Re: [M100] "CIA Adventure" - Ported from Model I to Model 100

[Justin Poirier]

I think that some syntax, while not throwing an error, will still need
to be fixed to work correctly on the Model 100. An example would be in
Line 6, containing the statement R1=RND(9). In some MS BASIC
implementations, like the Color Computer, this would return an integer
between 1 and 9. But the updated statement on the Model 100 would be
R1=INT(RND(1)*9)+1 to get the same 1-9 integer result.
I was going to load this up and get started, and then I saw that line
and decided it wasn't going to run right.
--Justin
On Wed, 2024-04-24 at 09:59 -0400, David Plass wrote:
> Very cool. Of course I'm stuck at step 1, but that's OK. I'll just
> read the source code to figure it out :P
> On Tue, Apr 23, 2024 at 11:31 AM Joshua O'Keefe <
> maj...@nachomountain.com> wrote:
> > Hi folks,
> > After stumbling over the game on a TRSDOS disk image, I started
> > doing a bit of porting work on the game "CIA Adventure" — I had
> > never finished it back in the 1980 — with the original aim to port
> > to the modern qb64 BASIC compiler. When that succeeded, I decided
> > to add on a bonus port to the M100, since the changes were about
> > the same.
> > 
> > The whole enchilada is at
> > 
> > 
> > But if you just want to get the tokenized BASIC file to try out, or
> > the macOS/Windows ports (the Linux build is on the to-do list),
> > they're here:
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Enjoy.

Re: [M100] PCSG Business Analyst FC ERROR in 1938

[Justin Poirier]

Interesting. I only have CloudT and T102 findings to report. It sounds like 
VirtualT emulates a M100, and I do have an M100, but the option ROM socket was 
*MANGLED* by its previous owner. Since I have a real ROM burned, I might try to 
fix the socket (or hardwire it in if it comes to it) and see how it performs on 
M100 hardware. Are the M100 and T102 fully ROM-compatible? As in they have the 
exact same libraries at the exact same memory locations, or are they different 
in some ways. I believe I remember some rumblings about how the ROM socket may 
have had a slightly different pin-out allowing for auto-start ROMs or 
something, but I'm not sure how far the other differences go. Maybe this really 
is an M100-only ROM? That would be a bummer.

—Justin

> On Mar 18, 2023, at 12:45 AM, John R. Hogerhuis  wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 9:25 PM Stephen Adolph  > wrote:
> additionally, earlier tonight I DID get the same error message, using the 
> real ROM on real T102 hardware.
> 
> AHAH!
> Business Analyst ROM works on M100 only!
> 
> Isn't that odd, wonder why.  But, this appears to be confirmed in VirtualT as 
> well as on real hardware.
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> First theory would be some m100 ROM dependency on the opt-rom installation 
> code which differs by model.
> 
> -- John. 

Re: [M100] PCSG Business Analyst FC ERROR in 1938

[Justin Poirier]

I agree that CloudT is working just fine, and is vindicated by the fact
that Business Analyst blows up exactly the same way on real hardware. I
have had zero luck finding a manual for the software, so I can only
guess that the CALL I'm using is correct. I'm assuming it is since it
loads to the splash screen, but can't verify that for sure.
I got the ROM from the REX# repository, but can't know if it's good for
sure. Anyone with a REX have it working?
Does anyone have a manual or any pointers? This package interests me
for some unknown reason. Maybe just because it seems like so much of a
mystery!
--Justin
On Sun, 2023-03-05 at 17:56 -0800, John R. Hogerhuis wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 5, 2023 at 4:47 PM Justin Poirier 
> wrote:
> > That's the line number, not some new quirk of the Y2K bug. ;-)
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I saw PCSG's Business Analyst as an option ROM in Cloud T and
> > thought
> > 
> > I'd try it. CALL 63012, and it gives the splash screen while it
> > loads,
> > 
> > shows some preliminary numbers on the screen, looking promising,
> > and
> > 
> > then give an "FC Error in 1938."
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > There is no program listing upon doing a LIST, so this is a pretty
> > 
> > typical machine code crash in my book.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I thought I'd try it on real hardware, just to be sure, so I burned
> > a
> > 
> > ROM and put it in my 102. It blows up the exact same way. I
> > manually
> > 
> > did a full cold restart on it, and the result is the same. It does
> > 
> > leave it's mark in the menu so I can load it without the CALL, but
> > it's
> > 
> > dead software unless there's some trick to making it load. Any
> > ideas on
> > 
> > what I'm doing wrong?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks a lot!
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --Justin
> > 
> > 
> 
> It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. Some ROMs have a
> different install CALL but I doubt that's the issue.
> 
> For my part, I've never really used this opt rom. I just dropped it
> into CloudT since it is available. Might have checked to see it
> launch... which it does, shows a banner, but if you hit enter you get
> the crash.
> 
> I'd like to hear if anyone else uses it with whatever version of the
> Opt ROM they have... maybe I have a corrupted file.
> 
> -- John.

[M100] PCSG Business Analyst FC ERROR in 1938

[Justin Poirier]

That's the line number, not some new quirk of the Y2K bug. ;-)

I saw PCSG's Business Analyst as an option ROM in Cloud T and thought
I'd try it. CALL 63012, and it gives the splash screen while it loads,
shows some preliminary numbers on the screen, looking promising, and
then give an "FC Error in 1938."

There is no program listing upon doing a LIST, so this is a pretty
typical machine code crash in my book.

I thought I'd try it on real hardware, just to be sure, so I burned a
ROM and put it in my 102. It blows up the exact same way. I manually
did a full cold restart on it, and the result is the same. It does
leave it's mark in the menu so I can load it without the CALL, but it's
dead software unless there's some trick to making it load. Any ideas on
what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks a lot!

