CP/M/CPM_CDROM.iso/simtel/archives/cpm/9112-1.txt

Text File | 1993-02-19 | 56KB | 1,406 lines

 6-Dec-91 12:25:24-MST,8834;000000000000
Mail-From: W8SDZ created at  6-Dec-91 12:22:40
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri,  6 Dec 91 12:22:39 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #191
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Fri,  6 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  191

Today's Topics:
   Flexible Z[2]80 disassembler original (was: Z[2]80 Disassembler)
                     Re: CP/M Emulator for Unix?
                       Re: LBR files on MS-DOS
                           Re: Xerox 820/II
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 27 Nov 91 12:56:10 GMT
From: mcsun!sun4nl!wn1.sci.kun.nl!cs.kun.nl![e-mail]  (Luc Rooijakkers)
Subject: Flexible Z[2]80 disassembler original (was: Z[2]80 Disassembler)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In alt.sources <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Curt Mayer) writes:

>This package contains an intelligent Z80/Z280 (compile-time selectable)
>disassembler for CP/M .COM files.  It is derived from an excellent dumb
>disassembler by Luc Rooijakkers <[e-mail]>.

Thanks, Curt! Your derived version is much less flexible, though.
Those who want the original can get it via anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.kun.nl
as /pub/Z80Dis/z80dis.tar.Z. Excerpts from the README file:

> This package comprises a universal Z80/Z280 (compile-time selectable)
> disassembler module, together with three front-ends using it: a simple
> disassembler for CP/M .COM files, an opcode table producing program and
> an opcode list producing program.
>
> The package was originally written in TurboC 2.0. It has been cleaned up
> to the point that it *should* be portable C now. Prototypes are included and
> used if the preprocessor symbol PROTO is defined (see the Makefile). The
> Z80 version works with SunOs 4.0.3 cc; both Z280 and Z80 work with gcc.

It was originally (27 Dec 1989) posted to comp.os.cpm, shortly followed
by a patch (10 Jan 1990). The tar file includes the patch.

--
Luc Rooijakkers                                 Internet: [e-mail]
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science     UUCP: uunet!cs.kun.nl!lwj
University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands         tel. [phone]

------------------------------

Date: 27 Nov 91 03:52:50 GMT
From: agate!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!bruce!trlluna!titan!rhea![e-mail]  (Allan Duncan)
Subject: Re: CP/M Emulator for Unix?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

There is a Z80 & CP/M emulator on one of the Amiga PD collections - I seem
to recollect that it is in 68000 assembler, but given the closeness of Unix
and AmigaDos there would not be too much trouble in porting it to those
machines that have 680x0 in their guts.
Allan Duncan    ACSnet     [e-mail]
([phone]    Internet [e-mail]
        UUCP     {uunet,hplabs,ukc}!munnari!trl.oz.au!aduncan
Telecom Research Labs, PO Box 249, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia.

------------------------------

Date: 27 Nov 91 11:01:26 GMT
From: mcsun!uknet!cam-orl![e-mail]  (Andy Jackson)
Subject: Re: LBR files on MS-DOS
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Thanks for all the help that I have received both in comp.os.cpm and
by email. I used the uncrunch program posted by Scott Marshall and it
de-compressed all my files for me.

        Thanks again,
                Andy..

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Andy Jackson - [e-mail] or [e-mail] - phone [phone]
    Olivetti Research, 24a Trumpington Street, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1QA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1991 10:16:51 PST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Xerox 820/II
Message-ID: <" 3-Dec-91 13:16:51 EST".*[e-mail]>

The Xerox 820-II has a serial printer port built in, with a connector on the
back.  It is assumed that you will used a serial printer interface when
connecting a printer the the Xerox 820-II.  There is an optional parallel port
on the mother board though.


General Purpose PIO:
--------------------

As you stated, there is a 40 pin header inside the machine (J8), for connecting
up to the General Purpose PIO.  This port can be configured to support a
parallel printer interface.  To do so, you will have to build a printer cable,
configure the port, and then run the CONFIGUR utility on your CP/M system disk
(and any other system disk that will need to support the parallel printer).

Following is a pinout of the 40 pin connector, its pin assignment, and how
these pins are used for the parallel printer port option.

           J8        Pin Assignment    Printer Assignment
           --        --------------    ------------------

        1    2
all odd        o    o    Port A STROBE
numbered    o    o    Port A READY
pins are    o    o    Port A bit 0    Data Bit 0
grounded    o    o    Port A bit 1    Data Bit 1
        o    o    Port A bit 2    Data Bit 2
        o    o    Port A bit 3    Data Bit 3
        o    o    Port A bit 4    Data Bit 4
        o    o    Port A bit 5    Data Bit 5
        o    o    Port A bit 6    Data Bit 6
        o    o    Port A bit 7    Data Bit 7
        o    o    Port B READY
        o    o    Port B STROBE
        o    o    Port B bit 0    Auto LF
        o    o    Port B bit 1
        o    o    Port B bit 2    Data Strobe
        o    o    Port B bit 3
        o    o    Port B bit 4    Busy
        o    o    Port B bit 5
        o    o    Port B bit 6    On Line
        o    o    Port B bit 7    Acknowledge
        39    40


General Purpose PIO Hardware Configuration:
-------------------------------------------

To configure the hardware, you will need to add shunt jumpers to J11.  Jumpers
should be installed between pins 1 and 3, pins 5 and 6, pins 9 and 10, and pins
17 and 18.  This will configure the Port A and the lower 4 bits of Port B for
output, and the upper 4 bits of Port B for input.

           J11
           ---

        1    2
    PB6    o    o    PB4
        o    o    Port B READY polarity
        o    o    Port B lower direction
odd pins    o    o    Port A READY polarity
3-17 are    o    o    Port A upper direction
grounded    o    o    Port B upper direction
        o    o    Port A STROBE polarity
        o    o    Port B STROBE polarity
        o    o    Port A lower direction
    +5 V    o    o    +5 V
        19    20


Parallel Printer Software Configuration:
----------------------------------------

When you run the CONFIGUR utility, select the "Select I/O Device Assignments"
option.  Change the "List" device to the Parallel Printer option.  Now exit,
and save the configuration.  Note the the "Print Screen" function on the
keyboard will no longer work.


