Info-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU.UUCP (04/07/87)
Info-IBMPC Digest Monday, 6 April 1987 Volume 6 : Issue 24
This Week's Editor: Billy Brackenridge
Today's Topics:
Integrating VAX and PCs
List of Undocumented DOS INT 21H Functions V1.0 mostly complete
DOS 3.2 COPY PROBLEM
Spellers
Bar Code Readers (3 Msgs)
Cash Drawers and Bar Code Readers
Tektronix Emulator Available on Bitnet
Freemacs now on Simtel20
Linear Programming
PS/2 Technical Manuals
AST 286 Not Completely Compatible
Today's Queries:
EGA Shift-PrtSc Wanted
EGA Hardware Query
Parking Disk Heads
Running CGA Programs on a Hercules
Clone BIOS Summary Wanted
Executing Batch Files from MSC
9 Track Tape Drives (2 Msgs)
NEC uPD 72191 vs Intel 8087
PCjr Read a Televideo Diskette?
Z80 or 8080 Emulation Software
INFO-IBMPC BBS Phone Numbers: (213)827-2635 (213)827-2515
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bob Shaw <uitcd%cui.unige.chunet@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Integrating VAX and PCs
If you want "painless" integration of PC's and VAXes, check out DEC's
new VAX/VMS Services for MSDOS which is based on MSNET/DECNET. If
you have VAXes/VMS, this is a nice solution giving you file
transparency between VMS and DOS. Note that this is not the same
thing as DECNET DOS. You work with exactly the same files in DOS or
VMS (they are RMS stream files). DEC should announce this week
availability of their "Network Integration Kit" for the IBM PC family
which includes their own Ethernet card and other goodies. We are
currently using these services with VAXmates, DEC's enhanced AT
clone, running MS Windows connected to a MicroVAX and it is very
impressive integration. You can edit a file with your DOS editor in
one Window, log on to VMS in adjacent window and work with the same
file with your favorite (is there such a thing?) VMS editor. Another
nifty trick is printing your DOS files from the VMS emulator and
going back to doing whatever you want on the PC. We've just begun to
scratch the surface of the possibilities.
We have no connections with DEC other than fairly satisfied
customers. One gets the impression that they are doing things right
now. Waters at Littleton (waters%rainbo.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM) can
probably point you in the right direction as far as more complete
information goes. (Littleton: now where is that network kit for the
Rainbow?)
Hope this helps you. Cheers
R. Shaw Computer Department
International Telecommunication Union
Places des Nations
1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland
Tel: 41 22 99 5338
EAN: uitcd@cui.unige.chunet
BITNET: uitcd%cui.unige.chunet@CERNVAX
CSnet: uitcd%cui.unige.chunet@ubc
uitcd%cui.unige.chunet%CERNVAX.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.arpa
ARPAnet: uitcd%cui.unige.chunet@ubc.csnet
JANET: uitcd%cui.unige.chunet@cs.ucl.ac.uk
USENET: cui!uitcd@cernvax.UUCP
------------------------------
Date: Mon 6 Apr 87 08:48:48-PDT
From: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann)
Subject: List of Undocumented DOS INT 21H Functions V1.0 mostly complete
Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino, CA
Thanks to information supplied by various people, and some sleuthing on my
part, I present for your interest some documentation for the undocumented
MS-DOS Int 21H functions. There are gaps in what we know- any corrections
or additions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again for all the help - there's more interest in this than I expected!
----------- cut here -------------
Undocumented DOS INT 21H Functions, Rev 1.0: 4/4/87
Compiled by Pete Holzmann ({pyramid}!octopus!pete)
Octopus Enterprises 408/996-7746
19611 La Mar Court
Cupertino, CA 95014
Many of the details for this list were compiled (thank you!!!) by
Mike Morearty (...!ucbvax!cory!morearty), with a few more added
by Ed Nather (ut-sally!nather) and myself.
