15 July 1985 Z-NEWS 207 Anniversary Price Reductions: Z-News is one year old, 25 issues written and distributed. To celebrate, we lower prices on following items and offer new economy package situation: Item New_Price Description 05. $119.00 Z-Com (auto-install Z-System, with I/OP's, on five/seven disks) 20. 69.00 ZAS universal relocating macro assembler 24. 150.00 Z-Tools (ZAS, ZDM, ITOZ and REVAS3) 25. 129.95 DSD dynamic screen debugger 40. 39.95 Input/Output Recorder (I/OR) 43. 89.95 I/O Package Group (new), consisting of I/OR, BPrinter and PKey 60. 39.99 Discat ZCPR3 file and disk catalog program The cake is cut (see Z-News 205, pg 3); get your slice. We said we were celebrating! Additionally, ZAS and ZDM have been upgraded to handle Hitachi HD64180 extended instruction set; also ZAS now has .phase/.dphase and many new print/macro pseudo-ops. (See function tables on pages 3 and 4. These tables could be made into quickie HLP files integrated with other ZCPR3/ZRDOS help menus.) Anyone wishing to upgrade, please send your original disks, and $20.00 each, and we'll re-copy disks with new programs. You also receive upgraded manuals reflecting changes. For same price we will upgrade your ZRDOS to ZRDOS Plus--send us your disk. Milestones! ZCPR3: The Manual is off-the-presses and starting to ship. All who have ordered should have received it by now, or will within a week or so (we are now at mercy of US Postal Service). The end of one saga and being of another. ZCPR3 can be studied and understood like never before. For this 7.5" by 9.25" bound paper-back we have long waited--it's here! We thank everyone for being civil when it would have been so easy not to be. And the book is still only $19.95 plus shipping and handling of $4.00. Hurray! We hope ZCPR3: The Libraries comes out when we first say it will (no ship date yet, but when we give one it'll be a day we are certain of). ZRDOS Plus is shipping, in place of ZRDOS2. Priced at $59.50, $15.49 less than ZRDOS2. What's important: it is re-entrant, permitting efficient I/O Packages to be written, so effective for 64k-byte Z80-based systems. Behold! we add a spectacular utility, from gracious hands (and mind) of Dennis Wright, to ZRDOS Plus utility collection. Called VTYPE, it permits full forward and backward viewing of text files using screen attributes of your terminal and efficient RAM-to-disk swap buffers; has built-in, in- context, help screen. Scroll forward/backward, line/screen at a time; go quickly to beginning/end of file; find text string; repeat search; top-of- screen status line; more! It's one of those utilities, once you use it, you can't be without. We think you too will be addicted after getting your hands on VTYPE. And, Term3 (Phase 1) should be shipping during next fortnight! Our cup flows over...we see high ground, ground of Being! Program Term3 has to be understood as same kind of departure-from-norm as ZCPR3 did from CP/M. Horizons expand as you learn its vast capabilities. If you assume you know what it does, you learn little. Z TIPS: A useful addition to your microcomputer support utilities is MAKE. Moving a program from one user area (0 to 31) to another is primary feature. Program simply changes file first-byte in directory area, track two of disk-- doesn't actually copy to another directory. Used in aliases it's possible to "move" a set of program overlays from directory to directory, as needed, for specific directory useage. MAKE effectively satisfies requirement for public file capability (but does it slower) and makes use of SETDRU filters unnecessary, in those situations where multiple copies of a program would otherwise be required on several directories. If WS.COM and overlays (and MAKE.COM) were in user area 0, disk drive A, VFILER CMD command line "MAKE WS*.COM 6;MAKE *.OVR 6;WS %d%u:%f" puts them in user area 6, including MAILMERGE.OVR. Now you can edit pointer file (%f) in user area 6. Path finds MAKE and WS.COM and they have enough intelligence to find its overlays as long as they are in same user area and on same drive. Pointer file could be on default drive other than A. (Short form for %d%u:%f in CMD files is %$.) Flash: Dennis Wright has donated his personal ZCPR3 I/O debugger package to Z-Nodes. Get IOBUG.LBR to see how Dennis works with I/O problems. Amateur Z User's Corner: We hope you have been learning to create menus. DEMO.LBR is on Z-Nodes to assist by showing many examples. After going to ZRDOS area of node, DEMO.LBR is found by entering command "FINDF DEMO.LBR" from any directory you're in. FINDF searches for file (may be wildcard declared, *.LBR finds all LBRs) in all directories. When found, you enter directory name, a colon, and cursor (carriage) return, and you're there. (Type "PWD" to determine directory name for Disk/User Area combinations.) Download file (use Christensen transfer protocol in your modem program) by entering command "XMODEM S DEMO.LBR" at Z-Node prompt. Set/reset meaning: make expression (function or line) true, one; make false, zero. Raising a line, e.g., DTR of RS-232 interface cable, sets it true, a one, turns function on. True/false, yes/no, high/low, one/zero, "1"/"0", raise/lower, usually