I could send you that software if you wanted to try it. You would need a working TPDD device, like laddiealpha running on a PC, plus a serial cable. I'm guessing you have the serial cable sorted out but have you ever run TS-DOS or Teeny on the M100, and connected to a "remote TPDD" on your PC? Steve
On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 8:07 AM, Stephen Adolph <[email protected]> wrote: > James, just checked the hundred or so email here. > I don't think you ever ran any utilities to rebuild your REX did you? > In some cases I send out software that retests and rebuilds REX, but if > you never did that then it should be still "as shipped". > steve > > On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 7:59 AM, James Zeun <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I just looked back, here is the link. This guys board looks just like >> mine, except I have more ram fitted >> >> http://www.mvcsys.de/doc/remem_install.html >> >> On 26 May 2015 at 12:52, James Zeun <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi Steve >>> >>> Under other circumstances, say if we lived in the same country, I would >>> post you the machine and the REX to you, no questions asked. But given the >>> distance and the age of the M100, I dont think it would be good for the >>> computer or my nerves. As I would be having kittens, wondering if it was >>> going to get lost in the post. Plus there is the matter of shipping, I can >>> see posting the M100 would be expensive. >>> >>> This is a totally new platform to me, while I know what a binary is, >>> I've not really encountered HEX files before. Aside from HEX archives on >>> the Macintosh Plus. My understanding of ROMs and checksums is not shall we >>> say that good, in fact it's down right rubbish! The closest I've come to >>> playing with ROMS is on a BBC Micro computer and even then i was only >>> fitting them. So I think it is fair to say your knowledge on this subject >>> surpassed mine in leaps and bounds. Which is probably why your building the >>> REX and I'm not :-P >>> >>> I am very happy to post you the REX, as I would like to know what the >>> heck is going on myself. Is my machine faulty? is the REX faulty? Are all >>> European M100's built like mine? Could the REX not working in my machine, >>> be an indication of an inherit incompatibility between US and EU models? Am >>> I going to struggle with other expansion modules? >>> One way or the other its all a process of learning more about these >>> little machines. I've done a little research on EU M100's and found >>> another guy here in the UK who has a machine like mine. I think I sent you >>> a link / picture of it a while back. So we at least know mine isn't a one >>> off. The guy in question was trying to fit something to his machine but >>> discovered his mobo didn't match up with the US machines. >>> >>> The REX is installed like it is shown in the wiki page, with the two >>> lines on the PCB lining up with the gaps in the plastic surround. I wont >>> deny getting stung with the extra charges really wasn't great, since then >>> it's sort of felt like everything that could go wrong HAS. It's been a >>> struggle to keep up my enthusiasm but I do like using this little computer, >>> it's leagues better then the Amstrad NC100 and other machines of that ilk. >>> >>> If you want to email me your address, I will sort out sending you the >>> REX, is there any point me posting you the new ROM as well? >>> >>> Cheers >>> James >>> >>> >>> On 26 May 2015 at 12:00, Stephen Adolph <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> James, >>>> Sorry, I thought you would understand that the 32k file is a binary >>>> file, and the file you extracted from your now modified laptop would be hex >>>> ascii. >>>> And yes, the goal is for you to be able to verify that you got what you >>>> asked for, and that involves confirming that your installed ROM matches the >>>> binary that I sent. Does that clarify? >>>> There are lots of things online to help you out. >>>> I used winhex to convert your file from hex ascii to binary, then >>>> compute the hash 16. Your extracted ROM has a checksum of A8AF - as >>>> expected. >>>> >>>> So, as I said in the off list thread, I can't do anything further. You >>>> have hardware that I have never seen, which could be defective for all I >>>> know. It also could be a broken REX. >>>> >>>> If you want you can send REX to me on your dime and I can test it out. >>>> If it is "no fault found" then I suppose you would want a refund which I am >>>> fine with but you will need to contact Ken and understand what he is >>>> willing to do. >>>> >>>> I am assuming that REX is correctly installed. Did you check that? >>>> Please go to to the wiki to understand how to install REX. >>>> >>>> If you'd rather avoid shipping costs I'm happy to refund my portion of >>>> this now. >>>> >>>> In the past I have had people send me their machines to debug, which >>>> generally is a learning opportunity. But since you are in the UK and >>>> already unhappy about the money you have spent, I'm not interested in >>>> pursuing this option as there are no guarantees that anything can be made >>>> to work for you. >>>> >>>> If I had more of these different UK machine data points, I would be >>>> comfortable with saying that REX does NOT WORK in a UK machine. But, with >>>> a data point of ONE unit, I don't think it is correct to make that >>>> statement. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ..Steve >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 5:32 AM, James Zeun <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hey guys! >>>>> >>>>> So since posting in April that I was having trouble getting REX to >>>>> work, there's been a little progress, but not a lot. Stephen kindly >>>>> supplied me with a ROM file that was compatible with the REX and using a >>>>> company Kurt had told me about. I had a new System ROM burnt for my >>>>> machine. >>>>> >>>>> The ROM arrived last week and after installing it, the REX still >>>>> doesn't respond to the CALL63012 command. When I input that command, the >>>>> machine locks up and only by pressing the RESET can I get it back. This >>>>> also has the side effect of wiping clean the computers memory, which I >>>>> thought was interesting, because pressing the RESET shouldn't do that. >>>>> Only >>>>> a hard reset zaps your ram (unless I'm mistaken?). >>>>> >>>>> Stephen asked me if i could do a system dump and compare results with >>>>> (I believe) the original file he sent me. However I'm not entirely clear >>>>> on >>>>> the method he wants me to use, e.g Am I comparing the file sizes of each >>>>> file or something more involved like comparing the contents? The latter of >>>>> which I wouldn't have a clue about. The system dump I made over the >>>>> weekend >>>>> curiously comes to 64kb, while the image file Stephen sent me weights in >>>>> at >>>>> 32kb. I'm a little confused why the dumped file is twice the size, surely >>>>> it should be the same size as the file Stephen sent me. >>>>> >>>>> File size aside, everything else about the ROM seems to work, except >>>>> I'm still having issue with the REX. So either the fault is with the >>>>> module >>>>> or my M100, or there is something else about the EU M100 that makes it >>>>> incompatible with REX. As its been established the motherboard and the >>>>> system rom of my machine differ from US machines. The only part of that >>>>> which bothers me, is compatibility. It just seems like bad business sense >>>>> to make US and EU machines so radically different. that they can't share >>>>> addon modules. >>>>> >>>>> Well thats the slog so far, big thanks to those people who have helped >>>>> me on this. It sucks big time that it didn't worked out the box, but at >>>>> least we know that EU M100's are funny buggers...well mine is at least! >>>>> lol >>>>> >>>>> <http://www.buyicnow.com/it.php?i=72> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> My retro tech blog and general ramblings >>> http://bytemyvdu.wordpress.com/ >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> My retro tech blog and general ramblings >> http://bytemyvdu.wordpress.com/ >> > >
