From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 17:50:46 1996 Message-Id: <199611111748.SAA09179@mailserv.caiw.nl> From: Robert van der Veeke To: sam-users Subject: Re: Re : Killer apps - Internet Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 18:51:03 +0100 X-Msmail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 347 Lines: 12 > > GIF & JPEG decoders, proper ASCII text editors.. oh the list goes on and > > gets more scary the more I think of it. :/ > > Daunting, isn't it? To make it even worse, sound? AU, AIF, WAV, Mpeg2, Mpeg3, Real Audio, midi, should I continue? Robert van der Veeke AKA RJV Graphics [rjvveeke@caiw.nl] eh, now see what you have done Samboss! :-\ From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 17:54:12 1996 From: James R Curry Organization: De Montfort University To: Robert van der Veeke , sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 17:56:21 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Re : Killer apps - Internet Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <140E6503385@sahara.cms.dmu.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 307 Lines: 10 > To make it even worse, sound? AU, AIF, WAV, Mpeg2, Mpeg3, Real Audio, midi, > should I continue? And don't forget, unless this thing can play Bubble Bobble - It's useless! ;) -- James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk "Augh! I can't think of any good quotes to put in this signature file" - James Curry. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 18:15:19 1996 Message-Id: <199611111812.SAA07094@mail.enterprise.net> From: davewhitmore@enterprise.net (Dave Whitmore) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: We Must Have A Modem So There... Date: 11 Nov 1996 18:04:31 References: <961110125544_1982459426@emout14.mail.aol.com> X-Newsreader: Spot 1.3 X-Mailer: NetGate 1.3 (Amiga; TCP/IP) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1123 Lines: 27 In a message of 10 Nov 96 BrenchleyR@aol.com wrote to sam-users@nvg.unit.no: Hi Bob, Bac> Well I, and millions of others use a dedicated modem every day. Bac> Internal PC modems out sell external by about 6 to 1. Reason? No need Bac> for a case, power supply, and in some cases simpler design. Great. Then what we need is a PC standard internal serial connector on the new SAM board, as well as the external (PC standard) serial socket. It has to be, since a non-standard ones will only cause grief and mayhem. :) Bac> Given a choice I think that most people would go for internal, even if Bac> there was not a money saving involved. Yes, by all means, lets have a Bac> fast serial interface for those that want it. But if we want to keep Bac> prices down then we should not ignore the internal dedicated route. Agreed. Lets not limit the choice. I'm not against the idea of a SAM modem, /unless/ it is non-standard. People who are already on-line shouldn't have to fork out for another modem that they can't use with any other machine. Bye, _ |_)ave (/\)hitmore email - davewhitmore@enterprise.net From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 18:15:19 1996 Message-Id: <199611111812.SAA07086@mail.enterprise.net> From: davewhitmore@enterprise.net (Dave Whitmore) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: One Derek and his modem Date: 11 Nov 1996 18:04:47 X-Newsreader: Spot 1.3 X-Mailer: NetGate 1.3 (Amiga; TCP/IP) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1700 Lines: 74 Simon, or anyone else who knows, I've just had a letter from Derek, who still can't seem to get his SAM and modem talking, via a modified comms interface and his lead. The modem is a USRobotics 14,400 Sportster. It *should* be possible to get things working, but, somewhere, something is going wrong. :( He's been trying to do this for months. Here's the letter. If anyone can help, then I'll send him a printout ASAP. ----------------------------------------- D.R.Morgan 18 Mill lane Skelmersdale Lancashire WN8 8RH 8th November 1996 Dear Dave, You will have guesed that things didn't work. I checked out my new lead and the pinouts are the same as Dave Tonks working lead. The lead did not work with either COMMS interface, so I am still stuck. Can you put out a general plea for the conections pinouts on a modem. Looking at the back of the 25 way socket on the lead. Top left 1 to 14 Bottom left 14 to 25 What I need is, RX, TX, DTR, GND, RST & CTS. what I have from SAM is; Pin Signal Abbreviation Direction 1 Not connected 2 Receive Data RX In 3 Transmit Data TX Out (Note: DTR just 4 Data Terminal Ready DTR Out duplicates RTS) 5 Ground GND 6 Not connected 7 Request to send RTS Out 8 Clear to send CTS In 9 Not connected This letter is saved on the disk as "letter" also saved as "let2" this should be PC correct, if is any help. Best wishes Derek -------------------------------------- Please help. Thanks, _ |_)ave (/\)hitmore From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 18:23:59 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 18:16:53 GMT Message-Id: <199611111816.SAA19977@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Comms Interface From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 358 Lines: 12 On Nov 11, 1996 12:27:47, 'Simon Cooke ' wrote: >>I've got this file. Does it work? (I mean, most hardware things I do from >>magazines, etc, don't work..) > If by mags you mean the glossy electronic mags, I had a couple built for me when I was at uni (no good with solder is me) and they all worked fine. -- Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 18:29:30 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 18:21:31 GMT Message-Id: <199611111821.SAA20261@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: We Must Have A Modem So There... From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 285 Lines: 10 On Nov 11, 1996 14:30:34, 'Johnna Teare ' wrote: >If tehre is a large demand for an internal modem, why can't we just >use one of the internal PC ones? -- Nice idea, but is anybods knowink enuft about PCs to convertable one to SAM/SAMSON? Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 18:48:22 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 13:45:47 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961111134419_1517474958@emout18.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: something or another. Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 610 Lines: 20 In a message dated 11/11/96 15:14:38, you write: >> Whatever happens with comms on SAM. we'll need a ZIPer and an >> UnZIPer, LHA, GIF & JPEG decoders, proper ASCII text editors.. oh >> the list goes on and gets more scary the more I think of it. :/ > >Hmm, aren't there plenty of those that have been written in C..? That >could be compiled on, oh, for instance, just off the top of my head... > an ANSI C COMPILER? > >*James sits back and awaits the arguments...* >-- >James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk > > And why would it need Ansi C? Can't think of any floats being needed in jobs like that. Bob. From imc Mon Nov 11 19:31:33 1996 Subject: Re: WinDOS To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 19:31:33 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <5A4639000E@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> from "Johnna Teare" at Nov 11, 96 02:05:35 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 259 Lines: 9 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 14:05:35 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: > As long as you can toggle between the text windows with the TAB key, > I don't see a problem! Um, what if you want to, like, type a TAB into one of the windows? Now Control-Tab I would accept. imc From imc Mon Nov 11 19:32:33 1996 Subject: Re: We Must Have A Modem So There... To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 19:32:33 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <21341.199611111213@lupin.csv.warwick.ac.uk> from "Mr P R Walker" at Nov 11, 96 12:13:48 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 306 Lines: 8 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 12:13:48 +0000 (GMT), Mr P R Walker said: > Nice, constructive remark there, Ian. So... I have a PC with a modem already. > Should I not bother with Sam, then? Well, why would you want to? [especially if you are speaking as the "man in the street" rather than a Sam enthusiast] imc From imc Mon Nov 11 19:33:26 1996 Subject: Re: SOS: Multitasking To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 19:33:26 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "A.S. Collier" at Nov 11, 96 11:58:28 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 306 Lines: 8 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 11:58:28 +0000 (gmt), A.S. Collier said: > But what do you do, if you think an app is badly behaved? (Apart from > writing to the author and telling him the error of his ways) Tell your friends not to buy it. Fail to include it in a list of recommended applications. Whatever. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 20:26:10 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 15:22:36 -0500 From: Neville Young <106166.1560@compuserve.com> Subject: iff2 & nmi To: sam users Message-Id: <199611111522_MC1-BE0-84A0@compuserve.com> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 294 Lines: 15 When you get NMI iff1 is copied to iff2 to save it. then iff1 is set to 0. retn copies iff2 back to iff1. Fine but if a second NMI occurs before the RETN then iff1 is copied agian to iff2 so iff2 will now be 0 and the original state is lost. LETS MAKE SURE NMI IS DE-BOUNCED !!!!! Nev. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 20:26:11 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 15:22:40 -0500 From: Neville Young <106166.1560@compuserve.com> Subject: we /must/ hav a modem To: sam users Message-Id: <199611111523_MC1-BE0-84A2@compuserve.com> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 296 Lines: 10 Er pehaps an over simple solution would be to have a nice serial port to drive your modem. AND a modem that you can plug into it that also hangs on the back of sam/samson on the expansion bus. Best of both wolds? Nev. Hey you could even connect your PC to BT via the modem on the back of sam. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 20:43:46 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 20:41:13 +0000 (GMT) From: "A.S. Collier" X-Sender: asc25@puce.csi.cam.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message In-Reply-To: <9611101512.AA20039@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 252 Lines: 10 On Sun, 10 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: > These should perhaps be under the control of the programmer. In other > words, even if you give her several methods to draw the window she could Why be PC on a Sam list? :) Andrew From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 21:10:07 1996 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 14:46:55 +0100 Message-Id: <96111114465311@morse.ntu.ac.uk> From: CC604050@ntu.ac.uk (ALLAN CLARKSON) To: SAM-USERS@nvg.unit.no Subject: Hello, everyone! X-Vms-To: SAM-USERS@NVG.UNIT.NO Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 572 Lines: 20 I'd just like to point out that I've had to unsubscribe from the mailing list due to the high volume of mail on it. It's interesting, yes, but it also takes a couple of hours to read! Anyway, if anyone feels the need, they can send me a summary of what's happened or you can forward any extra-interesting messages... My address, for the m-list or anything else, is CC604050@ntu.ac.uk Bye for now, then. Al. REMEMBER - The Second Northern SAM & Spectrum Computer Show will be held on Saturday the 22nd of February 1997! Email: cc604050@ntu.ac.uk for more details. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Mon Nov 11 22:17:32 1996 Subject: Re: something or another. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 22:13:26 +0000 (GMT) Cc: Simon.Cooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk (Simon Cooke) In-Reply-To: <961111134419_1517474958@emout18.mail.aol.com> from "BrenchleyR@aol.com" at Nov 11, 96 01:45:47 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Simon Cooke Message-Id: <96Nov11.231349+0100_met.46932-31611+185@sabre-wulf.nvg.unit.no> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 764 Lines: 26 > >> Whatever happens with comms on SAM. we'll need a ZIPer and an > >> UnZIPer, LHA, GIF & JPEG decoders, proper ASCII text editors.. oh > >> the list goes on and gets more scary the more I think of it. :/ > > > >Hmm, aren't there plenty of those that have been written in C..? That > >could be compiled on, oh, for instance, just off the top of my head... > > an ANSI C COMPILER? > > And why would it need Ansi C? Can't think of any floats being needed in jobs > like that. > > Bob. Well, how about then: C standard file io Long integers sizeof() construct ? All of which are missing in SAM C, and all of which are needed to convert most of the programs out there on the Internet (namely Unzip 5.1, which needs the sizeof() construct to work...) Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 01:40:04 1996 From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) Message-Id: <199611111100.LAA06235@marsh.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 11:00:41 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611101227.MAA19884@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> from "Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com" at Nov 10, 96 12:27:13 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1562 Lines: 38 > > > > > > There has been several mailinks about the number of colours on the screen > > > and sow on, but has anybods given thoughts to the screen layout? > > > > > > Where duz us go beyond modes 1,2,3 & 4? > > > > > > I think the start should be Mode 5, as mode 3 but 16 colours. Then Mode 6, > > > as Mode 5 but double the vertical resolution. > > > Didn't the 'Super' Nintendo have some sort of funny mode called mode 9 or something that was surposedly used in all of their 3D games? Was this is a real mode (i.e. interesting pixel ordering in the sceen memory to make 3D games easyer to write.) or just a bit of pointless jargon for a 3D accelerating chip set? Either way there must be cunning ways of arranging the order in which the screen memory is sent to the screen so you could do odd things like setting a row of bytes next to each other all to purple and find a strange diagonal line has been drawn on the screen. Layouts could be planned now to reduce the number of calculations 3D games (such as Elite!) would need to draw their worlds to the screen. How could we arrange the screen to draw ovals more easily? Hummm. Or there again we could write a polar co-ordinate system for the RISK chip to use and leave the screens in a traditional layout. It is just a thought! :) Either way I think we should stay well away from thoes horrible bit-mapped screen arrangements and stick to pixelmaps. -How can a machine be easy and fun to program if each bit of a pixels colour is stored in a different area of memory? Numb. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 06:40:26 1996 Message-Id: <199611120638.HAA08509@mailserv.caiw.nl> From: Robert van der Veeke To: sam-users Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 07:41:26 +0100 X-Msmail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 691 Lines: 19 > > Didn't the 'Super' Nintendo have some sort of funny mode called mode 9 or > something that was surposedly used in all of their 3D games? > > Was this is a real mode (i.e. interesting pixel ordering in the sceen memory to > make 3D games easyer to write.) or just a bit of pointless jargon for a 3D > accelerating chip set? > It was called mode 7, and what it did was putting a bitmap under an angle on the screen, usefull for racing-games and RPG's, It was not for writing real 3d-games like Elite and lookalikes. Robert van der Veeke AKA RJV Graphics [rjvveeke@caiw.nl] eh, now see what you have done Samboss! :-) sheeesh it's, 7.40 it's still dark outside what am I doing here. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 09:19:01 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:15:58 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@napier.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Re : Killer apps - Internet In-Reply-To: <199611111748.SAA09179@mailserv.caiw.nl> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1237 Lines: 25 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Robert van der Veeke wrote: > > > GIF & JPEG decoders, proper ASCII text editors.. oh the list goes on > and > > > gets more scary the more I think of it. :/ > > > > Daunting, isn't it? > > To make it even worse, sound? AU, AIF, WAV, Mpeg2, Mpeg3, Real Audio, midi, ^^^^ I'm working on that!-^^ It's just that I have a few problems to sort out such as the major bugs and the fact I don't have much time! I suppose future versions will be able to play midi through that sound module thing (Quazer, is it?) out there for the SAMmy.. MIDI is really easy to decode.. :) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 09:22:49 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:21:21 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@napier.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: One Derek and his modem In-Reply-To: <199611111812.SAA07086@mail.enterprise.net> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 728 Lines: 18 On 11 Nov 1996, Dave Whitmore wrote: > Can you put out a general plea for the conections pinouts on a > modem. Damn! I've got all this info in my 4th Year Project folder. And guess what, it's at home!!! I don't intend in coming in tomorrow, but if by Thursday no-one has helped, I will be more than happy to send you the details. -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 09:26:08 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:24:24 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@napier.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Comms Interface In-Reply-To: <199611111816.SAA19977@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1160 Lines: 26 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 samsboss@uk.pipeline.com wrote: > On Nov 11, 1996 12:27:47, 'Simon Cooke ' wrote: > > > >>I've got this file. Does it work? (I mean, most hardware things I do from > > >>magazines, etc, don't work..) > > > If by mags you mean the glossy electronic mags, I had a couple built for > me when I was at uni (no good with solder is me) and they all worked fine. That is what I mean. But I'm still a newbie at this sort of thing. I also did one directly out of a book: It told exactly which tracks to cut on a stripboard etc, and did it work? Nope! Sheesh... I still can't figure out what is wrong with it. I think I fried onw of the diodes or resisters or something! (Oops, what has this got to do with the SAM?) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 09:26:09 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961112092418.00948d80@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:24:18 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 306 Lines: 12 > -How can a machine be easy and fun to program if each bit of a pixels colour is >stored in a different area of memory? > > Numb. Depends what you're doing with it... one thing it lets you do is *really* fast scrolling -- say, 4 colours -- without having to move the entire screen memory. Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 09:48:11 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:43:39 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@napier.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 2139 Lines: 49 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Tim Wells wrote: > > At the moment, I've been trying to write a program on the SAM that would run > > .sna (48K Spectrum snapshots) on my SAM. And guess what, I've come across a > > small problem... Ahem. I'm suprised no-one picked up my typo. I put jr nz when it shoulda been jr z! (My source code was right in this!) :) Not only that, I had a closer look at my source code and I really did kick myself!!! In BASIC, I poked all the register data into a nice little stack ready to POP. But guess what, I completely forgot to set SP to that stack before I started POPping everything! :) I'm suprised it worked at all!! That's put my success rate upto 80% out of ten-ish games. I'm going to try resnapping the others because I have a feeling that they are dodgy snaps... > I'm sure someone can sort out that problem, but do you need to write a > new program to do this - because: > > There is a program on nvg which will convert .sna to the +D/SAM snapshot > format. That will then load into most of the emulators around. That is a very good question. There are three reasons why I'm doing this:- 1) I want to practice my assembler. 2) I want something to run sna snaps directly so I don't need to convert. 2) The only emulator for my SAM is the one that came with the SAM itself. I didn't exactly spend a lot of money on my SAM. In fact, this is what I bought: SAM + diskdrive, printer interface, extra 256K, Lerm Toolkit and Pro-DOS. That's it! Everything else, I wrote. All my money got thrown into my PC fund! :/ My sam got forgotten until I started electronics.. > I think the program is call Convrt.pak, and is in \utils\misc I shall have a look at this, thanks... -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 09:52:19 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:49:03 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@napier.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: iff2 & nmi In-Reply-To: <199611111522_MC1-BE0-84A0@compuserve.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 704 Lines: 18 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Neville Young wrote: [interesting stuff about NMI and IFF2] Not exactly what I was looking for, but very good info none-the-less! Something to look out for in the future... > LETS MAKE SURE NMI IS DE-BOUNCED !!!!! I take it SAM's Break button is debounced? is it? Surely it must be!! -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 10:15:25 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:11:56 +0000 (GMT) From: Uncle Bulgaria To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: WinDOS In-Reply-To: <9611111931.AA01266@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 716 Lines: 24 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: ;>On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 14:05:35 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: ;>> As long as you can toggle between the text windows with the TAB key, ;>> I don't see a problem! ;> Isn't this the windows, and warp way of doing things. Windows brings up a little menu of all the windows, and OS/2 brings the display of each app in turn to the front. ;>Um, what if you want to, like, type a TAB into one of the windows? ;> ;>Now Control-Tab I would accept. I presumed that was what he/she (Still ain't told me ...) meant. Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 10:28:52 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 05:24:15 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961112052414_1082300928@emout01.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Thoughts on release Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 962 Lines: 27 In a message dated 11/11/96 16:33:17, you write: >At 10:41 AM 11/11/96 -0500, you wrote: >>I want to start pushing the new boards as soon as we can agree on the specs. >>The Clock/Calender board is now commited to. There is a 'full buffer' board >>in design (all address, data and most of the control lines buffered). What >>comes next will be up to you lot. > >ARGGGHHHH!!!!! PLEASE TELL ME THAT THIS BOARD USES THE DBDIR LINE!!! > >Otherwise, we all may as well stop now, folks... > >Simon Buffer board will use the DBDIR line, just as Bruce intended but never managed to do. Clock does not, because I've designed it to go as the first interface on SAM. Saves money that way. But you won't need a two-up. I've conned that nice Mr Nev into doing the design. But he is on the look-out for a go PCB package. Hay, just a mo, did you not say Mr Cookie, that you had a copy of the one Bruce used? If so, talk to Nev, he would love to hear what it can do. Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 10:28:52 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 05:24:26 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961112052424_1681590528@emout12.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Return to Gender Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 237 Lines: 9 In a message dated 11/11/96 17:19:22, you write: >On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Johnna Teare wrote: > >;>Not sure. We havn't got around to studying anatomy yet. Funny, I studied the important parts before I started School.... (big grin) Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 10:28:53 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 05:24:31 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961112052427_1814990592@emout13.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: We Must Have A Modem So There... Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 496 Lines: 17 In a message dated 11/11/96 18:37:28, you write: >On Nov 11, 1996 14:30:34, 'Johnna Teare ' wrote: > > >>If tehre is a large demand for an internal modem, why can't we just >>use one of the internal PC ones? >-- >Nice idea, but is anybods knowink enuft about PCs to convertable one to >SAM/SAMSON? > >Samsboss. Tend to agree to that. Given the complexity of the PC bus(s) how easy would it be? Would we spend more on interfacing that on the card itself? Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 10:33:29 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:27:43 +0000 (GMT) From: Uncle Bulgaria To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: iff2 & nmi In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 579 Lines: 23 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Justin Skists wrote: ;>On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Neville Young wrote: ;> ;>[interesting stuff about NMI and IFF2] ;> ;>Not exactly what I was looking for, but very good info none-the-less! ;>Something to look out for in the future... ;> ;>> LETS MAKE SURE NMI IS DE-BOUNCED !!!!! ;> ;>I take it SAM's Break button is debounced? is it? Surely it must be!! ;> Don't think so, hence why it always crashes ... Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 10:45:47 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 05:42:04 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961112054204_1915654404@emout12.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: iff2 & nmi Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 377 Lines: 15 In a message dated 12/11/96 09:50:44, you write: >I take it SAM's Break button is debounced? is it? Surely it must be!! > >-- Bouncier than a rubber ball on a very hard floor. But anyone who got a Messanger has a debounced NMI on the little board that plugs into SAM. Nev told Bruce about it before SAM went out, but Bruce thought he knew best. The rest is history. Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 11:02:09 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961112105838.00949930@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:58:38 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Call for BLOOOD Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 278 Lines: 13 So, Mr. Anderton, when are you going to let us know how to run the RGB demo that was on the FRED disk? OR PLEASE JUST UPLOAD IT TO THE FTP SITE!!!! Robert -- do you have a copy of Martijn's demo? I know you did the artwork for it... If so, can you upload a copy? Ta, Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 11:08:12 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961112110300.0095a764@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 11:03:00 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Graphics accelerator/sound card Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 399 Lines: 13 More info available to you now: The graphics/sound accelerator card that Bob and I have been discussing is possibly going to be based around the ARM7500 RISC chip -- and who knows, if they come up with a StrongARM version, it might be a good idea to go for that. We're still waiting for a price on the chips though... If you want more info, check out ARM's site: www.armltd.co.uk Cheers, Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 11:08:13 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:59:49 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Hello, everyone! Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <6F1AA81AB4@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 535 Lines: 15 Hello all, > I'd just like to point out that I've had to unsubscribe from the mailing list > due to the high volume of mail on it. It's interesting, yes, but it also takes > a couple of hours to read! > > Anyway, if anyone feels the need, they can send me a summary of what's happened > or you can forward any extra-interesting messages... First David Gommeren, now Allan - am I alone in thinking we need a digest - it can't be that ricky to set up can it? Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 11:20:43 1996 Message-Id: <199611121115.MAA26146@mailserv.caiw.nl> From: Robert van der Veeke To: sam-users Subject: Re: Call for BLOOOD Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 12:18:41 +0100 X-Msmail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 450 Lines: 17 > Robert -- do you have a copy of Martijn's demo? I know you did the artwork > for it... > > If so, can you upload a copy? > > Ta, > Simon > I will see what I can do, I have to ask Martijn for the proper version, the one I got has still the bug in Stefan's scrolly. Sadly you can't reach Martijn on the net wich would make life so much easier. Robert van der Veeke AKA RJV Graphics [rjvveeke@caiw.nl] eh, now see what you have done Samboss! :-) From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 11:39:07 1996 From: Christian Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 11:31:21 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Hello, everyone! X-Confirm-Reading-To: "Christian" X-Pmrqc: 1 Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail v3.30 Message-Id: <6FA3897062@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 183 Lines: 5 Yeah a digest would be really groovy, I always end up with a few hundred unread mails! (who'd have imagined that there was still so many of us sam users still out there) Christian From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 11:44:31 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 11:30:37 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Setting an a-gender Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <6FAA9F7F71@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 200 Lines: 11 Hello again, > I presumed that was what he/she (Still ain't told me ...) meant. I'm teasing you honey, that's all! > Lee. > Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 12:10:31 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:04:03 +0100 From: ft@edh.ericsson.se (Frode Tenneboe) Message-Id: <9611121204.AA15783@asmal.edh-net> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Graphics accelerator/sound card X-Sun-Charset: US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 384 Lines: 11 > More info available to you now: > > The graphics/sound accelerator card that Bob and I have been discussing is > possibly going to be based around the ARM7500 RISC chip -- and who knows, if > they come up with a StrongARM version, it might be a good idea to go for that. > > We're still waiting for a price on the chips though... A nice move. Now we can have ARM BSD ;) -Frode From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 12:19:09 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 12:06:23 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@napier.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: iff2 & nmi In-Reply-To: <961112054204_1915654404@emout12.mail.aol.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1104 Lines: 26 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 BrenchleyR@aol.com wrote: > >I take it SAM's Break button is debounced? is it? Surely it must be!! > > Bouncier than a rubber ball on a very hard floor. > > But anyone who got a Messanger has a debounced NMI on the little board that > plugs into SAM. > > Nev told Bruce about it before SAM went out, but Bruce thought he knew best. > The rest is history. All you need is a couple of inverting schmitt triggers!!! (If I listened to my MicroSystems Design lectures properly!) Looks like I need to add that onto my list of things to build for my SAM (along with a 29(something or other) flash eprom programmer, rs232, and a decent programmable parallel port... The list gets longer.... -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From imc Tue Nov 12 12:39:41 1996 Subject: Re: iff2 & nmi To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 12:39:41 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 12, 96 12:06:23 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1374 Lines: 58 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 12:06:23 +0000 (GMT), Justin Skists said: > On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 BrenchleyR@aol.com wrote: > > >I take it SAM's Break button is debounced? is it? Surely it must be!! > > Bouncier than a rubber ball on a very hard floor. Indeed so; hence the rather hacked clean-up routine in the snapshot program; also the fact that snapshot games tend to crash if you don't press it rather carefully. > > Nev told Bruce about it before SAM went out, but Bruce thought he knew best. Bah! ;-) > All you need is a couple of inverting schmitt triggers!!! (If I listened to my > MicroSystems Design lectures properly!) Yes indeedy do, and if you open my Sam (just you dare!) you will discover a 74LS14 attached to the board which proves I already did this. It works very nicely too. All you need is a small capacitor (say 10uF) and a few wires. You will need to break one track on the Sam PCB. The circuit looks like this before the mod: +----5V | / \ / \ | +----to the Z80 | =| | +----GND and you want this: +----5V | / \ / \ | |\ |\ +--+----|#>o---|#>o---to the Z80 | | |/ |/ =| === | | +--+-GND (you can get away with just one inverter, but then you have to turn the left-hand half of the circuit upside down and it's a lot more trouble - especially since inverters come in sixes :-) ). imc From imc Tue Nov 12 12:54:05 1996 Subject: Re: Hello, everyone! To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 12:54:05 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <6F1AA81AB4@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> from "Johnna Teare" at Nov 12, 96 10:59:49 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 250 Lines: 7 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:59:49 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: > First David Gommeren, now Allan - am I alone in thinking we need a > digest - it can't be that ricky to set up can it? How does a digest reduce the number of messages you have to read? imc From imc Tue Nov 12 12:56:12 1996 Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 12:56:12 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 12, 96 09:43:39 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 379 Lines: 9 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 09:43:39 +0000 (GMT), Justin Skists said: > I didn't exactly spend a lot of money on my SAM. In fact, this is > what I bought: SAM + diskdrive, printer interface, extra 256K, Lerm > Toolkit and Pro-DOS. That's it! Everything else, I wrote. You got more than me then. 512K Sam with disk drive, MasterDOS and the Sam ROM source. That's it. imc From imc Tue Nov 12 13:00:15 1996 Subject: Re: something or another. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:00:15 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <96Nov11.231349+0100_met.46932-31611+185@sabre-wulf.nvg.unit.no> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 11, 96 10:13:26 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 259 Lines: 11 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 22:13:26 +0000 (GMT), Simon Cooke said: > Well, how about then: > > C standard file io > Long integers > sizeof() construct A compiler which accepts correct syntax without you having to put lots of extra spaces in (allegedly). imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 13:08:39 1996 From: Mr P R Walker Message-Id: <22349.199611121304@holly.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Re : Killer apps - Internet To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:04:16 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 12, 96 09:15:58 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 252 Lines: 11 TBH, I would think that graphics would have to take priority over the sound, but that's just me :) > MIDI is really easy to decode.. :) The others aren't too bad either. > |De Montfort University Didn't our team play you at hockey last weekend? From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 13:13:41 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:05:27 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Digest this...! Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <713C9C4816@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1095 Lines: 25 > On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:59:49 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: > > First David Gommeren, now Allan - am I alone in thinking we need a > > digest - it can't be that ricky to set up can it? > > How does a digest reduce the number of messages you have to read? Well it doesn't, but it compresses about 30 messages into a single file which drastically reduces the amount of entries you have into you mailbox meaning that you can get to your other mail (non-SAM stuff) easier. I'm on another mailing list which chucks me a lump mailing in teh form of a digest about every three days - I read it and then I bin it and I don't have to keep going up to DELETE after reading each individual mailing - it just makes things quicker. Also, one can print of the entire contents of a digest and read it at their leisure. Is it possible to collate about 100k of these SAM messages and then chuck them out to whoever has ordered a digest whenever the 100k is full? Could it be done automatically, by the List provider? > > imc > Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 13:39:01 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:35:29 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@guava.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Re : Killer apps - Internet In-Reply-To: <22349.199611121304@holly.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1216 Lines: 31 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Mr P R Walker wrote: > TBH, I would think that graphics would have to take priority over the sound, > but that's just me :) I agree... But I only make thinbgs that I'm interested in.. :) My SAM won't exactly be able to display 24bit 1024x768 resolution TIFF pictures. Hell, I won't even be able to put one on a single floppy! Whereas, I can easily throw midi data out of the ports to play on my keyboard.. :) > > MIDI is really easy to decode.. :) > > The others aren't too bad either. I was being sarcastic.. :) With MIDI you need to worry about the last so many bytes and 32bit values that get stuck in less than 4 bytes. > > |De Montfort University > > Didn't our team play you at hockey last weekend? Did you? I have no idea. I don't exactly keep track with DMU's sporting activities... -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From imc Tue Nov 12 13:51:18 1996 Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:51:18 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "A.S. Collier" at Nov 11, 96 08:41:13 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 116 Lines: 6 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 20:41:13 +0000 (GMT), A.S. Collier said: > Why be PC on a Sam list? :) Why not? imc From imc Tue Nov 12 13:58:20 1996 Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:58:20 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 11, 96 11:55:02 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 827 Lines: 37 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 11:55:02 +0000 (GMT), Justin Skists said: > According to the specs (that came with JPP), one of the bytes contain a bit > that tell the state of IFF2. Yes, but it's easier if you just think "this tells me whether interrupts are on or off". :-) Note that IFF1==IFF2 at all times except when processing an NMI. > Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I understand NMI works:- I have snipped the description, but it was correct. > ld a, iff2_offset I assume you mean: ld a, (iff2_offset) ? > bit 2, a > jr nz, no_ei :-) > ei ; assuming this sets IFF1 > no_ei ; This seems to be correct. > reti Note that RETI==RET. Note also that RETN==RET if done after an EI or DI. > Guess what, it doesn't seem to work! Why do I get the feeling I'm missing > something? Don't know. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 14:03:44 1996 From: Mr P R Walker Message-Id: <29294.199611121357@holly.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:57:09 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611121351.AA02471@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> from "Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk" at Nov 12, 96 01:51:18 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 167 Lines: 7 > > On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 20:41:13 +0000 (GMT), A.S. Collier said: > > Why be PC on a Sam list? :) > From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 14:39:14 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 14:13:56 GMT From: Keith Turner Message-Id: <9611121413.AA17783@turner.cursci.co.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: BABT approved modems Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 636 Lines: 15 Bob said: > Very few of us would be prevented from using an 'un-approved' modem because I > would imagine that most of us now have the modern style Telephone plugs. > These isolate the internal wiring/equipment from BT's lines. It is only > illigal to connect unapproved equipment DIRECT to the BT line (dispite what > BT will tell you). Have you looked inside one of those things? I think you'll find that it is not "isolated" electrically, so BT are entitled to sue you for attaching an un-approved modem. On the other hand, the modem FAQ's usually claim that nobody has ever been sued for using an unapproved modem. YMMV / Subject: Returned mail: Remote protocol error Message-Id: <199611120120.BHS02357@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk> To: sh5655 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1995 Lines: 52 The original message was received at Mon, 11 Nov 1996 12:20:12 GMT from marsh [137.222.90.41] ----- The following addresses had delivery problems ----- (unrecoverable error) ----- Transcript of session follows ----- 554 ... Remote protocol error ----- Original message follows ----- Return-Path: Received: from marsh.bris.ac.uk by harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id MAA08012; Mon, 11 Nov 1996 12:20:12 GMT Received: by marsh.bris.ac.uk (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id KAA06208; Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:43:49 GMT From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) Message-Id: <199611111043.KAA06208@marsh.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Bristol cs gateway dies. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:43:48 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611101512.AA20039@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> from "Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk" at Nov 10, 96 03:12:52 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit content-length: 922 > > no need to bother > > about what the user has done to the size or position of the window; > > How do you create the window contents then if you don't know what the size > of the window is? > Sorry if I sound a bit demanding but the Bristol cs gatway died early Saterday (I think) and has only recently been restored so I didn't get any mails over over the weekend. I was wondering if anyone bothered to respond to my 'use the RISK chip as a cool resolution independent scalling device that will solve all of the (graphical) problems in the known universe' post. If they did then could someone forward them on to me (at sh5655@bris.ac.uk) and save me from scanning the 'backissues.zip' when it comes out. If they didn't then why not? And could someone mail me to let me know and save me from scanning the 'backissues.zip' unsucessfully when it comes out! Thanks. Numb (-very actually, tis cold here!) From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 14:40:06 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 01:24:41 GMT From: Mail Delivery Subsystem Subject: Returned mail: Remote protocol error Message-Id: <199611120124.BTT02357@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk> To: sh5655 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 3840 Lines: 93 The original message was received at Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:38:59 GMT from nero [137.222.90.24] ----- The following addresses had delivery problems ----- (unrecoverable error) ----- Transcript of session follows ----- 554 ... Remote protocol error ----- Original message follows ----- Return-Path: Received: from nero.bris.ac.uk by harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id KAA12561; Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:38:59 GMT Received: by nero.bris.ac.uk (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id KAA09351; Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:41:22 GMT From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) Message-Id: <199611111041.KAA09351@nero.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Re: SOS/O2 comparisons To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:41:20 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Lee" at Nov 9, 96 01:13:41 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit content-length: 2773 > > On Fri, 8 Nov 1996, SL Harding wrote: > > ;>Whoo! I have just been playing on a Silicon graphics O2! The GUI is built > ;>around Netscape! > > I presume this is a sick joke, since that would kind of be a LARGE step > down for a SG machine !? > > Lee. > No, I am serious! they are using it as a selling point, saying things like: 'Big industry will need a big window to the world!' and running on the assumption that most of the publishing in the future we be done in a www sort of way! They don't just have ordinary bog standard netscape though, the machines were also sporting a cool multiwindow 3D www world where you can zip around the texture mapped world and pluck virtual electric guitars, Poke your cursor at a virtual human body in the anatomy room to reveal the 'squidy bits', etc... The boring old text just appears in a window in the top left. Leving the top right to form a map of you current 'world' and static/spinning pics! -The FUNNY thing is that when I used its 3D netscape it was running all of the pages from a CD, so in real life it would be VERY slow and VERY CRAP! But this is not the point! -but there again if you are interested... Compared to the design of their new machine SOS looks more like a PC! The other big selling point is that all of their hardware (e.g. main processor MPEG decompresser, hardware texture mapper etc...) can use the same memory at the same time (so they claimed). They were realing pushing this one block of memory ideal, the subsystems don't need specific memory of their own. -On pressing the more compitent display person about how this was achieved he reluctantly said that there was a dedicated memory management unit that all memory request go through, and how this does not induce as big a time delay as you would assume because of the advantages of the 'archetecture'. The realy nice think about the machine is the hardware texture mapping. It makes what would otherwise be a bottom of the range super computer in to a powerfull machine! As far as I could make out it was the only way in which the machine could look as nice as it did. All of their MPEG movies etc. are converted into texture mapped matricies before being displayed, it alows you to manipulate them by altering the wire frame and leaving the hardware to do the rest. They NEVER diplayed a picture by sending individual pixels to the memory the screen used. We should consider such hardware when thinking of designing the SON OF SAMSON! Fun, I surpose, if you like spinning refective chrome toasters filling up your entire desktop.(!) > > How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? > None, they just make darkness the industry standard! ! tooooo true. Numb. From imc Tue Nov 12 14:52:35 1996 Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 14:52:35 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <29294.199611121357@holly.csv.warwick.ac.uk> from "Mr P R Walker" at Nov 12, 96 01:57:09 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 185 Lines: 8 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 13:57:09 +0000 (GMT), Mr P R Walker said: > > > Why be PC on a Sam list? :) > Oh har har har. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:03:15 1996 From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) Message-Id: <199611121428.OAA10763@caligula.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 14:28:04 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611120638.HAA08509@mailserv.caiw.nl> from "Robert van der Veeke" at Nov 12, 96 07:41:26 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1049 Lines: 33 > > > > > Didn't the 'Super' Nintendo have some sort of funny mode called mode 9 or > > something that was surposedly used in all of their 3D games? > > > It was called mode 7, and what it did was putting a bitmap under an angle > on the screen, usefull for racing-games and RPG's, It was not for writing > real 3d-games like Elite and lookalikes. > How hard would this be to do on our graphics card? Useful for SAMdoomalikes! I have looked at the ARM site, but want to know just how much power we will get from the RISK graphics chip. Will it have its own independent memory for the screen in the current design? can we actually use the chip as a processor or will it be wasted on physically sending the data to the monitor? What will the connection between the card and the main Z380 part be? -thats a lot of questions! > Robert van der Veeke AKA RJV Graphics > [rjvveeke@caiw.nl] > eh, now see what you have done Samboss! :-) > > sheeesh it's, 7.40 it's still dark outside what am I doing here. > Sleep spodding? Numb. Numb. From imc Tue Nov 12 15:04:27 1996 Subject: Re: Nothing to do with SamSon - Reply To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:04:27 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Dan Doore" at Nov 11, 96 11:55:00 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1412 Lines: 29 On Mon, 11 Nov 1996 11:55:00 +0000, Dan Doore said: > Hmmm, according to the libraries [digs out scrap of paper], the display command > calls &100, open_scr calls &157 (with a lot of stack pushing/poping beforehand) and > close_scr calls &180. As far as I can determine, 0157 is indeed the open screen routine, but 0180 isn't anything. I can't find a close screen routine in the jump table. > If this is the case then it would seem the display command does the equivelent of a > SCREEN and DISPLAY at the same time, or is the library just wrong? :) It would seem that it does (though the best way to find out is to try it). But note that the SCREEN command only changes the DISPLAY if you haven't already done a DISPLAY command. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to do the DISPLAY command in the jump table. You could hack it by outputting to the VMPR directly. There is a system variable at 5A77 called CURDISP which tells the ROM which screen number is being displayed. If it is zero then the SCREEN command changes both the current screen and the display; otherwise it leaves the display and just changes the current screen. You could hack the DISPLAY command by setting this to 0, calling SCREEN and then setting it to your display number. The DISPLAY command is at 3BA1 (entry with the A register holding a screen number) but I obviously wouldn't recommend using that directly. imc From imc Tue Nov 12 15:10:01 1996 Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:10:01 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "A.S. Collier" at Nov 10, 96 06:50:20 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 548 Lines: 12 On Sun, 10 Nov 1996 18:50:20 +0000 (GMT), A.S. Collier said: > It will be no *fun* to program a machine if (like the big operating > systems) it starts to trap you whenever you try to do anything clever or > out of the ordinary. What rot! The purpose of an MMU is not to stop you having "fun". It is to stop your program from crashing the whole machine when it goes wrong. It stops one process from accidentally scribbling over another or over the stack. If it is not "fun" to program a machine with an MMU then explain why Linux exists! imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:13:09 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: BABT approved modems To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 14:58:47 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611121413.AA17783@turner.cursci.co.uk> from "Keith Turner" at Nov 12, 96 02:13:56 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 104 Lines: 5 > sued for using an unapproved modem. YMMV > Arrrghhhhhhh.... more net jargon. What does YMMV mean?! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:19:55 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:12:33 GMT From: Keith Turner Message-Id: <9611121512.AA17854@turner.cursci.co.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: BABT approved modems Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 270 Lines: 12 > Keith said: > > sued for using an unapproved modem. YMMV Andrew screeched: > Arrrghhhhhhh.... more net jargon. What does YMMV mean?! Sorry, I thought that was a common one. Your Mileage May Vary. Meaning, you may get different information when you ask. / Message-Id: <20985.199611121512@chive.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Subject: Re: BABT approved modems To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:12:00 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Andrew M Gale" at Nov 12, 96 02:58:47 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 246 Lines: 9 > > > sued for using an unapproved modem. YMMV > > > > Arrrghhhhhhh.... more net jargon. What does YMMV mean?! > Don't konw, never seen it before - but probably something along the lines of "you pays your money and you takes your choice"... From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:29:10 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:20:31 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Setting an a-gender In-Reply-To: <6FAA9F7F71@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 409 Lines: 16 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Johnna Teare wrote: ;>> I presumed that was what he/she (Still ain't told me ...) meant. ;> ;>I'm teasing you honey, that's all! ;> Ooh, could this a pulling prospect ...? Lee. ( Who's gonna be really embarrassed if Johnna's a bloke !) How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:29:10 1996 From: James R Curry Organization: De Montfort University To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:22:56 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Subject: Monitors.. Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <15658BF2631@sahara.cms.dmu.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 477 Lines: 17 A couple of questions, because I know **** all about monitors.. Given that I know there would be no sound output (I'd use a couple of speakers..) 1. Is it possible to connect the colour monitor from an Amstrad CPC 464 to my SAM? 2. If it is do I need any extra leads, or would it's built in connection lead be sufficient? Thanks in advance, -- James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk "Augh! I can't think of any good quotes to put in this signature file" - James Curry. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:33:54 1996 From: James R Curry Organization: De Montfort University To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:29:47 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Call for BLOOOD Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <156759A5AC1@sahara.cms.dmu.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 471 Lines: 16 > So, Mr. Anderton, when are you going to let us know how to run the RGB demo > that was on the FRED disk? > > OR PLEASE JUST UPLOAD IT TO THE FTP SITE!!!! > > Robert -- do you have a copy of Martijn's demo? I know you did the artwork > for it... > > If so, can you upload a copy? I've got a copy... I'm just not sure which disk it's on.. -- James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk "Augh! I can't think of any good quotes to put in this signature file" - James Curry. From imc Tue Nov 12 15:37:14 1996 Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:37:14 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "A.S. Collier" at Nov 10, 96 06:35:48 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 6382 Lines: 150 On Sun, 10 Nov 1996 18:35:48 +0000 (GMT), A.S. Collier said: > > Why such an arbitrary arrangement? Surely you could allow each window to > > choose how many "private" colours it wants. > It will be *much* easier for the application, if it always knows what ink > colours it is using. So by extension you will not allow the user to change the colour of the rootmenu or the colours of window frames, because if you do then applications will no longer know what colour is what? > Say you want to print a sprite - do you always need a > look-up table? Yep, sorry. > Note also that, for the moment, we're > running this in sixteen colours, so with your arrangement the CLUT would > get full up very quickly indeed. Not necessarily (see below). > With mine, although the contents of the > windows may change colour, the background and borders never will. And > because the first five colours are a convenient scale, most applications > will want to use those. Well if most applications use the same five colours then the CLUT won't fill up then, will it? But if they don't well they have the choice to go private. > > Why does a windowing system need sound samples anyway? > You might as well ask, why does it need graphics? Erm, nope. Windows are by definition things on the screen, so you kind of need a screen. They have nothing to do with the loudspeaker. > It makes things nicer > for the user, to be given some audible response when things happen. (Or annoying for the user...) What things? > > Each of these things would (or at least should) always be true, no matter what > > mechanism the programmer uses for drawing on a window. > Of course it isn't! If you[r] application just writes staright to the > screen without bothering over the above conditions When did I suggest that? At no time. OK, I should have said "whatever mechanism the programmer uses except writing directly on the screen". Applications are definitely not allowed to write directly on the screen. That doesn't mean to say that they always have to communicate via a pixel map. > Your application writes to an area of general memory. This is unaffectted > by the mouse pointer or the other windows, so you can write to it whenever > you like, at whatever speed you like. The amount of memory allocatted to > a window corresponds to the largest size that the window can have (and is > chosen by the application when the window was opened). So can't I choose a window that can be arbitrarily resized without requiring a huge block of memory to store the screen in? > > These should perhaps be under the control of the programmer. In other > > words, even if you give her several methods to draw the window she could > > still decide to draw it all out first and then send the whole thing to the > > windowing system. > Now that sounds familiar. > Draw it out first... Draw things in some area of memory. > send the whole thing to the windowing system... call that jump table > routine. Again you seem to have misread. Perhaps I should have written "even if you give her several methods to draw the window she could still choose to use your method". > The OS, using the fast text-placing routine used in the rest of the > program. Basically you give it a text file and its length, and that is > printed in the window. Word-wrapping, scrolling down etc is done Optionally, I hope! > automatically by the text routine, so your text will fit into the window > whatever size the user makes it. > Because the area of memory which contains the bitmap data for the window > is of a known size, and the part being displayeds if of a known size and > known offset. So FOR THIS TYPE OF WINDOW (which was all I was talking > about at that stage) the OS knows exactly how to interpret clicks on the > scroll bar. Presumably then there are other types of window, such as ones that actually do get smaller when the user makes them smaller, or ones that can control their own scrollbars. This is OK, although I tend to think that when you have done that the automatic scrolling window is a luxury that isn't really required. It wouldn't be too hard to implement onesself. (I have done this in OS/2). > We have to remember that not everybody has even got a mouse, and those who > don't will want to get at their menus by a system of key presses, rather > than trying to move the pointer around. This still doesn't need the menu bar to be always present. In OS/2 an application that needs a menu bar puts it at the top of its own window. Pressing Alt brings down the first menu and you can move around using the arrow keys. Or pressing Alt plus a letter brings down that letter's menu. So you can use a particular application's menu without selecting it first, because all the menu bars are on the screen. In X if you need a menu for something then you create a button which, when pressed, makes a menu. > And we need a menu bar because nobody has got a three button mouse. Shame. > If you're playing mines, you > wouldn't want one of the menu options to be "place a marker here" - but > you would need it to be unless the menus were in a bar at the top. But no one suggested that pressing a mouse button while inside the playing area should bring up a menu (although one could imagine that pressing a mouse button while holding Control might, but that's beside the point). You have a whole frame and a display area at the top to do that in. > > > Ability to quick-start the screensaver by moving mouse pointer to bottom > > > corner of screen. > > Rather non-intuitive. > So? It's a really nice feature on Mac system 7, and will be useful 'cos > you know about it. Only because you've just told me. :-) > > There's nothing to stop you from allocating disk space though, is there? > > A "directory" directory entry still has a "used sectors" map. > Maybe, but will MasterDos or SamDos notice that the space has been used? I > don't want any normal-format disks to be backwards incompatible. A good question, but I can't imagine why not. Perhaps someone should try it and find out. Certainly SamDOS will think the space is used because it doesn't know that this file is a directory. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 15:52:16 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961112153951.008c813c@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:39:51 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: BABT approved modems Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 191 Lines: 12 At 02:58 PM 11/12/96 +0000, you wrote: >Status: > >> sued for using an unapproved modem. YMMV >> > >Arrrghhhhhhh.... more net jargon. What does YMMV mean?! Your Mileage May Vary Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 16:03:11 1996 From: Gavin Smith Organization: University of Ulster To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:58:01 GMT Subject: Re: Setting an a-gender X-Confirm-Reading-To: "Gavin Smith" X-Pmrqc: 1 Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.23) Message-Id: <5F5CFB5363@smserver1.ulst.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 398 Lines: 14 > On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Johnna Teare wrote: > > ;>> I presumed that was what he/she (Still ain't told me ...) meant. > ;> > ;>I'm teasing you honey, that's all! > ;> > > Ooh, could this a pulling prospect ...? > > Lee. ( Who's gonna be really embarrassed if Johnna's a bloke !) > He is a bloke :) Just thought I'd put you out of your misery. And sorry John, if you were trying to pull Lee :) From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 16:03:40 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: Monitors.. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:58:05 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <15658BF2631@sahara.cms.dmu.ac.uk> from "James R Curry" at Nov 12, 96 03:22:56 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 635 Lines: 19 > 1. Is it possible to connect the colour monitor from an Amstrad CPC > 464 to my SAM? > > 2. If it is do I need any extra leads, or would it's built in > connection lead be sufficient? You should be able to by cutting off the lead and soldering the wire to a scart plug - however, you'll need to know which wires are which. If you can get a pinout then it would probably be best to make a lead from scart to a DIN socket of the type used in the CPC - this is what I did with a bbc monitor - much easier than chopping the lead then using a multimeter to work out the connections. I'll see if I can dig out a pinout.... -Andy From imc Tue Nov 12 16:10:55 1996 Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! + Bob's message To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:10:55 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611101520.PAA26017@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> from "Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com" at Nov 10, 96 03:20:43 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 451 Lines: 12 On Sun, 10 Nov 1996 15:20:43 GMT, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com said: > Its like paging the 64K area on SAM. > The MMU just puts the area into the address range 0 to whateversneeded - > but transparant like. (I think) That was hardly illuminating. One might suspect that the task-switcher has to give the MMU a new map for each new task. On the other hand the MMU might have all the maps stored and the task-switcher just gives it a map number. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 16:15:05 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: Monitors.. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:08:31 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Andrew M Gale" at Nov 12, 96 03:58:05 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 282 Lines: 20 Here's the amstrad pin out: notch v 5 1 6 4 2 3 1: analogue red 2: green 3: blue 4: composite sync 5: ground 6: luminance (green screen only) Don't forget to connect them to the analogue signals on SAM's scart - or you'll get a dismall 8 colours! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 16:15:11 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:07:59 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Setting an a-gender In-Reply-To: <5F5CFB5363@smserver1.ulst.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 662 Lines: 27 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Gavin Smith wrote: ;>> On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Johnna Teare wrote: ;>> ;>> ;>> I presumed that was what he/she (Still ain't told me ...) meant. ;>> ;> ;>> ;>I'm teasing you honey, that's all! ;>> ;> ;>> ;>> Ooh, could this a pulling prospect ...? ;>> ;>> Lee. ( Who's gonna be really embarrassed if Johnna's a bloke !) ;>> ;> ;>He is a bloke :) Just thought I'd put you out of your misery. And ;>sorry John, if you were trying to pull Lee :) ;> Darn, and I was getting so excited! Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 16:15:50 1996 From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) Message-Id: <199611121532.PAA10919@caligula.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Re: SOS name To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 15:32:03 +0000 (GMT) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1250 Lines: 31 > > And I think SAMSon is a pretty cool name...although there is bound to > > be legal implication with electronics giant SAMSUNG because they sound > > pretty similar. Any other suggestions for names? > > > I agree, SAMSON is not right for a final name, but fine for a development one. > Didn't someone say 'SAM squared' a while ago? > > > > Bob, do you intend to announce the plans to the SAM public on the > > whole yet, or are you going to wait for something to emerge first? The > > reason I'm asking is that I believe the SAM scene needs a little kick > > at the moment - something to convince users who might be vernturing > > towards buying PC's this Christmas to keep the faith with the SAM for > > just a short while longer. Not many people who pay stlg1000 for a > > machine this christmas are going to want to spend money on new boards > > for their SAM in the Summer and we might lose some of our market here. > > > There is no real need to worry about losing sales if we let the word out > as (to start with at least) we will need an old SAM to plug into the front > of the new machine to make it work anyway. > > Am I wrong? > > > > > Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) > > "They call me Mad The Swine" > > > Numb. > > From imc Tue Nov 12 16:39:30 1996 Subject: Re: Tv or not TV To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:39:30 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611081618.QAA09925@reed.bris.ac.uk> from "SL Harding" at Nov 8, 96 04:18:21 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 698 Lines: 17 On Fri, 8 Nov 1996 16:18:21 +0000 (GMT), SL Harding said: > Vertically we can take advantage of the interlacing effect of normal TV and > reconfigure the output so that it actually uses the in-between lines. Well you'll have to. Anyone who gets a headache can go and buy a real monitor. :-) But by the time you get up to 768 lines you'll have to start missing lines out (or averaging) as well as interlacing. > In the horizontal direction we will just have to miss the odd pixel out. I don't see why you have to miss any pixels out. The TV won't be able to display them but it will make a fair attempt. Of course what you do need is a chip that can read and output them quick enough. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 17:07:35 1996 From: James R Curry Organization: De Montfort University To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 17:07:31 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Monitors.. Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <158168C437F@sahara.cms.dmu.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 816 Lines: 31 > Here's the amstrad pin out: > > notch > v > 5 1 > 6 > 4 2 > 3 > > > 1: analogue red > 2: green > 3: blue > 4: composite sync > 5: ground > 6: luminance (green screen only) > > Don't forget to connect them to the analogue signals > on SAM's scart - or you'll get a dismall 8 colours! Oh... Thanks. I should be able to get an electronics shop to make this lead up for me, should I? (I have no experience with a soldering iron, although I did fix my SAM MOUSE interface with selotape and glue and a bit of remodeling inside..). Didn't someone say that the SAM scart port is non-standard? Will I need details of that too then, before I can get this thing made up? -- James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk "20 Dollars! Aw, I wanted a peanut.." - Homer Simpson, the Simpsons. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 18:49:48 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 18:37:21 GMT Message-Id: <199611121837.SAA10998@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Monitors.. From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 566 Lines: 22 On Nov 12, 1996 15:22:56, '"James R Curry" ' wrote: >1. Is it possible to connect the colour monitor from an Amstrad CPC >464 to my SAM? Thinks day onlys giveooo 16 colors man. RGB+Bright. > >2. If it is do I need any extra leads, or would it's built in >connection lead be sufficient? > >Thanks in advance, >-- >James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk > >"Augh! I can't think of any good quotes to put in >this signature file" - James Curry. -- Samsboss. Yes, it do get ya down when ya canny stink of snothink tooo say. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 19:00:27 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 18:31:18 GMT Message-Id: <199611121831.SAA10701@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 414 Lines: 14 On Nov 12, 1996 12:56:12, 'Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk' wrote: >You got more than me then. 512K Sam with disk drive, MasterDOS and the >Sam ROM source. That's it. > >imc -- Cheapskate, if everyone did their bit an bought a few more SAM bits I'm sure we would have more companies supporting SAM. Samsboss. 512K SAM, Single drive, Hard Drive, 2 two-ups, Printer Interface, lots and lots of software. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 20:00:54 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 14:58:30 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961112145829_1584788535@emout13.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Setting an a-gender Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 291 Lines: 12 In a message dated 12/11/96 15:24:52, you write: >Ooh, could this a pulling prospect ...? > >Lee. ( Who's gonna be really embarrassed if Johnna's a bloke !) > Very embarrassed? > > How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None! They just screw the public. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 21:20:39 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:17:37 -0500 From: Neville Young <106166.1560@compuserve.com> Subject: nmi debounce To: sam users Message-Id: <199611121617_MC1-BED-87B2@compuserve.com> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 727 Lines: 28 debounce cct. 2 NPN trannies 4 10k resistors +5v --------------------------------- | | 10K 10K | | | --------------| |------------/- | \ / \ / tr1 |---10K---/ \---10K---| tr2 / | | \ | | | | | | | | 0v | |---NMI 0v o 0 \ \ nmi switch | | 0v Do they not still teach about bi-stable flip flops any more? Nev. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Tue Nov 12 21:20:39 1996 Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:17:40 -0500 From: Neville Young <106166.1560@compuserve.com> Subject: modem pinouts To: sam users Message-Id: <199611121617_MC1-BED-87B4@compuserve.com> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 422 Lines: 21 Hi this is from memory so sorry if its wrong. For the 25way connector pin rs232 signal source 1 frame gnd 2 rx receive data modem 3 tx transmit data terminal 4 rts request to send terminal 5 cts clear to send modem 6 dsr data set ready modem 7 gnd signal ground har har 8 cd carrier detect modem 20 dtr data terminal ready terminal 22 ring modem the rest are for back channels and stuff. Nev. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 09:57:17 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961113095426.00946c34@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 09:54:26 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 592 Lines: 17 At 06:31 PM 11/12/96 GMT, you wrote: >Cheapskate, if everyone did their bit an bought a few more SAM bits I'm >sure we would have more companies supporting SAM. > >Samsboss. >512K SAM, Single drive, Hard Drive, 2 two-ups, Printer Interface, lots and >lots of software. I don't think there's much more left for me to buy.... 512K SAM (x2, both with 1 disk drive), SDI interface, 2xCOMMS Interfaces, SAMBUS, 1Mb, Kaleidoscope (not mine), Mouse + Interface... and I'm sure there's some other stuff there as well... ah yes, Custom v3.0 ROM, SC_Disk Protector, lots of custom mods... Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 10:33:52 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 10:19:12 GMT Message-Id: <199611131019.KAA16730@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 682 Lines: 20 On Nov 13, 1996 09:54:26, 'Simon Cooke ' wrote: > >I don't think there's much more left for me to buy.... > >512K SAM (x2, both with 1 disk drive), SDI interface, 2xCOMMS Interfaces, >SAMBUS, 1Mb, Kaleidoscope (not mine), Mouse + Interface... and I'm sure >there's some other stuff there as well... ah yes, Custom v3.0 ROM, SC_Disk >Protector, lots of custom mods... > >Simon > -- Now thats better, herebe a man who cares about the SAM. We at SAMSBOSS International think that everyone should buy all they can - and help support SAM. Subscribe to FRED and FORMAT, get all the hardware and buy all the games. Help keep SAM alive. Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 10:36:58 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 10:22:25 GMT Message-Id: <199611131022.KAA16810@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: GUI From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 272 Lines: 7 Lota mails on windows and GUIs. But has anybods thought that this should be handled by the graphics card, maybe by hardware (in part)? Most modern PC graphic cards do the majority of the work for windows Samsboss. Now I've had that though I better get off to work. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 10:37:44 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 10:30:12 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: <199611131019.KAA16730@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 558 Lines: 19 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com wrote: ;>-- ;>Now thats better, herebe a man who cares about the SAM. ;>We at SAMSBOSS International think that everyone should buy all they can - ;>and help support SAM. Subscribe to FRED and FORMAT, get all the hardware ;>and buy all the games. Help keep SAM alive. ;> And presumably you're going to give us the money to do this ? Stop being a .... Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 10:49:55 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 10:43:58 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: GUI In-Reply-To: <199611131022.KAA16810@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 327 Lines: 13 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com wrote: ;>Most modern PC graphic cards do the majority of the work for windows Yeah and look what a good system that is ... Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 12:56:33 1996 Message-Id: <9611131149.AA2440@WORLDCOM-45.worldcom.com.worldcom.com> To: sam-users From: Stefan Drissen Date: 13 Nov 96 11:58:12 Subject: SAM support Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1305 Lines: 43 >>Simon >> >-- >Now thats better, herebe a man who cares about the SAM. >We at SAMSBOSS International think that everyone should buy all they can - >and help support SAM. Subscribe to FRED and FORMAT, get all the hardware >and buy all the games. Help keep SAM alive. > >Samsboss. Why haven't you bought a SAMdac then? (or have you? - yet another question in the mystery game) Stefan "sorry about the bolt on" Drissen **************************************** This document should only be read by those persons to whom it is addressed and is not intended to be relied upon by any person without subsequent written confirmation of its contents. Accordingly, Coopers & Lybrand disclaim all responsibility and accept no liability (including in negligence) for the consequences for any person acting, or refraining from acting, on such information prior to the receipt by those persons of subsequent written confirmation. If you have received this E-mail message in error, please notify us immediately by telephone. Please also destroy and delete the message from your computer. Any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication of this E-mail message is strictly prohibited. **************************************** From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 13:30:13 1996 From: Dave Hooper <9531427@EIGG.SMS.ED.AC.UK> Organization: Edinburgh Uni (CS and MATHS) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 13:16:51 +0000 Subject: Re: SAM - PC stuff . . . Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <720F673448D@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 508 Lines: 8 ... what I forgot to say was the SAM tokenized - ASCII converter is in QBAsic on a PC... I'd write it in C if I had a C compiler with fewer nasty bugs than DJGPP . . . so it's a tad slow... anyway, I'll put it up on nvg if you like, any day now ... +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ | doubleback : a load of cunk | torus?- 1997? it'll | | http://www.geocities.com/area51/5636/ | never get finished | +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 13:39:42 1996 From: Dave Hooper <9531427@EIGG.SMS.ED.AC.UK> Organization: Edinburgh Uni (CS and MATHS) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 13:36:17 +0000 Subject: Re: Help! Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <72149406520@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 531 Lines: 10 > What was the reference for the funny files given out not long ago (by > Dave Hooper?)? I did make a note of it, but I've lost it now and the > files looked good! Eh? I have no idea what this is about. I'm a very spontaneous guy, you see. You'll have to remind me ;) davee +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ | doubleback : a load of cunk | torus?- 1997? it'll | | http://www.geocities.com/area51/5636/ | never get finished | +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 13:39:50 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 13:30:21 GMT From: D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini) Message-Id: <199611131330.NAA08953@nentres.cs.cf.ac.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Md5: l02OoPU1roWIif25mPps6Q== Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 148 Lines: 9 [ snip ] > How hard would this be to do on our graphics card? > Useful for SAMdoomalikes! [ snip ] Don't even ask about doomalikes.... :) DMZ === From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 13:54:05 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 13:45:49 GMT From: D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini) Message-Id: <199611131345.NAA08970@nentres.cs.cf.ac.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: GUI Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Md5: gXyEP8KqW8eTHNdfHZMaMw== Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 398 Lines: 14 > Lota mails on windows and GUIs. But has anybods thought that this should be > handled by the graphics card, maybe by hardware (in part)? > > Most modern PC graphic cards do the majority of the work for windows > > Samsboss. > Now I've had that though I better get off to work. Most PC graphics cards do the majority of the work for windows??? Wow. News to **my** graphics card. DMZ --- From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 14:16:10 1996 From: Mr P R Walker Message-Id: <7112.199611131405@holly.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Help! To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 14:05:47 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <72149406520@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> from "Dave Hooper" at Nov 13, 96 01:36:17 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 414 Lines: 9 > > > What was the reference for the funny files given out not long ago (by > > Dave Hooper?)? I did make a note of it, but I've lost it now and the > > files looked good! > Eh? I have no idea what this is about. > I'm a very spontaneous guy, you see. You'll have to remind me ;) Doesn't matter, thanks - I found the reference :) It was the Daemonic/Funnies one, incidentally, if that means something to anyone. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 14:24:16 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 14:13:32 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Setting an a-gender Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <8A54B03D5E@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 502 Lines: 18 > On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Johnna Teare wrote: > > ;>> I presumed that was what he/she (Still ain't told me ...) meant. > ;> > ;>I'm teasing you honey, that's all! > ;> > > Ooh, could this a pulling prospect ...? You can pull whatever you like dear! As Bob said, it's up to you what you get up to in the comfort of your own home! > Lee. ( Who's gonna be really embarrassed if Johnna's a bloke !) > I'm blushing for you already! Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 14:27:21 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 14:18:55 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Monitors.. Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <8A687A0858@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 857 Lines: 25 > > 1. Is it possible to connect the colour monitor from an Amstrad CPC > > 464 to my SAM? > > > > 2. If it is do I need any extra leads, or would it's built in > > connection lead be sufficient? > > You should be able to by cutting off the lead and soldering the > wire to a scart plug - however, you'll need to know which > wires are which. > > If you can get a pinout then it would probably be best to make > a lead from scart to a DIN socket of the type used in the > CPC - this is what I did with a bbc monitor - much easier than > chopping the lead then using a multimeter to work out the connections. > > I'll see if I can dig out a pinout.... > > -Andy > > I seem to remember something along the lines of this in SAM Supplement a while back. Try issue 19 I think... Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 14:35:24 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 14:22:11 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Monitors.. Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <8A813D74F6@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 567 Lines: 15 Hello, > Oh... Thanks. I should be able to get an electronics shop to make > this lead up for me, should I? (I have no experience with a > soldering iron, although I did fix my SAM MOUSE interface with > selotape and glue and a bit of remodeling inside..). I once fixed my joystick with some chewing gum - it's still going strong aswell. Thing is, I tried the same thing with my Yamaha keyboard when I broke the 9V connector and failed miserably. > James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 15:17:08 1996 From: Dave Hooper <9531427@EIGG.SMS.ED.AC.UK> Organization: Edinburgh Uni (CS and MATHS) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 15:14:41 +0000 Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <722ED0614B4@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 312 Lines: 7 > Don't even ask about doomalikes.... :) pourquoi pas? +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ | doubleback : a load of cunk | torus?- 1997? it'll | | http://www.geocities.com/area51/5636/ | never get finished | +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 15:17:45 1996 From: Dave Hooper <9531427@EIGG.SMS.ED.AC.UK> Organization: Edinburgh Uni (CS and MATHS) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 15:14:13 +0000 Subject: Re: Help! Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <722EB9A0411@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 502 Lines: 9 > Doesn't matter, thanks - I found the reference :) It was the Daemonic/Funnies > one, incidentally, if that means something to anyone. ... nothing to do with me, that one. Probably the one who keeps with the Microsoft / Lightbulbs tagline... +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ | doubleback : a load of cunk | torus?- 1997? it'll | | http://www.geocities.com/area51/5636/ | never get finished | +---------------------------------------+---------------------+ From imc Wed Nov 13 16:12:53 1996 Subject: Re: nmi debounce To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 16:12:53 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611121617_MC1-BED-87B2@compuserve.com> from "Neville Young" at Nov 12, 96 04:17:37 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1204 Lines: 36 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 16:17:37 -0500, Neville Young said: > debounce cct. > 2 NPN trannies 4 10k resistors > +5v --------------------------------- > | | > 10K 10K > | | > | --------------| > |------------/- | > \ / \ / > tr1 |---10K---/ \---10K---| tr2 > / | | \ > | | | | > | | | | > 0v | |---NMI 0v > o 0 > \ > \ nmi switch > | > | > 0v > Do they not still teach about bi-stable flip flops any more? 1. Are you calling my solution wrong? 2. Yes I do know what a bistable circuit is, although since I do not study electrical engineering I can not comment on what "they" still teach. Can you guarantee that the switch will not bounce from one contact to the other? I suppose that's probably OK but the above still requires more surgery to the Sam than the inverter method. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 16:41:41 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: nmi debounce To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 16:37:09 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611131612.AA03608@booth5.ecs.ox.ac.uk> from "Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk" at Nov 13, 96 04:12:54 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 880 Lines: 21 > 1. Are you calling my solution wrong? > 2. Yes I do know what a bistable circuit is, although since I do not study > electrical engineering I can not comment on what "they" still teach. > > Can you guarantee that the switch will not bounce from one contact to the > other? I suppose that's probably OK but the above still requires more > surgery to the Sam than the inverter method. > I don't understand why you're picking a fight over it, but there isn't much to choose between the two. The bistable method is a little more common I'd guess, and has the advantage that transistors are easier to squeeze into a confined space. I can't quite remember what chip Ian used, but Nev's design has the advantage of being an open-collector sort of drive. As for bistables.... yes, we do (just about) get taught them, but you may be amazed at what we don't get taught! -Andy From imc Wed Nov 13 17:51:16 1996 Subject: Re: nmi debounce To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 17:51:16 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Andrew M Gale" at Nov 13, 96 04:37:09 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 317 Lines: 8 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996 16:37:09 +0000 (GMT), Andrew M Gale said: > I can't quite remember what chip Ian used, but Nev's design has > the advantage of being an open-collector sort of drive. Not. The chip probably is open-collector, but that circuit certainly wasn't. The circuit probably also uses more current. imc From imc Wed Nov 13 17:55:44 1996 Subject: Re: SAMson marketing To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 17:55:44 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611081609.RAA03180@dxmint.cern.ch> from "Allan Skillman" at Nov 8, 96 05:09:05 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 324 Lines: 9 On Fri, 8 Nov 96 17:09:05 MET, Allan Skillman said: > z80 has no equivalent to the indexed stack > segement access via the BP register (ala x86 MOV AX,[BP+DI]) - lcc uses this > for a frame pointer. Surely you could just copy the SP into IX at the start of every routine and use IX instead. imc From imc Wed Nov 13 18:04:28 1996 Subject: Re: Proposal: Workpackage To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:04:28 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961108151245.00936d34@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 8, 96 03:12:45 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1154 Lines: 23 On Fri, 08 Nov 1996 15:12:45 +0000, Simon Cooke said: > >Also I know from experience that if you FS-dither the image then suddenly > >changing one colour in the palette can make a visible line in the image. > Hmmmm.... how about a Bayer dither? Or perhaps we can come up with another > algorithm for it? I don't think Bayer dither is really suitable for this sort of thing. The problem with changing palette in a FS-dither is that you might suddenly make it possible to produce a particular colour more or less accurately than you could before. Especially if, using the previous set of colours, the required colour could not be produced exactly and the error just accumulated - in this case it might be tempted to use a solid block of the new colour just to get the error back down. I fiddled with trying to phase in the colour changes by limited the amount of new colour the routine was allowed to use in the first few lines and by trying to choose colours in advance, but this is all far too difficult for me to do properly. My solution only works for a couple of palette changes per line, preferably with each ink not changing that often. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:12:10 1996 Message-Id: <199611131810.SAA04957@mail.enterprise.net> From: davewhitmore@enterprise.net (Dave Whitmore) To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: New Amigas Date: 13 Nov 1996 17:05:42 References: <46961A317E@smserver1.ulst.ac.uk> X-Newsreader: Spot 1.3 X-Mailer: NetGate 1.3 (Amiga; TCP/IP) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1147 Lines: 27 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no n a message of 11 Nov 96 Gavin Smith wrote to sam-users@nvg.unit.no: Hi Gavin, GS> internet boxes". Viscorp apparently have plans for a Power-PC based GS> Amiga, but are taking so long about it that the Amiga community are GS> beginning to get worried if it will come out at all...Anyway, if it GS> does come out, it will priced around 1200 quid so I wouldn't worry too GS> much about it. True. The one to watch out for is Phase 5's A/BOX, which, if the can sort it out with Viscorp over licensing the Amiga chip set, it should be really something. Like you say though, it shouldn't really affect SAMSON's chances because it'll have to be pretty expensive for the intended specification. They're on about using an ASIC made by VLSI and it's along the lines of a Power PC with RISC processor and all that, only it'll use an O/S similar to the Amigas. If things go to plan, then Phase 5 might have something. If anyone wants a posting of the proposed spec (to either laugh at, or marvel at), then email me and I'll send it email. Bye, _ |_)ave (/\)hitmore email - davewhitmore@enterprise.net From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:12:11 1996 Message-Id: <199611131810.SAA04961@mail.enterprise.net> From: davewhitmore@enterprise.net (Dave Whitmore) Original-To: To: Pp-Warning: Parse error in original version of preceding To line Illegal-Object: Syntax error in To: address found on sabre-wulf.nvg.unit.no: To: ^-missing semicolon to end mail group, extraneous tokens in mailbox, missing end of mailbox Illegal-Object: Syntax error in To: address found on sabre-wulf.nvg.unit.no: To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no ^-missing semicolon to end mail group Subject: sad message Date: 13 Nov 1996 16:57:09 X-Newsreader: Spot 1.3 X-Mailer: NetGate 1.3 (Amiga; TCP/IP) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Pp-Warning: No Recipient fields - To/Cc/Bcc field required; BCC added at oxmail2.ox.ac.uk Status: RO Content-Length: 648 Lines: 17 Sorry about this message. I know it is way off topic. Since I announced that we were expecting a baby, I think I should follow it up with the news that Sue lost the baby on Monday night. Thanks to those who sent congrats regarding the first message, but there's no need to send any sympathy in regard to this one. Sue is the one who needs sympathy and she doesn't read this mail. I probably shouldn't have told people on the list in the first place, then I wouldn't have needed to send this one. I wont be so stupid to trouble any of you with stuff like this again. No replies in here please. Bye, Dave (don't count your chickens..) Whitmore From imc Wed Nov 13 18:26:01 1996 Subject: Re: Multitasking WIMPs - comparison to Unix To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:26:01 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611081515.AA12594@turner.cursci.co.uk> from "Keith Turner" at Nov 8, 96 03:15:20 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 616 Lines: 14 On Fri, 8 Nov 1996 15:15:20 GMT, Keith Turner said: > If we go down the pre-emptive multitasking route I think we will also have > to restrict applications to using OS routines for all access to screen > memory, sound chips, system variables, disk drives, etc. Well I think applications under the windowing system will be forbidden from writing on the screen anyway, and with any luck the OS will provide the disk handling so the app doesn't have to. I guess you would still want to give the programmer an "I don't want to multitask" call though, and maybe this would be implemented by the instruction "DI". imc From imc Wed Nov 13 18:27:38 1996 Subject: Re: SOS colour To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:27:38 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <6978D6F481F@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> from "Dave Hooper" at Nov 7, 96 07:53:13 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 473 Lines: 13 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 19:53:13 +0000, Dave Hooper said: > er ... then isn't a PPM just the same as a RAW file with a zero-length > header?(three bytes per pixel in raster order...) RAW might be the same as PPM, but I don't know what you mean by RAW. A PPM file does have a header, which consists of a few numbers in ASCII. > I've also written an entirely useless SAM basic (tokenised, etc) to > ASCII converter, for a PC. Anyone care? So have I. :-) It's in Rexx. imc From imc Wed Nov 13 18:29:27 1996 Subject: Re: Tv or not TV To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:29:27 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Johnna Teare" at Nov 7, 96 07:42:31 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 529 Lines: 11 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 19:42:31 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: > Is ther anything special about your SCART lead or is it just a bog > standard one? What I'm trying to say is, can I just bung a SCART lead > in my sam and then my telly and expect it to work? I would not do it personally without opening it up and snipping all the non-essential connections. (A SCART lead is usually two-way. The Sam one uses the incoming video wires for other stuff so a Sam SCART lead is one-way. The outgoing video wires should be the same). imc From imc Wed Nov 13 18:29:58 1996 Subject: Re: Hi! To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:29:58 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "A.S. Collier" at Nov 7, 96 07:11:08 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 247 Lines: 10 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 19:11:08 +0000 (GMT), A.S. Collier said: > On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: > > I suppose I could continue them a bit now that > > it is December, if I get time... > It's December? Wishful thinking. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:31:36 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:18:31 GMT Message-Id: <199611131818.SAA13199@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 257 Lines: 12 On Nov 13, 1996 10:30:12, 'Lee Willis ' wrote: >And presumably you're going to give us the money to do this ? >Stop being a .... > >Lee. -- Oh come on, SAM software is so cheap that everyone can afford it. Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:36:58 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:19:40 GMT Message-Id: <199611131819.SAA13237@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SAM support From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 303 Lines: 15 On Nov 13, 1996 11:58:12, 'Stefan Drissen ' wrote: >Why haven't you bought a SAMdac then? (or have you? - yet another question in > >the mystery game) > > >Stefan "sorry about the bolt on" Drissen -- Not into sound, although I do have a Quazar. Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:36:59 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:21:43 GMT Message-Id: <199611131821.SAA13308@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SAM - PC stuff . . . From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 332 Lines: 12 On Nov 13, 1996 13:16:51, '"Dave Hooper" <9531427@EIGG.SMS.ED.AC.UK>' wrote: >.... what I forgot to say was the SAM tokenized - ASCII converter is >in QBAsic on a PC... -- PC Suite, from my hero that nice Mr Young, already converts SAM BASIC to text, and then to the PC if needed. Samsboss. Just beings helpfully nice. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:37:53 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:22:34 GMT Message-Id: <199611131822.SAA13365@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 220 Lines: 13 On Nov 13, 1996 13:30:21, 'D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini)' wrote: >Don't even ask about doomalikes.... :) > >DMZ >=== -- What about doomalikes? Samsboss. Well you did put temptation in my way... From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:39:32 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:25:57 GMT Message-Id: <199611131825.SAA13515@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: GUI From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 478 Lines: 17 On Nov 13, 1996 13:45:49, 'D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini)' wrote: >Most PC graphics cards do the majority of the work for windows??? >Wow. News to **my** graphics card. > >DMZ >--- -- Well, as me understands the articles in de PC mags, modern cards intercept the calls to windowing routines and then do the job far faster. Hence "accelerator" in the names of lots of dem. Correct me if I'm wrong, just don't use the whip toooo hard.... :-) Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 18:55:10 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: nmi debounce To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 18:52:10 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611131751.AA03755@booth5.ecs.ox.ac.uk> from "Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk" at Nov 13, 96 05:51:17 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 423 Lines: 12 > > On Wed, 13 Nov 1996 16:37:09 +0000 (GMT), Andrew M Gale said: > > I can't quite remember what chip Ian used, but Nev's design has > > the advantage of being an open-collector sort of drive. > > Not. The chip probably is open-collector, but that circuit certainly > wasn't. The circuit probably also uses more current. > No, it's not open-collector, but it would work in the wire-or set up for the NMI line. -Andy From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 19:07:07 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 19:04:23 +0000 (GMT) From: Tim Wells To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Nothing new under the Sam-son Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 552 Lines: 13 While this may not be news to some of you: I have recently come across a series of magazine articles about adding a co-processor to a Spectrum. The articles were published in 1988, and the co-processor system included a Z80A (running at 4MHz) and 256K of paged memory. All packaged together with a communication link via an I/O port, and a suitable set of routines to go in an EPROM to start the co-processor up. For anyone that hasn't heard of this before - the articles were in Electronics Today International, beginning in Feb 1988. Tim W. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Wed Nov 13 22:28:18 1996 Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 17:24:56 -0500 From: Neville Young <106166.1560@compuserve.com> Subject: nmi debounce To: sam users Message-Id: <199611131726_MC1-BEC-A747@compuserve.com> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 790 Lines: 23 On Nov 13, 1996 18:52:10, 'ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale)' wrote: >> >> On Wed, 13 Nov 1996 16:37:09 +0000 (GMT), Andrew M Gale said: >> > I can't quite remember what chip Ian used, but Nev's design has >> > the advantage of being an open-collector sort of drive. >> >> Not. The chip probably is open-collector, but that circuit certainly >> wasn't. The circuit probably also uses more current. >> >No, it's not open-collector, but it would work in the wire-or set up for the >NMI line. >-Andy Hell's teeth. I wasn't trying to say others were wrong. Just putting forward another solution. And just in case you're wondering. Yes that is the Brucie NMI circuit that I have stuck on my sambus that lots of people ask me about at shows. Nev. (as in Nev er wishing to offend) From imc Wed Nov 13 23:01:25 1996 Subject: Re: Oh, i don't know... z80 or something To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 23:01:25 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Lee" at Nov 7, 96 09:46:27 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1282 Lines: 33 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 09:46:27 +0000 (GMT), Lee said: > On Thu, 7 Nov 1996, Simon Cooke wrote: > ;>>Here's a question, for no reason... > ;>>How come the Z80 has two different opcodes for LD A,(HL)? > ;>>(the decimal 126 one and the ED --sommat one) I don't think there is. You may be thinking of LD HL,(nn) > ;>Yes - the one with more than one opcode is oodles slower. The longer one is precisely 4 Tstates slower. Whether you regard that as "oodles" (compared to the instruction time of 16) is a matter of opinion. As to why it exists... well the Z80 has ED opcodes for LD BC,(nn), LD DE,(nn) and LD SP,(nn) so why wouldn't it also have one for LD HL,(nn)? It is probably less effort to allow that than to disallow it. The non-ED opcode was presumably supported on the 8080, which is why it still exists (and also because it's one byte and 4 Tstates shorter). RLCA vs RLC A is a similar thing. > I might be going completely mad here, and with no list of opcodes around > at the mo' I'm just guessing here, but isn't ED one of the IX indicator > opcodes, in other words makes it LD A,(IX) ?? Nope, DD is the one you are thinking of. > Ignore me if I'm talking s***, but I don't remember noticing two LD > A,(HL)'s in my list of opcodes .. You are probably correct. imc From imc Wed Nov 13 23:06:17 1996 Subject: Re: SOS parallel - texmode To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 23:06:17 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961107111451.00935330@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 7, 96 11:14:51 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1638 Lines: 50 On Thu, 07 Nov 1996 11:14:51 +0000, Simon Cooke said: > Actually, I think you'll find that the table was actually: > R0C1 > R2C1 > R4C1 > R6C1 > R7C1 > R5C1 > R3C1 > R1C1 > R1C2 > R3C2 > R5C2 > R7C2 > R6C2 > R4C2 > R2C2 > R0C2 > ---> address for start of next character (slight optimisation where possible). Well in "less" I have the original one wot someone wrote (down col 1 and up col 2 for all even rows then for all odd rows). > And then Dave Wrote This Bit: > >Which is one hellava lot more efficient. It also used global and local total > >register optimisation, and a character jump table scheme which in all means > >that it updates any full text screen about a frame faster than full screen > >scrolling using LDI!! ( nb it could scroll a text screen **that** much faster ) > Well, I ain't got the register optimisation, but mine was (a) 80 column, and > (b) in user-definable color. Dave's, of course, was 64 column and mono. And > if it'd work in Termite I'd use his instead :) Indeed. > BTW: The down one side, up again, across, down, up is the *fastest* way to > do it if you're doing 80 columns -- namely because of the masking that has to > be done on the right hand column for even-x-positioned characters. Firstly, who cares about the right-hand side? It's the left-hand side that needs masking to avoid overprinting the previous character on odd-x-positioned characters. Secondly, why should it make a difference? Thirdly, since changing from even to odd requires a SET or RES instruction, it's faster to do this only twice instead of four times. imc (and you don't often get messages from me at 11pm...) From imc Wed Nov 13 23:09:10 1996 Subject: Re: SOS parallel - texmode To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 23:09:10 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <67D56D04EAE@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> from "Dave Hooper" at Nov 6, 96 05:40:36 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 708 Lines: 15 On Wed, 6 Nov 1996 17:40:36 +0000, Dave Hooper said: > >At the moment the character is > > expanded from a bit image to an image suitable for mode 4 - well, > > the z80 could have the characters stored in a fast (if memory inefficient) > > manner, enabling quick printing. Like used on the text viewer > > on the FRED and ENCELADUS disczines. > Remember Simon's Butterly Print thingo? I reckon that should be used. Hold on, I don't see why this should be made compulsory in the operating system just to make it a microsecond quicker (since we are presumably talking about the PRINT command in BASIC!). Make the character format easy to understand and let the improved processor do the speeding up. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 00:17:51 1996 From: ee31ag@surrey.ac.uk Message-Id: <9611140014.AA20877@surrey.ac.uk> Date-Received: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 00:14:44 GMT Subject: Re: nmi debounce To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 96 0:14:43 GMT In-Reply-To: <199611131726_MC1-BEC-A747@compuserve.com>; from "Neville Young" at Nov 13, 96 5:24 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11] Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 422 Lines: 12 > And just in case you're wondering. Yes that is the Brucie NMI circuit that > I have stuck on my > sambus that lots of people ask me about at shows. button > Is there going to be a debounced NMI button on the new SAMBus? Also, is there going to be any problem with the new interfaces with straight-through connectors connecting into the new bus? I'm thinking more from the geometric viewpoint than electrical! -Andy From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 10:48:40 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114082709.009584f8@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:27:09 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: Proposal: Workpackage Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 641 Lines: 13 At 06:04 PM 11/13/96 +0000, you wrote: >I fiddled with trying to phase in the colour changes by limited the amount >of new colour the routine was allowed to use in the first few lines and by >trying to choose colours in advance, but this is all far too difficult for >me to do properly. My solution only works for a couple of palette changes >per line, preferably with each ink not changing that often. Well, you can change ~8 of the colours per line, with maybe 3 in the border area. Now the thing is, is it possible to use this to make the changes? Given that each colour will only change once every two lines (or there abouts)? Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 10:49:21 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114083524.0095dc98@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:35:24 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: SOS parallel - texmode Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1476 Lines: 36 At 11:06 PM 11/13/96 +0000, you wrote: >> BTW: The down one side, up again, across, down, up is the *fastest* way to >> do it if you're doing 80 columns -- namely because of the masking that has to >> be done on the right hand column for even-x-positioned characters. > >Firstly, who cares about the right-hand side? It's the left-hand side >that needs masking to avoid overprinting the previous character on >odd-x-positioned characters. That's for print routines which assume that you're going to print an entire screen going from left to right, top to bottom, presumably. If you can print anywhere on a screen (for example, as on a VT102) at any time, you need something that can mask the right hand side of the character for even characters. >Secondly, why should it make a difference? Because you need .. lemme see... about 8 registers for the most efficient mask-print routine, not including the accumulator. If you print the unmasked portion first, then you can print it using a faster routine than the masked portion, which requires you to use the alternate register set. >Thirdly, since changing from even to odd requires a SET or RES instruction, >it's faster to do this only twice instead of four times. Funnily enough, the amount of time you save by having a different routine for printing the masked portion easily outweighs the saving you make by only doing a SET or RES twice. >imc (and you don't often get messages from me at 11pm...) *grins* Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 10:49:51 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114085202.0094ee34@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:52:02 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Butterfly Print revisited Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 3726 Lines: 182 Dear Ian, Here's the Butterfly Print routine again... Entered with B = Paper XOR Ink C = Ink (or is it paper? Can't remember right now) HL = font data DE = screen address Honestly, this is the fastest way I've been able to come up with a colour, mode 3 print routine for 85 column printing. If it was 64 columns, it'd be even faster! Simon print.even2: LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 0 INC L INC D LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 2 INC L INC D LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 4 INC L INC D LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 6 INC L SET 7,E LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 7 INC L DEC D LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 5 INC L DEC D LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 3 INC L DEC D LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C LD (DE),A ;line 1 INC L INC E ;move to next column... LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L LD (pass.even+1),DE EXX pass.even: LD HL,&0000 LD D,&F0 XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 1 INC H EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 3 INC H EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 5 INC H EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 7 RES 7,L EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 6 DEC H EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 4 DEC H EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C INC L EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 2 DEC H EXX LD A,B AND (HL) XOR C EXX XOR (HL) AND D XOR (HL) LD (HL),A ;line 0 RET From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 11:42:31 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 11:23:18 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@oughtred.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: <199611131019.KAA16730@pipe2.uk.pipeline.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1419 Lines: 37 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996 samsboss@uk.pipeline.com wrote: > On Nov 13, 1996 09:54:26, 'Simon Cooke ' wrote: > > > > >I don't think there's much more left for me to buy.... > > > >512K SAM (x2, both with 1 disk drive), SDI interface, 2xCOMMS Interfaces, > >SAMBUS, 1Mb, Kaleidoscope (not mine), Mouse + Interface... and I'm sure > >there's some other stuff there as well... ah yes, Custom v3.0 ROM, SC_Disk > > >Protector, lots of custom mods... > > > >Simon > > > -- > Now thats better, herebe a man who cares about the SAM. > We at SAMSBOSS International think that everyone should buy all they can - > and help support SAM. Subscribe to FRED and FORMAT, get all the hardware > and buy all the games. Help keep SAM alive. Not all of us can afford to buy everything!!!! :( No SAM system would be complete with the PlugBoard I/Face which I built yesterday! It's cool! And I think companies would last longer if they didn't send free diskdrives when I asked for a tape based system! :) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 11:58:19 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 11:36:28 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Games Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: <9FCD405588@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 831 Lines: 20 > Oh come on, SAM software is so cheap that everyone can afford it. > > Samsboss. > Well I'd love to have your salary then...a lot of SAM users are only students and so stlg15 is a lot of money - most of us have to be selective about what we buy. I've got a ton of SAM software at home but the only game I play is STAX from on FRED. The erest of the time I'm messing around with SCADs or ETracker. I don't mind paying good money for an involved game (Lemmings was worth the cash, even though I had the Amiga version and it's better (only because it's faster) but paying stlg15 for ported Speccy games or dressed up versions of early Eighties games is where I draw the line. I love Manic Miner though, so I suppose I'm defeating my own argument. Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 11:59:27 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 11:55:58 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@oughtred.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114085202.0094ee34@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1138 Lines: 37 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Simon Cooke wrote: > Dear Ian, > > Here's the Butterfly Print routine again... > > Entered with B = Paper XOR Ink > C = Ink (or is it paper? Can't remember right now) > HL = font data > DE = screen address > > Honestly, this is the fastest way I've been able to come up with a colour, > mode 3 print routine for 85 column printing. If it was 64 columns, it'd be > even faster! > > Simon > > [A *HUGE* snip] All those instructions to print a character? Eeek! (From the guy who seems to be the only guy who always believed doing things in the smallest amout of memory possible and reusable code! Perhaps that stems from being a high-level language programmer Might explain why I don't write many assembler apps) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:19:01 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114120226.00958134@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:02:26 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 507 Lines: 18 At 11:23 AM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: >Not all of us can afford to buy everything!!!! :( > >No SAM system would be complete with the PlugBoard I/Face which I built >yesterday! It's cool! > >And I think companies would last longer if they didn't send free diskdrives >when I asked for a tape based system! :) Did you send it back? (The drive, I mean)? If you didn't, please take this opportunity to feel *INCREDIBLY* guilty, as you are one of the contributing factors to SAMCo/MGT's demise :) Si Cooke From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:19:13 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:03:32 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 14, 96 11:55:58 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 348 Lines: 12 > All those instructions to print a character? Eeek! > > (From the guy who seems to be the only guy who always believed doing things in > the smallest amout of memory possible and reusable code! > > Perhaps that stems from being a high-level language programmer > Err... but I doubt the ROM routines to print characters are much smaller. -Andy From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:19:13 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:06:42 +0100 From: ft@edh.ericsson.se (Frode Tenneboe) Message-Id: <9611141206.AA22818@asmal.edh-net> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited X-Sun-Charset: US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 459 Lines: 17 > > [A *HUGE* snip] > > All those instructions to print a character? Eeek! > > (From the guy who seems to be the only guy who always believed doing things in > the smallest amout of memory possible and reusable code! There is always a compromise between fast code and tiny code. > > Perhaps that stems from being a high-level language programmer High-level languages and small amount of memory can not exists together in the same universe. :) -Frode From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:19:35 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:03:19 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@oughtred.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: modem pinouts In-Reply-To: <199611121617_MC1-BED-87B4@compuserve.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 860 Lines: 29 On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Neville Young wrote: > > Hi this is from memory so sorry if its wrong. > > For the 25way connector > > pin rs232 signal source > 1 frame gnd > 2 rx receive data modem > 3 tx transmit data terminal > 4 rts request to send terminal > 5 cts clear to send modem > 6 dsr data set ready modem > 7 gnd signal ground har har > 8 cd carrier detect modem > 20 dtr data terminal ready terminal > 22 ring modem It's correct... -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:20:39 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:13:44 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@oughtred.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: One Derek and his modem In-Reply-To: <199611111812.SAA07086@mail.enterprise.net> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1130 Lines: 29 On 11 Nov 1996, Dave Whitmore wrote: > Pin Signal Abbreviation Direction Modem port pin > > 1 Not connected > 2 Receive Data RX In 3 > 3 Transmit Data TX Out 2 > 4 Data Terminal Ready DTR Out 20 > 5 Ground GND 7 > 6 Not connected > 7 Request to send RTS Out 4 > 8 Clear to send CTS In 5 > 9 Not connected What about DCD? > (Note: DTR just duplicates RTS) It shouldn't do... The computer could be ready without requesting data... Then again, it could be... (according to my pin layouts in front of me, you don't bother connecting RTS on either side to make a null-modem cable) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:26:13 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:21:39 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@oughtred.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114120226.00958134@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1078 Lines: 31 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Simon Cooke wrote: > At 11:23 AM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: > Did you send it back? (The drive, I mean)? Don't be silly.. Would you? :) Actually, I thought about sending it back. I thought they were being very nice to me. > If you didn't, please take this opportunity to feel *INCREDIBLY* guilty, as > you are one of the contributing factors to SAMCo/MGT's demise (BTW, it was SAMCo) Feel guilty? Oh, I do... :) Errmm... I took me ages to decide whether or not to include the diskdrive as part of the spec machine to put on the Warrantee card wondering if they were going to send me a letter asking for it to be sent back. I did, and they didn't... :) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From imc Thu Nov 14 12:35:13 1996 Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:35:13 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114085202.0094ee34@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 14, 96 08:52:02 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 2002 Lines: 81 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:52:02 +0000, Simon Cooke said: > Dear Ian, > Here's the Butterfly Print routine again... > Entered with B = Paper XOR Ink > C = Ink (or is it paper? Can't remember right now) Paper. Assuming the character set has 0 for paper. :-) > HL = font data > DE = screen address Funnily enough, I have B<->C and HL<->DE swapped. :-) > print.even2: > LD A,B > AND (HL) > XOR C > LD (DE),A > ;line 0 > INC L I believe I have INC DE here, which is a waste of 4 Tstates [2 if running in uncontended memory; 0 if the screen is being displayed] if ever I saw one. :-) OK, that's fine for unmasked lines. Now... > LD (pass.even+1),DE > EXX > pass.even: LD HL,&0000 Ugh. :-) Let's see about timing here... (this is from memory) Uncontended Screen off Screen on LD (nn),DE 20 24 48 LD HL,nn 10 12 24 PUSH DE 11 16 24 POP HL 10 12 24 So even though the self-modifying code trick is cute (let's hope you don't want to do it on a machine with an instruction cache) the simple PUSH/POP method is faster. :-) > LD D,&F0 > EXX > LD A,B > AND (HL) > XOR C > INC L > EXX > XOR (HL) > AND D > XOR (HL) > LD (HL),A So basically, your only use for the alternate register set is to store the &F0 somewhere. Well, that and the fact that you got HL and DE the wrong way round when you designed the entry conditions. :-) But if you said AND &F0 instead of EXX AND D EXX it would actually be both shorter and faster, and it would leave the alternate register set alone for someone else to use. imc (Now, how do you print underlined characters? :-) ) From imc Thu Nov 14 12:36:44 1996 Subject: Re: SOS parallel - texmode To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:36:44 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114083524.0095dc98@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 14, 96 08:35:24 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 299 Lines: 9 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:35:24 +0000, Simon Cooke said: > That's for print routines which assume that you're going to print an entire > screen going from left to right, top to bottom, presumably. Oh all right then. :-) But why mention only the right-hand side when the left is more important? imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:44:02 1996 Message-Id: X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 4.1 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:30:44 +0000 From: Dan Doore To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 - Reply Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 588 Lines: 19 > And I think companies would last longer if they didn't > send free diskdrives when I asked for a tape based system! :) You are lacking in moral fibre Mr Skists :) When I sent my 256K Disc-less Sam for repair it was cunningley timed with MGT's recievership - ah! the calls to Touche Ross & Co, it's all flooding back now. Anyway, I pestered them for the best part of two months and then they said 'What did you have?' and I could have said *anything* since all records of my sale had *vanished*. What a nice chap I was not to squeeze UKP170 of extras from the sinking ship. Dan. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:44:20 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:33:06 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@oughtred.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited In-Reply-To: <9611141206.AA22818@asmal.edh-net> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1262 Lines: 32 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Frode Tenneboe wrote: > There is always a compromise between fast code and tiny code. Hmmm... With fast code there seem to be a lot of bugs as I keep discovering.. > High-level languages and small amount of memory can not exists > together in the same universe. :) *laughs* True. Very true. Perhaps I meant it as source code... Ermmm... Requiring only PRINT "blah" rather than all those xors... Who ever it was, was right.. We high-level programmers ARE lazy... :/ Then again, the same argument could be put to RISC and CISC... Are we all planning to use Z380 instead of RISC because we prefer 168+ instructions rather than doing the same things in 32? I still am in favour of using reusable code.. Does Simon mind if I use that routine in my own coding? (I still indend on basing my multicomms (Rigel) interface on his Gemini design...) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:44:40 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 11:21:56 GMT From: D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini) Message-Id: <199611141121.LAA05856@zitus.cs.cf.ac.