hicks@WALKER-EMH.ARPA (Gregory Hicks COMFLEACTS) (01/29/88)
Info-IBMPC Digest Fri, 28 Jan 88 Volume 7 : Issue 6
This Week's Editor: Gregory Hicks -- Chinhae Korea <hicks@walker-emh.arpa>
Today's Queries:
ATI EGAwonder and Leading Edge M BIOS ROM
Auto-repeat
COMPAQ 286 Keyboard Upgrade
CompuAdd 286/10 PC
Floppy-hard disk controller
PC/XT Locks Up Intermittently
IBM DisplayWriter System
8259 Interrupt Controller Chip Info Needed
Leading Edge Model M upgrade
Looking for game card for PClone
MicroEmacs and 3-COM Nets
MS Pascal date and time library routines
MS Word 3.11 Query
Lost Directories
RLL controller queries
Transferring Files via RPICICGE
V20 Technical Specifications
10mb Microcomputer Memories Drive
Missing COMMAND.COM
Info-IBMPC Lending Library is available from:
Bitnet via server at CCUC; and from SIMTEL20.ARPA (see file
PD1:<msdos>files.idx for listing of source files)
SIMTEL20.ARPA can now be accessed access from BITNET is via
LISTSERV@RPICICGE.BITNET using LISTSERV Commands
INFO-IBMPC BBS Phone Numbers: (213) 827-2635 and (213) 827-2515
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Date: Mon 18 Jan 88 17:50:34-PDT
From: GRANROTH%IOWASP.SPAN@STAR.STANFORD.EDU (Larry Granroth
Subject: ATI EGAwonder and Leading Edge M BIOS ROM
Does anyone out there know much about the ATI EGAwonder graphics board? We
just received one which we had hoped to put in an old Leading Edge model M
(XT clone). Unfortunately, we get no response from any of the reasonable
switch settings. I suspect that there may be a problem with the BIOS which
is a contemporary of MS-DOS version 2.1.
Does anyone have any helpful suggestions? Can you think of similarly-
priced boards (<$200) that will provide HGC, CGA, and EGA graphics to a
variety of monitors? Is it possible to buy a BIOS ROM upgrade for these
Mitsubishi-manufactured Leading Edge PC's? I know that Sperry (Unisys)
sold effectively the same machine.
Thanks in advance for any info.
Some of the ways to reach me include:
SPAN IOWASP::GRANROTH
ARPAnet GRANROTH%IOWASP.SPAN@NSSDC.GSFC.NASA.GOV
or @STAR.STANFORD.EDU
or @VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV
MFENET GRANROTH%IOWASP.SPAN@SDS
BITNET CCOLJGPG@UIAMVS
TELEMAIL LGRANROTH/J.P.L.
------------------------------
Date: Wed 20 Jan 88 09:02:43-EST
From: Donna Lynch <ADMIN@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA>
Subject: Auto-repeat
We have a handicapped user who uses a Zenith 248. He is not too quick with
his fingers, so the autorepeat is giving him a LOT of grief. Is there some
way to disable this "feature"?
Thanks for any help,
Donna Lynch
admin@radc-tops20.arpa
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 88 17:14:41 PST
From: JAJZ801%CALSTATE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
(JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH)
Subject: COMPAQ 286 Keyboard Upgrade
I would like to use the new expanded keyboard on an original version (8
MHz) Compaq 286 Deskpro which came with the old style. Testing with a bor-
rowed keyboard yields intermittent recognition (program-wise) of the F12
key and none of the F11. Is there a software solution to this (driver or
TSR) or a ROM upgrade from Compaq? If the latter, anyone know the proce-
dure and approximate cost?
Jeff Sicherman
JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 88 17:54:38 EST
From: Richard_G_Anderson@um.cc.umich.edu
Subject: CompuAdd 286/10 PC
PC Magazine has given a very favorable review to CompuAdd's 286 AT clone.
Does anyone have experience with this firm in Austin TX? Are they
reliable? PC Mag seems to be a straightforward publication, and usually
their choices are on the mark, but what about the longevity and service of
the firm?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 88 17:11:44 PST
From: JAJZ801%CALSTATE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
(JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH)
Subject: Floppy-hard disk controller
My hard disk controller for a true-blue PC now causes the system to in-
termittently lock up (the problem stops when it is replaced by a borrowed
one). I would like to replace it with a combination hard disk and floppy
controller to get a slot back. Could anybody tell me who manufactures
these and provide model numbers of controllers. US manufacturers please,
no off-shore, uncertain parentage, no-name brands please. I've already
gotten faulty information on this from a WD distributor so I thought I'd
find out from people who know what they're talking about. Also, I have an
old drive. So it would be best not to recomment RLL types either.
Jeff Sicherman
JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Tue 19 Jan 88 18:57:11-PST
From: JOHN R. THOMPSON <WOOLFORD.THOMPSON@BIONET-20.ARPA>
Subject: PC/XT Locks Up Intermittently
My IBM XT has recently taken to locking up on me rather frequently, about
once per hour! I'm hoping someone with a simlilar experience can help me
diagnose the problem.
Symptoms: Lock up requiring warm boot sometimes, cold boot others.
Not associated with a particular program.
Occurs with no TSRs resident.
Occurs frequently when no programs are even running (i.e sitting
idle displaying the DOS prompt).
Happens with either Intel 8088 or NEC V20 CPU installed.
Hardware Configuration:
IBM XT 256K on system board: 11/8/82 BIOS, PC DOS 3.2
RAMPAGE memory board with 1MB: REMM.SYS v3.3
RAMPAGE I/O piggyback card (serial, parallel ports and clock).
OMTI 5527 RLL HD Controler
Segate ST238 Hard Disk
IBM Floppy Controler + 2 Half height Teacs
AST Reach 1200 baud internal modem
I suppose I'll just keep removing boards until I eliminate all the add-ons,
then consider replacing the motherboard. Has anyone had positive/negative
experience with the clone system boards (4.77/8MHz) advertised in the back
of the most pc mags. Anyone, have positive/negative experiences with these
beasts or opinions on which clone BIOS is best?
Thanks in advance,
John R. Thompson <woolford.thompson@bionet-20.arpa>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 88 08:12:25 EST
From: Ray Stell <FINPROG@VTVM1>
Subject: IBM DisplayWriter System
I work in an office that still has one of the old displaywriter work sta-
tions, you know, 8 inch floppy disks, only a word prcessor, that monster.
Does anyone have experience shipping the files out to a DOS machine? What
the nature of the cables should be, what procedures to follow?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1988 23:36 EST
From: SGP@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU
Subject: 8259 Interrupt Controller Chip Info Needed
Could anyone supply information about the 8259 interrupt controller chip.
In particular I know the bit assignments for port 21h but need to know the
bit assignment and functions for port 20h. I believe that bit 20h is the
end of interrupt signal, but what about other bits? Where can I find this
controller documented? Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 88 15:40 EDT
From: Paul Tam - Ext: 5450 <TAM@MCOIARC>
Subject: Leading Edge Model M upgrade
I would like to add a hard disk to my Leading Edge model M. I was thinking
of replacing one of the two floppy drives with a Seagate 225 20 Meg hard
disk and Western Digital Controller. Has anyone out there tried anything
similar? I would like to know of any possible problems before I do it.
Also, I would like to move to a newer version of DOS (now it is 2.
something). I am told I have to get an upgraded ROM package to use DOS
3.1. Have any Leading Edge users tried this?
Thanks in advance
Paul Tam
Medical College of Ohio
bitnet: TAM@MCOIARC
------------------------------
Date: 18 Jan 88 09:16:28 GMT
From: mcvax!hslrswi!obroin@uunet.UU.NET (Niall O'Broin)
Subject: Looking for game card for PClone
I am looking for a joystick interface card for my Amstrad PC1512 IBM clone.
It has a socket for a switched socket, but most games only support True
Blue analog joysticks. I have never seen a games port only card advertised,
and wonder is such a thing available. I only want a games port, as the
PC1512 already has serial port, clock, parallel port, 640K RAM so a multi-
function card which includes a games port would be overkill. Naturally, I
want as cheap a solution as possible - I don't play games that much, and my
desire to get a joystick has been triggered by my recent purchase of ELITE,
which is well nigh unplayable with a keyboard or switched joystick - at
least for me. So how about it? I would prefer to know of one available in
Europe or the U.K., but replies from U.S.A. are also welcome, in case I
don't get any more local replies.
Please reply to me by E-mail or voice phone. Thanks for your time,
Regards,
Niall O Broin
AXE Software Development
Hasler AG
Berne
Switzerland
BITNET obroin%hslrswi.UUCP@cernvax.BITNET
UUCP..{uunet,mcvax ..}!cernvax!hslrswi!obroin
Voice telephone +41 31 631701 08.30-17.30 CET
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 88 09:57:18 PST
From: Doug Brutlag <brutlag@SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: MicroEmacs and 3-COM Nets
I have been unable to get any version of MicroEMACS (3.7i to 3.9) to
run on an IBM-PC which has the 3-COM network drivers and NetBios loaded.
Everytime I start MicroEmacs I get the NetBIOS error message:
NET810: Unexpected network error
Abort, Retry, Ignore?