--Justin

Re: [M100] Option ROM - multiplan

[Justin Poirier]

This is the quick reference guide, the same one available on Club 100.

—Justin

> On Feb 9, 2023, at 1:25 PM, Gregory McGill  wrote:
> 
> https://archive.org/details/Multiplan_for_Tandy_100_1984_Microsoft/page/n7/mode/2up
>  
> <https://archive.org/details/Multiplan_for_Tandy_100_1984_Microsoft/page/n7/mode/2up>
> 
> On Thu, Feb 9, 2023 at 9:47 AM Justin Poirier  <mailto:gen.ele...@gmail.com>> wrote:
> I actually checked Club 100, and see a quick reference guide for Multiplan, 
> but no actual full-blown manual for it. I even backed out a level in the FTP 
> directory so I could see all the files, and there isn't a Multiplan manual in 
> there. Is there a different location to look? (Or point out that I’m blind 
> and just wasn’t looking in the right place?)
> 
> —Justin
> 
>> On Feb 9, 2023, at 10:08 AM, rrtfw6...@charter.net 
>> <mailto:rrtfw6...@charter.net> wrote:
>> 
>> The instructions can be found online at the Club100 documents site. I seem 
>> to remember that the computer should be off when you install or remove it. 
>> It has its own data file type.
>> 
>> Sent from MailDroid <https://goo.gl/ODgwBb>
>> 
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Comcast mailto:malech...@comcast.net>>
>> To: m...@bitchin100.com <mailto:m...@bitchin100.com>
>> Cc: m100@lists.bitchin100.com <mailto:m100@lists.bitchin100.com>
>> Sent: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 9:49 AM
>> Subject: [M100] Option ROM - multiplan
>> 
>> If anyone has experience with the MS multi plan ROM, please share 
>> 
>> I appreciate the support, in advance, thank you 
>> 
>> What I am experiencing with my M102 
>> 
>> Is that with this ROM, it forces a cold restart when inserted AND when 
>> removed 
>> 
>> Unlike other OptROMs, you don’t need to do a CALL to initialize nor can you 
>> KILL the RAM file to uninstall, so thinking this is by design 
>> 
>> But yet very frustrating 
>> 
>> Thanks 
>> 
>> Mike 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone 
> 

Re: [M100] Option ROM - multiplan

[Justin Poirier]

I actually checked Club 100, and see a quick reference guide for Multiplan, but 
no actual full-blown manual for it. I even backed out a level in the FTP 
directory so I could see all the files, and there isn't a Multiplan manual in 
there. Is there a different location to look? (Or point out that I’m blind and 
just wasn’t looking in the right place?)

—Justin

> On Feb 9, 2023, at 10:08 AM, rrtfw6...@charter.net wrote:
> 
> The instructions can be found online at the Club100 documents site. I seem to 
> remember that the computer should be off when you install or remove it. It 
> has its own data file type.
> 
> Sent from MailDroid 
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Comcast 
> To: m...@bitchin100.com
> Cc: m100@lists.bitchin100.com
> Sent: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 9:49 AM
> Subject: [M100] Option ROM - multiplan
> 
> If anyone has experience with the MS multi plan ROM, please share
> 
> I appreciate the support, in advance, thank you
> 
> What I am experiencing with my M102
> 
> Is that with this ROM, it forces a cold restart when inserted AND when 
> removed 
> 
> Unlike other OptROMs, you don’t need to do a CALL to initialize nor can you 
> KILL the RAM file to uninstall, so thinking this is by design
> 
> But yet very frustrating
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mike
> 
> Sent from my iPhone

Re: [M100] Option ROM - multiplan

[Justin Poirier]

Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, this is for the option ROM version of 
Multiplan, on a M100/T102. I do see the manual for the T200 version.

Specifically, Mike is looking for the install instructions for the ROM 
(including the CALL command) and the “uninstall” instructions. It seems that 
his machine loads Multiplan as soon as the ROM is inserted, and that wipes the 
RAM, and then removing the ROM wipes the RAM again. Not very helpful. (and yes, 
the machine is turned off when doing this.)

The manual must have a description of the load/unload procedure, but we can’t 
find the option ROM version of it.

Thanks!

—Justin

> On Feb 9, 2023, at 10:08 AM, rrtfw6...@charter.net wrote:
> 
> The instructions can be found online at the Club100 documents site. I seem to 
> remember that the computer should be off when you install or remove it. It 
> has its own data file type.
> 
> Sent from MailDroid 
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Comcast 
> To: m...@bitchin100.com
> Cc: m100@lists.bitchin100.com
> Sent: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 9:49 AM
> Subject: [M100] Option ROM - multiplan
> 
> If anyone has experience with the MS multi plan ROM, please share
> 
> I appreciate the support, in advance, thank you
> 
> What I am experiencing with my M102
> 
> Is that with this ROM, it forces a cold restart when inserted AND when 
> removed 
> 
> Unlike other OptROMs, you don’t need to do a CALL to initialize nor can you 
> KILL the RAM file to uninstall, so thinking this is by design
> 
> But yet very frustrating
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mike
> 
> Sent from my iPhone

Re: [M100] is the m100 a trs-80? In walks like a, not is categorized as a

[Justin Poirier]

