╘HE ┼XCHANGE IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION. ╥ECOMMENDATIONS ARE BASED SOLELY ON THE EXPERIENCES OF USERS. ╘HE ╬EWSLETTER WILL APPEAR IRREGULARLY--PROBABLY EVERY OTHER MONTH. ╙UBSCRIPTIONS ARE $5 FOR FIVE ISSUES. ╨REVIOUS ISSUES ARE ON THE ┼XCHANGE ─ISK. ╫HEN COMMUNICATING WITH ╘HE ┼XCHANGE, SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPES (╙┴╙┼'S) ARE APPRECIATED.
╝═EMORY ═AP ─ISK╛
╘HE MEMORY MAP OF ═╙─ ─╧╙ 2.3 HAS BEEN COMPLETED. ┴ COMPLETE LISTING OF SUBROUTINES AND ─╧╙ MEMORY LOCATIONS IS NOW AVAILABLE. ┴N ARTICLE ON THE SUBJECT INCLUDING A BRIEF INTRODUCTION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO ╘RANSACTOR FOR PUBLICATION. ╘HE TEXT IS ON DISK IN SEQUENTIAL FILES. ╔TS AVAILABLE AS USUAL BY SENDING IN A BLANK DISK WITH RETURN POSTAGE.
╘HE DISK WILL BE SUPPLIED WITH THE ╙UPERBASE FILES ON THE BACK. ╘HE ╙UPERBASE FILES ARE NOT AS COMPLETE AS THE ARTICLE, BUT THEY DO ALLOW ELECTRONIC SEARCHING AND MAY BE PRINTED IN ALPHABETICAL OR 1541 ─╧╙ ORDER. ╘HE SEQUENTIAL FORM OF THE ╙UPERBASE FILES WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE ON ╘HE ┼XCHANGE ─ISK FOR NOW. ├ORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MEMORY MAP ARE INVITED. ╙PECIAL THANKS TO ┬ILL ╫ENTZ OF ┴LBUQUERQUE, ╬═ AND TO ╨AUL ╥USHTON, OF ┼DMONTON, ┴LBERTA, WHO SUPPLIED MOST OF THE INFORMATION.
╝╘HE ┼XCHANGE ─ISK╛
╘HE SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY DATABASE NOW INCLUDES OVER 330 ENTRIES. ╘HE ╙UPERBASE FILE CONTINUES TO BE AVAILABLE. ╘HE SEQUENTIAL FILE HAS RECENTLY BEEN UPDATED. ┴DDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE DATABASE IS STILL BEING SOUGHT.
╘WO ADDITIONS TO THE SEQUENTIAL FILES ARE: A LIST OF SHOPS REPAIRING ═╙─ DRIVES INCLUDING THE ═╙─ AUTHORIZED LIST AND A LIST OF PARTS FOR ═╙─ DRIVES. ╔F YOU'VE HAD YOUR ═╙─ DRIVE REPAIRED, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHO DID THE WORK.
╘HE PROGRAM SIDE OF THE ┼XCHANGE ─ISK REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS EDITION. ┴DDITIONAL PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, BUT REMAIN TO BE TESTED. ┴ SECOND PROGRAM DISK WILL BE STARTED SOON.
╙TANDARD PRACTICE IS TO SUPPLY THE ┼XCHANGE ─ISK WITH PROGRAMS ON THE BACK AND EITHER ╙UPERBASE OR SEQUENTIAL FILES ON THE FRONT CONTAINING PRIMARILY THE SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY DATA. ╫HEN SENDING IN AN ┼XCHANGE ─ISK, PLEASE INDICATE WHAT YOU WANT. ┴NY COMBINATION OF DISK SIDES CAN BE SUPPLIED. ╘HE CHOICES ARE ═EMORY ═AP ╙EQ; ═EMORY ═AP ╙┬; ╙OFTWARE ╙EQ; ╙OFTWARE ╙┬; AND ╨ROGRAMS 1 OR 2.
