Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (03/12/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sun, 12 Mar 89 Volume 89 : Issue 35
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
RPICICGE File Server Problems (3 msgs)
Answer to a few questions (V89#27 and V89#28).
Backup software for PCs and PS/2s
Caps-off utility (OS/2)
CNFMT103 pop-up diskette formatter runs in background
Re: A/D Conversion on PC's
Forrester/Medows "World Model" on a PC?
Sources for Graphics Documentation Available?
Re: Slow Disk Drive
Re: Graphics format request
Midi
overlays in turbo C (2 msgs)
Q&A XT -> AT board swap problems
RPICICGE access to SIMTEL20
TSR and overlay info
ued.arc
ZCOMM communications program for MSDOS updated
random number generators
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Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 13:44 EST
From: <VY7469%BINGVAXA.BITNET@CORNELLC.ccs.cornell.edu>
Subject: RPICICGE File Server Problems
Does anyone know why the listserv@rpicicge has been unable to retrieve
files for over a month now? Everytime I request a file, I get a message
back three days later saying that my request has been abandoned because
the file could not be retrieved, most likely because of poor transmission
gateways between NYSERNET and ARPAnet. I don't really know what any of
this gateway stuff means. What I do know is that for over a month now, my
attempts to retrieve files have been unsuccessful. Anyone know what's
wrong? Am I the only one having this problem?
Rick Dickens
VY7469@BINGVAXA
------------------------------
Date: 27 Feb 89 15:50:11 PST (Monday)
From: "Mike_Beezley.Houston"@Xerox.COM
Subject: RPICICGE File Server problems
I have been getting this type of response to file requests for the last
couple of weeks. Are you (or whoever is responsible) aware of this
situation? Or is it something noone else is having a problem with?
THanks for your help.
__mike
To: "Mike Beezley".Houston
From: "Archive Server" <TRICKLE%RPICICGE.BITNET@VM.ECS.RPI.EDU>
Subject: PD:<MSDOS.HAMRADIO>SM207.ARC
The file you requested could not be fetched from Simtel20.ARMY.MIL in 2
days. Your request has been abandoned. It is very likely that one or
more of the gateways between NYSERNET (this server's home) and MILnet
(Simtel20's home) have been uncooperative in allowing reliable
file-transfer connections.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 89 14:39:15 EST
From: "John S. Fisher" <FISHER%RPICICGE.BITNET@VM.ECS.RPI.EDU>
Subject: RPICICGE File Server Problems
The file server at RPICICGE has been having a bad streak of luck the last
several weeks. Many more requests where coming in than could be handled,
and all but requests for the smallest files were getting rejected.
A recent change to the server itself and some on-going changes to the
gateway from NYSERNET to the ARPANET have caused a noticable improvement.
Most requests are now being handled first time whereas before they were
being rejected every time.
In addition, there is a completely identical server located at NDSUVM1,
and it has apparently experienced fewer connectivity problems....
Regards,
JSFisher
Maintainer of LISTSERV@RPICICGE, et.al.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 89 14:22 N
From: <PCHPAPL%HLERUL52.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Answer to a few questions (V89#27 and V89#28).
First answer is to John Steward who had a problem in converting from TP
3.1 to TP 4.0 (or 5.0).
He had some programs and a problem with the next code :
|
| Var
| Parameters : String[127] absolute Cseg:$80;
|
This is a place in memory where all the command line parameters are
stored. It is in your code segment at offset $80. In TP 3.1 when you want
to know the commandline parameters which were entered you must decode this
string. In TP 4.0 (and 5.0) there are standard functions to do this :
Function ParamCount : Byte; { returns number of command line paramters }
Function ParamStr (I : Byte) : String; { return parameter # I }
The next piece of code rebuilds the variable Parameters for you :
Var
Parameters : String[127];
Procedure BuildParameters;
Var
I : Byte;
Begin
Parameters := ';
For I := 1 to ParamCount do
Parameters := Parameters + ParamStr (I) + ' ';
End;
Your TP 3.1 program can now again start to decode the parameters but I
think this way is a little cumbersome, you'd better rewrite the code in
your TP 3.1 program that decodes the commandline.
The second answer is to a question of Roberto A. Banos <PP205138@TECMTYVM>
who wants to reset his PC-XT.
