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From: etrmg@levels.sait.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.os.cpm
Subject: Re: CPM Companion
Message-ID: <15484.270b3226@levels.sait.edu.au>
Date: 4 Oct 90 12:59:17 GMT
References: <9009191229.aa09295@crdec8.apgea.army.mil> <1990Sep26.091021.14560@techbook.com>
Organization: Sth Australian Inst of Technology
Lines: 57

In article <1990Sep26.091021.14560@techbook.com>, fzsitvay@techbook.com (Frank Zsitvay) writes:
> In article <9009191229.aa09295@crdec8.apgea.army.mil> mdgoodma@CRDEC8.APGEA.ARMY.MIL (Mack Goodman) writes:
>>Could someone send me a brief description of what this device
>>is, and could it be useful for me.  I have a Northstar Advantage.
>>This device is called " CPM Companion 2.2 "  It is a black box
>>with a couple of ports on it and a "edge" connector?
>>
>>Private replys may be most appropriate,  Thanks in advance.

Not this one. . 
> 
> now, back to the discussion....
> 
>    if you are knowledgable about cp/m and assembly language, you can do
> one of two things...  either configure cp/m for the companion, or rewrite
> the bios routines in the advantage to allow the use of soft sectored
> disks.   and, if you can find a bios listing for a kaypro or other good
> cp/m machine, you could hack that until it works.   this is basically
> how products like uniform work, they replace those sections of the bios
> with code similar to the machine it's trying to emulate the disk format.
> 
>    for the advantage, if it uses a 179x controller chip (like most decent
> cp/m machines do) then all you would need are the addresses of the controller
> ports.   get a bios listing for sometthing like a kaypro, and just change
> the addresses in the bios to point to the right place.  do this in ram
> with ddt and sysgen it onto a disk, and you would have yourself a boot disk
> for any floppy you want.
> 
>    for the companion, you would do something similar, except you would have
> to find the ports addresses, and since you don't have any docs, that can
> be somewhat difficult.  what i would do is open the machine, and look
> at the circuit board traces to see what address the controller chip
> is located, and go from there.
> 

If you want such software, look in SIMTEL's Kaypro section for the tinkerkit.
As I recall, the video routines, line drawing and other stuff is in there.
I believe the "U" ROM listing is there, or something.  Contact me if you want
to follow up.

> 
>    where are you located at??  you might be able to find a cp/m machine
> cheap, and you wouldn't even need to do some serious hacking to get it
> working, either.    unless it is something you like do, which is why
> i go through this sort of torture.  (one man's pleasure, another man's
> pain...)

:-(   :-)

> 
>    i don't suppose a month goes by where someone offers their cp/m machine
> to me for the price of hauling it away.  if you look, you can find some
> real bargains out there...
> 
> 

Absolutely!