Thanks Ken. Only possible because of Virtual T - I wouldn't have a
chance in hell without it.
Hardware: I'm thinking a 64KB of RAM for CP/M and 512KB say for a
RAMdisk. 64KB would make it easy to switch in & out CP/M & return to
M100 mode, but it could be done like REX2 and just switch in 32KB RAM
into OptROM space. It would also be fine if the 64KB was part of the
512KB, just a little less disk space. RAMDisk is seriously good. M100
CP/M boots up MBASIC way faster than my Model 4 with hard disk. It will
make for a very nice CP/M system as far as file access speed.
Wireless would be very convenient to transfer files to the outside world
and essentially change disk images by. If all this was achieved on a
REX-type board (OptROM) & be contained within the M100 case, I would say
that would make for a very elegant solution.
/See - that's why it's taken 10 years to do CP/M - had to wait for the
hardware technology to catch up!//;-)
/
Philip
On 9/07/2017 11:53 AM, Ken Pettit wrote:
Hi Philip,
First of all, WOW! Excellent work! I wasn't aware you had been
working on this silently in the background.
Yes, the remem.bin binary should work with any variant of VT 1.7. The
only real compile differences between platforms is the GUI, and most
of that is hidden by the FLTK libraries.
Funny you mention we need a new hardware solution. Over the past two
weeks, I actually resurrected my old PADS layout tool based NADSBox
design and started porting it over to Allegro. My PADS license has
long since expired but I have an up-to-date Cadence Allegro license.
The thought was to do another run of NADSBoxes. The only real change
needed is to select a new / better SD card socket.
I also have and idea for a project that would replace REX (sorry
Steve), and would allow 64K All-RAM mode in a real M100 without ANY
hardware changes using the OptROM socket only. It would also provide
REX functionality. The only real concern I have is the amount of
juice it would consume from the battery. It would also have
integrated WiFi. I already selected parts and even started an Orcad
schematic for it.
Ken
On 7/8/17 4:33 PM, Philip Avery wrote:
Well, it's arrived as far as Virtual T. It will need a new hardware
device developed to use on a real M100.
Over a decade in the making (started in 2006), I present 64K CP/M 2.2
running in VT with Remem enabled. The Remem is used as RAMdisk, to
emulate two disk drives of about 241KB each.
To share this with the group, it would be easiest to share my VT
remem.bin (6MB). Together with my instructions in pdf, you'll be on
the air very quickly.
John Hogerhuis: May I send this to you to host on the bitchin.com site?
Ken Pettit: Will my windows variant of remem.bin work with all the
other variants of VT 1.7?
While in theory it will work on a real M100 with Remem, and with
additional software could use a NADSBox to talk to the modern world
(SD card) - I think as these two items aren't readily available, it
would best if a new hardware solution is developed. Now that it's
working in the M100 environment, it's relatively straightforward to
modify the BIOS to work with any RAMdisk, other storage device or
even a wireless solution.
Thanks to Mike Stein for some beta testing.
Philip