Interrupt 19 only works when you have NO config.sys, because interrupt 19
does not support config.sys (INT 19 changes something in low memory what
hangs your coputer I believe).
There are ways around this in the SIMTEL archives; try one of the next
files
p1:<MSDOS.SYSUTL>REBOOT.ARC
or
p1:<MSDOS.SYSUTL>REBOOT13.ARC
These programs should do the job.
Both do a warm or cold boot of your computer and I have tested BOOT.ARC on
an IBM PC-AT. The other program is on its way to me, and I think bot work
on other computers too.
Jeroen W. Pluimers
Gorlaeus Laboratorys
Leiden University
The Netherlands
e-Mail pchpapl@hlerul52.bitnet p-Mail Kagertuinen 65
phone +31-2522-11809 2172 XK Sassenheim
The Netherlands
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 89 11:43:13 PST (Wednesday)
From: busch.sd@xerox.com.SD
Subject: Backup software for PCs and PS/2s
Vince Merkel (VFM702@SCRANTON.BITNET) writes: <. . . Fastback does not
support the Model 50 Z . . .>
I'm currently using FastBack on my Model 50Z without any problems at all.
Richard Busch
(busch.sd@xerox.com)
------------------------------
Date: 01 MAR 89 13:25 GMT
From: u320%CBEBDA3T.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Martin Egger)
Subject: Caps-off utility (OS/2)
Hi,
i am looking for a small utility which turns off caps-lock in OS/2
protected mode (not DOS window). Anybody got something like that?
Thanks, Martin Egger
University of Bern, Dept. of Organic Chemistry
Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern / Switzerland
Phone: ++41 (0) 31 65 43 28
eMail: u320@cbebda3t (Bitnet) or martin@ioc.unibe.ch (Internet)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1989 15:17 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: CNFMT103 pop-up diskette formatter runs in background
Now available from Simtel20:
pd1:<msdos.dskutl>
CNFMT103.ARC Pop-up diskette formatter runs in background v1.3
Con>Format stands for Con(current) For(matter) and offers you the
capability of formatting diskettes "in the background" while other work is
being done on your computer.
Con>Format is a "pop-up" utility. That is, it stays dormant until a
particular combination of keys (which you specify yourself) is depressed.
Con>Format then opens a "window" on the display and requests which drive
to format and what kind of format to write. Once this is done, the
"window" disappears and does not reappear until formatting is complete.
In the meantime, you have full use of your computer, excluding the
diskette drives (you may use the hard disk). Hence the term "background"
formatter.
Con>Format works with 5.25" and 3.5" diskette drive types, and provides
formatting for 180K, 360K, 720K, 1.2M and 1.44M diskettes. The format
written is compatible with DOS versions 2.0 through 4.01 (the latest as of
this writing).
Con>Format will "hold up" a diskette access from a running program if a
diskette is in the process of being formatted. A window "pops up" to
notify you of this occurrence. When formatting is complete, the diskette
access is performed and program execution continues.
--Keith Petersen
Maintainer of the CP/M & MSDOS archives at wsmr-simtel20.army.mil [26.0.0.74]
DDN: w8sdz@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 10:39 MST
From: GORDON_A%CUBLDR%VAXF.COLORADO.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: A/D Conversion on PC's
the kind of board you want is one that does DMA transfers. This type of
data acquisition bypasses the processor and puts digitized data directly
into memory. Data Translation (Boston) has a wide variety of boards that
do this. For speech processing, assuming a 10-20Khz cutoff freq, you will
need at least 20-40Khz sampling rate, which definitely means DMA
conversion. Plan on additional software for controlling the board.
Allen Gordon
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 89 10:42 EST
From: ESTIMCAR%YUORION.BITNET@CORNELLC.ccs.cornell.edu
Subject: Forrester/Medows "World Model" on a PC?
Hi --
Does anyone know if the Forrester/Medows "World Model" popularized by the
Club of Rome about ten years ago was ever converted to run on PCs? If so,
is there a PD copy of it around anywhere? All advice gratefully received.
Cheers, Tim Cartwright -- ESTIMCAR@ORION.YORKU.CA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 15:39:51 ITA
From: Alessandro Russo <ALEX17%IPVIAN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Sources for Graphics Documentation Available?
I'd like to know references for the various graphic devices of IBM pc's
(EGA, VGA, IBM8514 and so on).