TRS-80 starts for "Tandy Radio Shack" and "Z80 microprocessor." The
M100/T102/T200 have an Intel 80C51 microcontroller, not a Zilog Z80,
like the Model I, II, III, IV had, and even worse the TRS-80 Color
Computers have a Motorola 6809, so even in themselves, they were not
consistent in sticking to their own brand.
--Justin
On Wed, 2022-09-28 at 17:09 -0400, chri...@macross.com wrote:
> TRS80 is a brand.  There are substantial differences between the
> different models for the most part.  Especially ones like the Model
> II.  The 1, 3 and 4 had some limited compatibility but stuff written
> for one wouldn't necessarily work in the other.  (Except that in
> theory you could boot a 4 into 3 mode to run 3 apps, but that wasn't
> really 'compatible' ).   So the 100 and 102 (where brand changed to
> Tandy) are like the rest and different :). 
> 
> Oh and don't forget the whole color computer series was vastly
> different from the gray box models :) 
> --Chris
> From: M100  on behalf of Will Senn
> 
> Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 5:04 PM
> To: m...@bitchin100.com 
> Subject: [M100] is the m100 a trs-80? In walks like a, not is
> categorized as a
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
>   
>   
> I've been reading around a
>   bit (all over the world actually) and there's a lot of stuff
>   written about and for the TRS-80... as though it's a machine,
> not
>   a designation. I wonder, just how close is an m100 to these
>   TRS-80's (Model 1, 2, 3, etc)? Should I concentrate on stuff
>   that's written specifically about the M100? Or, will any old
>   TRS-80 book or magazine or zine (TRS8BIT) do? It's pretty
>   confusing.
> 
>   
> 
>   I do realize that there are significant differences in hardware
>   and screen stuff - color, res, etc. But by and large is an m100
> a
>   "TRS-80" in that I can reuse code from one to the other
>   comfortably (sans specific hardware references), or should I
> not
>   waste my time?
> 
>   
> 
>   Looking for insight and reading material for M100 enthusiasts.
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> Will
> 

Re: [M100] Building Virtual T For Linux Mint?

[Justin Poirier]

I successfully built it in Mint 20 asking the questions and doing a
back-and-forth on the facebook group. Got some good help there with
which libraries I needed to have installed, so maybe this will help you
too. Here's the link to the thread:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Model.T.Computers/permalink/5238111902915945/
--Justin
On Fri, 2022-08-19 at 13:19 -0700, Ken Pettit wrote:
> I have a machine at home with Linux Mint on it (a very old EeePC)
> that I believe has VirtualT running on it.  I will see if I can
> check it out late tonight after my daughter's school carnival, or
> possibly tomorrow.
> 
> 
> 
> But I agree with John, it should be very similar.
> 
> 
> 
> Ken
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/19/22 1:17 PM, John R. Hogerhuis
>   wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> >   
> > Should be similar. There are always hitches, let us know if
> >   you get stuck.  
> >   
> > 
> >   
> >   -- John.
> >   
> > 
> >   
> > 
> >   
> > On Fri, Aug 19, 2022,
> >   12:01 PM David Szasz 
> >   wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > >   Hi:
> > > 
> > > 
> > >   
> > > I'm new to the Virtual T emulator. 
> > > Can one use the build procedure for Ubuntu as
> > > outlined in "Bitchin100" for Linux Mint (as
> > > it was
> > > developed from Ubuntu)? Or are there
> > > alternate steps
> > > to build for Linux Mint?
> > > 
> > > 
> > >   
> > > I rarely post to the forum so bear
> > > with me.
> > > 
> > > 
> > >   
> > > Thanks
> > > Dave NV3F
> > >   
> > > 
> > 
> >   
> > 
> >   
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 

Re: [M100] Robotics projects with the M100

[Justin Poirier]

Gordon McComb wrote “The Robot Builder’s Bonanza” starting back in the ‘80s and 
has updated it fairly regularly. It started with CMOS and TTL circuits, and 
interfacing them with Apple II, Model 100, IBM PC/AT machines, etc. He’s 
updated it through the years to include Arduino, wifi controllers, etc. Hit the 
interwebs and look for the ‘80s and 90s versions. They’re packed full of 
circuits for Model 100 interfacing, and a lot of mechanical ideas for walking 
robots, mechanical arms, fire suppression ideas, all kinds of things. They’re a 
great series of books and I’ve used ideas in them for all kinds of other 
projects along the way.

—Justin

> On Jul 3, 2022, at 6:42 PM, Brian White  wrote:
> 
> There are TWO people with these robots???
> 
> Haha that does make the most sense since it fits.
> 
>  It's a different situation with the M100 because although there is room for 
> a normal socket (not zif) with a dip chip in it, the pinout is non-standard, 
> and there is no room for a socket plus a pinout adaper with it's own socket. 
> Plus there are old commercial roms and new accessories like REX that only fit 
> in the original socket with the original pinout that you want to remain 
> compatible with.
> 
> -- 
> bkw
> 
> On Sun, Jul 3, 2022, 5:45 PM Scott McDonnell  > wrote:
> Yes that was me. I ordered the boards and the 3D printed parts, but I ended 
> up just installing a ZIF socket in both of my RB5X robots as that was more 
> convenient both for programming the parts and using them. After I had 
> disassembled the robot, I realized that the footprint for the custom molex 
> socket was compatible with a regular DIP socket and the cutout in the panel 
> was big enough for a ZIF socket.
> 
> A friend did use your 3D printed DIP adapter without any issue since he did 
> not want to modify his robot.
> 
> 
> Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2022 16:53:09 -0400
> From: Brian White mailto:b.kenyo...@gmail.com>>
> To: m...@bitchin100.com 
> Subject: Re: [M100] Robotics projects with the M100
> 
> Hello! Was it you that I spoke with a few times about the 28-pin version of
> the Molex carrier and eeprom adapter pcb? How did you ever make out with
> that? Did you try it and did it work? I couldn't actually test it myself so
> I was worried there could be some trivial mistake.
> 
> -- 
> bkw

Re: [M100] VirtualT for Debian 11

[Justin Poirier]

Yes! I had the same problems and we worked through them on the facebook group.

