Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (11/04/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Fri, 3 Nov 89 Volume 89 : Issue 93
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
Alternatives to Intel math coprocessors.
Alternative to Intel Math Chips
Disk Optimiser and IFF to GIF
DOUSOUND.ARC - Demonstrates how to make two channeled sound
E-mail
HEXEDIT.ARC Binary editor uploaded to SIMTEL20
Info
LaserJet font archive available
MAIL from F33IBM at DHHDESY3
MS-DOS Archiving software...
PCX format files
Problems with Everex Monitors?
Problem with Zstem and Z-248
SIMTEL21.ARC - New Version of SIMTEL20 catalog file viewer, v2.1
SIMTEL25.ARC - Easy manipulation/viewing of SIMTEL20 file lists
Want info on 8080/8085/Z80 cross-compilers
Info-IBMPC Lending Library is available from: WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see
file PD1:<MSDOS>FILES.IDX for listing of source files)
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL can be accessed using LISTSERV commands from BITNET
via LISTSERV@NDSUVM1, LISTSERV@RPIECS, LISTSERV@FINTUVM and in Europe from
EARN TRICKLE servers. Send commands to TRICKLE@<host-name> (example:
TRICKLE@TREARN). The following TRICKLE servers are presently available:
AWIWUW11 (Austria), BANUFS11 (Belgium), DKTC11 (Denmark), DB0FUB11
(Germany), IMIPOLI (Italy), EB0UB011 (Spain) and TREARN (Turkey).
Send Replies or notes for publication to: <INFO-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Send requests of an administrative nature (addition to, deletion from the
distribution list, et al) to: <INFO-IBMPC-REQUEST@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 89 17:33:44 EDT
From: Jeff_MacKie-Mason@um.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Alternatives to Intel math coprocessors.
A colleague of mine has purchased an IIT-2C87 for his Zenith SuperSport
286 laptop. He is absolutely delighted with it. He claims to have
benchmarked this setup (12mHz, 0 wait states) at close to the performance
of a '386 with Intel '387 chip, 16 mHz. I'm suspicious, and it certainly
wasn't a formal benchmarking, but this guy knows his stuff, and he's very
pleased with the IIT chip.
------------------------------
Date: Sun 24 Sep 89 20:37:07-PDT
From: Randy Cole <COLE@babette.isi.edu>
Subject: Alternative to Intel Math Chips
I can't answer the question about the availability of the IIT 3C87, their
alternative to the Intel 80387, but I do have a IIT 2C87, which is their
alternative to the 80287.
The 2C87 is indeed much faster than the 80287, and there are other reasons
to prefer it (it's low power CMOS, versions are available up to 20 MHz,
and it can replace either an 80287 or a 80C287).
But beware of the following reasoning: If the IIT chip can add and
multiply 5 times as fast as the Intel chip (which it can), then my (enter
your favorite number crunching program here) is gonna run 5 times as fast.
It ain't necessarily so. I have experienced an honest speedup of 20 or
30% with the 2C87 over the 80C287.
Why? Simple. Let's say on the average that your favorite number
crunching program spends half its time using the coprocessor to crunch
numbers. Fine. Then let's say that it takes as much time to load the
numbers (4 or 8 bytes each) into the coprocessor as it does to crunch
them. Take a look at the compiled code sometime. Therefore that means
only 25% of your program is spent actually crunching numbers. Therefore
if the IIT chip is 5 times as fast the overall speedup is 20%. Bingo.
Incidentally, the 2C87 has a new instruction that multiplies a 4 element
vector by a 4x4 matrix. It's for 3D graphics, of course, and the speedup
is very noticeable, partly because the 2C87 has registers you can leave
the vector in between multiplies. The 3C87 is almost certain to have the
same instruction but some legal hitch keeps them from saying explicitly
that it does (that may have changed by now).
I'm very happy with the 2C87. It will definitely speed up number-
intensive programs. I'm not sure, but I think you'll find that IIT didn't
explicitly state that an application would run 5 times faster -- they
probably are smart enough to realize the media will jump to that
conclusion.
