Re: [M100] QUAD update.

[Brian White]

As long as the basic program works to manually switch to a known bank
without knowing which bank you are currently in, that can serve as the
recovery instead of power-cycle. Say you switch to a bank without 0quad
installed, but forgot which bank you switched to, and so now you can't
install 0quad in the current bank.

I assume there is also a much shorter basic command possible with hard
coded values that just switches to bank 1 without having to know which bank
you're in now.

-- 
bkw

On Nov 5, 2017 5:15 PM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:

no, you are correct.  in the V5 schematic I needed an or gate, so one of
the BAV70s is doing.

The /ACTIVE signal provides a "virtual ground" for the or gate.  when
/ACTIVE shoots high, it guarantees no strange accidental clock pulses are
sent to the flip flops.

I think what I have concluded is that, like the T200 and PC-8201, having
the machine come up in the same bank it was powered off in, is a nice
feature.  So, I wired the flip flops to the RAM power supply (made from
RAMRST).

feel free to ask questions and make suggestions!

thanks
Steve


On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 5:08 PM, Atsushi Takahashi 
wrote:

> Dear Steve,
>
> I didn’t realize how you were using what I thought was a reset circuit… I
> though you wanted to bring QUAD up in a preset bank…
>
> Those kinds of chips work great to hold the CPU in a reset state until the
> rest of the system is ready. I guess if the QUAD/RAM were not needed for
> the delay time, it would be fine.. The ALE solution is pretty elegant.
>
> I actually thought the BAV diode was being used as an OR gate… oops! I’m
> just full of bad guesses!
>
> -atsushi
>
>
> On Nov 5, 2017, at 12:21 PM, Stephen Adolph  wrote:
>
> Hey that is a pretty neat part. Thanks!
>
>
> Characteristic is something to check out though-
>
> "Active-low output.  RESET remains low while VCC is below the reset
> threshold,and *for 240 ms* after VCC rises above the reset threshold."
>
> In this case we want RAM to be available pretty quickly after power up,
> and pretty quickly protected when it goes away.  I have my circuit driven
> by ALE pulses.  It takes 13 pulses or so (about 4 CPU instructions) on
> power up to enable the RAM, and about 3 msec to disable the RAM on power
> down.
>
> I'd have to check if on power up RAM is needed withing 240 msec of a
> detected power on.
>
> the beauty of using ALE is that ALE remains low during power off, and it
> really directly indicates activity.
>
> cheers
> Steve
>
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:08 PM, Stephen Adolph 
> wrote:
>
>> thanks for the tip!  I will check it out.
>>
>> In the M100, RAMRST is meant to protect the ram.  However, in QUAD one
>> has to back drive RAMRST to essentially put the internal memory on hold.
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:06 PM, Atsushi Takahashi 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Steve,
>>>
>>> I ordered the old QUAD boards from OSH Park but I also purchased one of
>>> these
>>>
>>> LM810M3-4.63/NOPBCT-ND
>>>
>>> from Digi-Key in an attempt to address the power on reset issue. It’s
>>> just a three pin surface mount chip. I used to have something like that in
>>> my 68hc11 boards… Do you think they would help you? It probably takes up
>>> less space than a cap, resistor and MOSFET...
>>>
>>> I haven’t gotten around to building the QUAD yet so I cannot testify to
>>> say if the reset circuit helped...
>>>
>>> -atsushi
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>
>>> *From: *Stephen Adolph 
>>> *Subject: **[M100] QUAD update.*
>>> *Date: *November 5, 2017 at 9:36:44 AM EST
>>> *To: *Model 100 Discussion 
>>> *Reply-To: *m...@bitchin100.com
>>>
>>> Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4
>>> which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.
>>>
>>> 1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100
>>> OS will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can
>>> cause V4 QUAD to change banks.
>>>
>>> 2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and
>>> there was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on
>>> power transients.
>>>
>>> 3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.
>>>
>>> Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations
>>> I was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.
>>>
>>>
>>> The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these
>>> defects.   The changes:
>>> * I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank
>>> switch protection on power transients
>>> * I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power
>>> transients.
>>> * I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more
>>> robust.
>>> * bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.
>>>
>>> I'll report back on how well these changes work 

Re: [M100] QUAD update.

[Daryl Tester]

On Sun, 5 Nov 2017 17:08:16 -0500, Atsushi Takahashi wrote:


I actually thought the BAV diode was being used as an OR gate… oops!
I’m just full of bad guesses!


No, Steve's mind just works at a far more subtle level than us mortals.

--
Regards,
  Daryl Tester
  Handcrafted Computers Pty. Ltd.

Re: [M100] QUAD update.

[Stephen Adolph]

no, you are correct.  in the V5 schematic I needed an or gate, so one of
the BAV70s is doing.

The /ACTIVE signal provides a "virtual ground" for the or gate.  when
/ACTIVE shoots high, it guarantees no strange accidental clock pulses are
sent to the flip flops.

I think what I have concluded is that, like the T200 and PC-8201, having
the machine come up in the same bank it was powered off in, is a nice
feature.  So, I wired the flip flops to the RAM power supply (made from
RAMRST).

feel free to ask questions and make suggestions!

thanks
Steve


On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 5:08 PM, Atsushi Takahashi 
wrote:

> Dear Steve,
>
> I didn’t realize how you were using what I thought was a reset circuit… I
> though you wanted to bring QUAD up in a preset bank…
>
> Those kinds of chips work great to hold the CPU in a reset state until the
> rest of the system is ready. I guess if the QUAD/RAM were not needed for
> the delay time, it would be fine.. The ALE solution is pretty elegant.
>
> I actually thought the BAV diode was being used as an OR gate… oops! I’m
> just full of bad guesses!
>
> -atsushi
>
>
> On Nov 5, 2017, at 12:21 PM, Stephen Adolph  wrote:
>
> Hey that is a pretty neat part. Thanks!
>
>
> Characteristic is something to check out though-
>
> "Active-low output.  RESET remains low while VCC is below the reset
> threshold,and *for 240 ms* after VCC rises above the reset threshold."
>
> In this case we want RAM to be available pretty quickly after power up,
> and pretty quickly protected when it goes away.  I have my circuit driven
> by ALE pulses.  It takes 13 pulses or so (about 4 CPU instructions) on
> power up to enable the RAM, and about 3 msec to disable the RAM on power
> down.
>
> I'd have to check if on power up RAM is needed withing 240 msec of a
> detected power on.
>
> the beauty of using ALE is that ALE remains low during power off, and it
> really directly indicates activity.
>
> cheers
> Steve
>
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:08 PM, Stephen Adolph 
> wrote:
>
>> thanks for the tip!  I will check it out.
>>
>> In the M100, RAMRST is meant to protect the ram.  However, in QUAD one
>> has to back drive RAMRST to essentially put the internal memory on hold.
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:06 PM, Atsushi Takahashi 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Steve,
>>>
>>> I ordered the old QUAD boards from OSH Park but I also purchased one of
>>> these
>>>
>>> LM810M3-4.63/NOPBCT-ND
>>>
>>> from Digi-Key in an attempt to address the power on reset issue. It’s
>>> just a three pin surface mount chip. I used to have something like that in
>>> my 68hc11 boards… Do you think they would help you? It probably takes up
>>> less space than a cap, resistor and MOSFET...
>>>
>>> I haven’t gotten around to building the QUAD yet so I cannot testify to
>>> say if the reset circuit helped...
>>>
>>> -atsushi
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>
>>> *From: *Stephen Adolph 
>>> *Subject: **[M100] QUAD update.*
>>> *Date: *November 5, 2017 at 9:36:44 AM EST
>>> *To: *Model 100 Discussion 
>>> *Reply-To: *m...@bitchin100.com
>>>
>>> Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4
>>> which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.
>>>
>>> 1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100
>>> OS will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can
>>> cause V4 QUAD to change banks.
>>>
>>> 2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and
>>> there was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on
>>> power transients.
>>>
>>> 3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.
>>>
>>> Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations
>>> I was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.
>>>
>>>
>>> The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these
>>> defects.   The changes:
>>> * I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank
>>> switch protection on power transients
>>> * I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power
>>> transients.
>>> * I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more
>>> robust.
>>> * bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.
>>>
>>> I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards
>>> back and have them tested.
>>>
>>> In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.
>>>
>>> cheers
>>> Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

Re: [M100] QUAD update.

[Atsushi Takahashi]

Dear Steve,

I didn’t realize how you were using what I thought was a reset circuit… I 
though you wanted to bring QUAD up in a preset bank…

Those kinds of chips work great to hold the CPU in a reset state until the rest 
of the system is ready. I guess if the QUAD/RAM were not needed for the delay 
time, it would be fine.. The ALE solution is pretty elegant. 

I actually thought the BAV diode was being used as an OR gate… oops! I’m just 
full of bad guesses!

-atsushi


On Nov 5, 2017, at 12:21 PM, Stephen Adolph  wrote:

> Hey that is a pretty neat part. Thanks!
> 
> 
> Characteristic is something to check out though-
> 
> "Active-low output.  RESET remains low while VCC is below the reset 
> threshold,and for 240 ms after VCC rises above the reset threshold."
> 
> In this case we want RAM to be available pretty quickly after power up, and 
> pretty quickly protected when it goes away.  I have my circuit driven by ALE 
> pulses.  It takes 13 pulses or so (about 4 CPU instructions) on power up to 
> enable the RAM, and about 3 msec to disable the RAM on power down.
> 
> I'd have to check if on power up RAM is needed withing 240 msec of a detected 
> power on.  
> 
> the beauty of using ALE is that ALE remains low during power off, and it 
> really directly indicates activity.
> 
> cheers
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:08 PM, Stephen Adolph  wrote:
> thanks for the tip!  I will check it out.
> 
> In the M100, RAMRST is meant to protect the ram.  However, in QUAD one has to 
> back drive RAMRST to essentially put the internal memory on hold.
> 
> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:06 PM, Atsushi Takahashi  
> wrote:
> Dear Steve,
> 
> I ordered the old QUAD boards from OSH Park but I also purchased one of these 
> LM810M3-4.63/NOPBCT-ND
> 
> from Digi-Key in an attempt to address the power on reset issue. It’s just a 
> three pin surface mount chip. I used to have something like that in my 68hc11 
> boards… Do you think they would help you? It probably takes up less space 
> than a cap, resistor and MOSFET...
> 
> 
> I haven’t gotten around to building the QUAD yet so I cannot testify to say 
> if the reset circuit helped...
> 
> -atsushi
> 
> 
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>> From: Stephen Adolph 
>> Subject: [M100] QUAD update.
>> Date: November 5, 2017 at 9:36:44 AM EST
>> To: Model 100 Discussion 
>> Reply-To: m...@bitchin100.com
>> 
>> Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4 
>> which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.
>> 
>> 1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100 OS 
>> will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can 
>> cause V4 QUAD to change banks.
>> 
>> 2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and there 
>> was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on power 
>> transients.
>> 
>> 3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.
>> 
>> Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations I 
>> was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.
>> 
>> 
>> The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these 
>> defects.   The changes:
>> * I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank 
>> switch protection on power transients
>> * I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power 
>> transients.
>> * I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more 
>> robust.
>> * bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.
>> 
>> I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards back 
>> and have them tested.
>> 
>> In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.
>> 
>> cheers
>> Steve
>> 
> 
> 
> 

Re: [M100] T200 ram

[Stephen Adolph]

Yes I did remove it.  It should not be built any more - it has known
defects.



On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 3:38 PM, Brian White  wrote:

> Awesome. Thank you. Would you be averse to me putting these and some other
> files that you've published into github?
>
> Hey did you remove the quad v4 pcb from oshpark?
>
> I built a set of quads last night and had a scratched up trace and
> possible short between a couple of legs on the AC74 and what looks like
> possibly some ground plane extended in between them. Sure enough in the
> end, the m100 doesn't start with that unit installed. So I went to look at
> the pcb drawing to see what the traces are supposed to be, and it's gone
> from oshpark now.
>
> The other 2 units worked, so the alternative flash chip works, at least
> for the mininal test to switch into all 4 banks and use a ur2 rom to load
> dos100.co to install 0quad in all 4 banks. That must excercise about 7 or
> 8k in each bank briefly, since dos100.co is almost 6k.
>
> --
> bkw
>
> On Nov 5, 2017 9:53 AM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:
>
>> T200 RAM PCB files are in my personal directory at Club 100.
>> cheers
>> Steve
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 7:48 PM, Brian White  wrote:
>>
>>> Doesn't matter to me. Might as well continue using club100 at least for
>>> now I guess.
>>>
>>> I just built another 2 boards and all in all the existing method isn't
>>> too bad as long as you aren't trying to produce them in numbers.
>>>
>>> I found an easier way to extract the pins than pulling with pliars. By
>>> cracking open the insulator with cutters, cutting in-line with the pin.
>>> They popped loose pretty easy. It's actually a pretty neat hack you found
>>> there. The end resulting leg is tidy.
>>>
>>> Thanks again for providing this.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> bkw
>>>
>>> On Nov 4, 2017 5:58 PM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:
>>>
 Not at all.  I did it back in the day because it was clearly doable and
 worthwhile..efforts to improve it are great!  Where should the source eagle
 files go?


