Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Gary Weber]

Awesome!  Glad to hear it!

There was a time I was having a conversation with Kurt about this unit and
we were fantasizing about being able to duplicate the guts of the ROM
expansion unit as there's probably quite a few folks out there that might
find it useful to the ROM-based Sardine for their M100/T102/NEC.  But then
Kurt identified that custom PAL chip (Altera EP320FC), and the fantasy
died..

Of course a REX# based solution that could support the Sardine ROM
switching method would put an end to the discussion pretty quickly.



On Sun, May 2, 2021 at 2:33 PM Brian K. White  wrote:

> Thank you, that thread is interesting. From reading that, it sure looks
> like what I have is a SAFE configured for Model 102.
>
> It has both 28 and 40 pin headers, and mine the 40 pin is unpopulated
> and the 28 pin has a ribbon cable going to the option rom socket, and
> there is a hand-written sticker that says M102. So probably the same PCB
> can be configured for either Model 100  or 102, and maybe uses the
> 40-pin header and the system bus for 100.
>
> ...
>
> That worked! Thank you!
>
> I saved that basic program as SAFE.DO with dos line-endings, unwrapped
> the long lines, used tpdd to copy to the 102 and load in basic.
>
> And used it to select rom 5, which loaded not only Sardine but also
> added a ROMPAK util to the main menu, just like you said.
>
> I made a SINIT.DO which is the same as SAFE.DO but hardcoded to jump to
> ROM # 5, and you can use that with the bootstrap option in dlplus to go
> from cold-start in the least steps.
>
> I stuck copies of SAFE.DO, SAFE.BA, SINIT.DO in that same google drive
> folder until I get a wiki page going.
>
> Very nice, thanks again!
>
> And thank you Paul Globman for including that program in a discussion
> post, because I don't see it anywhere else.
> Club100.org has an entire page dedicated just to Paul Globman stuff, and
> it's not there, nor is there any SAFE stuff on the docs library page.
>
> --
> bkw
>
> On 5/2/21 3:08 PM, Gary Weber wrote:
> > Hi Brian,
> >
> > Yep that is the same type of PG Designs ROM Expansion unit that I have
> > for the NEC, albeit the NEC version has regular sockets for all 8
> > slots of course.
> >
> > The whole selection mechanism for which ROM you're using has to be
> > done through a software-based selector.  For the NEC I have some
> > custom software that was written ages ago.  But once I select the
> > Sardine rom #1 (which is in socket 5), I end up in a special version
> > of T-Word, completely separate from the UR-2.  (I don't even have a
> > UR-2 ROM installed in mine.)
> >
> > There's a file in the M100SIG library 08 that might yield some results
> > for you:
> >
> https://web8201.net/files/LIBRARY_web8201/M100SIG/Lib-08-Tech-Programming/ROMSW1.TXT
> > <
> https://web8201.net/files/LIBRARY_web8201/M100SIG/Lib-08-Tech-Programming/ROMSW1.TXT
> >
> >
> > Hoping you can type in the "ROM.BA " represented there
> > and select ROM #5 and the same will happen for you.
> >
> > Interestingly enough once that first Sardine is loading, it will load
> > in a "ROMPAK" loader from the Sardine ROM which is yet another ROM
> > selector program.  It's kind of putting the cart before the horse
> > though as to even get ROMPAK in memory you have to already have the
> > means of selecting the correct ROM to begin with.  ;-)
> >
> > Gary
> >
> > On Sun, May 2, 2021 at 11:17 AM Brian K. White  > > wrote:
> >
> > On 5/2/21 5:39 AM, Gary Weber wrote:
> > > Sorry I never read and responded to the inquiry and also sorry to
> > > perform a necro-rez on this thread.
> > >
> > > I'm willing to bet those ROM images for Sardine that you have,
> > Brian,
> > > are the same (or very similar) to the ones available for the
> > Booster Pak
> > > that are posted up on http://www.club100.org/library/librom.html
> > 
> > >  > >:
> > > image.png
> > >
> > > Anyway, if you "invoke" the #1 ROM you'll be in the T-Word word
> > > processing application, and a normal GRPH-F that you would press
> > when in
> > > the editor to invoke a disk-based spell check will instead
> > reference the
> > > dictionary represented across all the ROMs.
> > >
> > > If you do (or did) extract those ROMs from inside your PG Designs
> > > expansion unit I'll be interested in comparing them to the ones
> > up on
> > > Club 100.
> > >
> > > Gary.
> > >
> > > On Thu, Oct 29, 2020 at 1:22 AM Brian K. White
> > mailto:b.kenyo...@gmail.com>
> > > >>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > On 10/29/20 3:15 AM, Jim Anderson wrote:
> > >  >> -Original Message-
> > >  >> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
> > 

