi disks. cannot back up files from a hard disk. specifically to the questions. LDOS is a very device independent DOS; LDOS also introduced additional uses for BOOT/SYS starts out without a date it also supports a wide mixture of disk data storage in the BOOT/SYS ifie as because it is typically not updated by devices. You can freely intermix 40-track, previously mentioned. Sector 2 is used as users; it's alteration is strictly by operat- 77-track (remember the 100 TPI drives?), a "system information sector". Data within ing system commands which must mod- 80-track, 5.25", 8", 3.5" drives in both that sector indicate, for instance, whether ify data contained within the BOOT/SYS single and dual headed configuration with or not a CONFIG/SYS file has been file. The DOS accesses it by direct disk the directory being anywhere in either SYSGENed; whether or not the date or address, not as a file; thus no modification single or double density configurations. time prompts should be issued on BOOT; date is affected by the DOS as that's LDOS has what is called "automatic density and some default FORMAT parameters handled strictly by @CLOSE - a file recognition" as well as automatic con- for floppy diskettes. facility. However, if you use PATCH to figuration of data disks. That's because apply a fix to BOOT/SYS, it will have a certain configuration information is stored The architectural design of the Model 4 modification date. in the directory; disk's become logged DOS incorporated more of an ability to be when files are opened. In order to con- developed for multiple machines. The As far as understanding what causes BOOT! tinue with this flexibility, it is important low-memory region was targeted specifi- SYS files to be corrupted, it is almost for certain DOS commands which do NOT cally for I/O drivers which are inherently beyond the scope of this publication since open files to be able to log the disk - or get machine specific. All DOS implementa- it is typically caused by programs gone at the configuration information. For in- tion-specific functions not incorporated haywire. But let me provide a little incite.,. stance, when you issue a DEVICE com- into the I/O driver zone were segregated mand, you want to know the configura- to library C, stored in SYS8/SYS. The The DOS stands between a program ac- tion of the current disk in a drive, not the Model 4 BOOT/SYS file for a data disk- cessing files by record and the disk which last one logged. DEVICE has to log the ette is virtually identical to a Model Ill is accessed by drive, tracks, heads, and current disk. data disk BOOT/SYS file. Differences sectors. For every file access, the DOS exist for SYSTEM disks as the Model 4 has to translate a request to read or write BACKUP also has to know the configura- system disk BOOT/SYS file contains not a specific file record into the exact disk tion of the current SOURCE disk, not the only the disk boot code but also the I/O address. Before a program can access any last one used in the drive, as well as the drivers. The file is in "core-image" form, record of a file, the file must be "opened". current DESTINATION disk to deter- which means it is a pure binary file in This is just a procedure utilized to have mine if a mirror-image backup can be contrast to standard /CMD files which are the DOS search available directories for a performed or whether it has to perform a record-oriented load modules. The Model given file specification. Once the DOS "reconstruct". BACKUP starts its log- 4 BOOT/SYS file on a system disk takes finds the directory entry, it reads informa- ging operation by reading the BOOT sector up the entire track. tion on the physical disk storage occupied to pick up the directory pointer; it doesn't by the ifie and stores that information into rely on the in-memory disk table. So if the On a disk formatted by the Model 4 DOS, a File Control Block (FCB) maintained directory pointer is wrong, BACKUP will a data disk still has two boot code sectors; by the program. The FCB can hold infor- get wrong information. The problem is- there are identical images in both sector 0 mation on at most four extents [see the sue is compounded when hard drives are and 1 of track 0. True, all that code does Ext column after invoking a DIR com- introduced. A hard drive controller (HDC) when booted is to announce "DATA mand]. For every read or write request, supports only one data address mark; thus, DISK". But they still contain two copies the DOS references the disk address in-
DOS Subjects -34- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv formation stored in that FCB. The only sector got set to zero (the first byte corre- for the "SYSTEM (PRTIME=OFF)" link between an actual file record and the sponds to the usage of cylinder 0), then command of 6.3.1. actual disk address is that FCB; the DOS the DOS would think the BOOT track was has to go back to the directory for more free to use. A request for disk storage information only if it needs additional space stemming from writing a new, or data on an extent not already maintained lengthened, disk file, could cause the in the FCB. But information on what BOOT/SYS file to be overwritten strictly drive and what directory record is associ- because the GAT told the DOS that cylin- Fm John Grindey, Derbyshire, ENG- ated with the FCB is contained in the der 0 was NOT allocated. LAND: Roy, Small problem with PRO- FCB. Alter its contents, and you will read ENHCOMP created programmes. I wrote or write a totally different sector. For Can the DOS be made smarter? I think not a programme to split a long text file into instance, the difference between drive 1 within the resources of the machine envi- smaller segments. The disk I used to write and drive 0 is one bit. If the FCB entry ronment. Things happen; that's why we these to hadn't got enough free space to indicating the drive had a one-bit change, have backups. hold all the data. Instead of giving a Disk instead of writing to drive 1, drive 0 Full Error it carried on trying to write to would be written to. Alter the FCB infor- the disk; the only indication of a problem mation which indicates the granules allo- was that the programme slowed down. I cated to a file, and you will read or write think the problem is in the code below somewhere totally different from the which was disassembled from the pro- expected. gramme, and looks as if it comes from SUPPORT/DAT record OF. Programs may also have bugs. DOS serv- ice functions are executed by a RST 2811 (code deleted for publication) Z80 instruction which has a machine code EnhComp BASIC compiler of OEFH. If a program "crashed" and I know from reading T.M.Q. that you are jumped to a memory location which con- very busy so I will keep reading to see tained that binary value, a DOS service Fm Ralf Folkerts: Roy, during writing when it is worth sending my disk in for a would be requested. The service function the MCS-48 disassembler using Pro- refresh. for writing a physical disk sector is 53 EnhComp 2.6 I found a hue 'bug' (it's (decimal). If the Z80 accumulator hap- not a real bug, but a little inconvenience). pened to contain that value at that point in time, then it is possible that a disk sector When using BC with the PRT - option it Fm MISOSYS, Inc: John, The problem would be over-written if the values con- will not react correctly when a printer tainedin the remaining Z80 registers were you "discovered" in PRO-EnhComp origi- timeout occurs. I've used the Syntax 'BC nates in exactly the routine you reported. legal for a mounted disk drive (i.e. C D1S48,,,-PRT' to get a print-out with contains a drive number; D contains a That's a routine common to all character possible error codes. After the first page I (byte-at-a-time) device output. I suppose cylinder number; E contains a sector recognized that the FORMS filter was set number). Assuming that happened, the that in the Model Ill version, which is up incorrect. Since my printer has a large what the Model 4 version is based on, 256 characters stored in memory pointed buffer I switched it off-line let Pro- to by the contents of register pair IlL device output was primarily used for screen EnhComp abort with a 'device times-out' or printer which had no error return codes. would be written. If you were using a text error. I've pressed
DOS Subjects - 35 - DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv move a file from one drive to another in DoubleD uty Partitions cosmetic bug in the %MEM module header one step: eg. MOVE FILENAMB:O :1 (not %ME) due to an extra NULL byte causes the file to be copied from drive 0 to (hex 00) being in the header. I found that drive 1 then removed from drive 0. All Fm John G. Gelesh: I believe I have and fixed that. lam positive I changed all went well until the destination drive got found a bug in the MEMORY command instances of TRS DOS to LS-DOS. Please full and instead of the program terminat- of LS-DOS 63.1. On page 2 of the memory ensure that you are using my version, ing on the error, it just kept going and listing, the heading prints a second time 2.5.1. Each partition states LS-DOS Ready! deleted the file that I was trying to move. and the first module listed prints over it. Of course I restored the deleted file and This is a minor bug, and probably has a moved it to a drive with free space and simple fix. directory slots, but I decided to write my Fm John G. Gelesh: Roy, you're right own move program in BASIC with an ON Also, how about a clarification on Double about my having an old version of DDUTY ERROR GOTO statement that would loop Duty. If DDUTY is invoked with the (M) I purchased it several years ago from aRS back to the beginning of the program after parameter, Partition 3 I locked out. Isn't store in/near Pittsburgh, for a song. I displaying the appropriate error message it? hadn't realized you updated DDUTY when instead of deleting my file. I also wanted you acquired it. it to display helps such as DIR FILE- NAME or DEVICE to show enabled drives Anyway here is the problem I have with or FREE to show where the free space is Fm MISOSYS, Inc: I'll look into the my version (2.5). When I take a DIR of located. I wrote a simple program in BASIC "MEMORY command moduleproblem". my largest hard drive partition(200+ files) and it does what I want it to do when using Partition 3 of DDUTY, I gpt about a running from BASIC, but I also wanted it DDUTY will inhibit the use of partition 3 page of UN-sorted directory and then a to run from DOS so I compiled it with if invoked with the (M) parameter. It also HIT error. Operating under Partitions 1 Pro-EnhComp. will not reserve any memory for that and 21 get the full sorted directory with no partition. Also, if you are already using errors. Try this with your version. My problem is that Pro-EnhComp 2.6a 1 high memory, say for PRO-WAM with Mar 88 (Mode14 mode, LS-DOS 6.3) does more than 128K, then you may as well not Do you plan to do any upgrades to DDUTY? not generate an ERR code on a DOS error lock out partition 3 as it won't use any How would I go about obtaining an up- (at least not the way I'm using it). For additional memory. But with PRO-WAM's grade? example, if I compile the following pro- LIB command, you won't need DDIJTY's. gram, I would expect the program to loop But with other high-memory modules, back to the beginning on ANY error: you may want it.. Fm MIS OSYS, Inc: i updated it briefly. 10 'TEST/BAS 20 ON ERROR GOTO 900 There were a few small space reductions 30 C$="COPY TEMP/TXT:0 :9" performed. Ichanged the TRS DOS Ready 40 SYSTEM C$ Fm John G. Gelesh: Yes, I see what you to LS-DOS Ready. I fixed the one bug 50 R$="REMOVE TEMP/TXT:0" mean by DDTJTY not reserving high which I found with the %MEM module 60 SYSTEM R$ memory when PROWAM is installed. I name. I was unaware of any other bug. 70 GOTO 20 am glad you pointed that out. I did not 900 PRINT"ERROR";ERR; ERL 910 RESUME 10 notice it. Before getting off the subject of I just tried what you reported - did a DIR the MEMORY command, did you notice from part 3 and I did get a directory read the high-memory module (%ME) of error. I'll investigate that soon. The After the DOS Error message the program DDUTY does not line up with the rest of "unsorted" directory is forced by DIR removes the file. the modules? It prints one space too short. operating as a overlay requested through CMNDR. That forces it unsorted as no Is there a reason that ERR=0 after this One other cosmetic item: DDUTY goes sort scratch space is available. Inciden- type of error? Is it because I am using to LS-DOS Ready in Partitions 1 and 2. tally, I had 224 files on the drive. "SYSTEM" commands? BASIC gener- But goes to TRSDOS Ready in Partition ates an error code for DOS errors, why not 3.1 have been trying different low-mem- I am contemplating upgrading DDUTY the same in the compiled program? ory allocations with DDUTY and I think to allow selectable bank installation and a I have a bug in Partition 3. More on this 2nd version using video line transfer for later after I have done more research. screen swapping so that it could work with AT-patched @BANK systems. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: EnhComp doesn't "trap" external errors (i.e. DOS error status time passes... from commands invoked via "SYSTEM"). Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Methinks you are not using the MISOSYS-released version. Fm Roy Soltoff: The problem you had The "Tandy" version did have a slight doing a DIR in partition 3 of DoubleDuty
DOS Subjects -36- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv had nothing to do with DDUTY; it was when changing between screens under news. The good news is that I have found caused by a bug I introduced into 631. Double Duty. This is a virgin copy of LS- out why DoubleDuty does not work prop- The problem reared if you invoked an DOS 6.3 that was patched using the patches erly with DOS 6.x patched with the Alpha unsorted directory and the drive had a file from DISKNOTES 6 for the Alpha Tech Tech memory board patches which I with more than 4 extents. See FJX631C/ board. I only used the three patches that developed; I have one machine with that JCL. applied to 6.3 (BOOTATMX SYSOAT63/ board in place and can duplicate the prob- FIX, & SYS1AT)FIX). There are NO lem. Of course, the only problem I have other patches installed in DOS. Excess been able to reproduce is that the screen DoubleDuty files have been purged. image is not properly restored when and Extra Memory DoubleDuty switches partitions. It's not When garbage appears, you can clear the the fault of DoubleDuty; it is the limita- Fm Danny C. Mullen, Ft Polk, LA: Roy, screen with the
DOS Subjects -37- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv board was designed to use port 43H above but from bank 0. DDUTY and PRO-WAM both in "ex- (RAMPORT) to control its 32K memory tended" memory. imaging. Recognize, for the moment, that Knowing all this does you no good as the the Alpha Tech modification replaces the hardware memory management of the If BANKER is showing the wrong num- existing 64K RAM chips with 256K RAM AT board prevents it from simultaneously ber of banks installed, it only means that chips; thus, banks 0, 1, and 2 represent displaying the video RAM while the resi- the installation of SYSO into memory - portions of memory in those 256K RAM dent bank is something other than bank 0. which has a routine patched by the chips. The AT board's port control used a One possible solution would be to repro- SYSOAT/FIX which checks for RAM decimal value of 0-30 to select any one of gram DoubleDuty to double buffer the installed - detects 1 Meg of RAM. No one 31 distinct 32K memory blocks as imaged video screen transfer (and other @VDC1L has previously reported that tome. I never into the upper 32K address space. Fur- calls it does for cursor positioning, etc.). tested the patches on a 512K Alpha Tech thermore, if a 0-value was selected, the That would certainly slowdown the swap- board; I have one working AT board and memory management hardware of the ping somewhat, and lengthen the code you are aware that 1 Meg is achieved by Model4 was effective for switching banks space needed. Unfortunately, no @VDCFL soldering two banks of memory chips 0, 1, and 2 normally. This meant that any call can be performed when the AT board atop each of the first 512K of chips - I will program which twiddled the Model 4 bank is switched to other than bank 0; thus, the not alter that arrangement just for testing. switching directly would continue to work %SWP driver in low memory would have My suspicion is that the board may just even if an AT board was installed. On the to be longer to accommodate the code image the first physical 512K for both other hand, if any other value was se- needed to handle all of the @VDCTL RAMPORT selections from 1-14 and for lected inport43H, the Model 4's memory calls. I am not going to pursue that solu- 15-30. If such is the case, software would management hardware - including the tion at this time. be unable to detect whether 512K or 1024K video RAM imaging- would beineffec- of memory is installed. It would be wise time passes... to manually alter the Bank Available Ram (BAR) field to reflect only the 512K. The What is happening with DoubleDuty is AT patches use four bytes from 414H to Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Danny, Here's some that the code to swap partitions is execut- good news for you. Subsequent to my 41711; low order bit of low order byte is ing from bank 2 resident in the upper half previous correspondence, I decided to re- associated with bank 0 whereas the 2nd address space. The partitions' "saved" work DoubleDuty so that it could handle high order bit of the high order byte is video images are likewise in that bank as partitioning 128K even on a machine associated with bank 30. Note that a one- noted above. So next one has to examine equipped with the Alpha Technology meg machine uses the first 32K as non- how the DOS, patched by the AT patches, memory board and patched with my AT