Look at what is in this issue: R'~q
wr IBM PC Line Drawing, by Roy Soltoff ev AMORT1: Amortization Table, by Andrew M. Kunz ow Yet ANother HiRes Graphics Format, by Hans de Wolf Reusing NEC Laser Cartridges, by Roy Soltoff BACKUP Basics, by Scott Toenniessen ' New price list for TMQ subscribers,
MISOSYS products get the job done!
-
TRIj . _ iI - ri
Volume VlI.i $10 Winter92/93 PRICE LIST for TMQ Subscribers - effective Jan 1, 1993
TRS-80 Software (items on Closeout) TRS-80 Game Programs (items on Closeout) Product Nomenclature Mod Ill Mod 4 Price S&H AFM Auto File Manager data base P.50-310 n/a $10.00 D Cornsoft Group Game Disk: Bouncezoids, Crazy Painter, BackRest for hard drives P-12-244 P-12-244 $10.00 Frogger, Scarfman, Space Castle (M3) M-55-GCA $20.00 BASIC/S Compiler System P-20-010 n/a $10.00B Kim Watt's Hits (M3) P-55-GKW $9.95 BSORT / BSORT4 L-32-200 L-32-210 $5.00 Lair of the Dragon (M3/M4) M-55-021 $10.00 CP/M (MM) Hard Disk Drivers H-MM-??? $10.00 B Lance Miklus' Hits (M3) P-55-GLM $15.00 CON80Z I PRO-CON80Z. M-30-033 M-31-033 $5.00 Leo Cristopherson's (M3) P-55-GLC $10.00 diskDISK / LS-diskDISK L-35-211 L-35-212 $10.00 The Gobbling Box (M3/M4) M-55-020 $10.00 DoubleDuty M-02-231 $25.00 DSM51 / DSM4 L-35-204 L-35-205 $10.005 MSDOS Game Programs DSMBLR / PRO-DUCE M-30-053 M-31-053 $10.00 Lair of the Dragon M-86-021 $10.00 EDAS / PRO-CREATE M-20-082 M-21-082 $10.00 0 EnhComp / PRO-EnhCon,p Diskette M-20-072 M-21-072 $23.98 Filters: Combined I & II L-32-053 n/a $5.00 B GO:Maintenance n/a M-33-100 $15.00 B GO:System Enhancement n/a M-33-200 $15.00 B GO:UtlIlty n/a M-33-300 $15.00 B Hardware (* indicates Closeout) Hardware Interface Kit n/a M-12-110 $5.00 Power Supply, 4OWTAstec AC8151 H-PS-A40 $40.00 D HartFORTH/PRO-HartFORTH M-20-071 M-21-071 $10.00 B *Power Supply, 68WT Astec AAl2310 H-PS-A68 $50.00 D LDOS 5.3.1 Mcdl Upgrade kit M-10-133 n/a $20.00 B *Floppy Disk Controller M31M4 H-MM-FDC $35.00 F LDOS 5.3.1 Mod3 Upgrade Kit M-10-333 same $20.00 B *Double Density Controller (DDC) Ml H-MM-DDC $40.00 F LS-DOS 6.3.1 Upgrade Kit- M4 n/a M-1 1-043 $20.00 B *RS232 Serial Card M3/M4 H-MM-SPC $40.00 F LS-DOS 6.3.1 Upgrade kit - M2/12116 %11-002 $25.00 B *RS232 Serial Card Kit M31M4 H-MM-SPK $45.00 F LED / LS-LED L-30-020 L-30-021 $5.00 *TeleTrends 717512P modem (M4P) H-413-512 $49.95 E LS-Host/Term n/a L-35-281 $10.00 Floppy drives (5.25w 360K 1/2 ht) H-FD-360 D LS-UTILITY n/a L-32-150 $10.00 $75.00 Floppy drives (3.5 720K 112 ht) H-FD-720 $85.00 B MC / PRO-MG M20064 M21064 $79.95 0 *Floppy Drive Case (2-1/2 ht drives) H-FD-2SV Mister ED n/a M-51-028 $10.00 B $30.00 F MSCSI HD, 20Meg M3/M4 H-HD-020 MRAS / PRO-MRAS M-20-083 M-21-083 $30.00 D $395.00 ? MSCSI HD, 40Meg M3/M4 H-HD-040 PowerDot (Epson or Tandy) P-32-21? n/a $5.00 $495.00 ? PowerDraw P-32-220 n/a MSCSI Hard Drive joystick port option H-HD-JSO $20.00 $5.00 MSCSI Hard Drive hardware clock option H-HD-RTC PowerDriver Plus (Epson). P-50-200 P-50-200 $5.00 $20.00 Aerocomp HD - 20 Meg M31M4 H-MM-020 PowerMail Plus P-50-003 P-50-004 $15.00 D $350.00 ? Aerocomp HD - 40 Meg M3/M4 H-MM-040 PowerMali Plus TextMerge P-SO-lOG P-50- 100 $5.00 $450.00 ? Hard drive: Seagate ST225 (20M) R-HD-020 PowerScript P-50-142 P-50-142 $10.00 B $200.00 G Hard drive: Seagate ST251-1 (40M) R-HD-040 G PRO-WAM n/a M-51-025 $50.00 D $300.00 Hard drive: Seagate ST-351AX (IDE) R-HD-140 PRO-WAM Toolkit n/a M-51-225 $15.00 B $195.00 G *Cable: dual floppy extender H-FD-2EX QuizMaster L-51-500 n/a $5.00 $10.00 Cable: 4Ft floppy (1 34EDC each end) l-1-FD-004 $12.50 RATFOR-M4 M-21-073 $10.00 D *Cable: 4Ft M3/M4 printer H-RC-PM4 $20.00 SuperUtilityPlus P-32-132 P-32-104 $15.00 0 Cable: 4Ft Radio Shack hard drive H-HD-CT4 $20.00 Supreme HD Driver (PowerSoft-RS) P12113 P12113 $15.00 Cable: 4Ft MISOSYS hard drive H-HD-004 $20.00 TBA / LS-TBA L-21-010 L-21-011 $5.00 D Cable: 26-1069 internal floppy H-FD-2NG $20.00 THE SOURCE 3-Volume Set n/a L-60-020 $10.00 D Cable: 26-1069A/26-1080 internal floppy H-FD-2GA $20.00 Toolbox/Toolbelt P-32-203 P-32-245 $10.00 B Cable: 26-1080/A internal H-FD-24P $20.00 UNREL-T80 same M-30-054 floppy $5.00 *Standby Power System: 200VA R-PS-200 $150.00 ? UTILITY-1 L-32-070 n/a $5.00 *HD Controller: Adaptec4OlOA H-HD-CA4 D XLR8er Software Interface Kit (MS mode) M-12-X10 $45.00 $5.00 B *HD Controller: Xebec S1421A }4-HD-CX2 $45.00 D *HD Controller: WD1002S-SHD H-HD-CW2 $45.00 0 T80 to SCSI host adaptor H-HD-MHA $75.00 D TRS-80 Software ZOFAX 96/24 Fax/Modem (PC XT/AT) R-Z1-FAX $125.00 G DISK NOTES from TMQ (per issue) $10.00 *lnfothip Systems Expanzl (PC) R-IC-EXP $99.00 G HDPACK: Disk De-fragger n/a M-33-400 $29.95 DJ 10 Tape Backup (PC) R-TD-D10 $199.00 G LB Data Manager-M4 (Ver 2.2) n/a M-50-510 $99.00 D DJ2O Tape Backup (PC) R-TD-D20 $265.00 G LDOS/LSDOS Reference Manual M-40-060 M-40-060 $30.00 B AB1 I Tape Adaptor (PC) R-TD-A1 1 $45.00 D LDOS/LSDOS BASIC Reference Manual M-40-061 M-40-061 $25.00 A KE10 External tape adaptor/case (PC) R-TD-K10 $110.00 F LOOS 5.3.1 Diskette - Ml M-l0-1 10 n/a $15.00 Tadiran TL-5296 AT 6V lithium battery R-PB-TL6 $19.95 B LDOS5.3.1 Diskette-M3 W10-130 $15.00 LS-DOS 6.3.1 Diskette - M4 n/a M-1 1-243 $15.00 RSHARD - R/S ND driver M-12-013 same $15.00
The Fine Print MSDOS Software (" indicates Closeout) Freight codes:A= $3.50; B=$4.00; G$4.50; D =$5.00; E =$5.50; LB Data Manager 2.3 M86-510 $99.00 0 F =$6.00; G =$7.00; H $12.00;? =varies; All unmarked are $3.00 DED-86 [Disk/ Memory sector editor) M-86-020 $29.95 D each: Canada/Mexico add $1 per order; Foreign use US rates times 'RATFOR-86 M86-073 $10.00 D *Hai.tFORTh5 3 for air shipment. Virginia residents add 4.5% sales tax. We accept M-86-071 $10.005 D MasterCard and VISA; Checks must be drawn on a US bank. COD's •SA1D86 [Text Editor] M-86-040 $15.00 are cash, money order, or certified check; add $4 for COD. Super Utility PC P486-407 $29.95 B TRSCROSS (transfer = Mod 111/4 P-86-212 $89.95 B :ger) M-8 I 00404MONEMI Volume VII.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.i