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Brian K. White]

Thank you, that thread is interesting. From reading that, it sure looks 
like what I have is a SAFE configured for Model 102.


It has both 28 and 40 pin headers, and mine the 40 pin is unpopulated 
and the 28 pin has a ribbon cable going to the option rom socket, and 
there is a hand-written sticker that says M102. So probably the same PCB 
can be configured for either Model 100  or 102, and maybe uses the 
40-pin header and the system bus for 100.


...

That worked! Thank you!

I saved that basic program as SAFE.DO with dos line-endings, unwrapped 
the long lines, used tpdd to copy to the 102 and load in basic.


And used it to select rom 5, which loaded not only Sardine but also 
added a ROMPAK util to the main menu, just like you said.


I made a SINIT.DO which is the same as SAFE.DO but hardcoded to jump to 
ROM # 5, and you can use that with the bootstrap option in dlplus to go 
from cold-start in the least steps.


I stuck copies of SAFE.DO, SAFE.BA, SINIT.DO in that same google drive 
folder until I get a wiki page going.


Very nice, thanks again!

And thank you Paul Globman for including that program in a discussion 
post, because I don't see it anywhere else.
Club100.org has an entire page dedicated just to Paul Globman stuff, and 
it's not there, nor is there any SAFE stuff on the docs library page.


--
bkw

On 5/2/21 3:08 PM, Gary Weber wrote:

Hi Brian,

Yep that is the same type of PG Designs ROM Expansion unit that I have 
for the NEC, albeit the NEC version has regular sockets for all 8 
slots of course.


The whole selection mechanism for which ROM you're using has to be 
done through a software-based selector.  For the NEC I have some 
custom software that was written ages ago.  But once I select the 
Sardine rom #1 (which is in socket 5), I end up in a special version 
of T-Word, completely separate from the UR-2.  (I don't even have a 
UR-2 ROM installed in mine.)


There's a file in the M100SIG library 08 that might yield some results 
for you:
https://web8201.net/files/LIBRARY_web8201/M100SIG/Lib-08-Tech-Programming/ROMSW1.TXT 



Hoping you can type in the "ROM.BA " represented there 
and select ROM #5 and the same will happen for you.


Interestingly enough once that first Sardine is loading, it will load 
in a "ROMPAK" loader from the Sardine ROM which is yet another ROM 
selector program.  It's kind of putting the cart before the horse 
though as to even get ROMPAK in memory you have to already have the 
means of selecting the correct ROM to begin with.  ;-)


Gary

On Sun, May 2, 2021 at 11:17 AM Brian K. White > wrote:


On 5/2/21 5:39 AM, Gary Weber wrote:
> Sorry I never read and responded to the inquiry and also sorry to
> perform a necro-rez on this thread.
>
> I'm willing to bet those ROM images for Sardine that you have,
Brian,
> are the same (or very similar) to the ones available for the
Booster Pak
> that are posted up on http://www.club100.org/library/librom.html

> >:
> image.png
>
> Anyway, if you "invoke" the #1 ROM you'll be in the T-Word word
> processing application, and a normal GRPH-F that you would press
when in
> the editor to invoke a disk-based spell check will instead
reference the
> dictionary represented across all the ROMs.
>
> If you do (or did) extract those ROMs from inside your PG Designs
> expansion unit I'll be interested in comparing them to the ones
up on
> Club 100.
>
> Gary.
>
> On Thu, Oct 29, 2020 at 1:22 AM Brian K. White
mailto:b.kenyo...@gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
>
>     On 10/29/20 3:15 AM, Jim Anderson wrote:
>      >> -Original Message-
>      >> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
>      >>
>      >> The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take
>     standard
>      >> option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently
regular
>     27C256
>      >> pinout.
>      >>
>      >> All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus,
which
>     look like
>      >
>      > I'm a bit behind on this, but I don't see any messages to
this
>     effect - did you get this going?  Ever since I heard of this
all-ROM
>     version of Sardine, I have thought about how awesome it
would be if
>     it were somehow possible to modify the UR-2 that's meant to work
>     with this module to somehow access these four ROM images in
a REX...
>     so you'd have the full dictionary available without having a
TPDD
>     device connected.
>
>
>     I 