A retry gives another error
NET820: NET Bios Session Limit exceeded
Abort, Retry, Ignore.
Only abort prevents a crash. I get these errors only when I have the
3-COM drivers loaded and it does not matter whether I have logged into 3-
COM fileserver or not. MicroEMACS is the only piece of software that has
given me this error out of several hundreds we are running on our net.
I sent a description of this problem to the developer, Daniel Lawrence
but got no reply. 3-COM support is also bewildered. Has anyone else seen
this problem or successfully run MicroEMACS from a workstation on a 3-COM
network?
Thanks in advance,
Doug Brutlag@SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 88 13:35 EST
From: "John W. Taylor Jr." <JWTaylor@DOCKMASTER.ARPA>
Subject: MS Pascal date and time library routines
Has anyone gotten the date and time routines supplied with MS Pascal
library to work? I have a Zenith 159 (XT Clone) with Zenith's "SmartWatch"
real time clock. I make the call with a string(20) variable. As soon as I
make the call, the screen shows six random numbers and the system hangs.
The documentation has been of no avail.
Thanks!
John W. Taylor, Jr.
National Computer Security Center
JWTaylor @ Dockmaster.arpa Arpa
9800 Savage Road Fort Meade, Md. 20755 attn:C1 US snail
(301) 859-4458 Ma Bell
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 88 15:22:30 CST
From: moore@ncsc.ARPA (Moore)
Subject: MS Word 3.11 Query
Does anyone know how to change the default font in MS Word? I know how to
use the Gallery to assign (say) PrestiegeElite10 to P1, but how do I make
it so that Word comes up in it rather than the default Pica 12?
And while I'm wasting your time, how can I choose 'N' to a question with
the mouse? For example, when I want to Quit, chording cancels the command
and left button says 'Y' to save changes; how can I Quit w/o save from the
mouse?
Thanks for any help.
Jim Moore
NCSC (re-organizing again!)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 88 15:58 PST
From: <RICK%UWALOCKE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Lost Directories
MS-DOS seems to have trashed the directories on my friends hard disk.
The directories included in about the first 20 items in his root listing
seem to be fine, but the others thereafter seem to have everything in the
root directory included in them. The result is that he can only recursivly
go into those directories, at least five levels down from what he showed
me, and he can never find what was originally in the subdirectory, since
those contents are not there, being replaced by the contents at the root
directory.
He needs to know whether this is a common problem with a common solution,
and, if not, whether there is some kind of utility with which he can poke
around at the parts of the disk that might be fixed to get his data back.
Rick Burgess RICK@UWALOCKE
6219 40th Ave NE.
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 525-7611
------------------------------
Date: 15 JAN 88 10:05 SST
From: LAH3%NUSEEV.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: RLL controller queries
With reference to the message on RLL controller information in vol 6 issue
73 by George_C.Burkitt.ElSegundo@Xerox.com .....
I have an XT clone running on a V20 chip at 8 Mhz (10 Mhz ? ... Norton SI
gave a factor of 4.1 on Turbo and 2.2 on non-Turbo). I have not had any
problems until recently when I added a Seagate ST-238 harddisk together
with the RLL card onto it. The problem was:
Initial operations went fine for about a month. Then my PC hung, some-
times interrupting with a PARITY CHECK (at address C0000) error message on
the screen. This annoying stuff went on for a while and eventually my clone
could not be booted up, even with the RLL card and the harddisk removed.
The BIOS test routines did not sound the speaker but kept blinking the
LED's on the keyboard. There was also no monitor display nor accessing of
drive a.
My questions are :
1) In the issue 73 message, how is the 7.5 Mhz data rate related to the
system clock?
2) Is the RLL controller compatible with a 8 (10?) Mhz V20 chip?
Or must the XT be switched to a lower speed for operation?
3) Are the parity check interrupts caused by the RLL card because of its
tight window margins causing contention problems with the DRAMs? (The
640K memory consisted of 41256 DRAMs on Bank 0 and Bank 1, and 4164
DRAMs on Bank 2 and Bank 3. The mother board is a 4-layered mitcom board
which comes from Taiwan.)
4) With the keyboard LED's blinking away continuously on trying to
boot-up and no monitor display, what is(are) the suspected fault(s)?
(I've checked and confirmed that there is nothing wrong with the
CGA card. )
I would appreciate any comments from anyone who could shed some lights on
the questions I have raised. Thanks in advance.
-- Could you also tell me how I could contact this "George-C" fellow at
Xerox.com from my current mailing address shown below.
Thanks a million .