I Table of Contents
The Blurb Letters to MISOSYS TMQ Appearance ...... 2 LB 2.3.0 EDIT-FIND Bug...... 8 Points to Ponder...... 2 LB Printer codes ...... 8 Trade-in Policy ...... 5 PRO-EnhComp Use ...... 9 In this issue ...... 5 RDPACK Queries ...... 9 TMQ Schedule...... 5 LDOS Version?...... 10 MESOSYS Forum...... 5 OPREG bit-3 Confusion...... 10 DISK NOTES 7.1 ...... 6 LS-DOS 6.3.1 on 6000HD ...... 11 DOSManuals ...... 6 Converting a Database to Clipperl 1 MS-DOS Products...... 6 PRO-WAM Use ...... 11 Seagate SI351A/X IDE Drive .... 6 International Keyboards ...... 13 PowerSupplies ...... 6 Model 100 Transfer...... 13 Address Change ...... 6 FAX Number ...... 6 Inside TMQ LB Printing Hint ...... 7 IBM PC Line Drawing ...... 15 Closeouts ...... 7 AMORT1 ...... 20 Hardware Clearance...... 7 Yet Another HiRes Graphics Binders...... 7 Format ...... 22 Passages...... 7 SMALARCH/CMD Small File Archiver ...... 23 Reusing = $30; Canada NEC Laser Cartridges...... stClass...... 38 .oIoinbh BACKUP Basics ...... 40
List of Advertisors
MISOSYS, Inc. IFC,42-54 Pacific Computer Exchange 22 Lter(20 TRSTimes magazine 14
List of Patches in this Issue 230A/FIX For LB8/CMD 8 30B/FIX For LB8/G,ID 8 ACK3/FIX For BDPACK 10
The Blurb - 1 - The Blurb Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 1992/93 Volume Vll.j
TMQ Appearance
Just when you were ready to acceptTMQ's appearance, here I've gone and changed it ture comforts as an AM/FM stereo cas- again. As subscription levels continue to sette radio as well as a 3.3 inch TV. shrink, and as I've gotten terribly dis- Points to Ponder There's something to keep you occupied mayed at having to throw out all the extra while you avoid being run over on the copies of previous issues, I have moved freeway. Then again, some of the roads total control of TMQ's publication in- here in the D.C. area run at less than 12 house. TMQ is now being printed on our MPH during rush hour - an oxymoron if SBT Corp., a software-consulting firm, in-house copier. It is also being bound in ever I saw one! has coined a new term which should add our new GBC thermal binding machine. headaches to work-place businesses as In this way, I can control the duplication Talking about driving, there's been a lot well as home-based businesses using com- of copies toexactlywhatisneeded. There's of recent developments in the drive busi- puters. I'm referring to the futz factor. no more waste of an excessive print run ness - disk, that is. Toshiba introduced a Futzing relates to the wasted time spent by winding up in the landfill. 3.5" hard drive with 1.2 gigabytes of computer users playing or tinkering with capacity. List priced at $2395, the MK- theircomputers. According to SBT,ftitzing I also will no longer be making back issues 538FB includes a SCSI-2 controller and includes striving for perfection, playing of TMQ available; however, I will be consumes only 10 watts. with fonts, re-doing projects, and most making re-prints of articles available. likely, getting into computer games on There will soon be a complete index of IBM, on the other hand, which is strug- business time. TMQ content available. The index will gling to stay at the top of the heap in the list the number of pages included in each computer marketplace, introduced a 2 But as we waste more time on computers, re-print; a standard fee per page will pre- gigabyte 3.5" hard drive. It is also bun- the hardware continues to add features. vail. This index will be available in three dling two of these drives together into a For instance, Sejin-America and Home forms: 5.25" frame to offer 4 gigs of storage. Row announced a new 101-key PC key- That's known as the Allicat package. board which incorporates Home Row's J- • A bound printed copy - fee to Mouse. This non-traditional mouse is fab- be determined; Coming down in size, Aura's 1.8" 126 ricated with resistive pressure sensors lo- megabyte 19 ms drive should be in pro- cated beneath the "J" key (hence it's • An LB Database file set on duction soon. These drives use the name). By depressing the key and pushing floppy disk - fee to be deter- PCMCIA-standard interface, an interface it in any of the four directions, software mined; currently seeing a lot of action. converts the pressure changes to mouse movements. • An LB Database file set avail- Seagate also has a new series of 1.8" able for download from our drives with 40, 65, and 80 megabyte ca- Early versions of the J-Mouse are already CompuServe Forum (as long pacities. The 65 megger consumes only as the forum remains avail- being used on Everex and Leading Edge 1.3 watts inread/write mode, 0.13 watts in notebook computers. able). standby, and a scant 0.09 watts in sleep mode. Turning away from computers, here's It is expected that the index covering something to cure the never-find-a-park- TMQ Volumes I through VI will be avail- Now why aren't hard drives usable on the ing-spot parking blues. Mazda came up able by late January 1993. TRS-80 coming down in price? That's with a prototype one-passenger vehicle because very few manufacturers are build- that folds into a suitcase; the suitcase is ing any more MPM drives - the ones essentially the body of the vehicle. Power typically used on the older machines. I comes from a one-cylinder, 1.7 horse- attended a presentation by Seagate Tech- power engine. Top speed is a scant 12 nology recently and was amazed as to mph. However, options include such crea- their projections on the shift in drive size.