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Gary Weber]

>  I think Sardine for Booster Pak requires multiple ROMs for the
dictionary data? Which could be why it wouldn't work in a regular unit.

Correct.  The only way the Sardine ROMs are usable is as the full set of 4,
and running within a Booster Pak or a PG Designs ROM expansion pack.  I'm
willing to bet the method derived for ROM switching between the two
hardware platforms is identical.

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Gary Weber]

Hi Brian,

Yep that is the same type of PG Designs ROM Expansion unit that I have for
the NEC, albeit the NEC version has regular sockets for all 8 slots of
course.

The whole selection mechanism for which ROM you're using has to be done
through a software-based selector.  For the NEC I have some custom software
that was written ages ago.  But once I select the Sardine rom #1 (which is
in socket 5), I end up in a special version of T-Word, completely separate
from the UR-2.  (I don't even have a UR-2 ROM installed in mine.)

There's a file in the M100SIG library 08 that might yield some results for
you:
https://web8201.net/files/LIBRARY_web8201/M100SIG/Lib-08-Tech-Programming/ROMSW1.TXT

Hoping you can type in the "ROM.BA" represented there and select ROM #5 and
the same will happen for you.

Interestingly enough once that first Sardine is loading, it will load in a
"ROMPAK" loader from the Sardine ROM which is yet another ROM selector
program.  It's kind of putting the cart before the horse though as to even
get ROMPAK in memory you have to already have the means of selecting the
correct ROM to begin with.  ;-)

Gary

On Sun, May 2, 2021 at 11:17 AM Brian K. White  wrote:

> On 5/2/21 5:39 AM, Gary Weber wrote:
> > Sorry I never read and responded to the inquiry and also sorry to
> > perform a necro-rez on this thread.
> >
> > I'm willing to bet those ROM images for Sardine that you have, Brian,
> > are the same (or very similar) to the ones available for the Booster Pak
> > that are posted up on http://www.club100.org/library/librom.html
> > :
> > image.png
> >
> > Anyway, if you "invoke" the #1 ROM you'll be in the T-Word word
> > processing application, and a normal GRPH-F that you would press when in
> > the editor to invoke a disk-based spell check will instead reference the
> > dictionary represented across all the ROMs.
> >
> > If you do (or did) extract those ROMs from inside your PG Designs
> > expansion unit I'll be interested in comparing them to the ones up on
> > Club 100.
> >
> > Gary.
> >
> > On Thu, Oct 29, 2020 at 1:22 AM Brian K. White  > > wrote:
> >
> > On 10/29/20 3:15 AM, Jim Anderson wrote:
> >  >> -Original Message-
> >  >> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
> >  >>
> >  >> The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take
> > standard
> >  >> option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular
> > 27C256
> >  >> pinout.
> >  >>
> >  >> All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which
> > look like
> >  >
> >  > I'm a bit behind on this, but I don't see any messages to this
> > effect - did you get this going?  Ever since I heard of this all-ROM
> > version of Sardine, I have thought about how awesome it would be if
> > it were somehow possible to modify the UR-2 that's meant to work
> > with this module to somehow access these four ROM images in a REX...
> > so you'd have the full dictionary available without having a TPDD
> > device connected.
> >
> >
> > I haven't played with it. But I'll pull the roms and post them.
> >
> > --
> > bkw
> >
>
> I have dumped those Sardine Plus roms.
>
> Pics:
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/5y9FpfrhPKrqkPXRA
>
> Roms:
> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UPCuC6I5oZGnzpV6qTcDnvxOs9B6zq26
>
>
> I haven't figured out how to activate this rom expansion at all.
>
> Like I said in the original post, "CALL 63012" or "CALL 62013,1" doesn't
> do anything. It just says "OK" but there's no new menu entries.
>
> But if I take the UR2 rom out of the expander and put it directly into
> the 102, that works normally.
>
> The lot came with a Traveling Software box and manuals for UR2 and all
> the apps in the UR2, and a manual for Sardine. None of the manuals says
> anything about this expansion. The box just has a sticker that says
> tandy 100 and version 2.06 and a serial number and a RS catalog number
> (90-0409).
>
> The Sardine manual does mention a ROM version of Sardine, but, it's not
> this. It's talking about the normal option rom for the app with the
> dictionary on disk.
>
> So from all that, I'm guessing that the UR2 rom is a standard one, not
> special somehow to use the expander, and the expander probably requires
> software to drive it which I don't have.
>
> The UR2 rom is different from the one on club100/bitchin100, but only by
> being version 2.06 instead of 2.12.
>
> --
> bkw
>

