Re: Hardware
Im interested, tell us more. Bob Wilkinson. -Original Message- From: Jarek Adamski [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: sam-users@nvg.ntnu.no sam-users@nvg.ntnu.no Date: 04 September 1999 07:12 Subject: Hardware Hello! I can design some extentions for SAM. Only need some help. At this moment I think of: 4MB memory with long SIMM. (Also 8MB one will work.) ZX128 hardware emulator. Perhaps with Z80 turbo mode. DMA for better speed. ISA Muli I/O card crossing. High density floppy disk access, two serial and one parallel communication ports. Half capacity of harddisk. Interrupts with IM 2 verctors. Video interlacer to double vertical resolution. All as external. Software support guarateed. Anyone interested? -- Yarek.
How to DIR the disk???
Hi!
The last very important thing I need for ZXVGS is the model of
listing directory of disk at program level. I would like to take
advice before I made my mind. The list of files will be mostly
used in file selectors. I know some models now {comments}:
1. Used in AmigaOS:
lk=Lock (mask,mode) {to prevent from changes in multitasking}
Examine (lk,block) {for first entry; gives 260 bytes per file}
ExNext (lk,block){for next entries; repeated till the error}
UnLock (lk) {release handle}
- gives 107B filename, 80B comment, flags, size, date, type
- the buffer is quite big
2. Used in MesS-DOS:
Int 21h(#4E,mask,flags) {1st; puts information into a buffer}
Int 21h(#4F){for next entries; until error}
- no handle for directory
- gives date, size, flags
- the OS don't know what program will do then
- buffer is shorter
- limited filename length
- unknown number of entries
3. Used in MasterDOS:
a$=DIR$(mask$)
x=FSTAT(a$(10*n+1 TO 10*n+10),k){for more info about file}
- a$ can be big
- gives only set of filenames (all at once)
- fixed filename length
- separate function for more info
4. Used in PLUS3DOS:
n=DOS CATALOG (flags,buffer,mask) {call until get nbufsize}
- gives some filenames at once
- limited filename length
- fills buffer with filenames and some info
5. Used in TR-DOS:
OPEN #n,parser {kind of trick}
TR-DOS function 7 (n){sends directory to stream}
CLOSE #n
- the directory list is generated by OS as plain text
- some info as plain text
- ready to fill requester window (requires buffer)
6. Used in C64:
LOAD $,8{phantom file}
- dedicated filename for list of files (special format)
- some info as plain text
- random access to list
- ready to fill requester window (without buffer)
7. Also possible:
Open . (or DISK:directory/) file and parse it.
- as above, but there's no reserved filename
- length etc. can be as binary
- random access to list
Which one you find the best?
What informations should be added to filename?
Please note that operarating system has probably better
circumstances to sort files and the program will have limited
space for buffers. Also sometimes there can be a lot of files in
one directory and length of filename isn't limited (especially
on FTP:name.of.server/ disks).
My wishes:
- let the system count files - will be faster;
- random access to list of files - allows scroll back the file
selector window without buffers;
- the same way to list devices - for *: as mask;
- let the system sort files and put directories at beginning.
To get more informations about ZXVGS read the file ZXVGS.guide
from http://nautilus.torch.net.pl/zxland/ZXVGSdoc.lha;.
--
Yarek.
My files available via HTTP.
Hi! My files are now available on: http://nautilus.torch.net.pl/zxland/ There are: Length: Date: For: Description: 22dsk142rar.lha 103700 08-12 pc reads CP/M disks, including QED820 LHA.EXE 34283 07-07 pc unpacks *.LHA archives games001.lha627670 06-22 ZX first disk of ZXVGS games CPM22QED.LHA205367 08-23 SAM system disk with utilities ZXMEM.gif18839 08-24 ?interface with YABUS ZXVGS016.lha 31934 08-19 ?recent version of ZXVGS (0.16) ZXVGSdoc.lha 32566 08-31 AG description of ZXVGS (0.28) ZXVGSusr.lha 4703 07-26 AG how to install ZXVGS on SAM Please tell me if CPM22QED and ZXVGS work on SimCoupe. -- Yarek.
