[Coco] Nitros9 and Smartwatch

[Robert Gault]

piperfox74 wrote:
> Hey folks.
>
> I purchased a DS1216 piggyback to use as an RTC with my CoCo 3 (6309, Triad 512K) and patched MPI + CoCoSDC/DriveWire/Disto Mini-Controller.
>
> I think I figured out how to create a new Nitros9 boot disk with the clock2_smartwatch module replacing clock2_dw, and I believe I was able to correctly move the getclk, swread and swset executables into my execution dir on the new bootdisk. However, once booted from the disk, executing getclk causes either a hard freeze or even garbage to appear on screen. swread and swset both say no clock found.
>
> I have the Smartwatch inserted into the second EPROM slot in the Disto controller, which I have in MPI slot 4. Since there’s not enough room to piggyback a DECB ROM, the Smartwatch carrier is just empty. I’ve heard that should work. The Disto controller ROM switch is set correctly to the Smartwatch slot.
>
> Slot 1 of the MPI has the CoCoSDC. I also have DriveWire connected. The MPI is set to Slot 1, to boot into SDC-DOS. I boot Nitros9 from my newly created, Smartwatched boot disk. THe time comes up as question marks and zeros. I then try the various commands to work with the smartwatch (are these commands documented anywhere?), but they fail as described.
>
> Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Christopher
>
>

Christopher,

Since swread indicates that the smartwatch was not found, that suggests that 
your Disto controller is not set correctly for the DS1216 to be read or just not 
working.

Are you able to read any ROMs in the Disto controller? If so, put the DS1216 
into that socket, plug the ROM into the DS1216, and put the controller into your 
MPI without the controller cover. This is just a test! Under these conditions, 
can swread see the clock with NitrOS-9 running.
If this works, move the DS1216 with the ROM into the second socket, set the 
jumper, and repeat the above test.

============

It would seem from your comments, that you don't use a ROM in the Disto 
controller as you have SDC-DOS in slot1 of the MPI. That being the case, why 
have the smartwatch in the Disto second eprom socketinstead of the first?
The swread code will check all four MPI slots looking for the smartwatch and 
stores the slot number containing the watch so it doesn't matter which MPI slot 
holds the smartwatch.

I would suggest that you use a soft-clock in OS9Boot and just use swread and 
swset. There is no need to read the smartwatch more often than say every 5 or 10 
minutes. Just include in the startup file
swread 5 <>>>/2&

Report what happens with the suggested tests and you will get better answers to 
your questions.

Robert