switchedRAM from 0-7I-FFH; thus, there handles the enabling of video RAM. patches. It required more effort than I had are only 31 switchable banks of 32K out expected because there was zero space of the remaining memory. These are des- Since video RAM cannot be imaged at available in the SWAPPER module of ignated 0-30. With a 512K machine, you OF800H unless the Model 4 memory DDIJTY. I had to work hard to compress have but 15 switchable banks designated management hardware is effective, the some of the code so that! could squeeze in 0-14. This means that the BAR values code in the patched ENADISDORAM code to handle double buffering of the should be FF 'iF 0000, for you. You could must output a zero value to the RAM- video screen swap using line transfer. I change those with the MEMORY com- PORT, then switch in the video RAM also had to rework the routine which mand. image. Once the transfer is made, the snapshots the keyboard speed buffer stored follow-up routine restores RAMPORT to in video RAM starting with DOS 6.2.0. Finally, I'm notmaking SOURCE to 6.3.1 its previous value. This action also will While I was at it, I decided to also add a available. I didn't do that with 6.3.0.! still "temporarily switch from whatever bank Bank parameter which accepts any num- have hundreds of THE SOURCE to is resident to bank 0 during the duration of ber from 1-29 as the secondary 64K base TRSDOS 6.2, the three-volume set. the transfer to/from video RAM! Obvi- ously what is happening is that the video bank; this version will use base plus base+1. screen RAM is not being updated from I have done some preliminary tests on what is saved in bank 2but from whatever both a 1 Meg AT Model 4 and a 384 K Fm Danny C. Mullen, Ft Polk, LA: Dear is inbank 0. In fact, bank willbe XLR8er'd Model 4. Tests were done with Roy, I wish to thank you for taking the overwritten when partitions are swapped DDUTY installed in banks >2 and even time to do this. This will really allow me by the action of saving the current screen. with PRO-WAM installed in a higher to 'max-out' while using ALDS, DDUTY, bank with the DOS running from a and now PRO-WAM at the same time. You can observe this entire action by RAMDISK. Actually kind of interesting. (Maybe I see TRIPLE/QUAD DUTY in installing PRO-WAM then bringing up the future?) the MED application (part of MisterED). I do not experience any problem with With that you can see the original video CAL - or any other PRO-WAM applica- I was thinking about how to write some screen contents and see the screen being tion - under 6.3.1; this was even tried on code to bypass @BAM( when I finished updated from the address ranges noted the AT-patched machine using the new a current project (a small thesaurus) for
DOS Subjects -38- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
PD, but really don't have the experience are a bit crazy; some of the files are sending a copy of that patch. As it turns to tackle such. Have previously disas- missing and the heading shows 150 cylin- out, applying the GO:MTC MAPPER patch sembled the SUPERDR1VE ramdisk ders. #2, the JCL I used to setup the drives makes the patched version byte-for-byte emulator included with AT board to see (I have removed the "6" from your ifie identical to the patched version used in how the author got around the switching names). #3 a printout from FREE; #4 a MACH2 since 1984. Hope that wasn't too problem you mentioned in last letter, but directory of drive zero; #5 a printout of confusing. about the only thing I'm sure I discovered FREE :0;#6, aprintout of DEVICE; #7 a was an undocumented parameter to put its printout from DCT/CMD of drives 015; I driver in high memory, and a spelling haven't figured all these out and may not error in its installation message have occasion to do so and it doesn't bother me much as the system works well, but I can't figure out how or why the sheets for drives 2 and 5 show starting head as 9 (maybe due to something simi- GO:MTC and MAPPER lar to floppies where logical number may be different from physical number?); #8, Fm Robert C. Scully, Oaklyn, NJ: Roy, a printout, for comparison, from MAP- Need some clarification on mapper as in PER run on a double-sided 80-track floppy; "GO:MTC". As you can see from exhibit and #9, a printout from CALC/CMD. A, the program does not pickup all files as Nuff info? (grin). listed in the directory. However. PSS6/ CMI) and PMAP6/CMD both have no One thing that puzzles me is that, al- problem in displaying the files properly. though the default of FIXED has been Any chance of a fix? used in the MSCSI setup in my JCL, both DEVICE and DCT show them as remov- Similarly, when using DIRCHECK/CMD, able. also in "GO:MTC", it indicates many GAT errors. Doing Dircheck :0(H) is when the false reporting of GAT errors occur. If, doing Dircheck :0(L), works fine as Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Charles, you were does pcheck6/cmd. Any answers? having a problem with MAPPER - the version which came from PRO-MACH2, I assume. You did mention ALLOC, etc., so I am suspecting that the version of Fm MIS OSYS, Inc: MAPPER, as put on MAPPER was from that package. GO:SYS, was missing the PM4LP011FIX published in NOTES FROM MISOSYS, There was a patch published in NOTES issue IV, page 4-56, December 1984. See FROM MISOSYS, Issue IV published in the next letter for more info. Also, see December 1984. That had a PMAPO1/ TMQ IV.ii page 55 about DIRCHECK. FIX which corrected the very problem you reported. Perhaps your version did not have that fix. lam enclosing a copy of that page. Fm Charles A. Ainsworth, Woodbr- idge, VA: Dear Roy, Now for a problem On the other hand, I do recollect you with MAPPER/CMD. I have used it sev- purchased some of the Golden Oldies eral years together with ALLOC/CMD as products. A version of MAPPER was also TRSCROSS for MS-DOS I am very fond of centering my files provided in GO:MTC. However, I just around the directory of a logical drive to recently discovered - via another bug report Fm Peter P. Klemchuk, Yorktown minimize head travel, especially in those similar to yours - that the version of Heights, NY: Gentlemen: Jam writing to so frequent searches for SYS/SYS files. MAPPER put onto the GO:MTC disk was ask if you can advise me how to move Until I changed to my six-drive partition- not the patched version, but a version data from time to time from Profile 4 Plus, ing, that worked fine. But when the six- previous to the original MAPPER sup- an excellent data base system, on a Radio drive arrangement appeared on the scene plied on MACH2. Thus, the MAPPER Shack Model 4P computer to a database and I used MAPPER, things seemed to go used in GO:MTC re-introduced the very on an IBM compatible computer operat- a bit wild. I am sending you several at- bug fixed back in 1984! That takes a ing under DOS 3.3. Prior to sending the tachments to illustrate this: #1, a MAP- slightly different patch. In the off chance data I set them up to print and direct the PER run of mr drive zero. Note that things that you were using this version, I'm also printed record to the RS232 port. The
DOS Subjects - 39 - DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume JV.iv signal is transmitted through a null mo- Perhaps its because of the end-of-line experiencing a problem with TRSCROSS. dem to the RS232 port on the IBM com- convention. You will typically have a patible computer. As the data come to the RETURN only at the end of a paragraph To begin with, the Tandy 1000 TL/2 is IBM compatible a line may be received in a Superscripsit document - even when normally equipped with a single 3.5" floppy correctly but as the cursor moves to type converted to ASCII; thus, you may be drive. Obviously you also have a 5.25" the next line it erases the previous line as truncating paragraphs which exceed 80 drive connected. What kind of drive is it, it goes along; and the cursor laying down characters. 360K or 1.2Meg? What drive letter is the third line erases the second one. From this? B:? D:? I have heard of problems time to time a line may remain as typed A solution to all of these problems may be where some Tandy machines are equipped but only infrequently. As a result a frag- easily be obtained. By using our with two 3.5" drives and a third 5.25" mented record is received. It almost seems TRSCROSS product ($89.95 + $2 S&H), drive identified as D:. TRSCROSS does as if an end of line signal needs to be sent you can directly read your TRS-80 disk- not seem to work in that environment but isn't being transmitted. ettes on your PC. TRSCROSS runs under when the 5.25" drive is neither the A: or MS-DOS and reads, writes, and formats B: drive. What is yours configured for? Another problem is that the data file being TRS-80 media It directly translates BASIC Since you probably boot off of the hard transmitted is longer than 80 characters programs. It converts Superscripsit docu- drive (most likely C:), you should be able and Terminal operating under Microsoft ment files directly to ASCII or to Docu- to change your configuration so that the Windows is limited to 80 characters. Do ment Content Architecture: Revisable Form 5.25" floppy is the A: drive. Can you do you have any suggestions as to how I Text (DCA:RFO which can be imported this? If so, please try to utilize that ar- might transmit a data file with as many as directly by some word processors thereby rangement; repeat your job tasks, then 130 characters per line when printed? retaining most of the document format- report any difficulty. ting. TRSCROSS converts ASCII files A third problem relates to transmitting and makes the end of line correction. You don't state what DOS was used on documents prepared with Superscripsit Although it cannot directly convert Pro- the TRS-80 diskettes; there were about a under TRSDOS to the IBM compatible file data files, you can generate a Profile half a dozen different DOS vendors: operating under DOS 3.3. I convert the report to a file then use TRSCROSS on TRSDOS 1.3, LDOS 5.1/5.3, DOSPLUS documents to ASCII and they are frag- that file. 3.x, Mu1t1DOS, NEWDOS80, etc. You mented when received at the DOS com- state that some disks were readable and puter. some files were transferred successfully. What is different about the other disks? I would appreciate any suggestions you Fm Ralph A. Marino, Pastor, Were the disks readable but the files were can provide to help me solve these prob- Queensbury, NY: Dear Friends, The not transferred properly? If readable, what lems. Thank you for your attention to this Queensbury United Methodist church has types of files were they and what did you inquiry. bought acopy ofyourTRSCROSS for use specify to be the mode in each case (ASCII, between a Model 4 in Model 3 mode and BAS, BIN, etc...) and what was wrong a 1000 TL/2 with hard drive. with the transferred file? If not readable, what did TRSCROSS report? You see, Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Peter, The problem I attempted to use your program today. you provide little information to under- you run into with the screen line over- Some files were successfully transferred stand the nature of the problem. write is caused by the end-of-line conven- but several disks which were working fine tion employed on each machine. MS- between two model 4's could not be read Please provide a clear and complete de- DOS uses a CR-LF convention whereas by TRSCROSS. When I tried to use the scription of the exact nature of your prob- TRS-80 uses just a CR. ASCII data which format option the computer hung up and lem and surrounding circumstances. That is transferred to MS-DOS from a TRS-80 could only be released with the reset but- is needed before any additional research needs to be massaged to translate CR to ton. It claimed to be formatting cylinder 0 can be performed. CR-LF. You may try to install the FORMS and just sat there with the cursor blinking. filter to the *CL, device then specify
DOS Subjects -40- DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume W.iv works fine. However, I have been com- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Dr. Borson, Your You do specify in your letter that you are pletely unable to transfer from the AT to letter alludes to a problem in transferring using an AT machine. That generally the Model III. data back to your Model ifi. You don't implies a 1.2Meg hi-capacity drive. state which Model III DOS you are using, Sometimes you may not be able to format I have tried this using disks formatted by but you do reference formatting a "TRS- a low-density disk on that kind of drive the Model ifi, and using disks formatted 80-type" disk on the PC as 360K. That which would be readable on a low-den- by TRSCROSS (and initialized as 360K implies 2-sided operation. Unless you have sity disk drive. If that is your problem, disks). TRSCROSS seems to have put the modified your Model Ill, you do not have you may need to try to utilize a low- file onto the disk, but attempts to read it 2-sided disk drives. If you are using density (360K) disk drive on your AT. from the disk consistently fail, and in fact, TRSDOS 1.3 on the Model ifi, then you But without further details, I can only be lead the disk drives (on both machines) to should specify format type 2 (see page 16 vague. make some very unusual noises. of the TRSCROSS documentation). If you are using LDOS and have single If you continue to have problems, please Is there anything I can do to enable this sided disks, specify format type 1. You write to MISOSYS with a more complete type of transfer to take place? It would be should specify 40 cylinders and sides= 1, report. very helpful if there was some way that I unless you have 2-sided drives. I cannot could transfer back from the AT to the understand, other than this specification Model Ill. error, why you would be having trouble.
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DOS Subjects - 41 - DOS Subjects Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
FIVE TWELVE K
A Better way for most Model 4's
THE MJSOSYS QUARTERLY issue IV.ii offered a method of using the full 512K addressing capability oftheXLR8erproc- essor, Hitachi's HD64 180. That article modified the early, non-gate array ver- sions of Tandy's Model 4. Peter Van Caeseele of Waterloo, Ontario installed it Array) machines. Retrofitting my origi- THE NEED FOR SERVICE ARISE. on his early Mod 4. He encountered, and nal design to this design proved difficult. corrected some memory problems and Those of you who have waited for this One of my primary goals was to develop says it now runs great. Several people update to my IV.ii article will find that a these hardware mods in a way that would have asked if it would be possible to wider choice of 256K memory chips can not require irrevocable changes to my (or install the changes on a Gate Array or 4P be used. Early Model 4 owners can enjoy your) machine. With the exception of version of the Model 4. At that time I had the benefits too, though at aslightlyhigher eight capacitors on the non-GA Model 4, to say, "Not yet". I recently purchased a price than the previous design's costs. I've met that objective. Tandy socketed no-Rev(ision) gate array machine for the the right chips for this project. The changes paltry sum of $35. The former owner got Thanks to RTIJG club member Richard can be removed in about 1/2 hour, restor- nosy and careless one day; he lifted the Wright I was able to dismantle his Revi- ing your machine to "pristine condition" top off the machine successfully, but while sion A, non-GA Model 4P to locate the should you ever have to take it in for re-installing it he broke the glass seal at attachment points needed for this article. service. It's even possible to remove and the back of the video tube. One of my At his request, the circuitry shown was replace the warranty sticker undamaged "spare parts" Model ifi's came to the not installed on his 4P. It is believed to be if you have some 1,1,1-trichloroethane rescue with a replacement. accurate but must emphasize that IT IS cleaner and a little patience. NOT TESTED. I've not yet run across a The machine I modified for the TMQ GA version of the 4P. Does anyone have DECISIONS: IV.ii article was briefly tested in the "Port the logics? 84" mode (explained below) because I One of the first things you must do when ran out of time meeting Roy's publication When Roy Soltoff and! talked about this going to 512K of memory is to choose a deadline and my job's traveling require- article we concluded that! should treat it (reversible if necessary) modification path. ments. Writing some of my article during as a whole new subject with minimal Either choice mandates that you alter the my trips caused several coding errors to references to IV.ii. For those who have LS-DOS operating system and your Model slip through the cracks. Apologies for read the other article, don't go away; 4 system board. dropping a one byte instruction in much new text is entwined with the old. XLBOOTK and several instructions in The primary slant of this article is toward Choice 1: Continue using Tandy's hard- XLSYSOS. Both versions would boot the GA Model 4's but non-GA Model 4's ware scheme for mapping the first three alright then rear their ugly heads later. and 4P's are included here too. Writing memory banks via hardware I/O Port 84. The corrected code is included with this about multiple option and circuit board Advantage: All software should work as article. versions is a challenge; please bear with though you did not install these modifica- me. tions. Drawbacks: "Permanent loss" of After changing my original test machine low memory addresses x'OFF4' through from Port 84 mode to XLR8er memory WARNING - THESE CHANGES MAY x' 106E' which will be reserved for M. management mode and debugging the CAUSE TANDY TO FROWN ON SERV- Houde's code; more wiring to the board XLSYSOS problems, I turned to a mar- ICING YOUR MACHINE, THOUGH than Choice 2; non-GA Model 4's must ginal set of logics I have for the GA (Gate THEY ARE REMOVEABLE SHOULD use a PAL/HAL chip in socket U72.
