[Coco] MPI and NitrOS-9

Bill cwgordon at carolina.rr.com
Wed Oct 19 15:19:15 EDT 2016


Basically, what I'd like to be able to do is be able to access the drive controller in slot 3 (the 5 1.4"), copy information from the floppy in the drive, access the drive controller in slot 4 (the 3 1/2") and write the copied information to the floppy in the drive. I've written a little klutzy basic program I'm able to do that in RS-DOS, since I don't have a 5 1/4"-3 1/2" drive combo, but don't know if it's possible in OS-9. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Coco [mailto:coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com] On Behalf Of Gene Heskett
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 2:16 PM
To: coco at maltedmedia.com
Subject: Re: [Coco] MPI and NitrOS-9

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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