Michael_D'Alessandro%Wayne-MTS%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (07/05/84)
Hi. Earlier today, I sent out my message to the net about the Microsoft Softcard. Later in the day, I recieved my message through the net (as I should have) but I also received 2 copies of the following message, and I have no idea why. I assume that the mailer could not contact the person in the address - "v. moshe" and forwarded the message(s) to me. Could you look into this? Thanks, Mike ---(Forwarded from: postmaster@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA, Dated: Wed, 4 Jul 84 15:46:12 EDT ===== POSTMAN output follows ===== bad system name: ucla-va "v.moshe": not delivered ===== unsent message follows ===== Received: from mit-multics.arpa by BRL-TGR.ARPA id a007359; 4 Jul 84 14:37 EDT Received: from UMich-MTS.Mailnet by MIT-MULTICS.ARPA with Mailnet id <2635266554407504@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA>; 04 Jul 1984 14:29:14 edt Received: from Wayne-MTS by UMich-MTS.Mailnet via MTS-Net; Wed, 4 Jul 84 12:00:25 EDT Message-ID: <12263@Wayne-MTS> Date: Wed, 4 Jul 84 11:47:12 EDT From: Michael_D'Alessandro%Wayne-MTS%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA To: info-apple@BRL-TGR.ARPA Subject: Apple II/Microsoft Softcard Timing Problems What follows is a heavily edited exchange from WCSC:MICROS, the Wayne State University microcomputer conference. This exchange covers territory similar to the problems described by Jim Byrd. I hope it's of help... Michael D'Alessandro 2) James Sedensky: As a starter, we have just encountered a problem with using our Microsoft CP/M Softcard on our departmental IIe. When we attempt to boot the disk, the drive "whirs" for a few seconds and "Apple II" appears on the screen and everything comes to a halt. The LED on the Softcard remains lit. We have successfully booted this disk and Softcard on two other IIe's and on a II+. We've exchanged both the disk drive and drive interface card without success. At this point we can only speculate that the problem is on the motherboard. No other problems have been encountered with this particular IIe, including previous use of slot #4 (recommended for the Softcard) with a Hayes modem. Does anyone have any further suggestions before we are forced to bring the IIe back to Lyceum for repair (unfortunately it's out of warranty)? - - - - - 4) Larry Boulet: Try booting your Softcard with a 48K version of CP/M if you have it. I know the 56/60K versions look at the ROM's before loading past them and even the smallest inconsistency will cause the software to hang. - - - - - 5) James Sedensky: I've tried the "jiggling" technique which is an old standby, but withour success. Presumably this IS the 48K version which we're using: as I indicated, it works fine on other 64K and 128K IIe's and on a 48K II+. Any other ideas --- or do we punt ??? - - - - - 6) Marcus Watts (neti): Besides trying the 48k version, you should also try putting the softcard into another slot. It doesn't matter which slot the Z80 is in, the software will find it. Also try taking out all the other cards; one of them may be interferring in some bizarre way. [Incidently, the 48k version should announce itself as such. or there's a low-core location that points to the top of memory.] - - - - - 7) Clarence Wilkerson: Does the modem card now work in slot #4 with the CP/m card out? - - - - - 8) James Sedensky: Marcus: I've already tried removing all the boards from all the slots except the disk drive board and have tried the CP/M card in slots 2,3,4,7 --- all without success. As far as I know, the modem card still works in slot 4 but I'll check it again. At this point, I'm just about convnced the problem is somewhere on the otherboard. - - - - - 9) Mark Wolcott: YOU MAY TRY REPLACING THE Z-80 ON THE MICROSOFT CARD. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A BAD BATCH USED BY MICROSOFT. THE PROBLEMS YOU DESCRIBE WERE MOST EVIDENT WHEN THE IIE FIRST CAME OUT. THE CARD TIMING WAS OFF BY JUST ENOUGH TO CAUSE A FAILURE IN SOME IIE'S AND NOT OTHERS. - - - - - 11) Jon Zeeff: Has anyone found a CP/M card for the Apple IIe that works on all IIe's (and doesn't use on board memory)? Certain Microsoft cards work only with certain Apples (supposedly a timing problem). - - - - - 13) James Sedensky: Jon, this is exactly (I think) the problem we're having with our Microsoft CP/M card). The people at Lyceum say this is not an uncommon problem. Supposedly Lyceum can solve our problem by a timing change on the motherboard. Whether this will then make this CP/M card usable on our departmental IIe but not on others on which it previously DID work remains to be seen. - - - - - 15) James Sedensky: Jon, Lyceum just called to say they had replaced the main processor and all the socketed chips to try to get the Microsoft CP/M card to work on our IIe --- all without any success. So they exchanged the entire motherboard and CP/M booted without any problem. They could have continued checking individual components but that would have cost a smal fortune in labor. This way, Apple gives us a new motherboard for $55.00 (plus $25. labor) - - - - - 16) Marcus Watts (neti): It sounds like it might well have been a broken PCB trace anyway. - - - - -