Scrap Metal - From the history of Betadisk: There was a disk interface from Technology Research.

From the history of Betadisk
Alone Coder

   Disk interface from Technology
Research was apparently the first disk 
interface for the ZX Spectrum - its advertisement 
published in journalsPersonal Computing
News for August1983(p. 206) andZX Computing 
for October-November 1983(p. 60). Before that 
theoretically it was possible to connect only 
floppy drive controller for ZX81 from Analogue 
Information Systems Ltd (ZX Computing, 
August-September 1983 - AY for ZX81 is also under─ 
turned it on earlier, theoretically with the same system─ 
dark tire this device would work and 
on Speccy). Even Microdrive at that time 
just appeared. 

                  * * *

   The first version of the controller was called
FDC-1 Floppy Disk interface Mk1 and cost 
98.75 pounds, and the second (December1983) - 
Mk2 and already cost85 pounds. The drive cost 
185 pounds (some "100-kilobyte"):
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.
cgi?id=1000147
 Apparently, the first version that can─
called "Beta disk interface", for the first time
appears in March 1984 in the magazine
Sinclair User #24 (p. 34). Names and photos─
there are no graphics in the text, but they are described quite well
in detail. There were two boards - one served
signal splitter and power supply,
the other contained a 1771 chip with harness. Is─
used a floppy drive connector, like in the BBC
Micro (what kind is it?). DOS was copied to 
operating time in high memory addresses (with─
than only at 48K, at 16K, it looks like he’s there
projected in hardware). Enter commands─
were written only in letters. BASICS were preserved
only with"$" at the beginning of the name, with the starting
string1, and the address and size of the code files
were entered in hexadecimal. Inte─
Please mention the password to the disk (that place
system sector, where are the gaps now?) and
unique interface instance code.
This was all removed in the version called
"Beta Plus"(Sinclair User #43 - October 
1985 ), where at the same timethe Magic button appeared.
 Beta disk interface is definitely in use─
shaft standard disk drives. But compatible─
There was no tyCP/M. This would require turning on─
chat 16K RAM included in the controller. And this
there was a relatively cheap controller (for
comparison, DISCiPLE controller even in1987
year had only half of this memory).
Starting price according to dataCrash #22 composition─
lyala109.25 pounds (or 249.75 with one di─
scovod), and according to the sameSinclair
User #24 - only 85. Drives first 
there was a maximum of 2, but in the "Beta Plus" version -
already 4. Floppy disks390K cost approximately
in2 lbs.
 System software pic─
was placed on a floppy disk complete with inter─
face. This floppy disk is still not available anywhere
found, although the programsDoctor and Tape Copy 
it can be found in ancient collections.
Onwhat you can pay attention to is fir─
variableboot.  It has not been detected. Hardly in
there was a universal menu, otherwise he too
would go into collections.

   Here is the archive I have of different faiths─
this firmwareTR-DOS, built in the form
change trees:
http://
alonecoder.nedopc.com/zx/TRDOSES.rar
Earliest ROM version detected
the beta disk takes only 4 kilobytes and
has the following copyrights:
 *TR-DOS Ver 3.0 *
(c) 1984 Technology Research Ltd. (U.K.)
 It seems to still support passwords.
   Next came versions of size8K.
One such version from a Brazilian clone
controller (Cheyenne Advanced Systems
(CAS) disk interface) disassembled 
TK90X Fan, also compiled a table of differences 
two versions, he also posted a collection of prog─
ramm under it. It’s interesting that it already contains
all the functions we are familiar with were located, except
commands LIST and points #3d13. Opportunity
call individualfunctions existed, but
From version to version there must have been hell swimming─
res.
   Domestic craftsmen also once made─
Lali 8K version from 16K, here are its copyrights:
 HR-DOS Version 1.043p
(c) 1991 Himac Research Ltd
It, like many other ROMs, can be downloaded
here:
http://zxspectrum.it.omegahg.com/rom/
 Evgeniy Kopasov:
There were several Beta 48 clones in Brazil: 
CBI-95 
C.A.S. Disk Interface 
Synchron IDS91 
Synchron IDS2001 
Synchron IDS2001ne 

