Easiest way to get MAINDEC diags onto a PDP-8 (sans paper tape)

On 06/01/2014 19:23, Marc Howard wrote: [...] The way I do it is to keep the diagnostics (or other programs) in RIM or BIN format as files on my desktop (which happens to be an SGI machine but this works just as well on a laptop running Linux). I have the RIM loader toggled in to my 8/E; nothing much overwrites it (unless something runs amok) and I use Kevin McQuiggin's "send" program to send files over a serial port (generic USB adapter on the laptop) at 4800 baud (it can go faster, though). The RIM loader can load the BIN loader pretty quickly; that's how it was done back in the day. There's also a small programs that will convert columns of address/data pairs -- such as from an assembler listing -- to RIM format if you don't have something to generate a RIM/BIN file. However, if you're writing stuff yourself, most assemblers will produce a RIM or BIN file, and most DEC diagnostics are in BIN format anyway. BTW, the sender program knows how to strip cruft such as headers from paper tape images so my ptp images have simulated human-readable headers, as do a lot of others around the net. http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/pdp8/ Look about one screenful down the page for the "Software" section. You might also look at http://www.dunnington.u-net.com/public/PDP-8/ where there are my copies of rsend and manpage (the RIM client), rim and manpage (convert address/data to RIM format), the palbart cross-assembler and manpage, and listings of the two RIM loaders you can toggle in. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York