curzon@kaoa01.dec.com.UUCP (02/18/87)
Spartados and Action users:
Question for y'all -- before putting bread on the line to buy Spartados/US
doubler (mainly for use with Action programming) I want to clear something up:
I have heard that the hi-speed write and read applies only to binary files;
and that Sparta with doubler actually works more slowly than other DOS's with
other file types.
Specifically, does it really work more slowly reading/writing Action source
code files, than say Smartdos etc?
Dick Curzon
Digital Equipment of Canada
PO Box 13000
Kanata Ontario K2K 2A6
Canada.
(DEC E-NET) KAOA01::CURZON
(UUCP) {decvax, ucbvax, allegra}!decwrl!kaoa01.dec.com!curzon
(ARPA) curzon%kaoa01.DEC@decwrl.ARPAtob@inuxm.UUCP (02/20/87)
> Spartados and Action users: > > Question for y'all -- before putting bread on the line to buy Spartados/US > doubler (mainly for use with Action programming) I want to clear something up: > > I have heard that the hi-speed write and read applies only to binary files; > and that Sparta with doubler actually works more slowly than other DOS's with > other file types. > The hispeed read write works on ALL files. ----- BUT ----- In the Action world there are several buts. When Action reads in a source file, it does not do a binary read. It reads the file a little slower sector by sector. Remember that the main part of the hispeed process is in a different sector layout on the disk. When Action reads a source file it takes a little processing time, which may allow the diskette to spin past the next sector before the read request gets to the drive. This will indeed make it a slower read for Action source code. A new sector layout for Action disks would help, but not a good idea! Another problem that comes up is the fact that Action doubles the key repeat rate AND Sparta DOS doubles the key repeat rate. Unless you change the key repeat rate with an AUTORUN or something it is almost unuseable. I LOVE Action and I like hispeed!!! My solution. I use MYDOS for all my disks. It is totaly compatable with all my old DOS 2 stuff. There is a file on Compuserve that is an overlay for the XE/XL operating system that replaces the cassette handler with the hispeed handler. Now any DOS uses hispeed. This takes care of the computer end of the system. On the Drive end, I use the board from Duplicating Technologies. They have two versions (two prices) either one gives me what I want. HISPEED. This is a different method (the Happy upgrade does this too) It adds extra RAM in the drive so it reads a whole track at a time instead of a single sector at a time. This allows me to use normal sector layouts and get hispeed reading. (not writing) When Action reads a source file the first track gets buffered in the drive and the sectors are ready as soon as the next read request gets to the drive. This gives you max speed with an slight delay for each new track. Of course this speed increase works best on orderly file layouts on the disk. If the file is scattered all over the disk, this slows down the system. At work I use the modified OS and a 1050 with the US Doubler and custom sector layout running MYDOS. This is a very nice combination. But, yea I know, one more BUT. This combination does not allow you to generate the custom sector layout. I use the Archiver in my 810 to generate the fast sector layout that you would normally get from Sparta DOS. I hope that somewhere in my rambling I have given you some useful info. Ted Burger 317-835-7635
schuster@dasys1.UUCP (02/22/87)
In article <8133@decwrl.DEC.COM>, curzon@kaoa01.dec.com writes: > I have heard that the hi-speed write and read applies only to binary files; > and that Sparta with doubler actually works more slowly than other DOS's with > other file types. > > Specifically, does it really work more slowly reading/writing Action source > code files, than say Smartdos etc? The USDoubler achieves fast read/writes by a combination of track buffering and custom disk formatting. The speed is not dependent on the type of files being read; all that matters is that standard CIO calls be used to do the i/o. SpartaDos is the _only_ DOS which can achieve optimum disk formatting by using a special interleave. If you stick to it (and there's no reason not to these days) you will get rapid i/o regardless of file type. -- Mike Schuster {allegra,philabs,cmcl2}!phri\ Big Electric Cat Public Unix {bellcore,harpo,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!schuster New York, NY, USA {philabs}!tg/
leavens@atari.UUCP (Alex Leavens) (03/06/87)
in article <8133@decwrl.DEC.COM>, curzon@kaoa01.dec.com says: > > Using SpartaDos and Action... I'd recommend using OSS's DOS XL, because it hides under the cartridge, and give you about 6K more space to play with. --alex @ Atari BIX: alexl. GEnie: ALEXLEAVENS AtariCorp: 408-745-2006