To: 999 (all members)
From: 15A (Steven Flintham)
Subject: Compression techniques
Does anyone know anything about
compression techniques, particularly
LZW and similar methods, or can they
recommend any books on the subject?
To: 999 (all members)
From: 15A (Steven Flintham)
Subject: Master 128 internal battery
Firstly, does anyone know where to get
replacements and how much they cost?
Mine isn't dead yet (I don't think it's
a rechargeable, is it?), but I'd like
to know so that I'm ready. Secondly, is
it still used when the computer is
switched on? In other words, does the
battery last longer the more you use
the computer? I would expect this to be
the case, but I'm not all that
knowledgeable about such matters.
Editor: I get my replacements from the
local dealer where I bought the
machine; they should be fairly widely
available, though I don't know of any
nation-wide dealer or mail-order
stockist (Watford might be able to
help...); does anyone have any
suggestions? I think they are around
five pounds, maybe a little less. As
for the rest, I really don't know,
though I expect you're right.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 15A (Steven Flintham)
Subject: The Help ROM 1.01
I have recently received a letter from
someone using this (available from BBC
PD) who has some sort of problem with
it. Unfortunately, I don't entirely
understand the letter and I can't see
how to solve the problem anyway. Can
any 8BS members shed any light on the
matter? I have reproduced the important
part of the letter below, exactly as
written:
...I use a BBC 'B' issue 7 model with
an Aries B32 Shadow Ram Board fitted.
Also fitted are DNFS 1.2, Mega 3
(Inter-Sheet, Inter-word & Inter-Chart)
and Inter-Base Roms.
The HELPROM can be loaded into rom 14
on the Aries Board and when I *HELP the
existence of the rom is given at that
point, using up 8K of the 16K which I
requested on starting up. When I
attempt to *HELPLOAD the example file
BASIC the drive whirrs for a second or
two and when it stops and I ask for
*HLP I am told that no keywords are
present in the text, and if I *HLP (any
keyword) I am told that the keyword
does not exist on the file and to *HLP
for a list of keywords. Obviously the
rom is aware of a file having been
loaded but is unable to read it.
(Steven's comment: I can't see how the
user knows the rom is aware of the file
having been loaded - is this being
inferred from the drive access?)
Having regard to the fact that I use
Inter-word, I wrote out another text
file from that WP and SPOOLed the file
as IWBASIC before attempting to
*HELPLOAD it. Again to no avail!
To : 2J3 (Chris Richardson)
From : 0E7
Re : BDARK, merging programs
Yes Chris I used BDARK this time with
no trouble so you see at least one
member reads and de-archives your
articles and programs.
Thank you also for info on *SPOOL like
everything else it is easy when you
know how. My problem is remembering it,
or where I have written it down.
As so often happens, in between times I
received the following info in the
latest issue of BEEBUG which is, I
hope, OK to pass on.
To merge or spool two programmes
(Master only):
Load one listing
Type EDIT
Save under new filename via key f3
Come out of EDIT
Load second listing
Type *EXEC<filename> where filename is
the name of the first listing saved
Then save the final listing; it works!
Editor: There is also another way of
doing this on the Master, possibly a
little faster; try:
LOAD "<file1>" <RETURN>
EDIT <RETURN>
Use <f3> <file1a> to save
<f1> <BASIC> <RETURN> to leave EDIT
LOAD "<file2>"
EDIT <RETURN>
<shift>+<f2> <file1a> <RETURN>
Remember of course that both of these
methods require the BASIC programs to
have different line numbers. For
example, listing one could be numbered
from 10 onwards by RENUMBER 10
<RETURN>, and listing two from 5000
onwards by RENUMBER 5000 <RETURN>.
To : 8J4 + 999
From : 0E7
Re : how/where to obtain ADFS and SWR
When I had my BEEB some eight years ago
I decided that I wanted to fit ADFS
witha SWR board, so I took my computer
along to my local Injun agent called
HCCS. They took the machine apart,
installed the board and the chips,
tested it fully, and some twenty
minutes or so later I walked out with
my wallet some `110 pounds lighter. The
installation and testing out was all
free.
At today's cost I do not know but I
don't suppose it will be much cheaper
assuming that ADFS chips and SWR/RAM
boards are still available (Ed.: see
below) Unless you are conversant
working with chips (I am an expert with
the fish variety) it could be a bit
tricky, and it is not exactly a case of
just plugging in the chips etc. as some
straps are to be cut and links altered.