 On Saturday, November 4, 2017, Brian White  wrote:

> I actually agree! As long as you're not going to mind.
>
> --
> bkw
>
> On Nov 4, 2017 8:00 AM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:
>
>> It is such a simple board.  I think this would be an excellent
>> opportunity for someone who wants to learn Eagle!!!
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:48 PM, Brian White 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Steve,
>>>
>>> There IS room to install pin headers the normal way, even ordinary
>>> cheap ones without needing special low profile ones. Though, low profile
>>> would allow a little room for the pins to stick out of the top a little
>>> without having to be shaved exactly flush with the top surface.
>>>
>>> So, if the components were on the underside, and the through-holes
>>> were small diameter to fit round pins the normal way, and the solder 
>>> sode
>>> of the pins were sized to match the pcb, or nipped flush after the fact,
>>> then it just fits, even with common cheap pin headers with 4.2mm 
>>> combined
>>> insulator + shoulder.
>>>
>>> The contact pin needs to be trimmed down to 3.6mm and the solder pin
>>> needs to be trimmed down to 1.6mm (pcb thickness)
>>>
>>> And really, we can probably find pins ready made already close to
>>> those dimensions.
>>>
>>> But even with the common pins, it would be a lot easier to build
>>> than extracting them.
>>>
>>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJuaZyszT0z5ZQiO2
>>>
>>> I'm looking for possible parts that won't even need trimming now.
>>>
>>> --
>>> bkw
>>>
>>
>>
>>

Re: [M100] QUAD update.

[Brian White]

Well this answers my question!

Thank you for all this cool skullduggery.

-- 
bkw

On Nov 5, 2017 9:36 AM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:

Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4
which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.

1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100 OS
will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can
cause V4 QUAD to change banks.

2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and
there was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on
power transients.

3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.

Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations I
was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.


The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these
defects.   The changes:
* I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank
switch protection on power transients
* I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power
transients.
* I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more
robust.
* bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.

I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards back
and have them tested.

In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.

cheers
Steve

Re: [M100] T200 ram

[Brian White]

Awesome. Thank you. Would you be averse to me putting these and some other
files that you've published into github?

Hey did you remove the quad v4 pcb from oshpark?

I built a set of quads last night and had a scratched up trace and possible
short between a couple of legs on the AC74 and what looks like possibly
some ground plane extended in between them. Sure enough in the end, the
m100 doesn't start with that unit installed. So I went to look at the pcb
drawing to see what the traces are supposed to be, and it's gone from
oshpark now.

The other 2 units worked, so the alternative flash chip works, at least for
the mininal test to switch into all 4 banks and use a ur2 rom to load
dos100.co to install 0quad in all 4 banks. That must excercise about 7 or
8k in each bank briefly, since dos100.co is almost 6k.

-- 
bkw

On Nov 5, 2017 9:53 AM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:

> T200 RAM PCB files are in my personal directory at Club 100.
> cheers
> Steve
>
> On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 7:48 PM, Brian White  wrote:
>
>> Doesn't matter to me. Might as well continue using club100 at least for
>> now I guess.
>>
>> I just built another 2 boards and all in all the existing method isn't
>> too bad as long as you aren't trying to produce them in numbers.
>>
>> I found an easier way to extract the pins than pulling with pliars. By
>> cracking open the insulator with cutters, cutting in-line with the pin.
>> They popped loose pretty easy. It's actually a pretty neat hack you found
>> there. The end resulting leg is tidy.
>>
>> Thanks again for providing this.
>>
>>
>> --
>> bkw
>>
>> On Nov 4, 2017 5:58 PM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:
>>
>>> Not at all.  I did it back in the day because it was clearly doable and
>>> worthwhile..efforts to improve it are great!  Where should the source eagle
>>> files go?
>>>
>>>
>>> On Saturday, November 4, 2017, Brian White  wrote:
>>>
 I actually agree! As long as you're not going to mind.

 --
 bkw

 On Nov 4, 2017 8:00 AM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:

> It is such a simple board.  I think this would be an excellent
> opportunity for someone who wants to learn Eagle!!!
>
> On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:48 PM, Brian White 
> wrote:
>
>> Steve,
>>
>> There IS room to install pin headers the normal way, even ordinary
>> cheap ones without needing special low profile ones. Though, low profile
>> would allow a little room for the pins to stick out of the top a little
>> without having to be shaved exactly flush with the top surface.
>>
>> So, if the components were on the underside, and the through-holes
>> were small diameter to fit round pins the normal way, and the solder sode
>> of the pins were sized to match the pcb, or nipped flush after the fact,
>> then it just fits, even with common cheap pin headers with 4.2mm combined
>> insulator + shoulder.
>>
>> The contact pin needs to be trimmed down to 3.6mm and the solder pin
>> needs to be trimmed down to 1.6mm (pcb thickness)
>>
>> And really, we can probably find pins ready made already close to
>> those dimensions.
>>
>> But even with the common pins, it would be a lot easier to build than
>> extracting them.
>>
>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJuaZyszT0z5ZQiO2
>>
>> I'm looking for possible parts that won't even need trimming now.
>>
>> --
>> bkw
>>
>
>
>

Re: [M100] Fwd: QUAD update.

[Stephen Adolph]

Hey that is a pretty neat part. Thanks!


Characteristic is something to check out though-

"Active-low output.  RESET remains low while VCC is below the reset
threshold,and *for 240 ms* after VCC rises above the reset threshold."

In this case we want RAM to be available pretty quickly after power up, and
pretty quickly protected when it goes away.  I have my circuit driven by
ALE pulses.  It takes 13 pulses or so (about 4 CPU instructions) on power
up to enable the RAM, and about 3 msec to disable the RAM on power down.

I'd have to check if on power up RAM is needed withing 240 msec of a
detected power on.

the beauty of using ALE is that ALE remains low during power off, and it
really directly indicates activity.

cheers
Steve



On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:08 PM, Stephen Adolph 
wrote:

> thanks for the tip!  I will check it out.
>
> In the M100, RAMRST is meant to protect the ram.  However, in QUAD one has
> to back drive RAMRST to essentially put the internal memory on hold.
>
> On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:06 PM, Atsushi Takahashi 
> wrote:
>
>> Dear Steve,
>>
>> I ordered the old QUAD boards from OSH Park but I also purchased one of
>> these
>>
>> LM810M3-4.63/NOPBCT-ND
>>
>> from Digi-Key in an attempt to address the power on reset issue. It’s
>> just a three pin surface mount chip. I used to have something like that in
>> my 68hc11 boards… Do you think they would help you? It probably takes up
>> less space than a cap, resistor and MOSFET...
>>
>> I haven’t gotten around to building the QUAD yet so I cannot testify to
>> say if the reset circuit helped...
>>
>> -atsushi
>>
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> *From: *Stephen Adolph 
>> *Subject: **[M100] QUAD update.*
>> *Date: *November 5, 2017 at 9:36:44 AM EST
>> *To: *Model 100 Discussion 
>> *Reply-To: *m...@bitchin100.com
>>
>> Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4
>> which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.
>>
>> 1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100
>> OS will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can
>> cause V4 QUAD to change banks.
>>
>> 2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and
>> there was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on
>> power transients.
>>
>> 3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.
>>
>> Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations I
>> was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.
>>
>>
>> The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these
>> defects.   The changes:
>> * I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank
>> switch protection on power transients
>> * I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power
>> transients.
>> * I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more
>> robust.
>> * bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.
>>
>> I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards
>> back and have them tested.
>>
>> In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.
>>
>> cheers
>> Steve
>>
>>
>>
>

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[James Zeun]

Thanks for that, some how it had passed me by. I've been using the old
fashion way of serial ASCII transfer.

James


On 5 Nov 2017 1:12 p.m., "Kevin Becker"  wrote:

> DLPlus is an emulator for the Tandy Portable Disk Drive that lets you
> load/save files to/from a folder on a Mac or Linux machine.
>
> http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=DLPlus
>
>
> - Kevin
>
>
> On Nov 5, 2017, at 7:36 AM, James Zeun  wrote:
>
> Dlplus? What is that?
>
> On 5 Nov 2017 2:11 a.m., "Daryn Hanright"  wrote:
>
>> I love using on my 102 for updating my Daily Journal. Am actually
>> currently sitting on my porch under our sun shade. It's a great device for
>> doing that stuff. It's super light, does what it does. The keyboard is the
>> best I have ever used, and I can see the screen easily.
>>
>> And it's pretty painless transferring the Doc to either my Android phone
>> (mComm) or Ubuntu laptop (dlplus).
>>
>> I'd be gutted if I suddenly couldn't use it. It's the most practical bit
>> of tech I have ever owned.
>>
>> Daryn
>>
>> On Nov 5, 2017 12:00 PM, "Mike Stein"  wrote:
>>
>>> - Original Message -
>>> From: Mitch Parker
>>> To: m...@bitchin100.com
>>> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2017 8:52 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?
>>>
>>> > Hello,
>>>
>>> > I do know Evan.  I've met him several times and can tell you several
>>> things:
>>>
>>> > 1.  He is a journalist.  He does a lot of writing for TechRepublic
>>> these days and has written for several other sites and magazines in the
>>> past.
>>> --
>>> He is and does; he's also a co-founder and director of the Vintage
>>> Computer Federation, an umbrella group for the Vintage Computer Forum and
>>> the VCF conferences, both valuable resources for the vintage computer
>>> community.
>>>
>>> But as we see more and more these days, journalists can not always be
>>> relied upon to present unbiased or even necessarily accurate information...
>>>
>>> He's also opinionated to the point of being rude and insulting.
>>> According to him, folks like Fred are "a bunch of old cranks, one or
>>> two of which call themselves writers and still use a Model 100"
>>> --
>>>
>>> > 2.  If there is anyone that can credibly make that statement, it would
>>> be him.
>>> --
>>> I think the people on this list who actually own and use one of the M100
>>> class  of computers are much better qualified to comment.
>>> --
>>>
>>> Doesn't change that the m100 does a lot and there may be a few people
>>> still using theirs.
>>> --
>>> "may be"?!? If you follow this list at all then you'd know that there *are
>>> *indeed quite a few people using theirs and prepared to invest time
>>> and/or money to make them even more useful while retaining the features
>>> that make them unique.
>>>
>>> From my reply to Evan:
>>> "How many modern computers have a full size regular keyboard in a tablet
>>> format with a display that's clearly legible in bright sunlight, instant
>>> on, cheap batteries that last for days and can be replaced in seconds, etc.
>>> ?"
>>>
>>> m
>>>
>>> >Mitch
>>>
>>> ---
>>> On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 6:58 PM Fred Whitaker  wrote:
>>>
>>> The Model 100 keyboard is the quality that has kept me using mine. I do
>>> have other devices but I prefer it for my writing. It is still as usable as
>>> it always has been. With the addition of REX and Quattro it is even more
>>> usable that it was.
>>>
>>> Fred Whitaker
>>>
>>> From: Bill Loguidice
>>> Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2017 6:36 PM
>>> To: m...@bitchin100.com
>>> Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?
>>>
>>> I would imagine few use it for serious writing anymore. Modern laptops
>>> have pretty good battery life (10 hours+) and are pretty portable, as well
>>> as have all the modern conveniences and connectivity that you generally
>>> need these days. There are also plenty of distraction-free and purpose
>>> built apps/software, obviously.
>>>
>>> I reviewed one of the modern options, the Freewrite, earlier this year:
>>> http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/02/27/review-ast
>>> rohaus-freewrite-smart-typewriter-distraction-free-writing-device/
>>>
>>> It's effective, but pricey. The main advantage that it has over the M100
>>> series is that you don't have to do anything special to make it work within
>>> modern workflows. In many ways, it's actually more limited than the M100
>>> series, though, and is really just a smart typewriter (and that's all it
>>> really claims to be).
>>>
>>> I've certainly entertained the idea of using one of my M100 series
>>> systems for my professional writing activities - or even some leisure stuff
>>> - but it would be more as a novelty these days than something that I feel
>>> would enhance my productivity (and maybe even the opposite). With that
>>> said, in many ways, there really is no true modern equivalent to what the
>>> 

Re: [M100] Fwd: QUAD update.