   Apparently, throughout Europe (Germany, Paul─
Sha, Slovakia) these old ones also sold out
versions of the controller that can be conditionally
call it Beta 48 because they don't support─
live ZX Spectrum 128K. Not supported
because the call address(15363) crossed─
works with some procedures128 Basic. B
Beta 128 address is shifted by256 bytes. 
 mikezt:
In Brno and Bratislava were huge Betadisc 
community in 80'ties and I never saw 
damaged software from them. 
   Universal work from BASIC with computer─
rollers of both types can be realized─
van as follows(loaderNew View
48K demo under TK90X by TK90X Fan ):
OUT 252.0
RANDOMIZE USR 15363+256*(PEEK 15363<>195):
REM:LOAD "filename"CODE
OUT 252,192
Port252 allows you to manually enable the ROM
TR-DOS on Beta 48, at least on
TK90X Fan copy.
   Evgeniy Kopasov clarifies: “there is part
TR-DOS ROM (1 KB) is always imprinted instead of 
48K ROM, located in the upper addresses in 
unused ROM area filled 
"FF". The ROM is switched via the port." 
 In Beta 128 mode, the ROM is automat─
edically paged in when code in the OxЗDxx
range is executed, and paged out when code
in the 0x4000+ range is executed. This
automatically activates the TRDOS ports at
the same time.
  In Beta 48 mode,the TRDOS ROM is simply
visible  in  OxЗCxx  range  (although real
TK90X  can  disable this with set bit 6 of
port #FC).
  The  TRDOS  ports  have  to be manually
enabled  with  bit  7 of port #FC, and the
whole  ROM is then paged in/out with bit 7
of port #FF.
  Beta 48 uses bit 6 instead of bit 5 for
density, and  the  meaning  is inverted as
well.
http://sourceforge.net/p/fuse-emulator/fea
ture-requests/82/#cef7
   По-видимому, последнее  породило ошибку
с битом плотности в книге Ларченко и Роди─
онова"ZX Spectrum  и TR-DOS для пользова─ 
телей иprogrammers".

Evgeny Kopasov: 
   In the case of Beta 128 the situation is even worse,
because with every read operation or 
records, it creates a buffer of more than 256 bytes, in 
which stores one sector of the disk. This 
the area is created while working through 
procedure for shifting RAM up. Upon completion 
writing or reading BASIC return program─ 
returns to its original position. 
   Beta 48 uses prin buffer memory─
tera (23296-23551 or #5B00-#SBFF) and then─ 
Therefore, it does not use additional 
memory. But since 128 BASIC stores there 
your system variables, Beta 48 nesos─ 
Compatible with Spectrum 128. 
   By the way, in TR-DOS from version v5 there are two points
inputs to #3C00 and #3C03 are supported for 
backward compatibility, need this question 
study. 

   Both versions of the controller could be used─
Use together with Interface 1. To the full─
In any case, this is evidenced by the public─
information about microdrive in ROMTR-DOS and provision─
ternary additional shift of the beginning of Basie─
ka for placing Interface 1 variables.

   One day I discovered the address15363 in Mag─
Bill Gilbert's nitophone crack.
   Tygrys reported on this issue:
"Alpina - Polish company - did BetaХ8 
interface", but "Bill Gilbert never had 
BetaХ8". 

   Formatdisk (probably the simplest one on
light - see the huge list of formats from
Nuts inInfo Guide #7 ) between versions of con─ 
troller has not changed, old disks are fine
you can read:
mike tried even to read the real 
diskettes with his zx evo
it works nicely 
but the problem is that people in 
germany use very often betadisk 48 which
differ with the address to access it
so,nothing was running on zx 
evo without modifications
can anyone put out the photos of 
the board (top,bottom) and the original
floppy?
i will ask for the photos 
in 1987 there was amodified 
interface with bigger rom, it contains a
gui
and as it is green, it looks a 
little bit like an atari st
 Here we are already talking about German (in
apparently West German) Gamma Disk
Interface: 
http://casperonline.de/zx/index.html
with a printer interface, as in Brazil
(information from Evgeny Kopasov) and graphics─
chemical desktop VISION from a certain
Individual Software: 
http://zx-pk.ru/showthread.php?t=24820

Evgeny Kopasov: 
   According to Individual Software information─
nogo, but according to the BETA-PACK description, in 
this company were the authors (brothers?) Volker 
Marohn and Olaf Marohn, they released prog─ 
frames: 
http://
www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekpub.cgi?
regexp=^Volker+Marohn$&loadpics=1
http://
www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekpub.cgi?
regexp=^Olaf+Marohn$&loadpics=1
 Programs from this company, like me pony─
May: 
http://viva-games.ru/
publisher/individual-software
 and ISO ROM 8 Backup Microdrive firmware
Individual Software: 
http://zxspectrum.it.omegahg.com/_48.htm
More Individual Software company small─
I worked on PC software under DOS. 
   The screens show a 4-character extension─
tion. The design of the system is very similar to 
Atari ST Gem: 
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/origin
al/0/9560/779987-220078_16_atarigem.gif

   Evills found another discussion:
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/
showpost.php?p=746153&postcount=7
 Local Programs SUPERCOP, SCR COPY,
FILER I haven't seen anywhere.