Some functions are still unknown. Portions of others (especially 52) are
also unknown. Please send updates to me (octopus!pete). This information
has been checked in general for DOS versions 2.0 through 3.2.
18 Function unknown. (Function numbers are in hex).
1D Function unknown.
1E Function unknown.
1F Same as function call 32h (below), except that the table is
accessed from the default drive, and under DOS 1, the table
format is slightly different. Returns AL=0 if no error,
DS:BX points to DOS Disk Block for default drive.
20 Function unknown.
32 Read DOS Disk Block. DL contains drive (0=default, 1=A,
etc.). On return, AL=00 if drive exists, FF otherwise;
DS:BX points to DOS Disk Block. Format of block:
Bytes Value
00 Drive: 0=A, 1=B, etc.
01 Unit within drive (0, 1, 2, etc.)
02-03 Bytes per sector
04 Sectors per cluster - 1
05 Cluster to sector shift (i.e., how far to
shift-left the bytes/sector to get
bytes/cluster)
06-07 Number of reserved (boot) sectors
08 Number of FATs
09-0A Number of root directory entries
0B-0C Sector # of 1st data. Should be same as # sectors/track.
0D-0E # of clusters + 1 (=last cluster #)
0F Sectors for FAT
10-11 Sector number of directory
12-15 (Dword) address of device header
16 Media Descriptor Byte
17 Zero if disk has been accessed
18-1B (Dword) address of next DOS Disk
Block (FFFF means last in chain)
34 Returns ES:BX pointing to Critical Section Flag, byte
indicating whether DOS calls are OK now (0 means safe).
Reportedly NOT completely reliable. The byte at ES:BX+1 is
used by the Print program for this same purpose, so it's
probably safer to check the WORD at ES:BX.
37 Get/set option marking character (i.e. usually "/"). AL=0
to return character in DL, 1 to set from DL. In DOS 2, also can get/set
forced-/DEV flag (if set, /DEV/ must precede device names; otherwise
it is optional): AL=2 to return flag in DL, AL=3 to set from DL (0 = set,
1 = not set).
50 Set new current Program Segment Prefix (PSP) from segment
number in BX.
51 Gets current PSP into BX.
52 Returns ES:BX pointing to the DOS list of lists, for disk
information. Does not access the disk, so information in
tables might be incorrect if the disk has been switched.
Returns a pointer to the following array of longword pointers:
Bytes Value
0-3 Pointer to first DOS disk block (see func 36H)
4-7 Partially Unknown. Pointer to a device driver. Maybe first
resident driver?
8-B Partially Unknown. Pointer to a device driver. Maybe first
resident character device driver?
C-F Pointer to actual CON: device driver, whether installable
or resident
10-11 Unknown. 0200H. A byte/blocksize value???
12-15 Unknown. Pointer to current directory block????
16-19 Partially Undefined: Pointer to array of drive info:
51H bytes per drive, starting with A: ...
00-3F Current path as ASCIIZ, starting with 'x:\'
40-43 Unknown. I see zeros always
44 Unknown. Flags? I see 40H, except for
entry after last valid entry = 00H
45-48 Pointer to DOS Disk Block for this drive
49-4A Unknown. Current track or block? -1 if never
accessed.
4B-4E Unknown. I see -1 always
4F-52 Unknown. I see 2 always
1A-1D Unknown. Pointer to data area, maybe including cluster
allocation table?
1E-1F Unknown. I see zero always
20 Unknown. May be number of block devices.
21 Unknown. May be number of resident devices or ??? (5 always)
22 Beginning (not a pointer. The real beginning!) of NUL device
driver. This is the first device on DOS's linked list
of device drivers.
53 Translates BPB (Bios Parameter Block, see below)
into a DOS Disk Block (see function call 32h). Pass DS:SI
pointing to BPB, ES:BP pointing to area for DOS Disk Block.
55 Create PSP: similar to function 26h (which creates a new
Program Segment Prefix at segment in DX) except creates a
"child" PSP rather than copying the existing one. Input:
DX=segment number at which to create new PSP.
