hicks@WALKER-EMH.ARPA (Gregory Hicks COMFLEACTS) (12/23/87)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sat, 19 December 1987 Volume 6 : Issue 72
This Week's Editor: Gregory Hicks -- Chinhae Korea <hicks@walker-emh.arpa>
Today's Topics:
RLL Controler Information
Hard Drive Interleave Factors
Statistical subroutines
Mathematical word processing
NumLock on Enhanced Keyboard Problem
t3 word processor
Driver Format References Provided
MIDI Based Software
DOS 3.3 ^U/^W patches
Help recovering my RECOVERed files
BACKUP header Format
Minix on a V20
Today's Queries:
Programming UARTs
Adminestering Multiple Choice Tests in a PC Network
Help Identifying a Video Board
IBM PC/XT/AT Reference Needed
Extended/Expanded Memory Specifications
IBM PC and Mac to Unix Links Query
3-D Plotting program
Compatibility problems with an accelerator board on a NCR PC6
Intel Hex Format Query
Systems Application Products Error Messages
Configuring AST Print Spooler
Extending DOS Memory to 704K
MASM macros for real numbers
ADDPATH for DOS 3.3 Needed
INFO-IBMPC BBS Phone Numbers: (213)827-2635 (213)827-2515
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 87 14:55:38 PST (Tuesday)
From: "George_C._Burkitt.ElSegundo"@Xerox.COM
Subject: RLL Controler Information
Regarding the message from WASHBURN@Walker-EMH.arpa on problems encountered
when using an RLL controller with a Seagate ST-225 hard drive:
General Info: RLL packs about 50% more data on the disk, so if you use
it you need to handle the data at a 50% higher data rate. The number of
tracks is the same, but the bit density of each track is increased by about
50%. Since the data rate is higher, the time available to decode the mag-
netic flux changes on the disk is smaller...the READ window margins are
smaller. There isn't the tolerance for out - of - position data bits that
slower data rates allow.
The ST225 was designed for MFM, 5 Mhz data rate operation, the ST-238R
was designed for RLL, 7.5 MHz operation. The window margins are much
tighter in the ST238R. The media are both oxide, but may be different in
magnetic characteristics. In general, the ST225 is not a dependable RLL
drive.
I believe every RLL controller house keeps a current listing of all
drives which they have verified with their controller; just call the
marketing dept or the customer service dept. The list is not the same for
all controllers, and it does change, so check with the supplier of your
controller.
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 87 15:07:15 PST (Tuesday)
From: "George_C._Burkitt.ElSegundo"%burger.ms@Xerox.COM
Subject: Hard Drive Interleave Factors
>In article <3104@uwmcsd1.UUCP> peter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Peter J
>Diaz deLeon) writes:
>I am running a Compaq Deskpro 286 which is an AT compatable. I would like
>to change the interleave on my hard drive from 2:1 to 1:1. I have a
>Miniscribe 20MB and a Compaq HD controler installed. Does anyone have
>some software for the AT that will allow me to LOW LEVEL format my HD with
>the new interleave.
Before and after making any change in interleave, check the effective
speed of your hard disk...the interleave factor which gives the fastest
performance is the one to use. If your computer cannot handle all the disk
access and data output of the drive in the time available with the smaller
interleave, the drive will have to take another full rotation to begin
reading again. The purpose of the interleave is to delay the reading of
the next sector until the controller has had a chance to clear out the ear-
lier data, without making it wait too long.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 87 11:09:26 EST
From: Jeff_MacKie-Mason@um.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Statistical subroutines
Lawrence Press asked for subroutines to do cumulative density func-
tions. I'd recommend Numerical Recipes, by Press (William!), Flannery,
Teukolsky and Vetterling, published by Cambridge Univ. Press. It contains
numerical subroutines for a huge range of problems, including probability
and statistics. Subroutines are provided in both FORTRAN and Pascal. An
example book of uses and tests for all of the routines is available (one
each in FORTRAN and Pascal). The routines are reliable, well-coded, and
the background information and derivations in the text are very useful.
Jeff MacKie-Mason
Univ. of Michigan
Jeff_MacKie-Mason@um.cc.umich.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 87 13:28:52 EDT
From: Dimitri Vulis <CLDLV%NASAGISS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Mathematical word processing
Several persons on our Math department (CUNY GC) have tried several PC-
based technical word processors. Their unanimous verdict was that PW is
much better than t3 and TeX is much better than PW. I recommend that you
try TeX.
DV
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 87 19:01:16 EDT
From: Dimitri Vulis <CLDLV%NASAGISS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: NumLock on Enhanced Keyboard Problem
Just create the following tiny .COM file via debug script:
debug numoff.com
a
xor ax,ax
mov ds,ax
and byte 417,df
ret
rcx
a
w
q
And add NUMOFF to your AUTOEXEC.BAT.
------------------------------
Date: 16 Nov 87 14:47:55 GMT
From: emigh%ncsugn.ncsu.edu@mcnc.mcnc.org (Ted H. Emigh)
Subject: t3 word processor
From: <VANLENT%HWALHW5.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
> We have heard about a wonderful word-processing package called T3. It
>is a product of TCI Software Research Inc. located in New Mexico. We made
>some inquiries here in Duckland. We have been informed that the price is
>about 2000 florins (=900$), and that we had to buy every printer driver,
>for about f450. Is this universally the case? We asked some people in
>England and they received all the drivers without paying any extra money.
>So we started to wonder.
We have used T3 here for about a year. It is a good mathematical word
processor, but somewhat expensive. The thing that sold us (a Genetics
Dept) is that it will accept chemical equations/forms/etc. Here, we get
the first set of printers free (non laserprinters) and have to pay for any
extra printer drivers.
The Statistics Dept. just settled on exp as the Departmental word proces-
sor. I don't know much about it, except that it is about an order of mag-
nitude cheaper.
Ted H. Emigh, Dept. Genetics and Statistics, NCSU, Raleigh, NC
uucp: mcnc!ncsuvx!ncsugn!emigh internet: emigh%ncsugn.ncsu.edu
BITNET: NEMIGH@TUCC @ncsuvx.ncsu.edu:emigh@ncsugn.ncsu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 87 09:34 CST
From: <MADS%UNO.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Driver Format References Provided
How to write drivers: The Micro Cornucopia, p.o. box 223, bend, oregon
97709 (503) 382-5060 had an article on that in issue 32 pages 60-64. The
article was written by Don Fletcher, Columbia, MO., so maybe he is at UM.
He shows how to write a printer driver but I haven't tried it. If someone
is interested in working with me to write one, let me know. And issue 33,
pages 6-11 contains some more info. Micro Cornucopia has a bulletin board
(503) 382-7643 for technical questions.
New boards for pc's: My son and I bought a 5/10 mhz XT compatible from
Lektronics usa (800) 826-5774. It has the ERSO rom. They have been very
helpful and easy to work with. The machine with 640k, 30 mb hard drive (st
238 rll), one floppy, necessary controllers, baby AT board was a little
over $800.
Zenith 148 multifunction board capability:
I have been trying to use a multifunction board in a zenith z-148.
Tried three different ones. Either get parity error in the LIMS com-
patible expanded memory or the extra ports won't work. I upgraded to the
latest bios rom to see if that would work. What I want is a board that
works and does the following: 1 or 2 meg expanded memory LIMS compatible,
serial port, parallel port. Would like software for disk cache, print
spooling, virtual disks.
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 87 15:46:20 GMT
From: petsd!hjuxa!pzl@rutgers.edu
Subject: MIDI Based Software
For a very comprehensive set of ads for midi software (there is tons)
get a copy of "Electronic Musician". The December Issue has an additional
section called "Mix" which is a catalogue of the top software for midi.
Also read rec.music.synth on netnews, which always manages to discuss
the software.
uucp: {bellcore|clyde|decvax|nssc05|ihnp4|houxa}!hjuxa!pzl
voice: 201-577-6025
------------------------------
Date: Wed 18 Nov 87 11:28:36-EST
From: Jim Celoni S.J. <su.Celoni@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: DOS 3.3 ^U/^W patches
the code to make control-U clear the current DOS command line and
control-W clear the current word was NOP'd.
Do you have a patch to make Ctrl-U and Ctrl-W work for DOS 3.3?
It's in our very own Info-IBMPC program library as CTLENABL; it makes
^U and ^W work without taking up RAM or changing disk files.
I also received a suggestion to load a command line editor like CED or
History. That's a solution too, but ctlenabl is enough for me.