Here’s the link to the thread. Read all the replies because we did get it 
solved, but it was in a minor thread, not the main trail. You’ll get this 
working.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1186716131388896/search/?q=fltk 


—Justin

> On Feb 18, 2022, at 10:29 PM, Peter Vollan  wrote:
> 
> Yes I am running Virtual T in Linux Mint. 
> If it says libraries are missing, go into synaptic package manager and look 
> for them.
> That, and FLTK.
> 
> 
> On Fri, 18 Feb 2022 at 18:56, Daryl Tester 
>  > wrote:
> Not currently, but I'll actually get some bandwidth to look at this in
> a couple of weeks, and see (C?) what's required.
> 
> Cheers,
>--dt
> 
> On 19/2/22 08:03, Pawel Radomychelski | ExPLIT wrote:
> > Hello guys,
> > 
> > do someone is using virtualt with modern Debian / Ubuntu ?
> > 
> > Try to build/run virtualt, but got only errors (eg. libjpeg.so.9 /
> > libpng12.so.0) missing
> > 
> > Tried created symlinks to the new versions, but with now luck.
> > 

Re: [M100] M100 Information

[Justin Poirier]

If you suspect that only the screen is not working, you can still get a cue as 
to whether the rest of the machine is up and running or not.

When you first power it on, BASIC is the highlighted option on the menu, so 
just pressing  will get you into BASIC, and at the command prompt.

Type in BEEP, followed by . If the rest of the machine is working, 
you’ll hear the sound. That might help point you in the right direction.

—Justin

Re: [M100] Bleaching of yellowed plastic

[Justin Poirier]

I’m glad to hear that it worked! Thank you for letting us know. So often, we 
never know whether our advice was used or successful, so thank you for taking 
the time to give feedback!

—Justin

> On Oct 23, 2021, at 10:37 AM, Jamil Alioui 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Thanks to Justin and Jeff for their valuable advice and references.
> 
> I did the procedure with the hair bleach gel and indeed, the result is 
> wonderful.
> 
> Thanks to Jeff's video, I was also able to understand what happened during 
> the chemical reaction.
> 
> Thanks a lot to both of you: now I have a nice computer to use and I am less 
> stupid.
> 
> Have a great weekend! Best wishes,
> 
> Jamil Alioui
> 
> Le 21.10.2021 à 15:28, Jeffrey Birt a écrit :
>> Hi,
>> 
>> While 'Retr0Brite', i.e. using hydrogen peroxide to whiten plastic is a 
>> bleaching process other types of bleach do not work the same. Bleaching 
>> agents, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach, etc. do not work exactly the 
>> same so can't be interchanged for this use case.
>> 
>> If you want to learn all about the process from where the color comes from 
>> to why the bleaching process works I did a video about that: 
>> https://youtu.be/YPl356YKcVs . In the video description is a link to a 
>> folder which has a paper that goes along with the video and other resources.
>> 
>> Someone has already mentioned obtaining hydrogen peroxide in the form of 
>> hair developer. Indeed, this is usually the least expensive source. You can 
>> also use sodium percarbonate which comes as a powder (it is hydrogen 
>> peroxide and soda ash). Mix the sodium percarbonate with hot water to 
>> dissolve it. The drawback is the soda ash is alkaline and may corrode any 
>> bits of metal given enough time.
>> 
>> You can also use 'SunBriting' which is plain old fashioned sun bleaching.
>> 
>> Lots of details in the video and paper.
>> 
>> Jeff Birt
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -Original Message-
>> From: M100  On Behalf Of Jamil Alioui
>> Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2021 2:37 AM
>> To: m...@bitchin100.com
>> Subject: [M100] Bleaching of yellowed plastic
>> 
>> Hello to all of you,
>> 
>> I have a small practical question, which will be my first on this list.
>> I quickly looked in the archives but found nothing about this. I hope to 
>> knock on the right door.
>> 
>> What is the best method to whiten the yellowed plastic of a Model 100 
>> without damaging the screen or sanding (=smoothing) the relief or erasing 
>> the inscriptions? I found several possibilities on the internet.
>> One of them is to rub the material with a baking soda paste. But the one 
>> time I tried this, the matte plastic turned shiny. I considered dipping the 
>> case and keyboard keys in household vinegar, but wanted to make sure it 
>> wouldn't affect anything else. I also imagined bathing the yellowed parts in 
>> hydrogen peroxide, but this product is very expensive in Switzerland.
>> 
>> Thanks in advance; kind regards,
>> 
>> Jamil Alioui
>> (Lausanne, Switzerland)
>> 
>> 
>> 

Re: [M100] Bleaching of yellowed plastic

[Justin Poirier]

Hydrogen peroxide gave me wonderful results. But like you said, it's 
expensive. So I don't buy hydrogen peroxide. I buy hair bleaching gel. 
Buy it at "40 Volume" or (even better) "50 Volume" concentration. That 
means it's 15% hydrogen peroxide, plus some other chemicals to make it a 
gel that stays in place when you apply it. I was able to get a liter of 
that stuff for about $15US, and since it's not made for use in a 
laboratory or anything, it's not too hard to find, and it's cheap. Smear 
that on the yellowed plastic, put the parts in a clear plastic bag to 
prevent evaporation, and put it outside on a sunny day. The ultraviolet 
light from the sun reacts with the peroxide and pulls the yellow out of 
the plastic with no damage to the original color, texture, or integrity 
of the part. A full day in the sun cleans up most parts.