                  * * *

 FddЗO00 has own Z80,bChkb ram, 
io/ports and... external keyboard 

   It is clear that in order to copy in the USSR you─
They didn’t take such monsters, but the simplest one
controller, also on a chip, which
was produced in our country.
   Original Beta 128 disk interface
(1986 or1987) - a very rare device. 
Some users withWorld of Spectrum
we've been looking for at least one for years, at least polo─
a semolina specimen, but not a single one was found.
There aren't even photographs.
   So it's surprising that for copying
a little-known one was chosen (and not
capacity)128K version of the controller, although
128K Spectrums were not yet produced in the USSR then
were found.
   There were rumors that the Beta 128 disk circuit
interface was brought to the USSR by Tadeusz Radusz, but 
in any case, she was first cloned in
at the beginning of 1988, completely different people -
Sergey Patsyuk and Vyacheslav Bogomyatov from NTK 
"Plus" (Moscow), seems to be according to the scheme from ka─ 
someone from a Czech magazine. This information is in
received in its time by Konstantin Svirido─
you from Sergei Simonovich. At the same time, he’s uto─ 
says:
"'Czechoslovak-Soviet engineers' also 
nothing was 'hacked', since it was proprietary 
Beta Disk (128) assembledon standard mic─ 
7CHHH series circuit diagrams, names from microcircuits 
not erased and no protection, except for the seal on 
controller case, no." 
   But the date of the found Czech publication
It doesn't add up a bit:

I can find czech article with 
scheme and pcb
the original publication? 
that would be interesting for 
history reasons
http://www.mbaze1989-03.szm.com/ 
pages 01 and 34 (and for PlkMndy there is
scheme of 38ХkB RAM for CPC)
scheme is here: 
http://zx-archive.czechian.net/?
dir=tiskoviny/mikrobaze&page=cpm
 cygnus has better resource 
 although it's in Czech 
 http://cygnus.speccy.cz/ 
popis_trdos-schema.php 
 there are few bugs in original 
article in ubaze http://cygnus.speccy.cz/ 
popis_trdos-assembler.php 
 http://cygnus.speccy.cz/ 
popis_trdos-basic.php 
 http://cygnus.speccy.cz/ 
popis_trdos-format.php 
well yes, I'm not good at trdos 
history resouces. I just know that one guy
from Brno stab someone hand with
screwdriver for bad crack of a game...
i think someone needs it these days too :-)

   In any case, in December1990
magazine "Computer" 1(4) has already been published─
Forged article Radyusha about TR-DOS. And the other
Muscovite, V.A. Balyasov, wrote utilities with might and main
under TR-DOS since1989 (BETA/MAGIC zap
program (A-POKE) and others). You can also
find disk software 1989 from
V.D.G./DENSOFT (ZYNAPS disk version and 
Disk-Tape-@ Copy).
 TR-DOS has already been used in information technology
nom accompaniment("Theater of History") of the museum
wax figures (exhibition"World Art"
thorium", has existed since the 80s, but I have it
saw around1994).
 TR-DOS was used in a classroom
YULDUZ: 
 "KUVT YULDUZ
 Specially designed for the application
in KUVT schools using ZX Spectrum
compatible computers. To local network
star type connected up to five pupils─
of computers. All computers hardware
compatible with ZX Spectrum. In ROM teachers─
to which computer the operating system was added
TR-DOS system, as well as boot tools
software for studentscomputers. ROM of student computers, in
the only difference from the teacher's was the sky─
Larger ROM (up to 2 KB) for loading programs.
framework."

   Judging by the mentioned book by Larchenko and 
Rodionov, there were two original ones in the USSR 
TR-DOS versions:5.01 and 5.03. They were different
procedure addresses. At one time Nikolai
Rodionov made the last patch so that 
it worked faster:

 CODE.ZX December 29, 1998:
Dmitry Lomov> 
heh, who will answer my question - where
there is a patch there, so another one is impossible
What is the walking speed, excluding the highest?
did TR do this on purpose? in 93 I
because of this I could not connect the brake
disk drive...
Felix Knajzev> 
This is the only fixbranded 
5.03, made a long time ago by Nikolas 
Rodionov (Nikolai Rodionov). He then 
called TR-DOS_v5.03_fast. With this firmware 
also, one person didn’t earn a DPE─ 
External Bulgarian disk drive for 40 tracks, 
"thick" such as two (in height) "owls─ 
belt" 5'25. Then I installed the fir─ 
custom 5.03 without the NR bug feature, and "pocket" 
earned. 

   TR-DOS versions for "branded" ZX clones
Spectrum were usually made based on5.03.
 Another fast one was also common─
paradise version (which could format
without alternating sectors) -v5.04T. In her
"full description" states:"this version
TR-DOS was manufactured in 1991 by the company
CRAFT". At the same time, the ROM contains a copy─
right by Sergei Skorobogatov.
   Based on5.04T, decompiled by Pav─
crap Fedin, a lot of follow-up was done─ 
common "hacker versions" (for example, ramdis─
these5.1xf from Reanimator and 6.xxE from
CompoWellcome, apparently, ATM race─ 
expandablevTRDOS from UKMS[z],special
firmware for HDD from Vladislav Matlash and
Zet9, and from the later one - the ROM version of the ZX Evo 
baseconf from Savelij13 with reverse interception─ 
ports and version5.042 for Profi from
Vadim'a). 
   The earlier version stands out
5.043 from VfNG, made specifically for
disk controller of the computer "Byte",
where the port addresses differ (initially
this computer worked with CP/M ). But about
CP/M is written in a separate article.