>From: "Patrick Rigney" <patrick(a)evocative.com>
>
>> It currently takes
>> about 40H+ of code to enter ( in octal for Heath monitor ).
>> I might find some code in the ROMs that does this
>> part for me. This is a little long but there is not much
>> I can do about it.
>
>> Any suggestions on things I might want to add?
>> Dwight
>
>Dwight,
>
>Hmmm... interesting. I have an idea... How about borrowing a concept from
>bootloaders in general? Shorten the program that you have to key in by hand
>to just a short bootstrap loader that reads bytes from the serial port and
>stuffs memory. The PC-side program's job, then, is to *first* send the
>*real* larger downloader down the line before the disk image data, which the
>bootloader stuffs into memory and then executes to read the image data that
>then follows. I'm not sure how much shorter the bootloader could be than
>40H, but I have to imagine a good bit since no disk I/O is needed at that
>stage, and it would certainly facilitate the bigger duplicator app being
>much larger without much hassle to the operator.
>
>Patrick
>
Hi Patrick
Reread my post. That is just about all it does. It does
have to initialize the port and that takes more than about
half the code. The loop that loads the memory is quite short.
The com port on the H89 is a 8250 and so needs a bunch of stuff
setup. To load a value into the port I/O takes 3 to 4 bytes,
regardless of how it is done. I suspect I can strip a little
but I doubt I can take out more than about 10%.
One thing I haven't tried is to use the Z80 I/O instructions
and have a table of things to output in sequence. This might be
shorter.
Anyway, I've made it so that I can optimize it more after
I get the rest of the functionality of the main code.
There is a small amount of extra because I've not used a fixed
load address or fixed size. I could shorten it a little and
keep it flexable by only writing the load address. One would
write the bytes backwards from there. At some point, the
JMP instructions address would be over written by my new load code.
The address of the high byte would be the same, just the
low byte part of the address would change, directing the
code to the newly loaded code. This would simplify the load
loop since no count needs to be maintained ( a trick I learned
form my Nicolet 1080's bootstrap ).
I'll make another pass at the code and publish what I have.
Others can then look at it for optimizations.
Dwight
I have a Plus Hardcard 40 and a 80286-20 ISA single board ISA card
available. These look to be in good shape and probably function properly.
Best offer, prefer Paypal.
Thanks Norm
Is anyone here familar with these drives? I was checking some HP 1000s today and making particular note of what boot roms they contained. One of them had a label that said that it had a boot rom for the "7905/20 disk". I checked my references and found that these drives are supposed to use the Amigo/MAC protocall. I know that a lot of the older HP floppy drives (9885, 82901/902, 9121, etc) also use the Amigo prototcall. I'm wondering if that means that this 1000 can boot from one of those floppy drives. How compatible is the 7905/7920 Amigo protocall and the Amigo protocall that's used for the floppy drives?
Joe
I'm looking for two items to complete my omnibot 2000. I need the remote
control and the tray. Also the cardboard base would be nice to have. If
anyone has these items to sell or trade let me know off line. Thanks
Hi
I've started looking at how to make a H89 disk
transfer program that would allow one to make images
of the hard sectored disk into a DOS file. I've
had my H89 powered up and thought I'd pass on one
of the first problems I came across ( other than
one of the tantalums popping ). The belts on the
floppy drives have all stretched. Only about half
of my floppies would read. Since I don't have the
original full height drive, the drives I do have
had no adjustment for belt tension( they were ALPS
single sided drives, half height ). I had to file the
motor mount holes to get the drives to work well with the
pile of disk I have. Anyway, this is something to
watch for in the older drives.
Now, onto the more useful stuff. I've written some
bootstrap code that allows me to pass a program
into the H89 from a serial port. The code to do this
take a reasonable amount of space because of the need
to initialize the serial port. It currently takes
about 40H+ of code to enter ( in octal for Heath monitor ).
I might find some code in the ROMs that does this
part for me. This is a little long but there is not much
I can do about it. I am using the LP serial port of the H89
since it runs with a 1:1 wiring of a PC serial port ;)
The idea is that the first 4 bytes will contain
the address and count to load. The rest will be
the actual code. When it finishes the counted bytes,
it will automatically switch to the down loaded code.
This next code is expected to perform the functions of
format, disk image write and disk image read.
This will be used as the next level of bootstrapping.
I've got notes on all of the entry points to control
the H17 disk controller so I can do the various disk
operations. There is one problem I have now and that
is that the HDOS disk all have a thing called 'Volume
Number'. I expect that this was so that one could avoid
trashing other disk ( HDOS uses a mount/dismount system ).
The difficulty is that the first track is always volume
0 and the others are the particular volume number selected
for that disk. In order to read or write, one needs to
know the volume number for that disk. This is encoded on
the disk, similar to things like sector number and
track number. I haven't figured out how HDOS knows
what volume the disk is by looking at the first track.
