Msg#: 2175 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/02/87 11:50:52 (Read 60 Times) From: STEVE JACOBS To: ALL Subj: TURBO PASCAL CLOCK I've started writing Turbo PASCAL routines to access the PX-8 clock. ...with the help of someone on this board who gave the the locations I need to do it (thanks). I've never used the CPM OS interface (I have done a fair amount with PC-DOS), so it's going slow. So I wonder, am I reinventing the wheel? Have these routines already been written and are they in the public domain? If so, where are they. If not, when I get it done (and it SHOULD be easy...) I'll upload them to this board. Thanks....steve Msg#: 2191 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/02/87 20:36:41 (Read 59 Times) From: STEVE JACOBS To: MARK MILLER (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2175 (TURBO PASCAL CLOCK) Yes, it is, indeed, much more of a machine than the NEC. If I can't get my current TP routine to work, I look at that program in one of the ESD volumes TD.ASM. That should show the way. Another question. I'm new to CP/M but an old hand at MSDOS. The similarities are fine, but the one big irritation is the need to do a soft re-boot after switching disks, and the unforgiving response of the system to he who forgets. It seems that it would be easy to add a bit of code to the BIOS to trap some internal flag so that one could access a new disk. I know that if you are logged into drive D and hit ^C you reread the operating system from the drive (or is it from ROM in the drive)... My idea is to be able to send a command within a program to reset the drive without rebooting the OS. If you are logged into the A drive and switch a floppy you have this problem, so obviously the OS remembers what disk is in each floppy drive and compares this recollection with the current drive. Woe unto he who ignores this. Thus a simple addition to the BIOS, probably in the keyboard handler would suffice. Surely someone has thought of this already. This wouln't be PXD-8 specific. Is there anything out there like this? Thanks all....steve Msg#: 2210 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 09:27:17 (Read 57 Times) From: SYSOP To: STEVE JACOBS (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2175 (TURBO PASCAL CLOCK) Sorry, Steve, but I don't know of any Turbo routines for accessing the PX's clock. If you want to give me a voice call at 313-538-3733 some morning, I can give you the numbers of others who are using Turbo on the PX (don't want to put them up here in public). Or you might want to contact Chuck Freeman at Epson Great Northern (612-559-0992). Chuck has done a fair amount of Turbo work on the PX. I have seen some CP/M software that does 'automate' the CP/M warm booting routine, but can't even remember if it was commercial or public domain, let alone the name. Mark may have a better memory than I (that's Mark the elephant). Bob Š Msg#: 2231 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 17:16:40 (Read 62 Times) From: MARK MILLER To: STEVE JACOBS (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2191 (TURBO PASCAL CLOCK) You're about 10 miles over my head; I don't know any of the answers, other than yes, others have thought of such, but I have no idea what was done other than producing a new OS. CP/M 3.0 is one OS, but it is not compatible with 2.2; the other is ZRDOS (Zilog Relpacement DOS) which is a compatible replacement for 2.2. Unfortunately with the PX-8 there are a bunch of unique things involved in the OS, it being ROM based not the least unique. You might want to invest $60 in the tec manual from Bob, or ask him for some names of Epson programmers who KNOW that little machine much better than I. And good luck; it would be nice if you could come up with something. Msg#: 2263 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/04/87 18:07:51 (Read 60 Times) From: STEVE JACOBS To: MARK MILLER (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2231 (TURBO PASCAL CLOCK) This message brings up a question... I keep hearing about an Epson System Essentials Manual and a technical manual. How do I get my hands on them (or are they one in the same) and what do they cover. I do want to get into some light duty system programming (system calls, a little assembler, etc). thanks... steve Msg#: 2265 