To: 999 (all members)
From: K4W (ROY)
Subject: Disc required. Very Urgent.
My Master has an ANFS Rom fitted,
which is identified by the *ROM
command. I might appear rather
ignorant, but can someone advise me
how to activate and use this ROM?
To: 999
From: 2J3 (Chris Richardson)
Subject: SNAPSHOT
K3B asked in issue 7 if SNAPSHOT, the
program often referred to by Albert
Schofield in his tape to disc articles
was available from the 8BS pool. Sorry
about the delay K3B. I suddenly spotted
it just now whilst looking for
something else. It is to be found on
BBC-50, disc one (2D).
To: 999 (all members)
From: 0E7 (F.W.Nevin)
Subject: Points of VIEW
May I say a sincere Thank You to
Stephan Richardson who very
kindly persevered with me and
efficiently solved my VIEWSHEET
problem.
I hope he will not mind if I show how
this was achieved.
You may recall I required to INPUT data
into slot A1 and for the data to appear
in slots B1-B26 or whatever slots were
required.
Enter into slot B1.
IF(B1=0,A1,B1)
Enter into slot B2.
IF(B2=0,IF(B1<>0,IF(B1=A1,B2,A1),B2),B2
Enter into slot B3.
IF(B3=0,IF(B2<>0,IF(B2=A1,B3,A1),B3),B3
and so on until the required number of
inputs is reached.
The inputs can be made to appear across
the sheet as well as down.
Enter Data into slot A1 for
reproduction into slots B1-26 etc
If entries are made into slots B1-6
the actual entry shown in these slots
can be over-typed if an error is made
or if so desired.Let us assume that
slots B1-B6 have been over-typed.
The next INPUT in slot A1 will still
go into slot B7 and so on which is
very good feature.
Note. Consecutives values in slot A1
must not be of identical values .If
two identical values are entered and
the first value is for slot B1 the
second value WILL NOT appear in slot B2
but the third input in slot A1 will
then go into B2.
Thanks once again Stephan.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 0E7 (F.W.Nevin)
Subject: CANON PW1080A RIBBON
Sorry to raise this subject again but
where can one purchase some good
quality cheap ribbons.
I know some addresses etc were
published recently but I have searched
back issues without success.
It is like trying to return to a
previously read article in a newspaper
or magazine one can never find it.
I suspect that on each disc is a secret
program that knows what data you are
searching for and automatically
deletes it.
Help please.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K4W (ROY)
Subject: ROM/RAM Analysis.
Following the request in issue 37 for
an explanation of Sideways RAM,
Sideways ROM,etc., for which I must
admit responsibility, I am pleased to
provide an excellent description
provided to me by a gentleman to whom
I shall refer as Bruce, and to whom I
am most indebted for clarification in
a most efficient and lucid manner.
ROM. Fall into 2 categories: Language
and Utility. The Language ROM, when
called, takes over completely
i.e.View, Viewsheet. Utility ROMS
carry out a task and then return to
where they were called.
Sideways ROM. This is a physical chip
containing a programme which is
plugged into the motherboard or a
cartridge and cannot be altered.
Sideways RAM. This is a section of
memory into which ROM Images can be
placed. The image is temporary and is
lost when the computer is switched
off.
ROM Image. A copy of a physical ROM
saved to disc or tape. Can be loaded
into Sideways RAM or blown into an
Eprom.
EPROM. A chip which can be written to
using an Eprom Blower. Can be erased
by Ultra Violet light and re-used.
Eprom Blower. Originally supplied by
Watford and Morley. Available second
hand as are Eproms.
I Hope that this information is of
help and interest.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K6L (Richard Chamberlain)
Subject: Music 5000
Do any of the 5000 users out there
know if it is possible to interface an
acoustic guitar, via the midi inputs,
wth the 5000? My idea is to use it
rather like the 4000 keyboard, as an
input device. The keyboard is o.k. but
my natural instrument is the guitar,
and I would find it easier to create
pieces using it. This would, of course
mean my finding a cheap midi module.
Also, has anyone been able to create a
realistic sounding acoustic guitar
waveform with the 5000? I'm fed-up
with the Electric one available,and so
far all my efforts have been crap, to
put it bluntly. I'm not particularly
bothered whether it's a steel sounding
one or classical nylon, I just want a
more natural,acoustic feel.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K7X (ROGER LOCKWOOD)
Subject: HELP!