The Hardware Corner -42- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
Choice 2: Ignore Tandy's Port 84 control 4> The 74LS series of chips specified counter clockwise (CCW) while slowly of the memory banks and let the HD64 180 here can be replaced with faster chips lifting it over any obstacles. Have a helper manage all memory access. Advantages: such as the 74F or74HCT series. If you do watch the back of the video tube through Less board rewiring than Choice 1; mov- substitute, you must ground all unused the slots above it, to ensure that you don't ing M. Houde's code to lower memory input pins on the new chips to, as Signet- break the glass seal as you lift the tube's (frees memory x'OFF4' et al. for other ics puts it, "prevent serious system prob- neck past some unforgiving hardware and drivers); PAL/HAL chip U72 isn't needed. lems". This grounding is not necessary on wiring in its path. Lay the cover on its Drawbacks: None, unless an application the 74LS family of logic. side; tag and then remove the ground wire program you're using ignores @BANK and wide black wire connector from the and does its own bank switching. Model SOFTWARE: video circuit board in the cover. III bank switchers and Model 4 LeScript may fall into the category. Create 2 new boot diskettes. Each should The Model 4P cover is fastened by two contain a fresh backup of LS-DOS 6.3.0 screws on each side of the case and two WARNING - READ AND UNDER- and utilities. Apply the appropriate /FIX more under the carrying handle. The anti STAND ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS patches: XLBOOTK & XLSYSOA if tamper and model number stickers are BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THEM. IF you've elected to retain Port 84; XLBOOTS under the rear access door. 1080 is the YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, CONTACT & XLSYSOS otherwise. Everyone must non-GA Model 4P while 1080A is the GA ME AND I'LL TRY TO HELP YOU. apply XLR8S2, XLR8S12 and XLR8BU version. (This article will not modify the to complete the patch set. Put the remain- 1080A units.) The cover lifts off the back PREPARATION: der of M. Houde's programs and some of of the machine; watch for a falling key- your own (I added PRO-WAM) on the board as you lift it. The system board is in To extend your XLR8ed GA machine to diskettes, too. if your XLR8er is already a metal pan above the keyboard storage 512K you'll need: (2) 27,51 or 56 ohm,!! installed and contains 256K memory chips, area. The pan is retained by screws at the 8 watt resistors (details below), (1)40-pin you may be able to test the patches to back and sides of the chassis. Watch for and (2) 16-pin solder tail IC (Integrated some extent by re-booting and then in- several connectors located at the front Circuit) sockets; (2) 74LS 157 multiplexer stalling PRO-WAM or a Memdisk, as end of the system board so as to not chips; wire wrapping wire; a 15 watt long as you use only banks 8 thru 14. Put damage them; you will start to see the soldering iron and rosin core solder; misc. a write protect tab on at least one diskette. connectors as you pull the back of the pan tools; (1) extra (old?) IC socket, any size, You should also jot down any CONFIGu- away from the chassis. which we'll cut up for parts. All non-GA rations on your various XLR8ed boot machines will need (1) 20-pin socket. diskettes since they will have to be rede- CAUTION: Early Model 4's will need PAL chip U72 fined after you've installed these modifi- P/N 8075968 (see TMQ IV.iii, p.52). cations. CONFIG'd memory, starting at 74F, 74HCT and CMOS chips are sensi- 'OFF4', will change when the new tive devices. They require special precau- If Port 84 will map memory banks 0-2 XLBOOTx patch is applied. tions to prevent damage from the static you'll then also need another 74LS 157 electricity that today's synthetic clothing and matching 16-pin solder tail socket. GETTING STARTED: can generate. When handling CMOS, I move to our stainless steel kitchen. sink NOTES: To ensure that drive 0's heads are moved (which is connected to copper plumbing) out from track 0, do a final DIRectory or and block the sink drain so chips don't fall 1> You should purchase low profile sock- CATalog listing of the diskette in drive 0, into the food disposal. I rest a bare arm on ets with the slim soldering tails. Low then shut off your machine and pull the the sink rim at all times and use its hand to because it's tightwhere theXLR8erboard power cord from the wall. Place your remove and/or replace CMOS chips in a is mounted; slim so the original system Model 4 on a towel on your workbench to semi awkward fashion while keeping body board sockets aren't damaged. protect the cabinet, then remove the screw motion to a minimum. A second method from the rear of the machine, near the top. is to lean against an unpainted metal 2> A second set of 256K memory chips is Roll the machine on its back, remove the appliance whose 3-pronged plug is in- helpful but not necessary at the onset. anti tamper sticker if you can and the 10 serted into aproperly wired 3-holed outlet Read the BUYING MEMORY section screws holding the cover to the machine (no adapters, please). A third method is to before procuring memory. base. While you have it there, take note of use a grounded static draining wrist strap the "26-lOxx" model number on a tag on such as Radio Shack's 276-2399. All work 3> If you've installed the modifications the bottom of the machine. 26-1067 & well. in IV.ii and want to change over to this 1069 are non-GA Model 4's; 26-1069A & version, REMOVE ALL FORMER 1070 are GA units. Squeeze the top cover Carefully remove and set aside the (CMOS WIRING FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE to the base while returning the unit to its equipped) XLR8er board if it's installed. SYSTEM BOARD before installing these normal upright position, then gently lift To remove the jumper cable from the circuits - This is the voice of experience the top cover off. It's best to pull the top XLR8er, I use one tine of a long thin pair talking. forward as far as possible and rotate it of tweezers. I gently work the tine be-
The Hardware Corner -43- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv tween the connector and one side of the applicable sketches to those for the GA. with the plastic. Go to the next paragraph XLR8er socket, then twist it slightly. I Equivalent chips are shown in parenthesis and wire your system board to address then move over to the other side of the in (4P; PAL chip) order. 128K. If you've chosen to ignore Port 84, socket and twist again, then push the tine break off solder tails 15 & 17 flush with deeper toward the other end of the con- SOCKETS & CHIPS: the plastic. Strip a short length of wrap nector and repeat the process several times wire. Solder it across the broad shoulders until the connector and socket have parted In these next paragraphs you'll be told to of IC US-iS, -16 and -17. Wire your company undamaged. Remove the radio LOOSELY insert IC's in their new sock- system board to address 64K. frequency radiation shield covering the ets. This means "just enough to get all system board (6 screws). There's no need chip legs started in their respective socket Insert the modified adapter into socketU5 to remove the system board, all work can positions". You'll need to pre-form the (Ui 10, U72). Using the Verify List, en- be done on the component side. chips so that the legs align properly. You sure that the removed tail stubs do not must support the socket while inserting its make contact with the original socket Using your tweezers, carefully remove chip so you don't break the few (solder) (press the adapter lightly into the socket the XLR8er cable from the system board tails holding the socket in place. Later while testing), then loosely install the socket. Use the proper "Verify Before you'll fully seat the chips. removed IC into the new adapter. (Non- Starting" list to ensure that the expected GA and 4P owners go to the next para- chips are at the locations shown in the left Prepare a 16-pin socket by breaking off graph.) If your GA machine has a no- column of the list. With a battery powered tails 2-7,9-10 and 12-14. (Model4P - also Rev., Rev. A or Rev. B system board checker, verify that there is continuity break off pin 11.) Tin the inside surfaces (marked on the back of the board, covered between the pairs of points shown in the of the remaining tails, 1,8,11,15 and 16. by the foil radiation shield - not to worry), right column of the list. On the 4P list Tin the broad shoulders of the corre- you should see a wrap wire emerging you're told to verify that U133-1 thru sponding pins on U66 (4P = Ui 12; PAL 4 from a hole in the board near U5-16 and U140-1 aren't interconnected. If you have = U63), which must be a '157 (in other going toward U33. For Port 84 use, solder the good fortune to find that they are you words, a 74whateverl57). Form (never the wire to U33-16 ('273) to address 128K. can ignore a later step that tells you to BEND!) the tails together slightly so they For non-Port 84 use, solder the wire to the wire those pins #1 together. fit U66 snugly, slide the socket over U66 bottom of the capacitor C39 (adjacent to and align the tails on the tinned shoulders U33) which grounds the wire to address SOLDERING HINT: of U66. Heat each of the (four or) five 64K. The other end of this wire is con- joints with your soldering iron to com- nected to U5-16. On Rev. C or above GA Just prior to heating a joint, wet the tip of plete the bonds. LOOSELY insert a '157 machines the wire is replaced by jumper your soldering iron with some fresh sol- chip in the socket. This is address multi- JPR13 (location unknown). The bottom der and shake the excess off onto a piece plexer chip Z66 (Zi 12; Z63). two pins address 128K, the top two ad- of newspaper. This wetted area will trans- dress 64K. Plug the jumper as specified fer heat more rapidly to the joint to be On GA and PAL Model 4's, prepare another above. soldered. 16-pin socket bybreaking off tails 1-7 and 9-15. Tin tails 8 and 16 then prepare pins Port 84 users, prepare a 16-pin socket by If you are working on a non-GA Model 4, 8 and 16 of U63 (none; U65 - it must be a removing tails 1-7 and 9-14. Prepare pins take a 40-pin socket from your inventory 16 pin chip) as before. Solder the socket 8, 15 & 16 as noted above. Install the and solder a 6" wrap wire jumper to solder to U63. Loosely insert a '157 chip in the socket on U65 (Ui 11; U76) which must tail #28 as shown in the sketch. Use as socket. This is refresh chip Z63 (none; be a '157. Loosely insert a '157 into the little solder as possible to prevent system Z65). added socket. This is Port 84 chip Z65 board socket damage or adjacent pin (Z1 11; Z76). shorting. (The adapter is necessary be- 4P's and PAL Model 4's in Port 84 Mode: cause some revisions of the board do not 4P's remove PAL chip Ui 10; Model 4's WIRING: use the *RFSH (Refresh) signal, making remove PAL chip U72. Prepare a 20-pin this tap wire the only way to get to it.) socket per the proper sketch. Jump over With the hard part out of the way, it's time Route the wire to the left as shown while the next paragraph to continue. to add the necessary wiring to the chips inserting this adapter socket into the sys- you just installed. Do exercise care so as tem board's U57 socket (the Z-80A socket). All GA machines, carefully remove the to not confuse the "Z" chip pins with the Carefully ensure that all solder tails prop- 40 pin GA chip from socket U5 with your "U" chip pins. I specified LOOSE inser- erly enter socket U57, then seat the adapter tweezers. US should be marked "42". Be tions of the IC chips so that you don't fully. Don't press TOO hard; you don't doubly sure that the empty socket is con- inadvertently solder a chip to its socket want to break the system board. nected as specified in the verify list. (Stop here. Except as noted, wires will be sol- now if it isn't; call me if the hour is dered to the shoulders of the named IC Much of the following text refers to the decent.) Prepare a 40-pin US socket adapter pins. Here's my method: Route the wire GA Model 4. If you have one of the other as shown in a sketch. If you'll retain Port from pin to pin (neater is better than machine versions, cross-reference its 84, break off solder tails 32,33 & 34 flush shorter) then add a little extra and cut it;
The Hardware Corner -44- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
Strip 1/16" from each end of the wire; Tin IV.ii article) connection technique for jumper JP1/2, the middle of (two or) three the stripped ends and the wide shoulders A16 and A17, shown in a sketch. It is jumper pins located above the U72 memory of the IC's pins to which the wire ends delicate but takes up virtually no room in chip (see sketch). To make the connec- will be attached. Hold the bare end of the the machine. To implement the method, tion, remove the jumper block from JP1 wire against the IC shoulder and heat straighten two pins on an old IC chip. and pry up one of its metal pin covers BOTH so that the solder flows between Grasp each pin as close to the chip body as (seen when the jumper is on the pins) to them. Remove the iron and hold the wire possible with a pair of pliers, then gently reveal a pin hole from the top side. Form motionless while the joint cools. If you rock the pliers up and down until the pin one resistor lead with a slight wriggle. (If get too much solder on a joint, reheat the snaps off. (What's that? You don't have you don't feel good about exposed resis- joint again and use a desoldering tool any old IC's? Use pin 1 from two removed tor leads, put pieces of electrical spaghetti such as Tandy's PLASTIC (not alumi- 64K chips; it isn't connected to the in- over them before you continue.) Push the num) 64-2120 unit to clean the area, then nards.) Form each pin 60 to 80 degrees bent end into the exposed jumper hole; it start over. When soldering the wires to the where it starts to narrow, then tin the should bind slightly as it goes in. Make chips, you must quench that burning de- broad part of its shoulder. Using CMOS sure that it doesn't go all the way to the sire to move your fingers because the wire handling cautions, tin the shoulders of bottom of the jumper block so it can't they are holding is intolerably hot. Move- pins 10 & 11 of the XLR8er board's U4 touch any of the printed circuit land pat- ment can cause cold solder joints which chip, a '157. Solder the snapped-off pins terns on the board. When the end of the will render these modifications inopera- to U4-10 and -11 as shown in the sketch. resistor lead is positioned properly in the tive. After attaching both ends of a wire, Be sure they're properly spaced to easily jumper, roll the exposed lead over the top use tweezers to support the wire at each enter an IC socket. Take an old IC socket edge of the block to control how far it can solder joint while forming the jumper to and test its fit on the pins just installed. be pushed into the block, as shown in a lay near the board, out of harm's and Adjust the pins if needed then cut off two sketch. The other hole of the jumper block XLR8er's connector pins' way. Use the sockets as shown in a sketch. An Xacto is placed on the pin common to JP1 and drawings to find the wiring points. (Iden- saw works great. Carefully form the sol- JP2; it connects to pins #1 of the lower set tified IC pins that show no "other connec- der tails as shown in the sketch. (You may of memory chips. The loose end of the tion" are already making contact through want to delay this next step until you resistor is soldered to apiece of wrap wire the socket installations done above.) One mount the XLR8er board so that you can which is soldered to Z66-12. In a similar section of each page identifies the Port 84 trim the wires to a reasonable length.) fashion, the MA7 resistor goes between circuitry; another section is for those who Wrap