The Blurb -2- The Blurb Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 1992/93 Volume WE
Right now, their shipments of 3.5" hard calls to Seagate's technical support, fol- sumption, heat generation, cabling, and drives exceed the shipment of 5.25" drives. lowed up by letters detailing the problem, mounting. I'll soon be popping that And 2.5" drives will overtake the 3.5" led to no response. Until I nailed that tech! ST157N into a 4P. The only drawback is ones in a few years. Meeting eyeball to eyeball solved the that now the ST157N has been discontin- problem. ued. That was a 3.5" drive. The smallest Seagate has also discontinued many of the capacity 3.5" SCSI drive Seagate now older drives. The only MFM drives still in It appears that the Seagate SCSI Interface makes is a 248 MB SCSI-2 drive (still production at Seagate are the ST225 Manual left out one vital piece ofinforma- should work). They do have an 84 MB (20MB), the ST25 1(40MB), and ST4096 tion. In the Format Unit command, there ST296N 5.25" drive. So I'll be looking (80MB). All 3.5" MFM drives are discon- is a data bit (FMT DATA) which if set, around for compatible drives. If you're tinued. Even the SCSI-1 and early IDE indicates that a list of defective areas on still looking to add hard drive internally, drives are out of production. Kalok dis- the disk will be passed to the controller; a talk to me. continued production of their 3.5" 20MB zero indicates that the data-out phase of drive quite some time ago; I used to use the command will not occur and no defect Floppy drives haven't been taking a back those in my MHDT34 hard drive package. data will be supplied to the drive. seat to capacity inroads. Iomega Corp. But it's more sensible these days to make makers of the Bernoulli Box, have intro- larger capacity drives. Such a list was not normally used on TRS- duced a variant on the Floptical drive 80 hard drives, and modern smart drives licensed from Insite Peripherals, Inc. This Of course the Seagate presentation was (those with imbedded controllers) main- 20 megabyte floppy drive has a 65 ms important to me for two items: (1) I got a tain their own lists internally. In fact, average seek rate - about the same as the look at the new ST351A/X ME drive another bit in the Format Unit command venerable Seagate ST-225 hard drive. which has a combination 8-bit/16-bit tells the controller to use only the original Iomega's Io2OS 3.5" drive is read/write jumper-selectable interface. Igrabbed onto manufacture's list (internal list). What the compatible with 1.44 MB and 720K flop- one of those recently and replaced the old Interface Manual failed to disclose was pies. Kalok in the family's 1000TL/2 with the the requirement to set that bit if the snazzy 351A/X. Not only is there now sector size was being changed. Even if Improvements in the standard 3.5" floppy twice the storage capacity, but the 351 is the list was void, the bit had to be set! drive are coming from Epson. Their SMD- considerably faster and quieter than the That's so the controller would be able to 1100 drives run on 3.3 volts, the next Kalok 320. I'm now selling 35 1AIX drives re-calculate the new sector numbers cor- standard for computer powering of laptops (see announcement later on). responding to the existing list. and notebooks. Epson also announced an SMD-800 series of dual 3.5"-5.25" floppy The second thing I found useful about the What was happening in my driver was the drives which incorporate both mechanisms Seagate presentation was the ability to controller generating a continuous error into the same 5.25" half-height housing; talk directly to a Seagate technician. Some the first time it accessed what it thought the same electrical mechanism is used for of you who read between the lines may was a bad sector. both devices. A similar drive, the FD505, have noticed quite some time ago that I is available from Teac. was working on a hard disk driver to use Now that the problem was solved, I went my host adaptor with SCSI drives. The back to my prototype SCSI driver, made Other hardware advances include Dallas MISOSYS host adaptor currently being the change to set the FMT DATA bit in the Semiconductor's EcoRAM. This item is a sold was designed for the SASI/SCSI in- format command, and it performed flaw- 256-bit read/write serial memory device terface; butl usea supply ofSCSItoMFM lessly. Now there's justa little cleaning up in a 3-pin transistor package. Address, hard disk controllers (the Xebec S1421 to do with the error handling and the SCSI data, and control lines are all multiplexed and Adaptec 4010) to utilize MFM drives. driver is complete. on a single pin. A varient on this device is I had purchased a Seagate ST157N SCSI- their DS2400 Silicon Serial Number - I drive to aid in developing a driver. The end result is that my SCSI driver can which is a read-only form of the SRAM. Unfortunately,I could never get the driver be used with my T80 to SCSI host adaptor The SSN contains a one-of-a-kind num- to work the drive properly. and any Seagate SCSI drive. This elimi- ber which can be used to positively iden- nates the need for a separate hard disk tify electronic equipment. Last Spring, I poured on the time to fully controller. Putting a hard drive internal is understand why the driver would notwork. now less of a problem. With modern hard Is a step back in time considered regres- My research disclosed that the driver was drives using less power than the old floppy sive? Not if you happen to be old enough able to operate the drive perfectly using a drives, converting a floppy slot to a hard to be a vacuum-tube audiophile. Transis- sector size of 512 bytes. But that sector drive use will be easier - no separate tors have replaced the use of vacuum size is not useful for TRS-80 users. Phone controller to worry about for power con- tubes in virtually all forms of electronic
The Blurb - 3 - The Blurb Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY Winter 1992/93 Volume Vll.i
equipment. However, true audio purists memory. His goal is 100,000 gigabytes in it can also capture video images directly. still prefer the sound of audio generated a peanut-sized, transparent cube. Does Still black and white images are instantly from vacuum tubes - there is a difference. this sound like Superman's crystal pal- captured and stored on its 2.5" hard drive. ace? Both of these systems employ laser- Eric Pritchard has now devised a Tube based optical reading and writing. Now a look at the result of software bun- Emulator which he claims sounds like the dling. In the past, users of LDOS and/or real thing. Sample circuits were built up Speaking of lasers, in a previous issue of LS-DOS have asked for the inclusion of and presented to a group of professional TMQI mentioned a new blue-laser devel- all sorts of applications within the DOS. musicians for ear evaluation. With that opedby Sony which was claimed to even- Recognize that the DOS already includes test successfully passed, Pritchard formed tually triple the capacity of CD-based a keystroke multiplier, minimal text edi- a company called Deja Vu Audio to mar- systems. One user asked me to comment tor, and a communications program. In ket the Tube Emulator. on that. The increase in optical capacity is, the MS-DOS world, the same kinds of in a way, no different than that which has requests have been made - in fact, users If your hearing needs improvement, how occurred in the field of magnetics. The have complained that the DOS was a poor about your smelling? According to a brief capacity of a recording medium is based product because it did not contain func- article in EBN, Arrow Electronics is con- in part on the size of the medium neces- tions such as Superkey (keystroke multi- sidering moving from their Melville New sary to store one bit of information, and plication), a shell processor, and a com- York headquarters to Dallas because of the ability of the read/write head to target pression utility. the discontent arising over an adjacent an area of matching size. If, for instance, compost facility which has soured the it took one square centimeter of area to When DR-DOS came out, it was lauded local air quality. record one bit, then a read/write head with for including file compression which MS- afield area of two cm2 would be incapable DOS 5 did not subsequently include (DOS One of the recent merchandising develop- of resolving single bits. Tape recorders 5 does include a shell and DOSKEY, a ments