[Coco] Interesting problem with multi-pak and CC3 and OS9L2 / Nitros9

[Robert Hermanek]

I know you mentioned you verified the PAL upgrade, but are you 
absolutely sure?  Only ask because what you describe sounds like what I 
ran into with coco3 and un-upgraded MPI (not os9, my own project).  I 
was writing a program that relied on interrupts to blink a cursor and 
collect keyboard input, and it worked great until I tried my multipak.  
So then I upgraded it and problem was solved.

Anyone remember what the quick test is for PAL/lousy MPI?
-RobertH

On 9/30/2016 2:54 PM, John R. Hogerhuis wrote:
> I have an interesting problem with my multi-pak.
>
> Back in 90s when I did most of my color computering I did not own a
> multi-pak. At some point I bought one off ebay. I have already done the
> PEEK to verify that it has the PAL upgrade. It seemed to work fine for
> switching between rom paks.
>
> Now that I have a CocoSDC I finally got around to doing some serious
> testing and basically with multi-pak, the keyboard doesn't work under OS9.
>
> My keyboard works fine under DECB. But if I boot into NitrOS9 or OS9L2 then
> everything locks up at the prompt if I have my disk controller connected
> through the Multi-Pak.
>
> Also the cursor disappears.
>
> This does not happen if I connect a disk controller directly to the Coco 3
> and boot OS9 that way. Keyboard, cursor work fine in that case.
>
> Now, if I boot OS9 with Multi-Pak in the loop and then power off the MPI
> once everything is booted the cursor reappears and I can type (can't do
> much though since the disk drive becomes inaccessible with the multi-pak
> off).
>
>
> So is the keyboard handled differently under OS-9? Is it somehow more
> interrupt driven? And what could be happening with the Multi-Pak that would
> prevent the keyboard from being polled?
>
> Thanks,
>
> -- John.
>