mean exactly the same thing. Lowering a signal line sets it false, i.e., function is turned off, operation ceases. Clear? Upload/download: Up and down are relative to perspective, your mental perch, where you are standing. Public access message and file transfer systems, like Z-Nodes, are considered by convention higher in level (echelon) than individual computer systems. So when placing files in such systems, you are said to "upload"; getting files, you "download." Public access systems are perceived as top-of-mountain, we in valley! We deal with pure mental gymnastics, but still important for understanding. Construction: those wishing to build an SBC or S-100 computer should contact Integrand, 8620 Roosevelt Ave., Visalia, CA 93291, 209/651-1203, for their catalog of enclosure, fan, power supply, connector, and motherboard products. Integrand has much advice/hardware for such projects. Also DISKS PLUS (15945 West Pope Blvd., Prairie View, IL 60069, 312/537-7888) is another excellent source of hard-to-find pieces for a build-a-computer project. Order their catalog to feast on choice morsels. Floppy Disk Format Standard Proposed! Suggested standard for 5.25" disk formats used by 8-bit machines: single and double-sided, double-density, 40 and 80 track formats perfected by Alpha Systems (San Jose, CA) and first used by Ampro Computers (Mountain View, CA), then by Oneac (Chicago, IL) and Micromint (Vernon, CT); and expanded usage now encouraged by Echelon. We already have one 8" standard, IBM 3740, for single-sided, single-density disks. California Computer Systems (CCS) and CompuPro (Viasyn) single-sided, double-density, 600k-byte, is suggested as another; and CompuPro double-sided, double-density, 1.2 megabyte, is also. Micromint BIOS for SB180 supports these three 8" formats. We have no axe-to-grind other than to attempt to stop proliferation of additional formats--microcomputer community needs no more! Z-Node Corner: Node operations smooth. We consolidate, preparing for full data-link satellite relay function. Bob Finch and Al Hawley, Z-Node Sysops, rush in their labors of love to complete design of global message/communications system. Notice more nodes online: 39. Jon E. Schneider - El Paso, TX - 915/592-4976 40. Terry Smythe - Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA Rick Peterson, Z-Node 31, has 12 megabytes of hard disk and a 2400 bps modem online, also in El Paso, TX. Call 915/755-3342 to get latest Z software (continued on page 5) ZAS PSEUDO-OP SUMMARY Pseudo-op Form Definition ASEG set absolute segment COMMON set common segment CSEG set code segment DB(DEFB) n [,n...] define byte DC 'string' define character, null terminator .DPHASE end .phase DS(DEFS) expression [,expression] define space DSEG set data segment DW(DEFW) nn [,nn...] define word ELSE conditional assembly END [expression] specifies program starting address ENDIF end conditional assembly ENDM end macro LABEL EQU expression equate label to a value EXITM exit macro EXTRN(EXT) symbol [,symbol...] define external symbols .HD64 assemble HD64180 instructions IF expression conditional assembly .IF1 conditional trueness based on lsb .IF16 conditional trueness based on 16-bits .IN(MACLIB) [d:]filename include file IRP identifier, string [,string...] indefinite repeat macro IRPC identifier, string indefinite repeat character macro .LALL list all macro lines .LFCOND list all false conditionals .LIST resume listing LOCAL identifier [,identifier...] define local macro labels LABEL MACRO dummy [,dummy...] stored macro definition NAME modulename define module name ORG expression change value of relocation counter PAGE [expression] page definition or eject .PHASE expression relocate block of code .PRINT pass,text print text during assembly PUBLIC symbol [,symbol...] define public symbols .RADIX n set radix default REPT expression repeat macro .REQUEST filename [,filename...] request library search .SALL suppress macro listing .SBTTL 'string' define subtitle LABEL SET(DEFL) expression set label to a value .SFCOND suppress listing of false conditionals .TITLE 'string' define title .XALL exclude non-code macro lines .XLIST suppress listings Legend: items in ( )'s are aliases; in [ ]'s, optional. ZDM/ZDMZ/ZDMH COMMAND SUMMARY Function Form Definition Display D[s,f] display screen of memory in hex and ASCII Disable Interrupt DI disable interupts, normal default Enable Interrupt EI enable interupts, default if entering from G, T, and U Fill Fs,f,c fill range of memory with declared byte value Go G[s,b] execute program with optional breakpoint Hex Math Ha,b obtain sum and difference of two hex numbers Input Ifilename set up file control block to receive file name List L[s,f] list to screen assembly language mnemonics Move Ms,f,d move data from one area of memory to another Query Input QIa display input byte from indicated port a Query Output QOa,b output byte b to indicated port a Read R[b] read in file set up with I command, optional offset b Set Ss examine, optionally alter memory Trace T[n] sinple step program execution, up to 65535 steps Untrace U[n] similar to T, but CPU state not displayed Examine X[r] examine CPU