JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET (JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH) (02/19/88)
I would be interested in anybody's experiences and recommendations for addin boards for IBM-PCs that run CPM and are based on the z80 processor. It must have a parallel port capable of driving a centonics-type printer interface and it would be nice if there were already software driver hooks for passing data back and forth from the PC side to the CPM side that appeared as a device to both (i.e. assign as device or use as source or destination in copy/pip commands) but this is not essential. Jeff Sicherman jajz801@calstate.bitnet
ciaraldi@cs.rochester.edu (Mike Ciaraldi) (02/29/88)
In article <8802190016.AA01488@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET (JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH) writes: > > I would be interested in anybody's experiences and recommendations for >addin boards for IBM-PCs that run CPM and are based on the z80 processor. >It must have a parallel port capable of driving a centonics-type printer >interface and it would be nice if there were already software driver hooks >for passing data back and forth from the PC side to the CPM side that >appeared as a device to both (i.e. assign as device or use as source or >destination in copy/pip commands) but this is not essential. > I have a "Baby Blue" board that I bought cheap at a close-out sale and never got to work. As far as I know, the ones still being made (as advertised in magazines like Dr. Dobbs) go for around $200, but I have no experience with them. BUT, I have used the program Z80MU, which is a free Z-80+CP/M emulator done entirely in software, and available wherever good public domain and shareware programs are. It is not as fast as a real Z-80, but it is not bad. Advantages: Low cost (i.e. $00.00), access to all DOS facilities (subdirectories, printers, and so on) as well as all CP/M commands, and support for large programs (a 60K Transient Program Area). The authors estimate it runs at about the speed of a 1MHz Z-80 on a standard 4.77 MHz IBM PC> I have run the CP/M Microsoft BASIC interpreter and compiler, and Turbo Pascal, with no trouble. One other advantage is that it lets you run CP/M programs without having to prepend a loader program to each one, which is required for the Baby Blue. So, if you don't need to run lots of CP/M programs (at least so many that speed is really important), try Z80MU! Mike "Feet in Two Worlds" Ciaraldi arpa: ciaraldi@cs.rochester.edu uucp: seismo!rochester!ciaraldi
pjh@mccc.UUCP (Peter J. Holsberg) (03/01/88)
In article <7216@sol.ARPA> ciaraldi@cs.rochester.edu (Mike Ciaraldi) writes: |In article <8802190016.AA01488@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET (JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH) writes: |> |> I would be interested in anybody's experiences and recommendations for |>addin boards for IBM-PCs that run CPM and are based on the z80 processor. |BUT, I have used the program Z80MU, which is a free Z-80+CP/M |emulator done entirely in software, and available wherever good |public domain and shareware programs are. |It is not as fast as a real Z-80, but it is not bad. | |Advantages: Low cost (i.e. $00.00), access to all DOS facilities |(subdirectories, printers, and so on) as well as all CP/M commands, |and support for large programs (a 60K Transient Program Area). |The authors estimate it runs at about the speed of |a 1MHz Z-80 on a standard 4.77 MHz IBM PC> | Unfortunately, Z80MU does not run the world's best Z80 assembler!! There ia apparently a bug in the implementation of a rarely used Z80 instruction that causes Z80ASM to bomb. -- Peter Holsberg UUCP: {rutgers!}princeton!mccc!pjh Technology Division CompuServe: 70240,334 Mercer College GEnie: PJHOLSBERG Trenton, NJ 08690 Voice: 1-609-586-4800
jep@oink.UUCP (James E. Prior) (03/02/88)
In article <7216@sol.ARPA> ciaraldi@cs.rochester.edu (Mike Ciaraldi) writes: >In article <8802190016.AA01488@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET (JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH) writes: >> >> I would be interested in anybody's experiences and recommendations for >>addin boards for IBM-PCs that run CPM and are based on the z80 processor. >>It must have a parallel port capable of driving a centonics-type printer >>interface and it would be nice if there were already software driver hooks >>for passing data back and forth from the PC side to the CPM side that >>appeared as a device to both (i.e. assign as device or use as source or >>destination in copy/pip commands) but this is not essential. Why must it have its own printer port in addition to the PC's printer port? >I have a "Baby Blue" board that I bought cheap at a close-out >sale and never got to work. As far as I know, the ones still being >made (as advertised in magazines like Dr. Dobbs) go for around $200, >but I have no experience with them. I have a "Baby Blue" board at work. I tried it in an AT in 1985. It wouldn't work. I called the folks who made it and they said, yup it don't work in ATs, and they weren't going to do anything to help. They also wouldn't supply any information like schematics, that could help me figure out how to make it work. As someone else has noted, one of the hassles of using a Baby Blue board, is that it requires a prepended header to your .COM file. In addition to Z80MU, there is a program that runs 8080 (not Z80) programs as is. It requires the use of a V20 or V30 CPU which can actually run 8080 instructions. For programs that don't use Z80 instuctions, it is much faster that Z80MU, or my old IMSAI, because it doesn't have to emulate the 8080 instructions. It actually executes 8080 code. I can mail copies of the 8080 thing, or post if there are enough requests. The other solution is offered by Micro-Interfaces. They have drivers for both CP/M-80 and ISIS using V20, V30, or their Z80 board. I use their ISIS driver with a V20. I can't vouch for their CPM drivers. Jim Prior jep@oink.UUCP {ihnp4|cbosgd}!n8emr!oink!jep What's the difference between Donna Rice and Mrs. Bush? Mrs. Bush has a Bush in her heart, while Donna Rice has a Hart in her bush. -Vicky Tong