akermanis@troa01.dec.com (03/06/89)
I have run into a strange problem with Wordpower 3.2 and disk I/O and hope someone may have some ideas. My hardware consists of a COCO III 512K, CCBUS (same idea as multipak), Tandy RS232 interface slot 1, Burke & Burke hard disk interface with WD1002 controller in slot 3 and the Tandy half height floppy in slot 4. Given that OS-9 level II runs without problems for hours on end, programs running under RSDOS work without problems, VIP Writer/database works OK and what ever else I have runs fine. A couple of weeks back I received Wordpower 3.2 from Microcom and on the surface looks like an excellent wordprocessor. The problem that I have been experiencing has to do only with disk I/O on file loads or saves. I discovered this problem shortly after I got the software, where if you load in a text file the software crashes. If you save the text buffer, it corrupts the disk in a very mild and almost undetectable way. I did the usual things like unplug the RS232 interface, Burke & Burke interface and got to the point where the Tandy floppy controller was all that was left on the CCBUS, same problem. Unplugged the CCBUS and plugged the floppy controller in directly, works like a champ. Wordpower 3.2 for some reason will not work with the CCBUS inline, yet every other piece of software I own has never had problems. I called Microcom and was immediately handed over to the author of the software to explain my problem. After going over the scenario with him, I was told that Wordpower 3.2 uses the ROM disk I/O routines. He also did not understand what the problem could be considering RSDOS and OS-9 runs fine. They could offer no solution to my problem. Under RSDOS, I quickly put together a program that tested the various disk I/O routines to ensure the ROM was OK since I seldom use RSDOS. I found no problems here either. I also tried some other software that I know also uses ROM disk I/O routines and they work fine. Since Wordpower 3.2 works without problems plugged directly in the expansion port and crashes in the expansion bus, I would assume the CCBUS is causing the problem. What does not make sense is every other piece of software runs fine. 1) Could it be that there is a timing problem that shows up under Wordpower and the CCBUS ? 2) Wordpower has a problem ? 3) I am out to lunch ? 4) It's the wrong time of the month ? 5) It's only my imagination ? Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated. John (* There is always one more bug. *) (* Not until a program is in release for six months will the most harmful error be discovered *)
lnewman@emdeng.Dayton.NCR.COM (Lee.A.Newman) (03/08/89)
I purchased a CCBUS several years ago. I tried it with a J&M disk controller running JDOS, and it would not work. After several talks with the makers of the CCBUS, they finally fessed up and said there was a problem and they did not have a soln for JDOS. At the time, I noticed that the problem probably was in the decoding circuitry on the CCBUS. You probably need to check the addresses the CCBUS permits to be sent to the expansion cards. Needless to say, I returned the CCBUS. Shortly thereafter I noticed that I could not find any ads for the CCBUS. Lee Newman lnewman@emdeng.dayton.NCR.com