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[John R. Hogerhuis]

I think Sardine for Booster Pak requires multiple ROMs for the dictionary
data? Which could be why it wouldn't work in a regular unit.

I looked at my Booster Pak docs. Besides the BP manual itself the only
thing I have special is the X-Tel terminal extensions manual. Which
includes an XMODEM implementation.

-- John.

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Brian K. White]

On 5/2/21 5:39 AM, Gary Weber wrote:
Sorry I never read and responded to the inquiry and also sorry to 
perform a necro-rez on this thread.


I'm willing to bet those ROM images for Sardine that you have, Brian, 
are the same (or very similar) to the ones available for the Booster Pak 
that are posted up on http://www.club100.org/library/librom.html 
:

image.png

Anyway, if you "invoke" the #1 ROM you'll be in the T-Word word 
processing application, and a normal GRPH-F that you would press when in 
the editor to invoke a disk-based spell check will instead reference the 
dictionary represented across all the ROMs.


If you do (or did) extract those ROMs from inside your PG Designs 
expansion unit I'll be interested in comparing them to the ones up on 
Club 100.


Gary.

On Thu, Oct 29, 2020 at 1:22 AM Brian K. White > wrote:


On 10/29/20 3:15 AM, Jim Anderson wrote:
 >> -Original Message-
 >> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
 >>
 >> The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take
standard
 >> option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular
27C256
 >> pinout.
 >>
 >> All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which
look like
 >
 > I'm a bit behind on this, but I don't see any messages to this
effect - did you get this going?  Ever since I heard of this all-ROM
version of Sardine, I have thought about how awesome it would be if
it were somehow possible to modify the UR-2 that's meant to work
with this module to somehow access these four ROM images in a REX...
so you'd have the full dictionary available without having a TPDD
device connected.


I haven't played with it. But I'll pull the roms and post them.

-- 
bkw




I have dumped those Sardine Plus roms.

Pics:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5y9FpfrhPKrqkPXRA

Roms:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UPCuC6I5oZGnzpV6qTcDnvxOs9B6zq26


I haven't figured out how to activate this rom expansion at all.

Like I said in the original post, "CALL 63012" or "CALL 62013,1" doesn't 
do anything. It just says "OK" but there's no new menu entries.


But if I take the UR2 rom out of the expander and put it directly into 
the 102, that works normally.


The lot came with a Traveling Software box and manuals for UR2 and all 
the apps in the UR2, and a manual for Sardine. None of the manuals says 
anything about this expansion. The box just has a sticker that says 
tandy 100 and version 2.06 and a serial number and a RS catalog number 
(90-0409).


The Sardine manual does mention a ROM version of Sardine, but, it's not 
this. It's talking about the normal option rom for the app with the 
dictionary on disk.


So from all that, I'm guessing that the UR2 rom is a standard one, not 
special somehow to use the expander, and the expander probably requires 
software to drive it which I don't have.


The UR2 rom is different from the one on club100/bitchin100, but only by 
being version 2.06 instead of 2.12.