If you are prepared to spend this much
have you considered a 2nd hand Master
or even a new one? After putting your
Beeb in in P/E or selling it privately
it may not cost you much more, assuming
that it will suit your purpose, since
ADFS and SWR with VIEWWORD and
VIEWSHEET are already installed with
the latest version of BASIC. Wishing
you the best of luck and hope this
advice is of some use.
Editor: a 2nd-hand Master 128 (or maybe
a Compact, see elsewhere) is certainly
worth considering, since ADFS on the
Beeb is not really that good (if you
have both ADFS & DFS running PAGE rises
to &1F00 which leaves you with hardly
any memory, whereas the Master has 12K
of Private RAM and 20K of Shadow RAM in
addition to the four 16K SRAM banks, so
you get around 28K of main memory free
whatever you're doing. Plus all the
extra bits of course).
To: 27N (John Ilsley) and 999
From: 19F (Theo Gray)
Re: NLQ Design
Following your query on NLQ Font Design
last issue, I know of 2 ways of
defining extra NLQ character fonts.
The first is as described in printer
handbooks. A 'PCG Ram Kit' may be
installed, allowing extra NLQ fonts to
be defined by downloading dot pattern
data from the computer, "a very
powerful feature allowing a limitless
number of fonts to be created and
downloaded when required". The one
drawback is the amount of data required
per font; 48 bytes per character has to
be calculated and sent to the printer,
leaving a whole character font needing
6000 bytes to be sent from the
computer, each byte being manually
calculated from binary dot patterns.
The second is by using the 'Watford
Electronics NLQ Designer'.
Unfortunately after thinking I had
bought this second hand, I found that
all I had was the box, the manual, a
disc with free fonts on (!), and some
function keystrips, with the wrong ROM.
I did begin to read the manual though
which makes this ROM look very
powerful.
I hope this helps.
To : 8J4 + 999
From : 3SQ
Re : ADFS and SWR on a "B"
If I haven't already sold it already
you are more than welcome to my old BBC
B which has both ADFS and Sideways Ram.
Seriously though it is very easy to fit
ADFS into a BBC B, but you do need
either the Watford Electronics Mk 2
Disc Interface kit, which comes with a
Double Density WE DFS, or otherwise the
Acorn Version with which you only get a
normal (boring) Acorn 1770 DFS, the
ONLY snag I have found with ADFS fitted
in a BBC B is the higher PAGE, but to
overcome this I fitted a WE Shadow Ram
Board, which by the way puts up PAGE
another &100 for it's Control ROMs
workspace, although I admit this can be
moved to say &900 etc., but I feel sure
this would clash with something, it
always does.
Via Solinet I have a copy of the
Solidisk ADFS which keeps page at &1900
unless you need more than one file open
like with a Database. But of course
with both ADFS and DFS switched on PAGE
is up to &1F00. (Editor: Does the
Solidisk ADFS have *TYPE built in, so
that you don't need DFS switched on? If
so, it's probably a better idea, unless
it lacks something else).
Sideways Ram is also easily available
with several types of Rom Boards, which
you will have to have with all the
extra Rom Sockets you shall need with
ADFS and the Shadow Ram Control Rom, on
my Solderless WE Rom board I have got
16k of SWR in the guise of two 6264 8k
Ram chips which are also backed up by a
Battery, I have previously, also tried
the WE Rom/Ram Board that has got 128k
of SWRam (8*16k) fitted which is brill
when used as a Ram disc, the 128k of
SWRam is also very good if you have
lots and lots of Rom images on disc!
Like I said earlier all of these are
available on my BBC B (including the
Shadow Ram), which I may sell
separately, get in touch you may be
lucky!
Editor: Watford Electronics can, I
think, be contacted on 0582 487777. I
think various Beeb ROM/RAM upgrades are
still available, but are quite
expensive, the last advert I have has
prices starting at £32 and going up to
over £100 for a ROM/RAM facility
similar to the Master series, and then
add VAT + carriage. So think about a
2nd-hand Master...
To : 8J4 + 999
From : 3SQ
Re : ADFS to DFS
Do you have a Master or a "B"?
For the Master only, I can recommend
the following: the FICOPY command that
comes with a Morley Rom Board Control
Rom or otherwise an identical program
on Disk called MBCOPY; they both use
the 64k of Sideways Ram and are very
very quick. For both Master and BBC B I
can recommend the Rom called ADT it's
command XFER can deal with almost
anything, going the other way DFS to
ADFS you can use the ROM called ADU but
this is a little slow in comparison.