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: GUI Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Md5: HZsgVUjUB7rlQ1JqxKwWxg== Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 648 Lines: 23 > >Most PC graphics cards do the majority of the work for windows??? > >Wow. News to **my** graphics card. > > > >DMZ > >--- > Well, as me understands the articles in de PC mags, modern cards intercept > the calls to windowing routines and then do the job far faster. Hence > "accelerator" in the names of lots of dem. > > Correct me if I'm wrong, just don't use the whip toooo hard.... :-) > > Samsboss. Nope. You're right. I've just got a cheapo ISA graphics card.... :) The calls have got to be specifically made btw... hence the plethora of graphics drivers for windows. :) Whip? Me? Whatever gave you **that** idea? ;) DMZ --- From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 12:44:40 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 11:32:42 GMT From: D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini) Message-Id: <199611141132.LAA05871@zitus.cs.cf.ac.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Md5: 9cizoOoeXIgfgQhgMlts2A== Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 526 Lines: 23 > Dear Ian, > > Here's the Butterfly Print routine again... > > Entered with B = Paper XOR Ink > C = Ink (or is it paper? Can't remember right now) > HL = font data > DE = screen address > > Honestly, this is the fastest way I've been able to come up with a colour, > mode 3 print routine for 85 column printing. If it was 64 columns, it'd be > even faster! > > Simon [snip] **Please** could some kind soul mail me an ASCII convertion of my FastText code producer? I think I may be onto something here.... :) DMZ --- From imc Thu Nov 14 13:06:15 1996 Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:06:15 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Andrew M Gale" at Nov 14, 96 12:03:32 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 438 Lines: 10 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 12:03:32 +0000 (GMT), Andrew M Gale said: > Err... but I doubt the ROM routines to print characters are > much smaller. Hold on, the ROM routines have to deal with four modes plus INVERSE and OVER and all that stuff (not to mention interpreting tokens and nonprintable characters), and besides, Simon's code also requires a routine which munges the character set into the special form required for his program. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 13:19:47 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114130841.009559f0@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:08:41 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: SOS parallel - texmode Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 597 Lines: 19 At 12:36 PM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: >Status: > >On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:35:24 +0000, Simon Cooke said: >> That's for print routines which assume that you're going to print an entire >> screen going from left to right, top to bottom, presumably. > >Oh all right then. :-) > >But why mention only the right-hand side when the left is more important? Because I tend to think in terms of zero-aligned things usually... thus the EVEN character print routine gets handled first. Besides, in terms of my application of the routine, both odd and even print routines are equally important. Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 13:20:17 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114130838.00951fa0@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:08:38 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 430 Lines: 13 At 12:33 PM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: >I still am in favour of using reusable code.. Does Simon mind if I use that >routine in my own coding? (I still indend on basing my multicomms (Rigel) >interface on his Gemini design...) Sure, go for your life... though remember that you'll need to play merry hell with the font layout... (BTW: this is the reason I suggested we start work on a SAM Programmer's Resource Library) Simon From imc Thu Nov 14 13:39:13 1996 Subject: Re: Z380 Spectrum compatability To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:39:13 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "A.S. Collier" at Nov 7, 96 12:43:23 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 647 Lines: 19 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 12:43:23 +0000 (GMT), A.S. Collier said: > Don't talk to me about PC Spectrum emulators - they have different > problems. Instructions are more likely to be slow than fast. What? > And if they > have the equivalent to frame interrupts, I can imagine them running at > 60Hz instead of 50Hz. What rot. > So it comes as no surprise to me that a PC can't run > Spectrum software properly. To all intents and purposes, a program cannot distinguish between running on xz80 and running on a real Spectrum. I assume the same is true of Z80. imc From imc Thu Nov 14 13:41:28 1996 Subject: Re: Returned mail: Remote protocol error To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:41:28 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611071721.RFE29731@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk> from "Mail Delivery Subsystem" at Nov 7, 96 05:21:55 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 511 Lines: 16 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:21:55 GMT, Mail Delivery Subsystem said: ! > From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) > I don't think writing the opperating system in C is a good idea! True, it may be > easier and faster to write but it is also more likely to be seriously bugged > and will run slower than a pure assembler one. > All of the desktop accessorys you get with the machine had better be done in > Z380 assembler. Well I bet most of Linux is written in C and I know that X is written in C. imc From imc Thu Nov 14 13:45:05 1996 Subject: Re: Internet/cost/PC's To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:45:05 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <17281192107@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk> from "Johnna Teare" at Nov 7, 96 05:29:09 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 585 Lines: 12 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:29:09 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: > As for the Internet connection - well I think it's going to become > essential to have one as any machine that can't plug in is going to > be considered inferior (remember, image is EVERYTHING these days). Just a thought: if you are going to sell this machine on its internet connectivity, who is going to sell the internet connections? Who is going to man the help line? Note that most internet service providers give or sell internet software to their users. You can be damn sure they won't have any Sam software! imc From imc Thu Nov 14 13:46:21 1996 Subject: Re: Proposal: Workpackage To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:46:21 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114082709.009584f8@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 14, 96 08:27:09 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 323 Lines: 8 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:27:09 +0000, Simon Cooke said: > Well, you can change ~8 of the colours per line, with maybe 3 in the border > area. Now the thing is, is it possible to use this to make the changes? > Given that each colour will only change once every two lines (or there abouts)? What's that in English? ;-) imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 14:22:53 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114141607.0096abd0@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:16:07 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: Proposal: Workpackage Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 537 Lines: 20 At 01:46 PM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: >Status: > >On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 08:27:09 +0000, Simon Cooke said: >> Well, you can change ~8 of the colours per line, with maybe 3 in the border >> area. Now the thing is, is it possible to use this to make the changes? >> Given that each colour will only change once every two lines (or there abouts)? > >What's that in English? ;-) About four pounds seventy ;) Erm... I /meant/ to say... Is it possible to use this fact to make the palette changes work with the dither routine? :) Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 14:27:28 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:25:14 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Help! In-Reply-To: <722EB9A0411@eigg.sms.ed.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 351 Lines: 14 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996, Dave Hooper wrote: ;>... nothing to do with me, that one. Probably the one who keeps with ;>the Microsoft / Lightbulbs tagline... Sob, Sob. No-one remembers my name ..... Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 14:29:31 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:26:34 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Proposal: Workpackage In-Reply-To: <9611131804.AA03827@booth5.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 561 Lines: 18 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: ;>On Fri, 08 Nov 1996 15:12:45 +0000, Simon Cooke said: ;>> >Also I know from experience that if you FS-dither the image then suddenly ;>> >changing one colour in the palette can make a visible line in the image. ;> ;>> Hmmmm.... how about a Bayer dither? Or perhaps we can come up with another ;>> algorithm for it? Howzabout the Bayer tapestry ? Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 14:32:04 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:27:43 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: <199611131818.SAA13199@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 515 Lines: 23 On Wed, 13 Nov 1996, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com wrote: ;>On Nov 13, 1996 10:30:12, 'Lee Willis ' wrote: ;> ;> ;>>And presumably you're going to give us the money to do this ? ;>>Stop being a .... ;>> ;>>Lee. ;>-- ;> ;>Oh come on, SAM software is so cheap that everyone can afford it. ;> Don't be so naive, and arrogant ... Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 14:48:41 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:45:37 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Returned mail: Remote protocol error In-Reply-To: <9611141341.AA04698@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1233 Lines: 38 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: ;>On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:21:55 GMT, Mail Delivery Subsystem said: ;> ;>! ;> ;>> From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) ;> ;>> I don't think writing the opperating system in C is a good idea! True, it may be ;>> easier and faster to write but it is also more likely to be seriously bugged I don't think it's more likely to be bugged if written in C, than assembler, C is easier to check ... ;>> and will run slower than a pure assembler one. This however is the important point! ;>> All of the desktop accessorys you get with the machine had better be done in ;>> Z380 assembler. Yep, I agree here as well ... ;>Well I bet most of Linux is written in C and I know that X is written in C. Yep, but they've got nice fast machines to run on. We want to get the best out of our machines, not just something that'll do ... Lets face it, if Windows were written straight in assembler, then yeah OK, it'd be an absolute pig to write but I bet it'd run at least 3 times faster than the pile of .... we've got now! Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From imc Thu Nov 14 14:54:15 1996 Subject: Re: Proposal: Workpackage To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:54:15 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114141607.0096abd0@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> from "Simon Cooke" at Nov 14, 96 02:16:07 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 974 Lines: 22 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:16:07 +0000, Simon Cooke said: > >> Well, you can change ~8 of the colours per line, with maybe 3 in the border > >> area. Now the thing is, is it possible to use this to make the changes? > >> Given that each colour will only change once every two lines (or there > abouts)? > Is it possible to use this fact to make the palette changes work with the > dither routine? :) It is certainly possible, given a palette of 16 colours which might be different for each pixel, to write a routine to dither a picture. On the other hand, whether it will look any good is another question, and I have no idea how you might go about choosing the palettes in the first place. (Clearly, if you could choose one palette for each pixel then you wouldn't need FS in the first place and the choice would be obvious. :-) ). I think my program works well at choosing the palette if no changes are allowed and OKish if only a few palette changes are allowed. imc From imc Thu Nov 14 14:56:33 1996 Subject: Re: SOS - Screen Colours. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:56:33 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611032202.WAA13005@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> from "Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com" at Nov 3, 96 10:02:09 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 268 Lines: 9 On Sun, 3 Nov 1996 22:02:09 GMT, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com said: > Did I once see a routine that interlaced two screens? No, you didn't. You might have seen one that attempts to do it, but since it's impossible on an ordinary Sam it didn't work too well. :-) imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 15:04:14 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:01:25 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@galois.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Returned mail: Remote protocol error In-Reply-To: <9611141341.AA04698@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 678 Lines: 15 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: > On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:21:55 GMT, Mail Delivery Subsystem said: > Well I bet most of Linux is written in C and I know that X is written in C. Hence the reason why you need 96meg (OK, 8 at the lowest) to run it smoothly.. :) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 15:07:12 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:03:45 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@galois.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Internet/cost/PC's In-Reply-To: <9611141345.AA04716@boothp2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 905 Lines: 18 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: > Just a thought: if you are going to sell this machine on its internet > connectivity, who is going to sell the internet connections? Who is > going to man the help line? Note that most internet service providers > give or sell internet software to their users. You can be damn sure they > won't have any Sam software! I suppose it'll be up to us to make it and supply it to internet providers.. Or at least we will have to supply it with the SAM. -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 15:19:21 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:15:16 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@galois.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: Dan Doore Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 - Reply In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1569 Lines: 39 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Dan Doore wrote: > > And I think companies would last longer if they didn't > > send free diskdrives when I asked for a tape based system! :) > > You are lacking in moral fibre Mr Skists :) Me? Never, I tell you! Never! > When I sent my 256K Disc-less Sam for repair it was cunningley > timed with MGT's recievership - ah! the calls to Touche Ross & Co, > it's all flooding back now. > > Anyway, I pestered them for the best part of two months and then they > said 'What did you have?' and I could have said *anything* since all > records of my sale had *vanished*. > > What a nice chap I was not to squeeze UKP170 of extras from the sinking > ship. But but but.... SAMco had TWO oppurtunities to spot their mistake! 1) The supplier didn't care to check the order with the goods... 2) The didn't check the warrantee card against the order.. Lucky for me, they didn't.. :) (I was upset they didn't send me the full comms interface rather than the parallel printer interface that I asked for.. :/ ) Anyway, what's all this against me? What have I done to deserve this? I thought SAMco was very kind... It was my christmas prezzie anyway.. :) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 15:32:39 1996 Message-Id: <199611141527.QAA27657@dxmint.cern.ch> From: Allan Skillman Subject: Linux/X memory comment To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 96 16:27:22 MET Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85] Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1523 Lines: 33 With regards to Justin's comment about memory requirements of X11 > Hence the reason why you need 96meg (OK, 8 at the lowest) to run it smoothly. Actually this has nothing to do with the fact that it is written in C (which it had to be to be portable). X takes up a lot of memory because it allocates all the memory required by the applications, as soon as you start dealing with large bitmapped displays, and remember X usually runs on 1280x1024 displays, memory requirements get huge. Looking on my alpha for the size of the X server exe file I find -rwxr-xr-x 1 bin bin 101600 Nov 16 1994 /usr/X11R6/bin/Xdec Looking at the runtime size at the moment I see (using top) PID USERNAME PRI NICE SIZE RES STATE TIME CPU COMMAND 18774 root 42 -2 23M 6176K sleep 25:17 2.90% Xdec Bit of a difference there Allan +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Now available! XCoupe, the one and only SAM Coupe emulator | | *** http://www.hep.ucl.ac.uk/~ajs/xcoupe *** | +------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+ | Allan Skillman | "There are five flavours of resons, the | | HEPP Group | elementary particles of magic : up, down, | | University College London | sideways, sex-appeal and peppermint." | | Email : ajs@hep.ucl.ac.uk | - Terry Pratchett (Lords and Ladies) | +------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+ From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 15:49:40 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:46:28 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@galois.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1102 Lines: 28 By the way... I finally got SNA-RUNner working to a reasonable level of success... Stupid problems encountered:- 1) Forgot to set SP to the nice Stack I built in BASIC and 2) Ermm... I was picking out the IFF2 bit from the WRONG byte completely.. 3831h instead of 3821h.. (Easy mistake!) *ahem* Empire doesn't work.. Screen still frozen.. Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy3 don't work... The guy jumps quite happly on it's own without my interaction (in fact, he was so happy jumping, he didn't want to do anything else...) I'm putting this down to hardware incompatibility... Shall I bother sticking it up on nvg? (I didn't think so.. Might stick it on my web page though, when I make it..) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 16:02:39 1996 Message-Id: <9611141445.AA5104@WORLDCOM-45.worldcom.com.worldcom.com> To: sam-users From: Stefan Drissen Date: 14 Nov 96 16:25:02 Subject: Re: SOS - Screen Colours. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1915 Lines: 54 >On Sun, 3 Nov 1996 22:02:09 GMT, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com said: >> Did I once see a routine that interlaced two screens? > >No, you didn't. > >You might have seen one that attempts to do it, but since it's impossible on >an ordinary Sam it didn't work too well. :-) > >imc You actually probably saw one that "interlaced" three screens. It was a program called pseudo-colour by an Australian sam user called Dylan (I think...). It was supplied with a small suite of PD PC programs which would convert just about any PC screen to a SAM "interlaced" 256 colour screen. The results, even though it isn't true interlacing, are rather impressive. Each 256 colour pixel is broken down into it's RGB components. These three pixels are then plotted onto the three screens diagnoally to reduce flickering. The three screens are then displayed one after the other. Depending on the screen colours used you can get some *very* nice looking pictures on your SAM. Stefan "seems like the bolt-on's been moved down below" Drissen **************************************** This document should only be read by those persons to whom it is addressed and is not intended to be relied upon by any person without subsequent written confirmation of its contents. Accordingly, Coopers & Lybrand disclaim all responsibility and accept no liability (including in negligence) for the consequences for any person acting, or refraining from acting, on such information prior to the receipt by those persons of subsequent written confirmation. If you have received this E-mail message in error, please notify us immediately by telephone. Please also destroy and delete the message from your computer. Any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication of this E-mail message is strictly prohibited. **************************************** From imc Thu Nov 14 16:22:32 1996 Subject: Re: Linux/X memory comment To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:22:32 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611141527.QAA27657@dxmint.cern.ch> from "Allan Skillman" at Nov 14, 96 04:27:22 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1498 Lines: 42 On Thu, 14 Nov 96 16:27:22 MET, Allan Skillman said: > Actually this has nothing to do with the fact that it is written in C (which > it had to be to be portable). X takes up a lot of memory because it > allocates all the memory required by the applications, as soon as > you start dealing with large bitmapped displays, and remember X usually > runs on 1280x1024 displays, memory requirements get huge. stdin: parse error - next two tokens "get huge" I *think* you meant to put a full stop a couple of lines back. > Looking on my alpha for the size of the X server exe file I find > > -rwxr-xr-x 1 bin bin 101600 Nov 16 1994 /usr/X11R6/bin/Xdec Our survey says... XX XX XX XX XXX EEEEE-AAAUGH XX XX XX XX Looking on my alpha for the size of the X server executable I find -rwxr-xr-x 1 bin bin 65536 May 20 06:19 /usr/bin/X11/Xdec BUT! It's dynamically linked. The DEC doesn't seem to have an "ldd" command to search for libraries, so let's look at the Sun executable instead. -rwxr-xr-x 1 bush 1482752 Oct 2 1992 /users/X11R5/bin/Xsun -rwxr-xr-x 1 bush 794624 Oct 2 1992 /usr/local/bin/X11R5/XsunMono That's more like it... These are dynamically linked against the system C libraries but apart from that are self contained. The mono one is running at the moment. USER PID %CPU %MEM SZ RSS TT STAT START TIME COMMAND imc 3657 0.0 6.7 1256 2048 co S 14:27 2:48 XsunMono :0 -auth /mcl imc From imc Thu Nov 14 16:23:53 1996 Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:23:53 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 14, 96 03:46:28 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 373 Lines: 10 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:46:28 +0000 (GMT), Justin Skists said: > Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy3 don't work... The guy jumps quite happly on it's > own without my interaction (in fact, he was so happy jumping, he didn't want to > do anything else...) > I'm putting this down to hardware incompatibility... What does your emulator return for an IN a,(31) instruction? imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 16:33:06 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114162430.0094e148@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:24:30 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: Returned mail: Remote protocol error Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 377 Lines: 14 At 03:01 PM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: >Hence the reason why you need 96meg (OK, 8 at the lowest) to run it smoothly.. >:) Tsk... I've got 20Mb on my machine.. runs like a dream... However, don't try running Windows NT with anything less than 12Mb... namely because it won't :) (Microsoft still insists on rewriting your boot sector before it checks this though...) Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 16:38:54 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961114163213.00954af8@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:32:13 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 - Reply Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 824 Lines: 29 At 03:15 PM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: >But but but.... SAMco had TWO oppurtunities to spot their mistake! > 1) The supplier didn't care to check the order with the goods... > 2) The didn't check the warrantee card against the order.. > >Lucky for me, they didn't.. :) Tsk :) >(I was upset they didn't send me the full comms interface rather than the >parallel printer interface that I asked for.. :/ ) Did you send it back and ask for the right one? >Anyway, what's all this against me? What have I done to deserve this? >I thought SAMco was very kind... It was my christmas prezzie anyway.. :) Hmmmm... same thing happened to me -- I ended up with two drives instead of one when I ordered one (they both came in separate parcels). Needless to say, /I/ sent the extra one /back/ ;) ;) ;) Si ps. Only teasing... From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 16:39:10 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:35:25 +0000 (GMT) From: "A.S. Collier" X-Sender: asc25@navy.csi.cam.