[net.micro] Osborne I Comments/Questions

ignatz (01/08/83)

I purchased, for a number of reasons, an Osborne I as a portable smart 
"terminal".  However, I *do* have some questions:

	1) Does *anyone* have a working termcap entry (yes,yes, I'm
	   working on it, but I'm lazy...)

	2) What is, unquestionably, the best macro-assembler and linking
	   loader for it?  For my purposes, it MUST:
	   a) Support the full Z80 instruction set, as well as 8080 compatiblity
	   b) Support overlays
	   c) Support parameters in the macro calls

	3) What is, unquestionably, the best 'C' compiler?  I have, sadly,
	   the Software Toolworks version, and am the checking BDS 'C"
	   documentation.  I especially want one to interface with whatever
	   macro assembler I buy.  I particularly am gronched out by the
	   Software Toolworks not supporting longs and parameterized
	   #defines.

	4) Does anyone know if I can get to the/any hardware clock on the
	   Osborne?  It used to have either a clock interface routine, or
	   a software clock, in the FDOS; but, for some reason, this was
	   removed in a past revision.  I have the schematics, but these will
	   not tell me if a timer chip is available at, say, address 0x10000,
	   even if there is such a chip onboard.

For those who wish to know (there was a query on this earlier, I know), the
Osborne Technical Manual is available for $50.00.  Yes, it has full schematics,
a description of everything from how to disassemble the beast to full listings
of the BIOS and BDOS, and descriptions of the various subsystems.
(Incidentally, before visions of custom CP/M go dancing in your heads, part of
it is in rom, so you'd best have a cross-assembler and prom burner to try this;
not paying any attention to the fact that your warranty is dead the moment a
non-Osborne screwdriver touches those virgin case screws...)

Finally, I doubt there are enough Osborne owners out there to form a group.
But I am willing to act as a moderator/digestifier/remailer/contact person
for any who are interested in sharing Osborne information/programs/etc.  I've
already contacted the Chicago Area First Osborne Users Group and several other
organizations in an attempt to organize things...

			Thanks for your patience in this ramble,

			Dave Ihnat
			ihuxx!ignatz

jim@rand-unix.arpa (01/18/83)

Osborne hardware clock location

I found a hardware clock in BMRAM at location EFCC on an Osborne I that
I was working with.  I forget the resolution, but it was something obvious
once you started peeking at it.  It seemed reliable, but of course is not
mentioned in the documentation, so I decided not to use it for the product
I was developing, since it could go away on any future release of the ROMs.

I use Software Toolworks C for my Osborne developments;  too bad about float
and long, but it's a very solid compiler.  I haven't found any bugs in it for
about a year, unlike a $500 compiler that I've been using on another machine.

	Jim Gillogly
	jim @ rand-unix