Re: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller
I have typed in the assembly source for couple of the missing utilities for which I was looking (there are a few listings in the LFD-400 manual), so I now have a pretty complete and useful Percom disk system for the SWTPC 6800. I also wrote FLOP2PC and PC2FLOP utilities to archive a disk to a PC and to write a disk from an archived image saved on a PC. The disk images are transferred over a serial port using the XMODEM protocol. If anyone ever runs across one of these Percom disk controllers in the future, feel free to contact me. Mike > On Jan 7, 2020, at 6:44 PM, Mike Douglas wrote: > > I’m restoring a SWTPC 6800 that includes the Percom LFD-400 floppy > controller. This controller goes on the SS-50 bus instead of the SS-30 bus > where the SWTPC controllers installed. The standard Percom MiniDOS PROM is > installed, and the other two PROM sockets have a third party extension called > “Minidisk+”. This was made by a company called Cer-Comp. These PROMs are > instead of Percom’s own “MiniDOS PlusX (MPX) PROM. > > I’ve got the system working, and I can use Minidisk+ to save and load files, > but I know I’m missing some nuances of command parameters. I don’t have any > sort of documentation for Minidisk+, so before I go figure it out by > disassembling the PROMs, does anyone have any sort of documentation for > Minidisk+ by Cer-Comp for the Percom LFD-400 floppy disk controller? > > Also, I’d like to burn the MPX PROM as an option. Does anyone have the MPX > PROM or the source code for MiniDOS PlusX? > > Mike
Re: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller
I’ve been able to complete the system running under the MiniDisk+ PROMs and added several programs like BASIC and an assembler to the disk. It all works together, but operations don’t integrate with each other very well. With much thanks to Bill Sudbrink, I also obtained the source to Percom’s MPX PROM so I was able to create a system running under MPX. Bill also had several of the programs (in S19 format) that would have been distributed with MPX, so I’ve got a pretty representative Percom MPX system up and running now. This setup, in turn, is pretty darn slick and well integrated for its day. It’s a lot like a Northstar DOS system, but a bootable disk is not required to get started since the OS is in PROM. Add the fact that the standard SWTPC configuration with MIKBUG or SWTBUG made it simple to get programs into RAM via the serial port (e.g., S19 records from papertape, cassette, or today - a PC) and it’s easy to build up a disk from scratch. I’d still like to flesh this system out a bit more, so if anyone has any Percom disks or software archived in any format on a PC, let me know, thanks! Mike > On Jan 7, 2020, at 6:44 PM, Mike Douglas wrote: > > I’m restoring a SWTPC 6800 that includes the Percom LFD-400 floppy > controller. This controller goes on the SS-50 bus instead of the SS-30 bus > where the SWTPC controllers installed. The standard Percom MiniDOS PROM is > installed, and the other two PROM sockets have a third party extension called > “Minidisk+”. This was made by a company called Cer-Comp. These PROMs are > instead of Percom’s own “MiniDOS PlusX (MPX) PROM. > > I’ve got the system working, and I can use Minidisk+ to save and load files, > but I know I’m missing some nuances of command parameters. I don’t have any > sort of documentation for Minidisk+, so before I go figure it out by > disassembling the PROMs, does anyone have any sort of documentation for > Minidisk+ by Cer-Comp for the Percom LFD-400 floppy disk controller? > > Also, I’d like to burn the MPX PROM as an option. Does anyone have the MPX > PROM or the source code for MiniDOS PlusX? > > Mike
Re: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller
Greg, Thanks for the response. The article you reference is also the one bit of documentation I was able to find. It's been a big help. I have been in contact with Bob and recently picked up one of his RAM/EPROM boards to use while I get the system restored. Mike On Wednesday, January 8, 2020, 2:29:32 PM CST, Gregory Beat wrote: Mike - Cer-Comp5566 Ricochet AvenueLas Vegas, NV 89110(702) 452-0632William E. Vergona wrote firmware on those two (2), 2708 ROMs.He later (1980s) worked with Tandy (Coco-3) Color Computer products.