Info-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU.UUCP (01/25/87)
Info-IBMPC Digest Saturday, 24 January 1987 Volume 6 : Issue 5
This Week's Editor: Billy Brackenridge
Today's Topics:
Processing of Digitized Audio
Interrupting DOS INDOS Flag
Well Behaived Protected Mode DOS Applications
MS Windows and RAM Parity Errors
80286/80386 Benchmarks
8 Line Serial Device
Connecting H89 to IBM PC
lisp and vi
Swapping Printer Ports
SIMCGA and HGCIBM Offered
Pascal Compilers in Pascal
8051 C Cross-Compiler
Keytronics KB5151AT&T Keyboard
Today's Queries:
Leading Edge and the EGA
Decnet-DOS V1.1 with a MICOM Ethernet Board
Tek4010 Protocol Manual
Bad Blocks
Adding Cassette Ports to XTs
Dumping Screen to a File
SIMCGA with Old BIOS
Squeeking Hard Disks
Disk Lockout
Express Hard Card
Bugs in LIST60.ASM and CPUID.ASM
Bugs in C Compilers
Barcode System
New 720K DOS board
6805 PD Assembler Wanted
PCjr Enhancements
software search
dBase Memo Fields
LOADALL
Application Generators
Diagnostics Code 102
MS C Implementation of SYSTEM with .BAT Files
Problem with FINAL WORD II
WENDINs PCVMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: osh@mtuxo.UUCP (d.oshinsky)
Subject: Processing of Digitized Audio
Date: 21 Jan 87 22:38:22 GMT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ
I would like to stimulate a discussion regarding add-on hardware
for personal computers which allows for acquisition and processing of
digitized audio (note: this does not include MIDI interface boards).
Such add-on hardware should have the following characteristics:
* designed for use with a personal computer such as AT&T PC6300 and
compatibles (including the IBM PC :-), Commodore Amiga, Atari ST,
Apple Mac, etc.
* includes A/D and D/A with at least 12 bits of resolution.
14 or 16 bits would be preferable.
* the hardware should be able to sustain a sampling rate of
at least 30 kHz. 40 kHz or more would be preferable.
* may or may not include a digital signal processing chip.
(i.e., processing may be done by uP in PC, or by coprocessor)
To get the discussion rolling, I've included a description below of a
plug-in digital signal acquisition and processing board for the AT&T PC6300
and compatibles.
Dalanco Spry Signal Processor for IBM PCs
(condensed from Computer Music Journal):
The Model 10 digital signal processor from Dalanco Spry is a coprocessor
board for the IBM PC/AT/XT and compatibles. It features the 16/32 bit
TI TMS 32010 DSP chip. The TMS 32010 is a fixed point uP that computes
at 400 nsec for a multiply-accumulate operation and 60 msec for a 1024 point
complex FFT. An IEEE-standard single precision floating point multiply
takes 8.6 usec on the Model 10. Other features include three 16 bit
timers to provide sampling rates ranging from 0.001 Hz to 200 kHz, and a
2-way 16 bit register for communications between the TMS and the IBM's CPU.
Four kwords of dual-ported RAM and mutual interrupt capability between
the 2 processors is provided. Software included with the system includes
an inline assembler, a disassembler, a debugger, signal display software
and other applications examples. An external I/O connector permits the
addition of custom "piggyback" boards of various functions to be
integrated with the system. This could be used for interfacing the
device to other equipment. An upgrade from a 20 MHz version to a 25 MHz
version is available as an option.
The Model 10 costs $850 with onboard 12 bit 40 kHz A/D and D/A conversion.
Contact: Dalanco Spry, Suite 241, 2900 Connecticut Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20008. Telephone (202) 232-7999.
David Oshinsky
{ihnp4|houxm|vax135}!mtuxo!osh
P.S. If you have comments, questions, or further information to
contribute, please send e-mail to the above address. If this posting
generates enough interest, I'll summarize to the net.
P.P.S. I have no connection whatsoever with Dalanco Spry. I have not
actually used their Model 10 DSP board and therefore cannot guarantee
that it meets the specifications given above.
------------------------------
From: backman@interlan.UUCP (Larry Backman)
Subject: Interrupting DOS INDOS Flag
Date: 17 Nov 86 19:17:57 GMT
Organization: MICOM-Interlan, Boxborough, MA
In article <2409@vrdxhq.UUCP> tom@vrdxhq.UUCP (Tom Welsh) writes:
>
As many of you may know, DOS is NOT reentrant. In other words,
if DOS is busy doing something like writing to disk or printer,
then no interrupt routine should attempt to invoke a DOS service,
e.g. INT 21H. I found this out by having a program crash. My
Here's what I'm curious about ...
SuperKey, which responds to keyboard interrupts, seems to obey this
rule. If, while doing nothing, I press ALT-/ to invoke Superkey,
it comes up instantly. If I do something like copy a gigantic
file (requiring several seconds), and I press ALT-/ as soon as the
copy starts, Superkey WAITS until the copy is done before it comes
up. HOW DOES IT KNOW at the time of the interrupt that DOS was
currently doing something and should not be interrupted? A while ago,
someone on the net mentioned a DOS/BIOS service or a flag that could
be checked to see if DOS was busy. I can't find such a thing in
the Superkey code.
