ABN.ISCAMS%usc-isid@sri-unix.UUCP (12/09/83)
NetLandians,
I've been hacking around in my Morrow Decision I CBIOS (having a grand time),
and need some pointers/advice.
1. Implementing the Iobyte. Sure, I can attempt to scratch-write it, but
am hesitant since Morrow didn't in the first place. Did anyone? Did Morrow,
and I don't have the update? Is it impossible because of the funny stuff
you have to do, switching the Multi/o board to use the same port address
for peripherals? Read an article in a CP/M book (extracts from Creative
Computing or something), telling how to do it in a NorthStar BIOS, but
that ain't much help.
2. Buffered keyboard. Followed with avid interest a column in Byte where
some brave adventurers were trying it, and they (I think) finally gave up
or found a simplistic solution or something. Any pointers to articles,
public domain stuff, etc. (I'm running a Liberty Electronics Freedom 100
terminal, and it won't give me that onboard the terminal alone either.)
3. Trapping the peculiar Function keys on the Freedom 100 WITHIN THE BIOS
or BDOS! (Got pointers from kind souls on a Public Domain program that'll
do that; haven't been able to access SIMTEL20 to get it and try; suspect
the differences in Morrow CBIOS might make it a problem.) Reason: Function
keys put out ^A, a character or two (forget), and CR. And we ALL know the
undocumented functions of ^A in Microsoft BASIC-80 2.2, don't we? (Yeah,
repeats the last command, which is likely to be "RUN".)
4. Implementing a (new?) CP/M call (ho, boy - no flames about tampering
with the sacred, please) -- Check Status of Reader and/or Punch. Reason:
Wanna use that third serial port (1 for terminal, 1 for printer, 1 for modem)
as a fully capable port simultaneously with the other two so I can (a)
relay between two modems, simultaneously print to printer and a bar code
printer, and other daydreams. And NOT have to write specific software to
check the third port (like I have with MDM714 and KERMIT) - just use STAT
and other common utilities.
5. Stuff in some more memory. Who can GUARANTEE a nice fat 256- or
512-Kb memory board (static like I presently have or good dynamic) that'll
work with my buss and CPU board and DMA and all the other Morrow goodies?
6. Stuff in a 68000 CPU board. Read wonderful things about Compupro's
board, but all configurations seem to indicate ALL Compupro boards on the
bus (and preferably a Compupro buss too!). What Morrow stuff would I have
to yank out and replace to make such a wonderful thing happen? (Would like
to keep the Z80 right where it is for some sort of dual-processor capability.)
7. In return for asking the world, I offer: (probably only of much use
to Decision I owners)
a. A lovely patched CBIOS (and one wee little patch in the CCP) that'll
give you the user area (in decimal) by the disk identifier and CP/M ">"
(from Public Domain, but all done for you --forget the name of the genius
author, but more glory to him/her - think it was called CPMUSER - is out on
SIMTEL20 MICRO:). Also get the default "look to Drive A, same User Area,
if not here; then look to Drive A, User Area 0) for alll file access. Works
great with hard disk and floppies. (Again, Public Domain, forget author,
but wonderful, wonderful. Works for all but some overlaid programs like
WordStar.) Also get the modified FINDBAD that'll use the BIOS disk parameters
to work on any CP/M system to locate and exile (by writing to a BAD file)
any bad sectors. Works perfectly. Also get KERMIT, fully patched and
documented for the Decision I and Multi/o board (works perfectly). Also
get my upgraded MDM714 with settable parity (a la KERMIT - stole it and am
busily patching it in), fully set up for the Decision I (thanks to the
Public Domain overlay plus a bit of my hacking). Also get my KERMIT version
that'll allow straight upload and download with no packetizing (a la MDM714's
capability while in Terminal mode) for when the lines are clean or there isn't
a KERMIT or MDM on the other end (stole it from MDM714 and am busily patching
it into CPMBASE.M80 (Decision I version) right now).
All this I promise you (promises, promises). And naturally I'll hack whatever
you give me up a bit, and even keep you posted of the changes!
Those whose mailboxes I just overflowed -- sorry - bored you to tears with
this Decision I stuff. But maybe other CP/M type machines out there need
some of the same fixes? Let's see what happens.
Regards, and thanks to all for everything you've done for me so far in the
world of Public Domain.
David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall