Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Path: blue.weeg.uiowa.edu!news.uiowa.edu!uunet!newsflash.concordia.ca!CC.UMontreal.CA!IRO.UMontreal.CA!guertinp From: guertinp@IRO.UMontreal.CA (Paul Guertin) Subject: Re: Help in identifying cards and problems Message-ID: Sender: news@IRO.UMontreal.CA Organization: Universite de Montreal, Canada References: <340ck2$eht@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> <341ebs$3lt@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> Date: Wed, 31 Aug 1994 15:07:31 GMT Lines: 23 In article <341ebs$3lt@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> a.guillaume@trl.oz.au writes: > >The disk spinning problem at startup still remains. Thanks again in advance >for any info. Enter this program. It starts the disk spinning, reads the data latch and writes its contents to the screen. Open the drive door and start the program up. The number displayed should change every 2 seconds or so (usually between 80, 82, 84, and C0). Now put a (write-protected) DOS 3.3 disk in the drive and start it up. Look at the output. It should consist of rapidly changing numbers. If it didn't change, then either the disk isn't formatted, or your drive (or controller card) is broken. The program (enter it from the monitor and type 300G to start it): 300:A2 60 BD 8A C0 BD 89 C0 308:BD 8E C0 BD 8C C0 20 DA 310:FD 20 8E FD 4C 08 03 Paul guertinp@iro.umontreal.ca Path: blue.weeg.uiowa.edu!news.uiowa.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.uoregon.edu!cie-2.uoregon.edu!nparker From: nparker@cie-2.uoregon.edu (Neil Parker) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Help in identifying cards and problems Date: 1 Sep 1994 08:50:11 GMT Organization: University of Oregon Campus Information Exchange Lines: 80 Distribution: world Message-ID: <3444k3$73p@pith.uoregon.edu> References: <340ck2$eht@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> <341ebs$3lt@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> NNTP-Posting-Host: cie-2.uoregon.edu In article <341ebs$3lt@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> a.guillaume@trl.oz.au writes: >[...] >|Then there is a disk controller card. Says "Disk II Interface Card 650-X104" >|on the card, and two "Super 5" drives are connected by ribbon cables. I guess >|that goes in slot 6. Although when I do that, and turn on the computer, the >|drives click, spin and then spin for ever. Should I suspect a damaged IC >|on the card ? Or an unsuitable card ? > >I should have added that my trials were always done with a disk in the drive. >Paul suggests that I have a very old disk controller card with the DOS 3.2 ROM >on it. I will check the firmware ($C600 to $C6FF), but I hasten to add that >I received the computer with DOS3.3 diskettes, so I assume it would read them. Another thing to consider: Are the drives spinning at the right speed? If the motor speed is far enough off, they won't be able to read disks. Fixing thd drive speed might seem to be a chicken-and-egg sort of problem, since you can't boot any diagnostic software until after the drives are fixed, but if the drives are anything like Disk ]['s, then there is a way. If you completely remove the case of a Disk ][ (including the bottom part), you'll find a wheel on the bottom of the motor marked with two circles of alternating light and dark marks--the inner circle is labelled "50" and the outer one is labelled "60". Turn on the drive, start the motor spinning (you can do this by typing "CALL-151" and then "C0E9"), and hold the drive under a flourescent light (if you don't have a flourescent light, your computer monitor will do, if you fill the screen with a bright image (HGR : HCOLOR= 3: HPLOT 0,0: CALL 62454)). If your motor speed is right, one of the two circles will appear to stand still...the "60" circle will stand still if your wall power is 60 Hz, and the "50" circle will stand still if you wall power is 50 Hz. Adjust the motor-speed screw until the correct circle appears to stand still. >|The 3rd card has a Z80 on it, and "CMC 8314" on it. I strongly suspect >|a CP/M card :-) Which slot should this card go into ? It has a 4-switch DIP >|switch next to the Z80, what are the settings required (they're all on OFF >|right now) ? > >CP/M card alright. Has someone got info on the switches ? There are several different, completely incompatible Z80 cards available-- without knowing which one yours is, we can't say definitely what the switches do. If your card is a Microsoft Softcard (easily identifiable by the words "MICROSOFT SOFTCARD" printed in the upper left corner of the component side), or a clone thereof, then OFF is the correct position for all four switches (Softcard CP/M doesn't use any of the features that the switches control). The Softcard switch settings are as follows: Switch 1: OFF = Address translation occurs (Z80 address 0000H corresponds to 6502 address $1000) ON = No address translation (Z80 address = 6502 address) Switch 2: OFF = Softcard locks out all other DMA devices when Z80 is active ON = DMA signal from higher slot can interrupt Softcard Switch 3: OFF = Softcard ignores NMI ON = NMI causes Z80 non-maskable interrupt Switch 4: OFF = Softcard ignores IRQ ON = IRQ causes Z80 interrupt Softcard CP/M expects to find addresses remapped, so switch 1 should be left off. Most Softcard CP/M programs can't handle interrupts, so switches 3 and 4 should be left off too. Turning switch 2 on probably won't hurt CP/M, but leaving it off is consistant with CP/M's philosophy of letting the 6502 handle most I/O. If the Z80 card is a Softcard (or a clone of it), then it should work in any slot. Softcard CP/M is happiest if the card is in slot 4 or slot 7, since those slots aren't pre-assigned for any other purpose. - Neil Parker -- Neil Parker No cute ASCII art...no cute quote...no cute nparker@cie-2.uoregon.edu disclaimer...no deposit, no return... nparker@cie.uoregon.edu (This space intentionally left blank: ) Path: blue.weeg.uiowa.edu!news.uiowa.