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 10:26 MST
From: GORDON_A%CUBLDR%VAXF.COLORADO.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: Slow Disk Drive
re: slow disk drive...try setting the BUFFERS=20 or BUFFERS=30 in config.sys.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 89 09:59 EDT
From: <ASELMA01%ULKYVX.BITNET@CORNELLC.ccs.cornell.edu> (Adel S. Elmaghraby)
Subject: Re: Graphics format request
>I would like to be able to convert these to other formats (like .GIF or
>other standard formats). Can someone tell me where to get more info on
>the TIFF format as well as any other graphics format (I already have
>GIF).
I have the same problem and would appreciate any help on definitions of
the TIF(F) format, possibly also on printing it to an HP laser Jet plus or
an DeskJet (inkjet).
Adel (ASELMA01@ULKYVX.BITNET)
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 89 19:26 EST
From: infosys@nems.ARPA (Harold Corbin)
Subject: Midi
In Digest 89-28 Ilan Lamdan requested information about MIDI. BYTE - June
1986 has several articles and one is a construction article for an IBM-PC
interface. Software is also available on diskette. The board will cost
about $75 and the software $10. I am building the board now so I can't
address performance etc.
Other publications are Mind Over Midi, Hal Leonard Pub. Corp, 8112 W.
Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213, $12.95. This is a collection of
articles from Keyboard Magazine and it has Midi Specification 1.0 in it.
M&T Books, 800-533-4372 has two programming books on Midi, a diskette is
available.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 89 10:53 N
From: <PAAI%HTIKUB5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: overlays in turbo C
Hello (to anneke@ruucla and others)
I've seen some questions about overlays in Turbo-C. Now I have the same
problems (big programs, small computers) and I try to solve them in the
following way:
Turbo-C knows no overlays; * but * it gives you the opportunity to write
interrupt-handlers. So I write a root-program with all- purpose functions
and make these functions accessible by an interrupt. Next I write a small
library with functions, which in the header look like the all-purpose
functions in the root, but solve the functions as interrupts with
parameters in the registers. I link this library in the overlays and let
the overlays be spawned by the parent (the root) with mode = P_WAIT. In
this way the routines in the root are accessible by the overlays.
Next we have the problem that the spawn-function in TC just slams the
overlay next to the last allocated root-memory. This effectively reduces
the core that is left to zero, which prohibits the allocation of new
variables by the interrupt-handler, while the child is running.
The solution is to cheat.
Just before loading the child, I allocate as much memory as I think is
needed for variables in the interrupt. Then I spawn the child. First
thing in the interrupt-handler is a free(memory); this opens a hole
between the top of the parent-heap and the bottom of the child. In this
space the new variables find a safe harbour.
*** warning ***
I'm still checking this in various memory-models and configurations, but
so far it seems to work. Please try it and let me know into what problems
you run and what solutions - if any - you have.
By the way: is there a C-digest, similar to this IBM-INFO, that we may
subscribe to?
Hans Paijmans
PAAI@HTIKUB5.bitnet
[The C list can be reached by sending a request to <Info-C-Request@brl.arpa>
gph]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 89 09:25:33 +0100
From: Andre' PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG11.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Q&A XT -> AT board swap problems
I recently swapped my XT motherboard for a SUNTAC Baby AT one, and I find
it excellent. Just a problem of sometimes loosing the CMOS RAM or Clock,
but that's the power supply not dropping the power-good signal soon
enough. To anyone interested, using a battery not in excess of 6V and
lowering the power-good signal from 5V to around 3.75V made for it. I
shunted the P-G to ground with a 1.5 Kohm resistor on the power connector.
The exact value depends on the power supply pullup resistor value and the
level at which the PG resets the board (mine was around 3.2V).
Now for a question. The board is equipped with an Award 3.01 BIOS. Very
good too, but it does a seek of both my 360Kb drives beyond the 40 tracks,
which makes them bang noisily each time I boot.
Does anyone know how to avoid that? I'd be interested in the ROM listing,
the layout of the parameters table at the end of the ROM, a means to avoid
the problem or, failing that, the address of Award Systems to ask them.
Thanks in advance. Andr).
