Looking for Cromemco RDOS Disk Test Error code listing

[MikeS]

Re-read my corrected post. The system three only boots from the B drive.

Ah, OK, so in step 6 you're talking about 8" disks, i.e. the other port/connector/cable?

Before you go to the trouble of changing the cable, why not try what I suggested and just move the drive select jumpers?

When you select drive B to try a DIR, are you selecting the correct drive size and type?

 

[billdeg]

Yes the sytem THREE boots to the B drive. Really that's not important other than that it proves that the 16FCD is capable of booting to drive B.

Yes "swap" means change the jumpers not actually swap drives, as I would still have to swap jumpers anyway. I did physically swap out the original drives because both did not work under any combination of jumpers. Assume that despite my disorganized writing my work has been systematic

SOrry to belabor this whole thing, I am really just reporting my progress. Logically the pieces are all there, I will get it eventually.

The System One computer is not picking up the ready or related signal from drive B for some reason. I have tried more than one cable. I am less inclined to think it's a problem with the 16FDC than I orignally was. It's also possible that the drive B is getting just a hair too little juice to power it.

bd

 

[MikeS]

You can understand my confusion; if the 16FDC boots fine from drive A in one system and also from drive B in the other, I didn't see why you were so sure that the 16FDC was at fault.

Now that you've clarified that we're talking about different computers and 8" vs. 5.25", have you checked the 5.25" connector on the 16FDC? A bent or broken pin 12 could cause your symptom.

And, again, when selecting a drive choose the correct size and type.

The 5.25" port and drives do not use a ready signal BTW.

 

[billdeg]

Finally the solution

1. The hardware has been OK all along, no problems with the drives, cards, power, or jumpers.
2. The issue was with the fact that the CDOS I was using was configured for an A drive = 5 1/4" and a B drive = 8" !

So that's why it was "not ready" for a 5 1/4" drive in one system yet was fully able to boot in an 8" drive system. I did not know that I had a CDOS configured that way, or better way to say it I did not realize it was even an issue.

Thanks Marcus and Mike S for your help.

So what you do is run the command CDOSGEN after booting the disk, and follow the prompts to build a disk that is compatible with the drives you have. It never occurred to me that this was necessary. Note that I backed up the original disk using RDOS first, and updated my copy using CDOSGEN, just in case something went wrong.

Here is the thread from the Cromemco Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/cromemco/browse_thread/thread/9f180f5f17b7a009#

 

[MikeS]

Glad I could help; sorry it took so long but I got distracted by the 4FDC/16FDC and Sys1/Sys3 stuff until your last post on the Cromemco list made it a little clearer.

If you're more concerned about usability than being "original," putting in a 5.25" 1.2M HD drive as an 8" drive B (or even Drive C, if you replace the second full-height with a DD and an HD half-height) is actually quite useful; gives you more space and lets you work with 8" disk images.

Enjoy.

 

[billdeg]

My goal is to use this system tomorrow at the CP/M workshop in Wilmington, Delaware. I thought I was losing it with the hardware stuff, everything seemed correct because it *was*...

 

[MikeS]

My goal is to use this system tomorrow at the CP/M workshop in Wilmington, Delaware. I thought I was losing it with the hardware stuff, everything seemed correct because it *was*...

I haven't tried it myself but there is at least one CP/M image (as opposed to CDOS) in the Cromemco Group files if you're interested.