Date   : Mon, 10 May 2004 07:59:46 +0100
From   : Mike Tomlinson <mike@...>
Subject: Re: Z88 BBC Link Kit

In article <7e.4d514426.2dc81812@...>, RWAPSoftware@... writes

>    I am one of the firms that still support the Cambridge Z88 
>    portable.=A0 However, none of us can find any more of the kits to 
>    link the Z88 to the BBC.
>    =A0
>    Does anyone have a copy of the Kit to link the BBC to a Cambridge 
>    Z88 ??

No.  I had a Z88 years ago and always regretted selling it.
   =A0
>    I can get the leads made up and the software is available for 
>    download, but how do I get the software onto the BBC?? (I do not 
>    have a BBC by the way)...

There's a *FX command which tells the BBC to accept its' console input
from the serial port.  IIRC, it's *FX2,1.  A BASIC program can be
transferred to the BBC in this way.

So, assuming you've got the cables and the BBC software on the Z88, your
instructions to the user need to tell them to plug in the serial cable
(being mindful that the serial port on the BBC can accept its plug in
one of two directions, and only one will work), issue *FX2,1 on the BBC,
and hit a key on the Z88 to send the BASIC program from the Z88 to the
BBC.

The user will see the program listing appear on the BBC screen as it's
transferred, then when it's complete, can press Break, followed by OLD
and RUN to run it, SAVE to save it to disk, etc.  Or you can make things
simpler for the user by sending "*FX2,0" as the last command - without a
line number! - to turn off console input from serial.

Mike