A.H. Lim
LAH3@NUSEEV.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 15 Jan 88 16:38:08 GMT
From: NOAO!mcdsun!nud!xroads!dparker@hao.UCAR.EDU
Subject: PC/XT Error Message 1701
Yesterday I tried to run a program called BZONE (Battlezone game). I have
never tried running it on my machine but I had seen it run on another. I
got a system error similar to "FATAL: Internal Stack Failure -- System
Halted." A warm boot wouldn't work and I had to hit the big red switch.
During the cold boot and immediately after the memory test, I got the fol-
lowing message:
PC Compatible Bios Memory = 640
1701
The light on drive A: stayed on (drive open) and the system didn't access
drive C: to boot. I had to power down/up again, and this time it booted
properly. Since then, I have gotten the 1701 message once more and a power
down/up cleared it. I tested the program on a friend's Compaq plus and it
worked perfectly.
System Configuration:
American XT/LA (XT Compatible) running PC-DOS 3.20
2 floppies, 1 ST225 20 Meg hard drive
640K RAM (AST 6-Pack Plus)
Herculies Color Card
Prinston HX-12 Color Monitor
HP-IL Interface Card
Config.sys contains:
shell=c:\command.com c:\ /e:256 /p
files=20
buffers=32
device=ansi.sys
device=hpil.sys (HP-IL Driver)
What does the 1701 error message mean? [It means that you have an error
with the hard-disk controller. The controller didn't initialize properly.]
Has anyone had experience with BZONE.arc? I have a friend who played the
game constantly for months with no system problems.
Thanks in advance,
Dave Parker
--
\ / C r o s s r o a d s C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
\/ (602) 971-2240
/\ (602) 992-5007 300|1200 Baud 24 hrs/day
/ \ ihnp4!crash!xroads!*
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 88 18:17 EST
From: RAVEN%ALBION.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Transferring Files via RPICICGE
I'm using a VAX running VMS. Can I receive binary files from the INFO-PC
lending library?
[No, you cannot receive binary files from the Info-IBMPC Lending Library.
The Library only accepts SOURCE files.]
I have tried to get files from the archives at bitnet node RPICICGE, but
they do not arrive in the correct format. I download them to my PC and
my UNARC program (PKXARC) tells me that they are not archives.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time,
Jason Ruiter
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 88 19:25 EST
From: Brian Lockrey x4-7281 <LOCKREY@battelle.arpa>
Subject: Using 5.25 drives with PS2 Model 25/30
I have two standard 360K drives that I would like to add to a PS/2 Model
25. I have a case, power supply and interface card for the Model 25. My
question is... Does anybody know what the cable needs to look like that
goes from the interface card to the 360k drives?
The interface card has large DB style (40 pins ??) female connector on it.
Will a standard floppy disk drive cable work if I just put the right con-
nector on it, or is some additional logic/power required?
Thanks,
Brian Lockrey
ARPAnet =====> lockrey@battelle.arpa
BITnet ======> LOCKREYB@UWARITA
CompuServe ==> [76117,563]
AT&T ========> 614-424-7281
------------------------------
Date: 15 JAN 88 10:35 SST
From: LAH3%NUSEEV.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: V20 Technical Specifications
I have an XT running on a V20 chip. I am wondering where could I get hold
of the technical specs for the mentioned chip. I would appreciate it very
much if someone could direct me to any published materials on the V20, if
any.
Thanks a million .
A.H. Lim
LAH3@NUSEEV.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 88 14:30:14 est
From: stev@OBERON.LCS.MIT.EDU (Stev Knowles)
Subject: 10mb Microcomputer Memories Drive
i have found myself in posession of a strange little beast. it is a
Microcomputer Memories Inc MM112, 3.5 inch 10 meg drive.
it seems to "look" like an original ibm xt 10 meg drive. the problem is
that it is selecting on both drive 1 and drive 2. this causes my AT to
lose. if the drive is alone in the AT, it tells me that drive 2 is not
defined, but if i tell it to go ahead, it boots off it. if it is in there
with my ST 4051, it halts the system [Resident basic not supported].
how can i get this puppy to work? i tried taping over the pin on the card
edge that was drive select 2, but it didnt work.
has any of you done this before? what magic am i missing? i have formatted
it when it was the only HD in the machine, so i know it is configured cor-
rectly.
thanx muchly in advance.
stev knowles
ftp software
harvard!ftp!stev stev%ftp.com@harvard.harvard.edu
------------------------------
Date: 22 Jan 88 08:36:23 GMT
From: K368181%CZHRZU1A.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Missing COMMAND.COM
on my hard disk i have three subdirectories dos31, dos32 and dos33. after
backup/restore using ibm pc-dos 3.3 the file command.com is missing in all
three subdirectories. what am i doing wrong ?
thank You for your advice.
hippolyt.
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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