║FP
╝╙OFTWARE ├OMPATIBILITY ├ONFLICTS╛
╘HE SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY DATABASE HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY. ╒SUALLY THE INFORMATION RECEIVED IS CONSISTENT. ╧CCASIONALLY DIFFERENCES ARISE. ╫HEN THIS OCCURS, A "CONFLICTING INFORMATION" ENTRY APPEARS IN THE DATABASE USUALLY WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES. ╔TS INTENDED TO INDICATE THAT SOME USERS HAVE REPORTED PROBLEMS, AND THAT THE DIFFERENCES COULD NOT BE TRACED TO PROGRAM EDITION OR HARDWARE.
╙OME EXAMPLES OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION SOFTWARE INCLUDE ╞LIGHT ╙IMULATOR ╔╔, ╬EWSROOM, AND ╚ESWARE'S ═ULTIPLAN. ╔F YOU HAVE SOFTWARE THAT HAS A CONFLICTING ENTRY, PLEASE ADVISE OF YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH IT TOGETHER WITH ANY AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON EDITION NUMBER AND HOW YOUR SYSTEM WAS SET UP WHEN IT WAS TESTED.
╝─╧╙ ╒PGRADES╛
╞OR THOSE IN NEED OF A ─╧╙ UPGRADE, THE BEST OFFER SO FAR COMES FROM ┬ASEMENT ┬OYS ╙OFTWARE, THE MAKERS OF ╞AST ╚ACKEM. ╞AST ╚ACKEM REQUIRES ═╙─ ─╧╙ 2.3. ┬ASEMENT ┬OYS OFFERS TO UPGRADE ─╧╙ FREE IF YOU SEND IN YOUR ╥╧═ CHIPS.
╝╙─-2 ├OPY ╨ROGRAMS╛
┴S NOTED LAST ISSUE, ╞AST ╚ACKEM AND ═╙─ ╙HURECOPY FROM ═EGASOFT ARE THE TWO MOST POPULAR COPY PROGRAMS FOR THE ═╙─ DUAL DRIVE. ╞AST ╚ACKEM IS IN THE PROCESS OF RELEASING VERSION 4.0. ╘HEY ARE SHIPPING AN INTERIM VERSION 3.9. ╒SERS REPORT THAT 3.9 WILL NOT LOAD ON AN ═╙─. ╞AST ╚ACKEM PROMISES TO REPLACE 3.9 WITH 4.0 WHEN ITS READY. ╓ERSION 3.0 IS COMPATIBLE AND HIGHLY REGARDED.
╘HE ╒LTRABYTE ╬IBBLER, VERSION 2.1 INCLUDES FILES FOR THE ╙─-2. ╔T IS REPORTEDLY MUCH FASTER THAN ╙HURECOPY IN COPYING A WHOLE DISK. ╘HE ╒LTRABYTE ╬IBBLER COPIES ONLY AN ENTIRE DISK. ╙HURECOPY INCLUDES UTILITIES SUCH AS COPYING SINGLE FILES (INCLUDING RELATIVE FILES), SCRATCHING FILES, NEWING A DISK, ETC. ┬OTH ╒LTRABYTE AND ╞AST ╚ACKEM WORK ONLY WHEN SERIALLY CONNECTED.
╙INCE THE ╒LTRABYTE ╬IBBLER RESEMBLES ╞AST ╚ACKEM (BOTH ARE PARAMETER COPIERS), ITS LIKELY THAT ╞AST ╚ACKEM IS ALSO FASTER THAN ╙HURECOPY. ╘HE ┼XCHANGE RECEIVED 3.9 AND COULDN'T CHECK.
┴N ARTICLE ON COPY PROGRAMS IN THE ╬OVEMBER ISSUE OF ╘RANSACTOR INCLUDED NOTES ON ═╙─ COMPATIBILITY. ╔T LISTED ─ISECTOR 3.0 AS PARTIALLY ═╙─ COMPATIBLE. ╙OME USERS FIND FEW OF THE ─ISECTOR FILES ═╙─ COMPATIBLE. ╫HAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE?
