If you look on the SmartMouse disk CMD provided a driver that had to be loaded before you could set or read the RTC.  I believe it is the same driver used with the SmartTrack.  It looks like the source code is included on the disk.

This is the battery my RAMLink uses:

http://www.batteryplex.com/eaglepicher.cfm/m/CF-6V7

I've never created a function ROM but there is information out there to be had.  Not sure what you mean by "I don't know the structure of an EPROM" but basically you are storing an ML program you have created on the EPROM.  Storing the ML program seems simple as it should be handled by your EPROM burning program of choice.  The Internal function ROM starts at $8000 so that would be your starting address in your program.

The header is described in 'Mapping the Commodore 128'.  Look at $E26B on page 518.  I would also recommend getting a HEX editor and loading up some of the BIN files that are available out there for the Internal function ROM.

Provided you are in the correct BANK configuration accessing code in the function ROM I believe is just like accessing code you have loaded into any other valid location.  Again the code in the function ROM starts at $8000.

The C-128 boot sequence automatically will detect if a valid function ROM is installed.  Again see $E26B and $F867.  According to these routines you could have an autobooting function ROM or not, though even if it is not autobooting the fact that there is a valid function ROM is recorded so I would imagine holding the CTRL key just forces a boot from the function ROM.

Hope this helps.

You can download the GEOS 2.0 Manual here:
http://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/onrequest/geos-manuals/GEOS_Version_2.0._Manual.pdf

The geoSpell instructions start on page 187.

I'm not sure what the problem is copying files from a 1541 or 1571 to a 1581.  There are file copiers available that will work.  FCOPY from CMD is a great file copier that will copy to/from all Commodore and CMD drives.

As for within native GEOS I can't say because I've only messed around with gateWay 128 for GEOS 2.0 and you can copy files from a 1541 or 1571 to a 1581 in gateWay.

gateWay is also available for download from cbmfiles.com

On the cbmfiles.com/geos site it mentions "The complete source code for the unreleased gateWay V2.6 is available."  But the link does not work.  Did anyone grab it before the link died?

What is geoSOURCER?

You might want to go through this article as it relates to 1571 drive troubleshooting and solutions. The problems discussed are common with the 128D also:

http://www.commodore128.org/index.php?topic=2236.msg8996#msg8996

Quote from: Hydrophilic on March 04, 2010, 03:48 PM
I'm familiar with ZED (nice 80-column text editor), but can you provide links / info on CW and Karma?

CW is Commodore World magazine.  You can get issue #22 here:
http://www.bombjack.org/commodore/magazines.htm

Karma is Karma 128 a macro assembler for the 128 from PHD Software Systems. I have a D81 somewhere, I'll upload it to the downloads section here as soon as I find it.

Quote from: RobertB on March 03, 2010, 03:18 PM
Ah, there it is.  Thanks!  Can you tell what changes you made to it?

Or show us a thread where it is discussed,

I basically re-wrote the ML that identifies the type of drive connected.  The documented ML source used by FCOPY appeared in CW #22 so that helped a lot in decyphering the dissasembly.  FCOPY used a "M-R" command and a table to identify the type of drive.  I changed this to use a "UI" command and then parse the results.

Here's the source, I used ZED as my editor and Karma for the assembly:

Its posted in the uIEC Google group files here:

http://groups.google.com/group/uIEC-users/files?hl=en

I recently disassembled FCOPY to modify it to work with the uIEC/SD and it does have very specific load requirements. Also after execution it copies a portion of it's ML payload that is parked behind the BASIC portion higher in memory.

The Chinon FB-354 found in Amigas will work in the 1581.  I just borrowed one from my Amiga 3000 to bring my 1581 back to life. Because of the eject button placement on this drive you would need to modify the front facing of the 1581 (BTW this would be required also for the CW hack if it worked).  I believe the drives in the Amiga 2000s are compatible with the 1581 front cover.

I tried the CW hack but never got it to work.  I think the article is missing crucial information regarding the PC disk drives. What specific jumper setting are required and dealing with jumpers on the circuit board that use solder bridges.

BBR128, doesn't seem to work in VICE, will work on a real 128.

Scratched file have their file-type byte in the directory set to $00 and sectors associated with the file are freed in BAM.

I'd recommend looking at "Inside Commodore DOS".  The BASIC 'Virtual Directory' program identifies scratched files.

http://www.bombjack.org/commodore/books.htm/pdf/Inside_Commodore_Dos.pdf

Just to check, is the 1581 partition formatted and does it contain unique files? This was asked before but worth double-checking.
From my understanding of the 1581, after you select a partition it becomes the 'working drive'. In your code what are you using for 'dirname' (your variable)?

It seems if the desired partition is your 'working drive' then dirname should just be '$0'.

You might want to look at the program 'Partition Aid' on the 1581 test demo disk. It provides some good examples of code for working with 1581 partitions. There is ML attached to the end of this program.  You could examine it by breaking it and going into the monitor.

I haven't tested this but is "/DIR" really a file to be opened if you are sending a command to the command channel (equivalent to a PRINT#15,"/DIR")?

I believe you should open the command channel like this:
LDA #$0f
LDX drive ; your variable
LDY #$0f
JSR SETLFS
LDA #$00
TAX
TAY
JSR SETNAM

(on a 128 you should also perform a SETBNK ($ff68) to provide the bank the filename is in)
LDX #$00
LDA $C6
JSR SETBNK

JSR OPEN

Then you would send your command to switch to the /DIR directory to the open command channel.

@ cbmguy,

Thanks for the disks and your effort!

The D81 with the sysop text mentions tons of updates to the BBS.  The version on the D81's seems to be 9.0.  Are the updates mentioned included on the disks?  Do you know what version Omni reached before support ended?