And, on another note, I found an INT 28H in the Superkey code. What
does this do? All my documentation says its reserved for DOS.
>
In a previous place of employment, I was involved in solving the DOS
reentrancy puzzle. The product that I worked on was a real-time
communications device, a terminal emulator, that could be placed in
the back-ground via "Hot-Key". What was special about this product
was the ability to have background file-transfer while a separate
user application was occuring in the foreground. We went through a
number of contortions with DOS to provide this backgound file
transfer ability, the above mentioned INT 28 being one of the keys to
our sucess.
Our product ran off of the hardware timer while in background mode.
To make matters even more complicated, the product was comprised of
three separate resident modules, each of which communicated with each
other via software interrupts. The lowest module was driven by
interrupts occuring from a communication line, while the higher
modules were driven by the timers tick. Incoming data was buffered
in the lower module, waiting for polls from above before passing it
up to the higher layers.
The highest of the three layers was the brains of the whole system.
It polled the other two modules for data as well as interfacing to
both DOS and BIOS. Being the brains, it had to know when DOS was in
a critical section, caused by a foreground application issuing an INT
21 call. Sounds simple... just trap INT 21, put a semaphore around
it and hold off any DOS accesses until the INT 21 call finished.
This was our first approach, and it worked resonably well.
Unfortunately, we discovered that the DOS command prompt, as well as
many applications issued keyboard reads by waiting for input (INT 21
functions 1 and 0A). We also had problems around the EXEC and EXIT
calls (function 4B and 4C). End result... try another solution.
The next attempt involved the famous undocumented DOS "dirty bit".
While DOS is not reentrant to the outside world, it reenters itself
left and right. In fact many function calls call DOS dozens of times
before completing. For an educational experience try tracing a DOS
function call, function 4B for instance. Anyway, if DOS reenters it-
self, it must have a means of checking when it is safe to do so.
This means is provided in MS-DOS via INT 21 function 34. Note that I
said MS-DOS as opposed to IBM PC-DOS. It returns the DOS critical
section semaphore in AL, if AL is 1 DOS is busy, try again later. To
make a long story short, this worked 98% of the time, but we still
had problems when DOS itself was waiting for keyboard input, and when
the user "hot-keyed" at just the wrong instant. So... scratch one
more good idea...
After a series of marathon sessions tracing through PRINT.COM and
MODE.COM we started to notice that DOS grabbed the INT 28 interrupt
vector in these programs. More disassembling convinced us that we
had tripped over DOS's internal scheduling mechanism. We found that
many of the DOS functions called INT 28 from within themselves. A lot
of experimentation convinced us that trapping INT 28 was a means of
knowing when it was safe to reenter DOS. So.. we built a system that
used the INT 21 function 34 semaphore to tell us if we could
interrupt DOS, if we could, great, off went our disk or printer
request with no risk of rentrancy. If on the other hand, the
semaphore indicated that DOS was in a critical section we backed off,
since we were currently in the hardware timer interrupt, not a good
place to be while DOS is critical.
Before we exited the timer however we set another semaphore of our
own indicating that we had a pending DOS request which had been post-
poned. We then trapped INT 28, and issued the postponed request when
the next INT 28 occurred, one that DOS itself had generated,
indicating to other applications that they could schedule a DOS
interrupt at this time.
I would be extremely interested in hearing from anyone else on the
net with similar solutions to this problem. I also would like to
pose two questions of my own.
First; is there anyone who had access to DOS source code that can
postively confirm that INT 28 is a scheduling function?
Second; a corollary part of our product was the ability to deallocate
the three resident programs from memory. We did so via a SETBLOCK
(function 4A) when starting the program and a FREE (function 48) when
the user wished to deallocate the program. It worked most of the
time. Any hints what we were doing wrong, any other approaches to
this problem would also be interesting.
Larry Backman
Micom Interlan, Inc.
155 Swanson Rd.
Boxborough, Ma. 01719
617-263-1199
mit-eddie \
ulowell -> !interlan!backman
ima /
[This article has been appended to INDOS.TXT a long running discussion
of this issue. INDOS.TXT can be found in the INFO-IBMPC program library.
In past issues Gordon Letwin of Microsoft has warned against use of these
DOS features and promised that these hooks will NOT be there in future
versions of DOS. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 17:15:13 cst
From: mlw@ncsc.ARPA (Williams)
Subject: Well Behaived Protected Mode DOS Applications
Reading over the digest indicates that many of us are using quite
sophisticated methods in our programming... Unfortunately, those
methods may be forced into obsolescence by the emergins 286-DOS. A
recent article in Programmer's Journal (an interesting, non-glossy
publication) implied that recent remarks from Microsoft
representative s (how did I miss the "s"?) at MS-WINDOWS seminars
have indicated that the requirements for good behavior from
applications programs are much more stringent in the new (or
forthcoming) environment. I would suggest that programmers who have
a significant investment in providing MS-DOS products (internal or
external, custom or mass-produced) look carefully at this kind of
information as soon as it is available. I got the feeling from
skimming the article that the protected-mode OS may give Microsoft
the club they may have been seeking to keep outsiders from tweaking
their environments too much. I wouldn't say that MS is actively
searching for such a thing -- it's probably just a side effect of the
OS requirements. Anyway, some of the stuff I saw was, if not
alarming, at least food for thought and something to be prepared for
if existing software is supposed to move to the new operating system.
