cjsgro@watdragon.UUCP (Carlo Sgro) (02/24/86)
This is a collection of all the response that I received on my question about where the Z80 card should go. As will become evident on reading it, it seems like there is some conflict over which slot CP/M looks for it in. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most slot assignments on an apple ( esp. II+ ) are just convention with a few established for good reason. Specifically, the apple starts searching the buss at powerup by working down from slot 7 through 0. Slot 7 differs from the others only in that there is a vertical sync signal available ( this is why 'fancy' graphics and color boards like the Electrohome Supercolor board are placed here ). This is also the reason that the drive controller board is placed in 6. ( ie. this will be the first normal device recognized ). By convention a z-80 card is placed in slot 5 and most cp-m software will look for it here ( ie addr c500 ). We have always placed our 6522 board in slot 4 ( a real time clock and parellel interface , since this is most often an open slot), 80-column card in 3 ( sync is tagged in externally), printer in 1 and language card in 0 ( the only reason this is here that I'm aware of is because it allows for easy access to the top of ram ). For the life of me I cannot remember what goes in slot 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I personally use slot #4 for my Z-80 card (a Franklin Z-80 card), and most of my friends who have other Z-80 cards also seem to use slot #4. It does not however matter what slot it is put into. I would suggest not using slot 7, as that is usually reserved for a second set of floppies or a hard disk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can plug the card into *any* slot, except slot 0. There is no hardware restriction, in general, relating to which slot a card can be plugged into (except for slot 0, of course). However, CP/M will not work with the Z-80 card plugged into a slot other than 4. This is because the CP/M boot program expects to find the card in slot 4. The only fix here is to modify that boot program and the CP/M operating system. -- Carlo Sgro ...![ihnp4||decvax||allegra||clyde||utzoo]!watmath!watdragon!cjsgro "ihnp4 Express: Overnight to the USA or you don't pay!"
jeffm@mmintl.UUCP (Jeffrey Miller) (02/28/86)
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Regarding the proper slot for Z-80 cards:
Microsoft in their original softcard manual suggests
Slot 0: language card
Slot 1: parallel printer card
Slot 2: serial printer or communications
Slot 3: video card
Slot 4: Softcard
Slot 5: 2nd drive controller
Slot 6: drive controller
Slot 7: whatever you want
These are *suggested* and can be changed. PCPI also makes the same
suggestions for their Applicard (a wonderful card by the way). I installed
a Corvus network once that had the Microsoft Softcards in slot 2 on all the
Apples, and unless Corvus changed the CP/M booter somewhere during the
install, it seems that the CP/M booter searches for the card and it doesn't
have to be in slot 4. In fact, Corvus required the floppy controller to be
in slot 4. I think the Applicard can be in almost any slot (not 0 of
course).
Jeff
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* Jeff Miller *
* Multimate International Corp. *
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