Hope this helps!

--Justin

On 10/21/21 3:36 AM, Jamil Alioui wrote:

Hello to all of you,

I have a small practical question, which will be my first on this 
list. I quickly looked in the archives but found nothing about this. I 
hope to knock on the right door.


What is the best method to whiten the yellowed plastic of a Model 100 
without damaging the screen or sanding (=smoothing) the relief or 
erasing the inscriptions? I found several possibilities on the 
internet. One of them is to rub the material with a baking soda paste. 
But the one time I tried this, the matte plastic turned shiny. I 
considered dipping the case and keyboard keys in household vinegar, 
but wanted to make sure it wouldn't affect anything else. I also 
imagined bathing the yellowed parts in hydrogen peroxide, but this 
product is very expensive in Switzerland.


Thanks in advance; kind regards,

Jamil Alioui
(Lausanne, Switzerland)

Re: [M100] Model 100 printer woes

[Justin Poirier]

I just get the Avery (or whatever brand labels you get) template online for the 
form-factor of the labels that you have, put my content into each box, and then 
print them. Peel the labels off individually, keeping the borders of the whole 
sheet intact. Then keep the unused part. Next time, put new content into the 
boxes for the labels you haven’t printed, and run the sheet through your 
printer again. You can keep doing this until you’ve used all the labels.

—Justin

Re: [M100] Must-have ROMs

[Justin Poirier]

If you're looking for cheap, these aren't them! These are anything but 
cheap. They're gold-plated Mill-Max pins, 12 cents each, but since I 
build these in batches of 25 units at a time or so, ordering them 700 at 
a time gets them down to the 5 cents/each price range. Still not cheap, 
but I am a huge believer in quality if I'm selling something, so I 
really like the flanges that they have for stress relief. If I was doing 
this for "just me" I would go get some 24 gauge gold-plated steel craft 
wire at Michaels craft store and cut it into 3/8" pieces and solder away.


--Justin

On 7/9/21 9:31 AM, Stephen Adolph wrote:

Justin,
On your T200 ram module, what kind of pin do you use?
I'm always on the hunt for low cost pins...
thx
Steve

On Fri, Jul 9, 2021 at 9:28 AM Justin Poirier <mailto:gen.ele...@gmail.com>> wrote:


Some quick snaps I loaded to my Google Drive for paroosal:

The SOIC EEPROM adapter/programmer:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KDG4YevQZBaP72dhnJJwGXZKxzJsfhNu/view?usp=sharing

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KDG4YevQZBaP72dhnJJwGXZKxzJsfhNu/view?usp=sharing>

The PROM-based 8-slot ROM adapter (in a T102):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/138PiJQOmxYbh2wuQFnczIsGsQdF5HhB6/view?usp=sharing

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/138PiJQOmxYbh2wuQFnczIsGsQdF5HhB6/view?usp=sharing>

The 24k T200 memory upgrades I make and have been selling on eBay for
years. (You've probably seen these if you use eBay at all.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mn1irtPzuqOzBhGmKGh6pm7r91rbbd3r/view?usp=sharing

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mn1irtPzuqOzBhGmKGh6pm7r91rbbd3r/view?usp=sharing>

Any questions, let me know!

--Justin

On 7/9/21 8:37 AM, Pawel Radomychelski | ExPLIT wrote:
> I think many of us would be happy to see some images of your work.
>
> I don't ask for a manual, that would be very time-intensive, but
if you could make some photos - that would be gr8!
>
> Thanks!
    >
    > Pawel
>
>
> On Friday, 9 July 2021, Justin Poirier wrote:
>> My first run was using a 28C256 on a SOIC-28 chip. Same thing
you did, I
>> used a resistor to hold /WE so that I could pull it with the
burner when
>> I wanted to erase/re-write the image. But, also like you said,
those
>> chips are $10 each now and hold a single image. I built the carrier
>> (actually, designed in KiCAD and sent to GoldPhoenix for fab),
soldered
>> the SOIC on and burned it using a DIP-28 to "Molex" adapter
that I built
>> out of Cat5E wire and a DIP header, with 1" long "fingers" on
the other
>> size made out of gold-plated spring wire used for craft
jewelry. The
>> carrier clips into that 28-pin finger arrange, which has all
the pins
>> for a 28C256 DIP-28 re-mapped to the Molex pinout and the
burner just
>> sees it as a DIP-28. Works pretty good, but it's a pain, and
it's expensive.
>>
>> So the PROM version uses a AT27C020 in PLCC-32 format on a
different (of
>> course) carrier, and via a suite of programs I wrote in Perl,
builds a
>> single ROM image out of 8 32k images, which I burn in the
TL866-II. Then
>> I solder the chip to the carrier, and the DIP switches select which
>> 32-image is available at any given time. Simple enough, and it
works
>> very nicely. I have several of my prototypes in my T102 and several
>> T200s. No complaints. The chip is $4 at Digikey, and as long as
I get
>> the image right, it's one-and-done.
>>
>> This is a working project. It's done, except for the actual ROM
images.
>> I have the boards fabricated, the chips on hand, and have a
half-dozen
>> working prototypes on my bench. I know the REX is a great
device, but
>> sometimes K.I.S.S. wins out in my head. Sometimes I just need a
ROM in
>> that slot all the time, and since I have a good number of Ts
that are
>> all used in various ways, I can't justify putting a REX in each.
>>
>> --Justin
>>
>> On 7/8/21 3:19 PM, Brian K. White wrote:
>>> On 7/8/21 10:06 AM, Justin Poirier wrote:
>>>> It appears that Club100 on bitchin100 only have a handful of ROM
>>>> images. Where do I go to find SuperROM, Disk+ and those
others? They
>>>> have generic enough names that Google has been of very little
help.
>>>>
>>>> I have been working on an inexpensive carrier solution (for
myself,
>>>> mostly) that will hold (8) ROM images that are selected with
a group
>&g