Sorry that I have no more hard information -- this is just a heads-up
for anyone who's interested.
Mark L. Williams
(mlw@ncsc.arpa)
[If we could get this sort of information we would publish it. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 87 22:17:13 EST
From: jcm@ORNL-MSR.ARPA (James A. Mullens)
Subject: MS Windows and RAM Parity Errors
> From: Steve Dennett <DENNETT@SRI-NIC.ARPA>
> Subject: MS Windows Error Message
> I'm trying to run MS windows on my generic PC AT clone. [...]
> I get the title screen, the desktop starts to appear, [but then]
> I get [a RAM parity error message]
> This is the first software that hasn't run correctly on this machine.
Your situation is identical to my experience with my 10 MHz,
0-wait-state RAM Everex AT-Clone I purchased from Eltech (in CA).
Windows would cause a parity error every time it ran in a certain
configuration. I ran 2 or 3 highly-rated RAM diagnostics on the
machine overnight and *never* caught the problem.
Nevertheless, replacing RAM chips solved it. I replaced all Fujitsu
100 ns chips on my motherboard upon the recommendation of a fellow
who installs them for a living. He recommended either NEC, Hitachi,
or NMBS. (The board already had Mitsubishis on it). I installed
NMBS and I was able to run Windows with no problem. Whether the
blame should be placed on the Fujitsu chips or an overly demanding
motherboard I cannot say.
I don't think the RAM testers designed for 8-bit bus PCs throughly
test the AT. It would also like to see a machine *exerciser*. The
exerciser would run 80287, DMA, disk I/O, ROM BIOS calls, interrupts,
etc at the highest capacity of the machine -- trying to make
something "stress out". For example, the FastBack software people
found that some machines could not (electrically) handle the DMA
operations their disk backup software used, so they distribute a test
program with their program.
jim mullens / representing hisself / jcm@ornl-msr.arpa
------------------------------
From: neighorn@qiclab.UUCP (Steven C. Neighorn)
Subject: 80286/80386 Benchmarks
Date: 15 Jan 87 13:13:50 GMT
Organization: QIC Laboratories, Portland OR.
The following benchmarks were compiled from three machines I have easy
access to. Every attempt at careful measurement and control was made. My
hope is to share the results with others who might be interested in seeing
a comparison of three different AT class machines running small programs at
different clock speeds/wait states. Certainly, this is not intended to be an
ultra-scientific laboratory controlled benchmark listing, as is obvious by
my inclusion of the much maligned Norton SysInfo value. I hope everyone finds
something useful in the table that follows. Comments are more than welcome and
would be appreciated.
COMPUTER SYSTEM/SPECIFICATION/BIOS
.-------------------------------------------------.
---------------------------| IBM PC/AT | QIC 1801 | Intel 80386 |
PROGRAM OR OPERATION | 6Mhz/1 WS | 8Mhz/0 WS | 16Mhz/1 WS |
| IBM BIOS | AWARD BIOS | PHOENIX BIOS |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
Format 360k disk (data) | 52.00 sec | 44.50 sec | 44.30 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
Format 1.2meg disk (data) | 85.33 sec | 72.45 sec | 59.70 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
Copy 285k file RAM > FLOPPY| 36.20 sec | 30.62 sec | 27.80 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
Copy 285k file FLOPPY > RAM| 20.70 sec | 15.32 sec | 19.53 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
Copy 285k file RAM to RAM | 1.21 sec | 0.78 sec | 0.50 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
Copy 285k file HARD to RAM | 2.80 sec | 2.30 sec | 2.00 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
PC Mag BENCH01.EXE 512 bytes| | | |
Random Write RAM/FLOPPY | 3.30/70.36 sec | 2.64/77.23 sec | 1.04/75.00 sec|
File Read Random RAM/FLOPPY| 5.33/47.62 sec | 2.25/45.37 sec | 0.88/57.51 sec|
File Read Seqntl RAM/FLOPPY| 1.54/44.71 sec | 0.99/49.65 sec | 0.66/48.06 sec|
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
MIP.COM (many instructions)| 11.42 sec | 5.97 sec | 3.07 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
SIEV.EXE (of Erastothenes) | 28.39 sec | 14.83 sec | 9.08 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
SYSINFO.COM (Norton V3.1) | 5.70 | 8.4 | 13.3 |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
REALSI.COM (factor PC/AT) | 3.0/1.0 | 5.9/1.9 | 10.1/3.1 |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
CLK.COM (timing:4.77 Mhz=PC)| 9.60 Mhz | 15.40 Mhz | 31.10 Mhz |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
CLOCKSP.COM (min RAM acc) | 2.38 sec | 1.70 sec | 0.93 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
87BENCH.EXE (cruncher 80287)| 7.25 sec | 5.21 sec | 2.74 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
88BENCH.EXE (same w/o 80287)| 72.75 sec | 41.36 sec | 24.77 sec |
---------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
NOTES :
1) Each test result was the average of five test runs.