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/04/87 21:56:49 (Read 62 Times) From: MARK MILLER To: STEVE JACOBS (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2263 (TURBO PASCAL CLOCK) Bob Hermann, the head honcho around here will sell you one for $60. See the latest bulletin in the bulletin section dated December something. I think you can order on-line, too, but all the info is on-line somewhere at an rder prompt. Or you can call Bob -- number is probably to be found in that bulletin. OR, he'll probably jump in here with the particulars, once he sees this thread. Msg#: 2278 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/05/87 16:06:49 (Read 61 Times) From: SYSOP To: MARK MILLER (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2231 (TURBO PASCAL CLOCK) Steve, the programmers manual for the PX is $60, plus COD and shipping charges, if you want to order online. Or just send a check to: Epson_Support_Disks, 16725 Rockdale, Detroit, MI 48219 - no shipping included if ordered this way. There is also a smaller book called the PX System Essentials manual, containing perhaps 1/5 or less of the info in the programmers manual. I don't have any Šof these right now, but will soon either have or be able to tell you where to obtain them. Bob Msg#: 2180 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/02/87 16:43:41 (Read 58 Times) From: FRED ERICKSON To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: NEED HELP WITH GENEVA CONECTION Hi! I don't know how this bulletin board works, but I saw a note about you in the last DAK catelogue, and I DO have a question. I have a Geneva PX-8, multi-unit, and Geveva Connection. The only way I'm able to get it to do an automatic log-on is by using the "wait" command, and hope that the prompt from the BBS (NewsNet, Unison, PeaceNet, or NWI) comes before the time runs out. That means I'm missing it now and then because I don't want to have to write in an exorbinate amount of time, and be forced to wait that amount each time I log on. It is a poor system. The question I have is "How can you program in the 'prompts' that the BBS has, so that as soon as my Geneva sees that prompt it provides the appropriate response. The best I can figure out from the so-called instruction book is that "set" in only useful for what one types in from the keyboard, and doesn't work from what the BBS is sending. At least I've tried! Any help?! Thanks, Fred H. Erickson Msg#: 2200 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 00:58:12 (Read 59 Times) From: SYSOP To: JASON CAIN Subj: MORE HELP Jason, any Hayes compatible will work with the PX (as an external modem option). All of the communications sw for the PX that I've seen allows the use of an external modem, and most are set up for Hayes. There is also an internal (300 baud) modem available in two forms - as a separate wedge unit, or as part of the Multi Function wedge unit (which also includes more RAM and an extra ROM slot). The PX is capable of 1200 baud with an external modem, though the screen actually updates at a rate more near 600. But file transfers will operate at the full 1200. Bob Msg#: 2218 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 11:11:34 (Read 60 Times) From: SYSOP To: FRED ERICKSON Subj: GENEVA CONNECTION Fred, read msg no 1178 - this is about all the help I can offer with regard to the GC. As you indicate, for an 8K program the GC is very powerful, but it does have some deficientcies - the documentation, inability to store incoming text to a disk file, and auto log-on sequences. The alternative is a public domain program like MEX, or commercial programs like Teledex or TelMerge. Bob ŠMsg#: 2220 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 12:16:49 (Read 55 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: PF KEYS & PFK.ASM RIGHT, MARK I HAVE IT. FOUND IT ON MY PX-DOCK FILE. I HAVE YOUR MESSAGE ON WHAT TO DO WITH IT IN THAT FORM (OR MAYBE IT WAS BOB'S). RIGHT NOW I LACK THE AGILITY AND KNOWLEGE TO INTERPRET WHAT TO DO. HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH AN ASM FILE BUT WILL READ A FEW THINGS AND DOPE IT OUT. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELPFUL QUICK RESPONSES TO WHAT MUST FEEL LIKE THE SAME OLD KINDERGARTEN QUESTIONS. THE METHOD OF GETTING UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE MOST ORDERLY THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE (EG. PX-8) SEEMS TO BE TOTALLY UN- STRUCTURED AND RANDOME, BUT WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY. THANKS AGAIN. JW OF PHILA. Msg#: 2226 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 15:37:30 (Read 56 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: SYSOP & MARK MILLER Subj: PFK.ASM T R I U M P H !! U R E K A ! YOUR ADVICE WORKS. THE ONLY EXPOSURE I HAVE HAD TO ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE OR ASSEMBLERS IS INFERRENCE FROM SOME 8 YRS AGO KNOWLEGE OF THE 6502 MACHINE CODE AND THE NOTATIONAL CONVENTIONS THAT WE MANUALLY TURNED FROM AN ASSEMBLY TYPE NOTATION TO THE MACHINE CODE. THE RUSTY GUESSES AS TO THE EXPLICIT AND SORTA IMPLICIT INFO FROM THE TWO OF YOU AND THE RX4PX OCT GOT ME THROUGH MANY FIRSTS TODAY. UNSQUOZE RX4, BUILT A FILE OF PERSONAL PF KEY PREFERENCES, RAN THE ASSEMBLER (WHICH I HAD WONDERED WHY I HAD IT), RAN THE LOADER (DITTO) AND BINGO!. TOOK 2 TRYS TO FIND OUT WHAT TO DO IF i WANTED A NON-ALPHA (ESCAPE) AS THE FIRST CHARACTER OF A PF STRING. ALL I WANT TO DO THAT I HAVEN'T DONE IS PUT COMMAS IN THE STRING. IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIAL THERE? TRIED HEX 2B BUT IT DID NOT SEEM TO WORK. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. NEXT CHALLENGE IS TO MASTER UPLOADING TO BBC FROM DAKCOMM. JW OF PHILA Msg#: 2227 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 15:46:55 (Read 56 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: UPLOADING WITH DAKCOMM MUST BE TIME TO TACKLE THE SUBJECT. I PREPARED TWO PROGRAMS AND TWO DOC FILES. NOTHING LIKE THE FIRST OF JANUARY "SCHROOGE" ENCOURAGEMENT TO GET THE GOOD INTENTIONS INTO ACTION. HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM INTERZCTING WITH THE BBS AND SENDING IT A FILE. ON BBS PROMPT, I EXECUTED "SF PRINTSET.BAS" AND MY SCREEN DISPLAYED "WAITING FOR READY". NEVER HAPPENED. ANY IDEAS? I HAD SET UP FOR THE PROTOCOL THAT LOOKS SOMETHING LIKE CP/M ??? (NOT CHECKSUM) SORRY i CAN'T REMEMBER BUT IT IS THE ONE OF THE FIVE OR SO ON THE BBS PROTOCOL MENU. IF YOU HAVE TIME TO PASS A SUGGESTION WILL APPRECIATE. JWOFPHILA Msg#: 2237 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 20:35:56 (Read 64 Times) From: DAVID HAWTHORNE To: ALL Subj: INIT CRASH ŠFor anyone who may have had a similar problem: Some time ago, in the dark hours of night when the brain is not necesarily supervising the actions, I did something strange with my px-8 that caused it to crash after a fashion that no ordinary resets would cure. Everything locked up, and nothing I would do would unfreeze the machine, so ,in desperation, I flipped it over and re-initialized the system. That worked. Here is where the problem comes in. After that desperate reset, at random intervals, with no common circumstances, my machine would re-init itself in the midst of running programs, resulting in loss of RAM files, current settings, etc. I could in no way relate it to any specific software, and was about to send the machine in for service. I cleared the problem, however, with a lucky guess. I figured somehow some stray data had gotten into an area of RAM that did not clear with init... so I yanked the battery and shut off all back-up switches. That did the trick, and I have not had an unwanted init since. Msg#: 2243 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 22:53:50 (Read 60 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: DAVID HAWTHORNE (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2237 (INIT CRASH) DAVE - THANKS FOR THIS BIT OF EXPERIENCE. SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE, READ ABOUT BY US, CAN SAVE TIME IN CASE WE GET IT. APPRECIATE THE INFO. THANKS. JW OF PHILA Msg#: 2244 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/03/87 22:58:32 (Read 57 Times) From: JOHN WALTON To: ALL Subj: OTHELLO GAME THE DOC ON SUBJECT PROGRAM OBTAINED IN PXDOCK SAYS IT PLAYS A MEAN GAME. I TOOK IT A FEW ROUNDS AND FOUND IT OUTDID ME CONSISTENTLY. THEN I TOOK A ONE CRNER HANDICAP OPTION AND FOUND TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT THAT IT IMPERFECTLY MAKES MOVES AND EVALUATES LEGALITY OF MOVES. IT IS TOUGH TO REASON OUT THE RULES WITH THE COMPUTER. PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO (1) SAY DON'T GET YOUR HEART SET ON USING