Thanks! +j
[I received more than one PINGER for this one. I didn't look in the Lend-
ing Library first. --gph]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 87 13:19:57 EST
From: John Owens <OWENSJ%VTVM1.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Help recovering my RECOVERed files
>If not, is the original filename still available in the file? And what is
>the format of the REC files. Since an EXE file doesn't seem to work with a
>command like FILExxxx.REC, there must have occurred changes during the ...
The recovered filename has the contents of the recovered file, with no
additional information, etc. It goes through all the allocation chains,
ignoring the disk directory. This means you lose names, directory at-
tributes, *and the length of the files* - they're all rounded to the sector
boundary. The reason your .EXE files don't work is that the loader uses
the extension to determine what to do with the file - just rename it to
something.EXE and it should work....
John Owens, <OWENSJ@VTVM1.BITNET>
[I'm not sure it's quite this simple, but it's worth a try. gph]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 87 12:54:47 CST
From: MATHPG1%UMCVMB.BITNET @ wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: BACKUP header Format
The IBM publication EXCHANGE had an article on the DOS BACKUP format in
the January/February 1986 issue. The 128 byte header format contents are
stated to be:
00H Indicates if this is the last diskette for this file (00/FF)
01-02H Diskette number
03-04H Unused
05-52H Full filespec (without drive)
53H Length of the filespec + 1 (This is the byte in the previous
question)
54-7FH Unused
The contents of the BAKUPID.@@@ file:
00H Indicates if this is the last diskette of the backup group
01-02H Diskette number (16 bit integer format)
03-04H Year (16 bit integer)
05H Day of month
06H Month of year
07-0AH Standard DOS time if /T was specified
0B-7FH Unused
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 87 09:05:18 +01
From: Andre PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG11.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
To: INFO-MINIX@UDEL.EDU,
Subject: Minix on a V20
>> I have found only one program that the V-20 does not like ...
>
>What program is it?
I am using a V20 too. At 8 Mhz without problems. I've heard of alleged
V20 incompatibilities many times, but never of any report pointing me to a
real V20 bug.
Of course, the V20 is somewhat faster and can affect timing loops,
especially those embodying instructions boosted by the V20. But that's ill
behaved programs, not V20. And the problem shows with any CPU at 8 Mhz
anyway.
The only "real" incompatibility I could ever spot was a program testing
if it was running on a 80286 by issuing a PUSHALL isn and testing SP. The
V20 is in fact a 80186 and PUSHALL works, but the program crashed on later
real 286 instructions. This was zapped away in minutes. Here again, the
V20 is not to blame, but the fact it is used in an environment where a 186
is *usually* not expected. The 286 test could have been better.
Any other precise information?
Andre PIRARD
SEGI - Universite de Liege
15, av. des Tilleuls
B-4000 LIEGE (Belgique)
+32 (41) 520180(449)
Bitnet: A-PIRARD@BLIULG11
Arpanet: A-PIRARD%BLIULG11.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (as long as it lasts)
Mais elle 'tait du monde ot les plus belles choses
Ont le pire destin.
Et rose, elle a v'cu ce que vivent les roses,
L'espace d'un matin.
Pierre de Ronsart.
An eternal superb piece of verse, right from the Middle Ages.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 87 13:02:03 EST
From: Robert E Zaret <ZARET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Programming UARTs
Someone here asked me for information about programming a UART for
speeds greater than 19.2Kbps. They are trying to set up a data aquisition
system (sounds like home brew) using Kermit under XENIX, and are frustrated
that the upper limit for ioctl is 19.2Kbps.
The real problem is, indeed, data aquisition. They want to analyze
data on a machine running Xenix, but think that machine will be too loaded
(and thus too slow) to collect data in real time. They have decided to try
aquiring the data on a machine running DOS and then shipping them to the
Xenix machine for analysis. The data transfer doesn't have to be real
time, but should be close. They also want to avoid the extra hardware
required for networks. Any hope?
He also said he found a table he could patch to make the UART, and Ker-
mit, run faster. However, the souped-up Kermit ran out of buffer during
transfers.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 87 13:18:40 WUT
From: BULLETIN%AWIWUW11.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Adminestering Multiple Choice Tests in a PC Network
At the University of Economics and BA in Vienna about 1500 students per
semester have to pass multiple choice tests for elementary computer science
courses.
