I have a couple of questions for you!

Subzh. They are different, they concern everything possible. Treat with consciousness and
understanding.

On the software:
Are there even initiatives to create the game Heroes of might and
magic? I saw screenshots from 2 different endeavors. I would like to contact the authors.

On communications:
What sites are there dedicated to echotag?
What FTP are there?
Which sites have modification schemes?
What FileServers are there?

On hardware:
This is where my biggest question begins. In general, what modifications
exist for the Pentagon 128?
I would like to see the most necessary ones. Which ones do you think are needed for my car? And
What software is there for these bells and whistles?
Is it possible to connect an external modem and is there software for this?
Is it possible to connect a VGA video card?
Is it possible to connect a multicard from the PC (HDD, FDD, COM, LPT controller)?
Is it possible to connect a Sound Blaster?

By HDD and CDROM:
I know that it can be connected, but I have questions there are.
What circuits are there and where can I get them?
What software is there?
How is information stored on the HDD for the Spectrum?
What is the maximum capacity of the HDD that can be connected?
Will I be able to run programs on the spec from the screw, in particular the same Lara and
terminal?
How in general will I work with the screw?
Is it like a large floppy disk or like plug-in ones instead of floppy drives? images?
How is compatibility with programs?
What to do with a non-standard formatrecords (ms-dos, black raven)?
Can I boot the computer from a screw?
What modifications are needed to connect the screw, since I have nothing
connected besides the modem?
In the Z80 stealth there is something about working with a real screw. What is this?

About the ROM:
In what sequence is everything in the ROM?
Can I flash a rom from an emulator onto a real spec?
Is there a flash analogue of 27512?
What kind of RAM can I put instead of 27512 and power it from a battery? Is it possible
to flash it temporarily?

With best wishes, Alexandr Skoropisov.

01 Apr 02 17:47, Alexandr Skoropisov wrote to All:

AS> For hardware:
AS> This is where my biggest question begins. In general, what modifications
AS> exist for the Pentagon 128? I would like to see the most necessary ones.
AS> Which ones do you think are needed for my car?

Screw, modem, 512x192 screen, real-time clock, MMU for loading
any bank to any address.

AS> And what software is there for these bells and whistles?

Yes.

AS> Is it possible to connect an external modem and is there software for it?
AS> Yes, there is software. Multicard from offtopic using the Kondratiev scheme + modem.

AS> Is it possible to connect a VGA video card?
AS> Is it possible to connect a multicard from a PC (HDD, FDD, COM,
LPT controller)?
AS> Is it possible to connect a Sound Blaster?

It is possible to connect. It won’t work.

AS> By HDD and CDROM:
AS> I know that it can be hooked up, but there are questions.
AS> What circuits are there and where can I get them?

NEXT, Nemo, SMUC, etc.

AS> What software is there?

Firewood for iS-DOS and Vega-Commander.

AS> How is information stored on the HDD for the Spectrum?

Q in a cool, dry place protected from sunlight.

AS> What is the maximum HDD capacity you can connect to?

Which one can you get?

AS> Will I be able to run programs on the spec from the screw, in particular the same Lara
AS> and a terminal?

Only on a Scorpio with a professional ROM.

AS> How will I work with a screw?

You know better.

AS> Is it like a large floppy disk or like images plugged in instead of floppy drives
AS>?

That’s how it will turn out. Scorpio contains disk images.

AS> How is compatibility with programs?

Worthless... if the programs are very cool-hacking.

AS> What to do with a non-standard recording format (ms-dos, black raven)?

No way. Use floppy disks.

AS> Will I be able to boot the computer from the screw?

Maybe you can... depends on the ROM.

AS> What modifications are needed to connect the screw, since I have nothing connected except the
AS> modem?

It is necessary to connect the “screw controller”.

AS> In the Z80stealth there is something about working with a real
AS> screw. What is this?

Offtopic.

AS> About the ROM:
AS> In what order is everything in the ROM?

Depends on the computer model.

AS> Will I be able to flash a rom from an emulator onto a real spec?

Yes. But not from everyone.

AS> Is there a flash analogue of 27512?

I’m not sure about 27512 specifically, but there are larger chips,
and most of the pins coincide with 27512. You can insert into the panel
and solder only 4 contacts.

AS> What kind of RAM can be installed instead of 27512 and powered by it from a battery,
AS> will it be possible to flash it temporarily?

2штуки 62256.

AS> I know that this can be hooked up, but there are questions.
AS> What circuits are there and where can I get them?

Skopovaya, controller from Nemo. And it seems there is something else.
I’m silent about the Sprinter controller ;)

AS> What kind of software is there?