at Tandy is their requirement for increased their storage density as tape keystroke multiplier). Well now that MS- bar coding products purchasedfor resale mediums improved (finer particulate for DOS 6 is to include bundled data com- at their Computer City, Incredible Uni- the magnetic coating) and magnetic heads pression, the stock of Stac Electronics, a verse, and Radio Shack chains. improved to reduce the distance between leading supplier of compression software, the tape and the head (allowing for smaller dropped 75% in value. Speaking of Tandy, they just got some magnetic fields). good press over their new Video Informa- Compression software companies are not tion System (VIS) multimedia player. The Optical recording with lasers takes the the only ones who took a hit. When MS- system includes a 25-MHz 386SX CPU, 2 same approach. Recollect that the major- DOS 5 was released with a shell facility, MB memory, CDROM, SVGA graphics, ity of lasers produce red light. Red, at the how many users of SoftLogic Solutions stereo audio, and an infrared remote con- low end of the visible spectrum, has the SoftwareCarousel gave up on it? I know trol. There's no keyboard as of yet as this longest wavelength of visible light, 610- mine is sitting on the shelf never to be thing hooks up to your 1'V set. The VIS 750 run. It is the actual length of the wave upgraded again. Even though its switch- includes Tandy's newly designed itself (or width if you prefer) which con- ing performance was faster since it used RAMDAC and VGA color-blending chips trols the area of medium being discerned. RAM in contrast to MS-DOS 5's disk- which make graphics look like broadcast By using a laser light with a much smaller only task switcher, Carousel would have video. wavelength, the bit density can be in- required an upgrade to the next version creased. Blue has a wavelength of 450- which would work with MS-DOS 5. Now for a look at the horizon in memory 500 nm. Thus the average areal density of storage, how's 50 gigabytes in a cm cube blue is one half that of red. The problem ADOS can't include everything, lest itput sound? All that, and 10 n access time to was that blue lasers were very difficult to independent add-on vendors out of busi- any location in the cube. Those figures are fabricate with sufficient intensity of light ness. the promise of research by Robert Birge, tube useful. Thus the advance had techno- of the Syracuse University Center for logical merit. Some things get bundled with a DOS, and Molecular Electronics, in photoreactive applications, that a user does not want. I protein harvested from bacterium - Another advance, though not a techno- am referring to computer viruses. These halobacterium halobium, to be exact. logical marvel, is the inclusion of a small buggers have gotten quite pervasive over CCD video camera as part of a pen-based the past year or two as the ranks of com- Peter Rentzepis, of the University of Cali- electronic notebook being shown by puter crackers have swelled, and the ex- fornia at Irvine, is also researching the use Fujitsu. Not only does the unit have the tent of possible damage has increased. To of organic molecules in three-dimensional capability of capturing handwritten input, date, most of the cures have been either
The Blurb -4- The Blurb Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 1992/93 Volume Vll.i preventative (i.e. don't use any software drawing characters is illustrated in a BA- disk except from areliable source),orpost SIC program. operative (by using one of the many anti- Trade-in Policy virus programs which have come on the For the assembly language buffs, Frank market. It has even been alleged that many Slinkman provides his viruses already exist which are designed to expertise with a disk-quantity-optimized infect the next version of MS-DOS (6.0). archival program for hard drive users. The policy for trade-ins of an equivalent Along the theme of backing up hard drives, Now comes a hardware solution to the non-MISOSYS software product for a Scott Toenniessen provides techniques problem. Since viruses are primarily MIS OSYS-published software product is for using known tools in the hard drive passed unbeknownst to the user by attach- to just send in an original Table of Con- backup process. Odds and ends fill out the ing themselves to executable programs tents page with the trade-in fee which is issue. thence to the DOS, having a means of 50% of the price of ourproduct. So forLB protecting against fraudulent disk writing 2.3, trade in any other database product to regions of the disk containing programs and you can purchase LB or LB-86 for could very well guardagainst virus infection. $49.50 plus S&H. How's that for a deal? TMQ Schedule It doesn't matter for what system or oper- According to Robert McCarroll of West- ating environment your trade-in was de- em Digital, there exists about 1000 known signed for. This offer does not extend to computer viruses and they are growing in products re-sold by MISOSYS or prod- numbers to the tune of 50 per month. ucts on sale. The MISOSYS Quarterly is mailed ap- That's what prompted WD to develop the proximately every three months. Note WD7855LP/LV system controller chip that your mailing label usually has the which works with the 386SX system man- expiration date of your subscription. For agement interrupt (SMI). The SMI, which In this issue... instance, those with "92/11" complete is a highest level interrupt, is activated by their subscription with this issue. The WD's conirolleron every disk write. Soft- renewal fee to continue with another four ware in protected memory then checks to issues is covered on page 1. see if the write request is to an area of the disk previously protected by the user. If Last issue, I said that Volume seven would so, the operation is assumed to be a virus start our focus on the C language. I'll defer and the user - or a special virus-inocula- that an issue as many other articles were MISOSYS Forum tion program - is notified. contributed or internally developed which I felt would have greater priority to TMQ And the other front for criminals - the readers. So look for the C coverage to software piracy front - has finally been begin next issue. attacked in Congress to provide bigger I sponsor a forum on CompuServe. You teeth on the punishment side. Commer- I did receive a big article covering an can reach some "experts" on TRS-80 and cial software piracy - where folks spring introduction to FORTH from Peter MS-DOS subjects by dialing in, then GO up and copy packages en masse for resale Knaggs; however, I need to do some work PCS49, or GOLDOS. This is probably the - has been elevated to a felony from a on it before publication in TMQ. lam still oldest forum still-surviving from the misdemeanor. It is said that this will now keeping open my offer for someone who MicroNet days. If you want to see it encourage federal prosecutors and other wants to get involved with learning continue, how about popping on for achat law enforcement agencies to pursue these FORTH and writing about it in a series of or a question. cases of theft. The law defines commer- articles - for either MS-DOS or TRS-80; cial pirates as individuals who willfully MISOSYS will provide you with a free The forum contains many programs to copy software for commercial advantage copy of either HartFORTH for the Model download, as well as lively discussions or private financial gain. Prison terms of I/ill or Model 4, or even HartFORTH-86. which thread through the message sys- up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 tem. You can direct a message to me at can now be imposed on persons convicted From time to time I am told that there is 70140,310. Post a message in private if of infringing at least ten copies of a copy- not enough on BASIC in TMQ. Well, you don't want it "broadcast". righted software program, or any combi- you'll find an amortization program in nation of programs with a retail value BASIC within this issue. Also, an algo- I handle support via that facility. You can greater than $2,500. rithm for drawing lines with PC line- also submit an order either by a message
The Blurb - 5 - The Blurb Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 1992/93 Volume Vll.i saved as PRIVATE, or via EMAIL. MS DOS users can even request an order for selected products be. EMAILED as a MS-DOS Products Power Supplies ZiPed file for nearly instant service (manu- als to be shipped separately).