Currently the tests are composed from a mainframe database of about 900
multiple choice questions. The process of:
1. choosing questions
2. printing scrambled questionnaires (about 30 pages each)
3. putting the test booklet and a mark read form together
4. testing 1500 students simultaniously in 10 class rooms
5. scanning the mark read forms at another university in Vienna
6. evaluating the resulting magnetic tape file
7. being attacked by frustrated students
is long, complicated and not particulary cheap. At least items 1 to 6 can
be improved. We have three PC labs with 40 PCs each. The PCs are running
MS/DOS and are connected via networks.
It would sound reasonable to perform these tests in the PC labs, where
eg. the questions are chosen randomly online from the pool of questions.
The students could answer the questions directly on the screen and obtain
their results immediately.
Is anybody facing similar problems? Has anybody perhaps a solution or
even an implementation? Any hints? Experiences? Help?
Lore Alkier
Christoph Lell
Gustaf Neumann
------------------------------
Date: Wed 2 Dec 87 22:27:35-EST
From: "Mark Becker" <Cent.Mbeck%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Help Identifying a Video Board
After scanning the literature available to me and not getting anywhere,
I'm turning to the net for help. Maybe someone out there has seen this
thing.
I'm looking at a monochrome video board that has a parallel printer
port on it. A couple of days ago I turned on my MX-80 and the board went
dead. This one chip, labelled UM-82C11, is now overheating like crazy and
there is no video signal to the monitor.
I'm convinced the 82C11 has somehow been fried. However, I can't find
this thing anywhere and am now wondering if it is a re-packaged 8255 (of
which I have plenty in stock) or similar parallel I/O chip. Rather than go
off and purchase a new board, I'd like to replace the burnout and see if
things come back to normal.
Your help is appreciated.
Mark Becker
MBECK@AI.AI.MIT.EDU <-- Use this return address, much safer.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 87 12:55 EST
From: Boebert@DOCKMASTER.ARPA
Subject: IBM PC/XT/AT Reference Needed
What's the best reference work on the low-level software and i/o innards of
the PC? I am looking for something that is the equivalent of "Beneath
Apple DOS:" disk formats, physical i/o design, etc.; the nittier/grittier
the better.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 87 14:50:36 EST
From: Mike Conmackie <IMC%WINDSOR1.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Extended/Expanded Memory Specifications
Is there a definitive reference available which describes the
similarities/differences between the various expanded/extended memory
implementations? I would like to know the difference between EMS, EEMS as
well as any compatibility issues that should be considered in light of LIM
4.0. I welcome any and all comments since I am debating whether to upgrade
my XT compatible with 1 or 2 Meg of additional memory or simply bite the
bullet and purchase an AT compatible.
Thanks in advance
Mike Conmackie
------------------------------
From: harvard!minya!jc.UUCP@seismo.css.gov
Date: 24 Nov 87 12:43:24 GMT
Subject: IBM PC and Mac to Unix Links Query
Well, I find myself in (or at least near :-) an office with a jumble of
IBM PCs, Macintoshes, and a bunch of Unix systems. Guess what? The people
want to exchange files among them all, and they don't cooperate very well.
What can you folks on the net tell me about your experience with
packages to make them all talk together? Any good packages out there? Any
that you'd like to warn me about? We could order one of each and try them
out, but it seemed to me that I might learn something from experienced
users first....
John Chambers <{adelie,ima,maynard,mit-eddie}!minya!{jc,root}>
(617/484-6393)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 87 08:53:40 EST
From: <Pete_Simpson%MERCURY.CEO.DG.COM@adam.DG.COM>
Subject: 3-D Plotting program
Does anyone know of (or can anyone supply) a public-domain 3-D plotting
program? Ideally, this would take as input a table of values (2 independent
variables and one dependent) and output a "mesh" or "fishnet" plot of the
surface. X-Y-Z rotation and zoom would be nice. Please respond to:
<SIMPSON_P%MERCURY.ceo.dg.com@adam.dg.com>
and
<info-ibmpc@walker-emh.arpa>
(617) 870-9837 Thanks!
------------------------------
Date: 25 NOV 87 13:29 GMT
From: u320%CBEBDA3T.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Martin Egger)
Subject: Compatibility problems with an accelerator board on a NCR PC6
My computer is a NCR PC6, a dual speed (4.77/8 MHz) 8088-2/8087 based
system. The memory consists of 640kB on-board RAM and 2MB on an AST
Rampage. A Genoa SuperEga and a 20MB hard disk are also there.