For Scorpa there is almost none, because it’s not needed :)))
(I mean, there is software for more convenient work, but you can work without it)
For Nemovsky - there is a driver for From-Dos.
And only there you can work with the screw.

AS> How is information stored on the HDD for the spectrum?

Silently! ;)
For Scorp: a specific partition is created on the screw.
More precisely, 2 partitions - for TR-DOS and for Is-Dos.
Under TR-DOS, disk images are actually stored on the screw.
Under Is-Dos - not in the course.

AS> What is the maximum HDD capacity you can connect to?

Skorpovy - 2 giga, like...

AS> Will I be able to run programs from the screw on the spec, in particular the same laptop
AS> and terminal?

Original question...
What's the use of a skip, then, if it
can't run anything from it?

AS> How in the world am I going to work with screw?

Silently! ;)

AS> Is it like a large floppy disk or like images that can be connected instead of floppy drives
AS>?

For Scorp - Is-Dos: a large floppy disk. (And it seems there is more than one :)
For TR-DOS - images that can be connected instead of flops.
Nemovsky - a large floppy disk for Is-DOS.

AS> How is compatibility withprograms?

Scorp - if you use normal loaders (via #3D13) everything works.
All sorts of turbo loaders break down.

AS> What to do with the non-standard format
AS> records (ms-dos, black raven)?

Non-standard That's why the format is a non-standard format, so as not to have
compatibility.

AS> Will I be able to load the computer from a screw?

In what sense? Everything necessary to boot the computer is written into ROM.
For Scorpa, when you turn on the computer, it is possible to boot
from the desired disk image boot.B.

AS> What modifications are needed to connect the screw, because I have except

KF> I’m not sure about 27512 specifically, but there are larger chips,
KF> and most of the pins coincide with 27512. You can insert into the panel
KF> and solder only 4 contacts.
I have 28F001 128kb, 34 legs, the signals can be said to all coincide

JTN/4D

AM> Theoretically - yes.
AM> Whether all this will really work is unknown.
it works for me
AM> The screw will definitely not work. Flop - what for? VG93 in Speck is already there.
the screw is just ports, often there are not even buffers on multis, the shd goes directly from the isa to the hdd connector. for a custom floppy chip there is something like a hole in it (works on 3d13)

AM> Scorpovy - 2 gigabytes, I think...
explain to a fool what the limitation is on the size of the screw?;-)

VK> if you write software, it will be ;)
It depends on what you call work. It will probably “interact”... But
it won’t work.

Best regards, Oleg. [ZX]

VK> asked about the Pentagon;)

Yes, right? %)

╒═════════════════════════ Home golded.txt ═════════════════════════і
─ REAL.SPECCY (2:5030/675.50) REAL.SPECCY ─
Message: 3016 of 3029 +3017 3023
From: Alexandr Skoropisov 2:461/68.34 01 Apr 02 17:47:40
Comy: All 02 Apr 02 20:43:16
Subject: I have a date for you questions!
───────────── ─────────────────────────── ─────────────────────────── ────────────
Greetings you, All!

Sub. They are different, they concern everything possible. Be mindful and
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
╘═════════════════════════ End golded.txt ═════════════════════════╛

Aleksandr

AM> And in order to run this very thing from DOS on a Nemov controller, which only runs under DOS,
AM> you need to boot from the disk and in
AM> autoload, load firewood for the screw ;)

There is an item in the BASIC-128 menu - loading iS-DOS.

AM> Yes ny? %)

AM> Subject. They are different, they concern everything possible. Be aware and below the Pentagon128 was specifically mentioned, IMHO the author had in mind all sorts of
modifications for it ;-). However, let him judge us.

JTN/4D

AM>> is written in ROM.
AM>> For Scorpia, when you turn on the computer, it is possible to load
AM>> from the desired disk image boot.B.
VK> I saw such a miracle: in order to launch the CPU from the screw on the profik
VK> you need to launch from a floppy disk
VK> boot - something takes up about a sector

Here is another miracle - boot.B means any program, just
you renamed it boot so that it starts when you
turn on/reset the computer.

[REAL ZX]

Nope, there is already a new ROM firmware, where during the reset you need to hold
CAPS SHIFT and then the ROM bootloader is-dosa will work. And the firewood
is no longer in autoload, but in the working .img image of the operating system it hangs
and immediately starts working.

