15 Jul
2009
15 Jul
'09
9:38 p.m.
----------Original Message:
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:02:24 -0500
From: Chris Elmquist <chrise at pobox.com>
Subject: Micropolis 1015-2 floppy drive
Does anyone have specs or even better original documents for a Micropolis
1015-2 (aka mod II) 5.25" floppy drive? I have two connected to
a Micropolis designed floppy controller in an old S-100 system.
...
I wrote portions of the PROM and CP/M BIOS for this thing when I was
in highschool. I, of course, saved many pieces of the things and am
preparing to bring one of them back online soon.
Chris
------------Reply:
Hmm, I wonder if that's the same PROM as in my VG systems; I've
tried to replace the 1015-IIs with 1.2MB HD drives and although CP/M
is quite happy with those, the system won't boot from them, so it
looks like there's something fussy in the boot code in the Micropolis
PROM. I don't suppose you still have any source code? I don't think
it'll be the same but it might give a clue or two...
mike
16 Jul
16 Jul
4:43 a.m.
On Thursday (07/16/2009 at 12:38AM -0400), M H Stein wrote:
...
I wrote portions of the PROM and CP/M BIOS for this thing when I was
in highschool. I, of course, saved many pieces of the things and am
preparing to bring one of them back online soon.
Chris
------------Reply:
Hmm, I wonder if that's the same PROM as in my VG systems; I've
tried to replace the 1015-IIs with 1.2MB HD drives and although CP/M
is quite happy with those, the system won't boot from them, so it
looks like there's something fussy in the boot code in the Micropolis
PROM. I don't suppose you still have any source code? I don't think
it'll be the same but it might give a clue or two...
I doubt it would be in your VG system(s) as this work was proprietary
to Multi-Tech. I do still have source but it is on the floppies that
I want to read with the 1015-2 drives (and of course the machine that
hasn't been fired up in about 25 yrs). That is the goal though-- to
get access to that code.
I think we can find the boot routines and I do remember that we didn't
mess with those-- they were just black box code that we used as is
(since, then, we didn't really understand how it worked ;-) )
Most of the PROM code I did was for the console-- which was an 8275 CRT
controller and 8279 keyboard controller built onto the main board of
this Multi-Tech "all-in-one" design.
It'll be a few weeks yet before I clear the bench of other projects but
I will get back to you if I can breath life into this machine and get
at that code.
I seem to remember too that there is a PROM on the floppy controller
board and I don't recall ever having source for that... so we might be
out of luck if they go execute from that.
Chris
--
Chris Elmquist
4:50 a.m.
On Thursday (07/16/2009 at 06:43AM -0500), Chris Elmquist wrote:
I seem to remember too that there is a PROM on the floppy controller
board and I don't recall ever having source for that... so we might be
out of luck if they go execute from that.
sorry-- I mean out of luck with any sort of original source code.
We can always disassemble the PROM.
Chris
--
Chris Elmquist
5638
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