--
bkw

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Stephen Adolph]

This would be possible but we'd need a few things

1) a function call that returned the "block number" for each of the 4 named
BP Sardine ROMs.
2) a uniform naming convention for REX# image names for each of these 4 roms
3) a function call that switched ROM images
4) modified BP roms to use these calls.  Some analysis of how it works on
BP would be needed.

It actually seems like a reasonable goal.  Bit of a shame not to be able to
use software architected to use bank switching with REX# (or REXCPM for
that matter).

I'd be willing to create an API for this in REX manager, and "lock it in"
so it does not change.

On Wed, Nov 4, 2020 at 4:37 AM Jim Anderson  wrote:

> > -Original Message-
> >> possible to modify the UR-2 that's meant to work with this module to
> >> somehow access these four ROM images in a REX... so you'd have the full
> >> dictionary available without having a TPDD device connected.
> >
> > I haven't played with it. But I'll pull the roms and post them.
>
> I wish I had the skills necessary to take analyze Sardine and figure out
> how it could be made to access ROM images from REX or REXCPM... it's a
> dream I'd love to be able to make use of but don't have the ability to make
> happen on my own.  :)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> jim
>
>

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Jim Anderson]

> -Original Message-
>> possible to modify the UR-2 that's meant to work with this module to
>> somehow access these four ROM images in a REX... so you'd have the full
>> dictionary available without having a TPDD device connected.
> 
> I haven't played with it. But I'll pull the roms and post them.

I wish I had the skills necessary to take analyze Sardine and figure out how it 
could be made to access ROM images from REX or REXCPM... it's a dream I'd love 
to be able to make use of but don't have the ability to make happen on my own.  
:)







jim

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Brian K. White]

On 10/29/20 3:15 AM, Jim Anderson wrote:

-Original Message-
I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.

The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take standard
option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular 27C256
pinout.

All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which look like


I'm a bit behind on this, but I don't see any messages to this effect - did you 
get this going?  Ever since I heard of this all-ROM version of Sardine, I have 
thought about how awesome it would be if it were somehow possible to modify the 
UR-2 that's meant to work with this module to somehow access these four ROM 
images in a REX... so you'd have the full dictionary available without having a 
TPDD device connected.



I haven't played with it. But I'll pull the roms and post them.

--
bkw

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Jim Anderson]

> -Original Message-
> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
> 
> The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take standard
> option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular 27C256
> pinout.
> 
> All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which look like

I'm a bit behind on this, but I don't see any messages to this effect - did you 
get this going?  Ever since I heard of this all-ROM version of Sardine, I have 
thought about how awesome it would be if it were somehow possible to modify the 
UR-2 that's meant to work with this module to somehow access these four ROM 
images in a REX... so you'd have the full dictionary available without having a 
TPDD device connected.







jim

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Kurt McCullum]

That is the same or similar version of SARDINE that the booster pack uses. All 
100k of the dictionary are spread across the roms. I'm not sure about the UR-2 
in there. Gary Weber has one of those for the NEC 8201. He may be able to shed 
some light as to how to initialize it.