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.uoregon.edu!cie-2.uoregon.edu!nparker From: nparker@cie-2.uoregon.edu (Neil Parker) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2.programmer Subject: Re: 5.25 Disk Speed Test Date: 1 Sep 1994 10:27:22 GMT Organization: University of Oregon Campus Information Exchange Lines: 111 Distribution: world Message-ID: <344aaa$8lh@pith.uoregon.edu> References: <33sjbk$dk2@paperboy.gsfc.nasa.gov> <33vl7e$cdd@paperboy.gsfc.nasa.gov> NNTP-Posting-Host: cie-2.uoregon.edu In article <33vl7e$cdd@paperboy.gsfc.nasa.gov> Bill North writes: >In article <33sn0u$oq4@gap.cco.caltech.edu> >Nathan Mates, nathan@cco.caltech.edu writes: >> >> If you're lucky, ProSel-16 might have this capability. Otherwise, a >>piece of software on a 3.5" disk is the best bet... I believe Copy ][+ >>has had this version since way back when, and it's been ProDOS since >>v5.0. With that, you should be able to boot off another drive, and >>check the speed. Ask friends and all to borrow a copy; it's no longer >>published anymore it seems. >> >Thanks! It's been so long since I've used Copy II+ that I forgot >it was in there (version 8). Prosel may have it, but then Prosel >has lots of features I haven't used (or figured out). :) A Little-Known Secret: You don't really need any software at all to test the speed of an Apple 5.25-inch drive. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver, and a 60-Hz light source such as your computer monitor or a flourescent lamp. Before disassembling your disk drive, turn your computer's power off. Don't unplug the drive from the computer, though--you can't do the test unless the drive is plugged in. Be careful when handling the innards--a spark of static electricity would probably be very unhealthy for the circuitry. If you have an old Disk ][, turn it over, unscrew the four screws on the bottom, and slide the case off. This will expose four more screws on the bottom--unscrew them too. Carefully lift the bottom piece off, being careful not to pull the ribbon cable out of its connection on the circuit board. The cable is fastened to the back of the case by a plastic bracket--unfasten the bracket (it should open easily) and slide the cable out. (If you accidentally pulled it loose from the circuit board, plug it back in, being careful to line up the pins correctly--if you have trouble, remember than the red line on one side of the cable corresponds to pin 1 of the connector). Yow now have a naked Disk ][ mechanism sitting in front of you. If you turn it upside down, you will see a wheel on the bottom marked with two circles of alternating white and black spots. The inner circle is labelled "50", and the outer circle is labelled "60". This is the tachometer disk. The "60" circle is for countries (like the U.S.) that use 60-Hz power, and the "50" circle is for countries that use 50-Hz power. Getting to the tachometer disk on newer drives is a lot harder. I know there's one inside my Apple 5.25 Drive--I can barely see it through the vents--but I have yet to succeed in opening the drive up far enough to expose it. If you have a bright enough light source, you may be able to see it well enough through the vents in the bottom of the drive case. It may help to open the case--unscrew the four screws on the bottom, and gently push the bottom and front forwards until they come loose. Don't push too hard, or you may pull the in-use-light wires off. The tachometer disk is on the bottom, directly under the raised circle in the metal plate, just barely visible through the vents. Once you've opened up the drive far enough to see the tachometer disk, turn off all the light sources in the room except for your 60-Hz (or 50-Hz) light source. If you have a flourescent light, you can use that. If you don't, your computer screen will do...turn on your computer, press RESET to go into Applesoft, and type the following line: HGR : HCOLOR= 3: HPLOT 0,0: CALL 62454 This will give you a nice bright screen image to use as your light source. Now you're ready to test the drive speed. Put a disk in the drive (preferably an expendable disk), turn on your computer if it isn't already on, go into BASIC, and type the following commands (assuming your disk interface is in slot 6): CALL -151 C0E9 The disk should start spinning. Hold the drive so that your light source shines on the tachometer disk, and watch carefully. If the speed is correct, the white and black marks should appear to stand still. If they appear to drift, turn the speed adjustment screw until they stop moving. The speed adjustment screw on a Disk ][ is located on the small circuit board at the back of the drive--it's the screw that's attached to a small ceramic box, sticking out from the side of the board. I'm not entirely sure where the speed adjustment screw on the Apple 5.25 Drive is, but I suspect it's probably the small Phillips screw visible through the tiny hole next to one of the drive case's front feet. (Anybody out there want to confirm or deny that suspicion?) When you're through testing the speed, turn off the motor by typing the following command: C0E8 The commands "C0E9" and "C0E8" assume your interface is in slot 6. If not, use one of the following instead: Slot Motor on Motor off ---- -------- --------- 1 C099 C098 2 C0A9 C0A8 3 C0B9 C0B8 4 C0C9 C0C8 5 C0D9 C0D8 6 C0E9 C0E8 7 C0F9 C0F8 - Neil Parker -- Neil Parker No cute ASCII art...no cute quote...no cute nparker@cie-2.uoregon.edu disclaimer...no deposit, no return... nparker@cie.uoregon.edu (This space intentionally left blank: )