test-drb October 2002

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

261 participants
654 discussions

by ekklein＠pacbell.net

I was just going through some of my old magazines (and filing some new acquisitions) in preparation for VCF5 and I noticed that I've got issues of SCCS Interface and Interface Age that overlap. I know that Interface Age broke from the Southern California Computer Society to publish "independently" but I had thought that they simply continued the volume/issue numbering from SCCS Interface. From the issues I've got that doesn't seem to be the case. Does anyone know the story of this split? Were the two magazines published in parallel for long? Thanks, Erik S. Klein www.vintage-computer.com <http://www.vintage-computer.com/> (In need of an update!)

21 years, 8 months

Les Solomon passed away this weekend

by geoff＠pkworks.com

>I noticed on the page he also wrote under the psuedonym of Lester Del Rey. >For some reason that tweaks my old sci-fi memory, but can't identify it. >As well as his impressive contribution to electronics did he also write sci-fi ? Not the same fellow. The science fiction author and editor and SFFWA Grand Master Lester Del Rey died in 1993: http://www.rosettabooks.com/pages/author_35.html

21 years, 8 months

SCCS Interface vs. Interface age

by ekklein＠pacbell.net

21 years, 8 months

IBM 5100

by sorcipit＠csportneuf.qc.ca

Skipped content of type multipart/alternative

21 years, 8 months

A Momentous Decision

by SecretaryBird＠SoftHome.net

After much pondering and debate, I have finally decided on a name for my Cromemco System Two. Once she is operational, she shall be christened as Mintaka. Okay, so that isn't really an earthshaking event or anything like that, but system naming is one of those little geeky activities that I get some strange enjoyment out of. Ironically, the first name that came to mind was Altair; then I instantly remembered that that name was already used as a brand name for an old S-100 girl, so I decided on Mintaka, to keep with the stellar theme. So, uhm, anyway...I guess there wasn't much point ot this post afterall. :p Later! -- Scarletdown

21 years, 8 months

cp/m favorite?

by gil＠vauxelectronics.com

Hi folks: I am curious what your favorite cp/m system might be. I am getting an itch for some late-70/early-80/pre-msdos kind of box. Of the transportables, I recall working with a kaypro years ago that seemed decent, but I've also been thinking about an osborne. I'm not sure whether there is anything in an s-100 design that I should look at. I'd like to get something that is reasonably priced, yet still collectible. With enough decent apps around, and a modest user base (nothing too obscure, that is). Any thoughts appreciated -- thanks, gil smith ;----------------------------------------------------------- ; vaux electronics, inc. 480-354-5556 ; http://www.vauxelectronics.com (fax: 480-354-5558) ;-----------------------------------------------------------