each of the stripped (1/2") and tinned Z66-9 and the common pin of JP5/JP6, have chosen to ignore the port. The re- 12" wire ends around one of the tinned located to the right of U74. (A wide printed maining sketches apply to both situations. solder tails, heat the joint, then trim off circuit "wire" can be seen going from the Port 84 users may notice that the Multi- any excess bare wire. Port 84 users MUST common pin to pins #9 of the lower set of plexer chip's pin #11 will be connected to keep the A16 and A17 wires in proper memory chips.) two circuits. Due to circuit isolation done order here. For the others, it makes no by an adapter socket, this will not cause difference. Non-GA Model 4's will attach both their problems. For Model 4 PAL machines, resistors in a similar fashion. The MA8 note also the jumper connecting U72-9 RESISTORS: resistor goes to E12 which connects to with U77-15 shown in the sketch. pins #1 of the left memory set. The MA7 After wiring your system board, two re- resistor goes to ES which connects to pins Note the address input lines marked 'A16' sistors (one resistor on 4P's) must be put #9 of the left memory set. Eight capaci- and 'A17' in the sketches. Cut each of in the lines which drive pin #1 (MA8) and tors must also be removed from the sys- these wires about 12" long, then solder pin #9 (MA7) of the 256K chips. Your tem board. These are to the left of the left one end of each to its intended Z66 (Zi 12, resistor value is determined by an "RP" memory set. A continuity tester will show Z63) multiplexer orZ65 (Zi 11, Z76) Port resistor pack located adjacent to the memory that one end of each is common with pins 84 pins. Wrap each wire around some chips; it looks like another IC chip. It's #1 of the left memory sockets. The Multi- component such as the body of the chip near U85 on GA boards, near U76 on plexer sketch shows the numbers found it's attached to (in between the -pins) or a older 4's and near U133 on 4P's. You on my development machine. These ca- nearby resistor lead so as to form a strain should see a number like "270", "510" or pacitors are needed only if you have 16K relief. Put a tag on the loose "A16" wire "560" stamped on the resistor pack body. memory chips in the left sockets. If your end, then "weave" the two loose wires The number means "a value of 27 (or 5x) machine came from the factory with 64K, around each other (no more than 3 turns) followed by zero 0's", ie., 27 (or 5x) these capacitors and small -5v. regulator to make them more manageable. The loose ohms. Some units may be stamped "27", labelled "Q5" (it looks like a black plastic end of these address wires will later con- 4451" or "56" directly. The new resistor for transistor, above the memory sets) may nect to the XLR8er board. signals MA7 and MA8 shouldbe the same already be removed. value as that stamped on the resistor pack. XLR8ER BOARD: The 4P board was designed in a more On GA machines, the MA8 resistor goes conventional manner eliminating the need I've devised a better (compared to the between Z66-12 and the common pin of for an add-on REFRESH Circuit. How-
The Hardware Corner -45- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv ever the board layout person failed to and let the board hang from the cable. finally run MEM])IR for the heck of it. I connect pin #1 of each memory chip to Trim the A16 and A17 jumper wires to have Mr. ED's MED (Memory EDitor) in anything on my friend's machine. If the length. Strip the end of each and solder it PRO-WAM and I periodically invoke it pins#1 of your lower memory sockets are to the dual-socket address connector per to look around memory. The first time not interconnected, you'll have to add the text several paragraphs above. (Leave around I use it to write "BANK nn" at those jumpers, something that might best yourself some working slack with these page '80' of each of the banks and fill the be done on the back side of the board. If wires; their length is not super critical.) remainder of the page with x'OO' or x'FF' you do opt to use this method, route an Attach the A16/A17 address connector to (zeros in the first bank, foxes in the sec- insulated piece of wrap wire from U133- XLR8er board CMOS chip U4, pins 10 ond, zeros in the third, etc.). Don't forget 1 through one of the many circuit pass- and 11. Ensure that the XLR8er board is to write each page back to memory. If thru holes in the board, then connect it to not shorting to the system board by put- memory is not switching correctly or if your MA8 resistor on the component side ting a piece of cardboard between them. you have 64K where 256K should be, of the board. (The alternate method is to With the computer top cover laying side- you'll begin to see these labels pop up in install the new memory chips and solder ways on your work bench next to the the wrong place as you step through the the jumper wires to the shoulder of pin #1 computer base, connect the video cable banks. I let my machine cook for a mini- of each of them, a pain if you must ever (you did mark it, didn't you?) and ground mum of 24 hours this way with the inten- change memory). wire, then power up the machine. Watch sity turned down and the boot diskette for smoke (heaven forbid). If none ap- removed, just in case refresh fails and the MEMORY: pears and disk drive 0 rattles its way to machine decides to throw stones at drive track 0, you should be off and flying on 0. For several hours the DOS ready prompt (This dialogue assumes thatyou are work- your added memory. Push a write pro- is displayed, for several hours MED will ing with memory chips which meet the tected test diskette into drive 0 and boot display some page of extended memory. specs set forth in BUYING MEMORY, away. If drive 0 does not act in it's normal If after 24 hours each page '80' is un- below.) Using CMOS handling cautions, manner, SHUT OFF THE MACHINE changed and the machine can then run a remove all 64K memory chips from the IMMEDIATELY and investigate the cause job or two (which may destroy page '80' system board (tweezers work good here, of problem. If the machine starts to boot of one or more banks - don't use LeScript too). On the GA and 4P machines they're but fails to go to the ready prompt, mem- to test here) then I feel comfortable with the two horizontal rows of 8 chips near the ory speed may be too slow. To check the modification. Note that our electric bottom right of the board. The non-GA memory, press and hold the
The Hardware Corner - 46 - The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv stalling the top cover, rotate it counter- the system board and some 64K chips on imperative that every refresh cycle count clockwise a tad to provide best clearances the XL board. The familiar pattern was if you want to run in XLR8ed mode. The for the tube neck and XLR8er board. Get not to be seen, replaced by something that 64180 does not attempt to makeup for lost some helpful eyes; ease the cover downS- indicated bits 0 & 7 were suspect Swapped time when it senses a WAIT condition as L-O-W-L-Y. It's a tight fit. them with bits 1 & 6 and the pattern a result of a video lockout. changed. Out of SAMs, I found two WOW! WHAT DO WE DO WITH THESE Hitachi's and plugged them in. The sys- ITEM: My TMQ N.H circuit would not EXTRA 4 BANKS? Modify DoubleDuty tem board pattern became unpredictable. work in Peter VanCaeseele's pre-Revi- to run two separate and complete 128K What's worse, the pattern I was getting sion A machine until he installed lOOns. LS-DOS environments (nuts to that puny from the XL board degraded, too. It is memory. It worked perfectly in my Revi- 64K stuff) plus a common Memdisk and/ possible that the Hitachi's are bad, but I sion C machine with lSOns. at 0,1,80. or PRO-WAM? My mouth waters at the don't have enough of them for a valid Note that Peter's keyboard can't handle 0 prospects! You write it, I'll test it. comparison. I finally went to my first memory waits - he gets too much key 512K machine (non-GA) andpulled some bounce. memory for use in the GA testbed. The BUYING MEMORY display became familiar once again. ITEM: The Ignore Port 84 circuit in this article would not run in my Rev. C PAL The designs presented here are capable of ITEM: OKI's 64K, lSOns memory per- machine until I put lOOns. memory on the driving any 256K memory chips which formed flawlessly in my unXLR8ed system board. The same 120ns. and 150ns. require only A0-A7 refresh, unlike the machine at 4mhz. When the XL board memory chips that fail in my Rev. C PAL special requirements in the TMQ IV.ii was installed, the OKI's couldn't main- machine work perfectly in my GA no design. By the numbers the XLR8er should tain a boot for more than a minute, some- Revision machine at 0,1,80 with these work fine with 150ns. memory, but in times dying before the drive 0 light shut "Ignore Port 84" modifications installed. truth I'm not too sure. I've had weird off. Moving them to the XLR8er board Putting much faster 74F157 multiplexer experiences while developing the TMQ didn't help (yes you can do it, but you get chips (to lower signal propagation delay IV.ii article, and had a few more experi- only 2 banks this way) - they still failed to times) in my Rev. C machine did not ences on my way to completing this one. refresh properly. significantly improve performance - 120ns. I have PRO-WAM 2.0 and the Mister ED memory held a boot for less than half a application pack, an excellent enhance- ITEM: As noted in this section of the minute. ment. Mr. ED's MED (Memory EDitor) TMQ IV.ii article, NEC lSOns chips dis- has been a real boon to debugging mem- played bad habits on both the system and ITEM: This article's "UsePort 84" circuit ory problems since it accesses, displays XL boards. (Note that the XL board uses was not reliable in my GA machine with and modifies any memory bank. I've been the "traditional" RAS refresh technique 150ns. memory installed. It ran perfectly using SAMSUNG memory chips (same being implemented in this article.) with 120ns. memory. However the "Ig- as Intel) which appear to have a default nore Port 84" circuit runs fine with lSOns "never used" memory bit pattern of x'OO ITEM: Samsung 150ns chips give me chips. 00 FF FF 0000 FF FF. solid, stable memory with 80 cycle re- fresh and 0 software wait states on my GA CONCLUSION: Shooting from the hip, ITEM: I was loading P-W into the XL's machine. They also worked reliably in I'd recommend 120ns or faster memory memory and things were working great my PAL machine when the IV.0 modifi- on your system board to provide an extra for several months, then one day an exit cation was installed. safety margin when using an XLR8er. It from P-W returned me to a trashed screen. is also very obvious that the Gate Array Calling P-W again displayed a trashed ITEM- iSOns memory is good to 6.66mhz. boards are much more reliable in the menu. I did a cold boot and recreated the The XLR8er runs at 6.1+ mhz. The sys- memory management area than the older environment. All was fine for a while but tem board runs at 4.02mhz. The video units when adding the extra 128K of the problem came back. This time I did a circuitry runs at 12.6mhz and 6.3 mhz. memory. I picked up some 120ns. Hitachi warm boot, put P-W in the lower 256K All of these timings are in contention for and Samsung memory at the Charlotte and looked around the XL memory. Sure various memory cycles on the system hamfest and ran them at 80 refresh cycles, enough, garbage where once there was board. Video memory access cycles (done 0 software wait states. Not a hint of a legibility. In the unused areas, I now saw by Motorola's 68045 video display con- problem except as noted above or when '0000 7FFF. Swapping the bit 7 with the troller) can lock out and delay main memory we get one of our infamous powerglitches bit 6 chips, the pattern changed to '00 00 access cycles because the video control- here. While I'm sure that there are many BF FF. Replacement of the suspected ler is given priority by design. good brands of memory, make mine Intel chip (now bit 6) reinstated the familiar & Samsung; I feel comfortable with them. pattern and fixed my problems. ITEM: The HD641 80 has a long span Oh, by the way, those lOOns. chips came between refresh cycles compared to the out of an IBM PS/2 whose owner was ITEM: I was testing the circuitry for this Z-80 which does a refresh after EVERY upgrading to 1024K chips. They're a brand article, using my last set of SAMsungs on instruction fetch cycle. This makes it more I've not seen before, NMBS. Additional
The Hardware Corner -47- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv markings are "AAA2801P-10". (See the IV.ü article for a list of other memory chips that may work.) TECHNICAL
Here's the rundown on how it all works, for all you technical types. Let me begin by first telling you a little about memory chips. 64K memory chips require 16 bits of address information to produce one bit of data. In addition to the address lines, the chip requires a read/write control line and two data lines, one to input a data bit and another to output a data bit. Then there are the power lines. The original 16K chips required three voltages and a ground to operate. 64K chips were im- proved to the point where they could operate on only one voltage level plus ground. Now when you stop to count them all up, that's a lot of lines, folks. Someone obviously got a brainstorm and deduced that if the CPU (Z-80) could hold the address up long enough, then the address could be split in half with half being fed to the memory for a while (where the mem- ory would lock in on it) and then the other half could be fed in. After the second half was digested by the memory controls, the data bit would be pumped out on the output line. The new design would re- quire another control line or two but that's 2 lines added and 5 (for 16K), 6 (for 64K), 7 (for 256K) or more lines saved, and each line represents a chip pin. "Since the internals of a memory chip are laid out like a grid or a two dimensional array, why not refer to the first half of the line then." "Yeah! We can do that! If a represents. The Z-80 took on the respon- address sequence as the ROW address RAS comes up and goes down without a sibility of managing refresh cycles and and the second half as the COLUMN CAS, then a refresh cycle would occur but addressing along with its other assigned address?" "Sure, why not? Now what data would never be output to the data data processing duties. Hitachi's HD64 180 shall we call the address control lines - buss." "By Jove, I think we've got it!" continues that tradition (as do many other how about Row Address Select and Col- CPU's). umn Address Select?" "Nah, too long, Well, it does work, but there remained the kind of like International Business Ma- little problem of a program in a tight loop Along came the newer 256K memories chines! If they could reduce that name to not giving the remaining rows a chance to and another brainstorm. This time some- three letters, why can't we? How about get refresh cycles periodically, and they one decided that since not all CPU's di- trimming them to RAS and CAS?" "That's are important since DRAM, Dynamic rectly manage refresh (some types re- great, but we still need a way to control Random Access Memory, is little more quire external refresh management cir - the refresh cycle, and that sounds like than 16,000+ or 64,000+ or 256,000+ cuits), they would design arefresh counter another line." "Hey, I have an idea. Do little capacitors (times 2) that can hold a right on the chip and let the computer you think it would work if we did an charge for only so long (about 4+ milli- designer make use of it by accessing the automatic refresh cycle during each RAS seconds) before they are either refreshed chip backwards. The system designer could period. We wouldn't need a separate control or lose that charge and the information it hold CAS active then activate RAS for
