Looking for North star software

[allison]

On 07/02/2018 06:27 PM, Fred Cisin via cctech wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Jul 2018, dwight via cctalk wrote:
>> I have a machine that I'm just now bringing up. I have some boot
>> software but it is TSS/A that is the accounting multi-user package.
>> I'd really like the TSS/B floppies instead. I'd settle for images.
>
> Sounds like fun!
>
> What model Northstar?

There are three basic systems:
Horizon Single density
Horizon Double density same as single save for newer controller.
Advanatage, not s100!

>
> Once you get some images, have you worked out a way to get the images
> onto hard-sector disks?
>
If you can get code into the box NS dos can write disks from memory
images.  The based NS* horizon
roms are minimal and only boot a disk.  The easy path is if everything
works get a copy of NS* DOS
and boot it.  Then IO via serial gets easy.

> AFTER you boot the machine, with some minimal programs, you can
> transfer data into the machine through serial port.
Once NS*Dos or CP/M is there yes.  Until then the box is pretty useless.

Plan B is get or make a Eprom board with a monitor utility into the
0000h or FXXXh ram block (max 4K).

Plan B' get a cpu card with rom on it. 

NOTE: pins 20 and 70 are grounded so any card that uses those pins will
likely have to be modded.
(those are memory protect and unprotect for that era, IEEE 696
reassigned them).


Allison