MISOSYS is a reseller of products pur- MISOSYS has a limited supply of re- DISK NOTES 7.1 chased from Ingram Micro; thus, we have placement power supplies for Model III or access to a huge array of MS-DOS prod- 4 computers. The Astec AC8151-01 40- ucts. So if you are looking for some hard- watt supply provides +5V @ 2.5A, ware or software to go with your MS-DOS [email protected], and -12V@0. 1A. It's size is system, why not get in touch with us for a 6.25"x4"xl.75"; mounting holes are Each issue of The MISOSYS Quarterly quote. Call, write, or FAX. 3.125"x4.75". The Astec AC12310 68- contains program listings, patch listings, watt supply provides +5V @ 7.3A, and other references to files we have I still have some Tadiran TL-5296 6V [email protected], and - 12V@0. 1A. It's size is placed onto a disk. Where feasible, the lithium batteries usable in most AT-class 7.69"x4. 125"x2"; mounting holes are text accompanying an article is also on machines. Don't wait for your battery to 3.75"x7.25". This supply is a direct re- DISK NOTES. DISK NOTES 7.1 corre- fail and lose your configuration data. A placement for the Tandy Model 4 power sponds to this issue of TMQ. The disk is spare's shelf life will probably Out last supply (Tandy's was based on the Astec formatted usually for TRS-80 LDOS/LS- your machine. design). The 40 watt supply is $40 and the DOS users at4ODl (that's40 tracks, double 68 watt supply is $50. Surface S&H for density, one sided). MS-DOS users can either is $5. Currently in stock are seven of request a 5.25" 360K disk. If you want to the 68-watt supplies and nine of the 40 obtain the fixes and the listings, you may Seagate watt supplies. When these are gone, we conveniently purchase a copy of DISK will not be obtaining more. NOTES priced at $10 Plus S&H. The ST351A/X IDE Drive S&H charges are $2 for US, Canada, and Mexico, $3 elsewhere. Address Change One of the hot new drives on the market for low-end systems is Seagate's new 42- DOS Manuals Megabyte ST351A/X drive. This 28ms IDE drive features a MTBFof 150K hours. The United States Postal Service has seen What I found very useful is the 351A/X is fit to change the ZIP code of our Post jumper selectable for either 8-bit (i.e. Office Box (mailing address) effective Tandy 1000TL/2) or true 16-bit bus sys- Don't forget that with our "LDOS & July 1, 1992. The new ZIP is 20167. tems. I replaced the Kaylok 320L and LS-DOSTm BASIC Reference Manual", Please update yourrecords; I don'twantto WDXT-GEN controller in my 1000TLI2 which covers the interpreter BASIC which lose any of your orders. with this new 351A/X and the machine's is bundled with LDOS (even the 5.3.1 response is now fantastic. Besides a ROM BASIC portion), the interpreter souped-up performance, the new Seagate BASIC which is bundled with LS-DOS drive is absolutely quiet! I can't hear the 6.3.1, and both Model I/UI-mode and thing. FAX Number Model 4-mode EnhComp compiler BA- SIC, you can purchase the disk version of So if you are looking to pop in a 40M IDE EnhComp for $23.98 plus S&H $1.50 drive in your new low-end PC, consider when purchased along with a BASIC Ref- this new Seagate. On hand now at only erence Manual, or the disk version by If you want to reach us by fax, try 703- $195 + $7S&H (domestic U.S.) itself for $29.98 plus $3 S&H if purchased 450-4213. separately. If ordering the EnhComp disk, please note which version: Model I/UI or Model 4!
The Blurb -6- The Blurb Volume VIII THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 1992/93 Volume VII.i
after the Spring of 1993. In case anyone still wants to acquire some of these prod- LB Printing Hint ucts, I am making this announcement to Binders TMQ readers first. I will subsequently publicize this list to any takers. In order to make it easy, the price list in this issue reflects those products under clearance at Here's a hint for LB 2.3.0 users looking prices reduced approximately 80% from I was recently cleaning out the warehouse for a way to remove blank lines from normal. Available quantities ofsomeprod- and came across a box of LSI 1" binders. mailing labels. If you have received any ucts may be limited. Note that no warran- These are the beige colored D-ring bind- recent mailings from us, you would be ties, returns, or support will be offered on ers which were used with some LSI prod- able to see the effect. these items. ucts years ago. First come first served at three for $10 + $5S&H (continental U.S. At MISOSYS, our general format for only). Note some imperfect. mailing labels is: Hardware Clearance I also found, tucked away in the back First-Name Last-Name room, a large box of old MISOSYS-iin- Company-Name printed 0.75" dark blue three-ring binders, Street and a handful of 1" MISOSYS binders. City, State ZIP Both are imprinted with our old Alexan- Country Over the years, MISOSYS has accumu- dria address. The 1" binders are bundled lated TRS-80 hardware and related equip- three to a box, and the 0.75" are four to a Most of our database records do not have ment in excess of current needs. The box. $10 per box + $5S&H. a company-name entry; thus, our labels following items are now classified as sur- would have previously been printed with plus and are available for sale to the first And for the nostalgia buffs, I found a box a blank line between the name row and the takers (shipping charges are additional): of old Galactic Software Inventory Man- street row. But now there is an alternative. ager User manuals still in the Yellow • Tandy 2000 e/w color monitor, floor three-ring binders. There's probably about With the inclusion of the Suppress Blank stand $150 8-10 binders. Again, I can pack three to a Lines feature of the Print parameters, you • TRS-80 Model II (Video needs tweak- box. can eliminate the rows which have noth- ing) $50 ing printed on them. This can only be • TRS-80 Model III (working) $35 If you want a quantity of these binders, let useful for one-across labels, however. Also, • TRS-80 Model Ill (video bad) $20 me know. I can find a larger box to pack- on mailing labels, make sure you set your • Model 4, 128K (non-gate) $75 age them and save on shipping charges. print parameters for 6-line forms and set • TRS-80 4P (working) $75 the 1-Rec parameter in the defining of the • MAX-80 $75 screen. That's to ensure that all six lines of • Amdek Video-300 Monitor $40 a typical 6-line mailing label will be used • BMC Monitor (for MAX or Ml) $25 Passages for each record (you do not want your • (3) 5 Meg Radio Shack HI) $75 printed image riding up the labels). • lO Meg Radio Shack llD $100 • 12 Meg Secondary (bad drive) $50 • DW-ll Daisywheel $50 • Printer III (no printhead) $25 I close this Blurb with a sad note. Chuck Closeouts • Radio Shack Modem U $15 Tesler recently informed me that Ron • Lobo dual floppy drive box with two Malo,aformeremployeeofProsoft,passed 80T1 drives $25 away this past August. Ron was a key • CTR-41 Cassette (new, in box) $5 member of the early PC community, as • CTR-80 Cassette (new, in box) $5 well as the radio-controlled model air- After evaluating the past few years sales plane community. Those of you familiar of MISOSYS TRS-80 software products, with Prosoft's Alwrite word processor the time has come to cease the manufac- should well remember Ron. ture of selected program packages. This issue includes a list of products which will no longer be available from MISOSYS
The Blurb -7- The Blurb Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.j