The Hardware Corner -48- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
Retrofitting my "early model 4" modifi- cations to the newer GA machine circuits proved difficult. Let me explain. In the first Model 4 versions, the designers controlled the addressing ofamemory set (the term "set" in this article refers to a hardware bank of 8 memory chips - not related to software switching of 32K memory banks) by sending RAS to both memory sets at all times while selectively sending the CAS signal through PAL (Programmable Array Logic - another story) chip U72 to only one or the other memory sets. Refreshing two memory sets was not a problem. GA (Gate Array - a super-PAL chip) Model 4's on the other hand, have the RAS signal routed to only one memory set or the other and always send the CAS signal to all memory chips when needed. This created a problem because memory refresh is activated by the RAS signal and both memory sets need it. Since RAS control is managed by US, Tandy engi- neers brought the REFRESH signal to it, and when active, it causes RAS to be present at both memory sets concurrently. The design of the first Model 4P's is somewhere in the middle of it all. Like the GA machines it too manipulates the RAS signal while making the CAS signal common. Like the early Model 4's it uses PAL chips. Unlike either, it was appar- ently never designed to work with 16K memory chips. In essence it appears to be the design test bed for the GA Model 4. Then of course there is the GA version of the 4P which I haven't seen yet. That the XLR8er's designers were able to make their board work across this gamut at all is one or more cycles as time permitted. chip manufacturers jumped on the CAS a credit to their ingenuity, or maybe it was Each RAS cycle would refresh another BEFORE RAS refresh design, perhaps just blind luck. Getting another 128K row of memory. Any information present because there is a royalty payment in- squeezed into the overall Model 4 picture on the address pins is ignored when CAS volved. Some of the memories that have has proven to be a real challenge. In the goes active before RAS. (Just how the CAS before RAS refresh apparently have end, abandoning the CAS-before-RAS memory chip can tell which came first, some sticky timings which caused prob- memory refresh technique used in the the chicken or the egg, is beyond me.) lems in the W.ii design when those chips IV.n article became areal plus. This updated This then was the premise for my con- were tried. version of myIV.ii modification gives the struction article in TMQ IV.ii. That cir- user a wider choice of 256K memory cuit didn't care if the Z-80 or other CPU Now that you hopefully know a little chips than was formerly possible. Non- couldn't handle large memory chip re- more about DRAMs, RAS, CAS and GA owners can enjoy the benefits too, at freshes. Refresh addressing was automati- memory refresh, let's apply that knowl- a slightly higher price. cally maintained and optimized. While edge to the subject at hand. the 64180 can handle most 256K chips, The XLR8er board uses much of Steve the Model 4's system board thwarted the Tandy made some significant changes to Ciarcia's SB 180 computer design fea- capability as you shall see later. Not all the Model 4's circuitry over its life cycle. tured in BYTE magazine, 9/85, with minor
The Hardware Corner -49- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv modifications. The XLR8er has a hard wired one cycle instruction fetch wait generator (in case you were wondering why your timing tests don't match your calculations; see BYTE p.94, 1C15) and the same addressing and refresh circuits (p.95, 1C14). The XLR8er's designers replaced the ROM in Steve's design with the RAM on the Mod4's system board. In other words, the first 256K of memory addressing is sent to the system board memory. The trouble is, there aren't any spare pins in that Z80 socket to transport memory address lines Al6 and Al7 across the gap. The problem is easily resolved with our jumpers to XLR8er chip U4, but we must control how they manipulate memory and interface with Port 84's memory management. That's where the rest of the circuitry and some of the soft- ware modifications come in. One design continues to use Port 84, but controls its ability to address the system board chips. Another, simpler design (2 wires) ignores Port 84 (ONLY AS IT RELATES TO MEMORY MANAGEMENT - all other features of the port are functional) and probably improves machine reliability in the process. The following discussions talk to the 1069A & 1070 (Gate Array) boards. Having a set of Model 4 logics is helpful to follow this dialogue. PORT 84: Most 256K memories are re- ally four sets of 64K in one package. One of the memory address lines is used to memory chips to be accessed for the cur- In order to ensure that *RASO is always select which quadrant of memory will be rent read or write cycle while MPA15 active during memory access, we add an accessed while the other 8 address lines selects which half of the chip set will be adapter to U5 (or Ui 10) to isolate U5-32, are used to point to the row and later the active. -33 and -34 from the original socket and column in that quadrant. In a normal bank circuits. We then ground the original switching scheme, address line A16 is Our revised Port 84 circuitry lets *RASENO destinations of these signals at chip pins used to access the 2nd and 4th quadrants and MPA15 map the first two 64K seg- U30-1 and -12. The *JSGATh line when on, the 1st and 3rd quadrants when ments of the motherboard's new memory. coming into U30 becomes the sole con- off. (All works with A16 to access all However, whenever address line All goes trolof the *RASO signal to memory. (Note four quadrants.) If the Model 4's Port 84 active, Z65 takes mapping away from that the non-GA Model 4 doesn't need is retained to access the first three banks, Gate Array US. A16 takes over the duties this modification. It uses a different bank A16 must only be allowed access to the of *RASENO and A15 replaces MPA15. switching scheme.) 4th quadrant of the system board mem- (In a similar manner, when the HD64 180 ory. The "Use Port 84" circuit, Z65, activates its address line A18, reads and A BETTER WAY: monitors A17. As long as address line writes to the system board memory are All is not active, the lower 128K of the blocked and RAM access is directed to The 64180 has an internal address transla- system board's memory is in use and Port the XLR8er board's memory.) tor which is software controllable and 84 manages it. Gate array US (on non-GA XLBOOTK's software settings of the which has an addressing resolution of 4K. machines it's PAL Ui 10 or U72) uses bits 64180's address translator will not allow (In other words, changing the address 4, 5 and 6 of Port 84 to control memory the 64180 to activate address line A16 translator register by a value of "1 "causes partitioning via the *RASENO, *RASEN1 unless All and/or A18 are active too, the outputted address to shift 4K.) Since and MPA15 signals. *RASENO and ensuring system board memory access software can manipulate the 64180's *RASEN1 normally select the set of 64K integrity. address translator, we really don't need
The Hardware Corner - 50 - The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
Port 84 control and are probably better off MEMORY REFRESH together by Tandy so wrapping wire without it. Also, Houde's fixes WON'T AND jumpers are used to connect pin 1 of each MANAGE MORE THAN 11 BANKS OF IGNORE PORT 84: of the memory chips to each other and to MEMORY correctly, though he provides Z112.) several utilities which work with up to 31 A revised memory refresh circuit is nec- banks. I guess he felt no one would utilize essary due to the way Tandy segments Those of you who are still awake are every last bit of the available elbow room. memory into 32K banks. Normal ROW! probably wondering about the second COLUMN address pairs to 64K chips are resistor connected to Z66 (or Z63). What Frank Slinkman to the rescue. Frank wrote A0/A8, A1/A9, A2/A10, A3/A11, A4/ we've done is route the refresh address a new(er) @BANK control routine which Al2, A5/A13, A6/A14 and A7/A15. (For line Al through the same multiplexer and can manage up to 31 banks, a total of 1 256K chips, we add A16/A17 to the list.) the second resistor to memory. If we were meg of memory. Frank's code eliminates This is how the Model 4P is designed. On to route the modified A7 signal through the need for Port 84 and simplifies even the non-GA Model 4's, A6/A7 & A14/ the normal system board channels that further the hank management process. A15 are paired to control banking. On GA particular signal would arrive at the memory The simpler "Ignore Port 84" hardware units, AO/A7 & A14/A15 are paired. (Both chips later than it's kinfolk due to timing circuit works in conjunction with Frank's machines have other pairing changes but delays introduced by each new circuit the code to completely free low memory start- these are the important ones for the dis- signal is passing through. As you will ing at x'OFF4' for more important system cussion.) Our refresh problem is in the learn in a moment, timing is already criti- drivers. (F.Y.I., two of the three HD64 180 wiring of the Al line; it should be strobed cal on the system board and additional versions have an A19 address line to access during the ROW portion of the memory delays can render it useless. a full meg of memory, and Frank's code address cycle, not the COLUMN portion. can properly manage it all.) Frank's Since modifying the board to rectify the XLBOOTS and XLSYSOS patches also situation is unwise, Z63 (none, Z65) does HD64180 MANUALS turn on the original memory manager's it for us electrically. During each refresh bits (at BAR$ & BUR$) in an effort to trap cycle, Z63 disconnects A14 from the You've looked for them; I found aplace to anyone not using LS-DOS's @BANK memory address multiplexer and connects get them. I'd sure like to stagger the SVC. Be aware that no one's XLR8er A7 to that position. (A7 still drives its requests to the supplier so they don't get support software tests each bank for cor- normal address line during refresh. This swamped as soon as this issue comes out. rect operation during the boot process. If, has no effect; we're not in a read or write Give me a call before 11 pm., Eastern for example, you loaded PRO-WAM in a cycle.) Z63 lets us properly refresh most (daylight) time; I'll gladly tell you what's phantom bank 9 after building a system brands of 256K chips using the standard available and how to order them. Publica- MEMDISK in phantom banks 10 thru 14, RAS refresh mode. A normal Model 4 tions include a 64180 Product Brief, you could wind up with a vegetable. Will can't use Z63 and 256K memory since the Hardware Manual, Programmer's Man- programs fail to rim if you opt to not use Z-80 manages only A0 through A6 during ual, Technical Q&A and reprints of Steve Port 84? Afew may not, but only time and refresh. Ciarcia's BYTE articles "The Smart testing will tell. Spooler", "The BCC180 Multitasking ADDRESSING MEMORY: Controller" and "The SB 180 Single Board Frank's code was my model for modify- Computer" which I referred to earlier in ing Michel Houde's XLBOOTA to sup- 256K memory chips have an address line my text. port Port 84 and 512K. Frank's coding which is not present on 64K chips, "MA8". techniques are beautiful. I was able to We need to present Row and Column Hitachi is now making two versions of the keep the expansion of Houde's code down addresses to it at the proper times. Z66 is 64180. One of them has a "Z" suffix to to only two more bytes while managing assigned to that chore. It is piggybacked indicate that it is totally compatible with up to 768K of memory. (Yes, the system on one of the two memory address multi- Z-80 timings. The first versions (includ- board will accept another set of 256K plexers already present on the system ing the one used in the XLR8er) had some chips in those empty sockets, but the board and provides addressing signals to minor timing differences which should XLR8er won't address more than 512K. memory when its host does so. The added not affect the XLR8er. They could give Too, some changes that were neatly done resistor dampens signal oscillations which problems to those trying to interface the to the first memory set won't be as neat occur in the memory address lines. With- processor with Z-80 family of peripherals for the second memory set.) My modifi- out the resistor, the address might not be such as the PlO, DMA, CTC, SIO or cations are in XLBOOTK/FIX. stable when the time comes to strobe it DART chips, should the experimenter into memory. The resistor's value is fail to add several timing compensation matched to similar resistors already used circuits recommended by Hitachi. to access memory. Its output is fed to Pin #1 of each memory chip via a Tandy- supplied jumper pin on the system board. (This handy pin doesn't exist on the 4P boards and memory pins #1 are not wired
The Hardware Corner -51- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
USE PORT 84 MODEL 4 Gate Array VERIFY BEFORE STARTING: 26-1069A 26-1070 RASENO 05-3 4+ 21 Al UI —Z80 I U14 4—'U3-11 NUCOL zee 02 - (LS)244 I Ui-S < > 03-I5 XLR8-U4-11 A16 31B1I 03 - (LS)244 I U1-37 '*- 02-6 Z65 05 - -4.2- I 03-5 < > US-i '157 - I 05-32 4— 066-It MPA15 030 (LS)32 05-32+ 5JA2 U63 - 16 pins I 05-33 < > 030.12 7 MPAISzz6611 AIS I 065 —(LS)157 105-34 i—+030-1 05-7+ 61B2 066 —(LS)157 I A 17 XLRS-04-l0______11SELB I I + Connect to l5 GA. chip U5 ENABLE i in Adapter J le NUROW
ASGATE 2 ADAPTER U30 3 RASO 1. 40 # Remove 34 DELETE + Solder tail to 33 DELETE + 030-7 (Ond) + IGNORE Port 84 32 DELETE + RASGATE 13 us Gate Array + Remove II RASI DELETE# 15 Adapter Solder Tail ii D32 O- ;-L~ DELETE# 17 Socket for Port 84 20 21 030-7 (Gnd) + + NOTE: U30-1 & 030-12 must be isolated from 05-33 & 05-34 NOTE; For IGNORE Port 84, must also solder a by adapter installed in US. a jumper across chip pins U5-15.46, -17
MULTIPLEXER IGNORE PORT 84 116 5/SlEPt o NUCOL 141'l BOARD A16!NUCOL MA8 XLR8-U4-11 zes I ag NUROW 13 B4 All! NUROW Z66 XLR8-U4-10 If 266 '151 SEE TE)(T Z65 7+ - NOTE: Solder jumper to shoulders ' P ' Y3 of 05-15, A14R 10 pj -p 05-16 & 05-17. Z63-4 B3 SEL A I Secondary coni GND 15 to Z65 only if - . EN ABLE r Port 84 used \ °. 00 :J.p5
REFRESH
16 A7 02-6 2A1 A14 4 AI4R Z66-10 U3-17 at
U27-13 ______263-8 15 8
The Hardware Corner - 52- The Hardware Corner
Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
REFRESH MODEL 4 VERIFY BEFORE STARTING: PAL Chip 26-1067 26-1069 1)55 - (LS)244 1155-2 *— 1)57.5 Al 1)56-8 1)56 - (LS)244 1u55-9 < >1)63-10 1 1.155-11 4-01)57-4 A14 Z63-10 1)57 - Z80 055-11 3 81 1)63 - (LS)157 11)55-18 < >1)72-8 Z65 1)65 - IS pins I 1)56.8 4-0 1)57.37 157 1)63-11 < >U72-13
NOTE: Remove all TMQ IV.ii wiring RFSH 1 before installing these changes 1)57-28 Z65-8 15 JEP1A_I_E_BLE 8 IGNORE PORT 84
XLR8-U4-1 1 AI6INUCOL Z63j MULTIPLEXER SYSTEIt ROAD n XLR8-U4-10 A17/NUROW 263 12 16 NUCOL 14 ug A4 NOTE: Remove PAL chip 1)72, Install H12MA8 these jumpers in 1)72 socket NUROW 13 84 Im ______Z63 SET TEXT) Ell. at A15/ MPA1S '157 A I ( 1)72.8 1)72-13 z76.7+,M1511 11 a1z E.13 1)72-9 1)72-12 AI4R 10 Z65-4 B3 E5 SEL A + Secondary connect 15 ENABLE toZl6 only if Port 84 used ADAPTER 40 28 21
REMOVE: C66, C70, C74, C78, C82, . I C86. C90, C94. See text. Z65.1m..4l.i'5li_ 1)57 I Cable Adapter I _____%. • Socket - - USE PORT 84 CAS ICASS1 072.9 U77-15 1 20 116 Pin 28 Detail U72-12 + CASS12 Al yi2L4 z63l A16 ADAPTER )ADAPTER SOCKET XLR8-04.1 1 Bi Z76 I . 20 MPA15 157 19 DELETE + 072-13 + A2 v2(L..... 5 z63-ll U72 I V 072.8+ ______A15 8 PAL chip + Remove ~ B2 29 28 XLR8.U4.10 fA17 I Adapter I Solder Tail SEt B + Connect to Socket I Wrap wire & solder ENABLE PAL chip 072 DELETE + in Adapter 13 Is [2 DELETE + NUROW Z63 10 I ii
I I (I-li XLSR 8aAt,D I
• 'I I. Co?PF. .Ab eoAT.D
Drill 4 new XLR8er mount holes in copper clad board 3/8 to 7/16 above original mounting holes.