Re: Hardware
David wrote: Very interested in all - how much? when? I'm only the designer. I don't have a factory. I have very big troube with printed circuits production. (E.g. one extention I've designed 1.5 year ago still not exists...) I was talking about my projects to David L. and Malcolm, but they decided to do other things. :-( There are also some other problems: I'm not able to prodcuce cases at all and I don't know the limits of dimensions (I never seen how SAMBUS looks like.) I need some help to solve above problems. Gordon Wallis wrote: The only problem is that so few people want to make the effort to use the existing hardware, Sorry, I do my best. so working on upgrading it would end up being a wasted effort :-( I design hardware and write operating systems because I like to do it. I do it for myself. And think that someone else can find them useful. Besides, I can't image myself breeding red fishes. Gord. (If only the Sam was the MSX...) Don't you think so? The biggest problem is the VDP. Some screen modes could be emulated. But sprites... I could think about it. BTW do you have one? -- Yarek.
Re: How to DIR the disk???
Jarek Adamski wrote:
Hi!
The last very important thing I need for ZXVGS is the model of
listing directory of disk at program level. I would like to take
advice before I made my mind. The list of files will be mostly
used in file selectors. I know some models now {comments}:
Hmmm, how about:
LOAD $ DATA d$()
where d$ is an array of size (num_files+2,32), with the disk name at the
top, and free space at the bottom.
--
James Gasson
Re: Hardware
Jarek Adamski wrote: (...) ISA Muli I/O card crossing. High density floppy disk access, two serial and one parallel communication ports. Half capacity of harddisk. Interrupts with IM 2 verctors. (...) On the subject of high density floppies, would it be possible to connect an Amiga high density drive to the Spectrum and Sam? I know someone here in Dunedin, New Zealand who has been considering the idea of attaching a high density drive to their Spectrum. Neither he nor I know much about the Amiga drives though. -- James Gasson
Re: Hardware
On the subject of high density floppies, would it be possible to connect an Amiga high density drive to the Spectrum and Sam? I know someone here in Dunedin, New Zealand who has been considering the idea of attaching a high density drive to their Spectrum. Neither he nor I know much about the Amiga drives though. When you talk of high-density drives, do you mean 1.44Mb 3.5 drives, or something newer, like ZIP drives?
Re: Hardware
On Sun, 5 Sep 1999, Andrew Gale wrote: On the subject of high density floppies, would it be possible to connect an Amiga high density drive to the Spectrum and Sam? I know someone here in Dunedin, New Zealand who has been considering the idea of attaching a high density drive to their Spectrum. Neither he nor I know much about the Amiga drives though. When you talk of high-density drives, do you mean 1.44Mb 3.5 drives, or something newer, like ZIP drives? I would assume that when someone was talking about High Density Floppies, they are in fact referring to High Density Floppies, or HDFDs, sometimes erroneously called 1.44MB disks, despite the fact that you can easily get 1.6MB on them, maybe more if you were feeling dangerous. ;) -- Robert
Re: Hardware
Jarek Adamski wrote: The only problem is that so few people want to make the effort to use the existing hardware, Sorry, I do my best. Wasn't a dig at you... you're actually doing stuff! All your ideas sound very good, but the market's so small now. so working on upgrading it would end up being a wasted effort :-( I design hardware and write operating systems because I like to do it. I do it for myself. And think that someone else can find them useful. Besides, I can't image myself breeding red fishes. My feelings exactly. This probably explains why I fiddle about on my Sam designing games that'll never see the light of day... or maybe I'm just stupid... Either way, if only more people thought like that! Gord. (If only the Sam was the MSX...) Don't you think so? The biggest problem is the VDP. Some screen modes could be emulated. But sprites... I could think about it. BTW do you have one? I wish I did! All I know about MSX is stuff I've read on the web. I've played a few emulated games (anyone care to tell me why the Sam couldn't do something like Metal Gear?), and a lot appear to be in a mode not too unlike Mode 2. Which is why I occasionally harp on about games in Mode 2. Just goes to show, you don't need an OS by Microsoft to run a good machine. Oh... Hang on... MSX _did_ have a Microsoft OS... Damn. Gord. -- The HEXdidn't... Homepage: -- Featuring The U.K. Policenauts Homepage -- http://www.hexdidnt.clara.net \-- AOL Instant Messenger: 'hexdidnt' --/
Defender Source Code
For those interested I have made the Defender source code available. http://homepages.enterprise.net/pegasus/defender Follow the link on the 'Downloads' page. Chris.