I found kind of a brute force way of doing this by opening the REL file in a loop and reading the error channel to determine if the record length was accepted. See code below. This method is obviously slow. Maybe there is an easier way?

I brought this up because of the current limitation of the uIEC 0.8.2 firmware and it's inability to read a directory's on-disk format with a non-zero secondary address. The on-disk format directory read returns a REL file's record length in byte 21 of the file entry as opposed to a directory read using a secondary address of zero which doesn't.  I also want a solution that will work on the uIEC as well as other C= compatible drives.


10 d=8:l=0:input"enter filename: ";f$:print
20 open15,d,15:iff$=""then70
30 l=l+1:open2,d,2,f$+",l,"+chr$(l)
40 input#15,a,b$,b,c:close2:ifa=.then80
50 ifa=50then30
60 print:printa;b$;b;c
70 close15:end
80 close15:print"record length= "l


If you were unable to access the Record Length byte in the directory entry for a Relative File, is there another way to pull a Relative File's record length?

Thanks for the quick response!

Does anyone have this file?  The download link does not work. 

I actually just got my hands on a working copy of Omni 128.  The docs are horrible but I finally managed to get it up and running.  The only problem with the copy is the built in terminal program seems to be corrupt.  Trying to find a working version of it.

Where are the C128 downloads?  I'd like to upload a couple files but I don't see a place to put them.

5 1/4 head cleaning kits can still be found and are worth trying.  There is one on eBay right now if you act fast here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cleaning-Kit-5-25-Diskette-Floppy-Drive-5-1-4-2-DISKS_W0QQitemZ350045796578QQihZ022QQcategoryZ116268QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There are other optical sensors in the 1571 that could become contaminated and also cause problems. Check out Ray Carlsen's article for more information on them an how to clean them:

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm/1571diag.txt

Lastly, and this has happened to me on two different 1571 drives and I here it is common on 128D's. If the drive door is left open all the time it puts tension on this little brass wire that connects to the drive head. This wire will over time bend and then does not put enough pressure on the head when the drive door is closed.  You will then get constant 'drive not ready' errors. I found this article a while ago that describes a solution.  I can't find the original link but here is an excerpt from the text I saved. Before trying this, after cleaning the drive, I would try a simple test. Insert a formatted disk.  While lightly pressing down on the brass wire attached to the drive head try to load a directory. If the directory loads you know the wire is the culprit.

Always keep your 1571 drive door closed when not in use. I use the cardboard insert that comes with the drive to keep the head steady during transit.

Here is the excerpt:
"WARNING:  DRIVE HEADS ARE SENSATIVE COMPONENTS.  EXCESSIVE PRESSURE ON THE DRIVE'S HEAD IN THE FOLLOWING TEST WILL BREAK OR DAMAGE ONE OR BOTH OF THE HEADS, RENDERING THE DRIVE INOPERABLE.  EXCERCISE CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE, PLEASE.

   Open the computer, and insert a blank disk in the drive. Attempt to format it, while holding lightly down on the drive's upper head.  Do not press hard enough to slow the disk down or stop the head from moving. Observe the drive's activity.

   The drive should properly format the disk with slight pressure on the head.  If this fixes the problem, remove the disk, and gently twist and flex the upper drive head (the one you had your finger on), to try to align it.  If this doesn't fix the problem, then chances are there is something wrong with the electronics that control the mechanism.  In that case, I can't offer any further help.  If, however, pressing down did help, then proceed:

WARNING:  EXCESSIVE TWISTING WILL BREAK, WARP, OR DAMAGE THE BRASS INSERT, POSSIBLY RENDERING THE DRIVE INOPERABLE.  USE COMMON SENSE WHEN FLEXING
THE HEAD, PLEASE.

   There is a flat piece of brass which holds the plastic head carrier to its mount.  This brass insert acts like a cheap hinge, and over time it tends to warp slightly, throwing the upper head out of alignment.  This causes the disk not to be pushed against the lower head properly, resulting in anything from an occasional read error just after inserting the disk, to constant, unforgiving drive-not-ready errors.

   After a few tries at flexing and twisting the head (which really flexes and twists that piece of brass), if you can't get the drive to format a disk, the mechanism should be discarded.  Even if holding pressure down on the head helped, the drive is probably too far gone for a permanent fix; a new mechanism is probably needed.  You can keep trying to flex to the right position, but if it doesn't help, at least you're no worse off.

   A replacement drive can be found in any dead external 1571 drive (provided the mechanism is in good shape, of course).  Remove the drive mechanism, and keep all cables intact.  Remove any wire ties or restraints that hold the wire harnesses to the drive mechanism's frame.

   Make a note of the exact way in which all four of the old mechanism's connecters are plugged in, and remove the drive and connectors.  Insert the new mechanism in place of the old one on the metal frame mounts, and fasten it with three screws.  Connect the wire harnesses to the mother-board just as the old drive was connected.  Don't forget the drive's head connector at the back of the mechanism.

WARNING: FAILURE TO CONNECT THE DRIVE'S HARNESSES IN THE CORRECT FASHION CAN DAMAGE THE DRIVE, THE DRIVE CONTROLLER, THE MAIN COMPUTER, OR ALL THREE.  PLEASE TAKE APPROPRIATE NOTES ON HOW THE ORIGINAL CONNECTORS WERE MOUNTED.

  Clean the drive's heads, and format a few disks.  If the new drive was in good shape, things should be working fine now.  If the new mechanism does not work any better, verify all of your connections.  If everything looks good, and you are positive that the drive mechanism is in good shape, you may have a damaged chip on the drive controller portion of the 128-D."

Radioshack sells 1.5A 250V 5x20MM fuses 27-1050.