Re: DECmate II disk image tooling?

2022-03-13 Thread Vincent Slyngstad via cctech

On 3/13/2022 7:57 AM, David Schmidt via cctech wrote:

Good point about the CP/M disk - actually it is read just fine with
cpmtools with this diskdef:

# PRO CP/M RX50 DZ format (Perhaps only 79 tracks should be used?)
diskdef dec_pro
   seclen 512
   tracks 80
   sectrk 10
   blocksize 2048
   maxdir 128
   skew 2
   boottrk 2
   os 2.2
end

So I'm left with figuring out how to pull files off of 12-bit OS/{2}78
disks.



If you can extract the byte stream from the IMD/IMG files (and 
de-interleave them if necessary into logical order), I have tools to 
read the OS/8, COS, etc. file-systems.


The tools want essentially a 16 bit short for each 12 bit word, in 
logical order.  I think this is essentially what you get for the 
"inefficient" 12 bit mode.  I also have tools to unpack some of the 
interlaced 8-bit formats for RX01/RX02, and those tools may be adaptable 
to the RX50.


Vince


Re: DECmate II disk image tooling?

2022-03-13 Thread David Schmidt via cctech
Good point about the CP/M disk - actually it is read just fine with
cpmtools with this diskdef:

# PRO CP/M RX50 DZ format (Perhaps only 79 tracks should be used?)
diskdef dec_pro
  seclen 512
  tracks 80
  sectrk 10
  blocksize 2048
  maxdir 128
  skew 2
  boottrk 2
  os 2.2
end

So I'm left with figuring out how to pull files off of 12-bit OS/{2}78
disks.

- David

On Sat, Mar 12, 2022 at 5:55 PM Ray Jewhurst  wrote:

> I'm not sure what would be on the "System Disks“ but it's probably OS/78
> or 278. As far as the CP/M disks and the 8-bit component of the disks,
> those are for the Z-80 expansion card which Simh does not emulate.
>
> Ray
>
> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
> --
> *From:* cctech  on behalf of David Schmidt
> via cctech 
> *Sent:* Saturday, March 12, 2022 3:20:15 PM
> *To:* General Discussion: On-Topic Posts 
> *Subject:* DECmate II disk image tooling?
>
> I have some disks that look like they're from a DECmate II computer,
> standard RX50K drives.  The disk images all look like they're a mix of
> 12-bit (OS/78 or OS/278?) and 8-bit all on the same media.  I can't
> convince PUTR to make sense of the images, so I'm wondering if there is
> anything else out there that is likely to be able to examine the disk
> contents?  I'm really looking for PUTR-like functionality to list and copy
> files.
>
> Maybe SIMH could be configured to be a DECmate II and be fed the disks?
>
> I have a couple of disk images available in case anyone wants to try them
> out - they're purported to be "DECmate II CP/M 2.2 version 2.0" and "System
> Disk ver. 2.0 8/24/87":
>
> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PD0TlUPiT7MIPEX6abEn33e7s3kSXp_H?usp=sharing
>
> - David
>


Re: DECmate II disk image tooling?

2022-03-13 Thread Tom Hunter via cctech
David,
I have a working DECmate III I could try your images on.
Tom

On Sun, 13 Mar 2022, 4:20 am David Schmidt via cctech, <
cctech@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> I have some disks that look like they're from a DECmate II computer,
> standard RX50K drives.  The disk images all look like they're a mix of
> 12-bit (OS/78 or OS/278?) and 8-bit all on the same media.  I can't
> convince PUTR to make sense of the images, so I'm wondering if there is
> anything else out there that is likely to be able to examine the disk
> contents?  I'm really looking for PUTR-like functionality to list and copy
> files.
>
> Maybe SIMH could be configured to be a DECmate II and be fed the disks?
>
> I have a couple of disk images available in case anyone wants to try them
> out - they're purported to be "DECmate II CP/M 2.2 version 2.0" and "System
> Disk ver. 2.0 8/24/87":
>
> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PD0TlUPiT7MIPEX6abEn33e7s3kSXp_H?usp=sharing
>
> - David
>


Re: DECmate II disk image tooling?

2022-03-13 Thread Rick Murphy via cctech

On 3/12/2022 3:20 PM, David Schmidt via cctech wrote:

I have some disks that look like they're from a DECmate II computer,
standard RX50K drives.  The disk images all look like they're a mix of
12-bit (OS/78 or OS/278?) and 8-bit all on the same media.  I can't
convince PUTR to make sense of the images, so I'm wondering if there is
anything else out there that is likely to be able to examine the disk
contents?  I'm really looking for PUTR-like functionality to list and copy
files.


Since it's a DECMate II, these may be WPS disks.

At least for the RX01/RX02, Those are 8-bit mode except for the boot 
sector (because the standard boot was for a 12-bit mode disk.)  I don't 
know the layout for the RX50 - since it's not using the RX boot, there 
shouldn't have been a need for a 12-bit boot sector.


It's also possible they're COS-310 disks, which also were 8-bit mode.  
Using byte mode allowed WPS and COS to use the full capacity of the 
disks.  Apparently the RX50 controller retained this wasteful 12-bit mode.



Maybe SIMH could be configured to be a DECmate II and be fed the disks?


SIMH doesn't have an emulation for the RX50 controller on the DM2.  
There's probably a different interleave being used here, so decoding the 
layout would be a matter of trial-and-error.


The specs for the RX50 controller are available - 
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp8/cmos8/DECmate/Decmate_II_Specification_Jan83.txt 


That means that an emulator is possible.

    -Rick



Re: DECmate II disk image tooling?

2022-03-13 Thread Ray Jewhurst via cctech
I'm not sure what would be on the "System Disks“ but it's probably OS/78 or 
278. As far as the CP/M disks and the 8-bit component of the disks, those are 
for the Z-80 expansion card which Simh does not emulate.

Ray

Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>

From: cctech  on behalf of David Schmidt via 
cctech 
Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2022 3:20:15 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts 
Subject: DECmate II disk image tooling?

I have some disks that look like they're from a DECmate II computer,
standard RX50K drives.  The disk images all look like they're a mix of
12-bit (OS/78 or OS/278?) and 8-bit all on the same media.  I can't
convince PUTR to make sense of the images, so I'm wondering if there is
anything else out there that is likely to be able to examine the disk
contents?  I'm really looking for PUTR-like functionality to list and copy
files.

Maybe SIMH could be configured to be a DECmate II and be fed the disks?

I have a couple of disk images available in case anyone wants to try them
out - they're purported to be "DECmate II CP/M 2.2 version 2.0" and "System
Disk ver. 2.0 8/24/87":
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PD0TlUPiT7MIPEX6abEn33e7s3kSXp_H?usp=sharing

- David


DECmate II disk image tooling?

2022-03-12 Thread David Schmidt via cctech
I have some disks that look like they're from a DECmate II computer,
standard RX50K drives.  The disk images all look like they're a mix of
12-bit (OS/78 or OS/278?) and 8-bit all on the same media.  I can't
convince PUTR to make sense of the images, so I'm wondering if there is
anything else out there that is likely to be able to examine the disk
contents?  I'm really looking for PUTR-like functionality to list and copy
files.

Maybe SIMH could be configured to be a DECmate II and be fed the disks?

I have a couple of disk images available in case anyone wants to try them
out - they're purported to be "DECmate II CP/M 2.2 version 2.0" and "System
Disk ver. 2.0 8/24/87":
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PD0TlUPiT7MIPEX6abEn33e7s3kSXp_H?usp=sharing

- David