IT AS AN OTHELLO TRAINER AND (2) IF SOMEONE IS DOING ANY MAINTANENCE OR UPDATE OF IT I CAN PROVIDE SOME DISCREPANT CASE SPECIFICS IF IT WILL HELP. JW OF PHILA Msg#: 2271 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/05/87 01:19:21 (Read 56 Times) From: FORREST WILCOX To: ALL Subj: CONFIG MIGRATION, MSG 1692 i have had a 'config migration' but put it down to my stupidity. On several occasiobs I have found that the turn off time has been rest to 0. Š Msg#: 2295 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/05/87 23:10:53 (Read 59 Times) From: MICHAEL STANLEY To: ALL Subj: QUESTIONS I recently found a magazine called PICOS which is entirely for and about `picocomputers', i.e. laptops, pocket computers and other small and tiny computers. Write to Portable Computing International, P.O. Box 481, Peterborough, NH 03458-0481. They also have a free bulletin board @ 603-525-4438 (8, 1,no, Xon/Xoff, 300/1200, 24hrs). I have a few questions about the PX-8 that I hope someone can answer. First: Are the ROM chips for any other computers compatable with the PX ? If yes, of course, WHICH ONES?? Second: In MEX, the communications program, the STAT CLOCK command allows the user to change the `clock speed'. Does this actually change the CPU clock?, or does it just affet wait states within MEX or the system, or what? More to the point, can this speed-up be transferred to other programs or basic? Third: Can ram chips be used in place of the ROM chips in the PX or in the MFU to allow using them in the same fashion as the A: drive? (I know what the manuals say, but you know us hackers...) Forth: Sometimes after I exit Portable WS (you know which program I am talking about), my CPM function keys are still set to their WS settings. Is this an avoidable glitch in the program or just in my system? Fifth: Is there an easy way (or any way short of SAVEing the entire transient program area) for saving say, Scheduler info or other goodies in stored at the top of the TPA? Is the entire area wiped clean when a new program is loaded? (In other words, if I load CONFIG on top of 20K of basic programs, are they completely gone, or is just the directory updated?) Last: Does anyone have a small BASIC subroutine that converts TIME$ to a decimal number to allow time additions and subtractions? I am writing a curta program for use in TSD road rallys and I am used to the DEG and DMS functions implemented in other BASISs. I wrote one sub-routine but it doesn't seem to work right. THANKS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! Michael Stanley Msg#: 2357 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/12/87 13:07:40 (Read 52 Times) From: SYSOP To: MICHAEL STANLEY (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2295 (QUESTIONS) Michael, I'll try and answer as many of your inquiries as I can. First, there is no way to make the ROM slots of the PX into RAM. The MEX clock function does not affect the speed with which the PX operates, it only affects the MEX 'wait states'. Speeding up other programs is really not possible. The 'speed' of a program is dependent on how effectively it is written. The PX operates at a certain speed, and this speed only. Some programs 'operate' faster than others because of the way they were written, not because they cause the PX to 'move' faster. If you properly exit WS, the function keys are supposed to be reset to their Šoriginal contents. If you are having trouble with thie, you might want to look at J.G. Owens U.COM. This is a DO file that includes a function for loading in a set of PFK defintions from a file on disk, so you can quickly and painlessly redefine the function keys, without writing and assembling PFK.ASM. Your BIOS will remain intact as long as you do not use any other program that accesses it. The only way to save the information therein would be to use some type of program like DDT. Then to reload this you would have to 'reverse' the procedure. I'm not aware of any BASIC routine that will convert TIME to a decimal. If you are interested only in measuring a time period then WORK.BAS has the necessary routine. Bob Msg#: 2387 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/14/87 00:51:36 (Read 49 Times) From: SYSOP To: MICHAEL STANLEY (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2295 (QUESTIONS) Forgot to mention in the