register values Alternate Register &[X][r] examine Z80 alternate register values Block Search B[T]s,f find hex or ASCII string in declared memory range Verify Vs,f,b verify if two blocks are identical Print P send all screen output also to printer Jump J display only branch statements: calls, jumps, returns, etc. Legend: items in [ ]'s are optional; s=start address; f=final address; c=hex byte value; a=hex value or port address; b=hex value or offset, breakpoint or block start address; d=destination address; n=step number; r=register letter, a for accumulator, b for bc pair, s for sp, etc. (from page 2) news. Rick's node should prove helpful, especially for those in southern and central parts of country. Use him, and Jon, to reduce strain on Node Central. SB180/MOSART: Xecom (374 Turquoise St., Milpitas, CA 95035, 408/943-0313) XE1201/XE1203 modem components (hybrid module, using only 2.25 square inches of printed circuit board area) open next generation telephone communications-- voice and data, over same wireline, conveniently controlled by menu-driven software. The Micromint SB180 single board computer (see Z-News 109/204/206) using its auxiliary communications board, called COMM180 (with XE1201/03 element), form basis of turn-key, stand-alone bulletin board system (BBS). COMM180 board is approximately 2.75" by 4.5" in area, and designed to sell for $399.00 with software. Term3 is being customized to permit user to take significant advantage of hybrid modem module. Also, Z-Msg is being upgraded to honor entry into this new modem/communications epoch. Hardware and software are completely integrated; here is plug-in-wall (AC, console, and phone connections), ready-to-run package, for computer professionals wanting unattended file and message handling capability, as well as normal computing. Echelon Z-Team members Richard Conn, Tim Gary, and David McCord are handling software design and integration tasks. Who could be more qualified? Complete package sells for $1400.00, in portable metal case, with two 80-track 5.25" floppies. Expansion to hard disk occurs with built-in parallel expansion bus (SCSI interface). Call-progress monitoring through switched network telephone systems is a feature beyond standard-Hayes operation. Dial tone received, busy, ringing, receiver off-hook, voice, ring-back, timeout, answer (connect), reorder (circuit/equipment not ready/available), vacant (number unassigned), i.e., comprehensive monitoring! Xecom modem module does what we had hoped defunct PMMI 1200 bps modem was to have done. (Craig Brown, you still around?) Also, software controlled voice interface, telephone line diagnostics, and DTMF signaling (using tones to directly receive commands/data) and optional speech synthesis are available. Four before-end-of-calendar-year BYTE magazine articles describe SB180 and its software, plus Xecom MOSART modem module and COMM180 bulletin board/communications package. Action starts on cover of 10th Anniversary BYTE issue. Ramblings: Hope Hitachi calls their HD64180 microprocessor H180 (Z180 name also would be nice). Chip is cross between Zilog Z80 and Intel 80186; 180 implies extended 80 in 188/186 vain. So either Z180 or H180 name seems right, appropriate. Wyse Technology (3571 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95134, 408/433-1000) lowers WY-50 ternimal retail price to $599.00 from $695.00. President Bernard Tse, stay number one, please. Quality lives on, after price is forgotten--hot tip of the fortnight! While we think Assembly Language is best, we still promote C Language here and there, especially if optimized (like in Z-Msg). Thus we announce Computer Language magazine (131 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, 415/957-9353) sponsors a workshop on it, with renown experts conducting the sessions. Workshop is scheduled for 16, 17, 18 September 1985 in Cambridge, MA. Call CL if you wish to attend. Studying Artificial Intelligence (AI) is scientific, spiritual, and mystical, all at once. The fact back in 1955 such subject was labeled "artificial" and the name stuck says something about "Catch-22" aspect of investigator investigating himself--man studying man, expecting to unfold something unknowable about himself. AI reminds us of "a hand drawing itself," so skillfully depicted by artist Maurice Escher (of GEB book fame, written by Douglas Hofstader), a spiral of recursion, leaping from one octave to another, never to exactly repeat. Ignorance in action is frightening to behold (also potentially very dangerous)! Z you down the lines... Echelon, Inc. 101 First Street Los Altos, CA 94022 Telephone: 415/948-3820 Z-Node Central: 415/489-9005 Trademarks: SB180, COMM180, Micromint; HD63484/64180, Hitachi; Z80/800, Zilog; 8088/86/186, Intel; 9580/81, Advanced Micro Devices; WY-50/350, Wyse Technology; Z-System, ZCPR3, ZRDOS, Z-Tools, Z-Com, Zas, Zlink, ZDM, ITOZ, Z- Msg, DSD, Term3, Lasting-Value Software, Echelon and their respective owners and authors; MOSART, XE1201/03, Xecom. Z-News 207 is Copyright 1985 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint, wholly or partially, automatically granted if source credit is given to Echelon.