[Stephen Adolph]

thanks for the tip!  I will check it out.

In the M100, RAMRST is meant to protect the ram.  However, in QUAD one has
to back drive RAMRST to essentially put the internal memory on hold.

On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 12:06 PM, Atsushi Takahashi 
wrote:

> Dear Steve,
>
> I ordered the old QUAD boards from OSH Park but I also purchased one of
> these
>
> LM810M3-4.63/NOPBCT-ND
>
> from Digi-Key in an attempt to address the power on reset issue. It’s just
> a three pin surface mount chip. I used to have something like that in my
> 68hc11 boards… Do you think they would help you? It probably takes up less
> space than a cap, resistor and MOSFET...
>
> I haven’t gotten around to building the QUAD yet so I cannot testify to
> say if the reset circuit helped...
>
> -atsushi
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From: *Stephen Adolph 
> *Subject: **[M100] QUAD update.*
> *Date: *November 5, 2017 at 9:36:44 AM EST
> *To: *Model 100 Discussion 
> *Reply-To: *m...@bitchin100.com
>
> Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4
> which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.
>
> 1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100 OS
> will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can
> cause V4 QUAD to change banks.
>
> 2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and
> there was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on
> power transients.
>
> 3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.
>
> Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations I
> was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.
>
>
> The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these
> defects.   The changes:
> * I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank
> switch protection on power transients
> * I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power
> transients.
> * I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more
> robust.
> * bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.
>
> I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards back
> and have them tested.
>
> In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.
>
> cheers
> Steve
>
>
>

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[Brian Brindle]

I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Martin last November. I showed him
my M100 setup. He was not impressed.

On Nov 5, 2017 8:43 AM, "Bill Loguidice"  wrote:

> I don't think anyone could or would dispute that people still use their
> M100 series systems, or ANY vintage computer or game system for that
> matter. Everything has its fans. I think the core question is if any
> professional writers use it as part of their workflow. I know I would never
> trust vintage tech when writing all the things that I write. I'm too
> spoiled by the automatic redundancy/safety and features made possible with
> modern machines. At the same time, I'd be OK with using it for casual
> writing, the type that something like the Freewrite is used for today,
> i.e., the type where you just write and then worry about doing edits on
> something else (fiction, really). With that kind of writing, losing your
> work would not be quite as devastating and the special form factor might
> also help minimize distractions/help you get into a specific mindset.
>
> Of course, even though I would never use vintage tech like the M100 series
> in my professional writing for a variety of reasons, it doesn't mean
> someone doesn't. Certainly there are famous examples of writers like George
> R.R. Martin who uses WordStar 4.0 on a DOS era setup. So the question then
> becomes, can we point to any examples of someone using an M100 series
> computer today in a genuinely professional capacity? If so, I would suspect
> it would be mostly of the Freewrite variety, where it's used in the
> preparation of fiction, rather than non-fiction material.
>
> -Bill
>
> 
> Bill Loguidice | About me and other ways to get in touch
> 
> 
>
> On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 7:01 PM, Mike Stein  wrote:
>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: Mitch Parker
>> To: m...@bitchin100.com
>> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2017 8:52 PM
>> Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?
>>
>>
>> > 2.  If there is anyone that can credibly make that statement, it would
>> be him.
>> --
>> I think the people on this list who actually own and use one of the M100
>> class  of computers are much better qualified to comment.
>> --
>>
>> Doesn't change that the m100 does a lot and there may be a few people
>> still using theirs.
>> --
>> "may be"?!? If you follow this list at all then you'd know that there *are
>> *indeed quite a few people using theirs and prepared to invest time
>> and/or money to make them even more useful while retaining the features
>> that make them unique.
>>
>> From my reply to Evan:
>> "How many modern computers have a full size regular keyboard in a tablet
>> format with a display that's clearly legible in bright sunlight, instant
>> on, cheap batteries that last for days and can be replaced in seconds, etc.
>> ?"
>>
>> m
>>
>> >Mitch
>>
>

[M100] Fwd: QUAD update.

[Atsushi Takahashi]

Dear Steve,

I ordered the old QUAD boards from OSH Park but I also purchased one of these 
LM810M3-4.63/NOPBCT-ND

from Digi-Key in an attempt to address the power on reset issue. It’s just a 
three pin surface mount chip. I used to have something like that in my 68hc11 
boards… Do you think they would help you? It probably takes up less space than 
a cap, resistor and MOSFET...


I haven’t gotten around to building the QUAD yet so I cannot testify to say if 
the reset circuit helped...

-atsushi



Begin forwarded message:

> From: Stephen Adolph 
> Subject: [M100] QUAD update.
> Date: November 5, 2017 at 9:36:44 AM EST
> To: Model 100 Discussion 
> Reply-To: m...@bitchin100.com
> 
> Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4 
> which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.
> 
> 1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100 OS 
> will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can 
> cause V4 QUAD to change banks.
> 
> 2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and there 
> was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on power 
> transients.
> 
> 3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.
> 
> Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations I was 
> having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.
> 
> 
> The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these 
> defects.   The changes:
> * I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank 
> switch protection on power transients
> * I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power 
> transients.
> * I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more 
> robust.
> * bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.
> 
> I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards back 
> and have them tested.
> 
> In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.
> 
> cheers
> Steve
> 

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[Mike Stein]

Thanks, Brian; interesting to have it confirmed that they were indeed still in 
use in the 90's.

No, I didn't quote the entire exchange with Evan; regarding the "urban legend" 
I wasn't as closely involved as you, but I did say 

"Perhaps not many in the 90s but they were certainly popular with journalists 
in the 80s; a few years ago I chatted for a while with a British professional 
full-time motorsport journalist who did indeed use an M100 for composing and 
uploading, as did quite a few of his fellow journalists at the time."

And quoted Wikipedia:

"Tandy stated that the Model 100's sales "have only been moderate", and an 
InfoWorld columnist later claimed that "it was only journalists" who had been 
buying it. The system's popularity with journalists, however, probably helped 
Radio Shack improve the company's poor reputation with the press and in the 
industry."

Not much point in trying to convince Evan though... ;-)

As I said, I think the folks on this list are better qualified in this regard 
than he is.

m
  - Original Message - 
  From: Brian Brindle 
  To: m...@bitchin100.com 
  Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2017 11:20 AM
  Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?


  Mike, 


  Maybe it's my e-mail client but I didn't see your response to what Evan said. 