╝╙─-1 ├OPY ╨ROGRAMS╛
╬O HIGH SPEED COPY PROGRAMS FOR THE ╙─-1 WERE REPORTED FOLLOWING THE REQUEST IN THE LAST ISSUE. ╧NE USER REPORTS HAVING SEEN ONE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, BUT DETAILS ARE LACKING. ╘HE ┼XCHANGE IS WORKING ON THE CONVERSION OF "4═INUT", A HIGH SPEED PUBLIC DOMAIN COPIER FOR THE 1541. ╔TS REPORTED THAT TWO OTHER PUBLIC DOMAIN PROGRAMS, "3═INUT" AND "╘HE ┴USTRIAN ├OPY ╨ROGRAM" USE THE SAME ─╧╙ ROUTINE. ╚OPEFULLY, ALL THREE WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ═╙─ FORMAT WHEN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER IS ISSUED.
╝╔┼┼┼ ╔NTERFACES╛
┴S NOTED PREVIOUSLY, CONVERTING FROM SERIAL TO ╔┼┼┼ IS THE BEST WAY TO INCREASE DISK ACCESS SPEED. ╨RICES ON THE INTERFACES ARE ABOUT AS FOLLOWS--┬USCARD ╔╔ IS NO LONGER BEING MADE, BUT SOME MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE. ╘HE LIST PRICE WAS ABOUT $150. ╔T IS NOT ├-128 COMPATIBLE. ╤UICKSILVER FROM ╙KYLES ┼LECTRIC ╫ORKS IS ABOUT $90. ╔T CLAIMS TO BE 128 COMPATIBLE. ╘HE MOST ECONOMICAL IS ╟╠INK AVAILABLE FROM ╘RANSACTOR FOR $49.95 (WITHOUT THE CABLE).
╝╬OTES╛
╧NE USER REPORTS UPGRADING AN ╙─-1 TO AN ╙─-2 SUCCESSFULLY. ─ETAILS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. ╨ARTS TO ADD THE SECOND DRIVE SHOULD BE LESS THAN $100.
┴ USER REPORTS THAT A RATTLING HEAD ON AN ═╙─ CAN BE CAUSED BY DIRTY GLIDE TRACKS. ╘HE HEAD MOVES ON TWO PARALLEL RODS. ├LEAN THEM WITH A ╤-TIP TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
╘HE PRESENCE OF THE SAVE WITH REPLACE BUG ON ═╙─ DRIVES HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. ╘O AVOID IT SPECIFY A DRIVE NUMBER (╙┴╓┼"@0:NAME" RATHER THAN ╙┴╓┼"@:NAME") AND DON'T USE IT ON A NEARLY FULL DISK. ╘HERE MUST BE SPACE FOR TWO COPIES OF YOUR FILE.
┴DDITIONAL SOFTWARE CAN BE MADE COMPATIBLE WITH AN ═╙─ BY DISCONNECTING THE WIRE THAT GOES INSIDE THE ├-64 FROM ┬USCARD ╔╔. ╙OME REPORT INSTALLING A SWITCH ON THE WIRE.
╘HE TRAP ROUTINE IN ─╧╙ 2.3 CONTAINS A BUG OF SORTS. ╫HEN SOFTWARE IS LOADED FROM DISK, THE BUFFERS THAT WOULD BE USED FOR MOST ─╧╙ RESIDENT PROGRAMS MAY BE LEFT ALLOCATED. ═-╫ LOADS THAT SHOULD BE REDIRECTED FROM 1541 BUFFER ADDRESSES TO THE ═╙─ EQUIVALENTS ARE LOST. ┴ FEW ─╧╙ RESIDENT PROGRAMS MAY BECOME COMPATIBLE IF THE ╒╩ COMMAND IS EXECUTED FROM THE IMMEDIATE MODE AFTER THE PROGRAM IS LOADED, BUT BEFORE IT IS ╥╒╬. ╒SE ╧╨┼╬ 15,8,15,"╒╩":├╠╧╙┼15. ╔F THIS WORKS MAKE IT PERMANENT BY ADDING IT TO THE FIRST LINE OF THE PROGRAM.
═╙─ WILL REPAIR THE DRIVES FOR A FLAT $145 FEE.