Kurt

On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, at 2:44 PM, Brian White wrote:
> I just tried booting the UR-2 by itself the normal way without the expansion 
> pack.
> 
> It runs and looks normal, and says version 2.06. The archived copy says 
> version 2.12.
> 
> 
> 
> On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 4:18 PM Brian White  wrote:
>> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
>> 
>> The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take standard option 
>> roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular 27C256 pinout.
>> 
>> All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which look like 
>> standard ceramic uv-erasable 27C256. I haven't peeled up the stickers but 
>> you can see the shape of the glass window under the sticker.
>> 
>> The Molex sockets have UR2 and Multiplan.
>> 
>> The option rom connection is kind of interesting. It uses a bog standard 
>> chip carrier with a very custom looking part hot-glued to it.
>> 
>> The board has a button cell battery just like PG Design ram expansions. On 
>> the ram expansions the battery is to preserve the ram. There is no ram (nor 
>> any place for ram) on this board and no system bus connection, just the 
>> option rom connection. I did look on both sides of the board. I guess it 
>> must just be to remember the currently selected rom?
>> 
>> Or maybe the 4 standard sockets can also be used for ram in a different 
>> configuration of the same board? There is a 2nd unpopulated 4 pin header 
>> that could be a system bus connection I guess.
>> 
>> 2 questions,
>> 
>> Has this version of Sardine been archived yet? Shall I dump those 4 eproms? 
>> I only know of a ram/disk version, not a version that comes on 4 roms. This 
>> lot came with the original manuals for UR2 and Sardine and thebrest of the 
>> Travelling Software stuff in UR2, but nothing about the expansion board. 
>> Neither the UR2 nor Sardine books says anything about a version of Sardine 
>> entirely in rom. The directions only include directions for a rom version 
>> that comes in the form of a single rom and a disk, or a ram version that 
>> comes in the form of 2 disks. And note about using Sardine from UR-2, in 
>> which case you need UR-2 plus the 2 disks for the RAM version. None of those 
>> 3 possible cases covers this thing with 4 roms and no disks.
>> 
>> I wonder if this copy of UR-2 is special too? How could it make use of these 
>> roms? The normal UR-2 must just look for a file on a TPDD, which this isn't? 
>> So either all copies of UR-2 also check for the possible existence of this 
>> hardware and just silently fail over to looking for TPDD when they don't see 
>> it, or this particular copy is special for this hardware and this Sardine 
>> kit? I'll dump this UR-2 to compare with the standard archived one.
>> 
>> Which leads to question 2,
>> 
>> Anyone know how to activate this board? I put a new battery in it and tried 
>> "call 63013,1" but it has no apparent useful effect. The screen just goes 
>> back to the main menu. No new menu entry for UR-2 or PLAN or an anything 
>> else. Available ram didn't drop. The lot came with a box of TS books for 
>> UR-2 and each of the individual apps in it. Those include only the normal 
>> directions like when you just have a single UR-2 rom right in the option rom 
>> socket the normal way. IE call 63013,1 , nothing about the expansion pack.
>> 
>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/5y9FpfrhPKrqkPXRA
>> 
>> Also my FlexROM did it's job. This 102 (not the one that came with the lot) 
>> has the wire hooked up so that REX provides the main rom. Normally that 
>> would mean you could no longer remove the REX. But I just connected the 2 
>> wires in the optrom bay, which essentially re-connects the internal main 
>> rom, and I could remove the REX and put something else in the optrom socket.
>> 
>> -- 
>> bkw
>> 

Re: [M100] Sardine Plus

[Brian White]

I just tried booting the UR-2 by itself the normal way without the
expansion pack.

It runs and looks normal, and says version 2.06. The archived copy says
version 2.12.



On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 4:18 PM Brian White  wrote:

> I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.
>
> The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take standard
> option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular 27C256
> pinout.
>
> All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which look like
> standard ceramic uv-erasable 27C256. I haven't peeled up the stickers but
> you can see the shape of the glass window under the sticker.
>
> The Molex sockets have UR2 and Multiplan.
>
> The option rom connection is kind of interesting. It uses a bog standard
> chip carrier with a very custom looking part hot-glued to it.
>
> The board has a button cell battery just like PG Design ram expansions. On
> the ram expansions the battery is to preserve the ram. There is no ram (nor
> any place for ram) on this board and no system bus connection, just the
> option rom connection. I did look on both sides of the board. I guess it
> must just be to remember the currently selected rom?
>
> Or maybe the 4 standard sockets can also be used for ram in a different
> configuration of the same board? There is a 2nd unpopulated 4 pin header
> that could be a system bus connection I guess.
>
> 2 questions,
>
> Has this version of Sardine been archived yet? Shall I dump those 4
> eproms? I only know of a ram/disk version, not a version that comes on 4
> roms. This lot came with the original manuals for UR2 and Sardine and
> thebrest of the Travelling Software stuff in UR2, but nothing about the
> expansion board. Neither the UR2 nor Sardine books says anything about a
> version of Sardine entirely in rom. The directions only include directions
> for a rom version that comes in the form of a single rom and a disk, or a
> ram version that comes in the form of 2 disks. And note about using Sardine
> from UR-2, in which case you need UR-2 plus the 2 disks for the RAM
> version. None of those 3 possible cases covers this thing with 4 roms and
> no disks.
>
> I wonder if this copy of UR-2 is special too? How could it make use of
> these roms? The normal UR-2 must just look for a file on a TPDD, which this
> isn't? So either all copies of UR-2 also check for the possible existence
> of this hardware and just silently fail over to looking for TPDD when they
> don't see it, or this particular copy is special for this hardware and this
> Sardine kit? I'll dump this UR-2 to compare with the standard archived one.
>
> Which leads to question 2,
>
> Anyone know how to activate this board? I put a new battery in it and
> tried "call 63013,1" but it has no apparent useful effect. The screen just
> goes back to the main menu. No new menu entry for UR-2 or PLAN or an
> anything else. Available ram didn't drop. The lot came with a box of TS
> books for UR-2 and each of the individual apps in it. Those include only
> the normal directions like when you just have a single UR-2 rom right in
> the option rom socket the normal way. IE call 63013,1 , nothing about the
> expansion pack.
>
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/5y9FpfrhPKrqkPXRA
>
> Also my FlexROM did it's job. This 102 (not the one that came with the
> lot) has the wire hooked up so that REX provides the main rom. Normally
> that would mean you could no longer remove the REX. But I just connected
> the 2 wires in the optrom bay, which essentially re-connects the internal
> main rom, and I could remove the REX and put something else in the optrom
> socket.
>
> --
> bkw
>
>