Building the Printer Cable:
---------------------------

I have done this two different ways.  The first was to run ribbon cable into a
D25 connector, and then build a D25 to Centronics cable.  This took a little
more work, since I had to solder connections, but was easy to do.  Note that it
was NOT compatible with the IBM parallel cable.

The second way was to make a long ribbon cable, that went directly from the
820-II to the printer.  This can be obnoxious to do, since you need to cut and
move wires in the ribbon cable, in order to get them to line up with the
centronics.

A third option would be to run ribbon cable to a D25 connector, and make it
compatible with IBM's printer cable.  It's just not worth it though.  It will
cost you more than the second option, and you have to move even MORE wires than
you have to do with the second option.  Of course, you could run ribbon cable
directly to a D25 connector, and then buy one of those little interface boxes
that have a D25 on each side, and the ability to cross-wire what ever you need.
Then it would be pretty easy to make the final output compatible with an IBM PC
printer cable.

Here is the pin to pin connection I used for the second option (ribbon cable
from 820-II to printer).

Centronics    J8
----------    ---
     1    30
     2     6
     3     8
     4    10
     5    12
     6    14
     7    16
     8    18
     9    20
    10    40
    11    34
    12    36
    13    38
    14    26
    15    nc
    16    nc
    17    nc
    18    nc
    19    31
    20     7
    21     9
    22    11
    23    13
    24    15
    25    17
    26    19
    27    39
    28    33
    29    35
    30    37
    31    nc
    32    nc
    33    nc
    34    nc
    35    nc
    36    nc

I do not currently have a copy of what I did for option 1, though with a little
time, I'm sure I could come up with it.  If need be, I can also list the pin
out of the Centronics printer connector.  Note that the pins on the centronics
connector are numbered in a row (first row: 1-18; second row: 19-36), rather
than back an forth as on the 40 pin connector (first row: odd numbers; second
row: even numbers).

Latter, all.

                ~ Mike  ([e-mail])

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #191
*************************************
12-Dec-91 10:16:40-MST,4306;000000000000
Mail-From: W8SDZ created at 12-Dec-91 10:13:45
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 91 10:13:44 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #192
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Thu, 12 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  192

Today's Topics:
           CPM emulators written in 68000 assembly language
                                 Info
                          Intertek Computer
                Osborne Executive and external monitor
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 01:23:01 GMT
From: amethyst!salado!afthree.as.arizona.edu![e-mail]  (Thomas J. Trebisky)
Subject: CPM emulators written in 68000 assembly language
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

A recent post by [e-mail] mentioned that a z80 and CP/M
emulator existed written in 68000 assembly language.  Thanks for the tip!

I poked around a bit, and found two of these in an amiga archive site, and
thought I would post the details in case others were interested.  I do not
own an amiga, probably never will, but I do own an ATT unix-pc which is a
68010 machine -- my thought is that an emulator carefully written in assembly
should far outperform one written in C.

My desire is to be able to run M80, L80, and a C-compiler using one of these
emulators on my unix machine, then I will have make and vi and be able to
generate code for embedded Z80 or 8085 projects.  All just plans at this point,
but if it ever flies, perhaps I will report back here.  As yet, I am not clear
which of these two I will use, and I imagine I will write some code in C on the
unix machine, and package the assembly language code as a routine within that.

Anyway here is what I found......

At the anonymous ftp site  gatekeeper.dec.com --

----------------------------------
cd pub/micros/atari/fish/f1/f165
binary ; get CPM.zoo

This emulator does Z80 and CP/M emulation, with ADM3A support.
Was written by Ulf Nordquist and is dated  10/88

----------------------------------
cd pub/micros/atari/fish/f1/f165
binary ; get SimCPM.zoo

Two earlier versions of this one are in the archives at gatekeeper.
This emulator was originally an 8080 job with Heath H19 support.
This version (2.0) now supports the full set of Z80 opcodes.
Was written by Jim Cathey and Charlie Gibbs and is dated  1-9-89
Apparently is based on a set of articles that appeared in Dr. Dobbs Journal
in January - March, 1986
--
    Tom Trebisky    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 91 18:56:00 pst
From: Michael Bertsch <[e-mail]>
Subject: Info

Please E-mial me some info on cpm and what-not.  I'd like to know what
You have to do with me (CP/M computer owner) and if CP/M 3 is available for
kaypro 2.
                                               ---Adam & Michael Bertsch

------------------------------

Date: Mon,  9 Dec 91 11:01:18 -0500
From: Jay Sage <[e-mail]>
Subject: Intertek Computer
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

   Does anyone out there know anything about the Compustar Multiuser Terminal
System, Model 20?  It was made by Intertek Data Systems in Columbia, SC.
Someone who owns such a machine contacted me.  They say that the company is
no longer listed with telephone information.  This owner would love to share
information and software.

-- Jay Sage


------------------------------

Date: 10 Dec 91 03:08:52 GMT
From: csus.edu!wupost!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!mel.dit.csiro.au!mineng.dmpe.CSIRO.AU!dmssyd.syd.dms.CSIRO.AU!ditsydh.syd.dit.CSIRO.AU![e-mail]  (Ken Yap)
Subject: Osborne Executive and external monitor
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

I've got one of these things. The screen is too small but there's an
external video socket labelled "composite video". What sort of monitor
do I need? Will a plain monochrome PC monitor do?

