Date   : Wed, 02 Mar 1988 08:18:21 GMT
From   : osu-cis!n8emr!oink!jep@TUT.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (James E. Prior)
Subject: z80-cpm boards for IBM-PCs

In article <7216@sol.ARPA> ciaraldi@cs.rochester.edu (Mike Ciaraldi) writes:
>In article <8802190016.AA01488@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET
(JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH) writes:
>>
>>  I would be interested in anybody's experiences and recommendations for
>>addin boards for IBM-PCs that run CPM and are based on the z80 processor.
>>It must have a parallel port capable of driving a centonics-type printer
>>interface and it would be nice if there were already software driver hooks
>>for passing data back and forth from the PC side to the CPM side that
>>appeared as a device to both (i.e. assign as device or use as source or
>>destination in copy/pip commands) but this is not essential.

Why must it have its own printer port in addition to the PC's printer port?

>I have a "Baby Blue" board that I bought cheap at a close-out
>sale and never got to work.  As far as I know, the ones still being
>made (as advertised in magazines like Dr. Dobbs) go for around $200,
>but I have no experience with them.

I have a "Baby Blue" board at work.  I tried it in an AT in 1985.  It wouldn't
work.  I called the folks who made it and they said, yup it don't work in ATs,
and they weren't going to do anything to help.  They also wouldn't supply any
information like schematics, that could help me figure out how to make it work.

As someone else has noted, one of the hassles of using a Baby Blue board, is
that it requires a prepended header to your .COM file.

In addition to Z80MU, there is a program that runs 8080 (not Z80) programs as
is.  It requires the use of a V20 or V30 CPU which can actually run 8080
instructions.  For programs that don't use Z80 instuctions, it is much faster
that Z80MU, or my old IMSAI, because it doesn't have to emulate the 8080
instructions.  It actually executes 8080 code.

I can mail copies of the 8080 thing, or post if there are enough requests.

The other solution is offered by Micro-Interfaces.  They have drivers for
both CP/M-80 and ISIS using V20, V30, or their Z80 board.  I use their
ISIS driver with a V20.  I can't vouch for their CPM drivers.

Jim Prior    jep@oink.UUCP    {ihnp4|cbosgd}!n8emr!oink!jep

What's the difference between Donna Rice and Mrs. Bush?
Mrs. Bush has a Bush in her heart, while Donna Rice has a Hart in her bush.
-Vicky Tong


End of INFO-CPM Digest
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