2) All tests were timed with a special in-memory timer program and were
double checked with a quartz timer and, when possible, the $T option
available with the PROMPT environment variable.
3) All memory resident programs were removed before running the tests.
4) All tests were run under PCDOS 3.2.
5) All floppy drives used in the tests were manufactured by TEAC.
6) All floppy disk tests used a Maxell MD2-D floppy diskette.
7) All benchmark programs were run from RAMDISK.
8) All AT style RAMDISKS were run in EXTENDED memory using VDISK.SYS /E.
9) The IBM PC/AT had 2176k of 16bit memory. The QIC 1801 had 3072k of 16bit
memory. The Intel 80386 had 2560k of 32bit memory, and 2048k of 16bit
memory.
10) All machines used the standard Western Digital AT disk controller.
11) The IBM PC/AT used a CMI 20meg hard disk (40msec ave access).
12) The Intel 80386 used a Seagate 4051 40meg hard disk (40msec ave access).
13) The QIC 1801 used a Seagate 4038 30meg hard disk (40msec ave access).
14) All machines used BUFFERS=50 in the CONFIG.SYS file.
15) All machines used FCONSOLE 1.15 in place of ANSI.SYS.
16) The IBM PC/AT used a 80827-6, the QIC 1801 used a 80287-8, and the
Intel 80386 machine used a 80287-10.
17) MIP.COM executes 15,728,640 ADD AX,CX instructions, 1,048,576 LOOP
instructions, 64 MOV's, SUB's, DEC's, and JNZ's to control loops,
a SUB AX,AX and an INT 21. The program is designed to check total
estimated clocks versus 'real world' time.
18) REALSI.COM is an improved System Information measure from Relia. It
returns a speedup factor over a stock IBM PC and a 6Mhz IBM PC/AT.
19) CLK.COM runs timing loops, and returns the equivalent clock speed a
standard IBM PC would have to operate at to achieve the same results.
20) CLOCKSP.COM checks for minimal dRAM access. On a standard IBM PC operating
at 4.77Mhz, the program would take 10 seconds to execute.
21) The 87BENCH and 88BENCH programs are based on Savage's Benchmark.
I would be glad to discuss the test programs I used and/or the results
with anyone who is interested. I can be reached at the phone number below via
land line, the address below via U.S. Mail, or the usenet path below via net
email.
Steven C. Neighorn tektronix!{psu-cs,reed}!qiclab!neighorn
Portland Public Schools "Where we train young Star Fighters to defend the
(503) 249-2000 ext 337 frontier against Xur and the Ko-dan Armada"
------------------------------
Date: 19 Jan 1987 10:34:29 PST
Subject: 8 Line Serial Device
From: Richard Gillmann <GILLMANN@C.ISI.EDU>
To: HSS0%UHUPVM1.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
I've used one such device quite successfully for my multi-line bulletin
board system, DLX. The device is called a DigiCom/8. It has 8
serial ports, which all share one interrupt level. There is also a
special status port that allows you to tell which one generated the
interrupt. It comes with driver software, too. The company that makes
it is called DigiBoard at 800-344-4273.
Richard
[DigiCom has a new board with 8 serial lines and onboard 80188
processor and memory. At about $1100 it is expensive but finesses the
driver problem. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 10:07:03 EST
From: Todd Krein <vizard%dartmouth.edu@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Connecting H89 to IBM PC
Just a thought... Check the signal ground connects.... perhaps even
leaving them off might help.
Todd Krien
vizard@dartvax
------------------------------
To: adelson%tufts.csnet@relay.cs.net
Subject: lisp and vi
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 13:46:49 -0500
From: Mark Colan <mtc@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
There are 3 VI editors I've seen for MSDOS.
1. Manx "Z" (a VI-clone). Does not have most of the ex (":") commands,
a major deficiency. Very fast. In visual mode, mostly but not
completely compatible. Not particularly recommended, because without
the ex commands its only half of VI. Around $150.
2. Custom Software Systems' PC/VI - highly recommended. About 99%
identical to BSD 4.2 VI (I use both, go back and forth). All
differences I've found are documented. When used with FANSI-Console,
provides very fast performance. PC/VI is about $125 (from Programmer's
Connection) and FANSI-Console (which is a terrific product on its own,
useful for many other things besides PC/VI) is $75. You can order it
from Custom Software directly (617) 653-2555 which may be a little
faster than Programmers' Connection, but they won't give you the discount
that PC will.
3. The back pages of PC Tech Journal have been running an ad for a kit
of Un*x tools for MSDOS, which includes VI. Inexpensive (around $130?).