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #192
*************************************
16-Dec-91 09:21:04-MST,9149;000000000000
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 91 09:15:23 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #193
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Mon, 16 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  193

Today's Topics:
                       Altos 5-15ad (multiuser)
                       CP/M Emulators Yet Again
          File copy utility with archive bit and datestamp ?
                Osborne Executive and external monitor
                     Re: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #192
                        Re: Intertek Computer
              Re: Osborne Executive and external monitor
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 15 Dec 91 05:10:45 GMT
From: bobsbox!gnat![e-mail]  (Andreas Meyer)
Subject: Altos 5-15ad (multiuser)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

(updated 91Oct05)

Altos Series 5 microcomputer, Model 5-15ad
Ready to run! This machine supports 3 users!

Hardware:
  Z80 CPU, 64k RAM
  Dual 5.25" floppy drives (700k each)
  4 serial ports (3 user, 1 printer)
  1 parallel port (alt. printer)
  User's manual

Software:
  MP/M, CP/M, CCS Business BASIC
  ...and much, much more!

Compact! Only 7"H x 14"W x 16"D!

Make an offer. (Include shipping)

This is not an S100 machine.
It does not have a hard drive (and it was designed that way).

Email or phone: Andy 908-668-6202 weekdays
--
 Andreas Meyer, N2FYE    [e-mail]    {backbone}!att!nsscmail!gnat!ahm
      Specializing in exploratory development for nearly two decades.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Dec 91 16:43:23 EST
From: Mike Freeman <[e-mail]>
Subject: CP/M Emulators Yet Again
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Fellow CP/Mers:
With all the discussion of CP/M emulators for Unix and 68K systems, my
curiosity was aroused.  Does anyone know of a CP/M/Z80 emuator for a VAX/VMS
system?  I hold out little hope (don't really need it but it'd be handy).
Thanks in advance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Freeman, K7UIJ     |       Internet: [e-mail]
301 N.E. 107th Street   |       GEnie: M.FREEMAN11
VancouvEr, WA 98685 USA |       Confidence is the feeling you have
Telephone [phone] |       before you understand the situation.

------------------------------

Date: 13 Dec 91 00:08:17 GMT
From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!unixhub!unixhub.SLAC.Stanford.EDU![e-mail]  (Ralph Becker-Szendy)
Subject: File copy utility with archive bit and datestamp ?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Does anyone know a cp/m utility similar to NewSweep, Wash or B29 which
- Knows about the archive bit (copy only files which have been
  modified, and set the archive status bit after copying), and
- Knows about Novados (or SuperBDOS or cp/m+ or ...) style datestamps,
  and can propagate the datestamp from the source to the destination
  file when copying, and
- works with NovaDOS (or SuperBDOS or Z80DOS), which are a set of
  enhanced BDOS replacements ?
A user interface as nifty as NewSweep, Wash or B29 is not required.

The use of such a utility is obvious: Backup, including incremental
backup.  The newer BDOSes already support datestamping and the archive
bit, so all the information is there. There is a program called
ARCOPY21 in the SIMTEL archive, which can do copying depending on the
archive bit, but it doesn't reset the archive bit on the source of the
copy, nor does it know about datestamps. Part of the problem could
probably solved with ZEX scripts, but again that doesn't help with the
datestamps.

Any pointers ? I do not use cp/m+ (aka cp/m 3.0), and I rarely use
ZCPR3.4 (aka NZ-COM), so I would prefer a tool which functions under
cp/m 2.2 with such an enhanced BDOS.

--
Ralph Becker-Szendy                          [e-mail]
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center                      [e-mail]
M.S. 95, P.O. Box 4349, Stanford, CA 94309                    [phone]

------------------------------

Date: 10 Dec 91 03:08:52 GMT
From: ucivax!news.claremont.edu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!mel.dit.csiro.au!mineng.dmpe.CSIRO.AU!dmssyd.syd.dms.CSIRO.AU!ditsydh.syd.dit.CSIRO.AU!ken@ucbvax  (Ken Yap)
Subject: Osborne Executive and external monitor
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

I've got one of these things. The screen is too small but there's an
external video socket labelled "composite video". What sort of monitor
do I need? Will a plain monochrome PC monitor do?

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 13 Dec 91 09:41:40 IST
From: "Jacques J. Goldberg" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #192

On Thu, 12 Dec 1991 10:13:44 MST <[e-mail]> said:
>Date: Mon,  9 Dec 91 11:01:18 -0500
>From: Jay Sage <[e-mail]>
>Subject: Intertek Computer
>Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
>
>   Does anyone out there know anything about the Compustar Multiuser Terminal
>System, Model 20?  It was made by Intertek Data Systems in Columbia, SC.
>Someone who owns such a machine contacted me.  They say that the company is
>no longer listed with telephone information.  This owner would love to share
>information and software.
>

Jay, please ask the owner if he does not mean INTERTEC rather than with a final
K. The name of the system indeed rings a bell. INTERTEC was the manufacturer
of the famous SuperBrain series and I definitely remember they had a hard disk
based M/PM system which is very likely what you have there.
If this is correct then it runs any MP/M and CP/M software.
I may have very limited info hidden somewhere, of the kind a dealer would
provide "by the way" about the MP/M system when selling the stand-alone CP/M
one.
                                                Jacques Goldberg

------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 15:14:08 GMT
From: prism![e-mail]  (MILLS,JOHN M.)
Subject: Re: Intertek Computer
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jay Sage) writes:
>
>   Does anyone out there know anything about the Compustar Multiuser Terminal
>System, Model 20?  It was made by Intertek Data Systems in Columbia, SC.
>Someone who owns such a machine contacted me.  They say that the company is
>no longer listed with telephone information.  This owner would love to share
>information and software.

I think this machine was the diskless sibling (possibly the predecessor)
(and maybe even the predecedent) of the Intertec _Superbrain_ cp/m systems
we had at Scientific-Atlanta in about 1980-82.  My memory is that the system
had a single motherboard, very few options, the usual dumb-terminal cursor
addressing and character attributes (but no graphics), and came in three
disk configurations: one 5.25" DD/DS, two 5.25" DD/DS, and one diskette plus
one internal hard disk.  I could be wrong about the last.  My two-drive
model routinely burned out the disk drives, since they had rubber-band
drive and ran _all_the_time_.