5D Function unknown.
60 Function unknown.
61 Function unknown.
Note: Function 53h converts a BPB to a DOS Disk Block. To go the other
way, use the following algorithm:
BPB
Bytes Value
0-1 Bytes/sector. Get from DDB bytes 2-3.
2 Sectors/cluster. Get from: (DDB byte 4) + 1
3-4 Reserved sectors. Get from: DDB bytes 6-7
5 Number of FATs. Get from: DDB byte 8
6-7 Number of root dir entries. Get from: DDB bytes 9-A
8-9 Total # of sectors. Get from:
((DDB bytes D-E) - 1) * (sectors per cluster (BPB byte 2))
+ (DDB Bytes B-C)
A Media descriptor byte. Get from: DDB byte 16
B-C Number of sectors/FAT. Get from: DDB byte F
---- End Of List ----
--
OOO __| ___ Peter Holzmann, Octopus Enterprises
OOOOOOO___/ _______ USPS: 19611 La Mar Court, Cupertino, CA 95014
OOOOO \___/ UUCP: {hplabs!hpdsd,pyramid}!octopus!pete
___| \_____ Phone: 408/996-7746
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 87 10:46:44 AST
From: "Lawrence D. Sher" <sher@j.bbn.com>
To: WOOLFORD.THOMPSON@bionet-20.ARPA
Subject: DOS 3.2 COPY PROBLEM
While I use DOS 3.1, not 3.2 in which you report a copy problem, I have run
across a similarly surprising--but documented--behavior: If you use the copy
command in its simplest form, e.g., COPY FILE1 FILE2, then the copy operation
is terminated at the first appearance of a control-Z (ASCII 26). If this is
your problem, use the /B switch (binary) as documented in the DOS manual:
COPY FILE1 /B FILE2
The copy operation now sails past control-z's and proceeds until the number of
bytes that have been copied matches that shown by the DIR command.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 87 20:34:09 PDT
From: Margot Flowers <flowers@CS.UCLA.EDU>
Subject: Spellers
To: jperry@sri-unix.arpa
The magazine Personal Computing, March 87, has an article about
spelling checkers, including info about the dictionary word size and
source of the dictionary, for 12 different spellers. (Apparently one
word list had its origins in a word list of words used in the romance
novels written by the wife of the programmer.)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 08:16:07 CST
From: mlw@ncsc.ARPA (Williams)
Message-Id: <8704061416.AA01508@ncsc.ARPA>
To: info-ibmpc@c.isi.edu
Subject: Bar Code Readers
In response to the queries about bar codes for the PC...You can find a
pseudo-classified ad about bar codes in the back of virtually every PC
Magazine issue and Byte. I don't have one of either at hand, but here's
one from last July's BYTE...
PRINT BAR CODES ON PC
Print Bar Code and Large Text Labels on PC with Epson/Okidata/IBM printers -
Code 39, I 2of5, UPC, MSI, DOD-LOGMARS, AIAG. Text up to 1" tall. Labels
and Catalogs from files. Assembly subrtns for BASIC, Turbo Pascal, Pascal,
MS-C, Lattice C, dBASE III+.
Worthington Data Solutions
130 Crespi Court
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(408)458-9938
These kinds of ads are not uncommon -- just not high-profile. I have no
experience with any bar code products, so can do nothing but provide a
direction. Who knows where it will lead?
Mark L. Williams
(mlw@ncsc.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 87 21:39:48 PDT
From: ucscc!ross@ucscd.ucsc.edu (98817000)
Message-Id: <8704060439.AA05749@ucscd.UCSC.EDU>
To: C.ISI.EDU!INFO-IBMPC@ucscc.ucsc.edu
Subject: Cash Drawers and Bar Code Readers
A few issues ago, someone enquired about cash drawers for
point-of-sale applications. I have discovered a source
for just such a product. MMF Industries (370 Alice Street,
Wheeling, IL 60090) makes a variety of cash drawers that
can be used with PC's and terminals. Some of the more
advanced models can be commanded to open via an RS-232
port. Some models will even pass thru all but their
particular code, allowing them to share a port with, say,
a receipt printer. Retail prices run from about $200 to
$350 in single quantities, and dealer discounts are available.
