[Coco] MPI and NitrOS-9

[Gene Heskett]

On Wednesday 19 October 2016 13:46:38 Bill wrote:

> I have a Coco 3 (512K) with a Coco3 upgraded MPI.  Presently, there is
> a Disto Super Controller II in slot 4, an RS 26-3022 in slot 3, an RS
> 26-3022 w/HDBDOS 1.4 DW3   in slot 2, and an RS 232 Pak in slot 1.
>
> Using RS-Dos, I can POKE &HFF7F,51 and access slot 4,  POKE &HFF7F,34
> and access slot 3,  POKE &HFF7F,17 and access slot 2, and POKE
> &HFF7F,0 and access slot 1.
>
Those drivers for nitros9 that are dependedent on the slot, generally do 
it themselves, restoreing to slot 33 on their exit so they all have a 
common floppy access when their job is done.  Some may have it hard 
coded, and some have "borrowed" an unused byte in the descriptor.  A few 
may even need a byte p[atched in the driver.

Those of you who have made the electrical patches to your MPI, which stop 
any and all IRQ related  data loses, will not need to worry about the 
upper nibble in that slot selector byte as the faulty IRQ logic is 
bypassed by that patch.
>
> Question #1: is there a way to access each of the individual slots
> while running NitrOS-9?
>
>
Yes.  Write the desird slot #-1 to $ff7f.

>
> Question #2: does anyone know of a PDF version of the Disto Super
> Controller II manual? I have the controller, but don't know what it's
> exactly capable of, or if it's even worth having.

Definitely worth having as its a "no-halt" controller with the right 
driver loaded.

>
>
> Thanks


Cheers, Gene Heskett
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