Randy Cole
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 89 17:38:01 EDT
From: psc90!netnews@dartvax.dartmouth.edu (Remote mail paths)
Subject: Disk Optimiser and IFF to GIF
I am looking for two things. First is a program that will transfer Apple
pictures (IFF) files to MS-DOS (GIF) files. The other is a good disk
optimiser. I have an IBM PS/2 Model 50 with a 30MG hardfile, and 1MG of
memory.
Thanks
deryk
\ ...Deryk C. Marien /
\ . Plymouth State College, Computer Services /
>----. Plymouth, NH 03264 -------------------------------------<
/ . UUCP: !uunet!unhd!psc90!netnews or !dartvax!psc90!netnews \
/.........BITNET: D_MARIEN@UNHH...COMPUSERVE (72701,2200)............\
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1989 21:25 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: DOUSOUND.ARC - Demonstrates how to make two channeled sound
[--forwarded message--]
From: "Yuval Tal (972)-8-474592" <NYYUVAL%WEIZMANN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
I have uploaded pd1:<msdos.music>DOUSOUND.ARC to SIMTEL20.
DOUSOUND is a program that demonstrates how to make two channeled sound.
Assembly source included.
-Yuval
Yuval Tal
The Weizmann Institute Of Science
Rehovot, Israel
---
Thanks, Yuval!
--Keith Petersen
Maintainer of SIMTEL20's CP/M, MSDOS, and MISC archives
Internet: w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.Army.Mil [26.2.0.74]
Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 89 13:11:13 CET
From: Georg Moe <EDB87003%NOBIVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: E-mail
Hello
I am looking for some E-mail software, preferably under Windows.
Recommendations/suggestions?
Georg Moe
____ DP Department
/ __ __ _________ Norwegian School of Management
(___/ (___(__) / (__) PO. Box 580, N-1301 SANDVIKA, NORWAY
____________________/ Tlf (47 2) 47 07 03
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 89 11:35 EET
From: "A-D KUNINKAANK. 27 A3, PUH. 123519" <NORMAJA%KYLK@ROUTER.FUNET.FI>
Subject: Problems with TRICKLE
Every time I call Trickle@Dktc11 I get the same answer:
" Your node is being serviced by trickle@awiwuw11". Whenever I call
trickle@awiwuw11 I get the same answer: "Your node is being serviced by
trickle@dktc11". It's the same problem with all of them..it's always
dktc11 or awiwuw11 but never the same that I'm calling..
WHAT's WRONG ?
Normaja@Finkuo.Bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1989 17:57 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: HEXEDIT.ARC Binary editor uploaded to SIMTEL20
[--forwarded message--]
From: Bob Babcock <PEPRBV@CFAAMP.HARVARD.EDU>
I have uploaded:
<msdos.filutl>
HEXEDIT.ARC Binary editor
Requests for binary editors appear occasionally in the Info-IBMPC Digest.
I've found a shareware binary editor called HEXEDIT which looks
reasonable. I have briefly tested it, but have not really used it
seriously because I have a commercial program called BEDIT which I
purchased before finding HEXEDIT.
---
Thanks, Bob!
--Keith
------------------------------
Date: Monday, 18 September 1989 12:05-MDT
From: tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen)
Subject: LaserJet font archive available
The mims-iris font archive for HP LaserJet printers is now open for
business. There are two ways of accessing the archive: by ftp and by
email. To access by ftp use the command
ftp mims-iris.waterloo.edu
or
ftp 129.97.129.116
and using the standard ftp commands. Currently our ftp daemon is picky
about mget patterns so if you want all the special fonts you should use
mget ./spc*.sfp.Z
instead of
mget spc*.sfp.Z
To access the archive by mail, send mail to one of the following
addresses:
font-server@mims-iris.waterloo.edu
font-server@mims-iris.uwaterloo.ca
uunet!watmath!mims-iris!font-server
The font server limits the volume of fonts sent per day, and small
requests get priority over larger ones. In the message body include a
command for the server. Valid server commands include (but are not limited
to):
help
send index
send laserjet rom10.sfp.Z
Please use ftp if you have access to it; mail is more demanding on
everyone's system resources. All font files will be sent as uuencoded
shar files.