On a related topic, there was a request for info about
bar code software and readers. It seems that bar code readers
for PC's are universally priced at $595, which, for the
technology they use, I consider highway robbery. Most are
designed to plug in to the PC between the computer and the
keyboard, and generate input as simulated keystrokes. This
allows them to be used in almost any application. One source
for bar code readers is Digital Solutions Systems, 130 Crespi
Ct, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Phone: 408-458-9938. Also, you
can usually find several sources in the mini-ads sections
of PC Magazine, PC Tech Journal, and the like.
Disclaimer: I have no association with either MMF Industries
or Digital Solutions Systems. I also have no experience with
either company other than reading their sales literature.
Ross Oliver
...udbvax!ucscc!ucscd!ross
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 09:04:27 PDT
From: forags%violet.Berkeley.EDU@berkeley.edu
Subject: Bar Code Readers
Black Box Catalog sells bar code readers (with RS-232 interfaces), and also
software to generate bar code labels on dot-matrix printers (Epson, Okidata,
IBM Proprinter, ..).
Readers cost about $700, and software costs $250 - $550 depending on options
desired.
Address:
Black Box Catalog
P.O. Box 12800
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Sales: (412) 746-5530
Tech Support: (412) 746-5565
DISCLAIMER: I have never used any of their products, and am just reporting
what their catalog says.
Al Stangenberger
Forestry
U.C. Berkeley
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 12:18:21 PDT
From: Margot Flowers <flowers@CS.UCLA.EDU>
Subject: Bar Code Readers
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
You mentioned wanting a bar code reader on a laptop, Z181 being ideal.
Well, on the back of the Z-181, between the RS232 and the external
floppy port, is an area covered by a plastic break-out tab. When I
asked the salesman what it was, he said that it was for a bar code
reader. One of their big customers wanted a bar code reader, so they
included it. So a Z181 might be exactly what you want.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 87 14:53 CST
From: <LOWEY%SASK.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Tektronix Emulator Available on Bitnet
Hi,
This is in reply to the article on the TEKTRONIX Emulator Summary from
XBR1YD2F%DDATHD21.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu (Ralf Eberhardt) in the
Info-IBMPC Digest V6 #20
3. QKKERMIT available at Queens Univ. (contact VIC@QUCDN)
Description:
This is an implementation of KERMIT with VT100 and TEK4010 terminal emulation,
written in Turbo Pascal.
Original mail from: Kevin Lowey
BITNET: LOWEY@SASK (preferred)
UUCP: ...!inhp4!sask!lowey
I have since received a number of requests for more information.
QKKERMIT was developed at Queens University. It is an implementation
of KERMIT written in Turbo Pascal. It features VT100 and TEK4010
terminal emulation. To top it all off, the program source code is
available on the Bitnet KERMIT server under the file names "QK*.*".
I am NOT the original author of QKKERMIT, to contact the original
author, or for more information, send mail to "VIC@QUCDN.BITNET".
Kevin Lowey
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 08:31:57 EDT
From: Russell Nelson <bh01%CLUTX.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Freemacs now on Simtel20
I have written a true, extensible emacs for MS-DOS. It's written in
8086 assembly, so don't think about porting it to Unix. It runs on the
Z-100 and IBMPC, and I believe that it can be ported to the other
non-IBMPC compatible machines as well.
Now available from SIMTEL20:
Filename Type Bytes CRC
Directory PD:<MSDOS.TEXT-EDITOR>
FREEMACS.ARC.1 BINARY 108928 DB06H
FREMCSRC.ARC.1 BINARY 113280 676DH
Freemacs is a true Emacs editor. The .exe file is only about 16K, just
enough for a screen and buffer handler and a programming language,
MINT. Freemacs is largely written in MINT, and so is easy to modify.