[REAL ZX]

AS>>>> Is it possible to connect a Sound Blaster?
KF>>> You can connect it. It won’t work.
VK>> if you write software, it will;)
OG> It depends on what you call work. Will "interact"

AS>>>> Is it possible to connect a Sound Blaster?
KF>>> You can connect it. It won't work.
VK>> if you write the software, it will work;)

04 Apr 02 21:45, Vassili Klimov -> Aleksandr Majorov:
[skipped]

AM>> Did you write the support yourself?

VK> there is a hole under fdd,

If I’m not mistaken, then the port addresses there are somewhat different :)
Yes, and the circuit the solution (AKA the bits of all kinds of ports) are generally different.
Or are you saying that FDD on the controller is not needed at all, because there is tr-dos?

VK> and the com port is visible as in the Kondratije scheme,

I.e. did you connect the cartoon just for the sake of COM, and in such a way that
COM addresses coincided with the Kondratiev scheme?

[Windows were killed]

AS>>>>> Is it possible to connect a Sound Blaster?
KF>>>> You can connect it. It won’t work.
VK>>> if you write software, it will;)
OG>> It depends on what you call work. Will "interact"

AS>>>>> Is it possible to connect a Sound Blaster?
KF>>>> You can connect it. It won’t work.
VK>>> if you write software, it will;)
OG>> It depends on what you call work. Will “interact”
OG>> probably... But

AM> If I'm not mistaken, the port addresses there are somewhat different :)
AM> And the circuit design (AKA bits of all kinds of ports) is generally different.
AM> Or are you saying that FDD on the controller is not needed at all, because there is tr-dos?
no, there is an archive: multicard connection diagram + firmware tyrdosa, converted
for cartoon ports (lpt works like zx lprint iii, by the way), and accordingly, since
the chip is different, then everything works to a limited extent, I haven’t tried it myself;), but the author writes
that it seems like it’s through #3d13 plus all standard commands work

06 Apr 02 01:56, Vassili Klimov wrote to Aleksandr Majorov:

VK> nope, there is an archive: multicard connection diagram + tyrdos firmware,
VK> converted to multi-ports (lpt works like zx lprint iii,
VK> by the way), well accordingly, since the chip is different, then everything works to a limited extent, I
VK> haven’t tried it myself;), but the author writes that it seems like through #3d13 plus all
VK> standard commands work

There the controller is not compatible with VG at all: only 3d13, turbo loaders
do not work.

AM> And in order to run this very same thing from DOS on a Nemov controller, which only runs under DOS, you need to boot from the disk and into
AM> autoload, load firewood for the screw ;)

For me, IS-DOS loads immediately from screw.
(Nemov's inclusion standard, MAD-ROM + minor changes in the 48th part of
ROM.)

All the best.
Roman.
[ZX]

RM> My is-dos loads immediately from the screw.
RM> (Hemov's inclusion standard, MAD-ROM + minor changes in the 48th
RM> part of the ROM.)

=== Cut ===
; (L) Copyleft Kirill Frolov 04-04-2002
;
; Patch for Basic-128.
; The patch is applied using ALASM
; assembler The patch does the following
; changes in BASIC firmware:
;
; 1. Excluded from the menu
; item "Tape Loader".
; 2. The item "TR-Dos" is placed first
; in the menu (instead of "Tape Loader").
; 3. The last item "TR-DOS" is replaced
; item "Reset" to execute
; cold reset programs
; 4. If at the moment of reset the
is held; Caps Shift key then happens
; exit to the menu without implementation
; "cold reset".
; 5. While holding down the Symbol Shift
key; Basic-128
is launched; (program in shadow bank ROM
; will not run).
; 6. If the above keys are not
; are held, then checked
; contents of RAM at addresses
; #5c00..#5c0f. If checked
; cells are filled with one value
; then it is assumed that what happened
; the computer turns on and happens
; execution of the cold
; reset program, otherwise exit
occurs; in the menu.
;
;Notes:
; To call the image test from
; Basic-128 required when resetting
; hold down 3 keys at the same time:
; Caps Shift, Symbol Shift and Space
; (or Symbol Shift and Break).
; While simultaneously holding
; Caps Shift and Symbol Shift
; (or one Ext Mode key)
; will exit to the Basic-128.
menu; By exiting to the menu we mean
; launching a program from the "shadow
; ROM" bank on computers like Scorpion and
; Kay or exit to the Basic-128
menu; on a Pentagon-type computer (if
; the program can be
; upgraded to run programs
; from an additional bank of ROM on a
; Pentagon computer). In additional
; the ROM bank may contain commanders
; (boot) TR-DOS (for example
; Quick Commander) or firmware like
; MadROM.
; Under "cold reset"
; implies the launch of the program
; from TR-DOS ROM bank to boot
; boot file (if necessary, it is possible
; upgrading the program to run
; iS-DOS from a hard drive).
;
; For the patch to work properly
; you need to set the computer type
; Pentagon or Scorpion/Kay.
;
; The ROM firmware
should be “patched”; Basic-128 from the Pentagon computer.
;
; VIMAIE! The program is not intended
; to fix the computer ROM
; Scorpion working with shadow
;monitor. Change the contents of ROM
; Basic-128 in the Scorpion computer
; DO NOT if there is a shadow monitor.
; If you feel like using this
; the patch will have to be abandoned
; using shadow monitor and
; replace the contents of Basic-48,
; Basic-128 and TR-DOS standard
; firmware (for example from computers
; Pentagon or Kay).
;
; and different versions of the Kay
computer; the program has not been tested and
; may not work.
;