Get in touch I should be able to sort
you out with something! There is
another Rom called Helping Hand which
can work in conjunction with ADT but
this has proved unreliable for me.
To : 999
From : 3SQ
Re : Hardware
I have recently upgraded (from a "B")
to a Master 128 fitted with a Turbo
board. I have already received a lot
of help from several friends, one of
the gems that I have acquired is the
MOS+ Rom from Dabs Press which cures
all known bugs in the original 1
megabit OS Rom, it is only recently
that I have learnt (from Beebug
magazines) that Acorn actually bought
out an improved version of the 1
megabit OS Rom themselves in recent
years, with apparently a much faster
ADFS chip and other improvements for
Turbo Users, would any of the 8BS
members have any knowledge of this chip
and its compatibility with existing
Firmware and Software for example
Spellmaster? (Editor: sounds unlikely,
but if anyow knows where I can get hold
of this I would be very grateful).
I have also acquired a Morley Rom Board
which I can recommend without any
reservations, although I admit mine
only cost five pounds, not the £45 of a
new one, which is of course if they are
still available?
I have had it on good authority that it
is possible to get a lot of old "B"
games (and Roms?) working on the Master
by simply "blowing" a copy of Basic II
and fitting this, unplugging Basic IV
and re-configuring the Language, with
the Morley board and an EXEC file this
is very easy.
Somebody also sent me a Rom image of
ACP's 1770 DFS for a Master which is
directly compatible with WE 62 file cat
DFS Disc's and also WE DDFS Double
Density Disks of which I have lots, I
soon found that my WE DDFS didn't work
on my Master, the ACP DFS also allows
you to use the 64k of SWRam as a
Ramdisk which can be configured as any
Drive number from 0 through to 8 which
of course allows it to work with most
software.
To : 19F Theo Gray
From : 6EE Mick Needham
Re : TD ROM
Unfortunately the TD ROM like all other
tape to disc utilities will not run all
programs loaded from tape, so it is pot
luck whether a particular tape game
will run. When using the TD ROM you
only need to press the letter at the
side of the program you wish to run, it
will then attempt to run the program,
if, as happened to you, 'Searching'
appears on screen then this usually
means it cannot run that program, check
to make sure CHAIN or RUN has been
entered correctly in the TD ROM run
menu, try the slow load option and
various values of PAGE, the HELP pages
on the ROM will explain how to do this,
if all this fails then sorry but the
programs won't run, try another tape to
disc utility, you might get lucky.
To : 999 All members
From : 6EE Mick Needham
Re : Amstrad disc drives
Can anyone tell me if Amstrad 3.5" and
5.25" disc drives can be made to work
on a BBC and if so how to connect them!
(Editor: does anyone have an easy way
of transferring Amstrad CF2 format to
any BBC, PC or Arch format?)
To : 999 All members
From : 6EE Mick Needham
Re : BBC faults article
The January issue of Television
contained an article called 'BBC Model
B Computer Fault Notes', this article
contained details of 59 'stock' faults
found on the BBC B and how to correct
them, also details of the power supply,
giving faults and diagnosis. If anyone
is interested in this article then send
me two first class stamps. 153 Firth
Park Road, Sheffield, S5 6WU.
(Editor: and make sure someone keeps
it, as it could come in very useful at
some stage in the future).
To : YJ2 (Andrew Snodgrass)
From : 6EE Mick Needham
Re : Reading disc catalogue
Can't help with a detailed discription
but I have a program that will read the
disc catalogue, then run the filenames,
it was on a PD disc of digitised
images, the program reads the filenames
then runs them one after the another,
any files you don't want to run can be
omitted, you may be able to convert it
for your own use, send me a disc if you
want a copy.
Editor: I'm not quite sure what was
wanted here, but if you want to go into
detail about it, according to the
Master Ref. Man. pt.1, OSGBPB (&FFD1)
can be used to read filenames from an
ADFS catalogue by putting &08 in the
accumulator. Let me know if you want
details of the parameter block required
etc.
To : 15A, K1B, 999
From : 6EE Mick Needham
Re : ASIC error
Thanks for the comments, I had come to
the conclusion a ROM was the culprit,
but because it only happens now and
again, I have not yet discovered the
offending ROM. Typing REPORT just gives
'ASIC'. Must admit had not thought of
ASIC being part of "BASIC". K1B I have
spare ATPL documentation, let me have
your address so I can send it to you.