MINT is not TRAC, in case you were wondering what MINT stood for.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 08:22:42 CST
From: mlw@ncsc.ARPA (Williams)
Subject: Linear Programming
I haven't acquired a copy yet, but an interesting Linear Programming package
appears to be What's Best...it allows (requires?) the user to set up the
problem in a 1-2-3 (Symphony?) spreadsheet and then uses LP to identify an
optimum solution. It's got about 3 different prices, depending on how much
horsepower you need. A quick blurb can be located in the January issue of
PC Magazine (Best Products of 1986), which includes a reference to the
original "First Look" brief about the product.
Mark L. Williams
(mlw@ncsc.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 16:23:06 EDT
From: johnl@ima.ISC.COM (John R. Levine)
Subject: PS/2 Technical Manuals
I actually went to the IBM announcement in Miami, at which event they
without a doubt set New Standards for Hype. The beach boys concert
was fun, though.
PC digest readers are not the only ones who want manuals. All of us
software developers do, too. To my pleasant surprise, they were
quite responsive and gave out the following chart of what technical
manuals will be available when. All are ordered by calling
800-426-7282 and having a credit card ready.
Product Part No Available Price
------- ------- --------- -----
PS/2 mod 30 68X-2201 now $75
PS/2 mod 50,60 68X-2224 5/4 $125
PS/2 mod 80 68X-2256 5/15 $125
BIOS interface 68X-2260 5/8 $75
manual
Microchannel update for August 87
the BIOS manual
DOS 3.3 Tech ref 6280-0059 now $85
I called the 800 number this morning and the person at the other end
said that they can't actually take orders until the new manuals go
into their computers later this week.
Today I also got a form letter from IBM stating that the tech ref
update service had been discontinued, we should ask for the catalog
from the 800 number. In Miami we stated fairly loudly that we wanted
an update service even if it cost money -- they may take us up on
that, too.
The BIOS interface manual promises to be an interesting one. They've
decided to document the interfaces in the BIOS rather than printing
listings as heretofore. The manual will document the interfaces in all
versions of the BIOS back to the original PC, apparently. I expect a
brisk market in annotated disassembly listings. The PS/2 mod 50 and up
have a bifurcated BIOS, the Compatibility BIOS for the benefit of DOS
and the Advanced BIOS for the benefit of OS/2 and maybe AIX. You'll be
glad to know that even on the 20MHz 80386 version with 2MB of RAM, there's
still Basic in the ROM so real programmers can get some work done.
John Levine
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 87 08:10:53 EST
From: ihnp4!hsi!tankus@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Ed Tankus)
Subject: AST 286 Not Completely Compatible
Brian,
In your submission you neglect to point out that everything in the AST 286
works quite well ... if it is an AST product!
I spoke with AST technical support recently regarding other cards and periphs.
A friend of mine wanted to buy one and asked me to do the technical legwork.
Here are a few of the items that DON'T work
Orchid Eccel multifunction
Video 7 Deluxe
Priam Innerspace drives
The more I asked the less enthused about the product I became. I finally
recommended a Wyse286 to my friend.
Cheers!
-- Ed.
------------------------------
Subject: EGA Shift-PrtSc Wanted
Date: Sat, 04 Apr 87 19:39:32 EST
From: James R. Van Zandt <jrv@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
The copy of GRAPHICS.COM which came with PCDOS lets me type shift-PrtSc
to do screen dumps to an Epson FX-286 from a Paradise Autoswitch EGA
card when it's in CGA graphics mode (640*200). Does anyone have the
equivalent program for the EGA graphics mode (mode 16: 640*350*16
colors)?