; Setting the machine type
; PENTAGON = 0
MACHINE EQU 1 ; SCORPION & KAY = 1

;-----------------------------------------------------

LOAD EQU #C000

JMP128 EQU #0009
TEST128 EQU #00C7

TTSBEG EQU #3C20 ; TAPE-TESTER #43 BYTES
TTSEND EQU #3C63
RSRBEG EQU #06E8 ; RS232 RECEIVER #E2 BYTES
RSREND EQU #07CA
RSSBEG EQU #11A3 ; RS232 TRANSMITTER #48 BYTES
RSSEND EQU #11EB

TEMPSTK EQU #5C08
TEMPPRG EQU #5D3B

ORG LOAD
DISP 0

; loading standard PETAGO firmware Basic-128
INCBIN "rom128"

;-----------------------------------
ORG LOAD+JMP128
DISP JMP128
JP TEST

;-----------------------------------
ORG LOAD+RSRBEG
DISP RSRBEG
XOR A
RET ; NO RS232

TEST
LD SP,TEMPSTK

LD HL,#5C00
LD BC,#10
LD A,(HL)
CPL1 CPI
JP NZ,BRESET
JP PE,CPL1

LD A,#FE
IN A,(#FE) ; CAPS SHIFT
RRA
JP NC,BRESET
JP POWERUP

PRESET DI
LD SP,TEMPSTK
POWERUP LD HL,R_PUP
JR RJP

BRESET LD A,#7F
IN A,(#FE) ; SYMBOL SHIFT
AND #02
JP Z,TEST128

LD HL,R_RES

RJP
LD DE,TEMPPRG
LD BC,#0080 ; FIXME size
LDIR
LD BC,#7FFD
JP TEMPPRG

; DISP TEMPPRG

R_PUP LD HL,0
PUSH HL
LD A,#10
OUT (C),A
JP #3D2F

R_RES IFN MACHINE
LD HL,#0A00
OUT (C),L
LD B,#1F
OUT (C),H
RST #00
ELSE
JP TEST128
ENDIF

; ENT
; DISP $-LOAD

;---------------------------------------------------
ORG LOAD+RSSBEG
DISP RSSBEG
RET

;-----------------------------------------------------
ORG LOAD+#275E
DB "TR-Dos "
DW #2020,#A020
ORG LOAD+#2784
DB "Reset"
DW #2020,#2020
DW #A020
ORG LOAD+#2744+2
DW #2816
ORG LOAD+#2744+14
DW PRESET

;-----------------------------------------------------
ORG LOAD+TTSBEG
DISP TTSBEG

;-----------------------------------------------------

ENT

=== Cut ===

RM> My is-dos loads immediately from the screw.
RM> (Nemov's inclusion standard, MAD-ROM +
RM> minor changes in the 48th part of the ROM.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you make the changes yourself?
But not everyone can change the ROM.
And not everyone has a programmer :)

Aleksandr

AM> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AM> Did you make the changes yourself?

Who would make them for me? - everyone probably has Scorpios with smooks...
Or rather, there are not changes, but an addition - in an empty space, read/write functions from the screw have been added. I thought it was wrong to shove them into tr-dos.

AM> But not everyone can fix the ROM.
AM> And not everyone has a programmer :)

Ha-ha-ha! You're just a joker!
Can't you find a programmer in St. Petersburg or Moscow? In some village
difficulties may arise for a rural pioneer-spectrumist, but only for
a pioneer.

All the best.
Roman.
[ZX]

RM> Ha ha ha! You're just a prankster!

Which one is ;-)

RM> Is it not possible to find a programmer in St. Petersburg or Moscow?

For example, I don’t know where the nearest
programmer is located in St. Petersburg in order to change the ROM the way I want ;=)
And I’m too lazy to assemble it myself :)

Aleksandr