  I worked for Radio Shack in the 90s and I can say positively that reporters 
using the M100 was not an urban legend. I supported dozens for many years and 
was often offered more than retail for the equipment I had after Radio Shack 
discontinued selling it. The reporters I supported were more frustrated with 
the decline in phone booths than they were the aging or capabilities of their 
equipment. I never did run into any sports reporters though so maybe that's the 
urban legend. 


  I still use my M100 regularly today. I often get asked why I use such an 
ancient device and usually the person who asks me is still using pen and paper 
to take notes in a meeting so I just point out they like that ancient 
technology for taking notes - I can type like a maniac so this works for me. 
(And is technically newer.) I recently brought my TRS80 to one of our 
"diversity" meetings at work. Just so happens this one was titled "Who Moved My 
Cheese" and was all about dealing with change. I thought it was quite 
appropriate I brought my 30 year old computer to that to take notes. While I 
was in there a former reporter from the Roanoke TImes and World News, who is 
now our Development Director, took one look at it and started to tell us 
stories of him using a M100 to cover a news story in Washington DC late 90's 
early 2000s. He mentioned how easy it was to type and submit the articles for 
the copy editors. He was quite impressed with my REX capabilities and tiny 
storage options available today indicating if he were a reporter and had stuff 
like that he might consider still using it. 


  Granted, those usage stories are still over 17 years ago but I still use my 
M100s as often as possible and it's mostly for writing. Computers have, in my 
opinion, only gotten to the same level of convenience as the M100 in the last 
few years. I do love my surface, it is instant on, has a decent keyboard, 
decent battery life and actually makes my M100 feel bulky. But still it's 
expensive and over complicated for most things. Still sometimes sits with a 
software update screen when I power it on. So just like 90% of the folks will 
grab a pen and paper instead of firing up their laptop to their favorite 
text/note program when inspiration strikes I prefer to grab my M100 as that 
tool. 


  Brian







  On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 5:53 PM, Mike Stein  wrote:

I thought some of you might be amused by this reply to a post I made in a 
CCtalk mailing list thread discussing the best device for undistracted writing 
with a good keyboard, display and battery life:

FWIW, Evan is a well-known figure in the vintage computer community.

m

- Original Message -
From: "Evan Koblentz via cctalk" 
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" 

Sent: Monday, October 30, 2017 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: looking at buying a pocket PC / PDA


>> Radio Shack M100 ... still used by some writers for the very reason you 
mention.
>
> That is not true.
>
> It was an urban legend in the 1990s that a handful of old farts in the
> entirely sportswriting industry (thousands of writers overall) may
> "still" be using their Model 100s. I'm sure if you looked hard enough
> some of them still used typewriters too.
>
> In 2017? It's ridiculous to even speculate.

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[Mike Stein]

FWIW, I don't believe either that any professional journalist is still using an 
M100; the core question in the discussion with Evan was really whether anyone 
not a full-time professional journalist could be called a "writer".

It started with someone on the CClist looking for a device to write down ideas 
& notes when away from his computer, something that "has anti-procrastinate 
features (no internet, no videos, no mp3s, etc, long battery life (40+ hours), 
easy replaceable batteries)..."

I suggested:
"> Radio Shack M100 ... still used by some writers for the very reason you 
mention."

To which Evan replied > "That is not true."

 
I partially agreed:
Well, if you're defining 'writer' as "a professional full-time journalist" 
whose main concerns are deadlines, word counts, editors' demands etc. and who 
has to be connected to the Internet every second then you're probably correct 
when it comes to usage today, although I wouldn't be surprised if some do use 
an obsolete device for jotting down ideas and notes as the OP wants to do.

But I didn't say *professional* writers still use M100s. I said "some writers", 
and I think the folks who self-publish stories on the Internet, enter writing 
contests, contribute to the various on-line magazines etc. or just write for 
pleasure and entertainment of friends and family are every bit as much 
'writers' as your elite group of 'real writers', and some of them do indeed 
prefer the M100 and its cousins to their modern laptops and desktops for its 
unique features."

But as I quoted earlier, as far as he's concerned folks using their M100 to 
write are "old cranks, one or two of which call themselves writers," which I 
found somewhat offensive, even with a smiley on the end, and it became a pretty 
pointless discussion; I ended it with 

"The bottom line is that members of both groups use what they believe is most 
effective for whatever they're doing and, whether you believe it or not, not 
all writers then and now need or want the latest technology; I find your 
suggestion that anyone who uses old technology like the M100 can not call 
themselves a 'real writer' like you somewhat insulting and elitist."

But perhaps the discussion did serve to give some folks outside our community a 
little insight about the uniqueness of M100 type computers and also their 
modern capabilities with the various hard- and software additions and 
expansions developed in recent years, many by folks on this very list.

m


- Original Message - 
  From: Bill Loguidice 
  To: m...@bitchin100.com 
  Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2017 8:43 AM
  Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?


  I don't think anyone could or would dispute that people still use their M100 
series systems, or ANY vintage computer or game system for that matter. 
Everything has its fans. I think the core question is if any professional 
writers use it as part of their workflow. I know I would never trust vintage 
tech when writing all the things that I write. I'm too spoiled by the automatic 
redundancy/safety and features made possible with modern machines. At the same 
time, I'd be OK with using it for casual writing, the type that something like 
the Freewrite is used for today, i.e., the type where you just write and then 
worry about doing edits on something else (fiction, really). With that kind of 
writing, losing your work would not be quite as devastating and the special 
form factor might also help minimize distractions/help you get into a specific 
mindset. 


  Of course, even though I would never use vintage tech like the M100 series in 
my professional writing for a variety of reasons, it doesn't mean someone 
doesn't. Certainly there are famous examples of writers like George R.R. Martin 
who uses WordStar 4.0 on a DOS era setup. So the question then becomes, can we 
point to any examples of someone using an M100 series computer today in a 
genuinely professional capacity? If so, I would suspect it would be mostly of 
the Freewrite variety, where it's used in the preparation of fiction, rather 
than non-fiction material. 


  -Bill



  
  Bill Loguidice | About me and other ways to get in touch
  


  On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 7:01 PM, Mike Stein  wrote:

- Original Message - 
From: Mitch Parker 
To: m...@bitchin100.com 
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2017 8:52 PM
Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?