The Hardware Corner - 53 - The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
VERIFY BEFORE STARTING: USE PORT 84 MODEL 4P PAL Chip lie 28-1080 0133-1 thru 0140-1 not interconnected. U108 0109, 0110, 0126. 0127 - 20 pin +110-18 RAS ENO At PAL or HAL chips Zli2!I 1028-6 E—..tJ47.5 026 - (LS)244 I 028-14 < >0110-5 068 - (LS)244 I 047-37 +—a,. 068-2 071 —(LS)245 lOGS-is < >0111-3 + 01 io-ii_.! !I MPA15Z01112 U89 —(1.5)273 J0110-174--I.. 0111-2 Y2 0111 —(LS)157 10110-18< >01141 +0110-5 ....±!!...... !J B2 0112— (LS)151 IU1iO-19-- 0114-12 17 XLR8-U4-10... __..0 SEL B I + Connect to 10111-4 < >0133-9 I PAL chip UllO ENABLE in Adapter
—F' NUROW Z112E1 NOTE Jumper Eli - E12 (by UllO) IGNORE PORT 84
XLR8-U4-11 A16 / NUCOL Z112 jI XLR8-U4-10 A17/ NUROW Z112 RASGATE 2 IM 3 RAS1 NOTE: Jumper E12 - E13 (by 0110) '32 (RAX —S: EN 11 )1
J114-7_(Gnd)+
11 jum
01147 (Gnd)+ MULTIPLEXER +NOTE 0114.4 & 011412 must be 5EE TEXT) isolated from 0110-18 & 0110-19 16 by adapter installed in 0110. NUCOL 14 A4 12 MA8 Y4 NUROW 13 AAA..... B4 Z112 '151 ADAPTER 0133-1 > 1. 20 thru 19 DELETE + U140-1 > 1 §E—LA 18 DELETE + ND W 15 ENABLB 17 DELETE + ullo 8 PAL chip + Remove Adapter Solder Tail
101 11
= lO KEY rL!r u _Of.. D OLD O g o-8O0
SODE
Xl.R8. 41 7 C26ECTO , . — ALL AiA4H/.3s
The Hardware Corner - 54 - The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
to be 2MHz rather than the 1MHz which WD controller were suggested and tried, is standard on the TRS-80 for 5.25" disk but I still can't get four drives on line at drives. once. It seems to be a LDOS or TRSDOS software or a problem with the Model 4 Model 4 Floppy Drives On the other hand, your Model 4P does itself. I wrote to Roy about this problem, not have any capability for external floppy with my last order, and got my order, but no answer about my problem. Fm George L. Aplin, Blackmans Bay, disk drives. There was an article in an old 80 Microcomputing which I recently re- Tasmania: Dear Sir, I am considering the printed in THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY Fm Fred Oberding: Ron, "TRSHD6/ possibility of external drives being used issue IV.iii which shows you how you can DCT" will allow 4 physical hard drives, with my Tandy Model 4P which has two add an external floppy disk drive connec- however Roy's "RSHARD6/DCT" will double sided 80 track (720K each side) tor. We sell the two connectors needed for only allow 2. Are you sure you are in the drives, and I would like your advice whether that modification, but it requires solder- limits of only 8 logical drives assigned, it is possible to use as external drives a ing and modifying your motherboard. i.e.; 2 floppies & 6 hard drives or what- 3.5" 720K in 5.25" frame with 3.5" 1.44M in 5.25" frame (PC-AT). If this is possible ever combo of 8 logical drives? would you be able to provide any neces- I sell 3.5" 720K drives in a 5.25" frame for sary instructions that may be required to $85. I also have available a case for $60 I have seen four physical RD's on a Mod make the chives compatible with my Model which houses two half-height drives. If 4 using the older 8x300 controller board, 4P. you need two, then I recommend the but not the smaller & newer WD1010, floppy extender cable which extends the that's not to say it shouldn't work, it I should say at this stage that I am having two edgecard connectors of the drive to a should. There are two mods for the WD1010 my old s/s 40 track single sided drive and single connector external to the case. That's board to alleviate problems with allowing a 40 track double sided drive being pre- $15. Two drives in a case weigh approxi- multiple secondary HD's to power up. pared for use as external drives and intend mately 11 pounds. That's about $20 sur- to add the above drives if this is possible. face mail and $65 air parcel post. With RD:35 - Insure that R-6 on WD1010 The project which I am working on will just one drive, the S&H would drop to board is a 10 ohm 1/2 watt resistor. require the preparation of discs to enable about $18.50 and $60 respectively. me to transfer data to and from other IID:36 - PAL at U-21 on WD1010 must computers, that have different sized disk TRSCROSS does not run on the TRS-80; be a 16L2 device and not a 16L8ACJ. drives. The external drives will be switched it runs under MS-DOS. So if you need to use only the drives required. If the something to run on your 4P and read/ These are both mandatory mods.,that are above is possible please advise me of the write MS-DOS media, you may need suppose to be done whenever a unit is cost of the drives mentioned. something like Hypersoft's Supercross brought in for service. However, newer package. techs might not have ever read these older Would you also kindly advise me of the tech bulletins. Hope this helps. cost of the latest Trscross program to be MIS OS YS accepts VISA and MasterCard used on my Tandy 4P for use in transfer- charges. lam enclosing a brochure of our ring data and programs to and from MS- product line. DOS and if you see any problem transfer- Fm Mark P. Fishman: Ron, Do all four ring from my D/S 80 track drives. hard drives, by any chance, still have the cable termination resistor pack installed? In the event of a satisfactory answer and You are only supposed to have one of ordering any or all of the above please those on the daisy-chain, in the last drive. inform me if your firm will accept 'Diners Odds are that two will work, maybe even Club International" Credit Card as pay- three, but four and you are trying to sink ment. (or source) too much current. Could be Using Four Hard Drives related to your reboot problem. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: George, You can Fm Ron Wick: Does anyone know why Jam assuming that you have tried all four add 3.5" drives; they are treated as 80- four hard drives won't work on a Model track 2-sided drives - just like their 5.25" drives individually to make sure that it 4?! can get three drives to work in any of isn't aparticular drivecausing the trouble. counterparts. You cannot gain any addi- the four positions, but when a fourth drive tional usable capacity with the 1.44M is added the Model 4 continually reboots. drives as they require a different floppy Since any of the four positions on the WD disk controller. The additional capacity controller work for three drives and the comes from a faster data transfer rate and controller has recently been checked out, Fm Bob Haynes: The resistor pack Mark additional sectors per cylinder. The faster I don't thinke problem is in the controller. discusses can be found by removing the transfer rate requires the FDC clock rate round access plate on the underside of An upgraded version of the ROMs on the each drive unit and is often blue in color
The Hardware Corner -55- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv TIlE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv and looking like an IC chip. As he says, it ARCFIIVE6: add a parameter which lets MOD flag. Perhaps something to con- should be ABSENT on all but the LAST you ARCHIVE only MODified files. sider with your disk-to-tape program. drive. While you're in there, also recheck that each drive is uniquely addressed via MSCSI's SDFORM6 the "DSx"jumpers. With the drive upside down and front towards you, they are Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Frank, Archiving found near the res pack as pictured below. many small files which fit on one disk is Fm Rail Folkerts: Roy, I have a few Them should be one and ONLY one jumper not what ARCHIVE was designed for; it problems with SDFORM6 and SD6 of on each drive, corresponding to the physi- would be faster and take less space to use your Hard-Drive. When creating a Type cal drive assignment number. The letters BACKUP. ARCHWE's primary purpose '2' SubDisk it will not have bit '3' of Byte "a" thru "d" represent the positions for is to permit you to archive large files X'CD' of the GAT set. That results in physical HI) bubbles 1 thru 4 respec- which fit onto multiple disks; BACKUP DIR - outputs being in the 'old' style tively. Hope this helps! is perfectly suitable to handle hundreds of without time. The date is wrong, too. I files onto multiple disks whenever any haven't tried it with type '1' SubDisks; does not exceed the size of a destination type 5 is OK (i.e. has bit '3' SET). disk. D C B A 1 1'Rear When I dug into that problem using DCBA The parameter handling in RESTORE LSFEDII I recognized that SubDisk still PES had a bug; see the MSCRES6 1/FIX which uses a password of 'LSIDOS' for the PAR follows my response to Ralf Folkerts. SubDisk's DIR/SYS! The MOD flag is managed by the DOS. I won't disassemble SDFORM6 to try to SD can not keep the file open in a state find out where the error lies; I'm sure it's such that the MOD flag- or even the date a 'take a look and change one minute job' - ever gets updated, as the file never gets for you! It's not very important since I "closed". MOD flag and date updating is have LSFEDII and can change that bit only done by the @CLOSE routine when quick. Have read the back issues of TMQ MSCSI6 Software queries the "update permission" is set. This also but haven't found a patch there. Haven't keeps the "file open bit" set in the direc- found any in either LIB 0 and LIB 2 on your CompuServe Forum. Fm Frank Siinkman: Roy, Some sug- tory. Since a user can clobber a diskDISK gestions, comments, problems re the soft- DCT (by SYSTEMing a FLOPPY driver, for instance), there is no guarantee that Hope to get the patches ... since then I will ware package that came with my hard still let the hard-disks speed impress me disk: DiskDISK (or SD, one and the same) can ever ensure that it controls the disengage- and make use of your great SubDisk - utility! RESTORE6: when all the files fit on one ment of the "mounted" diskDISK; thus, in floppy (in this case, a bunch of small files order to ensure that the user does not get ARCHIVEd with SO), some strange things into a problem downstream with the "File happen. First, it doesn't seem to know already open" error, it is best to just not when it's done. When all files are re- attempt to monkey with the mod flag in Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Subdisk, and like- stored, it asks for the next disk. the "host" file. A small price to pay for wise Diskdisk, can't be shipped to gener- less user problems. You have to consider ate the "SYSTEM6" password since they alloftheramifications before you jump in are not 6.3.1 relevant but only 6.3.x rele- Second, a file named NEGATE/BAS and assume that a given change is benefi- vant. Sometimes I think I gave myself automatically restores, even though the cial. more problems than it was worth when I file before it and the file after it gave the changed the password of the /SYS files to YIN/C prompt. Third (a suggestion), for "SYSTEM6". the sake of uniformity across the system, In my opinion, archive/restore is not the make that prompt behave like the Y/N answer for backup of today's large capac- prompt when you BACKUP or PURGE ity hard drives. That's why the next proj- The problem with the extended year bit with Q=Y - i.e., make the default NO. ect here after release of LS-DOS 6.3.1 is for TYPE--2 subdisks was caused by As it is now, if you hit
The Hardware Corner -56- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
RESTORE on MSCSI as the destination drive for a.RESTORE. the hook by keying in on that phrase I can't understand why the test is there "once it recognizes". RESTORE will because the message prompt, "Enter ALWAYS recognize a completed job when Fm Raif Folkerts: Roy, I've restored my DESTINATION drive to restore <0-7>?" you are restoring a single file spread across Hard-Drive 0 because I wanted to place certainly implies that :0 should be accept- one or more archive disks. RESTORE the /sys and other often-used files around able. MSCRESx 1/FIX shown below cor- will NEVER recognize a completed job the directory. To do that I've first rects this. when multiple files are being restored; ARCHWE6ed all my /DSK files from simply said, it cannot! The reason is sim- drive 0, then FMed all other files (includ- The "Q=N" parameter does not work ply explained. When I wrote RESTORE, ing /sys). After I restored the 'normal' because of a coding error. This is not I had previously dealt with backup/re- files I started to RESTORE6 the /DSK- necessarily a new report. It's a case of a store programs which required you to files. Then I got an error: RESTORE6 progtam getting fixed without the "change" always re-insert the backup diskettes in a won't let me RESTORE to drive 0. It ever making it into the source code. sequence identical to that in which they accepts any drive except 0! RESTORE comes from RSHARD which were made. That is bad for the user. For comes from YRHARD. Back in 1987, one thing, you have to make sure you RESTORE won't accept the q=n parame- someone reported the problem of RE- marked each diskette with a sequence ter. I've tried it but it always asked for the STORE not using parameters it accepts. number. Second, in the event that one of files to be restored. I've tried (q=n) both That was fixed in RSHARD; the fix was the disks becomes lost or damaged, any with drives specified on the command published in TMQ ll.ii; but the source disk remaining in the backup set could not line and without. I haven't tried answer- code was not corrected. I did not pick up be restored. You Would be out of luck. ing the RESTORE question with C in- on this when RESTORE was assembled Thus, I designed my RESTORE so that stead of Y! to the MSCSI disk. MSCRESx1/FIX shown the set of disks could be freely "shuffled" below corrects this. into any sequence; RESTORE doesn't When RESTORE6 prompts to insert the care in what order the disks are restored source disk and the wrong disk is inserted An erroneous error code gets generated since it keeps track of what file segments into that drive it aborts with 'Unknown when an I/O error is detected because the on each disk have been restored. AR- error code'. That only happens when you program has a missing LD C, A instruc- CHIVE doesn't write anything special to specify a source FILE that doesn't exist tion. I use macros to generate code streams the header of the last file segment ar- on the specified source disk. Example: for invoking DOS service calls. Some chived on the last disk, in fact, it wouldn't RESTORE6 DFUE/DSK:6 :4. When years ago, my ERROR macro had that even know what was the last file to ar- you insert a disk (by error) that doesn't instruction in it so the error code was chive until after the fact; thus, there is no contain the specified file it will abort with transferred to the C register as required way to recover the count of disks used in Unknown error code. It works fine if you for DOS 6. At some future point in time, the archive set by RESTORE. RESTORE specify a source-drive and enter an empty I took over LSI's products; their source doesn't "know" when you have restored (only formatted) disk. It then asks for a code also used a similar macro file, but the last disk in the set - because "last" is new source disk. without the LD C, A instruction in the not specific to a particular diskette. ERROR macro. I believe that I had then It won't find the end of the archive! I had switched to a common macro file without 5 disks of archived files (I've archived all the instruction for future products. But files> 720 sec. from my drive 0). Then I RESTORE was an old product which was restored using the form RESTORE 6 6 bundled with my old hard disk driver for 4 (q=n) to restore all files (note: I've the VR Data drive. It's subsequent re- swapped drives 4 and 0 to gain access to assembly for use with the MSCSI driver the HARD20A partition). It then was package was performed without recog- queried for all files (see 1.). When it came nizing the instruction omitted from the to the last file of the archive (ASSEM- macro expansion. It's a case where there BLY/DSK) it restored the entire file was no bug, a bug was introduced simply (Sectors to restore: 1441, Restoring sec- by a reassembly with an altered macro. tor: 144 1) and then asked to Enter a new The following fix also corrects that. source disk and
The Hardware Corner - 57 - The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
cylinders. Interestingly, MSCSI6 doesn't blocks numbered 0 to 157439 and trans- produce any error message at this. lated arbitrary logical parameters to physi- cal blocks. This is actually how some These three JCL files seem to function, systems do treat disk storage devices. CP/ but when I look at the free space on the M has historically treated disks in that hard disk partitions it doesn'tjive with the manner. In fact, the SCSI controller ad- capacity of the drive. dressing of a disk device is by a logical block address - not by an absolute cylin- The JCL ifie provided with the drive der, sector, and head number as is the case works OK, and I think I understand how it with the Western Digital WD1000-type works, but I can't understand why my controllers. The only parameter transla- JCL files won't allow me to get three tion employed, to my knowledge, under a larger partitions out of the hard disk. LDOS-type OS is that of associating two physical cylinders to equal one logical The last README entry is dated 10/25. cylinder. That's the concept employed in My computer is a 26-1070 Model4D with the "double bit" of the Drive Control XLR8er and hi-res running LS-DOS 6.3 Table. and Michel Houd's PEXMEM interface. During the installation there were no other Now how can we divide up that 40 mega- drivers or filters in memory. byte drive using physical parameters, as is the case with our DOS. If you employ a I am very pleased with the product, and partition with six heads, you can have at with the fact that the driver uses only 327 most 203 cylinders. Why? Because six bytes. The clock and joystick options are heads equals 192 sectors per cylinder. particularly thoughtful of you. Attempting to use the DBLBIT to include Initialization JCL more than 203 cylinders would imply a capacity of two physical cylinders per Pm Jeff Joseph, Wheeling IL: Ijust got logical cylinder indicating 384 sectors a 40 meg hard drive unit and am having per cylinder - clearly exceeding the maxi- some difficulty partitioning it the way I Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Jeff, Here's the mum permissible by the DOS. If you want want it. My aim is to use all the space problems associated with your attempts the maximum number of physical cylin- available on the drive while using a mini- to set up the 40 Megabyte drive using ders, 406 using the DBLBIT, you have to mum number of logical drive slots. With maximum-sized partitions. reduce the number of heads for the parti- the DOS limit of 13.3 meg in a single tion to four. It could be possible to specify volume, I want three partitions of 13.3 The DOS does indeed support a maxi- a partition of 268 cylinders and six heads megabytes each. mum of about 13 Megabytes per logical provided the driver reflected those 1608 drive, but that figure is derived from an "logical sectors" to the DOS as 201 cylin- My first attempt to do this, INIT401/JCL, ability to utilize the maximum of a num- ders and eight heads and translated sector eliminates the 4th drive and divides its ber of parameters. Here's the parameter I/O parameters of cylinder (0-200) and 203 cylinders among the other three, re- limits: a maximum of 256 sectors per sector (0-255 implying heads 0-7) as sulting in 270 cylinders (I presume cylinder; a maximum of eight granules physical parameters of cylinder 0-267 and MSCSI6/DCT is accepting number of per cylinder; a maximum of 32 sectors per sector 0-191 (implying heads 0-5). Such a physical cylinders; the Guide indicates a track; a maximum of 203 logical cylin- translation scheme would require more max of 203 logical cylinders are address- ders; a maximum of eight heads per cylin- resident memory space. It would also be able in a single volume). der. If one multiplies 256 bytes per sector more difficult to impose a standard parti- times 256 sector per cylinder times 203 tion separation across competing drivers In my second attempt, 1N1T402/JCL, I cylinders, the result is 13,303,808 bytes. of alternate DOS products as no standard took a different tack and tried to partition Dividing that by 1.024 bytes per "K", you was instituted to begin with as was the by head rather than by cylinder. Three get 12992K. case with MS-DOS, for instance. With drives are initialized, each getting two great hindsight it would be perfect if a heads and all 406 (812?) cylinders. In the case of the Seagate 40Meg drive, its disk-stored disk partition map was uni- MSCSI6/DCT, when initializing the last physical parameters are 820 cylinders with form and standard in the TRS-80 environ- two drives, does NOT indicate the previ- six heads. it is left as an exercise to ment. But we all know that hindsight is ous heads are in use (perhaps because of determine that the formatted capacity is 20-20. the 7 unused cylinders?) 40304,640 bytes. One would at first glance think that it could be divided into three Incidentally, in MISOSYS' hard disk INIT403/JCL,a desperation attempt, tries large partitions. That would be true if the drivers, a request for number of cylinders disk driver ignored physical parameters for a partition is neither asking for the two drives using all 6 heads and 406 and treated the device as having logical