==‘68 Journal, May 1980 (Back to Future, 40 years later)MiniDisk+ DOS , Pages 11 - 13http://www.swtpcemu.com/swtpc/68MJArchive/V02N05_May1980.pdf Have you contacted Bob Applegate (Corsham Tech)?https://www.corshamtech.com/ss-50-faqs/He might be aware of source from his SS-50 clients and contacts. Bob reopened his business (Corsham) three weeks ago, for a period of time.I did not see him at VCF Midwest, due to his health issues.https://www.corshamtech.com/back-in-business-for-now/ GregChicago==From: Mike Douglas To: cctalk@classiccmp.org Subject: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller I?m restoring a SWTPC 6800 that includes the Percom LFD-400 floppy controller. This controller goes on the SS-50 bus instead of the SS-30 bus where the SWTPC controllers installed. The standard Percom MiniDOS PROM is installed, and the other two PROM sockets have a third party extension called ?Minidisk+?. This was made by a company called Cer-Comp. These PROMs are instead of Percom?s own ?MiniDOS PlusX (MPX) PROM. I?ve got the system working, and I can use Minidisk+ to save and load files, but I know I?m missing some nuances of command parameters. I don?t have any sort of documentation for Minidisk+, so before I go figure it out by disassembling the PROMs, does anyone have any sort of documentation for Minidisk+ by Cer-Comp for the Percom LFD-400 floppy disk controller? Also, I?d like to burn the MPX PROM as an option. Does anyone have the MPX PROM or the source code for MiniDOS PlusX? Mike
Re: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller
Mike - Cer-Comp 5566 Ricochet Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89110 (702) 452-0632 William E. Vergona wrote firmware on those two (2), 2708 ROMs. He later (1980s) worked with Tandy (Coco-3) Color Computer products. == ‘68 Journal, May 1980 (Back to Future, 40 years later) MiniDisk+ DOS , Pages 11 - 13 http://www.swtpcemu.com/swtpc/68MJArchive/V02N05_May1980.pdf Have you contacted Bob Applegate (Corsham Tech)? https://www.corshamtech.com/ss-50-faqs/ He might be aware of source from his SS-50 clients and contacts. Bob reopened his business (Corsham) three weeks ago, for a period of time. I did not see him at VCF Midwest, due to his health issues. https://www.corshamtech.com/back-in-business-for-now/ Greg Chicago == From: Mike Douglas To: cctalk@classiccmp.org Subject: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller I?m restoring a SWTPC 6800 that includes the Percom LFD-400 floppy controller. This controller goes on the SS-50 bus instead of the SS-30 bus where the SWTPC controllers installed. The standard Percom MiniDOS PROM is installed, and the other two PROM sockets have a third party extension called ?Minidisk+?. This was made by a company called Cer-Comp. These PROMs are instead of Percom?s own ?MiniDOS PlusX (MPX) PROM. I?ve got the system working, and I can use Minidisk+ to save and load files, but I know I?m missing some nuances of command parameters. I don?t have any sort of documentation for Minidisk+, so before I go figure it out by disassembling the PROMs, does anyone have any sort of documentation for Minidisk+ by Cer-Comp for the Percom LFD-400 floppy disk controller? Also, I?d like to burn the MPX PROM as an option. Does anyone have the MPX PROM or the source code for MiniDOS PlusX? Mike
RE: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller
You might try asking on the Flex Users "fufu" list. I have a working MiniDOS PlusX LFD-400 setup. I would be happy to trade dumps if you are interested. Bill S. -Original Message- From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mike Douglas via cctalk Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2020 7:45 PM To: cctalk@classiccmp.org Subject: SWTPC 6800 and Percom Floppy Controller I’m restoring a SWTPC 6800 that includes the Percom LFD-400 floppy controller. This controller goes on the SS-50 bus instead of the SS-30 bus where the SWTPC controllers installed. The standard Percom MiniDOS PROM is installed, and the other two PROM sockets have a third party extension called “Minidisk+”. This was made by a company called Cer-Comp. These PROMs are instead of Percom’s own “MiniDOS PlusX (MPX) PROM. I’ve got the system working, and I can use Minidisk+ to save and load files, but I know I’m missing some nuances of command parameters. I don’t have any sort of documentation for Minidisk+, so before I go figure it out by disassembling the PROMs, does anyone have any sort of documentation for Minidisk+ by Cer-Comp for the Percom LFD-400 floppy disk controller? Also, I’d like to burn the MPX PROM as an option. Does anyone have the MPX PROM or the source code for MiniDOS PlusX? Mike