Re: [M100] Must-have ROMs

[Justin Poirier]

Some quick snaps I loaded to my Google Drive for paroosal:

The SOIC EEPROM adapter/programmer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KDG4YevQZBaP72dhnJJwGXZKxzJsfhNu/view?usp=sharing

The PROM-based 8-slot ROM adapter (in a T102):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/138PiJQOmxYbh2wuQFnczIsGsQdF5HhB6/view?usp=sharing

The 24k T200 memory upgrades I make and have been selling on eBay for 
years. (You've probably seen these if you use eBay at all.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mn1irtPzuqOzBhGmKGh6pm7r91rbbd3r/view?usp=sharing

Any questions, let me know!

--Justin

On 7/9/21 8:37 AM, Pawel Radomychelski | ExPLIT wrote:

I think many of us would be happy to see some images of your work.

I don't ask for a manual, that would be very time-intensive, but if you could 
make some photos - that would be gr8!

Thanks!

Pawel


On Friday, 9 July 2021, Justin Poirier wrote:

My first run was using a 28C256 on a SOIC-28 chip. Same thing you did, I
used a resistor to hold /WE so that I could pull it with the burner when
I wanted to erase/re-write the image. But, also like you said, those
chips are $10 each now and hold a single image. I built the carrier
(actually, designed in KiCAD and sent to GoldPhoenix for fab), soldered
the SOIC on and burned it using a DIP-28 to "Molex" adapter that I built
out of Cat5E wire and a DIP header, with 1" long "fingers" on the other
size made out of gold-plated spring wire used for craft jewelry. The
carrier clips into that 28-pin finger arrange, which has all the pins
for a 28C256 DIP-28 re-mapped to the Molex pinout and the burner just
sees it as a DIP-28. Works pretty good, but it's a pain, and it's expensive.

So the PROM version uses a AT27C020 in PLCC-32 format on a different (of
course) carrier, and via a suite of programs I wrote in Perl, builds a
single ROM image out of 8 32k images, which I burn in the TL866-II. Then
I solder the chip to the carrier, and the DIP switches select which
32-image is available at any given time. Simple enough, and it works
very nicely. I have several of my prototypes in my T102 and several
T200s. No complaints. The chip is $4 at Digikey, and as long as I get
the image right, it's one-and-done.

This is a working project. It's done, except for the actual ROM images.
I have the boards fabricated, the chips on hand, and have a half-dozen
working prototypes on my bench. I know the REX is a great device, but
sometimes K.I.S.S. wins out in my head. Sometimes I just need a ROM in
that slot all the time, and since I have a good number of Ts that are
all used in various ways, I can't justify putting a REX in each.

--Justin

On 7/8/21 3:19 PM, Brian K. White wrote:

On 7/8/21 10:06 AM, Justin Poirier wrote:

It appears that Club100 on bitchin100 only have a handful of ROM
images. Where do I go to find SuperROM, Disk+ and those others? They
have generic enough names that Google has been of very little help.

I have been working on an inexpensive carrier solution (for myself,
mostly) that will hold (8) ROM images that are selected with a group
of DIP switches on the carrier itself. Nothing fancy, but if I like
the results, I could probably crank them out, burned and ready, in
the $20-$25 range. Not committing to anything at all, since I’m still
in prototyping, but with (8) ROM slots, I’m not sure what to put in
them. So far, I made one that has TS-DOS, Ultimate, Cleusseau and
TS-Random. And since I have twice as much space as all that, it
includes those titles in both the M100/102 versions as well as the
M200 version. That seems wasteful. Maybe I’m wrong!

How are you connecting up to burn them? Through the edge connectors
with a reverse pinout adapter? DIP-28 test clip on the outside edges
with the wires arranged into a reverse pinout adapter? Or are you just
burning before soldering and no re-writing after that?

I made this single-rom carrier that, since it's an SOIC package, and I
have a resistor rather than a trace for /WE, is easy to just connect
normally with a soic test clip to program.
http://tandy.wiki/Teeprom


But that 28C256 is now OVER $10 just for a single 32k, and I'd like to
try to ditch the requirement for the test clip if possible, and
definitely don't want to require an actual Molex socket. (I have molex
sockets, but I'm trying to make a design anyone can use, not just
something for myself) So I tried this
https://github.com/bkw777/Teeprom/blob/master/Teeprom2.md

4 or 8 roms (that's just a 4-rom version but 8 would be a
straightforward progression from there) and no special parts needed,
and it's even both cheaper and more convenient than the soic-28 test
clip, and the flash part is both more readily available (multiple
manufacturers still) and just over $1 instead of over $10.


Which *almost* works as envisioned. The programming adapter is built
out of all normal off the shelf parts, and the connection between the
programming adapter and the carrier is made by dint of having the
holes on the carrier be offs

Re: [M100] Must-have ROMs

[Justin Poirier]

My first run was using a 28C256 on a SOIC-28 chip. Same thing you did, I 
used a resistor to hold /WE so that I could pull it with the burner when 
I wanted to erase/re-write the image. But, also like you said, those 
chips are $10 each now and hold a single image. I built the carrier 
(actually, designed in KiCAD and sent to GoldPhoenix for fab), soldered 
the SOIC on and burned it using a DIP-28 to "Molex" adapter that I built 
out of Cat5E wire and a DIP header, with 1" long "fingers" on the other 
size made out of gold-plated spring wire used for craft jewelry. The 
carrier clips into that 28-pin finger arrange, which has all the pins 
for a 28C256 DIP-28 re-mapped to the Molex pinout and the burner just 
sees it as a DIP-28. Works pretty good, but it's a pain, and it's expensive.


