Some ???????

One day Thu Sep 11 1997 23:23, Pavel Fedin wrote a letter to All:
PF> A couple of questions to the Scorpion company.
PF> 1) Please tell me, what are the remaining
PF> bits of the #FFBA port? I looked at the diagram, and I have one version, which
PF> I will not post here because of respect for your copyright. I'll say
PF> I just know exactly what bit 0 is for, and approximately the rest.

PF> 2) Please describe the ports and GMX bit layout, as well as where the
PF> screen is located. It’s interesting how everything coincides with PROFI, besides, I’m looking
PF> for an upgrade opportunity.

Graphic Memory eXpander (GMX)
I/O ports
>> WORKING OPTION

All ports work only for writing (port xxFF - reading).
Unused bits are not used.

xxFE Border port
D0 - G
D1 - R
D2 - B

xxFF Screen attributes port (read only)

7FFD Configuration port (standard)
D0 - SYS0
D1 - SYS1
D2 - SYS2
D3 - SCR
D4 - ROM1
D5 - BLKPK1

1FFD Scorpion expansion port
D0 - BLK1
D1 - ROM2
D4 - SYS3

7EFD Portadditional modes
D0 - reserved
D1 - reserved
D2 - Normal/Turbo (0/1)
D3 - Graphic 256*192 / 640*200 (0/1)

DFFD Port eXpanded Memory (Profi)
D0 - SM0
D1 - SM1
D2 - SM2

78FD Port 2nd RAM expansion window (#8000-#BFFF)
D0 - SW0 SYS0
D1 - SW1 /SYS1
D2 - SW2 SYS2
D3 - SW3 SYS3
D4 - SW4 SM0
D5 - SW5 SM1
D6 - SW6 SM2

7AFD Port scroller ml. byte (8 bits)
DO - ml. bit
...
D7 - st. bit

7CFD Scroller port st. byte (6 bits)
D0 - ml. bit
...
D5 - st. bit

xx00 Global settings port
D0 - CONF0
D1 - CONF1 - Four bits for selecting one of 8 options
D2 - CONF2 circuits.
D3 - RECONF
D4 - A18 - 1 includes 64K ROM with standard firmware
D5 - BLKEXT - 1 blocks all ports xxFD, 7FFD addressed by FD

ROM firmware card

#00000 - #3FFFF - Scorpion ProfPZU ver 5.0 ... (256K)
#40000 - #4FFFF - 8 circuit configuration options
#50000 - #5FFFF - Standard firmware (48+128+TRDOS),
#60000 - #7FFFF - Free for now

All information is preliminary and subject to change!!!!

PF> Proposal for the company "Scorpio". Since your GMX is so easily
PF> reprogrammed, why don't you add another video mode -
PF> each dot with its own color. 256 colors are possible, but this is not so important.
Setting extended colors requires more than one bit per color,
which leads to an increase in the number of used pins in the
Altera chip. There are no free ones for today. Therefore, the implementation of this proposal
will lead to an increase in the price of GMX.
Once again I would like to note that the main purpose of GMX in terms of screen
capabilities is a full-fledged 80*25 text mode. And it is needed for:
1) email programs, see below for more information on this
2) for a more or less full-fledged text editor
We don’t set any other tasks (if you look at things realistically) today.

As for email software, about which there is a lot of talk right now,
I would like to give brief excerpts from the materials of our company:
------cut--------------------------------------------------------
>ZX Terminal 97 - your way to the Internet (based on materials from the Scorpio company)

This is not an advertising gimmick, but a very real opportunity to access the World Wide Web,
but more on that below. First of all, we would like to introduce you to the new program. Our
company with the active participation of BAGroup (Alexey Beketov and Ilya Afonin) have developed
a new terminal program forScorpion computer, which allows you to work in text mode with BBS stations, and with the help of Unix-shell servers on the Internet. What is needed for this: a Scorpion computer with any Professional ROM,
SMUC controller and any internal Haye's modem connected to Scorpion via
SMUC controller.
Here are the main technical characteristics of the terminal program:
* Screen mode 64 or 42 characters per line (for the GMX board - 80 characters)
* TTY terminal
* work in your own operating room system (compatible with MS_DOS)
* support for X-Modem and Z-Modem file transfer protocols!
* maximum reception and transmission speed for the Turbo+ board - 2600 characters per
second
* availability of service functions (auto-dial)
* use of hardware flow control (RTS/CTS)

We’ll immediately answer your first question: why do you need your own operating
system?
Currently there are 2 systems available on Speccy: TR-DOS and IS_DOS. The first
is not suitable for this task for many reasons (limitation on the maximum
file size - 64kB, small number of files on the disk, lack of directories and
subdirectories, inability to append a file, etc.). With IS - DOS it is more difficult - the system is not bad in principle, but the limitation on disk space is 16 MB, and some kind of closed nature of the system makes it quite difficult to write programs for it,although
if it is really necessary, ZX-Terminal will also be released under IS-DOS. Our OS is built on
principles used in MS-DOS, and by the release of the program (November-December 1997
it will support MS-DOS and TR DOS disks directly.