\tom haapanen
"now, you didn't really expect tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu
my views to have anything to do watmims research group
with my employer's, did you?" university of waterloo
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 89 18:54:12 EDT
From: dmg@retina.mitre.org (David Gursky)
Subject: MS-DOS Archiving software...
I'm unfamiliar with the MS-DOS world, and I need some advice about
archiving applications.
One of MITRE's clients is looking for an application akin to Stuffit in
the Macintosh world. Not only must the application be able to compress a
file (via Huffman, Ziv-Lempel, etc.), but it must be able to convert a
binary file to ASCII and vice-versa (i.e. the word 64 (hex) in the binary
file would be written out as the character string "64" in the ASCII output
file).
In the ideal world, we would like a commercial application (with the
current paranoia about the Datacrime virus, the Government is being warier
than normal about shareware applications), but shareware, etc. would do if
no other course is available.
I am not a subscriber to Info-IBMPC, so I would appreciate if people were
to respond to my directly (dmg@mwunix.mitre.org). I will gladly summarize
any responses not copied to the newsletter and post them to Info-IBMPC.
Thanks!
David Gursky
Member of the Technical Staff, W-143
Special Projects Department
The MITRE Corporation
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 89 13:00 PDT
From: tpfabian@nasamail.nasa.gov (THEODORE FABIAN)
Subject: PCX format files
I've got a rather unique problem.. maybe...
We're trying to take some 8.5 x 11 viewgraphs and scan them into a PC
readable format and then use that format in something like a VIDEOSHOW..
to create an animated slideshow of the slides.. controlled by the PC and
projected through a Sony projector..
we've got the pieces in place for the most part.. the scanner is
functional.. using PC PAINTBRUSH software.. and the Sony projector is
hooked to the PC and the Videoshow...
but the problem arises in that PC PAINTBRUSH creates a .PCX file format..
and none of the animation software or graphics software packages I've
found will read that .PCX file format...
if you've got any thoughts, or ideas, I'm interested in hearing them...
Ted Fabian NASA LeRC 216-433-6307 FTS 297-6307
NASAMAIL: tpfabian
Internet: tpfabian@nasamail.nasa.gov
tfabian@earth.lerc.nasa.gov
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 89 18:18:18 EDT
From: watson@HG.ULeth.AdHocNet.CA
Subject: Problems with Everex Monitors?
Has anyone out there had any trouble with Everex Evervision Color Monitors?
A friend is running an Everex Evervision Monitor on an Everex Step 386
machine with a Paradise VGA card.
She has gone through 3 new Evervision monitors in 6 months! The screen
goes click, goes blank and the power indicator light goes off. It just
dies. There doesn't seem to be an odor emitted from the monitor when it
goes dead.
The dealer she bought the system from in Vancouver insists that no one
else has had any problems with their Evervision Monitors and says the
system or the VGA card is toasting the monitors.
The monitors have been hooked into the VGA card with a gender changer
connector. Someone has suggested that the gender changer may be the cause.
Several questions: Has anyone else had similar problems with Evervision or
other monitors?? Has anyone else had problems with gender changer
connectors?? Or ... are we alone out there??
Any hints or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Carol Watson
Administrative Systems,
University of Lethbridge
E-mail: Watson@UNCAEDU.Bitnet
Watson@HG.ULeth.AdHocNet.CA
------------------------------
Date: 22 Sep 1989 23:05-CDT
From: SAC.DYESGPF@E.ISI.EDU
Subject: Problem with Zstem and Z-248
While I am not really sure whats happening, reinitializing COM2 might
correct the problem. The following code might correct your problem (Note:
This is only the code that actually does the initilization and is not a
ready to assemble and run listing. It could be entered in debug and
written to disk as a .COM file 15 (0Fh) bytes long, this would then be a
stand-alone. Better yet would be to write a complete program which would
accept command line parameters to reset any comm port.)