I have never used it, cannot tell you whether its good or complete or not.
There are many implementations of LISP; since I've never programmed in it,
all I can tell you is what I've seen. You can find XLISP on some arpa
sites (including INFO-IBMPC's lending library). Price is right (free).
Gold Hill Computer, Cambridge MA, offers a lisp interpreter and a lisp
compiler. Both include a Lisp training package. The interpreter, from
what I hear, is mostly useful for a novice who wants to learn; it tends
to be slow. I've heard that the compiler is much faster and thus
useable. These unfortunately are rather expensive products.
Look at any Programmers' Connection ad for a list of LISP product that
they sell; I seem to recall that they have others.
Standard disclaimer applies; batteries not included.
Mark Colan
MIT Project Athena
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 17:16:49 cst
From: mlw@ncsc.ARPA (Williams)
Subject: Swapping Printer Ports
Isn't it remarkable that the MODE command will, in fact, not let
you direct LPT1 output to LPT2. There are many BBS programs that
will do that, however. One is called SWPTR and is available on
many different systems. The only thing that needs to be done is
to swap the port addresses in the DOS "where's the printers?" area.
I don't have my copy here, so I can't give the correct addresses,
but COMPUTE's "MAPPING THE IBM PC" provides the information, as does
IBM technical info. I suppose some of Norton's books should have it,
too. If you really need more info, let me know directly and I'll dig
it up.
Mark L. Williams
(mlw@ncsc.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: 16 Jan 87 07:47:00 EST
From: "STEVE ZURO" <zuro@nrl.arpa>
Subject: SIMCGA and HGCIBM Offered
Hello,
I just read your message requesting SIMCGA. If you wish, I can send you
a copy of both SIMCGA and HGCIBM (another simulation of the CGA with a
Hercules Monochrome Card). I have found that some routines/graphics work
with SIMCGA and others with HGCIBM and still others with both. If you wish
a copy on a diskette, send me a message or write to:
Steve A. Zuro
Code 5316
Radar Division
Naval Research Lab
Washington, D.C. 20375-5000 or call 202-767-1047
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1987 10:42:03 -0200
From: Steven Pemberton <mcvax!cwi.nl!steven@seismo.CSS.GOV>
Organisation: CWI, Kruislaan 413, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 5924071
Subject: Pascal Compilers in Pascal
The complete code of the Pascal P4 compiler and interpreter, with commentary,
are available in the book
Pascal Implementation
by Steven Pemberton and Martin Daniels
Published by Ellis Horwood, Chichester, England
Distributed by Wiley in the USA
Steven Pemberton, CWI, Amsterdam; steven@cwi.nl or try steven@mcvax.uucp
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 23:03:12 pst
From: well!nsmith@lll-lcc.ARPA (Neil Smith)
Subject: 8051 C Cross-Compiler
Several weeks ago someone asked the net if there was a C cross
compiler for microcontrollers. Such a beast exists for the 8051 family.
It runs under MS or PCDOS 2.0 or greater, and generates absolute hex
in Intel or Motorola loader format. Contact:
Archimedes Software
1728 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 771-3303
Neil Smith
uucp: ...!ihnp4!lll-lcc!well!nsmith
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 87 21:44:36 CST
From: Scott Royall <HSS0%UHUPVM1.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Keytronics KB5151AT&T Keyboard
To: Glen Jones <GDJ5T%VIRGINIA.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Glen,
What does one say about keyboards? We have two KB5151AT&T's, both have
worked well for 18 months. Keytronics has an excellent reputation.
Incidentally, they also are the only company which makes a keyboard for
the physically disabled; it is a modified KB5151AT&T with locking <ctrl>,
<alt>, <caps lock>, shift, and (unfortunately) <esc> keys. (I must remember
to write them about the latter.)
Scott
Usual disclaimer: I have no connection with Keytronics except as a customer.
Acknowledge-To: <HSS0@UHUPVM1>
------------------------------
Subject: Leading Edge and the EGA
Date: 20 Jan 87 11:25:06 EST (Tue)
From: Chuck Cavanaugh <ccavanau@ccv.bbn.com>
Apologies if I am bringing up an old question, however,
I would like to use a Quadram EGA+ card in a Leading Edge
Model M. The revision code on the mother board is WESY10
if that matters. The existing bios doesn't recognize the
card but will work with a Hercules CGA clone.
Thanks for any help.
Chuck Cavanaugh
ccavanaugh@ccv.bbn.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 87 10:18 EST
From: JOHNSON%nuhub.acs.northeastern.edu@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: Decnet-DOS V1.1 with a MICOM Ethernet Board
I have some pc LAN's, OMNINET and NOVELL to be exact. We're
running them with OMNINET boards. On one of these nodes I want to put a
MICOM ethernet board and run decnet-dos v1.1. I don't want to buy
decnet-dos until I know that I'm NOT going to have a collision between
board addresses on the pc bus. DEC won't tell me anything about
decnet-dos v1.1 until I buy it. We have reached an impass.