The Superbrain looked like a reasonably smooth Adds terminal.  If your
Compustar looks like a terminal, it may _just_be_ a terminal.  If it
looks like a chassis, it may be a multiuser cp/m of some kind.  What
does it look like?  Any connectors which might be fast enough data
paths for a shared-disk transfer?

I have some old disks from my Superbrain, but don't at the moment have
any way to read them.  The sector size is too large for the BIOS of my
SD-Systems boat anchor, and I never got a 5.25" drive to work convincingly
with it, anyway.

Maybe this will jog someone's memory on the _Compustar_.

--
John M. Mills, SRE; Georgia Tech/GTRI/EEEL, Atlanta, GA 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!jm59
Internet: [e-mail]
 "f U cn rd dis, U mst uz Unix!!!"  ...jaw

------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 00:10:59 GMT
From: world![e-mail]  (Bill Marcum)
Subject: Re: Osborne Executive and external monitor
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ken Yap) writes:
>I've got one of these things. The screen is too small but there's an
>external video socket labelled "composite video". What sort of monitor
>do I need? Will a plain monochrome PC monitor do?

I'm not familiar with the Osborne, but if it's really composite video, an IBM
PC monitor won't work.  A TV with audio/video inputs, or a VCR, or a Commodore
1702 monitor would work.

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #193
*************************************
16-Dec-91 12:24:38-MST,11859;000000000000
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 91 12:20:57 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #194
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Mon, 16 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  194

Today's Topics:
                               Emulator
                     IMSAI 8080 disk specs needed
                           Pied Piper port.
                     Re: CP/M Emulators Yet Again
        Re: File copy utility with archive bit and datestamp ?
              Re: Osborne Executive and external monitor
                        Re: Otrona questions!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 13 Dec 91 17:56:50 GMT
From: [e-mail]  (Zonnie Lee Williamson)
Subject: Emulator
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

After reading about the interest in emulators, I thought that I would post
this pre-release notice.  Several years back (you've heard this before...)
I wrote an 8080 emulator that ran CP/M modulo a couple of minor bugs.  I was
in the process of upgrading it to a Z80 emulator when I became interested in
other things.  I have been playing with it again and may even finish it...

My emulator is written in C for BSD Unix.  I intend it to be public-domain.
I keep my copy of CP/M 2.2 in hex on-line for testing, but users will have
to supply their own copy.  Perhaps someone could come up with some "free"
alternatives.

I have several "devices" that can be accessed:
1) multiple ttys
2) emulated disks (one disk per Unix file)
3) Unix file access

If anyone has ideas of things that they would like to see in a portable
emulator, let me know and I will try to work them in.  It may take a while,
but if there is enough interest, it may keep me interested...

Zon Williamson

------------------------------

Date: 13 Dec 91 15:50:47 GMT
From: netcomsv![e-mail]  (David Holleb)
Subject: IMSAI 8080 disk specs needed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

I need the disk formatting specs for 5.25 inch disks originally
used on an IMSAI 8080.
I have a cp/m disk emulator for an IBM but it needs the formatting
specs in order to work.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks
David

------------------------------

Date: 15 Dec 91 01:54:50 GMT
From: snorkelwacker.mit.edu!hri.com!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!ogicse!milton![e-mail]  (Bob Perigo)
Subject: Pied Piper port.
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Hoping someone can send me the pinouts for the female db15 printer
port socket on the Pied Piper 001.  The labels for the db37 drive 2
connector would also be appreciated.

--
 INTERNET,BITNET: [e-mail]         / _   Bob Perigo
 babble on BABEL @ 206-363-8969 9600b USR HST    /_)/_)  UW Box SM-28
 VOICE Bob at 206-367-4433 8am-8pm Seattle time    /     Seattle, WA
 UUCP Path: ...uw-beaver!u.washington.edu!bperigo        98195

------------------------------

Date: 15 Dec 91 20:04:28 GMT
From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!isis.cs.du.edu![e-mail]  (Tim Russell)
Subject: Re: CP/M Emulators Yet Again
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[e-mail] writes:

>  Second that request.  I'd *LOVE* to see a VAX/VMS CP/M Emulator. If you get
>any info send it to me please.

    Well, I sent mail to Mike, but since there is more interest I'll post
it here.  The university I attend had two 11/780s back in, I believe, 1984.
One of these had a board in it sold by a company called Bridge something-
or-other.  It had four Z80H's on it running CP/M which users could access.
Any more than four got an emulated CP/M which was slower.  It used VMS
virtual disk files and had transfer utilities.  I can probably get more info
on it from the then-system manager, but I seriously doubt the company is
still in business or selling the boards.

--
   Tim Russell               Omaha, NE           [e-mail]
   "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
    safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."  -  Benjamin Franklin

------------------------------

Date: 13 Dec 91 04:19:56 GMT
From: amdcad!netcomsv![e-mail]  (John Curtis)
Subject: Re: File copy utility with archive bit and datestamp ?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[e-mail] (Ralph Becker-Szendy) writes:

>Does anyone know a cp/m utility similar to NewSweep, Wash or B29 which
>- Knows about the archive bit (copy only files which have been
>  modified, and set the archive status bit after copying), and
>- Knows about Novados (or SuperBDOS or cp/m+ or ...) style datestamps,
>  and can propagate the datestamp from the source to the destination
>  file when copying, and

The program you need is ACOPY.  The latest version is 3.3.  I'm not
sure if it is available in the net archives though.  If not you can find it
on ZeeMachine here in the San Jose area: 408-245-1420.  ACOPY 3.3 does
offer full support of datestamps and use of the archive bit.  The author
of the program calls ZeeMachine regularly and is more than happy to
assist if you require any help, but I believe ACOPY should meet all of
your needs 'right out of the box'.