- Jim Van Zandt (jrv@mitre-bedford.arpa)
------------------------------
Subject: EGA Hardware Query
Date: Sat, 04 Apr 87 19:41:32 EST
From: James R. Van Zandt <jrv@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
I got from IBM a copy of their conference proceedings discussing the
EGA. They describe the EGA hardware in general, give a few examples of
code, then proceed to describing new BIOS calls. However, BIOS calls
are too slow for what I want to do.
IBM doesn't document all the port addresses. By studying the
examples and performing some experiments, I have been able to learn
this much:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
EGA Hardware Summary
In mode 16 (640*350*16 colors), there are 4 planes each mapped into
memory starting at a0000. Bit 7 at a0000 controls the leftmost pixel
on the top scan. For any address X (except along the right hand border
of the screen), X+1 corresponds to the location 8 pixels to the right,
and X+80 corresponds to the next scan down.
There are 32 latches (corresponding to 4 planes * 8 pixels) which are
loaded from the memory planes on each memory read. On the next memory
write, the data written to the planes is supplied by these latches
unless otherwise specified (see "write mode" below).
The index written to port 3c4 selects the register mapped to port 3c5
The index written to port 3ce selects the register mapped to port 3cf...
Index Data
Port Value Port Value Meaning
3c4 2 3c5 0-f sequencer map mask (SMM): Bit 0 enables
writes into plane 0, etc.
3ce 4 3cf 0-3 read map select: 0 for plane 0, etc.
3ce 5 3cf 0-2 write mode:
0 to write CPU data into all enabled planes
and pixels.
1 to copy out of latches & ignore CPU data
2 to treat CPU data as color (plane mask)
3ce 8 3cf 0-ff bit mask register: Bit 7 enables writes
into leftmost pixel, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
However, there are several features of the EGA not used in IBM's
examples. Where are the other registers? How do I select read mode 0
or 1? How do I modify the palette registers?
- Jim Van Zandt (jrv@mitre-bedford.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 87 21:27:51 EST
From: Chris Schmandt <geek@MEDIA-LAB.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Parking Disk Heads
Am I correct that to "park" the heads on a hard disk you seek to
the first cylinder off the end of the disk? Am I also right that
such a utility does not exist in the info-ibmpc library?
If the answer to both the above is "yes" I'll write one and send
it in.
chris
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 04 Apr 87 22:02:10 CDT
From: "Ferrin Harrison" <C321724%UMCVMB.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Running CGA Programs on a Hercules
I have used SMART and MONODISK with an EXE file and Hercules, putting the
system and EXE on the disk, with its name in AUTOEXEC.BAT. This trick did not
work with the program I tried in BASICA; I would expect basic programs which
use pokes to crash the system, which it did. So with ingenuity, one is not
restricted to commercial games. The program is CHESS88 by Don Berg. Whatever
CGA graphics you want to run on a Hercules, and whatever software you have,
I wish you luck and ingenuity. Sincerely, Ferrin
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 05 Apr 1987 17:43 PST
From: JAJZ801%CALSTATE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Clone BIOS Summary Wanted
While shopping for a clone, the advertisements and reviews
mention one or another BIOS. Can anybody out there give a
roster and critical review of the dominant ones ? Does it
really make any difference in choosing the machine ?
Jeff Sicherman
Cal State Long Beach
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 87 10:45:31 +0200
From: <JOHN%TAUNOS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
To: INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU
Subject: Executing Batch Files from MSC
I have been trying to execute batch files from within MSC and the only way
I have managed to do this is by using the "system" command the only problem
is that the parent process remains resident using up valuable memory space
I will most thankful for any help on the subject
Jonathan
<JOHN@TAUNOS>
------------------------------
Date: 6 Apr 1987 02:35-EST
From: "Anthony A. Datri" <aad@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: 9 Track Tape Drives
I'd like some info on just what's available in terms of 9 track tape
drives for pc's. I'm talking normal reel magtape here. I saw one
ad in one of the trashy pc magazines, but I don't remember the name
of the people. I think they were in Arizona somewhere. The ad didn't
give much info -- it just said something wonderfully informative like
"reads many formats, including EBCDIC". I got the impression that there
were several different formatters and drives that you could piece
together however you liked.