The main goal of creating a new program and a new operating system is
first of all, ensuring convenient operation of the whole hardware-software complex
for the ability to work on BBS, work on the FidoNet network and the Internet (by connecting to a Unix-Shell server, this service is now provided by almost all providers), and
just download any interesting program or information. The software part of this complex will include all mail
programs necessary for convenient work in Fido - fido mailer, tosser, etc. Currently, active work is underway to create these programs. Well, then, who knows, maybe Internet
Explorer for Scorpion will appear.
For the program to work, you need to connect to Scorpion a ProfROM, a
SMUC controller, an internal modem for the IBM PC, using an ISA slot or rather its 8-bit
part (any from 1200 to 33600). Any intelligent
modem supporting hardware flow control can be used (XON/XOFF control is not
implemented). Currently, a HDD connected via
SMUC is required for operation.
Now a little about protection: the program will not be protected from copying! Butthere will be
protection against the use of illegal copies of the program, and the damage will be borne
both by the one who uses the illegal copy of the program, and by the one who
contributed to the “creation” of this illegal copy.

We are waiting for your suggestions and wishes!
Write to us at the address:
199048 St. Petersburg, PO Box 083 to Zonov Sergei Yurievich or at telephone:
(812)-298-0653, 251-1262 (service center, from 10 to 19) or at e-mail:
2:5030/529.16 E-mail: sc...@spb.tsi.ru
or 2:5030/588.21 E-mail: ba...@aura.ru

What will it be the program largely depends on you and on your advice and
wishes!
----cut----------------------------------------------------------------------

PF> bye, with all the best wishes, Pavel Fedin.

Serge !

>> ZX Terminal 97 - your way to the Internet (based on materials from the Scorpio company)

SZ> Setting extended colors requires more than one digit for each
SZ> color, which leads to an increase in the number of used pins in the
SZ> Altera chip. There are no free ones for today. Therefore, the implementation of this
SZ> proposal
SZ> will lead to an increase in the price of GMX.
SZ> Once again, I want to note that the main purpose of GMX in terms of screen
SZ> capabilities is a full-fledged 80*25 text mode. And it is needed for: 1)
SZ> email programs, see below about this
SZ> 2) for a more or less full-fledged text editor
SZ> We don’t set other tasks (if we look at things realistically) for today.

Why don’t you set them? You have already set the task of accessing the Internet. But
with 256 colors it would be possible to surf the WWW...

AL> Cool! Very cool!!!
We will try to have real users say this
AL> Sincerely, Alex from FFC COMPUTERS.

Serge !

SZ> Graphic Memory eXpander (GMX)
SZ> I/O ports

>>> WORKING OPTION
SZ> All information is preliminary and subject to change!!!!

In order not to be unfounded:

SZ> xx00 Global settings port
SZ> D5 - BLKEXT - 1 blocks everything ports xxFD, 7FFD are addressed by FD

=== Cut ===
D5 - BLKEXT - 1 blocks GMX ports, i.e. it turns out SCORPION ZS265 Turbo+
D6 - BLKEX2 - 1 blocks all xxFD ports, 7FFD is addressed by FD,
=== Cut ===

Andrew

AM> === Cut ===
AM> D5 - BLKEXT - 1 blocks GMX ports, i.e. it turns out SCORPION ZS265
AM> Turbo+
AM> D6 - BLKEX2 - 1 blocks all xxFD ports, 7FFD is addressed by FD, ===
AM> Cut ===

Why didn’t they make it fully compatible with Profi?

Greetings, dear Serge!

Sunday September 14 1997 01:11, Serge Zonov spoke to Pavel Fedin:

SZ> DFFD Port eXpanded Memory (Profi)
SZ> D0 - SM0
SZ> D1 - SM1
SZ> D2 - SM2
:(((((((
Thanks to Comrade Zonov for our happy future...!

But what about:

D3 - Selecting page projection
D4 - Disabling the BLOCK signal (turning off mode 48) and disabling the ROM, placing in
its place the RAM located in SEG0
D5 - When ROM14=0 :
1-Switching controller port access to access from RAM.
When ROM14=1 ;
1-Access to extended peripherals
D6 - Connecting SEG6 page to SEG2
D7 - 0 - Spectrum's screen (192x256)
1 - Profi screen (512x240)

How do you now order to determine PROFI (by direct access to VG?)
(the fact is that there are programs that check for the presence of PROFI memory extension and in this case use direct access to VG93 (D5), otherwise
they use standard procedures (via TR-DOS) and it is absolutely obvious that
Scorp users with a cut-off DFFD will have to crow and remember in all
famous words the creator of this feature ;(
You may decide to fully support. port DFFD, and for SCORP users it’s a benefit, CP/M - no problem (For this case, I’m even ready to donate my
circuitPROFI in order to maintain full compatibility!

With respect, Andrey Mihaylow

PS. People who agree with me, make a subj, soap!