ReplyTo: L1X (Mark Usher) From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: Monitors People say "you can't connect a BBC to a..." Oh yes you can! A monitor is a monitor is a monitor. There are some specialised exceptions, but mostly it's a matter of getting the wires into the correct pins, getting the correct syncs and balancing the loads. Some monitors need separate vertical and horizontal sync, which can be tweeked out of a B; Masters may need an adapter. I've have Beebs driving all sorts of things, in HK I had a switch box that let me display either a Master, an Arch or a PC on the same RGB monitor. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ReplyTo: 0E7 (F.W.Nevin) From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: 3.5" disk drives (again) See the comments from Brian Raw about disk drives for Beebs. I agree though that there is a problem getting cased drives with their own PSU. However, as 3.5" drives draw so little power compared to 5.25" ones I have found that running them off the Beeb's external PSU socket is no problem. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: jTerm, XTerm I seem to have missed issue 57 which had this program on. Oh, if I had this earlier, it would have been very useful. I've been able to use it for accessing some BBSs and testing my own software. Unfortunately, it's a bit inadequate in areas. The help-screen is wrong, file transfer only does X-modem, even though it prompts for X,Y,G. Some of the propmts are inconsistant - Set transmit speed asks for 0 to 8, but set receive speed gives a menu. Once in 80-column mode some of the keys don't work properly, and I've managed to hang it quite often which I have rarely managed to do before on a Beeb. I've enclosed a Beta-test version of XTerm 0.30 - most of it is written and functional. It features the following: XYModem: automatically switches between XModem, XModem-CRC, XModem-1k, YModem(batch) and YModem-G. On-the-fly text file conversion. Modest monochrome ANSI implementation - none of that strange [1;2;38m codes all over the screen. PC-8 font included (ie, characters look correct). Serial input buffered up to all available memory, and NUL-NUL bug fixed on MOS 5.00. NB: Currently file upload is very simplified and only supports XModem. Download is fully implemented. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: Serial FAQs in issue 57 Caution - the information in this text file is slightly inaccurate in the paragraphs titled XModem and YModem. The correct text should read: XModem transfers files in blocks of 128 bytes or 1024 bytes with XModem-1k. Each block has a checksum or at the end, or a CRC in XModem-CRC. YModem prepends a block zero to an XModem file transfer containing file information; filename, filelength, etc. YModem is sometimes called YModem(batch). YModem-G sends the file continously with no ACKs of good blocks, but the transfer aborts if any error occurs. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ReplyTo: E2K (J.W.Smith) From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: Disk drive leads A lead to drive a dual 3.5" & 5.25" disk drive. I assume by this you have a single box with the two drives in, but no lead. You need a lead with a 34-pin IDC plug at one end - to go into the computer - and at the other end a 34-pin IDC plug again and a 34-pin IDC card-edge connector. Which one you have on the very end depends on which drive you have on the top (not which drive is 0 or 1 - see later) So, you will have a lead that looks like this: IDC IDC IDC plug cardedge plug *----------------------*-------* You then need to decide which is drive 0 and which is 1. These are set by the drive select switch or jumpers. 3.5" drives usually have a small slide switch, 5.25" usually have links. The power lead can be made just as easily, as a Y-shape: 3.5" D/D plug -------------------* / / / / 5.25" / D/D plug *------------------------* 5.25" D/D skt This setup can very easily be bought, but is sometimes hard to find. Maplin sells a kit called: 'Floppy Disk Drive Installation Kit' Order Code: ZG47 This gives you an adapter to plug into a card-edge connector that plugs into a 3.5" drive, and a power lead adapter, also includes little bits of metal to mount a 3.5" drive in a 5.25" case. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ReplyTo: E2K (J.W.Smith) From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: Econet Networking Any help or tips about Econets and Networking, I should be able to help. Also there is Andrew Nelson (see recommended contacts list) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ReplyTo: D6F (John Crane) From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: Disk formatters Adfs M is 80 track single sided. You can create this on an Arc. by formatting a disk as ADFS L (80trk double sided) and then ignoring side 2. On the Arc, do: *Adfs:Format 0 L *Create Adfs::0.temp 0+4F9 *Create Adfs::0.Side2 0+500 *Access Adfs::0.Side2 L *Delete Adfs::0.temp This saves a dummy file on all of side 2 to prevent you accidently using it. Make sure you don't delete it or Compact the disk. Another way of doing it is to use a sector editor to change the disk size bytes in bytes 252/253/254 in sector zero to the following: Byte L M S 252: 00 00 80 253: 0A 05 02 254: 00 00 00 640k 320k 160k ADFS S(mall) is single-sided 40 track. To do this on a 3.5" drive you have to double-step. As all 3.5" drives are 80 track anyway, that would be a bit pointless. However, you can use that method to create a ADFS (S) 5.25" disk. If you send me the PD formatter program I should be able to alter it to give you these extra options. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, From: K8G (Jonathan Harston) Subject: Textual filer This is a preliminary filer that allows you to navigate through a directory tree doing various actions of single or multiple files. Most of the functions are implemented. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN) Subject: GAMES I would like to obtain as many games as I can for the BBC Model B, especially ones from Micro Power and also the Level 9 adventure games, and the Ultimate Play the Game series of adventure style games. If anyone can help me, then send a message to E4W or e-mail me at viewtronix@easynet.co.uk I am only interested in boxed originals, and will pay a fair price for them! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN) Subject: Acorn Timeline I am interested in drawing up a timeline for my webpage, of the dates when all the various Acorn Computers were produced, so far I have come up with this: Date Computer ```` ```````` ???? Acorn Atom 1981 BBC Model A & B Released 1983 Acorn Electron Released 1984 Model B+ released 1986 Master 128, Turbo, 512 and ET released. 1987 Acorn Archimedes ??? relased. Long gap in history here! 1996 RISC PC developed. Can anyone correct any of this, and fill in the gaps? Thanks! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN) Subject: PC Joysticks How do I connect PC joysticks to a BBC? Can someone help me with this, as I need a good joystick for my PC as the voltmace ones I've had for 7 years are getting a bit worn! I think it may need some sort of adaptor, or circuit to sort it all out, i'd only need 1 button. Please help! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: ELT From: E4W (CRISPIN BOYLAN) Subject: Interesting things to do on Elite Has anyone found anything useful to do on Elite once the missions have been completed? I have done both missions, and have reached deadly and I know I have a long way to go to get to E L I T E status, but is there anything apart from trading and shooting to do? I sometimes go into witchspace, which is good, but does anyone else know anything about the mysterious Cloak & Dagger ship? How can I meet it? Please help! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,