previous reply that as far as I know the roms from any other computer are not compatible with the PX. Bob Msg#: 2441 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/16/87 04:54:28 (Read 51 Times) From: MICHAEL STANLEY To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2357 (QUESTIONS) THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO, BOB. I'LL GET BACK TO WHEN I'VE HAD TIME TO DIGEST ALL OF IT. THANKS AGAIN.,,,, MLS Msg#: 2301 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/06/87 14:28:30 (Read 58 Times) From: RON SCHWARZ To: COOKING.BAS PROGRAM Subj: COOKING.BAS PROGRAM I DDOWNLOADED THE COOKING.BAS PROGRAM A WHILE BACK, IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT FRACTIONS FOR ME. AFTER A BIT OF LOOKING WE CHANGED LINE 3010 SO THAT THE END OF THE LINE IS NOW FF=1 INSTEAD OF FF=-1 AND THAT SEEMED TO DO THE TRICK. I HOPE THIS MIGHT HELP SOMEONE ELSE. Msg#: 2307 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/07/87 11:51:19 (Read 64 Times) From: RANDY HARGENRADER To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: RS232 DRIVER FOR PX8 I have a program that I would like to run on the PX8, but I'm having trouble installing it. The program has an installation section that asks for the following info: RCV STATUS PORT (I/O PORT), RCV READY MASK, (value used to "and" to what is retreived from the 8251 status register to determine "RXRDY", RCV DATA PORT (I/O PORT ADR), SEND STATUS PORT (I/O ADR), SEND RDY STATUS MASK (value, same as above) SEND DATA PORT (I/O PORT ADR) These values are used by Šthe program to loop on the rs232 port to read data in and out of the computer. After this, the install program asks for a hex value routine that initializes the rs232 port for 19.2k or 9600 baud, 8/n/1 etc... Can you help with any info? I would appreciate any info or answers you may have. Thank you. Msg#: 2323 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/09/87 10:13:45 (Read 56 Times) From: WALTER PIDKAMENY To: ALL Subj: HELP-MCTUTY.COM ID LIKE HELP WITH MCTUTY PROGRAM - I HAVE A GARBELD TAPE OF HELPER.COM, RAWSCRIPT.TXT, ETC FROM EPSON- GARBLED DURING A SYS CRASH - WITH MCTUTY I SEEMIINGLY CAN RECONSTRUCT DIRECTORY WITH NO ERRORS NOTED WHEN I ATTEMPT TO RECOVER PROGRAMS TO RAMDRIVE DIRECTORY SHOWS NAME( I USE ALL CAPS) AND ZERO K. ON D DRIVE IT COPIES BUT INCORRECTLY - FOR EXAMPLE HELPER.COM COMES OUT 16K INSTEAD OF 21 K, RAWSCRIPT.TXT = 22K INSTEAD OF 7K. THANKS ALL, WP OF NJ. Msg#: 2325 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/09/87 14:38:24 (Read 56 Times) From: JAMES HARROP To: SYSOP (Rcvd) Subj: HOOKING UP TO A KAYPRO DESKTOP I purchased my px-8 thru DAK. I am not certain how to get it hooked up to my Kaypro II (c/pm 2.2) I first tried connecting the printer cable that came w/ the px-8 to the serial i/o port on the back of the kaypro. but nothing happened. What I want to be able to do is to transfer files from the px-8 floppy to the disks in the Kaypro. is there some way to use the comm'n software on px8 to get Kaypro to 'listen'.I have no other comm'n sftwr. Msg#: 2333 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/09/87 23:52:19 (Read 58 Times) From: JIM KOEHLER To: ALL Subj: TIME Is there a time value in BASIC with a finer resolution than one second (using TIME$)? I would like a time value for tenths of seconds. Perhaps a PEEK() value or something . . . Msg#: 2366 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/12/87 13:45:26 (Read 53 Times) From: SYSOP To: JIM KOEHLER (Rcvd) Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 2333 (TIME) Jim, try giving David Western's board a call at 803-548-1243. He is the best PX BASIC programmer that I know. Bob Msg#: 2339 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/11/87 02:50:58 (Read 53 Times) ŠFrom: KARIN HART To: ALL Subj: SAN FRANCISCO AREA USERS are there any px-8 users in the san francisco bay area that want to exchange info locally or form a local users group?? -Karin Msg#: 2342 *BULLETIN BOARD* 01/11/87 07:38:41 (Read 57 Times) From: DAVE ZOOK To: ALL Subj: DAKCOMM DISK CHANGES??? Does anyone know of a way to swap disks in DAKCOMM? E.g. to go from uploading a file on one disk to uploading a file on a different disk. Same problem on downloads. Right not I have to get out of DAKCOMM to switch disks, which is a nuisance. Any help is appreciated.