- The Hardware Corner The Hardware Corner - 58 Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv physical or logical number of cylinders; it MSCSI with two heads! head; the "006" result came from "run- is asking just for a number. The default ning off the end of the table". It turns out value has already been calculated prior to partition to be an easy fix. The total number of the prompt from the maximum usable heads existing on the drive is stored in based on the number of heads requested. Fm Ralf Folkerts: Roy, I got the H/A, another table pointed to by index register It decides whether it has to use the DBLB1T controller, ... today! Great stuff! I'm re- IX. So the fix is MSCSIx2/FIX. based on whether or not the entry exceeds ally impressed by the speed of the hard- the DOS' limitof 203. Thus, your illustra- disk (although I use a 'slow' Kalok Octa- Incidentally, the Kalok is not slow (I tion of using two heads and 406 cylinders gon Drive! know, you quoted that). Compared to correctly produces a partition of only 6.65 5.25" 20 Megabyte drives, the 40 ms Megabytes. May there be an error in the MSCSI6/ average seek rate for the Kalok is pretty DCT code? I tried to partition my Kalok good. That's one reason I switched over Another quirk of my hard disk drivers is drive (615 cyl, 4 heads) by both head and to using Kalok 20 Megabyte drives form that the "heads already in use" display cylinder. I planned two partitions with the Seagate ST-225's. will not show a head-in-use unless all 308 cylinders and two heads and two with cylinders of that head have been two heads and 307 cyl. That confused the assigned. To do otherwise would not MSCSI6! After I had completed the setup be correct as you still could select addi- of the first two partitions he reported only tional cylinders on that head for a drive 6 free cyls left! assignment. I've tried to set up: Drive 2, 2 heads There's also a reason why MSCSI6 did starting at head 1, 308 cyls. Drive 3, 2 not reject your entry of six heads and 406 heads starting at head 1,307 cyls. Drive 4 cylinders in spite of its illegality. The (I planned 2 heads starting at 3, 308 cyls) driver calculates the default displayed in - but got 6 cyls. left! the message as either 203 or 406 based on the quantity of heads requested (203 for 5- 8, or 406 for 1-4). It correctly uses the default if you respond to the number-of- Fm MISOSYS, Inc: After testing out the cylinders query with just [ENTER]. installation of MSCSI6 using a 20 Mega- However, it does not compare your entry, byte drive (a Kalok, as well) partitioned if made, against that limit but rather against according to your scheme, Irooted out the the limit of contiguous cylinders assign- problem you were having. Seems that able on the heads requested for the parti- during the port of the driver initializer tion. What the driver should do is to code stream from RSHARD to MSCSI, calculate the default value taking both that portion which dealt with the auto- figures into consideration using a formula matic selection of starting head, given of the form: that the requested heads equaled the remaining heads, incorporated a change mm (contiguous, heads >4 ? 203 : 406) which introduced the bug. The code was expecting an entry in a table pointed to by illustrated withC. But itcurrently doesn't. the IY index register to contain the maxi- More MSCSI hard-disk True, you can wind up entering a value mum number of heads on the drive. What which exceeds correct maximums and the entry contained was the maximum queries will not work properly. I would rather not number of heads remaining on the drive work this up as a patch. I'll probably put with unallocated cylinders. Given the Fm Ralf Folkerts: Roy, Now that I'm it on the back burner for another release of correct entry, the code would have sup- getting familiar with the Hard-Disk and the driver. pressed the "starting head" prompt and have almost completed the disk-to-HD chosen it for you. One piece of code first conversion I have a few comments, sug- The length of this response was justified matches if your selection is equal to the gestions, and questions: by my consideration of it for TMQ. Thanks total number of heads on the drive; if so, for keeping me honest. it will always assume a starting head of On my installation disk there where two zero. That's where the bug got into. In fix:ffl doubledL SYSOCLK & SYS0LK6 your case, it assumed a starting head of and SYS3CLK & SYS3CLK6. I've zero which had no available capacity. checked the contents of the /FIX files and The bug propagated to a search routine found out that they where identical (I've which calculates the total number of installed the /FlXes from TMQ). contiguous cylinders available using that
The Hardware Corner -59- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv
The /FIX files where for LS-DOS 6.3.0; them carefully even the 'new' MSCSI Fm MISOSYS, Inc: I have now cor- I've typed the 6.3.1 /FlXes from TMQ manual started to make problems. There- rected the master disk to delete the extra- They are no big problems; just a reminder fore I use to punch holes into them and neous (i.e. duplicate) files. I also added that you should put the newest/FIXes on then put them into a binder (like you did copies of the 6.3.1-relevant clock patches the disk and remove the double-versions! with your RATFOR manual and obvi- to the MSCSI disk so that folks getting a ously planned to do with the ProWAM & new drive have no need for DiskNotes 4.3 During installation there was a feature I Mister ED manuals (since they have the as far as the clock patches are concerned. wish the MSCSI SW had; maybe with a holes for three-ring binders punched into)). new compilation you may include them That's the point when the holes from the Have you ever looked at IFC? That's on (provided other users request that feature ring-binder start generating trouble. I have GO:CMD. It allows controlled copying of too): Could you 'generate' *JL output to affix reinforcement rings on both sides. files from one drive to another. It operates from the Installation Parameters? (i.e. send Since every user should have a 'normal' from a menu rather than from the com- the parameters entered into FSCSI and, if binder why don't you only punch in holes mand line like FM did. When I took over the drive is already formatted, the current for three-ring binders (or don't punch the LSI products many years ago, I found settings to the *JL device?) That would be anything at all into the docs)? too much duplication between FM and useful (I think) during MSCSI partition- IFC. After the 6.3 release in 1987,1 had to ing, too. Or the HDCHECK to send a list In the MHD-T34 manual there is a little decide what products to modify with ex- of locked-out areas. error on page 10. You write '... is a 2K tended date support. That decision was 2764 device ...'. That should either be based on the sales units of each product. Again, this is not a problem but a feature 2716 - 2K or 2764 - 8K Byte. Since FM and IFC were similar products, I missed during installation (because I and since inexperienced users were more ROUTEd *JL TO *PR to get alist of what I've low-level formatted my Kalok drive likely to prefer IFC's menu-driven com- I've done) using 3 as the step rate. When I re-in- mands, I chose to modify IFC and not FM. voked the low-level formatter later he Some decisions here at MISOSYS have to I don't know the sales-figures of that reported a step-rate of '2' as current pa- be based on economics and not just emo- product but have you thought about re- rameter! Should have been '3'? tion. assembly of FM/CMD? It was the most useful tool I had during disk to HD con- In the MSCSI manual you give false names One idea I am toying with is a small utility version. I had all my programs on system- for the volumes the HDINIT Jobs initial- to display information on the parameters disks and planned installed them in sepa- izes. You write that they will be initial- of a drive and attempt to determine how it rate SD - Files (assigned as drive 1 & 2). ized as MSCHARD1, ... They will be is (was) partitioned. That may prove use- A BACKUP was no solution since many initialized as HARD20A, HARD20B..... ful in a few cases. Actually, such a utility of the system-files (not the /SYS but a That's on page 22. for a Radio Shack drive would be quite batch of other files I had on the system- useful as many folks do not know how disk (i.e. CLK4 .... ) would have been copied, The section on the 40 MB drive in the their drive was partitioned. There should too. The solution was FM! I've Set-up README file implies a problem I sus- be information available by interrogating drive 1 as the SD-Disk and them used pected - but have not found in the manual. a drive sufficient to regenerate its parti- Does the XEBEC controller use 1 cyl. for tioning information. For instance, after FM :6 :1:0 (new,inv,vis,move) saving the drive's characteristics (leaves your one and only startup disk is clob- only 614 cyl. on a 615 cyl. drive for the bered, a utility could read the drive's That copied all files from drive 6 (floppy) use)? Does XEBEC have info on that track zero sectors to begin determining to drive 1 (SD) provided they didn't exist controller? Do you know what it will the location of the first directory (pointer on drive 0 (the system H]))! I think a cost? Can you give me their address? in BOOT/SYS). It could then assume version of FM is a MUST for every HD Same for Dallas Semiconductor! different quantities of heads to locate the user. If you consider to produce a 'new' directory. Once it found that, all partition version of FM for the 6.3.n DOS you can I think one step SDFORM should perform information for the first drive would be at be sure I would buy one (fair price pro- is to password-protect the /DSK files so hand. Then one would continue to search vided)! that they can't be removed (i.e. allow all for the next BOOT/SYS, and so forth. access except remove without password) Given sufficient intelligence, such a pro- The new format of the documentation is to prevent inadvertent deletion of /dsk - gram could even generate the JCL to re- fine. They may be laid next to the com- files! install the drive. I just haven't had the puter and don't waste to much place on time for that. the desk. The only thing I you could One last point: I will try if a 'correct' improve is the binding. The spiral-bind- layout of the /SYS files will speed up a You did not get the single sheet of addi- ing you use is good for seldom-used hard-disk system, too. If so, would you tional info which I provide when I ship a manuals. When you use them much (for change the HDnnINIT jobs?? Kalok drive. It states that the recovered reference) the pages will soon begin to step rate is not correct and should always tear at the binding (although I think I use be entered manually if re-formatting. I'll
The Hardware Corner -60- The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv note your other corrections. Down The Road With The device numbers to the volumes, and then the device looks just like a disk drive! As far as the 3-hole punching is con- MISOSYS Hard Disk Additionally, I try to use a MEM])ISK or cerned, some of our manuals (like PRO- ERAMDISK driver for the extended WAM) have 3-holes punched because memory so that I can keep my harddisk they still remain from when we were able P0 Box 113 WRITE-PROTECTED, and keep from to supply binders. But since I gave up on . accidently erasing it, or writing to it. binders, I felt it important to provide a Also, if I have a program which makes binding - thus the GBC plastic bindings. I Well, it's been a couple of months now repeated disk accesses to a particular file, find no justification to concurrently punch since I got the 40 MEGGER up and run- I move that ifie into the ramdisk. If you 3-ring holes as well. Over the years, I ning, and so far, I couldn't be happier! have the xlr8er card, a ifie of up to 320K have found too many problems with bind- There are several providers of HARD may be placed in the ramdisk. The anitek ers. Plastic binders don't ship well - espe- disks still available for the TRS-80 mar- modification will allow about 960K if cially in cold weather. If I ship my manu- ket, but since I needed the Real Time you have the 1 meg option. (64K used as als 3-hole punched without any kind of Clock, and Joystick interface, my choices 64K mod 4). binding, I feel it is less than professional. were limited to just MISOSYS. The choice Also, other European customers have is still the best, in my case, because the If you haven't decided to get a harddisk complained about the limited availability HARDWARE and SOFFWARE were for your system yet, and you are still using of the 11" binders because their A4 and designed by MISOSYS, a company which the 'ole reliable, now might be the time! B5 standards arenot only differentlengths has supported the TRS-80 since the be- but different hole positions. Ijust feel that ginning. Since Roy had already written if I were to continue to provide 3-hole several packages to support other hard punched manuals, I would have to pro- disks, he is well aware of the interfacing vided bindings. After I use up pre-printed problems, and took the time to design the pre-punched manuals for a product, you hardware and software to eliminate the will find no 3-hole punched manuals from problems at the users end. MISOSYS. For instance, I duplicate MRAS manuals in-house; those are just spiral XLR8er incompatibilities bound. Those who have purchased the harddisks, probably have also purchased the ZCAT program which helps to keep track of the Fm Peter Van Caeseele: Roy, Are you (or The Xebec drive does indeed reserve one vast amount of data that can now be someone) keeping track of software that cylinder for the setup information. Xebec stored. The ZCAT program is available in is not compatible with theXLR8er board? is no longer in the business of manufac- the Golden Oldies Series, specifically the If no one is currently doing it, I would do turing controllers; manuals are hard to OO:CMD package. ZCAT will catalog it. I have found that the RATIO instruc- come by. I have one, but I have no author- some 2100+ files! The PARMDIR com- tion in Zbasic 3.0 (M3 version) causes a ity to copy it; it is copyrighted. A Dallas mand in the GO:SYS package can be used crash. Programs already compiled with SemiconductorHandbookshouldprovide to provide a detailed directory of the disks this command work fine. Must be an the info needed. But why do you need that you have catalogued. illegal instruction in the compiler. Peter. that? If there is sufficient need, I could probably provide the information con- A typical procedure to utilize your new tained in those manuals. Give me a use harddisk could be to partition the disk into and a need. volumes, using the SDxFORM command Fm MISOSYS, Inc: I am not keeping provided with the harddisk, the size re- such a list; I have received little input on If SDFORM password-protected the /DSK quired for storing the data on your disks. this. file, then you would have to enter the As we all know, many disks purchased are password each time you invoked SD, or it not full of data, and SDxFORM will allow would have to do some sneaky password building disks of just the proper size. Just workaround. Certainly, you could apply a take a DIR of the disk to be copied, and Solution to my XLR8er password and permit read/write access. use SDxFORM to build a one slightly But each and every user can do that. I'll larger on the harddisk. Remember you give it some thought for the next go- problem around - if there is one. For now, one will have to have a BOOT and DIR rec- could use the following: ord. I usually make it about 9K larger. If Fm Frank Slinkman: As some of you I have several disks which make up the may recall, I've been wrestling with prob- purchased program as in TMAKER which lems with my rev A gate array Model 4, ATTRIB filaspec/DSK had 4 disks, I just add all of the required (O="SUBDISK", PR=REMOVE) with X1R8er and graphics board, for some spaces together, and make 1 large disk, time now. Among the symptoms were the say 720K. When you use the volumes, the refusal to run in Mod 3 mode, appearance SDx command is used to assign vacant of characters as though generated by the
The Hardware Corner -61 - The Hardware Corner Volume IV.iv THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Summer 1990 Volume IV.iv keyboard, sudden and mysterious lock- and with as little as 15 mv/m field inten- looks at me. Depressing any key returns ups and reboots. sity near the left side of the motherboard me to original screen (dos command lines). (at 6 MHz) the motherboard went hay- Could this archive be corrupt? I have Because I have the graphics board, the wire. Even with aZ8O in the socket. So..... downloaded it four times with fasterm II XLR8er had to be installed in back of the ya wanna use an XLR8er with a Revision (used x and y modem) Or am I not doing motherboard, with the connecting cable A board? Shield the cable so it won't this right ... xlrhr filename/HR:d? Any folded 90 degrees, and run over the top of radiate into the bus and control lines. I help would be appreciated. the board. didn't pursue it further, but I suspect an unloaded/floating line in there somewhere. Fm Mike Harrow: Jon, Sony to hear Last night, I shielded this cable with alu- And then there is the dissimilar metal RF about the problem you're having with minum foil, covering the foil with tape. detector built into some boards due to XLRHR/ARC. I must apologize to you The computer has now run nearly 24 some kind or formulation problem with and others who encounter this problem. I hours (at 0,1,80 and 1,1,80, by the way) the solder (it absorbs moisture over time). should have included with the documen- with absolutely no hint of problem. It runs tation additional info to explain why this perfectly in M3 mode, and will now boot might occur. up with an M3 DOS (both TRSDOS 1.3 and LDOS) with no problems whatso- Fm LDOS Support: Ali, that makes a lot The program is executing properly but ever. more sense! I could never come up with a DMAC1 of your XLR8er board needs to explanation for the long cable problems be enabled via hardware. XLRHR/CMD This M4, which I was about to junk, is that had the problem in the cable itself, uses OTIR to display the graphics logo now in perfect order, thanks to a little foil and would be fixed by shielding. Note then sets up DMAC1 for a transfer from and tape to prevent (presumed) cross-talk that pre-shielded ribbon cable is avail- memory to Lk) (graphics board). The DMA between the XLR8er cable and God knows able, but it is not very flexible. "Real" won't start the transfer until DREQ1 is what. shielding can also be commercially pur- pulled low - at pin 54 of the 111)64180 chased to retrofit existing ribbon cable, chip. but I'm sure the cost is considerably higher than aluminum foil and some insulating Apparently some XLR8er boards already Fm John G. Gelesh: Frank, I laughed material. have this pin low. Unfortunately yours when I first heard of the aluminum foil isn't one of them. The result - only the bit. But when I tried installing an XLR8er graphics logo will be displayed giving last summer, I learned my lesson. The you the impression the program is at fault XLR8er would work perfectly with a 4.5- Fin Mark Mueller: Joe, I don't know what and doesn't work. inch cable. Not at all with a six-inch prompted me to do the test, but, "since I cable. Of course one cannot mount an had it apart anyway", it seemed like the I've modified my XLR8er board to per- XLR8er with a 43-inch cable, so I wrapped thing to do. I had heard something similar manently enable DMAC1 so that pro- the six-inch cable with wax paper and as a rumor once, with no data to back it up, grams like XLRHR/CMD will work. If aluminum foil. Result: NO PROBLEMS! but my experience working with TTL and you decide to modify your XLR8er please I have used this set-up for almost a year CMOS in high RFenvironments led me to be careful. The mod requires a resistor now with excellent results. Anyone trying suspect that the motherboard was the culprit (150 ohms) be soldered from pin 54 of the a XLR8er installation must try this mod. and not the XLR8er/cable per Se. As for 111)64180 to ground. Pin 1 of the 111)64180 shielding, some 2" clear packing tape and is a convenient ground point. This mod a little foil is probably just as good as the will allow XLRHR/CMD and Frank Slink- other stuff for shielding the cable. I have man's GRAM/CMD (see TMQ IV.iii) to Fm Mark Mueller: John, Out of curios- some of the "ribbon shield", and it is a work. ity, and since I now have a Revision A pain to work with even for 15-line-wide machine to fiddle with, I set up my RFI cable. testing equipment and diddled with the cable from the XLR8er to the Z-80 socket, looking for potential sources of the prob- lem. Guess what? The longer XLR8er XLRHRICMD and DMA cable RADIATES INTO the Revision A board, causing missed memory accesses, etc., and is a problem on the motherboard. Fm Jon Roberts to Mike Harrow: Mike, There are some long traces near where the I recently downloaded XLRHR/ARC to XLR8er has to go and they are efficient try out. My system config is 4P w/xlr8er and 15 meg RS BD.all I get when! run is little antennas around 6 MHz. screen clears and "XLR8er Graphics" is displayed. then the machine sits there and Just for laughs, I set up a test transmitter,
The Hardware Corner -62- The Hardware Corner TRSCRO S STM (Pronounced TRISS-CROSS) TRSCROSS runs on your PC or compatible, yet reads your TRS-80 diskettes! Copy files in either direction!