mov ah,0 ;Function 0 = configure comm port
mov al,(parameter) ;Set Baud, parity, stop, and word size, see
mov dx,1 ;Comm 2 [ table below
int 14h ;transfer to ROM bios service
mov al, ah ;status returned in ah, table below
mov al, 4ch ;Terminate with return code
int 21h ;transfer to DOS interrupt service
parameter table
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BITS: 7,6,5 4,3 2 1,0
Baud Rate parity stop bit word length
000= 110 X0=none 0=1 bit 10=7 bits
001= 150 01=odd 1=2 bits 11=8 bits
010= 300 11=even
011= 600
100=1200
101=2400
110=4800
111=9600
------------------------------------------------------------------------
status table (return code)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If bit is set then:
bit 7=timed-out bit 3=framing error
bit 6=transmission shift register empty bit 2=parity error
bit 5=transmission hold register empty bit 1=overrun error
bit 4=break detected bit 0=data ready
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope this does the job for you.
Al Holecek
<SAC.DYESGPF@E.ISI.EDU> (26.1.0.103)
<DYESGPF@SACEMNET.ARPA> (26.17.0.144)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1989 21:48 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: SIMTEL21.ARC - New Version of SIMTEL20 catalog file viewer, v2.1
[--forwarded message--]
From: mkelly@afit-ab.arpa (Michael P. Kelly)
I have uploaded:
<msdos.filedocs>
SIMTEL21.ARC New Version of SIMTEL20 catalog file viewer, v2.1
I received a minor bug report from a user and fixed immediately. It
concerned the Update selection. It seems that it would not display all
the files in the current directory. It was simply a programming oversight
of mine and is now corrected. I have also added a simple on-line manual
to explain some of the program. Unless more bugs are found (and there
should be no more), this is the last version.
mkelly@blackbird.afit.af.mil
Thanks, Mike! SIMTEL21.ARC replaces the previous version SIMTEL20.ARC.
--Keith
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1989 00:47 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: SIMTEL25.ARC - Easy manipulation/viewing of SIMTEL20 file lists
[--forwarded message--]
From: mkelly@afit-ab.arpa (Michael P. Kelly)
I have uploaded:
<msdos.filedocs>
SIMTEL25.ARC Easy manipluation/viewing of SIMTEL20 file lists
This is version 2.5 of my program that will import any SIMTEL20 catalog
file and convert it to a .DBF and allow viewing, searching, printing
reports, etc. The user does not need dBASE and all the necessary files
will be created as they are needed by the program.
This version takes 1/4 the time to load a new catalog and has some color
changes and new fields added to the examine or browse function.
Sincerely,
mkelly@blackbird.afit.af.mil
---
Thanks, Mike!
--Keith Petersen
Maintainer of SIMTEL20's CP/M, MSDOS, and MISC archives
Internet: w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.Army.Mil [26.2.0.74]
Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 89 01:52:10 PDT
From: alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle)
Subject: Want info on 8080/8085/Z80 cross-compilers
Workman & Associates sells a Modula-2 cross-compiler for MS-DOS. It's
$199.95, and is complete Modula-2. If you'd like info on other details
(and I'm sure you will), call/write me at:
Workman & Associates
1925 East Mountain Street
Pasadena, CA 91104
(818) 791-7979
Alex
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 89 18:10:57 EDT
From: dciem!cognos!alzabo!tris@uunet.UU.NET (Tris Orendorff)
Subj: Helpful software companies
Here are some software companies that sell DOS, OS/2 and
Unix software for the PC. All of these companies have helpful
sales staff and free catalogs.
The Programmer's Connection
7249 Whipple Ave. NW
North Canton, OH 44720
USA: 800-336-1166
Canada 800-225-1166
OH, AL 216-494-3781
World 216-494-3781
FAX 216-494-5260
The Programmer's Shop
5 Pond Park Rd.
Hingham, MA 02043
USA 800-421-8006
MA 800-442-8070
Local 617-740-2510
FAX 617-749-2018
Business World
52 Bramwin Court
Brampton, ON
L6T 5G2
ON, PQ 800-668-4312
Canada 800-668-4305
FAX 416-792-6537
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
************************
-------