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 13:22:29 MST
From: <pgaughan@NMSU.Edu>
Subject: TSR and overlay info
I know that these subjects have been asked about, but I'd like to throw in
my "I wanna know too":
Overlays - How can they be done in languages that do not explicitly
support them?
TSR's - How do you do them in high level languages and what can you get
away with on interupt?
Any technical programmers out there with a minute or two to point us in
the right direction?
BTW, I'm working on a TSR version of NCSA Telnet. (Sounds impossible I
know.)
Thanks,
Patrick Gaughan Programmer of Gor
pgaughan@nmsu.edu New Mexico State University
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 14:35 EST
From: <LEAHEY%FORDMURH.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: ued.arc
I keep downloading files such as Ued.Arc to the VAX and then the PC, using
kermit and setting binary filetype. But these programs don't run. How do
you get them to run? Thanks. -Peter
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1989 15:14 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: ZCOMM communications program for MSDOS updated
The latest version (17.33) of ZCOMM, direct from Chuck Forsberg, is now
available from SIMTEL20. The descriptions below were written by the
author.
pd1:<msdos.zmodem>ZCOMMEXE.ARC
ZCOMM shareware executable with TurboLearn Script Writer(TM), alternate
dialing, circular dialing queue, ZMODEM, True YMODEM(Tm), Telink, SEAlink,
MODEM7, XMODEM (with Enhanced Data Recovery), Sliding Windows+Long Packet
Kermit, Tree structured help, powerful scripts (TurboDial subset), Full
Time Review, Dual stack command recall/editing. ZCOMM is faster, more
reliable, but lacks flashy menus and music. Overthruster II accelerates
Xmodem/Ymodem downloads.
pd1:<msdos.zmodem>ZCOMMHLP.ARC
Online Tree structured help file and 210k database for ZCOMM, the
shareware cousin to Pro-YAM.
pd1:<msdos.zmodem>ZCOMMDOC.ARC
Manual for ZCOMM, the shareware cousin to Pro-YAM with ZMODEM, True
YMODEM(Tm), Telink/FIDO, SEAlink, MODEM7, and XMODEM (with Enhanced Data
Recovery), SuperKermit (Sliding Windows), Compuserve B, tree structured
help processor, powerful scripts (TurboDial subset), and Full Time Review.
YMODEM and ZMODEM protocol information in this manual also applies to DSZ.
--Keith Petersen
Maintainer of the CP/M & MSDOS archives at wsmr-simtel20.army.mil [26.0.0.74]
DDN: w8sdz@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 89 10:29:08 PST
From: MINUIT%FSU.MFENET@NMFECC.ARPA
Subject: random number generators
When I posted the code for George Marsaglia's universal random number
generator, I forgot to mention that the seed variables can only have
certain values:
i, j, and k must be between 1 and 178 (not all of them 1)
l must be in the range 0 to 168
I am posting a slightly modified version of the code that requires only
two seed variables which basically have the range 0 to 30000. One nice
feature of this version is that each subsequence of numbers specified by
the two seeds has a length of approximately 10^30. If different parts of a
large calculation is being worked on by several people, each person could
be given his own IJ seed. That would leave 30000 more seeds for the
individual to use -- without fear that any part of the overall calculation
would experience correlations in the random numbers.
Finally, it should also be noted that to save the state of the random
number generator at any point in time, you have to save the entire
contents of the common block
- David LaSalle
minuit%fsu@nmfecc.arpa
SCRI
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4052
(904)644-1010
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
C This random number generator originally appeared in "Toward a Universal
C Random Number Generator" by George Marsaglia and Arif Zaman.
C Florida State University Report: FSU-SCRI-87-50 (1987)
C
C It was later modified by F. James and published in "A Review of Pseudo-
C random Number Generators"
C
C THIS IS THE BEST KNOWN RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR AVAILABLE.
C (However, a newly discovered technique can yield
C a period of 10^600. But that is still in the development stage.)
C
C It passes ALL of the tests for random number generators and has a period
C of 2^144, is completely portable (gives bit identical results on all
C machines with at least 24-bit mantissas in the floating point
C representation).
C
C The algorithm is a combination of a Fibonacci sequence (with lags of 97
C and 33, and operation "subtraction plus one, modulo one") and an
C "arithmetic sequence" (using subtraction).
C
C On a Vax 11/780, this random number generator can produce a number in
C 13 microseconds.
C
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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