RichCini
Veteran Member
All:
I've tried posting this query both on the ClassicCmp list and on comp.os.cpm and no one has offered a solution so I'm going to try here.
I have an Altair 8800b that I'm trying to get Microsoft 8k tape BASIC running on. I have two serial card options: a Vector Graphics Bitstreamer (8251-based) and a Solid State Music 2p/2s (AY3-1015 based). I have images of the paper tapes from my emulator and I have a copy of the toggle loader configured for 8k BASIC. This is the same setup I use on my Altair emulator to load the paper tapes and it works beautifully.
The VG card works fine with a modified Turnkey Monitor but is not configurable to match what Microsoft BASIC expects for a terminal (the data register comes before the status register and the parallel port comes before serial in the I/O block). The SSM card is very configurable and can be made to match almost any serial card (it has an "Altair SIO Revision 1" section in the manual) but I can't get it to work for beans.
Interestingly though, a short loopback program I wrote to use with the SSM works fine, echoing the characters back. I modified the monitor program from the VG configuration to use the SSM and it doesn't work.
So, here's the question: does anyone in this group have a known-working SSM configuration and known-working program that I can compare to what I have? I'm looking to compare jumper settings, cable wiring and software -- everything. A solution is here but I'm not seeing it yet. I'm also going to write a short Windows-based "paper tape" emulator instead of trying to use the upload command of Procomm. I think that something is getting messed up with that.
Thoughts? Thanks.
I've tried posting this query both on the ClassicCmp list and on comp.os.cpm and no one has offered a solution so I'm going to try here.
I have an Altair 8800b that I'm trying to get Microsoft 8k tape BASIC running on. I have two serial card options: a Vector Graphics Bitstreamer (8251-based) and a Solid State Music 2p/2s (AY3-1015 based). I have images of the paper tapes from my emulator and I have a copy of the toggle loader configured for 8k BASIC. This is the same setup I use on my Altair emulator to load the paper tapes and it works beautifully.
The VG card works fine with a modified Turnkey Monitor but is not configurable to match what Microsoft BASIC expects for a terminal (the data register comes before the status register and the parallel port comes before serial in the I/O block). The SSM card is very configurable and can be made to match almost any serial card (it has an "Altair SIO Revision 1" section in the manual) but I can't get it to work for beans.
Interestingly though, a short loopback program I wrote to use with the SSM works fine, echoing the characters back. I modified the monitor program from the VG configuration to use the SSM and it doesn't work.
So, here's the question: does anyone in this group have a known-working SSM configuration and known-working program that I can compare to what I have? I'm looking to compare jumper settings, cable wiring and software -- everything. A solution is here but I'm not seeing it yet. I'm also going to write a short Windows-based "paper tape" emulator instead of trying to use the upload command of Procomm. I think that something is getting messed up with that.
Thoughts? Thanks.