The FASTEST and EASIEST file transfer and conversion program for moving files off the TRS-80and over to MS-DOS (or PC-DOS) or back
TRSCROSSTm Copyright 1986 by Breeze/QSD, Inc. All rights reserved 1 - Copy from TRS-80 diskette 2 - Copy to TRS-80 diskette 3 - Format TRS-80 diskette 4 - Purge TRS-80 diskette 5 - Display directory (PC or TRS-80) 6-Exit
Shown above is the Main Menu displayed when running TRSCROSS on your PC or compatible. TRSCROSS is as easy to use as it looks to be! The program is I TRSCROSS will READ FROM and COPY to the following I very straight forward, well thought out, and simple to operate. I TRSCROSS has several "help" features built into the program to I TRS-80 double-density formats: I keep operation as easy as possible. Just pop in your TRS-80 disk I TRSDOS 1.2/173, TRS DOS 6.2*, LDOS 53*9 to your PC and copy the files right to your PC data disk or hard D0SPLUS,NEWD0S/80*, & MuItiDOS. disk. It couldn't be any faster or easier! Packed in tie PowerSoft I binder is a typeset instruction manual with Index. All steps are DOS formats listed above flagged with * signify that earlier detailed. Advanced features, for those that desire to use them versions of these DOS's are readable as well, but one or more include executing menu options right from DOS or from a .BAT sectors may be skipped due to a format problem in that version of file or macro. This can really speed up transfers when similar the DOS. (Disks that were formatted with SUPER UTILITY or operations are performed frequently. SUW4/4PTm do not have this problem.) TRSDOS 6.02.01, or higher should not have this problem. Disks formatted in any 80 TRSCROSS allows you to "TAG" all track format, or single density are not supported. files to be moved in ONE pass! TRSCROSS Requires: PC or compatible computer, 128K and a normal 360KB (40 track) PC or 1.2MB (80 track) AT drive. TRSCROSS converts TRS-80 BASIC programs Double-sided operation is fully supported. If you have more than and SuperSCRIPSIT files in ONE PASS while one disk drive, fixed drive, or RAM disk, operation will be much COPYIng to MS-DOS! smoother. TANDY 1000 requires more than 128KBmcmory (DMA). TANDY 2000 is not supported at this time due to a No need to save your programs or files in ASCII or run a separate difference in disk controller and floppy drives. "Special" data conversion program first before transferring. TRSCROSS reads files (like PROFJLE+) would need to be converted to ASCII on your tokenized BASIC program or SuperSCRJPS1T file directly aTRS-80 first before they would be of use on aPC or compatible. offyourTRS-80 disk andperfomis the conversion all in ONE pass while being transferred directly to your PC or compatible computer. If you use both types of computers, or you plan to retire your TRS- 80, this is for you. TRSCROSS will allow access to your TRS-80 Automatically converts most BASIC syntax, and lines that need special attention can be listed to a printer. (Does not convert diskettes for years to come. Copy your TRS-80 word processor PEEKs, POKEs, graphics, machine language calls or sub-rou- data files as well as your Visicalc data files over to MS-DOS and tines.) continue using them with your new application. TRSCROSS will even FORMA Ta TRS-80 disk right on your PC! (Handy for those who use both machines!) Only $89.95 Former TRS-80 users who no longer have their TRS-80, but still have diskettes with valuable data... this is exactly what you've Plus $3 S&H (U.S.) or $5 Canadian or $12 Foreign been waiting for! Virginia Residents must add appropriate sales tax.
MISOSYS, Inc. P.O. Box 239 Sterling, VA 22170 Phone: 703-450-4181 (Orders only: 800-MISOSYS) i3UJrJMA u ill!! i rLu: .i ne greatest unaiy ever wnzren jor inc .i tcs-ou. Lvery i K)-öU magazine nas sata so! - Five-Star Excellent Reviews in 80-MICRO, 80-US, INFO WORLD, POPULAR ELECTRONICS, FAMILY COMPUTING, Creative Computing & more! If you use a TRS-80 with disk drives, then this is a must-have program that you will wonder how you did without for so long! Super Utility has won numerous awards, I has received many 5-Star reviews and this could be your last chance to purchase a copy at this unheard of price. Super Utility does so many things, you will never use I its full potential, but it isn't that hard to use since it is completely menu-driven with the most common defaults built right in. It is configurable for all the popular TRS- 80 operating systems and will even allow you to set one drive for one system and another drive for a different operating system and copy files easily between the two. I Even between Model I and III or 4, regardless of density, track number, number of sides, or system used. We have thousands of letters in our files over the years about I howSuper Utility has saved theuserfrom various problems. Super Utility removes or decodes passwords (strips them right off a disk inonepass), reformats a disk without I erasing the data, fixes problems, backs up most protected disks, etc. This was the very best utility ever written for the TRS-80 and now is the time to get your own copy. I I Super Utility has over 65 functions and features. Too many to describe! A fantastic buy. Does not work on hard disks. Our ToolBox or ToolBelt has similar features for hard drive use, as well as floppy. SU+ does not support Newdosl80 double-sided disks. I Specify Model I/UI or Model 41014P: $4 S&H $34.95 ! j LDOS ToolBox (Hard Disk Check, Repair, Modify, much more! Like a "SU+" for hard disk) $24.95 If you own a hard disk and use LDOS, this is the perfect insurance policy for your data. The LDOS TOOLBOX is like a Super Utility+ for hard disks. Features Disk Check I and Disk Repair, Sector Modification, plus many, many other useful utilities that makes using a hard drive even easier. Each program contains a beiltin help command, I so many times you don't even need to look things up in the manual - just press
mer with a 20 or 40 MB MISOSYS \ "" I Hard Drive connected to your TRS-80 Model 4. :' I I MISOSYS has been shipping complete drive kit packages since September 1989 which plug into Model 4/4P/4D and Model III computers; let us build one up for you! Our 15.5" x 7" x - 1 ! i 5.25" (LWH) beige drive case has space for two half-height drives, 115V/230V 60 watt power supply and fan, hard disk controller (HDC), host adaptor, and a 50-pin SCSI female •• ...... connector for the host interface. • Prices are currently in effect and •I ..• subject to change: 'I
I Our host adaptor, which interfaces the 50-pin expansion port of the TRS-80 (host) to the 50- • Complete Drive Kits: S I pin SCSI port of the HDC, sports an optional hardware real time clock using aDS 1287 clock :20 Megabyte kit: $495 : I I module. With its internal battery lifetime in excess of 10 years, never enter date and time :40 Megabyte kit: $645 : I again. It even adjusts for daylight saving time! Another available option is ajoystick port and • Hardware clock option $30 • I I Kraft MAIEMASTER joystick with a port interface identical to the old Alpha Products *Joystick option $20 : I joystick; thus, any software which operated from that joystick will operate from this one. • Host interface cable $20 • I I : Second software interface $30 I I Software provided with the host adaptor supporting the S1421 and 4010A controllers •Piece Parts: • I includes: A low level formatter; An installation utility and driver; A high level formatter used :20 Meg drive $200 I I to add DOS directory information; A sub-disk partitioning utility; Utilities to archive/restore • 40 Meg drive $345 • I the hard disk files onto/from floppy diskettes; A utility to park the drive's read/write head; :Case & Power Supply $125 I A utility to set or read the optional hardware clock; A keyboard filter which allows the • H/A with software $75 • I optional joystick to generate five keycodes; and a utility to change the joystick filter's Xebec 1421 HDC i i generated "keystroke" values after installation. Optional LDOS 5.3 software is available. •Adaptec 4010 HDC $95 • i : Drive power Y cable $5 I Twenty megabyte drive packages are currently built with Kalok 3.5" hard drives; Forty .XT drive cable set $5 megabyte packages use a Seagate ST25 1 28 millisecond drive. Drive packages are offered : as 'Pre-assembled kits'. Your 'kit' will be assembled to order and fully tested; all you will • Note: freight charges are addi- s I need to do is plug it in and install the software. Drive kits require a 50-pin SCSI to 50-pin : uonal. Allow two weeks for per- I edgecard host connecting cable (see price schedule). • sonal checks to clear your bank. . — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —....•.••...'.•.•.. — — — — — Hard Drive Specials until September 30th I Purchase a drive kit and we'll include the host interface cable and give you your I I choice of the hardware clock or joystick port options free - up to a $50 savings. I Purchase a HJA and HDC combo and you choose a clock or joystick port option free. I — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
MISOSYS, Inc. P. 0. Box 239 Sterling, VA 22170-0239 5.25" 360K 1(2-height $75+$4 S&H 703-450-4181 3.5" 720K in 5.25" frame $85+$3 S&H orders to 800-MISOSYS (647-6797) 2SV5 drive case & P/S $60+$5S&H I Single drive host cable * $10 I I Dual floppy extender cable ** $15 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Our LS-DOS 6.3.1 release has a little
— something for everyone
—s \W ' WA k •wiir,:_., ¼ \.4 '.:' I I I Ic. - • _____ __ I I _ I =-=- --- J -
* The DATE command. Date? prompt on boot, and the * Have extended memory known to the DOS? The I @DATE SVC now support a date range of 32 years: SPOOL command now permits the BANK parameter I I from January 1, 1980 through December 31, 2011. entry to range from 0-30 Instead of 0-7. I * Enable or disable the printer time-out and error Alter the logical record length of a ifie with "RESET generation with SYSTEM (PRTIME=ON I OFF) ifiespec (LRL=n) I * Customize the display of the time field in the DIR corn- Spec RESET filespec (DATE=OFF)" to restore a ; rnand to display 12-hr or 24-hr clock time with sys- file's directory entry to the old-style dating of pre-6.3 I TEM (AMPM=ON I OFF). release. Specify 'RESET filespec (DATE=ON)" to es- I I tablish a file's directory date as that of the current * Both ASCII and hexadecimal display output from the system date and time. • LIST command Is paged a screen at a time. Or run It I non-stop under your control. * Felt uncomfortable with the alleged protection scheme I of 6,3? LS-DOS 6.3.1 has no anti-piracy protec- I * MEMORY displays (or prints) the status of switchable tion! MISOSYS trusts its customers to honor our I memory banks known to the DOS, as well as a map of copyrights. I modules resident In I/O driver system memory and I high memory. * Best of all. a 6.3.1 diskette Is available as a replace- I ment for your 6.3.0 diskette for $15 (plus $2 S&H I * Specify SYSTEM (DRIVE=dl ,SWAP=d2) to switch drive In US). There's no need to return your current master. I I dl for d2. Either may be the system drive, and a Job I * The 6.3. 1 diskette comes with a 30-day warranty; i Control Language file may be active on either of the • swapped drives, written customer support is available for 30 days I from the purchase date. Versions for the Model 4 and * The TED text editor now has commands to print the Model 11/12 are available. If you do not already have I entire text buffer, or the contents of the first block an LS-DOS 6.3.0, order the 6.3.1 Upgrade Kit with I encountered. Obtain directories from TED, tool 90 days of customer support for $39.95 (+$2 S&I-). I • U • U I • Our 800ORDERU U U 001 I I MISOSYS, Inc. . LINE now can ac- • I I I PO.Box239 I.—CepL cal CaSls from I I Sterling, VA 22170-0239 I • Virginia and I I 703-450-4181 [orders to 800-MIS OSYS (647-6797)] i : AIA :1 I. U n v U m a n n m m U I ! I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I —! — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — iiI