Anybody have decnet-dos v1.1 running a MICOM ethernet board? I'm
trying to find out what addresses decnet-dos expects to see the MICOM
at. I'm told that although the board is configurable, decnet-dos
currently isn't and expects the board at a certain address (grumble).
Please rush any available help. Thanks much.
Chris Johnson
Northeastern University
csnet: johnson@nuhub.acs.northeastern.edu
arpa: johnson%nuhub.acs.northeastern.edu@relay.cs.net
at&t: (617) 437-2335
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20-JAN-1987 15:04 EST
From: Timothy Stark <H462BATMS%GALLUA.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Tek4010 Protocol Manual
Hello IBM-PC users,
I have Public Domain Tek4010 terminal emulator for IBM-PC. I read
manual but It is not good. It is very short because the author didn't how to
write manuals. Tek4010 graphics terminal seems useless without a protocol
manual. Does anyone have a graphic protocol manual for tek4010 emulator??
If you have, please send it to me.
I found Kermit program is good but no graphics! It has wonderful
documents with protocol information (ESC sequences). I want Tek4010
ESC sequence manual!!! But kermit manual shows VT102 and H19 only!
If you have the VT220/240 protocol manual (ESC sequences), I'd like that
as well.
Tim Stark
Bitnet: H462BATMS@{GALLUA,GALLUB,GALLUC,GALLUD}
Arpa: H462BATMS%{GALLUA,GALLUB,GALLUC,GALLUD}@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 87 15:48 EST
From: EKZMS%CUNYVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Bad Blocks
To: INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU
Hi,
Recently I bought a 21Mb Priam hard disk for my IBM-AT.
After formating the disk I run the check disk program
in order to detect bad blocks. None were detected.
It was only after I started running data aquisition
programs in chunks of 2Mb that the disk started to show
read/write problems.
I was told that the check disk routine checks for
bad blocks only within the formatted area and that
if some parts of my disk were bad from the beginning
and were not even formatted they would never be detected
by the DOS check disk routine.
If that is true, is there any other way to check a newly
purchased disk other than filling it to capacity?
Thanks.
Ephraim Katz.
Internet: EKZMS%CUNYVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Bitnet: EKZMS@CUNYVM
------------------------------
Subject: Adding Cassette Ports to XTs
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 87 14:50:09 -0800
From: Randy <randy@larry.cs.washington.edu>
Believe it or not, I need to add a cassette port to XTs. The cassette
port should mimic the cassette port found on the original IBM PCs.
The intended use is to emulate TDD (telecommunication devices for the
deaf). The cassette port is used to modulate the telephone signal.
I would appreciate anyone's thoughts on how hard or expensive this
modification would be. Thoughts on how to do it would also be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Randy Day.
UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4}!uw-beaver!uw-june!randy
ARPA: randy@larry.cs.washington.edu
CSNET: randy%washington@relay.cs.net
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 87 17:45:54 ULG
From: Andre PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG12.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Dumping Screen to a File
Print screen is fine, but does not allow later computerized reuse of the
information. Dumping the (character) screen to a file would.
Does anyone know of a general resident pd or cheap program that does that?
It would be of general use as session logger and the like.
It is easy to write, but why reinvent the wheel?
[LPTX in the info-ibmpc lending library will accomplish this function, and
it is free with source code! -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Wed 21 Jan 87 11:06:37-PST
From: Jackie <Burhans@USC-ECLB.ARPA>
Subject: SIMCGA with Old BIOS
I picked up a copy of SIMCGA.ARC from SIMTEL20 and loaded it on my
PC. Following the documentation I tried to run the SIMCGA.EXE program
to install the resident portion. As soon as I did so, my screen blanked
and my system hung and I had to do a power off to reboot. I have a PC1
with an old bios chip (until I can get to the swap meet this weekend)
running DOS 2.10 and I have a Hercules clone (picked up at a swap meet).
Anybody have similar problems, Any possible solutions? Thanks
Jackie Burhans
BURHANS%ECLD@USC-ECL.ARPA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 87 17:08:38 PST
From: WU%RAL@ames-io.ARPA
Subject: Squeeking Hard Disks
A few months ago there was a discussion about fixing squeeking hard disks.
Could someone point me to the correct archive for lubricating CMI
hard disks?
Thanks.
Alex
wu@ames-aero
------------------------------
Date: Wed 21 Jan 87 21:29:18-PST
From: Lawrence <LDURHAM%SHEDIR@usc-oberon.ARPA>
Subject: Disk Lockout
I have a problem which I created myself,and not sure how to get out
of it . I have a IBM-PC which I just installed a 10meg harddisk. I
got this program called "pc-lock",which makes it impossable to access
the harddisk unless you know the password. The program installs
itself into the config.sys file, and require that the disk you use to
install the program be also used to deinstall.
My problem comes in that during some of the config.sys changes I was
making,as I was building the disk up. I found that when booting the
system up off the hard disk, it would freeze up after putting in the
password. I know that the password program works fine, and that it is
the change I made after it read the password. Because there weren't
many files on the disk I decided to reformat the disk. I formatted
the disk with several versions of low level formats, but fdisk gives
me a "ERROR READING FIXED DISK". I would like to be able to reformat
the disk and load my software, but I can't do the disk partition.