>Any pointers ? I do not use cp/m+ (aka cp/m 3.0), and I rarely use
>ZCPR3.4 (aka NZ-COM), so I would prefer a tool which functions under
>cp/m 2.2 with such an enhanced BDOS.

You mean you have ZCPR34 and actually prefer vanilla CP/M??
I'm shocked.. :)

--
 ....    ... ...     .........................................................
 ....... ... ... ...........   John Curtis   ....... aka Ziig on IRC .........
 ...... .... ... ..  ....... Santa Clara, Ca .................................
 ..... ..... ... ... ....... [e-mail]  ......... ZCPR Lives!! ..........
 ....    ... ...     .........................................................

------------------------------

Date: 12 Dec 91 17:15:31 GMT
From: math.fu-berlin.de!uniol!tpki.toppoint.de![e-mail]  (Cornelius Keck)
Subject: Re: Osborne Executive and external monitor
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[e-mail] (Ken Yap) writes:

>I've got one of these things. The screen is too small but there's an
>external video socket labelled "composite video". What sort of monitor
>do I need? Will a plain monochrome PC monitor do?
No. You should try to find an old monochrome monitor for the
C64. A CBM 1081 or 1084 should do the same job, but only b/w,
no color available.
    CU, CK.

--
Cornelius Keck    [e-mail]        2300 Kiel 1
            *** this bug is a feature ! ***

------------------------------

Date: 3 Dec 91 06:45:04 GMT
From: baron!baron!pnet07![e-mail]  (Don Maslin)
Subject: Re: Otrona questions!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[e-mail] (Tim Russell) writes:
>
>    Well, it seems I've become the owner of an Attache in good shape and
>working order.  Unfortunately, manuals weren't part of the deal.  :-)
>
>    ** stuff deleted **
>
>    When I took it apart, I noticed that it has a slot for some sort of
>an option board.  What was it, an internal modem, I assume?  Also, I
>know I'm dreaming, but is there any way to get a hard drive going in
>one of the drive bays?
>
The primary application for the slot was an 8086 board which gave a
limited MSODS 2.11 capability.  There was also a board that provided
what appears to be an IEEE-488 interface for an external hard disk.
There may have been an internal modem, but I never heard of it.

>    Does anyone have pinouts for the serial ports?  Once I get them I've
>got Mex all set up to go on it.  Also, what terminal does it emulate,
>and can I get it to do VT-100?
>
The pinouts for the serial ports are attached.  Probably if you are
using MEX+ you can use that VT-xxx emulator.  I forget whether it is
VT-100 or 52.

>    Mine has stickers on the keys for a numeric keypad on 789UIOJKLM,
>and also "Alarm", "Screen", and "Calc" on A, S, and C.  What are these for?
>
If you press Ctrl-Esc, you will get a status line along the bottom edge
of the screen that then permits setting a variety of things; including
key-click, screen brightness, baud rate, etc. and also displays time and
date.  Pressing the Tab key while the status line is present gives a new
status line with choices of Calculator, Screen Dump, Alarms, Install,
and Exit.  Each of these is a function of Valet which requires the
presence of the file VALET.VL2 on disk.

By the way, if you have not already discovered it, right shift & reset will
reset (cold boot) the Attache.

>    Are there any PD programs for PCs to read/write the disks?  It
>seems like the drives are standard PC drives, unless they're using a
>wierd controller to write them.
>
I'm not aware of any PD programs.  Sydex's shareware 22DISK,
MicroSolutions commercial UniForm-PC, are two programs with that
capability, however.  You are correct, they are standard 360k drives -
just 2/3rd high vice half high.

>    Aside from these questions :-) I'm pretty well set.  I used to have
>a lot of fun hacking on my 4p back in '85, and believe it or not I'm
>looking forward to having a nice simple CP/M machine to hack on.
>
Good!  Enjoy it.
                                              - don
-------------- cut here ---------------

                        OTRONA PORTS

       Local RS-232 Device (Printer)

       RS-232C                                       Attache
       Pin      Function                Direction      Pin
       -----------------------------------------------------
        1       Ground                  Not Applicable  1
        2       Transmitted Data        To DCE          4
        3       Received Data           From DCE        2
        5       Clear to Send           From DCE        9
        6       Data Set Ready          From DCE        3
        7       Ground                  Not Applicable  8
        7       Trans. Data Return      From DCE        11
        7       Data Term. Ready Return From DCE        12
        8       Recvd Signal Dectector  From DCE        10
        20      Data Terminal Ready     To DCE          5



       Communications RS-232 Device (Modem)

       RS-232C                                       Attache
       Pin      Function                Direction      Pin
       -----------------------------------------------------
        1       Shield Ground           Not Applicable  1
        2       Transmitted Data        To DCE          2
        3       Received Data           From DCE        4
        4       Request to Send         To DCE          10
        5       Clear to Send           From DCE        5
        7       Signal Ground           Not Applicable  8
        7       Recvd Data Return       To DCE          11
        7       Clear to Send Return    To DCE          12
        20      Data Terminal Ready     To DCE          9


       Note:  In local cable uses, Attache appears as a DCE to the
       peripheral.  The peripheral appears as DTE to Attache.





Keeper of the CP/M System Disk | UUCP: {nosc ucsd crash ncr-sd}!pnet07!donm
Archives for the Dino(saur)SIG | ARPA: baron!pnet07![e-mail]
- San Diego Computer Society - | INET: [e-mail]

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #194
*************************************
20-Dec-91 14:28:28-MST,5757;000000000000
Mail-From: W8SDZ created at 20-Dec-91 14:24:44
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 91 14:24:43 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #195
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Fri, 20 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  195

Today's Topics:
                      Bradford Printing Program
                   Copy With Archive and Date Stamp
                      KPro 4 with SWP CoPower_88
                          OSBORNE Video Info
                          SIMTEL20 down time
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Dec 91 20:00 CST
From: Lance Tagliapietra <[e-mail]>
Subject: Bradford Printing Program
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Hello,

Could someone please tell me if Aaron Contorer of ConCom Enterprises still
supports his Bradford printing program?  It is available from Simtel20 as
a fully function executable with little documentation.  I am interested in
getting the documentation.  A letter if inquiry to the p.o. box address
was never responded to.

