Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!esosun!ucsdhub!jack!crash!mwilson From: mwilson@crash.cts.com (Marc Wilson) Newsgroups: comp.os.cpm Subject: Re: Need help with brain-damaged bdos. Message-ID: <3200@crash.cts.com> Date: 13 Jul 88 16:12:45 GMT References: <9936@e.ms.uky.edu> Reply-To: mwilson@crash.CTS.COM (Marc Wilson) Organization: Mesa College, San Diego, Ca. Lines: 57 In article <9936@e.ms.uky.edu> simon@ms.uky.edu (Simon Gales) writes: >Help!!! > I have a z80 cpm box at work that has problems, and I'm looking > for ideas to improve it a lit > > 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#. What you are describing sounds very much like CP/M 1.4. It implemented neither the BDOS 6 call, nor the BDOS 12 call ( well, it *did* do BDOS 12, but it used it for something else ). As for trusting the BIOS, watch out. There are differences between the 2.2 BIOS and a 1.4 BIOS. > 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. > > 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 can almost guarantee that you won't be able to install the Z-System on this machine. You need a 2.2 system for that. NZCOM will probably blow up if you try to use it. Save your money. > > 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 know that the 1770 can, but it needs external help. How do I know this? This computer right here ( Ampro LB/Z80 ) uses the 1770. Pick up the data sheets on the chip from Western Digital. They've always been most helpful when I've spoken to them. Good luck! -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marc Wilson ARPA: ...!crash!mwilson@nosc.mil ...!crash!pnet01!pro-sol!mwilson@nosc.mil UUCP: [ cbosgd | hp-sdd!hplabs | sdcsvax | nosc ]!crash!mwilson INET: mwilson@crash.CTS.COM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~