21 years, 8 months

Index hole on 5.25" disks

by dwightk.elvey＠amd.com

>From: "Fred Cisin (XenoSoft)" <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> > >> >Another minor gotcha: machines that used WDC179x disk controller chips >> >were capable of starting their first sector sooner after the index pulse >> >than those using NEC 765 series. Reading those with a 765 required >> >disabling ther index pulse. > >On Mon, 21 Oct 2002, Dwight K. Elvey wrote: >> Hi >> I always wondered why some PC's didn't care if the drive had a >> index hole or not to read the disk. It would care for formatting >> but not for read/write. >> Dwight > >Well, it's only part of the answer. > >Apple and Commodore (and Atari?) didn't use the index hole at all, so they >really don't care. They also didn't CARE when a track started. Since they >were single sided, an additional write-enable notch was all that was >needed to make them into "flippies". > > >PC, TRS-80, and most systems that used an FDC chip needed the index hole >to declare when to start a track when formatting. [slightly >over-simplified] >To make "flippies" for them required ALSO punching a hole in the jacket >for access to the index hole. ><ADVERTISEMENT> >The RARE/VALUABLE Berkeley Microcomputer Flip-Jig (available once more at >VCF!) was the best way to mark the position for punching that hole. ></ADVERTISEMENT> > > >Once the disk was formatted, most systems no longer needed the index hole. >EXCEPT,... >The NEC 765 chips did a RESET [over-simplified again] whenever they saw >the index pulse, and couldn't read or write for a short period of time >after that. But surely nobody would write sectors so close to the index >that they would fall into that reset period - yep. Some did. >and, >Some drives, such as the Teac 55 series used the index pulse to tell when >the drive was up to speed. No index pulse = no ready. > >When using a 765 to read disks that had a substandard index gap, with many >drives (Tandon TM100, etc.), you could cover the index hole on the >disk. A write protect tab would work, IF you could get the user to put it >on solidly, and not let it fall off in the drive. No index = no RESET, >and data could be read immediately after index, or even straddling it. > >With the Teac drives, that wouldn't work, but you could interrupt that >signal on the cable. Mike Gingel (TRS-cross) sold a floppy cable with a >SPST switch in it. I used a 34PST inline switch. >That way, the drive could see the index (READY), without the FDC seeing it >(no RESET). > >With the index signal interrupted, if a read was successful, fine. But if >anything went wrong, the BIOS would return the wrong error code. 128 (not >ready), instead of 4 (sector not found) > > > Hi Fred You should write a book on "The Realities of the Floppy Disk". I am always enlightened by the interesting tidbit you come up with. I've only fiddle with them enough to know that all isn't what it might seem. It seems that all the rules were broken at one time or the other. Take Care, See you at VCF Dwight

21 years, 8 months

cp/m favorite?

by dwightk.elvey＠amd.com

>From: "gil smith" <gil(a)vauxelectronics.com> > >Hi folks: > >I am curious what your favorite cp/m system might be. I am getting an itch >for some late-70/early-80/pre-msdos kind of box. Of the transportables, I >recall working with a kaypro years ago that seemed decent, but I've also >been thinking about an osborne. I'm not sure whether there is anything in >an s-100 design that I should look at. > >I'd like to get something that is reasonably priced, yet still collectible. > With enough decent apps around, and a modest user base (nothing too >obscure, that is). > >Any thoughts appreciated -- thanks, > >gil smith > Hi I of course like my Olivetti M20 running CP/M-8000 but for CP/M-80, I like the simplicity of my IMSAI. I have a couple of Kaypro's but they tend to sit unused most of the time. For anyone else that has a Z8000 processor in a machine without an OS, I can now assemble ( or compile C ) a BIOS and link it with a working BDOS/CCP. This is quite a step >from where I was a few weeks ago. I haven't fiddle with the Kaypro's enough to get to liking them. I don't even know where the serial ports are in it. I move a lot of data around through serial. It seems to be the easiest way to move things when the disk systems them selves are not compatible. Kaypro II's often go for less than $50 on eBay. They just don't seem to command the same kind of price that others do. I don't know why. They really are nice machines. I guess they just don't have the same appeal as those with front panel lights. Dwight

21 years, 8 months

Another LA request

by jwest＠imail.kwcorp.com

I'm looking for a floppy drive for my 1631D LA... I thought I had one already but just realized I never got it. Soooo Anyone have a spare 9122S or 9122D available? Someday I hope to find a HP-IB interface for a PeeCee cheap, but from what I've seen those are still commanding (relatively) high dollars. Jay West --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

21 years, 8 months

8272 FDC commands, release of dmklib (was Re: Reading old disks on Linux)

by dwightk.elvey＠amd.com

>From: "Fred Cisin (XenoSoft)" <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> > > >Another minor gotcha: machines that used WDC179x disk controller chips >were capable of starting their first sector sooner after the index pulse >than those using NEC 765 series. Reading those with a 765 required >disabling ther index pulse. Hi I always wondered why some PC's didn't care if the drive had a index hole or not to read the disk. It would care for formatting but not for read/write. Dwight

21 years, 8 months

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test-drb October 2002