Have I screwed up royally, or is there someone who can help me out of
this mess.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 87 14:24 +0200
From: Dvorah <DVORAH%HUJIAGRI.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Express Hard Card
Has anyone used an Express Systems Express Hard Disk Card?
We're interested in ordering some and would like to hear
what users think of it.
Thanks,
Deborah Art-Weisman
Faculty of Agriculture-Hebrew University
------------------------------
Date: Thursday, 22 January 1987 15:56:15
Subject: Bugs in LIST60.ASM and CPUID.ASM
From: "AM29%CAM.PHX@UK.AC.CAM.ENG-ICF"
<AM29%phoenix.cambridge.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK>
I have had problems with a couple of progs in the program library.
1. LIST60.ASM: MASM gives Open segment error. It looks as if a second last
line should be inserted:
Cseg ends
[Correct and our source code has been updated -wab]
2. CPUID.ASM. I have had strange problems with this in an
IBM AT (6M, no NDP). If run from the hard disk or 1.2 M floppy it
usually starts printing garbage part of the way through the output
report. It looks as if something is overwriting the program area
because the garbage sometimes appears from half way through a message.
Has anyone had similar problems, or know what might be going wrong?
Also, I have had an AT clone reported as having unknown/80288??
processor. Are there 286 processors which the CPUID algorithm falls
over on?
Allan MacLean (am29%cam.phx@cs.ucl.ac.uk)
------------------------------
Date: Thursday, 22 January 1987 15:57:39
Subject: Bugs in C Compilers
From: "AM29%CAM.PHX@UK.AC.CAM.ENG-ICF"
<AM29%phoenix.cambridge.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK>
Authentic-sender: MAIL01@UK.AC.CAMBRIDGE.ENGINEERING.SERC-ICF
[Take your choice of addresses. Our system buys the second one. The others
may work from other systems. -wab]
I have been asked to help with the compilation of a summary of features and
bugs on C compilers. Bugs are obviously difficult to track down, so I would
appreciate info from users of recent versions of any of the major compilers.
If you have come across any bugs, or 'features' you consider undesirable,
could you mail me the details:
Compiler name
Version number
List of bugs (and circumstances under which they occur if appropriate)
Many thanks,
Allan MacLean (am29%cam.phx@cs.ucl.ac.uk)
------------------------------
Date: 22 Jan 87 13:26:00 EDT
From: "MAARTEN NEDERLOF" <salomon@wharton-10.ARPA>
Subject: Barcode System
To whom it may concern,
We are looking for recommendations and information regarding bar-code
based inventory management systems.
Such a system should have portable barcode reader(s) that would allow
you to upload the information to an IBM PC/AT for use with an inventory
management software package. The equipment we'd be tracking would be
physical telephone/computer/peripheral equipment. It should also have
a device that could generate our own barcode stickers/labels, either with
specialized equipment or on available printing devices.
We'd greatly appreciate any information you could provide.
Maarten Nederlof
University of Pennsylvania
Reply to: MAARTEN@WHARTON-10.ARPA please
------------------------------
Date: 22 JAN 87 16:07-EST
From: 89RBW%WILLIAMS.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: New 720K DOS board
About two issues ago in PC Magazine, a board was briefly reviewed
that claimed to allow DOS 720K by paging in and out the ROMBIOS. Has any
one out there tried this board or heard anything more about it? Thanks,
Richard Ward < 89RBW @ WILLIAMS.BITNET >
[I don't know about new but I have been running with a Tall Tree board
since 1981 that allows 720K DOS regions. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 87 10:58:45 wst
From: munnari!swanee.oz!kid@seismo.CSS.GOV (Mark Callaghan)
Subject: 6805 PD Assembler Wanted
I'm looking for a public domain assembler for the 6805
family, to run on ibm-pc (preferably) or unix 4.2.
Thanks,
Mark Callaghan.
University of Western Australia.
ARPA : kid%swanee.oz@seismo.css.gov
UUCP : ...!{seismo,mcvax,ucb-vision,uks}!munnari!swanee.oz!kid
------------------------------
Date: 23 Jan 1987 11:59-EST
Sender: DOWENS@G.BBN.COM
Subject: PCjr Enhancements
From: David Owens <dowens@bbng.arpa>
I'm interested in expanding my Jr especially to increase its
performance. Where's the best place to shop for expansion boards
and how much should I consider paying to add another disk drive.
I also have found some incompatiblities between my disk drive and
a real PC's (ie. it has trouble reading some diskettes). Is this
because I don't have a DMA controller?
What other soft/hardware incompatiblities should I expect between
my Jr and the garden variety PC that I have at work?
Any info appreciated,
Dave Owens <dowens@bbng.arpa>
------------------------------
Date: Fri 23 Jan 87 10:55:40-PST
From: Sandra L. Smith <SSMITH@Sierra.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: software search
I am looking for a program that determines the field and current lines
between arbitrarily placed metal pieces. If you are aware of any programs
that do this, please contact me directly at ssmith@su-sierra.edu.