If anyone is using Bradford could help me I would much appreciate it.  I am
having problems getting Bradford to properly indent paragraphs when printing
in justified mode.  Bradford is indenting BOTH sides of the line, instead of
just from the left margin.  Is there a special command it get it to indent
paragraphs?  I have noticed that none of the sample files that come with the
public distribution contain any indented paragraphs.

Lance

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Lance Tagliapietra                          Internet: [e-mail]
 P.O. Box 26                                   BitNet: 96720919@uwplatt
 Platteville, WI 53818

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 16 Dec 91 17:26:31 EST
From: Mike Freeman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Copy With Archive and Date Stamp
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In a recent Info-cpm Digest, you let it be known that you were looking
for a program that would copy files and handle the "archive" bit in a
sane matter as well as handle date/time stamps under one of the BDOS
replacements. Try PPIP18.LBR. It should be on Simtel-20 in the
pd2:<cpm.dskutl> or pd2:<cpm.filutl> directories (guess the periods
should have been commas -- have VMS on the brain!). PPIP18 is pretty
slick and only 4 or 5 K to boot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Freeman, K7UIJ     |       Internet: [e-mail]
301 N.E. 107th Street   |       GEnie: M.FREEMAN11
Vancouver, WA 98685 USA |       Confidence is the feeling you have
Telephone [phone] |       before you understand the situation.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Dec 91 18:05:48 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Tom Crone)
Subject: KPro 4 with SWP CoPower_88
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

  I recently inherited a couple Kaypro 4s, one with an SWP CoPower_88
board.  Several questions:

  1. The disk marked CPM-86 is un-readable.  Does anybody know where I
could get a replacement?

  2. Does anyone know about memory or other upgrades for the KP4 or CoPower?
(the CoPower seems to have 256K)

  3. Any users' groups or BBSs, especially near Washington, DC?

  Thanks for your time and help.

Tom Crone    CRONE@CUA  or  [e-mail]
    or, if others fail: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 13 Dec 91 00:26:49 GMT
From: mcsun!unido!ira.uka.de!smurf.sub.org!altger!doitcr![e-mail]  (Helmut Jungkunz)
Subject: OSBORNE Video Info
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Hi everybody!  I just read the request for help on OSBORNE's video standard.
Well, it's really a standard composite video signal, that can be displayed on
any video monitor.  There's a trick though to get a reasonable display, since
OSBORNE does not use a standard screen size:  unwind the deflection coil of the
CRT by two circles, that should do it!

In any case, consult the FOG, First Osborne Group, on that matter.  I think
they discussed this in their famous FOGHORN.

Ciao, regards and cu  (-: ,

-> Helmut Jungkunz <-

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1991  10:57 MST
From: Keith Petersen <[e-mail]>
Subject: SIMTEL20 down time
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

SIMTEL20 has been down due to building air conditioner failure.  A
very large blower is temporarily being used to circulate outside air
through the room pending repair.  Because of this unusual situation,
SIMTEL20 will be up during weekday prime time only.  It is not known
at this time when repairs will be completed.

SIMTEL20 files are also available from mirror sites OAK.Oakland.Edu
(141.210.10.117), wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4), uunet.uu.net
(192.48.96.2), nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100), src.doc.ic.ac.uk
(146.169.3.7) or rana.cc.deakin.oz.au (128.184.1.4), or by e-mail
through the BITNET/EARN file servers.

Keith
--
Keith Petersen
Maintainer of the MSDOS, MISC and CP/M archives at SIMTEL20 [192.88.110.20]
Internet: [e-mail]    or     [e-mail]
Uucp: uunet!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz              BITNET: w8sdz@OAKLAND

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #195
*************************************
24-Dec-91 13:36:27-MST,4206;000000000000
Mail-From: W8SDZ created at 24-Dec-91 13:32:20
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 24 Dec 91 13:32:20 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #196
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Tue, 24 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  196

Today's Topics:
                8080/Z80 Cross-Assembler for VAX/VMS?
                      Bradford Printing Program
                     Re: CP/M Emulators Yet Again
                          Turbo Pascal 3.01a
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 20 Dec 91 17:53:53 EST
From: Mike Freeman <[e-mail]>
Subject: 8080/Z80 Cross-Assembler for VAX/VMS?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Netland:
Anyone know of a cross-assembler that understands Intel 8080 and/or
Zilog Z80 mnemonics that runs on a VAX/VMS system?  Thanks in advance.
Happy Holidays!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Freeman, K7UIJ     |       Internet: [e-mail]
301 N.E. 107th Street   |       GEnie: M.FREEMAN11
Vancouver, WA 98685 USA |       Confidence is the feeling you have
Telephone [phone] |       before you understand the situation.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Dec 91 11:12:01 EST
From: Paul V. Pullen  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Bradford Printing Program
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Alex Contorer has been supporting his printing program, but has moved.  His
new address is:

        Alex Contorer
        Contorer Computing
        Post Office Box 6755
        Bellevue, Washington  98008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul V. Pullen
U. S. Army Chemical Research, Development & Engineering Center
Individual Protection Division
Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD                        DDN Mailbox
Comm 1-301-671-2519                              [e-mail]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: 15 Dec 91 20:04:28 GMT
From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!isis.cs.du.edu![e-mail]  (Tim Russell)
Subject: Re: CP/M Emulators Yet Again
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[e-mail] writes:

>  Second that request.  I'd *LOVE* to see a VAX/VMS CP/M Emulator. If you get
>any info send it to me please.