I suppose it is someplace there. I suspect that
I may want to format the disk as I write the image so
that I can pass the volume number along. I'm not sure
if it is a good idea or not to keep the original
volume number. One might want to have new volume numbers
for each disk in their collection.
Still, I am making progress. Hopefully, this will
make sending and archiving HDOS disk easier. Any
suggestions on things I might want to add?
Dwight
I am still being harrassed once again by Sellam.
I am posting this to the list so that members can
observe for themselves the behavior of one of it's
members...
Here is the text of his latest message...
-----------------------------------------------------
Message 4:
The next time you send me a message I will report you
to the FBI for harassment and violating my civil
rights. You have called me an "Islamic Idiot" one
time too many and I will not stand for this anymore.
This is hate speech!
I am forwarding your messages to colleagues at the
ACLU and will pursue the matter legally if you
continue to send me your vitriolic hate
speech.
-----------------------------------------------------
I look forward to speaking to representatives of the
ACLU and FBI and presenting factual data of this list
user's continual hate and harrassment of me.
I'm sure there are several other list members who have
been harrassed by Sellam who would like to do likewise
(Contact me off the list if you'd like to do that).
I'd like the fantasies and harrassment to stop.
I have NEVER attacked Sellam over his religious
beliefs, and never would.
I have commented on Nastiness of Radical Islamics in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and other Middle Eastern
Countries. There lies the hate and intolerance.
But, I would plead guilty to being intolerant of
intolerance... LOL!
I'd much rather be dicussing some cool Classic
Computers...
The first weekend of May is the Trenton Computer
Festival (oddly held in Edison, New Jersey rather than
Trenton...). I'm looking forward to the Flea Market,
as I do every year.
Though sadly, each year the flea is dominated more and
more by PC's and less by cool classic computers.
I'm still hoping to get some Amiga Equipment, and a
TRS-80 Model I/III/4 for my collection. And possibly
anything for my Atari ST. But, there wasn't much there
last year. Mostly because I think the price for a Flea
Booth is too expensive for most people to sell the few
things they have.
It's a shame Ken Gore bought the rights for this show
>from the original User's Group that ran it. They've
made it less special and smaller in recent years.
Regards,
Al Hartman
I am being harrassed once again by Sellam.
I am posting this to the list so that members can
observe for themselves the behavior of one of it's
members...
Here are the texts of his messages...
-----------------------------------------------------
Message 1:
Shut up you fucking dickhead. Quit fanning the flames
on the list you
filthy scum.
Message 2:
Shut your filthy scum hole you nationalistic servant
of American
facism.
You're part of the reason for the decline of this
nation and the
destruction of the world that is coming upon us.
Go find a dirty little hole befitting for your kind,
crawl into it, and
pull a rock in behind you.
Your stink is overwhelming.
Message 3:
The next time you send me a message I will report you
to the FBI for
harassment and violating my civil rights. You have
called me an
"Islamic Idiot" one time too many and I will not stand
for this
anymore.
This is hate speech!
-----------------------------------------------------
The claim I called him an "Islamic Idiot" is totally
fictional. I used the term in a reply to message #2,
but was referring to people in the Radical Islamic
Community who hailed the explosion of the Space
Shuttle as Punishment from Allah to the U.S.
I predicted that would happen, and then got attacked
on and off the list by Sellam. Who somehow takes the
actions of other people of the Islamic faith
personally. In that people who criticizing them are
also criticizing him...
I just want the list to know how nasty and awful
Sellam is. Just for those few of you who might not.
And to give those of you who have written to me about
him off-list some more data for your files..
I am currently reporting him to his ISP for
harrassment.
Thanks!
Al Hartman
Hi, I've found this
http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2002-July/000553.html
searching for technical specs about the expansion ports of the PPC640.
In it you write "I have both the (software) technical manual and the service
manual."
Can you please look at the manuals, for the pinout of expansion ports A anc B?
My interest is about this statement:
"2) The PPC has an expansion bus which can be turned into normal
PC-compatible (8 bit) slots, so you can have an external display adapter"
The expansion bus is the ISA-8bit bus? Can I use it (rewiring it) for connect
a ISA card?
TIA, and sorry for my English. ^_^;
--
The disadvantage of working over networks is that you can't so easily go into
someone else's office and rip their bloody heart out. (Jim McDonald)
Chaps,
Cars: I love classic cars & motor racing, that's why I subscribe to one
mailing list & several newsgroups. I rarely read about classic computers in
those.
Politics: I detest politics & politicians, this is why I neither subscribe
to related mailing lists or newsgroups.
Hate mail: Never had any, never sent any, probably never will.
Classic computers: Love 'em, that's why I subscribe to this list, and
several newsgroups.
I've got my cars elsewhere. I've got my classic comps here. I don't want
politics or hate mail. Can we keep it on topic please? You Know Who You Are.
And finally: Please please please DO NOT reply to this message. Ever.
Thanks.
--
Cheers, Ade.
Be where it's at, B-Racing!
http://b-racing.com
