Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!yale!husc6!ukma!simon
From: simon@ms.uky.edu (George Simon)
Newsgroups: comp.os.cpm
Subject: Need help with brain-damaged bdos.
Message-ID: <9936@e.ms.uky.edu>
Date: 12 Jul 88 13:33:18 GMT
Reply-To: simon@ms.uky.edu (Simon Gales)
Organization: U of Kentucky, Mathematical Sciences
Lines: 47

Help!!!
	I have a z80 cpm box at work that has problems, and I'm looking
	for ideas to improve it a little.  If it were up to me, I'd
	replace it with a Pc, but for several reasons, we need to continue
	to use it.

	The version of cpm that it is running seems to be < 2.2, and 
	the bdos seem to be brain-damaged.
	(1) There is no escape code to position the cursor, however 
		calling the bios CONOUT routine to print a 0x18 with the 
		row/col in HL does the job.  (don't even ask how I found
		this out!)
	(2) Bdos function 6 (direct console i/o) does not exist, but 
		the corresponding bios calls work ok.  Other bdos calls 
		may be ok, but I trust the bios much more.  The bdos also
		refuses to return the version#.
	
	The computer itself is a Videoplan form Kontron Electronics 
	(in Munich & California), has 1 Z80-sio, 1 ctc, 2 pio's (keyboard 
	& printer) and a WD1771-B01 floppy controller (single density). 
	The motherboard is a (4mhz?) KDT rev. IV.  If anyone from Kontron 
	is reading this, and has any docs on this board, please send me 
	e-mail.

	Even its disks are strange - single density, 35 tracks x 2 sides, 
	and 16 sectors/track yielding about 138K per disk.

	I've been thinking about getting Z-cpr to replace the bdos/ccp,
	but I'm not sure if it would even install in such a brain damaged
	system.  I have no hardware or software docs on this machine, but
	I have found all of the port#s for the sio/ctc/pio's, and can
	probably find the floppy controller and video (Motorola 6845L) if
	needed.  

	Anyone got any other ideas?  I'd love to be able to do double-density,
	but I don't know if the WD1771 can do this.  I have heard that 
	Z-Cpr 3.4 is self-installing, but it may have problems here...
	I have managed to get kermit running, but I'd like to get turbo
	pascal or a c-compiler working.  Respond via e-mail, or post it
	if you think others would be interested.
							Thanks in advance,
								Simon.

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<---   Simon Gales@University of Ky 	     (606) 257-3597/254-9387 	--->
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