LB/0V8 of release 2.3.0 Patch corrects bug in LB23OA/FIX LB 2.3.0 EDIT-FIND Bug Apply via PATCH LB/0V8 LB82 3 OB D46,67=00 22 CA 70 22 D4 70 C9 P46,67=20 66 6F 75 6E 64 0 The following information was sent di- 20 00 rectly to LB 2.3.0 users. In case I missed Eop 0 someone, here's the scoop. *4 If you have an MS-DOS version of LB 86 It appears that there was a bug introduced V2.3.0, the LB.EXE module was cor- at the recompilation of the LB8 module rected on the file dated 11/19/92. when version 2.3.0 was created. This bug renders the EDIT-FIND command inop- erative when a FIND is performed on a database without an index file attached, or if one with a single key field is attached. This bug was located and supposedly cor- rected on the LB/0V8 file dated Novem- LB Printer codes ber 19, 1992. Unfortunately, after testing a hand patched module, a patch was ap- 0 plied to the master disk. The patch had the last "F' line mis-typed as a "D" line. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Release 2.3 of LB Unfortunately, the PATCH command not added an automatic print definition report only does not apply the corresponding D- generator. This print autogen module ref- rj line, it does not flag this as an error. As a erences a PRINTER DEFINITION file of result, the FIND command with the patch printer codes to automatically construct a applied would most likely crash LB. report definition for narrow and wide table reports, form reports, and 11 address label If you have a TRS-80 Model 4 version of reports plus Rolodex and 3x5 card. The LB with a file date earlier than 11/19/92 file uses the following control codes: for the LB/0V8 file (disk 1), then please %c apply the following patch entitled codes to place printer in cpi's 10, LB8230A/FIX; the patch as listed here is 12, 14, 15, and 17, where appli- correct. If your LB/0V8 is dated 11/19/ cable; Awk 92, then please apply LB8230BJFIX. codes to enable/disable bold, • LB8230A/FIX - Patch to where applicable; LB/0V8 of release 2.3.0 Patch corrects bug in codes to enable/disable under- unsorted find command line, where applicable; • apply via PATCH LB/0V8 L38230A DiE, 03=CD P7 70 • codes to enable/disable italic, F1E,03=22 CA 70 where applicable. D46, 58"Data not found " F46,58=-"Search data not" The following codes have been submitted D46,6700 22 CA 70 22 D4 by our users since the release of the 70 C9 PRINTER.DEF file. P46,67=20 66 6F 75 6E 64 20 00 Fm David Huelsmaim: The following Eop ASCII codes are for an Epson L-1000 • LB82303/FIX - Patch to Action Printer.
Letters to MISOSYS -8- Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.i
10 cpi= 27 80 I can get some of the samples in the ing BASIC appears to be referencing the 12 cpi= 27 77 manual to work using S but I always have BASlClnrerpreterprovidedwith the DOS, 15cpi=27 103 to key in line numbers. When I tried the not a compiler. There is a major difference 17 cpi = 15 (actually does about 60% example on page 254 I get 0 compilation in the two. Interpreters need to look at of size of print already in: Will errors but nothing happens. When I try the each source statement each time a state- give 17 cpi if in 10 cpi to start sample on page 86 there are no compila- ment is reached and convert the logic to with. Will not work with 15 cpi. tion errors but the computer hangs up. interface with machine language func- Emphasized select = 27 69 tions. Compilers do that once and convert Emphasized cancel =2770 I am probably overlooking some small the source program to machine language. Double strike select =2771 detail but would appreciate any help you Double strike cancel =27 72 can give me in this matter. Underline toggle = 27 45 Italic select = 27 52 Italic cancel = 27 53 Initialize printer =27 64 Fm MISOSYS, Inc: To begin with, HDPACK Queries Enhcomp programs do not have to have a Fm Jim Potsch: Roy, codes for a DWP BASIC line number on every line (see 220 printer: (Decimal) page 34). Only lines which are the target of GOTO's or GOSUB's, etc., require 12 pitch (10 cpi) select =27 14 either a number or a label. If you are Fm JFS: Since I use my HDDE utility to 10 pitch (12 cpi) select =27 15 starting a program from scratch, then the create extra directories for my 40MB drive, Start underline = 14 easiest way is to invoke the S/CMD super- DIRCHECK, of course, reports many End inderline = 15 visor. It automatically loads the CED "granules allocated but not used". This is Reverse Line feed =27 10 editor. From there (either CED invoked due to the fact that the GAT must record proportional select =27 17 from S or directly from DOS), you can all space used on all directories. bold on =27 31 simply type "I", for input. Enhcomp won't bold off =27 32 automatically insert BASIC line numbers Will this prevent HDPACK from working start CR only = 27 21 because most lines will not need that properly, or will it just avoid using the end CR only = 27 22 number.
The sample program on page 86 will absolutely lock up your computer since Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Any granule show- PRO-EnhComp Use you are using the Model 4 version and that ing up in the GAT as allocated but unused program is noted to be for Model I or III by a directory entry will be locked in place (not the 4). The program as written pokes and both unused and unmoved. Your pre- machine language code into memory - sentation with HDDE would appear no code which is Model 1/ifi specific. What different than any other "bad" granule Fm CCG: Dear Sir, I am having a prob- you see on page 254 is not a complete locked out by a hard drive formatter as lem in using the subject compiler. I would program but simply a user command - a unusable- but the only way such a formatter like to know how to convert what I do with program fragment, so to speak. It's sort of can lock it out is to either allocate it in the the BASIC Compiler I now use to be able like a defined function in interpreter BA- GAT, or construct a file entry allocating to use the subject Compiler. For example, SIC. If you wrote a BAS lCprogram which it. You should be safe. I now key in BASIC - then NEW - then consisted of nothing but a DEFFN, it AUTO and I am able to then type in my wouldn't do anything, either! program. How do I achieve the results using the subject Compiler? Look at the short program on page 255- it And kudos... should work. So should the one on page If I type in BC I get the message - 163 if you make sure that you either have Fm AM: I wanted to drop you a line, but missing parameters. When I type in S I a drive ":4" or change the OPEN to refer- have been very busy, and finally have have to key in the line numbers. Also ence a valid drive. gotten a break here at the shop to compli- when I key in
Letters to MISOSYS -9- Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume VIE
software. I'm referring to HDPACK, I • HDPACIC3/FIX - 12/15/92 hadn't realized how "flakey" a hard-drive - Patch to HDPACK can get after using it even for a week. I • Corrects hang on at- OPREG bit-3 Confusion knew reading and writing to the hard- tempt to pack a disk media will fragment a file after several with no files • via, PATCH access's, and now I can really appreciate Apply HDPACK HDPACK3 on a weekly basis, to optimize it and know D06, C9=33 Fm MISOSYS, Inc: There appears to be all will be 'smooth' on a regular basis. F06, C9=32 Fantastic, and a job well done! DO8,C3D 2C some confusion concerning the software F08,C3=D6 26 handling of reverse video in the Model 4 I used DISKOPT, by D. Goben, and since D08,D9=2A 5A 27 7C 25 C8 DOS. The TRS-80 Model 4 is not capable then have stuck it in the back of the disk C3 D6 26 of reverse video of the 256-character set - box. I've run into inconsistencies with it, F08,D9=24 24 24 24 24 24 only the lower 128 characters can be and seems a clash every now and then 24 24 24 displayed in reverse. The Model 4 uses would occur, I didn't like it after I found • Eop character bit-8 to indicate a character out that it caused some ifies to "grow". I should be displayed in reverse video. Once noticeda 19.5K/HRfllewouldturn-outto reverse video is activated in hardware, be 24K when Ifinished optiniizing,I don't any character stored in the video RAM know what happens, but it must me re- which has bit-7 set (values 128-255) is sizing the granules or something. displayed in reverse. Characters with val- ues of 0-127 are displayed in normal At any rate, I have one comment on your LDOS Version? video. Bit-3 of the OPREG (78H) desig- HDPACK also. lain using LS-DOS 6.3.1, nates hardware reverse video. Therefore, and have created aJCL ifie to optimize my when you activate reverse video with hard drive; it's very simple: CHR$(16), the video driver enables the hardware by setting bit-3, and "turns-on" HDPACK:O Fm MB: What is the latest version of the driver's bit-8 setting routine. Any HDPACK :1 LDOS for a Model I? I'm currently on character sent to *DO from then on will HDPACK :2 5.1.4. I've seen references to 5.3 (?) but have bit-8 set by the driver - even if it is a HDPACK :3 that also seems to be mainly for a Model character already with a value above 127; ifi. the hardware will display it as an ASCII One thing l noticed isnow thatl'vecleared character in reverse video since the hard- partition 1, (for a blank dummy drive), By the way, is it at all possible to load the ware is enabled. The DOS manual docu- RDUBL driver in LOW memory some- with no files on it, when the JCL file gets ments CHR$(17) as "Set high bit routine to the "empty" partition, HDPACK hangs where? My word processor ignores the off". That's exactly what it does. Once the up the system and l have tore-booLlsthis memory flag and grabs it all (COPYART), driver receives a CHR$(17), it ceases sol have been running it with SD all these the JCL doing this or HDPACK? Do you further setting of bit-7 for each character years. It almost worked with TRSDOS have a fix it if so? Please drop me a line if subsequently sent. But since the hardware you can Roy. Thank You and have a nice 2.7/8, withjustabitofgeneral unreliability, is still reverse video active, any reversed Christmas out east there. I'll be watching so it must be possible to do something. characters still on the screen are left in for your next new piece of software! Ideas? reverse video.
Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Latest version of Now, when you want to stop displaying LDOS for the Model I is 5.3.1 (that was a characters in reverse, you send CHR$(17). Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Well it turns out that relatively recent upgrade). You cannot However, since the previous characters the problem you refer to is due toHDPACK run the double-density driver in low (in reverse) still appear on the screen, trying to clean up after the last file was memory as there is not enough space resetting bit-3 of OPREG will display restructured. Of course, with an empty available. Why not dig into COPYART to those characters as their 8-bit component. directory, there is no last ifie (HDPACK fix it to honor HIGH$? Now what were ASCII characters in re- doesn't test for that The HDPACK3/FIX verse, will automatically appear as spe- will correct for that event. cial or alternate characters. That's not what you want. So CHR$(17) does not reset the hardware; it only turns off the driver's bit-8 setting routine so subsequent
Letters to MISOSYS _10- Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.i
- and the second one was too long to fit on This means that you should type the lines MISOSYS has bundled the two together a single line - until I left off the second into a file, save it under the name speci- for a promotion. This combination was scrl7. fied, and apply it to the program as speci- available and advertised at a special price fied. You really only need to type in the in the last issue of TMQ. Afterreading your write-up ofPRO-NTO/ "D" and "F' lines, however, if you care to PROWAM, I can see why you are not preserve the file for future reference, it is As far as TED is concerned, the PRO- familiar with the Tandy programs of a good idea to type in the comment lines WAM article said that, "the LS-DOS 6.3 SuperScripsit or Deskmate. Now if I as well - or obtain the corresponding TED/CM]) editor was derived from TED! switched to PROWAM instead of using DISK NOTES to save you the typing. For APP". Since you have TED/CMD with Deskmate: instance, that patch should have been your LS-DOS, you know exactly what its typed in and saved under the name capabilities are. TED/APP Omits the print What would I need to go along with the "SCR17/FIX". Then it would be applied command since the application is ex- plain Jane PRO WAM to duplicate Tandys by the command printed on patch line 4. tremely tightly written and has no memory Deskmate? (I have SU4 and Doubleduty.) available for additional commands. Thus, Does PROWAM2 include MisterEd? Is I think you missed the point of all the TED/APP accepts ASCII files (in fact the Text Editor useful as a simple word information Iprinted in the previous issue only ASCII files), uses a default extension processor as is Deskmate? Would it ac- concerning PRO-WAM. DESKMATE of "/TXT", allows transfer of files be- cept ASCII files without modification? and PRO-WAM are two completely dif- cause being a PRO-WAM application, (Deskmate only requires the filename to ferent types of packages. DESKMATE you can pop up the PRO-WAM library have the extension /DOC for it to be listed attempts to be an operating environment executive to perform DOS library com- on the menu.) I have many thousands of with easily-invoked applications: i.e. word mands, And just as TED/CM]) operates, words stored in ASCII Deskmate files. processor, spreadsheet, communications, TED/APP allows files to be concatenated. Would it allow transfer of ASCII files etc. This is somewhat similar to the TI from one disk to another from within the MAKER product which was sold for many PRCTL as well as CTL255 are both part of word processor program? Would it allow years - and still should be available - by TI the Wammies Application Disk. The price importing an ASCII file to the ifie under Maker Company (now T/Research, I be- for this disk was published on page 5 of the work, from another file on that disk or on lieve). The problem with DESKMATE is TMQ you referenced (seethe PRO-WAM another active disk? Will it allow a speci- that there is not sufficient memory in the Special in column three). The disk was fied paragraph to be exported to another TRS-80 to implement fully-functional ap- (and is) $10 + $2 S&H. ifie on the same or a different disk, and plications. have it automatically appended to that Now, why can't LDOS 5.3 do a CAT? file? PRO-WAM, on the other hand, is similar Well it can! The CAT command is simply to Borland's SIDEKICK - which is a an automatic invocation of DIR with the Will I have to have 128K on my Model 4 memory-resident pop-up windowing ap- (A=N) parameter. Fortunately for LS- to run it? (one of my 4's does the others plication program. None of the applica- DOS, the command interpreter overlay don't.) Easy enough to fix. tions in SIDEKICK - nor in PRO-WAM - (SYS1/SYS) has room sufficient for a pretend to be fully-functional applica- larger command table. It's overlay region How to obtain PRCTL? How much? (As tions. Their claim to fame is their ability extends from 1E00H to 23FFH - a full on p.35 VI.iv). Same for CTL255? to be available for use when you are 1.5K. In LDOS, the overlay region ex- running another application. This gives tends from 4EOOH to 51FFH - only 1K. And on other subjects: Why can't LDOS your computer the task-switching capa- Thus DOS overlays in release 6 have more 5.3 do a CAT? It does a DIR in alphabeti- bility. I thought that message was quite memory space available to code function- cal form and it does a four column DIR, clear. ality in the overlays. un-alpha when asked for DIR under SuperScripsit (Mad3), so the routine must Therefore, it makes no sense whatsoever If you have access to a Programmer's be there somewhere - perhaps only in the to compare the applications inPRO-WAM Manual, you will note that the DOS in- SS? It sometimes makes for easier print- - or the package as an entirety - with the cludes a service call named @DODIR. outstobetapedto the disks. The DIR:O(P) DES KMATE application. However, that This is available under both LDOS and Printout is longer than the CAT :O(Prt). aside, 1 can make some comments to LS-DOS. It's function is to perform a increase your awareness of PRO-WAM's mini-directory either to the display or a applications. user buffer. That's what Superscripsit is using to display the directory. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: The format I use to MisterEd is a program package separate publish patches in TMQ is as a/FIX file. from PRO-WAM. From time to time Finally, on the subject of CAT, issue I.iii
