ReplyTo: L1X (Mark Usher)
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: Monitors
People say "you can't connect a BBC to
a..."
Oh yes you can! A monitor is a monitor
is a monitor. There are some
specialised exceptions, but mostly
it's a matter of getting the wires
into the correct pins, getting the
correct syncs and balancing the loads.
Some monitors need separate vertical
and horizontal sync, which can be
tweeked out of a B; Masters may need
an adapter.
I've have Beebs driving all sorts of
things, in HK I had a switch box that
let me display either a Master, an
Arch or a PC on the same RGB monitor.
ReplyTo: 0E7 (F.W.Nevin)
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: 3.5" disk drives (again)
See the comments from Brian Raw about
disk drives for Beebs. I agree though
that there is a problem getting cased
drives with their own PSU. However, as
3.5" drives draw so little power
compared to 5.25" ones I have found
that running them off the Beeb's
external PSU socket is no problem.
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: jTerm, XTerm
I seem to have missed issue 57 which
had this program on. Oh, if I had this
earlier, it would have been very
useful. I've been able to use it for
accessing some BBSs and testing my own
software.
Unfortunately, it's a bit inadequate
in areas. The help-screen is wrong,
file transfer only does X-modem, even
though it prompts for X,Y,G. Some of
the propmts are inconsistant - Set
transmit speed asks for 0 to 8, but
set receive speed gives a menu. Once
in 80-column mode some of the keys
don't work properly, and I've managed
to hang it quite often which I have
rarely managed to do before on a Beeb.
I've enclosed a Beta-test version of
XTerm 0.30 - most of it is written and
functional. It features the following:
XYModem: automatically switches
between XModem, XModem-CRC, XModem-1k,
YModem(batch) and YModem-G.
On-the-fly text file conversion.
Modest monochrome ANSI implementation
- none of that strange [1;2;38m codes
all over the screen.
PC-8 font included (ie, characters
look correct).
Serial input buffered up to all
available memory, and NUL-NUL bug
fixed on MOS 5.00.
NB: Currently file upload is very
simplified and only supports XModem.
Download is fully implemented.
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: Serial FAQs in issue 57
Caution - the information in this text
file is slightly inaccurate in the
paragraphs titled XModem and YModem.
The correct text should read:
XModem transfers files in blocks of
128 bytes or 1024 bytes with
XModem-1k. Each block has a checksum
or at the end, or a CRC in XModem-CRC.
YModem prepends a block zero to an
XModem file transfer containing file
information; filename, filelength,
etc. YModem is sometimes called
YModem(batch). YModem-G sends the file
continously with no ACKs of good
blocks, but the transfer aborts if any
error occurs.
ReplyTo: E2K (J.W.Smith)
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: Disk drive leads
A lead to drive a dual 3.5" & 5.25"
disk drive. I assume by this you have
a single box with the two drives in,
but no lead.
You need a lead with a 34-pin IDC plug
at one end - to go into the computer -
and at the other end a 34-pin IDC plug
again and a 34-pin IDC card-edge
connector. Which one you have on the
very end depends on which drive you
have on the top (not which drive is 0
or 1 - see later)
So, you will have a lead that looks
like this:
IDC IDC IDC
plug cardedge plug
*----------------------*-------*
You then need to decide which is drive
0 and which is 1. These are set by the
drive select switch or jumpers. 3.5"
drives usually have a small slide
switch, 5.25" usually have links.
The power lead can be made just as
easily, as a Y-shape:
3.5"
D/D plug
-------------------*
/
/
/
/ 5.25"
/ D/D plug
*------------------------*
5.25"
D/D skt
This setup can very easily be bought,
but is sometimes hard to find. Maplin
sells a kit called:
'Floppy Disk Drive Installation Kit'
Order Code: ZG47
This gives you an adapter to plug into
a card-edge connector that plugs into
a 3.5" drive, and a power lead
adapter, also includes little bits of
metal to mount a 3.5" drive in a 5.25"
case.
ReplyTo: E2K (J.W.Smith)
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: Econet Networking
Any help or tips about Econets and
Networking, I should be able to help.
Also there is Andrew Nelson (see
recommended contacts list)
ReplyTo: D6F (John Crane)
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: Disk formatters
Adfs M is 80 track single sided. You
can create this on an Arc. by
formatting a disk as ADFS L (80trk
double sided) and then ignoring side
2. On the Arc, do:
*Adfs:Format 0 L
*Create Adfs::0.temp 0+4F9
*Create Adfs::0.Side2 0+500
*Access Adfs::0.Side2 L
*Delete Adfs::0.temp
This saves a dummy file on all of side
2 to prevent you accidently using it.
Make sure you don't delete it or
Compact the disk.
Another way of doing it is to use a
sector editor to change the disk size
bytes in bytes 252/253/254 in sector
zero to the following:
Byte L M S
252: 00 00 80
253: 0A 05 02
254: 00 00 00
640k 320k 160k
ADFS S(mall) is single-sided 40 track.
To do this on a 3.5" drive you have to
double-step. As all 3.5" drives are 80
track anyway, that would be a bit
pointless. However, you can use that
method to create a ADFS (S) 5.25"
disk.
If you send me the PD formatter
program I should be able to alter it
to give you these extra options.
From: K8G (Jonathan Harston)
Subject: Textual filer
This is a preliminary filer that
allows you to navigate through a
directory tree doing various actions
of single or multiple files. Most of
the functions are implemented.
To: 999 (all members)
From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN)
Subject: GAMES
I would like to obtain as many games
as I can for the BBC Model B,
especially ones from Micro Power and
also the Level 9 adventure games, and
the Ultimate Play the Game series of
adventure style games.
If anyone can help me, then send a
message to E4W or e-mail me
at viewtronix@easynet.co.uk
I am only interested in boxed
originals, and will pay a fair price
for them!
To: 999 (all members)
From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN)
Subject: Acorn Timeline
I am interested in drawing up a
timeline for my webpage, of the dates
when all the various Acorn Computers
were produced, so far I have come up
with this:
Date Computer
```` ````````
???? Acorn Atom
1981 BBC Model A & B
Released
1983 Acorn Electron Released
1984 Model B+ released
1986 Master 128, Turbo, 512
and ET released.
1987 Acorn Archimedes ???
relased.
Long gap in history here!
1996 RISC PC developed.
Can anyone correct any of this, and
fill in the gaps?
Thanks!
To: 999 (all members)
From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN)
Subject: PC Joysticks
How do I connect PC joysticks to
a BBC? Can someone help me with this,
as I need a good joystick for my PC as
the voltmace ones I've had for 7 years
are getting a bit worn!
I think it may need some sort of
adaptor, or circuit to sort it all
out, i'd only need 1 button.
Please help!
To: ELT
From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN)
Subject: Interesting things to do on
Elite
Has anyone found anything useful to do
on Elite once the missions have been
completed?
I have done both missions, and have
reached deadly and I know I have a
long way to go to get to E L I T E
status, but is there anything apart
from trading and shooting to do?
I sometimes go into witchspace, which
is good, but does anyone else know
anything about the mysterious Cloak &
Dagger ship? How can I meet it?
Please help!