> 2.  If there is anyone that can credibly make that statement, it would be 
him.  
--
I think the people on this list who actually own and use one of the M100 
class  of computers are much better qualified to comment.
--

Doesn't change that the m100 does a lot and there may be a few people still 
using theirs.
--
"may be"?!? If you follow this list at all then you'd know that there are 
indeed 

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[Brian Brindle]

Mike,

Maybe it's my e-mail client but I didn't see your response to what Evan
said.

I worked for Radio Shack in the 90s and I can say positively that reporters
using the M100 was not an urban legend. I supported dozens for many years
and was often offered more than retail for the equipment I had after Radio
Shack discontinued selling it. The reporters I supported were more
frustrated with the decline in phone booths than they were the aging or
capabilities of their equipment. I never did run into any sports reporters
though so maybe that's the urban legend.

I still use my M100 regularly today. I often get asked why I use such an
ancient device and usually the person who asks me is still using pen and
paper to take notes in a meeting so I just point out they like that ancient
technology for taking notes - I can type like a maniac so this works for
me. (And is technically newer.) I recently brought my TRS80 to one of our
"diversity" meetings at work. Just so happens this one was titled "Who
Moved My Cheese" and was all about dealing with change. I thought it was
quite appropriate I brought my 30 year old computer to that to take notes.
While I was in there a former reporter from the Roanoke TImes and World
News, who is now our Development Director, took one look at it and started
to tell us stories of him using a M100 to cover a news story in Washington
DC late 90's early 2000s. He mentioned how easy it was to type and submit
the articles for the copy editors. He was quite impressed with my REX
capabilities and tiny storage options available today indicating if he were
a reporter and had stuff like that he might consider still using it.

Granted, those usage stories are still over 17 years ago but I still use my
M100s as often as possible and it's mostly for writing. Computers have, in
my opinion, only gotten to the same level of convenience as the M100 in the
last few years. I do love my surface, it is instant on, has a decent
keyboard, decent battery life and actually makes my M100 feel bulky. But
still it's expensive and over complicated for most things. Still sometimes
sits with a software update screen when I power it on. So just like 90% of
the folks will grab a pen and paper instead of firing up their laptop to
their favorite text/note program when inspiration strikes I prefer to grab
my M100 as that tool.

Brian




On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 5:53 PM, Mike Stein  wrote:

> I thought some of you might be amused by this reply to a post I made in a
> CCtalk mailing list thread discussing the best device for undistracted
> writing with a good keyboard, display and battery life:
>
> FWIW, Evan is a well-known figure in the vintage computer community.
>
> m
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Evan Koblentz via cctalk" 
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <
> cct...@classiccmp.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 30, 2017 3:47 PM
> Subject: Re: looking at buying a pocket PC / PDA
>
>
> >> Radio Shack M100 ... still used by some writers for the very reason you
> mention.
> >
> > That is not true.
> >
> > It was an urban legend in the 1990s that a handful of old farts in the
> > entirely sportswriting industry (thousands of writers overall) may
> > "still" be using their Model 100s. I'm sure if you looked hard enough
> > some of them still used typewriters too.
> >
> > In 2017? It's ridiculous to even speculate.
>

Re: [M100] T200 ram

[Stephen Adolph]

T200 RAM PCB files are in my personal directory at Club 100.
cheers
Steve

On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 7:48 PM, Brian White  wrote:

> Doesn't matter to me. Might as well continue using club100 at least for
> now I guess.
>
> I just built another 2 boards and all in all the existing method isn't too
> bad as long as you aren't trying to produce them in numbers.
>
> I found an easier way to extract the pins than pulling with pliars. By
> cracking open the insulator with cutters, cutting in-line with the pin.
> They popped loose pretty easy. It's actually a pretty neat hack you found
> there. The end resulting leg is tidy.
>
> Thanks again for providing this.
>
>
> --
> bkw
>
> On Nov 4, 2017 5:58 PM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:
>
>> Not at all.  I did it back in the day because it was clearly doable and
>> worthwhile..efforts to improve it are great!  Where should the source eagle
>> files go?
>>
>>
>> On Saturday, November 4, 2017, Brian White  wrote:
>>
>>> I actually agree! As long as you're not going to mind.
>>>
>>> --
>>> bkw
>>>
>>> On Nov 4, 2017 8:00 AM, "Stephen Adolph"  wrote:
>>>
 It is such a simple board.  I think this would be an excellent
 opportunity for someone who wants to learn Eagle!!!

 On Fri, Nov 3, 2017 at 9:48 PM, Brian White  wrote:

> Steve,
>
> There IS room to install pin headers the normal way, even ordinary
> cheap ones without needing special low profile ones. Though, low profile
> would allow a little room for the pins to stick out of the top a little
> without having to be shaved exactly flush with the top surface.
>
> So, if the components were on the underside, and the through-holes
> were small diameter to fit round pins the normal way, and the solder sode
> of the pins were sized to match the pcb, or nipped flush after the fact,
> then it just fits, even with common cheap pin headers with 4.2mm combined
> insulator + shoulder.
>
> The contact pin needs to be trimmed down to 3.6mm and the solder pin
> needs to be trimmed down to 1.6mm (pcb thickness)
>
> And really, we can probably find pins ready made already close to
> those dimensions.
>
> But even with the common pins, it would be a lot easier to build than
> extracting them.
>
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJuaZyszT0z5ZQiO2
>
> I'm looking for possible parts that won't even need trimming now.
>
> --
> bkw
>

[M100] QUAD update.

[Stephen Adolph]

Letting the list know that I have found a couple of defects with QUAD V4
which I did 2 years ago.  Here's the defects I found.

1)  I did not protect the bank switching function adequately.  The M100 OS
will periodically write to ports 80h, 82h and 83h wrt the DVI.  This can
cause V4 QUAD to change banks.

2)  The power up/power down behaviour wasn't adequately protected, and
there was a chance that RAM could be corrupted and/or banks switched on
power transients.

3) I was using the wrong timing to provision banks.

Not too good.  In fact I believe this is the source of the frustrations I
was having integrating QUAD with REX Manager.


The good news is that I have prototyped a QUAD V5 which addresses these
defects.   The changes:
* I have added a MOSFET based "activity switch" that allows RAM and bank
switch protection on power transients
* I have improved the bank selection circuitry to be robust on power
transients.
* I have changed the bank switching commands to make the mechanism more
robust.
* bank switch state is now preserved during power transients.

I'll report back on how well these changes work out when I get boards back
and have them tested.