I have just received the disc TBI-57
with a great geograpy programme for my
daughter. I have not found out how to
print out the information provided on
the disc, is it possible? If so what
do I do to get a print out of all the
facts and figures.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K3H (ALBERT SCHOFIELD)
Subject: TAPE TO DISC ON THE BBC"B"
Most of the newer games for the BBC
micro on cassette are in quite a
number of parts. Some of these games
can be transferred to disc and will
run without alteration at all provided
that all the parts load at no less
than &1100. If the last part loads at
less than &1100 then it can be
downloaded and the game will run
perfectly even though the computer
ends up in the tape mode. But if a
section has to be downloaded before
the last part has been reached then
there is a problem as the DFS can not
be re-entered without corrupting
memory. The way to overcome this is to
put the last parts into a rom image.
They can then be reloaded from the
rom filing system with page below
&1100. A short loader program can be
written to load the rom image or
images and then run the first part of
the game as I described in a previous
article.
In last months article where I dealt
with the problem of machine code
programs that revert to tape I may
possibly have caused some confusion by
the way the article was set out. So,
to recap, the three pairs of hex
numbers to find are A9 8C A2. The 8C
should be replaced with a space (20).
I recently came accross another
method which is used to make a program
revert to tape in OMEGA ORB. This game
is in eight parts and they all load at
&1100 or over so no downloading is
involved. Five of the parts have an
execution address of B80. At this
location there is a tape routine which
causes the problem. This routine is
placed there by the third section
"OMEGA2". This section is the loader
and is really a basic program posing
as machine code. So edit this using a
sector editor. The first statement is
!2944=&A28CA9. You will see that this
contains the three pairs of hex
numbers I mentioned earlier but in
reverse order. Also 2944 is the
decimal equivalent of B80. So again
alter the 8C to 20. Then carry on
shortening the file names to the seven
characters that you have used to save
them to disc. The game should then run
from disc without any problems.
If anyone would like any help
transfering to disc a game or utility
please let me know either through the
8-BIT disc or drop me a line. My
address is 46 FIR St. NELSON. LANCS.
BB9 9RG. More next month.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K4B (GEORGE LYNCH)
Subject: Amplinex
In issue No.39, member David Mcgraw
K5B asks whatever happened to
Amplinex'? For those that have never
heard of this organisation, it was a
users group that supported the Hybrid
Music System which was an add-on to
the BBC micro. For those interested in
music for pleasure or serious
composition it had a great deal to
commend it.
The basic unit of the system is the
music synthesiser 5000 to which other
hardware could be added
(i.e.keyboard), providing a complete
and versatile system.
I purchased my 5000 unit in 1992 which
was on special offer through the Micro
User at the attractive price of
`55.00.
I learned of Amplinex late in 1992 and
wrote to Roy Follett,who was the main
stay of users club. I became a member
of the club and received a great deal
of encouragement and help from Roy.
Sadly Roy was admitted to hospital in
Dec.'92 for extensive surgery and died
on the 2ndJan.'93.
It was hoped that someone else would
continue with the work that Roy had
done so well but as far as I know
Amplinex died with him.There must be
many other users out there who, like
me, owed Roy a debt of gratitude
and may even have had the honour of
knowing Roy personally .
I later wrote to Hybrid, the supplier
of the system, but they had not
learned of Roy's death and did not
know of any other Users Group.
Ted Kirk,who has produced many
excellent educational music programs,
very kindly helped me with some back
issue discs and there have been many
occasional discs avaailable through
Micro User and P.D.Houses in the past.
The following contacts may be worth
while following up for further
information:
(a)Hybrid, 88 Butt
Lane,Milton,Cambridge CB4 6DG.tele:o233
861522/862150
(b) Ted Kirk,33 Humber
Crescent,Sutton
Leach,St.Helens,Merseyside, WA9 4HD
All of this may not fully answer
David McGraw's question but could
provide a starting point. It would of
course be possible to copy some of the
discs that are out there but there may
be a copywrite problem as many of the
compositions are the original work of
dedicated musicians. If this could be
resolved then the discs could all be
made available through 8BS software
library. Are there any other comments
from members?
I have gone on at length but I was
pleased to take the opportunity to
give my own tribute to the late Roy
Follett for his work and dedication.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2T (Jack Tourle)
Subject: Keyboards
Re K5A's plea for help in cleaning
the keyboard, I had the same trouble
on my BBC -- it happened to be the 'e'
key.
