RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Discuss construction, troubleshooting, and operation of the Altair 8800c computer
musovern
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by musovern »

Yes code worked fine echoing everything from my ASCII keyboard to the VDM-1. On one line then writes over it. Is this correct.?
Still not sure why when I type from teraterm to the 3P+S over serial port that ALS-8 seems to not like my LABEL(LOOP) has a "U" error. But if I put the address of the loop in the code it runs fine. The manual says for a Label to just have one space is this correct.? And for the Opcode two spaces. Perhaps my serial setup is not quite right yet.?

Is there away to patch the ALS-8 source code so it comes from the ASCII keyboard port to VDM-1.? At the moment from CUTER i'm using the ASCII keyboard to enter (E024) to EXEC ALS-8 and it switches to the serial port. Perhaps that might solve the LABEL program.

Sorry for the newbie question

Vernon
keyboard_echo.jpg
AltairClone
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by AltairClone »

I guess I’m not clear about your configuration. I assumed you were using a serial ASCII keyboard through the 3P+S. Are you actually using a parallel keyboard? Is keyboard status on port 0 bit 0 and data on port 3 in your system?

Mike
musovern
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by musovern »

Sorry about that.
I should of been more clear.

I followed the SubSystem B manual. Jumpering 3P+S for Keyboard Console and RS232-C Serial interface
.
3S+P.jpg
This is the parallel ASCII keyboard I made up. Although I have got one of Dave's Sol-20 keyboard replacements as well to add to the mix once I learn how to drive this system.
keyboard+serial.jpg
Thanks
Vernon
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by AltairClone »

Ok, that makes sense. Tomorrow I’ll make an ALS-8 .hex file that will input from the parallel keyboard on your 3P+S and output to the VDM-1.

Mike
musovern
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by musovern »

Hi Mike,
That's great thank you.
Out of interest what are you using for a serial keyboard into your I/O4 board in the video on the Sub system B demo.

Cheers
Vernon
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by AltairClone »

Vernon,

Give the following PROM version of ALS8 which I have patched to work with CUTER (or SOLOS) for console I/O. If CUTER is working with your keyboard and video display, then ALS8 should also work with your keyboard and display since CUTER is doing the I/O with this patched version.

https://deramp.com/downloads/processor_ ... 0SOLOS.HEX

I haven't had a chance to set up a system to test it yet. Let me know what happens.

Mike
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by AltairClone »

musovern wrote: August 19th, 2024, 4:59 pm Out of interest what are you using for a serial keyboard into your I/O4 board in the video on the Sub system B demo.
Not a "real" keyboard - I used a terminal emulator on a PC to send keystrokes from the PC keyboard to my Altair.

Mike
musovern
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by musovern »

Hi Mike,
Made the EPROM you attached - PROM version of ALS8 patched to work with CUTER (or SOLOS) for console I/Oand can confirm it works fine, thank you very much.

I can jump straight into ALS-8 from CUTER and using my Parallel ASCII keyboard connected to the 3P+S board. I've being playing with ALS-8 this morning. Still have the problem of ALS-8 not seeing the "LABEL" statement, I've been using your example from the web video. Do you have any thoughts on this?.
I also tried using Solace emulator on my Windows 10 PC and typed it into ALS-8 just to be sure I'm doing it right and that works as expected like your video demo. So something strange there.

I then transferred over BASIC5 over the serial port to the system plus transferred over lunar and this game did work fine. Although I still need to adjust Character and line delay, as I had a couple of errors. I'm using Tera Term what are you recommended setups for this program. I'm at 9600BAUD 8N1.
lunar.jpg
Lunar working fine.
als-8-working.jpg
ALS-8 working and you example if I don't use the LABEL statement

Making some good progress thanks to your help.

I'm going to try sending Target next like in your Demo and playing.
Hang Man worked ok.
hangman.jpg
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by AltairClone »

For sending .ENT files, use 9600 8N1 with a 100ms line delay. Character delay should be zero. When you send the file, be sure to UNcheck the Binary checkbox. When this is done, TeraTerm sends only the CR and not the LF. This allows SOLOS to keep up.

Mike
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Re: RAM/PROM board for early S100 computers

Post by AltairClone »

Your symbol problem (LOOP) is because you need to give ALS-8 an address in memory to put the symbol table. D700 is typically used. Issue the command “STAB D700” before assembling any programs to set that address.

You can read more about this in the ALS-8 manual on original page 25 (pdf page 29):
https://deramp.com/downloads/processor_ ... /ALS-8.pdf

Mike
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