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Serial card problems

RichCini

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
546
Location
Long Island, NY
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.
 
s i/o

s i/o

Hi;
I have the same problem. I have a 2-sio that only one channel works on, and I have a ssm that if I set it up like the documentation says won't work..I guess I will have to sort it out...line of code by line of code... or should I say switch by switch ....
THANK YOU Marty
 
s i/o

s i/o

Hi Rich;
It just came to me why the ssm /io board doesn't work, when you set it up as described in the manual, it is trying to emulate the 6850 of the 2-sio, instead of the s-io (single port board). the s-io uses a ay-1013 or equiv. and looking at the schematic for it , the signals are Not inverted, and so using the ssm /io the signals need not be inverted either... so put back the 74xx367 instead of the 74xx368's and then set it up for baud rate and whether date is first or status is first. and You should be Good to Go..... :p :p :p
THANK YOU Marty
 
serial

serial

Hi Rich;
I use TeraTerm and I used basically the load for the cassette, no matter what file I loaded from Cassette or paper tape.. I will have to look up which and what modifications i used... and let you know... I changed ports most likely... I used the ss-i/o board ( the Acr board, which I modified to RS-232) the only reason I went to the SSM was I needed two ports for APE... Which I have never had running.... Tonight I will try to load up 8K Basic and let you know what I come up with.... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Hopefully I can tell you something positive.
THANK YOU Marty
 
Hi Rich;
I use TeraTerm and I used basically the load for the cassette, no matter what file I loaded from Cassette or paper tape.. I will have to look up which and what modifications i used... and let you know... I changed ports most likely... I used the ss-i/o board ( the Acr board, which I modified to RS-232) the only reason I went to the SSM was I needed two ports for APE... Which I have never had running.... Tonight I will try to load up 8K Basic and let you know what I come up with.... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Hopefully I can tell you something positive.
THANK YOU Marty

Marty --

Thanks for the reply. The original post is quite old, but I did in fact solve the problem by using the '367 and making sure the status bits are configured properly. I've been using the SSM's two ports successfully for some time now, with port 0 for the console and port 1 for various things from APE to modems.
 
ssm

ssm

Hi Rich;
Glad that you have the problem solved....
How are the status bits wired on your ssm, I think I have mine corrrect, but it doesn't hurt to check with someone who has their's running....
I have never had APE working correctly on my machine, that is another reason why I am asking.....
THANK YOU Marty
 
Disk1

Disk1

Hi Rich;
Mike S . Said that you had a compupro Disk 1 card, Do you have the hex listing for the Eprom (not in intel format hex, but just a plain binary format, in hex... So I can program the 2716 Eprom for it.... I have a couple of programmers... I have populated it with everything but the Eprom... I don't know if any of the Ic's are any good, but that is another issue..... and I have to set it up for 5.1/4 drives for now....The manual showed a test routine that I have to assemble by hand and toggle into the computer... Any other Suggestions and/or help.... on getting it going .... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
THANK YOU Marty
 
Hi Rich;
Mike S . Said that you had a compupro Disk 1 card, Do you have the hex listing for the Eprom (not in intel format hex, but just a plain binary format, in hex... So I can program the 2716 Eprom for it.... I have a couple of programmers... I have populated it with everything but the Eprom... I don't know if any of the Ic's are any good, but that is another issue..... and I have to set it up for 5.1/4 drives for now....The manual showed a test routine that I have to assemble by hand and toggle into the computer... Any other Suggestions and/or help.... on getting it going .... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
THANK YOU Marty

I would have to download the EPROM. I don't use the code in it because it is designed to be used with specific memory and hardware configurations from CompuPro. I have the EPROM disabled and my own support routines built into an EPROM that's located at $F000.

On the status bits, I have RxReady on bit0 and TxReady on bit7.
 
eprom

eprom

Hi Rich;
Thank You for your reply... Could I get the routines or a listing of your Eprom at f000.... I am working on the board, as far as I can tell , it doesn't work, :( :( :( so I am checking the parts for now... :D :D :D
THANK YOU Marty
 
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