16 Aug
2006
16 Aug
'06
3:06 p.m.
I've spent a few hours this evening transferring software from my PERQ
over the serial port at 9600 baud, and I thought I'd share them, since
there don't seem to be many games archived on the 'net (feel free to
correct me if I'm wrong on that count :).
I don't know if it's any use to you, but _years_ ago I wrote a Turbo
Pascal program (runs under MS-DOS) to read double-density PERQ
'interchange' floppies on a PC. As set up, it's designed to use a
secondary controller in the PC (the XT on my desk has such a controller
linked to a pair of 8" drives...).
If you're interested (or if anyone else is interested) I can dig out the
source code. I seem to remeber the original distribution terms were that
I hold the copyright, but 'further distribution for the benefit of PERQ
fanatics is encouraged).
Thus far I've archived binaries & source for:
- PERQMan (seems to be an early version, looks like a 100% clone of
Pac-Man, vs. the changed sprites & "Perq Interactive Debugger" name
I've
seen in screenshots)
- Chess
- Puzzle
These are available at: http://yahozna.dhs.org/computers/software/PERQ/
I must tlake a look. The sources, in particular, are something I don't have.
Additionally, I'm working on archiving a raw image
of the 14" Shugart in
my PERQ (again, over the serial port). I've written a simple pascal
program to do the dumping and I'm doing it 10 cylinders at a time since
If you need any help with accessing the hard disk, etc, I may well have
useful information around. I certainly have things like the I/O port map,
etc.
it takes so long :). My goal eventually is to write a
PERQ emulator,
but we'll see how that turns out...
Good luck. The PERQ is not a simple machine at all. Having managed to
understand how the CPU works, I'd not want to try emulating it...
And a PERQ 2 would be even worse. On that series, you can run user code
on the I/O processor (Z80)....
-tony