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited In-Reply-To: <199611141132.LAA05871@zitus.cs.cf.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 264 Lines: 16 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, D M Zambonini wrote: > > **Please** could some kind soul mail me an ASCII convertion of my > FastText code producer? I think I may be onto something here.... :) > > DMZ > --- > I did!!! Did that not arrive? Shall I try again? Andrew From imc Thu Nov 14 17:06:19 1996 Subject: Re: Samson Graphic extras To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:06:19 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611050812.AA00184@asmal.edh-net> from "Frode Tenneboe" at Nov 5, 96 09:12:13 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 1068 Lines: 32 On Tue, 5 Nov 1996 09:12:13 +0100, Frode Tenneboe said: > The trouble with this approach is that you have to define a 'window' which > the circuitry can work inside. Ie. as you move the start of the display > 'upwards' in memory it will need more than what's allocated in one > 32K chunck. > > ___________________ > | | | > | | | > | W | X | > | | | > | | | > ------------------- > | | | > | | | > | Y | Z | > | | | > | | | > ------------------- > > Where the screen starts in bank W and as you move in either direction, > you always has one screen 'buffer' (you can have right-scrolling by setting > the start to bank Z). Couldn't you make it wrap around left-right and top-bottom so as always to use the same area of screen memory? It is true that when you scroll leftwards it will display the left-hand column on the right. However, you had to redraw the right-hand column at some point so why not do it at that instant? imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:07:26 1996 Subject: Re: SOS - Graphic extras To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:07:26 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <961105045740_1781056868@emout02.mail.aol.com> from "BrenchleyR@aol.com" at Nov 5, 96 04:57:41 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 221 Lines: 7 On Tue, 5 Nov 1996 04:57:41 -0500, BrenchleyR@aol.com said: > Yes, but filled vectored is not Elite. Elite IS wire-frame. Oh. Then what was that trading game with filled graphics that I played on a PC in 1989?... imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:12:08 1996 Subject: Re: Tv or not TV/UFO To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:12:08 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611051045.KAA19750@dartford.bris.ac.uk> from "SL Harding" at Nov 5, 96 10:45:16 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 589 Lines: 17 On Tue, 5 Nov 1996 10:45:16 +0000 (GMT), SL Harding said: [about UFO] > Sad ending wasn't it! Indeed, and rather a pointless exercise all round really. So let me get this straight. A boy jumps into a ditch to avoid a passing car (since it obviously didn't actually touch him) and he is injured so badly he goes into a coma... and the only thing that can save him is a drug from New York?! Isn't any hospital in the country properly equipped for treating road accident victims? > Did you use your SAM screen to watch it too? Nope... my Sam screen is actually on top of the TV. imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:18:26 1996 Subject: Re: Z30 Compatability? To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:18:26 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <961105054912_1646840941@emout03.mail.aol.com> from "BrenchleyR@aol.com" at Nov 5, 96 05:49:12 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 753 Lines: 16 On Tue, 5 Nov 1996 05:49:12 -0500, BrenchleyR@aol.com said: > Sorry, but you can't ingnore the fact that as many assemblers allow the > 'undocumented' codes, many programmers have used them. Which assemblers, where? I know Comet accepts SLL, but it doesn't even do split IX/IY as far as I remember. My Speccy assembler (BIAS) does split IX/IY, but these are allowed on Z380 anyway. Of the other undocumented instructions I don't think any are useful or common enough to have been put into an assembler, except that BIAS accepts the "IN F,(C)" instruction which _is_ documented in the Speccy manual and at least two other places. It also accepts "OUT (C),F" which isn't a valid instruction (oops) and assembles to the undocumented "OUT (C),0". imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:26:11 1996 Subject: Re: Hello. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:26:11 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <27815.199611061407@lily.csv.warwick.ac.uk> from "Mr P R Walker" at Nov 6, 96 02:07:06 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 319 Lines: 9 On Wed, 6 Nov 1996 14:07:06 +0000 (GMT), Mr P R Walker said: > Who? What? When...? If you're talking about time, I think the mails are stamped by > the unix system as it sends them - certainly I have no control over it. Well you could complain to your sysadmin. Anyway, _this_ one had the correct time on it... imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:28:32 1996 Subject: Re: Interrupts. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:28:32 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <961106111223_1417156972@emout19.mail.aol.com> from "BrenchleyR@aol.com" at Nov 6, 96 11:12:24 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 381 Lines: 11 On Wed, 6 Nov 1996 11:12:24 -0500, BrenchleyR@aol.com said: > >Um, if you are using new graphics circuits you won't need palette line > >interrupts! > Why not? If we want them, design them in. Because they were a kludge to get more colours on the screen; a much easier solution is just to have more colours on the screen in the first place. It'll make things much easier. imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:32:12 1996 Subject: Re: Plea! Plea! Plea! To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:32:12 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611071217.AA02631@asmal.edh-net> from "Frode Tenneboe" at Nov 7, 96 01:17:18 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 325 Lines: 10 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 13:17:18 +0100, Frode Tenneboe said: > > Would anyone be willing to do an article for Based On An Idea? I'm up to my > > eyeballs in work at the moment, so it'd really help out. > Where your eyeballs end, my work has only begun. Other than that I'd > love to help...:/ well, you know... imc From imc Thu Nov 14 17:33:59 1996 Subject: Re: SOS: Sensible FAT To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:33:59 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <199611071828.SAA16665@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> from "Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com" at Nov 7, 96 06:28:30 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24 PGP6] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Length: 163 Lines: 6 On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 18:28:30 GMT, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com said: > Sam discs have a FAT within each directory entry. Not in the usual sense of the word FAT. imc From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 17:59:45 1996 From: James R Curry Organization: De Montfort University To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 18:00:29 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: SOS - Graphic extras Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) Message-Id: <188FA4A37C2@sahara.cms.dmu.ac.uk> Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 773 Lines: 24 > From: Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk > Subject: Re: SOS - Graphic extras > To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no > Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 17:07:26 +0000 (GMT) > Reply-to: sam-users@nvg.unit.no > On Tue, 5 Nov 1996 04:57:41 -0500, BrenchleyR@aol.com said: > > Yes, but filled vectored is not Elite. Elite IS wire-frame. > > Oh. Then what was that trading game with filled graphics that I played > on a PC in 1989?... > > imc It was called Elite + -- Justin Skists on James's computer. It was filled vectors on the ST - James. (Sorry, Ian, that you'll have this message twice.. we sent it direct to you, once, by accident..). -- James R Curry hc95jc@dmu.ac.uk "20 Dollars! Aw, I wanted a peanut.." - Homer Simpson, the Simpsons. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 18:09:14 1996 Message-Id: <199611141805.TAA14414@mailserv.caiw.nl> From: Robert van der Veeke To: sam-users Subject: Re: SOS - Screen Colours. Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 19:08:06 +0100 X-Msmail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1286 Lines: 40 > >On Sun, 3 Nov 1996 22:02:09 GMT, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com said: > >> Did I once see a routine that interlaced two screens? > > > >No, you didn't. > > > >You might have seen one that attempts to do it, but since it's impossible on > >an ordinary Sam it didn't work too well. :-) > > > >imc > > You actually probably saw one that "interlaced" three screens. It was a > program called pseudo-colour by an Australian sam user called Dylan (I > think...). It was supplied with a small suite of PD PC programs which would > convert just about any PC screen to a SAM "interlaced" 256 colour screen. > > Depending on the screen colours used you can get some *very* nice looking > pictures on your SAM. > Yes very nice looking on monitor, but on a TV its a quite different look, not so nice after all, I do recall that you said that Dylan (I think) asked of the display could be improved, so I think that it was that what he was asking then. > > Stefan "seems like the bolt-on's been moved down below" Drissen > I removed your "bolt on" Robert van der Veeke AKA RJV Graphics [rjvveeke@caiw.nl] Sam the Eagle: "You, sir, are a demented, sick, degenerate, barbaric, naughty... freako!" Alice Cooper: "Why, thank you." Sam the Eagle: "Freakos: one. Civilization: zero." From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 18:25:48 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: Interrupts. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 18:22:12 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: <9611141728.AA04597@booth2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> from "Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk" at Nov 14, 96 05:28:32 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 309 Lines: 9 > Because they were a kludge to get more colours on the screen; a much easier > solution is just to have more colours on the screen in the first place. It'll > make things much easier. > Hardly a 'kludge' - the interrupts can be used for things other than colour changes - mode changes, for example. -Andy From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 18:43:42 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:41:31 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961114134130_1551567660@emout12.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Returned mail: Remote protocol error Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 673 Lines: 23 In a message dated 14/11/96 13:44:38, you write: >> From: sh5655@harrier.fen.bris.ac.uk (SL Harding) > >> I don't think writing the opperating system in C is a good idea! True, it >may be >> easier and faster to write but it is also more likely to be seriously >bugged >> and will run slower than a pure assembler one. > >> All of the desktop accessorys you get with the machine had better be done >in >> Z380 assembler. > >Well I bet most of Linux is written in C and I know that X is written in C. > >imc Provided that the C compiler outputs Z(3)80 source code to go into an assembler/linker then you can always hand optimize the resulting code before assembly. Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 18:43:50 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:41:29 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961114134128_1451600812@emout09.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Games Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 313 Lines: 13 In a message dated 14/11/96 11:54:47, you write: >I love Manic Miner though, so I suppose I'm defeating my own >argument. > >Johnna That's the thing Johnna, many of the 'older' games are much more 'playable' and I for one think we should see more of them. That said Kaboom has to be seen - and bought. Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 18:43:56 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:41:36 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961114134135_1681991852@emout16.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Internet/cost/PC's Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 546 Lines: 15 In a message dated 14/11/96 13:46:54, you write: >Just a thought: if you are going to sell this machine on its internet >connectivity, who is going to sell the internet connections? Who is >going to man the help line? Note that most internet service providers >give or sell internet software to their users. You can be damn sure they >won't have any Sam software! > >imc There are several new internet access providers coming along, one of whome plans FREE access. I'm sure they would be interested if the SAM software could be done. Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 18:43:57 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 13:41:25 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961114134124_1082695083@emout03.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: The PlugBoard? Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 245 Lines: 11 In a message dated 14/11/96 11:25:43, you write: >No SAM system would be complete with the PlugBoard I/Face which I built >yesterday! It's cool! > > Come on then, tell us what it does, and why no SAM system will be complete without one. Bob From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 19:09:23 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 14:03:19 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961114140319_1648435452@emout03.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 - Reply Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 635 Lines: 18 In a message dated 14/11/96 15:16:39, you write: >But but but.... SAMco had TWO oppurtunities to spot their mistake! > 1) The supplier didn't care to check the order with the goods... > 2) The didn't check the warrantee card against the order.. > >Lucky for me, they didn't.. :) > > I thought that SAMCO never sold tape based machines (in the UK anyway). The only adverts they did were for the SAM 512K, which was disc based. But if it makes you feel better, donate lots of money to the SAMSON project. Just make the check out to the Corporate Association of Samson's Hupbrining (C.A.S.H. for short) and send it to me..... Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Thu Nov 14 20:13:35 1996 From: sh5655@bristol.ac.uk (SL. Harding) Message-Id: <199611142000.UAA09874@irix.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Internet/cost/PC's To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no (sam users) Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 20:00:47 +0000 (GMT) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL21] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1510 Lines: 41 > >Just a thought: if you are going to sell this machine on its internet > >connectivity, who is going to sell the internet connections? Who is > >going to man the help line? Note that most internet service providers > >give or sell internet software to their users. You can be damn sure they > >won't have any Sam software! > > > >imc > >There are several new internet access providers coming along, one of whome >plans FREE access. I'm sure they would be interested if the SAM software >plans FREE access. I'm sure they would be interested if the SAM software >could be done. > >Bob. I suggested a while ago that we could make a deal with such a web provider to give a few hours free time on their server with each machine we sell (as AOL do, but this Co. could be based in Europe (U.K?) so be much cheaper) -a good selling point to the gullable! If we sell enough units, the Co. would make a bomb! This is REALY begining to annoy me!!! The bristol gateway keeps on dieing!!! I have beenmissing about half of the messages from sam-users (I predict) and half of the ones I have been sending never make it! If the gateway dies at just the right time -as a message I am sending is in the buffer it is killed permanantly. (i.e. I get no delevery failure message). AGGGHHHHH! Thats, it. I am changing accounts! Someone wanted to put all the addresses on a web site I seem recall. Well change mine to sh5655@IRIX.bris.ac.uk (that may help) and/or numbly@bris.ac.uk on that page please. C9 Numb. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 07:40:55 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 08:42:26 +0100 From: ft@edh.ericsson.se (Frode Tenneboe) Message-Id: <9611150742.AA24272@asmal.edh-net> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Samson Graphic extras X-Sun-Charset: US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1243 Lines: 35 > > ___________________ > > | | | > > | | | > > | W | X | > > | | | > > | | | > > ------------------- > > | | | > > | | | > > | Y | Z | > > | | | > > | | | > > ------------------- > > > > Where the screen starts in bank W and as you move in either direction, > > you always has one screen 'buffer' (you can have right-scrolling by setting > > the start to bank Z). > > Couldn't you make it wrap around left-right and top-bottom so as always to > use the same area of screen memory? If you have a fast enough processor and nothing else to do. :) > > It is true that when you scroll leftwards it will display the left-hand > column on the right. However, you had to redraw the right-hand column at > some point so why not do it at that instant? It gives you a bit more slack when it comes to the actual update of the screen. But a wrap-around on one screen might be a food solution as any. Thought, a double screen area that does not need update, eg. a flipper game, would have an edge. :) How about a graphics card that had a notion of the difference between a virtual display and a screen. :) -Frode From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 07:44:35 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 08:46:26 +0100 From: ft@edh.ericsson.se (Frode Tenneboe) Message-Id: <9611150746.AA24279@asmal.edh-net> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Games X-Sun-Charset: US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 235 Lines: 12 > That's the thing Johnna, many of the 'older' games are much more 'playable' > and I for one think we should see more of them. > > That said Kaboom has to be seen - and bought. Tell us about it. Screen-shots! > > Bob. > -Frode From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 07:55:42 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961115075404.00963bcc@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 07:54:04 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: New Screen Modes. Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 920 Lines: 28 At 02:28 PM 11/12/96 +0000, you wrote: >I have looked at the ARM site, but want to know just how much power we will >get from the RISK graphics chip. Will it have its own independent memory for the >screen in the current design? Yes, it will indeed -- in fact, I can't see the design working without it... >can we actually use the chip as a processor or will it be wasted on physically >sending the data to the monitor? Yep, it can be used as a processor :) It's designed as such, remember? Though I'm planning a series of library routines to use with it -- stuff like sorting, painting graphics primitives, 3D calculation, mathematical calculation... >What will the connection between the card and the main Z380 part be? Well, with the Z380 there's no problem - just connect it to the BUS basically, and if the Z380 wants to access the memory, then it asks nicely.. >-thats a lot of questions! *grins* Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 08:02:44 1996 Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19961115080114.0094dea0@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> X-Sender: scooke@nessie.mcc.ac.uk X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 08:01:14 +0000 To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no From: Simon Cooke Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 2903 Lines: 111 At 12:35 PM 11/14/96 +0000, Ian Collier wrote: >> HL = font data >> DE = screen address > >Funnily enough, I have B<->C and HL<->DE swapped. :-) *grins* B<->C doesn't really matter, but after digesting what you've written overnight, I can see that the HL<->DE swap does make a *lot* of sense... >> print.even2: >> LD A,B >> AND (HL) >> XOR C >> LD (DE),A >> ;line 0 >> INC L So that becomes... LD A,(DE) AND B XOR C LD (HL),A INC E INC L >I believe I have INC DE here, which is a waste of 4 Tstates [2 if running >in uncontended memory; 0 if the screen is being displayed] if ever I saw >one. :-) *grins* I wrote these routines before the accurate timings list came out :) >OK, that's fine for unmasked lines. Now... > >> LD (pass.even+1),DE > >> EXX >> pass.even: LD HL,&0000 > >Ugh. :-) *laughs* Well, it did the trick, and from the timings I had it was faster than PUSH DE:EXX:POP DE >Let's see about timing here... (this is from memory) > > Uncontended Screen off Screen on >LD (nn),DE 20 24 48 >LD HL,nn 10 12 24 >PUSH DE 11 16 24 >POP HL 10 12 24 >So even though the self-modifying code trick is cute (let's hope you don't >want to do it on a machine with an instruction cache) the simple PUSH/POP >method is faster. :-) Fairynuff then ;) (RE: your next paragraph)... so the routine I had becomes: >> ; LD D,&F0 > >> ; EXX >> LD A,(DE) ; LD A,B >> AND B ; AND (HL) >> XOR C >> INC E >> ; EXX >> XOR (HL) >> AND &F0 >> XOR (HL) >> LD (HL),A > >So basically, your only use for the alternate register set is to store >the &F0 somewhere. Well, that and the fact that you got HL and DE the >wrong way round when you designed the entry conditions. :-) True... I think I tried both, but there you go... Hmmm... lesseee... the EXX and EXX get removed, in place of an AND &F0 So that's a 4 and a 4 replaced by an ~8 (not sure of the timings) I'll go with that! >But if you said > >AND &F0 > >instead of > >EXX >AND D >EXX > >it would actually be both shorter and faster, and it would leave the >alternate register set alone for someone else to use. Very true... >imc > >(Now, how do you print underlined characters? :-) ) Ummm... Not sure... I left them out of the print routine, and it'd also wreck the design of the rest of the system, so I think I'll leave them out. [wreck as in mess up the fast screen buffering, scroll-back buffer, etc] Simon From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 08:47:35 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 20:56:29 GMT+0 Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 875 Lines: 20 Hello, > Did you send it back? (The drive, I mean)? > > If you didn't, please take this opportunity to feel *INCREDIBLY* guilty, as > you are one of the contributing factors to SAMCo/MGT's demise Sorry, can't agree with this. SAMCo went down the pan with stlg100 of my money and I'd rather have some other SAM user who is STILL using the computer having it in the form of a disk drive, than some creditor who gives not one toss about the machne. If SAMCo make mistakes then tough shit - a proper business would have realised. Don't get me wrong, I'm not slating Alan and Bruce for their efforts because I know they tried very hard, but at the end of the day they cost me stlg100 (I was only 14 at the time and it was a LOT of money) and if it was through bad managment I lose all my sympathy. Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 08:47:36 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 21:01:28 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Internet/cost/PC's Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 913 Lines: 20 > On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:29:09 GMT+0, Johnna Teare said: > > As for the Internet connection - well I think it's going to become > > essential to have one as any machine that can't plug in is going to > > be considered inferior (remember, image is EVERYTHING these days). > > Just a thought: if you are going to sell this machine on its internet > connectivity, who is going to sell the internet connections? Who is > going to man the help line? Note that most internet service providers > give or sell internet software to their users. You can be damn sure they > won't have any Sam software! > > imc > Very true, and a point I had overlooked. But if you package some internet software with the machine, and have an Email address (I'd quite happily do it) to explain the usage of such software, then there would not be a problem. Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 08:47:43 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 21:08:24 GMT+0 Subject: Re: SOS - Screen Colours. Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 614 Lines: 16 Stefan said: > You actually probably saw one that "interlaced" three screens. It was a > program called pseudo-colour by an Australian sam user called Dylan (I > think...). Y&ep, (plug plug) Rob and I featured some of these screens on SAM2SAM and very nice they looked too. However, some interlaced screens were featured on FRED and they looked pretty cool too - Captain Kirk was on one of them and Sean Connery as well I think ("So Highlander..."). It flickered lots, but no more than a PC monitor trying to run at interlace mode. Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 08:47:43 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 21:17:58 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Games Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1471 Lines: 37 Hello, > >I love Manic Miner though, so I suppose I'm defeating my own > >argument. > > > >Johnna > > That's the thing Johnna, many of the 'older' games are much more 'playable' > and I for one think we should see more of them. > > That said Kaboom has to be seen - and bought. > > Bob. > I go along with oyur argument ehre entirely Bob. However, having seen Manic Miner on the Amiga and knowing that the SAM can do just as good a job, did we really have to botched off with new colours and a nw soundtrack. Please, don't get me wrong here. I believe Manic Miner is one of the best SAM games around (see my SAM2SAM reviews for proof) but the likes of Splat, which was littel more than a port with new levels, could have done with a little something more. I'll be the first to buy Kaboom if it does the SAM justice, but I'm not willing to spend hard earned money on something I've bought for my Spectrum years ago that I can merely snapshot over to the SAM. I've got tons of Speccy games, I don't need SAM reworkings of them! The likes of Legends is an example of the SAM being innovative. FLM is the same. Lemmings also. And, I'd hazard, Wop Gamma. But please, no more port over games that I already own! The likes of the rumoured Mokey Island clone would do a bundle on SAM. It's these games we should be pushing, not Game and Watch things with good soundtracks and graphics! Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 08:47:44 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 21:20:15 GMT+0 Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 424 Lines: 13 Hello, As regards the SNA to SAM converter... > Shall I bother sticking it up on nvg? > (I didn't think so.. Might stick it on my web page though, when I make it..) > Yes, yes yes and yes. It's saves me the bother of conerting the files to other formats first. If you don't do that, please mail me and I'll have a copy off you (if you don't mind!) Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 10:31:30 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 10:29:01 +0000 (GMT) From: "A.S. Collier" X-Sender: asc25@blue.csi.cam.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Games In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1044 Lines: 26 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Johnna Teare wrote: > I'll be the first to buy Kaboom if it does the SAM justice, but I'm > not willing to spend hard earned money on something I've bought for > my Spectrum years ago that I can merely snapshot over to the SAM. > I've got tons of Speccy games, I don't need SAM reworkings of them! No, you won't be the first; I've already put in my advance order. But... having seen the demo at the show, Kaboom! does look like it will be a very playable game. Fairly fast too, and non-puzzle. I don't know of any Spectrum equivalent, so no danger of wasting your money on a game you could just port over. Apologies for anyone still waiting for the game, but I may in part be responsible for extra delay before release (by writing to Wayne and suggesting some extra features to go in.) :-) At least it should come out as an even better release. Andrew (Who's bought *nearly* every Sam game ever, and reviewed a good proportion of them in 'Second Opinion' - the old-games review column, only in Zodiac Magazine) From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 10:40:57 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 10:35:35 +0000 (GMT) From: "A.S. Collier" X-Sender: asc25@blue.csi.cam.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Games In-Reply-To: <961114134128_1451600812@emout09.mail.aol.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 901 Lines: 25 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 BrenchleyR@aol.com wrote: > >I love Manic Miner though, so I suppose I'm defeating my own > >argument. > > > >Johnna > > That's the thing Johnna, many of the 'older' games are much more 'playable' > and I for one think we should see more of them. > > That said Kaboom has to be seen - and bought. Well... there are a lot of really playable old games. But if we get a direct port-over, that's exactly what people will see them as: old games. A hacked spectrum snapshot of Elite is exactly the point here. But, if we get a rewritten, updated, improved version; people are less likely to notice. Look at Batz 'n Ballz, or Manic Miner. These were new games, written for the Sam totally from scratch, with improved graphics, soundtrack, new features and and even more playability than the best of the Spectrum versions. That's the sort of Sam software I'd like to buy. Andrew From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 10:46:10 1996 Message-Id: X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 4.1 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 10:41:31 +0000 From: Dan Doore To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Games - Reply Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 222 Lines: 11 > many of the 'older' games are much more 'playable' and > I for one think we should see more of them. > > That said Kaboom has to be seen - and bought. Kaboom is unbelievable. I have my FRED tokens poised :)) Dan. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 11:19:36 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 11:09:26 GMT Message-Id: <199611151109.LAA26863@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SOS: Sensible FAT From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 485 Lines: 16 On Nov 14, 1996 17:34:00, 'Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk' wrote: >On Thu, 7 Nov 1996 18:28:30 GMT, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com said: >> Sam discs have a FAT within each directory entry. > >Not in the usual sense of the word FAT. > >imc -- Well if it does the same thing then it is a FAT. Although I admit that the real FAT is the SAM (Sector Allocation Map) that is made from the directory entries. Samsboss. When can we have something SLIM, a girls got to watch her hips. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 11:19:36 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 11:10:48 GMT Message-Id: <199611151110.LAA26904@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Interrupts. From: samsboss@uk.pipeline.com (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) Cc: sam-users@nvg.unit.no X-Pipeuser: samsboss X-Pipehub: uk.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com) X-Mailer: Pipeline v3.5.0 Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 309 Lines: 12 On Nov 14, 1996 18:22:12, 'ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale)' wrote: >Hardly a 'kludge' - the interrupts can be used for things other >than colour changes - mode changes, for example. >-Andy > -- But we could still have the interruptings, just no needy to usum for colour changes. Samsboss. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 12:14:10 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 12:02:55 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Interrupts. In-Reply-To: <199611151110.LAA26904@pipe1.uk.pipeline.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 590 Lines: 17 On Fri, 15 Nov 1996, Samsboss@uk.pipeline.com wrote: ;>But we could still have the interruptings, just no needy to usum for colour ;>changes. Surely an interrupt is an interrupt. What you use them for is determined by where you point it at. What we're saying is that we'd like a system where an interrupt is generated at the end of every scan line. If we have this then we can use it for whatever we like (As we do now in fact ...) Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 12:38:01 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: Interrupts. To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 12:34:47 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Lee Willis" at Nov 15, 96 12:02:55 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 511 Lines: 13 > Surely an interrupt is an interrupt. What you use them for is determined > by where you point it at. What we're saying is that we'd like a system > where an interrupt is generated at the end of every scan line. If we have > this then we can use it for whatever we like (As we do now in fact ...) > The only problem is that an interrupt takes a certain amount of time to service, so an interrupt at the end of every line would be overkill - each line's interrupt would need to be selectable. -ANdy From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 12:44:22 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 12:39:27 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Interrupts. In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 536 Lines: 17 On Fri, 15 Nov 1996, Andrew M Gale wrote: ;>The only problem is that an interrupt takes a certain amount ;> of time to service, so an interrupt at the end of every line ;> would be overkill - each line's interrupt would need to ;> be selectable. This is the way it works now, so I don't see the problem with retaining this when we have a machine with a faster processor .... Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 13:10:57 1996 From: Mr P R Walker Message-Id: <16723.199611151306@lupin.csv.warwick.ac.uk> Subject: Internet To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 13:06:54 +0000 (GMT) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 124 Lines: 2 Johnna... in that case, in order to email you for help on how to use the program they'd have to know how to use it! IYSWIM. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 14:03:43 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:00:01 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@dunlin.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 In-Reply-To: <9611141623.AA04231@booth2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1444 Lines: 33 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: > On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:46:28 +0000 (GMT), Justin Skists said: > > Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy3 don't work... The guy jumps quite happly on it's > > own without my interaction (in fact, he was so happy jumping, he didn't want to > > do anything else...) > > > I'm putting this down to hardware incompatibility... > > What does your emulator return for an IN a,(31) instruction? Good question... Then again, I don't really class SNA-RUNner as an emulator since it just uses the Speccy ROM as its own ROM and you can't snapshot the SNA yet... So, I suppose the IN a,(31) would give the normal answer the SAM gives. What is that port used for in Speccy-land? What is it used for in SAM-land? (I don't remember seeing port 31 in the tech manual).. BTW, all those who are interested, I'll be sticking it on my Web page (when I make it) and uploading it to nvg sometime next week... What's the best format? .td0? (Or shall I be a pain and send it through here and comp.sys.sinclair? :) ) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 14:13:48 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:04:23 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@dunlin.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 - Reply In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19961114163213.00954af8@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1111 Lines: 28 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Simon Cooke wrote: > At 03:15 PM 11/14/96 +0000, you wrote: > >(I was upset they didn't send me the full comms interface rather than the > >parallel printer interface that I asked for.. :/ ) > > Did you send it back and ask for the right one? I was sarcastic.. No, they actually sent me one that I ordered... :/ > >Anyway, what's all this against me? What have I done to deserve this? > >I thought SAMco was very kind... It was my christmas prezzie anyway.. :) > > Hmmmm... same thing happened to me -- I ended up with two drives instead of > one when I ordered one (they both came in separate parcels). > > Needless to say, /I/ sent the extra one /back/ Hmmmm.... Do I believe you? :) -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 14:17:12 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:11:49 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@dunlin.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Z30 Compatability? In-Reply-To: <9611141718.AA04527@booth2.ecs.ox.ac.uk> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1058 Lines: 23 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 Ian.Collier@comlab.ox.ac.uk wrote: > On Tue, 5 Nov 1996 05:49:12 -0500, BrenchleyR@aol.com said: > > Sorry, but you can't ingnore the fact that as many assemblers allow the > > 'undocumented' codes, many programmers have used them. > > Which assemblers, where? I though *all* assemblers accept undocumented codes... (in a round about way) What's wrong with looking up the codes and inputting them as 'DB xx, yy' where xx and yy is the opcode. That's how the spectrum version of Lerm Toolkit suggested... I don't think the SAM version said anything about it in its manual... Can't remember.. Now.. Disassemblers are another thing totally! -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 14:30:13 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:21:12 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Z30 Compatability? In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 702 Lines: 21 On Fri, 15 Nov 1996, Justin Skists wrote: ;> ;>I though *all* assemblers accept undocumented codes... (in a round about way) ;>What's wrong with looking up the codes and inputting them as 'DB xx, yy' where ;>xx and yy is the opcode. That's how the spectrum version of Lerm Toolkit ;>suggested... I don't think the SAM version said anything about it in its ;>manual... Can't remember.. ;> yeah but the point about undocumented instructions is that they'renot documented, so you can't look them up. (Not strictly true I know, but near enough ...) Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 14:34:21 1996 From: Johnna Teare Organization: University of Central Lancashire To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:05:08 GMT+0 Subject: Re: Internet Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.33) Message-Id: Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 226 Lines: 7 > Johnna... in that case, in order to email you for help on how to use the > program they'd have to know how to use it! IYSWIM. Erm...forgot about that! Johnna Pig Teare (j.d.teare@uclan.ac.uk) "They call me Mad The Swine" From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:02:53 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:58:57 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@dunlin.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: The PlugBoard? In-Reply-To: <961114134124_1082695083@emout03.mail.aol.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 2583 Lines: 60 Please understand that I'm a "newbie" at electronics when you read this... On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 BrenchleyR@aol.com wrote: > >No SAM system would be complete with the PlugBoard I/Face which I built > >yesterday! It's cool! > > Come on then, tell us what it does, It's just an adapter that presents the SAM expansion port in a form that could be used easily with a solderless plugboard module thing where you can set up circuits really easily and quickly without worrying about soldering.. :) It took me a month to get around to building the thing and 4 hours of pain staking soldering to build it. It's built on a strip board with the euroconnecter at one end and two 32-way strip-sockets at the other. And cutting 26 lengths of single core cable so I could have more than 32 connections.. :) Then, when I finished, I quickly ran upstairs connect it to my SAM and wired up a seven segment display. A NOR gate to nor the /WR with the /LPRINT. A octal D latch thingy.. a 7-seg display driver.. And guess what, it didn't work! :/ But it looked pretty pulsating away when I did somthing with the keyboard... and when I ran a basic program to OUTput values it looked really pretty :) Hmmm.. I wired it up to use /HALT instead of /WR (Easy mistake.. Same pin, wrong row!).. And I wired up the 4001 as the 74LS variety (I looked at the wrong drawing!) It's cool... I don't want to take it apart! :) It was my first proper electric circuit that works!!!! All the ones I did from books don't... Now to build that fully artificial intellegent computer and take over the world! :) > and why no SAM system will be complete without one. It was a joke.. :) BTW, a request for SOS. Are we are going to attack the electronics enthusiast market with SAMson? (Bear in mind that they'll probably have an old BBC somewhere...) If so, I have a couple suggestions of what we could do with the extra 32 lines of the SAM bus - 1) USERL - Just like the PRINTL, DISK1L and DISK2L lines. A partially decoded set of eight addresses so I can use it like PRINTL but with a printer attatched aswell.. :) 2) Another eight user I/O lines that can be accessed by a single port. Maybe in a seperate socket... -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:07:51 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 10:04:51 -0500 From: BrenchleyR@aol.com Message-Id: <961115100450_1749236506@emout18.mail.aol.com> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: WHO IS GOING TO DO WHAT? Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 785 Lines: 21 Ok folks, I've spent the las two days going through all the mailings about the SAMSON project, and I intend to spend a large part of the next few days putting together the draft spec for stage one. The big question now is WHO is going to do WHAT and WHEN? I know some of you have pressures of work or family or study. But what I now need is some indication from each of you as to what part you can play in the active development towards SAMSON. Hardware needs to be designed and prototyped and software needs to be written both on the system side and on the application side. So I need to know what resources are going to be available. All it needs is a simple email. Using the heading above. Say what part you want to play in the project. Time to get the show on the road. Bob. From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:09:52 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 15:01:19 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@dunlin.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Z30 Compatability? In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 725 Lines: 16 On Fri, 15 Nov 1996, Lee Willis wrote: > yeah but the point about undocumented instructions is that they'renot > documented, so you can't look them up. (Not strictly true I know, but near > enough ...) But the Speccy version of Lerm Toolkit's manual had quite a few documented.. Do you want me to type them in a file somewhere? -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:16:10 1996 X-Authentication-Warning: dcsun4.comp.brad.ac.uk: lwillis owned process doing -bs Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 15:09:10 +0000 (GMT) From: Lee Willis To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Z30 Compatability? In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1006 Lines: 28 On Fri, 15 Nov 1996, Justin Skists wrote: ;>On Fri, 15 Nov 1996, Lee Willis wrote: ;> ;>> yeah but the point about undocumented instructions is that they'renot ;>> documented, so you can't look them up. (Not strictly true I know, but near ;>> enough ...) ;> ;>But the Speccy version of Lerm Toolkit's manual had quite a few documented.. Do ;>you want me to type them in a file somewhere? ;> ;>-- Not really. I was just making the point that since most of the codes in question weren't in most of the official documentations, then most programmers won't have used them. The only time they would have been used is by 'demo coders' who were into optimising code to get it to run inside I frame (I Know, I've done this many a time ...). The majority of serious software aren't going to use the awkward undocumented codes, and so shouldn't be a problem. Lee. How many Microsoft employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they just make darkness the industry standard! From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:27:15 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 13:58:46 GMT From: D.M.Zambonini@cs.cf.ac.uk (D M Zambonini) Message-Id: <199611151358.NAA16637@owain.cs.cf.ac.uk> To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: Butterfly Print revisited Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Md5: l1JcG95BwDl2NqbIzpddkw== Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 332 Lines: 20 > > **Please** could some kind soul mail me an ASCII convertion of my > > FastText code producer? I think I may be onto something here.... :) > > > > DMZ > > --- > > > > I did!!! Did that not arrive? Shall I try again? > > > Andrew > Darn pesky email messages. Sorry. It must have got lost. Please try again.. :) DMZ --- From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:43:55 1996 Message-Id: From: ee31ag@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Andrew M Gale) Subject: Re: The PlugBoard? To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 15:40:00 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: from "Justin Skists" at Nov 15, 96 02:58:57 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 519 Lines: 12 > It's just an adapter that presents the SAM expansion port in a form that could > be used easily with a solderless plugboard module thing where you can set up > circuits really easily and quickly without worrying about soldering.. :) > Excellent idea! That's the hardest bit about designing hardware for SAM - actually constructing it! I have loads of bits of stripboard held together by a rat's nest of wires, then connected to a dangling euroconnector. Perhaps I ought to get on and make my own plugboard... -Andy From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 15:50:45 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 15:46:15 +0000 (GMT) From: Justin Skists X-Sender: c93js1@kola.cms.dmu.ac.uk To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Subject: Re: SNA-RUNner: IFF2 - Reply In-Reply-To: <961114140319_1648435452@emout03.mail.aol.com> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1785 Lines: 38 onOn Thu, 14 Nov 1996 BrenchleyR@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 14/11/96 15:16:39, you write: > > >But but but.... SAMco had TWO oppurtunities to spot their mistake! > > 1) The supplier didn't care to check the order with the goods... > > 2) The didn't check the warrantee card against the order.. > > > >Lucky for me, they didn't.. :) > > I thought that SAMCO never sold tape based machines (in the UK anyway). The > only adverts they did were for the SAM 512K, which was disc based. They did. I got one.. and it says SAM Computers on the start up screen.. I wrote to them asking them to confirm the price of a tape based 256K version. They definately sold them, I even have the invoice somewhere (and that said tape based 256K aswell). If I remember rightly, I think I only saw 512K adverts aswell.. Then again, I wrote to them instead of reading the advert (I don't believe in adverts, anyway!) Shame they didn't send me the 512K version aswell... I could've saved 35ukp a few months later.. :) > But if it makes you feel better, donate lots of money to the SAMSON project. > Just make the check out to the Corporate Association of Samson's Hupbrining > (C.A.S.H. for short) and send it to me..... You mean supporting the SAMson project isn't enough? :) You know I would help the project in anyway I can... It's just that my abilities aren't good enough for you yet... :/ -- ============================================================================= |Justin Skists (c93js1@dmu.ac.uk) | Don't take life so seriously, | |BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Year 4 | you'll never survive it! | |De Montfort University, Leicester, England | - (C) CamLoRTS 1996 | ============================================================================= From owner-sam-users@nvg.unit.no Fri Nov 15 16:03:29 1996 From: Stephen Harding Message-Id: <199611151645.QAA14496@BITS.bris.ac.uk> Subject: Re: SOS parallel - textmode To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no (sam users) Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 16:45:36 +0000 (GMT) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: sam-users@nvg.unit.no Status: RO Content-Length: 1057 Lines: 27 > >At the moment the character is > > > expanded from a bit image to an image suitable for mode 4 - well, > > > the z80 could have the characters stored in a fast (if memory inefficient) > > > manner, enabling quick printing. Like used on the text viewer > > > on the FRED and ENCELADUS disczines. > > > Remember Simon's Butterly Print thingo? I reckon that should be used. > > Hold on, I don't see why this should be made compulsory in the operating > system just to make it a microsecond quicker (since we are presumably > talking about the PRINT command in BASIC!). Make the character format > easy to understand and let the improved processor do the speeding up. > > imc I have said it before and I will say it again... Just because we have a faster machine doesn't mean to say that we can write crap slow code! Next thing you know you will be wanting nice neat code and a charater format that it is possible to understand! (drat!). We will be NEEDING son of son of son of son of samson before you know it if we take that path. Numb.