    Well, I sent mail to Mike, but since there is more interest I'll post
it here.  The university I attend had two 11/780s back in, I believe, 1984.
One of these had a board in it sold by a company called Bridge something-
or-other.  It had four Z80H's on it running CP/M which users could access.
Any more than four got an emulated CP/M which was slower.  It used VMS
virtual disk files and had transfer utilities.  I can probably get more info
on it from the then-system manager, but I seriously doubt the company is
still in business or selling the boards.

--
   Tim Russell               Omaha, NE           [e-mail]
   "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
    safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."  -  Benjamin Franklin

------------------------------

Date: 18 Dec 91 23:27:52 GMT
From: netcomsv![e-mail]  (Joe Wright)
Subject: Turbo Pascal 3.01a
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Borland Turbo Pascal 3.01a for sale.  MSDOS ($90) and for CP/M
($60).  Includes newly typeset 380 page Reference Manual in 8.5"
x 5.5" format, three-ring looseleaf.  Ideal holiday present for
the hacker who has 'almost' everything.  Check or Money Order.
--
Joe Wright          [e-mail]          "If you want it wRight"
Alpha Systems Corp.,   711 Chatsworth Pl.,   San Jose, CA  95128
[phone]    (voice)             "If you want it wRight now!"

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #196
*************************************
30-Dec-91 09:31:26-MST,12723;000000000000
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 91 09:15:55 MST
From: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: INFO-CPM Digest V91 #197
To: [e-mail]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

INFO-CPM Digest             Mon, 30 Dec 91       Volume 91 : Issue  197

Today's Topics:
           CPM emulators written in 68000 assembly language
                              GIF -> RLE
                             GIF Reader?
                 Graphics standard for small systems?
                            Happy Holidays
                        IBM keyboard articles
         Re: CPM emulators written in 68000 assembly language
                        Re: Intertek Computer
              Re: Osborne Executive and external monitor
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 01:23:01 GMT
From: amethyst!salado!afthree.as.arizona.edu![e-mail]  (Thomas J. Trebisky)
Subject: CPM emulators written in 68000 assembly language
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

A recent post by [e-mail] mentioned that a z80 and CP/M
emulator existed written in 68000 assembly language.  Thanks for the tip!

I poked around a bit, and found two of these in an amiga archive site, and
thought I would post the details in case others were interested.  I do not
own an amiga, probably never will, but I do own an ATT unix-pc which is a
68010 machine -- my thought is that an emulator carefully written in assembly
should far outperform one written in C.

My desire is to be able to run M80, L80, and a C-compiler using one of these
emulators on my unix machine, then I will have make and vi and be able to
generate code for embedded Z80 or 8085 projects.  All just plans at this point,
but if it ever flies, perhaps I will report back here.  As yet, I am not clear
which of these two I will use, and I imagine I will write some code in C on the
unix machine, and package the assembly language code as a routine within that.

Anyway here is what I found......

At the anonymous ftp site  gatekeeper.dec.com --

----------------------------------
cd pub/micros/atari/fish/f1/f165
binary ; get CPM.zoo

This emulator does Z80 and CP/M emulation, with ADM3A support.
Was written by Ulf Nordquist and is dated  10/88

----------------------------------
cd pub/micros/atari/fish/f1/f165
binary ; get SimCPM.zoo

Two earlier versions of this one are in the archives at gatekeeper.
This emulator was originally an 8080 job with Heath H19 support.
This version (2.0) now supports the full set of Z80 opcodes.
Was written by Jim Cathey and Charlie Gibbs and is dated  1-9-89
Apparently is based on a set of articles that appeared in Dr. Dobbs Journal
in January - March, 1986
--
    Tom Trebisky    [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 30 Dec 91 10:43:37 GMT
From: wang![e-mail]  (Joel Jacobsen)
Subject: GIF -> RLE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Where can I get GIF to RLE conversion program?

      Joel
 [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 30 Dec 91 10:12:09 GMT
From: wang![e-mail]  (Joel Jacobsen)
Subject: GIF Reader?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Hi



Is there any GIF reader for CP/M (using GSX)?
Is Pascal/MT+ support GSX?


      Joel
 [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 28 Dec 91 15:54:54 PST
From: pallio.UUCP![e-mail] (David Goodenough)
Subject: Graphics standard for small systems?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[e-mail] (Dave Horsfall) asks:
> Has anyone defined a suitable (portable?) graphics standard for small
> machines?  Things like Sun raster file, X, GIF etc are all very well,
> but a little bit overboard for what I want.

Did you look at the RLE format - it's a nice simple and small monochrome
graphics format. It goes something like this:

ESC G H

for the first three characters, then black and white color codes to fill
out the entire area of 256 * 192 pixels. The black and white codes
come in pairs, a byte for each value, black first, then white. The
two counts are simply the number of black pixels, followed by the number
of white pixels. Both values are offset by 20h to make them printable,
and the largest legal value is 7fh, encoding 5fh pixels (i.e. 95).

So to output continuous white, you'd say:

20 7f 20 7f 20 7f ..... etc. That'd give zero black, and 95 white
over and over. Note that the picture is filled in from the top
left corner, with lines running from left to right, and lines going
down. Also, if the number of pixels given wont fit on the remainder
of the current line, then simply take the excess and place those on
the start of the next line.

I think the original spec says to ignore values less than 20h, so that
cr/lf pairs can be added for readability. Also, If I were going to send
them as text files, I'd want to see about not using 7f, but making my
maximum value 7e, which _IS_ a printable character ('~'), where 7f
(DEL) is not.

Drop me a line if you want some sample RLE files, and maybe I can also
cook up some C code to convert a RLE file.