Letters to MISOSYS - 12 - Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.i
@PUTs to *DO won't have bit-8 set. Fm MISOSYS, Inc: Okay, one thing is .INITPW/jcl for PRO-W7}i (on Pro-Warn applications disk) 09/ our T.RSCROSS file conversion utility for 21/92 The only way to ensure that no characters MS-DOS. ItreadsTRS8O Model III and 4 .All use
Letters to MISOSYS - 11 - Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.i
of The MISOSYS Quarterly published a spective keyboard. The international DOS short article on extracting the DIR library versions are not conversant in the foreign module from LDOS' SYS6/SYS module, language; each merely addresses the spe- Model 100 'Transfer patching it for "A=N", and naming the cific keyboard and video. The printer resulting file CAT/CM]). It's also a simple driver is also specific. Everything else matter for a modest programmer to code a about the DOS (except for the day-month- CAT for LDOS which uses the @DODIR year sequence of date entry) is identical to service call. In fact, based on my discus- the domestic variety DOS. Fm RJS: I wrote to you some time ago sion of the Superscripsit patch to SCR17/ asking for a program to allow two way CTL which was in the last issue, most of In your case, you cannot enter the letter communication between the Model 100 the code is right there. All you need to add "M"because your keyboard does not have and the Model ifi. You sent me a back is a parsing of the command line to get the thatkey! Neither can you enter the follow- issue of a MJSOSYS Quarterly which in- drive number to CAT. TRSTimes of Nov/ ingcharacters: [j,%, *,@,A,", and . cluded a program by Mark Reed. It was an Dec 1991 had such a program unassembled (I think) program, so I wrote The sketch shows a keyboard matrix for him for a copy on disk. It runs fine, but it the French/Belgium keyboard. The area only allows for M100 -> M3, and not for in a dotted box reflects the keys which are M3 -> M100. only in place on the international key- boards. The Deutsch keyboard would have I have done a number of experiments International Keyboards those keys installed with slightly different trying to reliably and effectively transfer keycaps. In your case, "M" is one of those files from the M100 -> M4. I tried using keys. Note also that if you compare the Radio Shack's program REMOTE DISK, keycaps with the English keyboard, you but it left the files in a configuration that will note that there are differences from I haven't been able to open on the Model Fm LR: I purchased the French version of the regular key positions as well. I have 4 afterwards. I tried a direct RS232 trans- LS-DOS 6.3.1 some time ago, your In- placed the English alphabetic keys which fer, but found that difficult and never voice 92-10404 dated 05/08/92. So far I are different from the international key- reliable. I tried a RS232 through have been unable to find the letter M, boards just outside of the keycap image; DES KMATE, - fast, but unreliable. Then which makes it rather difficult to type in there are also differences in some of the I saw a note in DESKMATE indicating commands such as MEMORY, SYSTEM, special keys which I have not illustrated. that it was necessary to slow down the rate etc! Typing an upper case "M" gives me You may as well resort to using the En- in order to transfer long files. Thanks! a question mark, the lower case "m" gives glish version of LS-DOS unless you can Inspection of some of the long files showed me a comma. locate a French/Belgium keyboard. large sections missing from the center of
- 1 them, and I never knew it! I've tried all possible combina- tion of keys with no success, If have to slow down, I might as although did manage to get a well use TAPE100. It may be lower case "m" on my printer slow, but it is absolutely reliable. using CONTROL; but that Iveiy soon became weary ofMlOO doesn't give me an "m" on the -> tape -> M4. Besides, the tape screen. would get dents on it from the parked capstan and cause drop- At three score years and ten my I, outs. old brain isn't what it used to be, I can you help me out? lit - So I tried to use a little pocket radio as an amplifier to allow - direct M100 -> M4 transfer. It chugs along at about 1500 BAUD, Fm MISOSYS, Inc: The inter- if the manual can be trusted. That national versions of LS-DOS, is a lot better than the MODEM specifically the French/Belgium speed of 300. Itis very quick to set (6.31F) and Deutsch (63.11)) up and it works super reliable, and versions, require the use of a it works just as well M4 -> M100. IRS-80 equipped with the re- .,, Naturally, itwon'tworkforthe4P.
Letters to MISOSYS -13- Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 92/93 Volume Vll.i
For anyone interested, few though there it on the other side. Just make up a cable super. If we could get a program for the may be, the equipment is simple for any- using ground and one of the adjacent pins Model III that would work both ways in one handy with a soldering iron. Just take going to a mini-jack and another cable LDOS and also one in TRSDOS, then we a little battery powered, pocket radio and using the other adjacent pin going to it's would be able to use the M100 to transfer add a mini-jack to the input of the audio mini-jack.) anything to anything in the TRS 80 realm. section. (Find the volume control. Ignore Besides allowing students and research- the two leads to the power switch. See Set the volume control to about moderate ers to have a super-low budget tool for which of the other three leads goes to loud from the speaker. (annoyingly loud.) notes and full word processing. The inex- ground. It will be the one on the "bottom" Plug the input cable into the output of the pensive Model 100 does great for portable end of the potentiometer. Open the other radio, call up TAPE 100 and watch for the work, but the Model III or Model 4 does end and insert the jack. If it is done symbols. Reverse the cables to the com- much better managing files on disk and correctly, the radio should still work as a puters and the plugs in the amplifier for exchanging files with others by disk. (The radio and also work as a little utility transfer in the other direction. That's all Model ills are very cheap, now, and still amplifier. Test it using a cheap crystal there is to it, and it works every time - and run quite reliably, and thanks to you, Roy, type microphone orcrystal type earphone.) transfers reliably. they still run efficiently. Roy, if you de- cide to distribute on an annual basis, I'm Now make up two cables using mini- I tried to get Mark Reed to modify his interested.) plugs and DIN plugs for input and output. program Load 100/CM]) to work both di- Label them IN and OUT according to the rections, but he has trouble with his CASS Thanks again for helping to keep us going TECH manuals. (Watch those DIN plugs port and begged off. I suspect his problem for as long as you have. I try to do as little the numbering is not smooth. Enough to is with the tape system, not with the CASS program development as I can. It inter- say, the ground is the one opposite the port. Every time I have tried to use tape, I feres with my other writing and life is too locating tab and the IN is the pin next to it have eventually had trouble. The direct short to do all the things that I want to do, on one side and the OUT is the next pin to "cable, amplifier, cable" method works as it is.
Letters to MISOSYS -14- Letters to MISOSYS Volume Vll.i THE MISOSYS QUARTERLY - Winter 1992/93 Volume Vll.j
N, O. fi I 05A 94