In the meantime, I've taken QUAD V4 off of OSHPARK.

cheers
Steve

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[Bill Loguidice]

I don't think anyone could or would dispute that people still use their
M100 series systems, or ANY vintage computer or game system for that
matter. Everything has its fans. I think the core question is if any
professional writers use it as part of their workflow. I know I would never
trust vintage tech when writing all the things that I write. I'm too
spoiled by the automatic redundancy/safety and features made possible with
modern machines. At the same time, I'd be OK with using it for casual
writing, the type that something like the Freewrite is used for today,
i.e., the type where you just write and then worry about doing edits on
something else (fiction, really). With that kind of writing, losing your
work would not be quite as devastating and the special form factor might
also help minimize distractions/help you get into a specific mindset.

Of course, even though I would never use vintage tech like the M100 series
in my professional writing for a variety of reasons, it doesn't mean
someone doesn't. Certainly there are famous examples of writers like George
R.R. Martin who uses WordStar 4.0 on a DOS era setup. So the question then
becomes, can we point to any examples of someone using an M100 series
computer today in a genuinely professional capacity? If so, I would suspect
it would be mostly of the Freewrite variety, where it's used in the
preparation of fiction, rather than non-fiction material.

-Bill


Bill Loguidice | About me and other ways to get in touch



On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 7:01 PM, Mike Stein  wrote:

> - Original Message -
> From: Mitch Parker
> To: m...@bitchin100.com
> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2017 8:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?
>
>
> > 2.  If there is anyone that can credibly make that statement, it would
> be him.
> --
> I think the people on this list who actually own and use one of the M100
> class  of computers are much better qualified to comment.
> --
>
> Doesn't change that the m100 does a lot and there may be a few people
> still using theirs.
> --
> "may be"?!? If you follow this list at all then you'd know that there *are
> *indeed quite a few people using theirs and prepared to invest time
> and/or money to make them even more useful while retaining the features
> that make them unique.
>
> From my reply to Evan:
> "How many modern computers have a full size regular keyboard in a tablet
> format with a display that's clearly legible in bright sunlight, instant
> on, cheap batteries that last for days and can be replaced in seconds, etc.
> ?"
>
> m
>
> >Mitch
>

Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?

[Kevin Becker]

DLPlus is an emulator for the Tandy Portable Disk Drive that lets you
load/save files to/from a folder on a Mac or Linux machine.

http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=DLPlus


- Kevin


On Nov 5, 2017, at 7:36 AM, James Zeun  wrote:

Dlplus? What is that?

On 5 Nov 2017 2:11 a.m., "Daryn Hanright"  wrote:

> I love using on my 102 for updating my Daily Journal. Am actually
> currently sitting on my porch under our sun shade. It's a great device for
> doing that stuff. It's super light, does what it does. The keyboard is the
> best I have ever used, and I can see the screen easily.
>
> And it's pretty painless transferring the Doc to either my Android phone
> (mComm) or Ubuntu laptop (dlplus).
>
> I'd be gutted if I suddenly couldn't use it. It's the most practical bit
> of tech I have ever owned.
>
> Daryn
>
> On Nov 5, 2017 12:00 PM, "Mike Stein"  wrote:
>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: Mitch Parker
>> To: m...@bitchin100.com
>> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2017 8:52 PM
>> Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?
>>
>> > Hello,
>>
>> > I do know Evan.  I've met him several times and can tell you several
>> things:
>>
>> > 1.  He is a journalist.  He does a lot of writing for TechRepublic
>> these days and has written for several other sites and magazines in the
>> past.
>> --
>> He is and does; he's also a co-founder and director of the Vintage
>> Computer Federation, an umbrella group for the Vintage Computer Forum and
>> the VCF conferences, both valuable resources for the vintage computer
>> community.
>>
>> But as we see more and more these days, journalists can not always be
>> relied upon to present unbiased or even necessarily accurate information...
>>
>> He's also opinionated to the point of being rude and insulting. According
>> to him, folks like Fred are "a bunch of old cranks, one or two of which
>> call themselves writers and still use a Model 100"
>> --
>>
>> > 2.  If there is anyone that can credibly make that statement, it would
>> be him.
>> --
>> I think the people on this list who actually own and use one of the M100
>> class  of computers are much better qualified to comment.
>> --
>>
>> Doesn't change that the m100 does a lot and there may be a few people
>> still using theirs.
>> --
>> "may be"?!? If you follow this list at all then you'd know that there *are
>> *indeed quite a few people using theirs and prepared to invest time
>> and/or money to make them even more useful while retaining the features
>> that make them unique.
>>
>> From my reply to Evan:
>> "How many modern computers have a full size regular keyboard in a tablet
>> format with a display that's clearly legible in bright sunlight, instant
>> on, cheap batteries that last for days and can be replaced in seconds, etc.
>> ?"
>>
>> m
>>
>> >Mitch
>>
>> ---
>> On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 6:58 PM Fred Whitaker  wrote:
>>
>> The Model 100 keyboard is the quality that has kept me using mine. I do
>> have other devices but I prefer it for my writing. It is still as usable as
>> it always has been. With the addition of REX and Quattro it is even more
>> usable that it was.
>>
>> Fred Whitaker
>>
>> From: Bill Loguidice
>> Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2017 6:36 PM
>> To: m...@bitchin100.com
>> Subject: Re: [M100] Any writers still using an M100?
>>
>> I would imagine few use it for serious writing anymore. Modern laptops
>> have pretty good battery life (10 hours+) and are pretty portable, as well
>> as have all the modern conveniences and connectivity that you generally
>> need these days. There are also plenty of distraction-free and purpose
>> built apps/software, obviously.
>>
>> I reviewed one of the modern options, the Freewrite, earlier this year:
>> http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/02/27/review-
>> astrohaus-freewrite-smart-typewriter-distraction-free-writing-device/
>>
>> It's effective, but pricey. The main advantage that it has over the M100
>> series is that you don't have to do anything special to make it work within
>> modern workflows. In many ways, it's actually more limited than the M100
>> series, though, and is really just a smart typewriter (and that's all it
>> really claims to be).
>>
>> I've certainly entertained the idea of using one of my M100 series
>> systems for my professional writing activities - or even some leisure stuff
>> - but it would be more as a novelty these days than something that I feel
>> would enhance my productivity (and maybe even the opposite). With that
>> said, in many ways, there really is no true modern equivalent to what the
>> M100 series can do. Considering all the ways we can work now, something
>> like that is probably not needed, but it's still interesting to note.
>>
>> -Bill
>>
>>
>> 
>> Bill Loguidice | About me and other ways to get in touch
>>