╝─╧╙ ╨ROGRAMMING╛
╘O GET THE MOST FROM YOUR ═╙─, TRY ─╧╙ PROGRAMMING. ╔TS THE KEY TO HIGH SPEED COPY PROGRAMS, FAST COMMUNICATIONS, AND MOST PROTECTION SCHEMES. ─╧╙ IS A MASSIVE MACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAM. ┴S ON THE 1541, IT IS ACTUALLY TWO PROGRAMS SWITCHED BY A TIMER.
║PG60
╧NE, THE INTERFACE PROCESSOR (╔╨) OCCUPIES THE FIRST TWO THIRDS OF ─╧╙. ╔T CONTROLS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ├-64. ╫HEN NOT IN USE, IT EXECUTES THE ╔─╠┼ LOOP WAITING FOR SIGNALS FROM THE COMPUTER. ╘HE OTHER ROUTINE, THE FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER (╞─├), OPERATES THE HARDWARE INCLUDING THE MOTOR, THE ╠┼─'S, AND THE READ/WRITE HEADS. ╫HEN NOT IN USE IT EXECUTES THE ╠├├ LOOP LOOKING FOR A JOB CODE FROM THE ╔╨.
╘O EXECUTE AN ╔╨ ROUTINE LOAD YOUR CODE INTO ╥┴═ AND SEND AN ═-┼ COMMAND OR BEGIN THE ROUTINE FROM A ╥┴═ VECTOR SUCH AS ╙┼╥╓┼├ OR ╓┴╘╬╔. ╘O EXECUTE AN ╞─├ ROUTINE LOAD THE CODE INTO ONE OF THE BUFFERS. ╘HEN LOAD THE CORRESPONDING POSITIONS WITH A TRACK AND SECTOR NUMBER IN ╚┼┴─┼╥ AND A JOB CODE IN ╩╧┬╙.
╘O LEARN ─╧╙ PROGRAMMING, THE BEST BOOK IS "╔NSIDE ├OMMODORE ─╧╙" (─ATAMOST). ╔T LISTS 1541 SUBROUTINES WITH A BRIEF EXPLANATION. ╔T ALSO CONTAINS A DISCUSSION OF HOW ─╧╙ OPERATES. ╘HE ═╙─ ROUTINES ARE SIMILAR, BUT HAVE DIFFERENT ADDRESSES. ┴NOTHER BOOK IS "┴NATOMY OF THE 1541" (┴BACUS), WHICH CONTAINS A COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY OF 1541 ─╧╙.
╘O LEARN MACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING, INTRODUCTORY BOOKS INCLUDE ├OMPUTE'S "╞IRST ┬OOK OF ═ACHINE ╠ANGUAGE" (GENERIC BUT WELL WRITTEN) AND "╘HE ═ACHINE ╠ANGUAGE ┬OOK" (┴BACUS). "╨ROGRAMMING ╘HE 6502" (╙YBEX) IS MORE ADVANCED, BUT CONTAINS A CLEARER EXPLANATION OF THE FINER POINTS. ╘OOLS INCLUDE A MACHINE LANGUAGE MONITOR SUCH AS ╙UPERMON OR ╚ESMON AND AN ASSEMBLER SUCH AS THE ├OMMODORE ┴SSEMBLER (FOR BEGINNERS), OR ╨┴╠ 64 OR THE ═┴┼ ASSEMBLER FOR ADVANCED FEATURES. ╧NCE YOU LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS, THE NEXT STEP IS TO STUDY PROGRAMS. ─╧╙ IS A GOOD ONE TO STUDY SINCE IT IS WRITTEN FOR FAST EXECUTION AND TO CONSERVE MEMORY. ╔N ADDITION TO THE MEMORY MAP, REFERENCES INCLUDE ├OMPUTE'S "═APPING THE 64", AND ╘RANSACTORS "╔NNERSPACE ┴NTHOLOGY."
╝╠ETTERS╛
┘OUR COMMENTS ON INFORMATION IN THE ╬EWSLETTER ARE APPRECIATED AND ALWAYS WELCOME. ╘HEY ARE PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS.