My questions:
o what's available?
o what's the software interface like? Can you get to the device in
some relatively normal way, or do you have to use their software,
which is probably terribly brain-damaged and only works with tapes
written on 370's?
o is the drive just a common drive hooked up to a pc controller?
I would be using such a device to read formats like tar and dumper, both
of which are likely to not be supported by the "business" oriented
product. Given a decent interface to the device, I've got code to
understand the formats. Also, are these drives likely to be compatible with
standard controllers? Would it be possible to use the same drive with
another machine, say, an 11? I know the controller would be different,
but being able to physically connect the drive to either a pc or an 11
would be a big win. Conversely, what are the chances of just getting a
pc controller for some existing drive that's hanging off an 11?
I realize that some or all of my questions may not get much response,
since this doesn't seem to be an area with wide appeal. Most of the
people who desire transportation of tape data to a pc just give the tape
along with lots of money to one of the commercial media conversion
places.
Any responses are greatly appreciated.
trunc(Anthony A. Datri)
Carnegie Mellon University
ad0r@tb.cc.cmu.edu
------------------------------
Date: 6 Apr 1987 17:20:20 PDT
Subject: 9 Track Tape Drives
From: Billy <BRACKENRIDGE@C.ISI.EDU>
To: "Anthony A. Datri" <aad@ANDREW.CMU.EDU>
The Company in Arizona is Flagstaff Engineering. They are in Flagstaff as
you might guess from the name. (602) 779-3341. I have used their 8" floppy
drives which they have sold since the earliest days of PCs. The 1600 BPI
drive and controller is $3495 a 6250 BPI drive is about $9K. It comes with
a standard DOS driver so you can copy files to a tape as a normal DOS
device. Also there are conversion programs. Call to ask about your favorite
format.
They say they don't have Unix or Xenix drivers although I don't think that
would be difficult. They don't have a TAR format program. This shouldn't
be a problem you could easily modify any tar program to write to the DOS
tape device.
------------------------------
Date: 5 Apr 87 6:53 -0800
From: "Ya`akov N. Miles" <bd%dac.triumf.cdn%ubc.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: NEC uPD 72191 vs Intel 8087
(1) I hope that the NEC uPD 72191 microprocessor will be available before
the end of this year.
(2) I am DESPERATELY seeking this NEC math chip, because it is twice as fast
as the obsolete Intel 8087.
(3) I do not need WRONG NUMBERS. The NEC uPD 72191 chip is CMOS, which means
that it will either work or not work, it will not lead me astray...
(4) I have a bad feeling about INTEL's corporate policies, and do not need
another AMERICAN MADE DUD chip (like the 8237) gathering dust in the
closet while I shamefacedly have to buy a NEC update THAT WORKS.
------------------------------
Date: 6 April 87 10:09-MST
From: LF10%UTEP.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: PCjr Read a Televideo Diskette?
Undergrad project at UTEP to make a PCjr read/write text files on
a diskette formatted for Televideo. If this can be done, what params.
Do i need to change (and to what values) in the IBM BIOS? Thank you for
your time and help.
T.H.Prentice <LF10@UTEP.BITNET>
------------------------------
From: Tim Shimeall <tim%cf4.UCI.EDU@ROME.UCI.EDU>
Subject: Z80 or 8080 Emulation Software
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 87 12:57:16 -0700
Is there any low-cost or public domain software to simulate Z80s or 8080s
on an IBM-PC or clone? I'm not interested in plug-in cards, just software
to do the job. Any help is appreciated.
Tim
[Replace your 8088 with a NEC V20 and do the emulation in hardware while
maintaining complete compatibility with the PC and a 10 to 20% speedup for
about $25. Too bad NEC didn't emulate the Z-80. -wab]
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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