So the PROM version uses a AT27C020 in PLCC-32 format on a different (of 
course) carrier, and via a suite of programs I wrote in Perl, builds a 
single ROM image out of 8 32k images, which I burn in the TL866-II. Then 
I solder the chip to the carrier, and the DIP switches select which 
32-image is available at any given time. Simple enough, and it works 
very nicely. I have several of my prototypes in my T102 and several 
T200s. No complaints. The chip is $4 at Digikey, and as long as I get 
the image right, it's one-and-done.


This is a working project. It's done, except for the actual ROM images. 
I have the boards fabricated, the chips on hand, and have a half-dozen 
working prototypes on my bench. I know the REX is a great device, but 
sometimes K.I.S.S. wins out in my head. Sometimes I just need a ROM in 
that slot all the time, and since I have a good number of Ts that are 
all used in various ways, I can't justify putting a REX in each.


--Justin

On 7/8/21 3:19 PM, Brian K. White wrote:

On 7/8/21 10:06 AM, Justin Poirier wrote:
It appears that Club100 on bitchin100 only have a handful of ROM 
images. Where do I go to find SuperROM, Disk+ and those others? They 
have generic enough names that Google has been of very little help.


I have been working on an inexpensive carrier solution (for myself, 
mostly) that will hold (8) ROM images that are selected with a group 
of DIP switches on the carrier itself. Nothing fancy, but if I like 
the results, I could probably crank them out, burned and ready, in 
the $20-$25 range. Not committing to anything at all, since I’m still 
in prototyping, but with (8) ROM slots, I’m not sure what to put in 
them. So far, I made one that has TS-DOS, Ultimate, Cleusseau and 
TS-Random. And since I have twice as much space as all that, it 
includes those titles in both the M100/102 versions as well as the 
M200 version. That seems wasteful. Maybe I’m wrong!


How are you connecting up to burn them? Through the edge connectors 
with a reverse pinout adapter? DIP-28 test clip on the outside edges 
with the wires arranged into a reverse pinout adapter? Or are you just 
burning before soldering and no re-writing after that?


I made this single-rom carrier that, since it's an SOIC package, and I 
have a resistor rather than a trace for /WE, is easy to just connect 
normally with a soic test clip to program.

http://tandy.wiki/Teeprom


But that 28C256 is now OVER $10 just for a single 32k, and I'd like to 
try to ditch the requirement for the test clip if possible, and 
definitely don't want to require an actual Molex socket. (I have molex 
sockets, but I'm trying to make a design anyone can use, not just 
something for myself) So I tried this

https://github.com/bkw777/Teeprom/blob/master/Teeprom2.md

4 or 8 roms (that's just a 4-rom version but 8 would be a 
straightforward progression from there) and no special parts needed, 
and it's even both cheaper and more convenient than the soic-28 test 
clip, and the flash part is both more readily available (multiple 
manufacturers still) and just over $1 instead of over $10.



Which *almost* works as envisioned. The programming adapter is built 
out of all normal off the shelf parts, and the connection between the 
programming adapter and the carrier is made by dint of having the 
holes on the carrier be offset staggered so they work against each 
other. I think I just need a different stagger pattern, and slightly 
more offset to the stagger. I was able to get it to work by tediously 
testing each pin for connection to identify a handful that didn't 
connect, and bending the pins manually until they all worked.


Not practical.

But that was only the first proof of concept, no iteration yet, so 
maybe with a little dialing-in the idea would work out.


But then again maybe that many little pins in that kind of arrangement 
is just never going to be reliable.


So I was thinking of next either using pogo pins, because those are 
actually cheap now, or using long wire-wrapping pins to make something 
that can act like a DIP test clip that can just contact all the edge 
contact pins on the outside like a normal soc

Re: [M100] Must-have ROMs

[Justin Poirier]

That’s what I’m using. Upgraded from an older Willem parallel port burner that 
I used an awful lot.

Mostly what I’m asking is “what ROM software images do people concern 
themselves over?” The burning of the ROMs, the carrier, and the rest of the 
hardware I have sorted out.

Thanks a lot!

—Justin

> On Jul 8, 2021, at 09:41 AM, Jeffrey Birt  wrote:
> 
> I use a TL866 which is a pretty good and lower cost unit. 
>  
> Jeff Brt
>  
> From: M100  On Behalf Of Jeff Gonzales
> Sent: Thursday, July 8, 2021 8:24 AM
> To: m...@bitchin100.com
> Subject: Re: [M100] Must-have ROMs
>  
> What gear do you need to burn your own ROMs?  I didn't even think the chips 
> would still be available in the 21st century.
>  
> On Thu, Jul 8, 2021 at 9:14 AM Justin Poirier  wrote:
>> I’ve been using my M102 (and later as $$$ allowed, M200s) since the early 
>> ‘90s, but have just gotten into burning my own ROMs for the ROM slot, now 
>> that I’m in a position to fabricate the carrier boards. I’ve found a 
>> half-dozen ROM images (separate images for both the 100/102 and the 200), 
>> but no real descriptions of what I should be looking into. TS-DOS is a 
>> must-have since I have a disk drive, and that works great, but Sardine, 
>> Random, etc all look like they need additional “support” ROMs, or extra 
>> hardware, or are application-specific in a direction unknown to me. Are 
>> there other ROM images that most people find useful, or are part of the 
>> “must-have” collection? Where do I find them, if they exist?
>> 
>> I realize I’ve just asked a question like “what is the best brand of motor 
>> oil” on a car-enthusiasts forum, but if anyone could throw me a bone and get 
>> me pointed in a good direction, I’m pretty good at finding the rest of the 
>> details myself.
>> 
>> Thanks a lot!
>> 
>> —Justin