Following the advice of an article
in BAU for October 1992 (A Quick Fix),
I used a small screwdriver to lever off
the cap of the key. This revealed some
slight deposit on the switch, which I
removed with "a mild non-greasy
solvent", and cleared out the dust with
a cotton bud. I replaced the cap, and
the key has worked satisfactorily ever
since!
An occasional run over the keyboard
with a vacuum cleaner helps to reduce
dust round the keys. I am careful to
use a dust cover when the Beeb is not
in use.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2T (Jack Tourle)
Subject: Formatting discs
My thanks to those who commented on
my note, in issue 37, about formatting
double-sided discs.
I am sorry that I did not give
details of my equipment and program so
that K2K could possibly see where my
difficulty lay.
I have a basic BBC with DFS, and two
formatting programs (Opus and
Watford). The Opus program shows all
the time, on the screen, the drive
number on which it is working, but
requires to be reloaded to format
another drive. The Watford program,
after the initial instructions about
drive and track numbers, clears the
screen in favour of grahics showing
the progress of the operation. It was
the latter program that I was able to
understand better, and it was that one
which I modified as I showed in Issue
37. It has the advantage of a
combined format/verify action.
Thank you, 3TR, for your advice on
using OSCLI; but in this case I was
not using a star command.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2B (Colin Culpitt-Smith)
Subject: Z88 Computer
Having recently joined the growing
band of Z88 owners, I'm wondering if
there are other Z88 users who are in
need of Z88 bits & pieces. I had an
excellent response to a 'wanted' ad
recently, and am willing to pass on
the details to anyone interested. Ring
me on 0738-812186 most evenings.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K3Y (LORNA JENNE)
Subject: Embedded Commands in
INTERWORD
Now that 8 Bits is getting vol 6 - 12
discs from Beebug. One programme I can
recommend is on P10 of Vol 9 No 8 -
Star Commands for Printers from Disc.
One of the problems with embedding
control codes for printers in the text
of your letters/manuscripts is the
problem of have to look up the code in
the manual or even worse trying to
remember what you actually have to
enter to get the effect required. Very
much a problem if you have a printer
with Epson ESC/P2 codes (that Stylus
800, I am always asking for help
with.) Thanks to Tim Parsons, I am
begining to get it to do THINGS.
In the embedded Command Menu, below the
line where the codes are entered there
is a line with a * (for *Commands).
Using the programme from BeeBug you can
enter a code by a name ie cond or
condoff (for condensed type) and make
sure the disc with the programm is in
drive 0 and then when you print the WP
will call up the disc to get the corect
code for the effect you want.
The great joy with the program is that
once you have worked out the effects you
need you can alter the data lines in the
program to set up the disc as required.
Now I can get all the differnt fonts
and sizes of text, plus over/under
scoring as well as all the usual
condensed/italic etc. without having
to remember or look up all those
number. Most names are easy to
remember but I have a double height
print out showing the effects and
names stuck on the wall over my desk.
Instant printer effects with thanks to
Derek Baron the writer of the program
in Beebug.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 3PM
Subject: Hard disk card.
I have just acquired a card by Quest
International Computer Technology Ltd.
(C)1984. It's new and carries the logo
'BBC Firefly Personality Card Issue A'
It measures 13.9cmx10.1cmx1.3cm o/all
thickness with a 34 pin eject header
socket for connection to the 1MHz bus
and a 40 pin ditto for the drive unit
connect. There is also a 90deg. square
pin header (4pin:2x0v,1x5v,1unused).
Board has 9 chips + a Beckman S08 dip
switch 'chip' all 8 set to OFF and
covered with a clear plastic sealing
film. Does anyone have any info on
drive type compatibility, etc.? Is
Quest still with us?
I do not as yet have a hard disk so
the card could be useful if and when.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K3T (NEIL TAYLOR)
Subject: SPELLCHECK: HELP PLEASE!
I have spent days trying to get
Spellcheck (BBC 3) to work, but to no
avail. My problems centre around
getting words to go into the
dictionary.
I have managed to unlock the DICTION
file, but whether I create a new empty
file, or attempt to use the sample
dictonary, every time I press A to get
it to add a word from my list it tells
me that there is not enough room!
I have used DICWIPE and for e.g. "A*"
as well as "*DUMP DICTION" to check
that I have actually got either the
sample dictionary or a new empty
dictionary on disc, the latter
revealing masses of reserved space,
and yet the programme persists in
telling me that there isn't any.
PRESS BREAK