            Yours,
--
    [e-mail] - David Goodenough        +---+
                        IHS    | +-+-+
    .....!wet!pallio!dg                +-+-+ |
AKA:    [e-mail]              +---+

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 25 Dec 91 02:16:54 -0500
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Happy Holidays
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

12/24/91
                               ^
                              / \
     A SAFE and              /   \          From:
                            / @  O\
   HAPPY HOLIDAY           \       /        The Grey Family and
                            >   @ <
       SEASON              / @    S\        The Grey Matter BBS
                         / @  O     #\
    to you all!        /    @   @      \
                     / O      O     @    \
                    \           #         /
                     >     O    S      @ <
                   /    O          @      O\
                / @           @            #  \
             /       @  @  @      O    O         \
             V O V O           S           V O V O
                     V O V O       V O V O
                            {     }
                            {     }
     Please remember that alcohol and gasoline DO NOT MIX!




--
 Ed Grey  \*\  Sysop of The Grey Matter BBS & RCP/M 213-971-6260
 P.O. Box #2186  \*\  Bitnet: ac959%cleveland.freenet.edu@cunyvm
 Inglewood, CA 90305  \*\  Internet: [e-mail]
 USA \*\ v.: 213-759-7406 \*\ Fido: 1:102/752 \*\ GEnie: E.GREY1

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 27 Dec 91 15:20:33 -0500
From: Jay Sage <[e-mail]>
Subject: IBM keyboard articles
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

   I have received the following request from an acquaintance in New Zealand.
Is there anyone out there who can help?  If you have the magazine article(s)
and could photocopy them, we'd appreciate it if you would send the copies
either directly to Ewen or to me for forwarding.  Ewen does not read this
newsgroup (as far as I know), but you can send him Internet mail directly.
Thanks.

>> I realise you are very busy, and I wouldn't ask if I could think of any
>> other source, but I have a favour to ask.  I am working on adding a IBM PC
>> style keyboard to my Amstrad (by building a custom interface, so as to
>> translate PC keystrokes into Amstrad scan codes), but I am having problems
>> finding information on the PC keyboard.  I know about the scan codes, and
>> the pinouts of the connector, but I am having problems finding the
>> handshaking protocol - it would appear to be synchronous, but someone said
>> that it can be used in both directions.
>>
>> The following two magazines were mentioned to me as containing articles on
>> the IBM PC keyboard interface:
>>
>>   Micro Cornucopia #52, March-April 1990
>>   Circuit Cellar Feb/Mar 1990
>>
>> I would be very grateful if you have either of these articles and could
>> photocopy and send them to me (Ewen McNeill, 58 Fraser Avenue,
>> Johnsonville, Wellington, New Zealand), or if you can find anyone who has
>> them.  Backorder department addresses, if they still exist, would be
>> useful.
>>
>> --Ewen McNeill, [e-mail]


------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 04:13:10 GMT
From: mentor.cc.purdue.edu!gauss.math.purdue.edu![e-mail]  (Clarence Wilkerson)
Subject: Re: CPM emulators written in 68000 assembly language
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Just some comments. 1) Most of the tools you mentioned like
M80, L80, MAC, RMAC run on an 8080 machine and don't require
a Z80 (emulator).   2) If you have an old PC around, you can
get quite respectable performance with either emulators like
Z80MU or 22NICE.  3) Most unix 68000's use a peculiar brand of
68k assembly language mnemonics compared to Motorola standards.
For example, SIMCPM is written using Motorola mnemonics plus
quite a few macros.
    Anyway, I would suggest getting the 8080emulator available
from hopf.math.purdue.edu (128.210.3.18) in the ~ftp/pub/cpm
directory, and trying it out to see if you really need higer
performance ( compared to the work of getting it).

I didn't write the emulator. I imported it from the U. Tokyo
archives, and the documentation is in Japanese. I figured the
configuration out from the source files. Someone in Australia
promised me a rough translation of the docs, but I don't have
them yet.

------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 15:14:08 GMT
From: prism![e-mail]  (MILLS,JOHN M.)
Subject: Re: Intertek Computer
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jay Sage) writes:
>
>   Does anyone out there know anything about the Compustar Multiuser Terminal
>System, Model 20?  It was made by Intertek Data Systems in Columbia, SC.
>Someone who owns such a machine contacted me.  They say that the company is
>no longer listed with telephone information.  This owner would love to share
>information and software.

I think this machine was the diskless sibling (possibly the predecessor)
(and maybe even the predecedent) of the Intertec _Superbrain_ cp/m systems
we had at Scientific-Atlanta in about 1980-82.  My memory is that the system
had a single motherboard, very few options, the usual dumb-terminal cursor
addressing and character attributes (but no graphics), and came in three
disk configurations: one 5.25" DD/DS, two 5.25" DD/DS, and one diskette plus
one internal hard disk.  I could be wrong about the last.  My two-drive
model routinely burned out the disk drives, since they had rubber-band
drive and ran _all_the_time_.

The Superbrain looked like a reasonably smooth Adds terminal.  If your
Compustar looks like a terminal, it may _just_be_ a terminal.  If it
looks like a chassis, it may be a multiuser cp/m of some kind.  What
does it look like?  Any connectors which might be fast enough data
paths for a shared-disk transfer?

I have some old disks from my Superbrain, but don't at the moment have
any way to read them.  The sector size is too large for the BIOS of my
SD-Systems boat anchor, and I never got a 5.25" drive to work convincingly
with it, anyway.

Maybe this will jog someone's memory on the _Compustar_.

--
John M. Mills, SRE; Georgia Tech/GTRI/EEEL, Atlanta, GA 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!jm59
Internet: [e-mail]
 "f U cn rd dis, U mst uz Unix!!!"  ...jaw

------------------------------

Date: 11 Dec 91 00:10:59 GMT
From: world![e-mail]  (Bill Marcum)
Subject: Re: Osborne Executive and external monitor
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ken Yap) writes:
>I've got one of these things. The screen is too small but there's an
>external video socket labelled "composite video". What sort of monitor
>do I need? Will a plain monochrome PC monitor do?

I'm not familiar with the Osborne, but if it's really composite video, an IBM
PC monitor won't work.  A TV with audio/video inputs, or a VCR, or a Commodore
1702 monitor would work.

------------------------------

End of INFO-CPM Digest V91 Issue #197
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