[M100] Must-have ROMs

[Justin Poirier]

I’ve been using my M102 (and later as $$$ allowed, M200s) since the early ‘90s, 
but have just gotten into burning my own ROMs for the ROM slot, now that I’m in 
a position to fabricate the carrier boards. I’ve found a half-dozen ROM images 
(separate images for both the 100/102 and the 200), but no real descriptions of 
what I should be looking into. TS-DOS is a must-have since I have a disk drive, 
and that works great, but Sardine, Random, etc all look like they need 
additional “support” ROMs, or extra hardware, or are application-specific in a 
direction unknown to me. Are there other ROM images that most people find 
useful, or are part of the “must-have” collection? Where do I find them, if 
they exist?

I realize I’ve just asked a question like “what is the best brand of motor oil” 
on a car-enthusiasts forum, but if anyone could throw me a bone and get me 
pointed in a good direction, I’m pretty good at finding the rest of the details 
myself.

Thanks a lot!

—Justin

Re: [M100] Question on TEENY.EXE

[Justin Poirier]

Just a quick reply, but when troubleshooting serial, I always start slow 
and work my speed up. Don't start at 19.2k. Start at 300, and work your 
way up. I've had mixed results across my Model 102/200 machines when I 
go much past 2400.


Second, not all USB-to-serial adapters are created equal. I work in an 
industry that still uses serial ports for many things, and I've run 
across some USB adapters that do not do true 25 volt signaling on 
RS-232, as defined by the spec. The models Ts expect "standard" voltages 
and have boost converters to generate them internally. Many USB adapter 
do not, and just run 5V serial, or boost up to 12, but will not do true 
RS-232 voltages, which will give you very different results than you are 
expecting.


But at the very least, start with a much lower baudrate.

--Justin


On 5/4/21 1:16 AM, Jerry Davis wrote:
Apologies for the long post.  My situation takes a little while to 
explain.


I have a Model 100 and a Dell Laptop with Windows 10 that I'm trying 
to use for file transfer from the M100.


The laptop does not have a physical serial port so I'm using a USB to 
Serial adapter and a DB-9 to DB-25 cable that I've pinned out for RX, 
TX, and GND.  Software flow control only.  No hardware handshaking.


I've tested the connection between my Windows 10 laptop and the M100 
using PUTTY.  I can set the USB Serial port to 19200,N,8,1 with 
software flow control and then set Term on the M100 to 98N1E.  When I 
type characters on the Windows 10 laptop, they show up on the M100.  
When I type characters on the M100, they show up on the Windows 10 
Laptop.  Serial connectivity appears to be good.


I can't run TEENY.EXE from a DOS window on Windows 10, so I've 
installed VirtualBox and created a VM, installed FreeDOS, and defined 
my USB serial adapter (COM4) as COM1 on the VM. On the FreeDOS 
instance, I set COM1 to 19200,N,8,1 using the mode command.  On the 
Model 100, I set Term to 98N1E.  When I echo text to COM1 on the 
FreeDOS VM, I see the text displayed on the Model 100.  When I use 
COM1 as input to the "type" command. I can enter text on the M100 and 
press CTRL-Z and the text shows up as expected on the FreeDOS VM.  
Serial connectivity between the M100 and the FreeDOS VM appears to be 
good.


When I execute the TEENY.EXE program and enter the BASIC RUN command 
on the M100 as directed, the result is always "Can't detect laptop".


I've used Term on the laptop to observe what TEENY.EXE is sending and 
what I get is a BASIC program that looks like:


0O%=PEEK(72):IFO%ANDPEEK(877)THENNEWELSECALL6117+SGN(O%)*311,128,-2469-SGN(O%)*1823:OUT206,17:OUT206,O%:OUT206,PEEK(877):RUN"COM:98N1ENN

When this BASIC program executes, what the M100 sends back to TEENY is 
two characters:  0x00 (ASCII NULL) followed by 0x31 (the ASCII '1').


After that I see nothing happening over the serial connection.  Then 
TEENY.EXE displays the error message "Can't detect laptop".  I believe 
that the BASIC program is getting all the way to the last RUN 
statement and is waiting for TEENY.EXE to send additional code.  But 
nothing appears to be happening.


I've done some searching in the archive for issues with TEENY just in 
case my problem has already been solved, but I was unsuccessful.  
Could be I'm not looking in the right place.


Is this a known issue with TEENY or perhaps there is something I'm 
doing wrong?


Many thanks in advance for any assistance!

Jerry

Re: [M100] Fun with Super Capacitor 5,5 V / 1F on NEC PC-8201A

[Justin Poirier]

I put a 1F supercap in my 102 several years ago. No complaints! It does 
not have the capacity of chemical storage, but it charges over the 
course of a few hours, holds its charge beautifully, and for brief power 
outages or the time to change batteries, it works great. It holds my 32k 
machine for 5 or 6 hours, not for days and days like a real battery does.


--Justin

On 4/21/21 8:08 PM, John R. Hogerhuis wrote:
Personally I think the rechargeable battery design is one of the model 
t's best design decisions and I wouldn't switch to a supercap. It's 
just less forgiving about managing the main battery and therefore 
keeping the RAM file system intact.


But, interested to hear how you like it over the weeks and months. 
Hopefully it works out.


-- John.