Some time ago I tried to install one of MicroWay's 12MHz FastCache ac-
celerator cards. My problem is this: once the card is installed, the sys-
tem will not boot anymore. The computer remains completely dead - even the
monitor remains blank.
My guess and most of my friends' is that the card doesn't like NCR's
BIOS, for the card works perfectly well with a true IBM PC and several
clones. I did try to use other BIOS in my system, but to no avail. Usually
the computer will not work with them.
So my questions are:
- Is the BIOS truly at fault? or is it something else?
- Has anyone solved a similar problem and how?
- Has anyone any suggestion at all?
My thanks to all who are willing to help!!
-- 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
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 87 10:40:52 EST
From: John Allred <jallred@VAX.BBN.COM>
Subject: Intel Hex Format Query
A friend of mine without access to the net asked me to post this ques-
tion. He's developing code for a single board 8088 machine (made by Vesta
Technologies.) He compiles code on an IBM-AT clone, and then downloads the
executable to the Vesta card. The Vesta manual requires the executable to
be in "Intel hex format, which is generated by Intel assemblers". Intel
hex is not mentioned in the Microsoft Assembler.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
John Allred (jallred@bbn.com)
[As I recall, the Intel Hex Format was defined as follows:
An ASCII TEXT file with the format:
AAAA BB DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSS<cr-lf>
where AAAA is the initial load address for the line;
BB is a byte count of the following BB bytes;
SS is a 'checksum' of the BB data bytes calculated by adding
all the data bytes and ignoring signs. The checksum should
be zero. Address was not included in the check-sum.
Don't recall if spaces could be imbedded between pairs of bytes
to improve readability or not.
Hope this helps. gph]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1987 13:02:43 EDT
From: FAC0395%UOFT01.BITNET@jade.berkeley.edu (J. Feustle)
Subject: Systems Application Products Error Messages
I have a friend who is running Systems Application Products -S.A.P.- (no
jokes, please), on a 4341. All is in order except the error messages,
which are given in German. You can supposedly select the language in which
these messages are to be given, and he has chosen English. However, there
are other, seemingly important error messages, that ONLY APPEAR IN GERMAN.
Can anyone tell me where I can get a complete set of error messages for SAP
in English? Tks.
J. Feustle
BITNET: FAC0395@UOFT01
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 87 11:56:56 PST (Tuesday)
From: "Philip_M._Burton.osbunorth"@xerox.com
Subject: Configuring AST Print Spooler
The AST SuperSpool (V1.40) that I recently installed on my system
drives my Epson FX-80 printer very slowly compared with non-spooled print-
ing. Printer speed seem unaffected by other system operrations like
keyboarding or disk access. I like the spooler because the application
"finishes" printing very quickly, but I want to speed up the printing
ooperation.
My system is a stock IBM PC AT (6 MHz), 640 KB of RAM, EGA card and
display, and an AST ATvantage for normal and extended memory. The spooler
uses 512 KB of extended memory, much bigger than most print jobs.
Can I configure the spooler for better performance? I could see no
change in print speed when I disabled the Epson's 2KB internal buffer, as
per the AST manual.
Is there a later version of SuperSpool that might run faster?
Are there other spoolers available that don't slow down printer
operation?
Please post answers directly to the net.
-- Phil Burton
-- Xerox Corporation
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 1987 17:54:10 PST
From: Richard Gillmann <GILLMANN@C.ISI.EDU>
Subject: Extending DOS Memory to 704K
I know it's possible to extend DOS memory from 640K to 704K, but I
don't know how it's done. Does anyone know the details of how to do this?
[It can be done. However DOS will not recognize any memory above 640K.
gph]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 87 23:44:57 EST
From: John <JOHN%NCSUVM.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: MASM macros for real numbers
Just a quick query here... Has anyone put together or know where I can
find some macros for MASM that will allow me to define real numbers? I
haven't seen anything in the manuals, and I'm not real sure where to go
next... anyways.. any help is appreciated.. Thanks.
John W. DeBoskey
------------------------------
Date: Wed 18 Nov 87 11:28:36-EST
From: Jim Celoni S.J. <su.Celoni@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: ADDPATH for DOS 3.3?
I've appreciated the program library's ADDPATH under DOS 3.1; with it I
could add or remove a directory from the DOS PATH. Can it be made to work
under PC-DOS 3.3?
Thanks. +j
------------------------------
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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