Re: A windows based program to write a CPM3 image to a CF card for the S100 IDE board

Hi Thomas,

Yes, as Dave has said you will need to replace your CPMLDR.COM and CPM3.SYS for the reasons he stated. You might get away with just replacing the two files in your disk image and moving everything up by one sector but using the method Dave is working on will make it far easier to build an image, a few clicks and your done !!

For your information I have attatched the updated Z80 LBA Addressing document detailing the updated code. (subtle changes and removed references to MYIDEROM as no longer needed to boot)

I would appreciate it if you could update the images you have uploaded with the updated disk layout and re-post then take down the old images you have posted as it's probably not a good idea to have two disk layouts floating about. thanks :-)

Dave,

I'll re-write my Z80 CPM build doc to just cover the build steps, discussion of the reasons for code changes and disk layout and point new users to your documentation for info on the automated process.

regards

David Fry

On Saturday, June 14, 2014 5:31:49 PM UTC+1, monahanz wrote:

Guys, it’s great to see all the progress and uptake this simple little IDE board has generated. Thomas in particular congratulations on putting so much time and effort into “hammering into shape” the process for first time installs. It helps tremendously but I think it will still be difficult for some people to do. We all should remember how it was when we first started!

I’m wondering if somebody out there could spend the time writing a PC/MSDOS based program to setup a CF card for first time users. If we agree the IDE board ports start at 30H, the only variable would be the console I/O. This could be either spliced into the final disk image with the above program (leaving room in the base code with NOP’s) or by answering a Q&A session and inserting code like the old XMODEM programs did. A CF card is laid down as Dave describes and is checked out. Once the image is laid down it can be dumped sector for sector any CF card (no holes of course). The image can even include a few CPM programs. Probably best to start with a non-banked CPM3 image. This program would run on a standard PC, format the CF card and write the image sector by sector. Not sure if Windows 7,8 allows you to do that easily but there must be a way.

This would allow anybody not as sophisticated as some of us, to get going right away and allow them to write more elaborate CPM3.SYS files that include a FDC, printer etc. in the BIOS for their own hardware.

I think something like this would be a tremendous asset for first time S100 users.

Any volunteers?

John