Thank you
------------------------------
Date: Fri 23 Jan 87 12:15:48-PST
From: QUILES@USC-ECLB.ARPA
Subject: dBase Memo Fields
I have a problem with the memo fields in dBASE. I want to convert the memo
fields to ascii text file. Is there a program that can convert the memo
fields to ascii file.
Ruben Quiles
------------------------------
From: dan%caseus@spool.wisc.edu
Subject: LOADALL
Date: 15 Jan 87 16:07:43 GMT
Organization: Prairie Computing, Madison, Wisconsin
A friend of mine wants to write some software using the undocumented
LOADALL (or whatever) instruction on the 80286. This instruction
apparently offers a special escape to real mode on the 286 without
having to go through the reset register and BIOS on the PC/AT. There
was also a recent rumour that IBM had requested that this instruction
be put back into the 386, from which it had been removed.
Can someone please supply me with details on this instruction's
format and function? It would be very greatly appreciated. I know
that Microsoft and IBM are already using it, so it wouldn't be the
first time someone got it.
Dan Frank
uucp: ... uwvax!prairie!dan
arpa: dan%caseus@spool.wisc.edu
[I wasn't aware that this instruction did more than load all the conventional
registers. Perhaps somebody knows more about this subject? -wab]
------------------------------
Date: 23 Jan 87 17:05:11 est
From: Marty Connor <mdc@ht.ai.mit.edu>
Subject: Application Generators
I am looking for any and all information on "Application Generators",
that is, programs or systems that allow the end-user to input
specifications for a program via menus or other graphical interface,
and the generator takes care of writing the code for the program.
What I am trying to do is to configure such an application generator
so that it will generate simple programs to drive a serial device
based on user input.
If you know of such a program or system for the IBM-PC, Please let me
know.
Any ideas, even vague ones, are welcome.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 11:53:34 ULG
From: Andre PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG12.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Diagnostics Code 102
I passed Advanced Diagnostics on a hard disk whose track 0 only contained
record 1. Doctor's order: replace the hard disk. Reformating it really is
a money saving. Same for a motherboard error 102. Don't know what it is,
but I guess there is something better than mother board replacement.
It would help many people if someone could give a pointer to a published
list of diagnostic codes, or post it to SIMTEL20?
Really blue to say, we have IBM official dealer status for our university,
but the information is nowhere to find in the litterature we've got.
[See Volume 5 Issue #3 for a listing of diagnostics codes. Unfortunately,
the 102 error code isn't in this listing -wab]
------------------------------
Date: 19 Jan 87 09:14 EST
From: McCord @ DCA-EMS
Subject: MS C Implementation of SYSTEM with .BAT Files
Can anyone help me with MS's implementation of the C capability to
call on MS-DOS resources such as a batch file (*.bat)? I've built an
efficient method of querying using MS-DOS's FIND, but would like to
increase its flex- ibility with a C program that can first parse the
query and translate it to the appropriate parameters for my basic
query in F.BAT. Example: I execute L.EXE with "L unix & dbms & sql"
and want L to call F with corresponding parameters using SYSTEM("F
unix & dbms & sql"). Unfortunately, SYSTEM is undocumented in the MS
C Reference Manual, and the compiler is giving me "unresolved
external references" (link). Again I'm asking about SYSTEM (" ") as
described in Kernighan & Ritchie on pg. 157-- not linking assembly
routines or building my own interrupt handlers. Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1987 10:09 EST
From: LIN@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU
Subject: Problem with FINAL WORD II
I have just acquired an IBM PC with a bunch of hardware enhancements
(Tseng Labs Ultrapak, Supercharger accelerator board, AST Ramdisk),
running DOS 3.2. I also use FINAL WORD II.
Here is the problem: FW II will NOT accept a zero from the keyboard as
text. However, it will SEARCH for a zero; it will take zeros
liberated from another file (by the undelete command). Also, typing
zeros at the machine from DOS works fine -- I can get zeroes to show
up at the prompt to my heart's content.
Help??
Pls reply to me directly. (LIN@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU)
tnx.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 87 07:56:56 +0100 (Central European Time)
From: XBR4D715%DDATHD21.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Klaus Dieter Schmitt FB17)
Subject: WENDINs PCVMS
Hi netlandians !
Does anyone out there knows/has ever heard of/uses WENDIN's
PCVMS (operating sys like VAX - VMS, multitasking and multiuser) ?
In their fact sheet WENDIN says: "You can even port VAX/VMS source
programs to your PC's".
Has anyone experiences with this product ?
WENDIN's adress is: WENDIN Box 266, Cheney, WA 99004, (509) 235-8088
Since we are very interested in such a product, we would like to
share your experiences (if you have some, hopefully positive !)
Klaus D. Schmitt
Institute for El. Power Supply
Technical University Darmstadt FRG
XBR4D715%DDATHD21.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
************************
-------