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-
-
- If your Osborne-1 Double-density machine has the
- MPI drives in it you have probably been using a
- utility program called fast to increase the step
- rate. The drives run quieter and do indeed step
- faster. If you aren't sure if your drives are
- MPI you can tell by looking to see if there is
- a switch 'lever' hanging down on the right side
- of the drives. If this is the case then you can
- make use of the following information.
-
- The problem I've had with the FAST.COM program is
- that it is under 20 bytes long but takes up 1k of
- disk space. Further, you either have to type in FAST
- every time you boot up or (as I did) simply make
- FAST the name of your auto-load program. This, of
- course precludes the use of the auto-load function
- for anything more worthwhile. I have written a small
- routine that sits on the system tracks just above
- the area where the 'function' keys are stored. After
- a cold boot the routine is overwritten by other
- bios stuff but has done it's job by then so it
- doesn't matter.
-
- The assembly routine below can be entered in a
- number of ways, two of which are the most practical.
-
- 1. Create a new CP/M using MOVCPM and save it to
- disk. Use DDT to load the new CP/M and then enter
- the following:
-
- a1f80
- jmp e278 ;changes the cold start jump to our routine
- . ;exit a option
- a20f8 ;our routine
- mvi a,0
- sta ef13
- mvi a,fb ;restore cold start jump
- sta e101
- mvi a,e4
- sta e102
- jmp e4fb ;continue with cold start routines
- , ;exit a option
-
- Now use ^C to exit ddt and run sysgen answering
- the 'source?' prompt with just a carriage return
- and the 'destination?' prompt with the drive that
- contains the disk you wish to modify.
-
- From then on the system will set the step rate to
- 6 ms every time a cold start or reset is done.
-
-
-
-
- 2. The other method is to use the DSKNURSE or DU
- utility program:
-
- with the disk to change the system tracks on in the
- b: drive and du in the a: drive enter:
-
-
- du;lb;g0;t1;s7;d;ch78,3e,00,32,13,ef,3e,fb,32;w
-
-
- After the du prompt returns enter:
-
-
- +;d;ch0;01;e1;3e;e4;32;02;e1;c3;fb;e4;w;x
-
-
- The system tracks have now been modified to change
- the step rate to 6 ms on each cold start.
-
-
- THIS HAS ONLY BEEN TESTED WITH A DOUBLE-DENSITY
- OSBORNE. IT WILL NOT WORK WITH SINGLE-DENSITY
- MACHINES.
-
-
- Simon Ewins,
- 676 Oriole Parkway,
- Toronto, Ontario.
- (416) 484-9427
-
-
- --------- end -------------------------------------
-
- 08/01/83
-