[comp.os.cpm] Dynabyte CP/M system - HELP!

cs202101@umbc5.umbc.edu (12/05/90)

Recently I acquired a CP/M system made by a company called Dynabyte,
this system is a Dynabyte model 5200; unfortunately, instead of using
standard format 8" disks, it uses 5-1/4" floppies which appear to use a
format which is incompatible with that of any other CP/M systems that I
know of.  In addition, to make matters more difficult, there were no
communications, or file transfer, programs on any of the diskettes which
came with the system.  I was going to attempt writing a com program for it,
but it appears to have a non-standard UART (I'm guessing that this chip
is the UART, since there are two of these chips on the CPU card and they
appear to be connected to the serial port connectors); the chips in question 
have TMS 5550 marked on them (if I recall correctly from when I had the
CPU card removed from the system).

Is there anyone out there who is familiar with this system, its UARTS,
or who has any ideas about how to get a communications and file transfer
program set up and running on this system?  Thanks in advance for any
information.

Robert Douglas Davis     # Is reality real?  Can you prove it? 
cs202101@umbc5.umbc.edu  # Can you write an algorythm to prove it?
Home: +1-301-744-7964    # Do you have a computer fast enough to compute it?
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donm@pnet07.cts.com (Don Maslin) (12/06/90)

cs202101@umbc5.umbc.edu writes:
>
>Recently I acquired a CP/M system made by a company called Dynabyte,
>this system is a Dynabyte model 5200; unfortunately, instead of using
>standard format 8" disks, it uses 5-1/4" floppies which appear to use a
>format which is incompatible with that of any other CP/M systems that I
>know of.  In addition, to make matters more difficult, there were no
>communications, or file transfer, programs on any of the diskettes which
>came with the system.  I was going to attempt writing a com program for it,
>but it appears to have a non-standard UART (I'm guessing that this chip
>is the UART, since there are two of these chips on the CPU card and they
>appear to be connected to the serial port connectors); the chips in question 
>have TMS 5550 marked on them (if I recall correctly from when I had the
>CPU card removed from the system).

There is an overlay for NightOwl Softwares MEX communication software for the
Dynabyte DB 8/1.  The overlay is designated MXO-DB10.ASM, and should be on
many BBS that handle CP/M stuff along with the PD MEX114.LBR package.  If the
overlay is not directly applicable, it should at least be similar.
>
>Is there anyone out there who is familiar with this system, its UARTS,
>or who has any ideas about how to get a communications and file transfer
>program set up and running on this system?  Thanks in advance for any
>information.
>
If it would be useful, I can send you a uuencoded package called BOOTSTRP.LBR
which contains a couple of approaches to overcoming the initial 'no-comm'
hurdle.  

                                                        - don

Keeper of the CP/M System Disk | UUCP: {nosc ucsd crash ncr-sd}!pnet07!donm
Archives for the Dino(saur)SIG | ARPA: simasd!pnet07!donm@nosc.mil
- San Diego Computer Society - | INET: donm@pnet07.cts.com

ianj@ijpc.UUCP (Ian Justman) (12/07/90)

donm@pnet07.cts.com (Don Maslin) writes:

> cs202101@umbc5.umbc.edu writes:

> >I was going to attempt writing a com program for it,
> >but it appears to have a non-standard UART (I'm guessing that this chip
> >is the UART, since there are two of these chips on the CPU card and they
> >appear to be connected to the serial port connectors); the chips in question
> >have TMS 5550 marked on them (if I recall correctly from when I had the
> >CPU card removed from the system).
> 
> There is an overlay for NightOwl Softwares MEX communication software for the
> Dynabyte DB 8/1.  The overlay is designated MXO-DB10.ASM, and should be on
> many BBS that handle CP/M stuff along with the PD MEX114.LBR package.  If the
> overlay is not directly applicable, it should at least be similar.

I wrote a number of overlays for a few other comm programs for
the Dynabyte, like ZMP (my personal favorite) and Qterm and UUCP
(these two I am a beta tester for and I run a UUCP site with it,
namely ijsys (reachable via
...!ames!pacbell!sactoh0!ijsys!ianj)), and will continue to
write.  I'm debating whether I ought to write one for IMP, and
I've been thinking of overhauling the MEX overlay because it
doesn't support anything over 1200 baud.

> >Is there anyone out there who is familiar with this system, its UARTS,
> >or who has any ideas about how to get a communications and file transfer
> >program set up and running on this system?  Thanks in advance for any
> >information.
> >
> If it would be useful, I can send you a uuencoded package called BOOTSTRP.LBR
> which contains a couple of approaches to overcoming the initial 'no-comm'
> hurdle.

He may need an .LBR extractor, or it might be better to send the
source (if any) straight to him because I don't think he has a
LBR extractor for his Dynabyte.  Or better yet, if he has a DOS
box (or access to one), send him one for DOS.

I've also talked to the guy.  He doesn't have all that much for
it except what he already has.