[M100] Sardine Plus

[Brian White]

I have here a PG Design ROM expansion that fits T102.

The unit has 4 molex sockets with the 100/200 pinout to take standard
option roms, and 4 regular dip sockets with apparently regular 27C256
pinout.

All 4 regular sockets are filled with this Sardine Plus, which look like
standard ceramic uv-erasable 27C256. I haven't peeled up the stickers but
you can see the shape of the glass window under the sticker.

The Molex sockets have UR2 and Multiplan.

The option rom connection is kind of interesting. It uses a bog standard
chip carrier with a very custom looking part hot-glued to it.

The board has a button cell battery just like PG Design ram expansions. On
the ram expansions the battery is to preserve the ram. There is no ram (nor
any place for ram) on this board and no system bus connection, just the
option rom connection. I did look on both sides of the board. I guess it
must just be to remember the currently selected rom?

Or maybe the 4 standard sockets can also be used for ram in a different
configuration of the same board? There is a 2nd unpopulated 4 pin header
that could be a system bus connection I guess.

2 questions,

Has this version of Sardine been archived yet? Shall I dump those 4 eproms?
I only know of a ram/disk version, not a version that comes on 4 roms. This
lot came with the original manuals for UR2 and Sardine and thebrest of the
Travelling Software stuff in UR2, but nothing about the expansion board.
Neither the UR2 nor Sardine books says anything about a version of Sardine
entirely in rom. The directions only include directions for a rom version
that comes in the form of a single rom and a disk, or a ram version that
comes in the form of 2 disks. And note about using Sardine from UR-2, in
which case you need UR-2 plus the 2 disks for the RAM version. None of
those 3 possible cases covers this thing with 4 roms and no disks.

I wonder if this copy of UR-2 is special too? How could it make use of
these roms? The normal UR-2 must just look for a file on a TPDD, which this
isn't? So either all copies of UR-2 also check for the possible existence
of this hardware and just silently fail over to looking for TPDD when they
don't see it, or this particular copy is special for this hardware and this
Sardine kit? I'll dump this UR-2 to compare with the standard archived one.

Which leads to question 2,

Anyone know how to activate this board? I put a new battery in it and tried
"call 63013,1" but it has no apparent useful effect. The screen just goes
back to the main menu. No new menu entry for UR-2 or PLAN or an anything
else. Available ram didn't drop. The lot came with a box of TS books for
UR-2 and each of the individual apps in it. Those include only the normal
directions like when you just have a single UR-2 rom right in the option
rom socket the normal way. IE call 63013,1 , nothing about the expansion
pack.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5y9FpfrhPKrqkPXRA

Also my FlexROM did it's job. This 102 (not the one that came with the lot)
has the wire hooked up so that REX provides the main rom. Normally that
would mean you could no longer remove the REX. But I just connected the 2
wires in the optrom bay, which essentially re-connects the internal main
rom, and I could remove the REX and put something else in the optrom socket.

-- 
bkw