13 replies to this topic

[ruthven]

Anybody have any experience using CP/M on an XL or XE computer?  I'm assuming it's possible... I have a special OS built into my 130XE (Omniview XE) that has a terminal mode called "ATRMON" designed to be used with the ATR8000 serial interface.  According to the documentation, this mode gets the system/drive ready for a CP/M system disk.  I know that on the C128 you need a Commodore-specific CP/M boot disk before you can run any other CP/M software.  So I'm wondering if there is some Atari-specific CP/M boot system that I'd need before I could run other CP/M programs?  Or do you suppose that my 130XE is already booted in a CP/M environment/OS when I enter ATRMON--and hence ready to start accessing CP/M disks?

[Tempest]

Ok my knowledge of CP/M is rusty, but don't you need a Z80 to run it?  I thought the ATR8000 has the Z80 in it so it could run CP/M?  I know I have CP/M boot disks for my ATR8000.  I don't think you can run CP/M on an Atari otherwise.

Tempest

[remowilliams]

With an IndusGT and the RamCharger expansion inside you can run CP/M stuff.

[Rybags]

AFAIK the only other method of running CP/M is on the Indus GT disk drive, so in both cases the Atari itself is just acting as a terminal.

In this day and age, it's kinda pointless beyond being a novelty - if there was any value in it I think someone would have bothered to write a PC-side emulator that could run the code and interface with the real Atari via SIO2PC or APE.

On that note, some people are still begging for an XEP80 emulator and I think it would be a much more worthwhile project.

[Cosi]

Not necessarily. If you have a CA-2001, Indus GT or LDW 2000, you may try the DIY method

[Tempest]

Rybags, on Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:16 AM, said:

In this day and age, it's kinda pointless beyond being a novelty - if there was any value in it I think someone would have bothered to write a PC-side emulator that could run the code and interface with the real Atari via SIO2PC or APE.

That or you have some old CP/M data files you need to grab off a disk.  I can't think of any CP/M only program that hasn't been ported long ago.  The only use I've found for CP/M (other than confusing people who think it's DOS) is for playing Infocom text adventures on odd systems like the Coleco ADAM.

Tempest

[sloopy]

the ATR-8000 could also run MS-DOS with the CO-Power 88 option board, was a nice piece of hardware. I used an ATR-8000 as my drives for amny years, and still have it, also have a second one, i picked up not too long ago... my original one i bought from a place that did CP/M development, and used several of them with terminals, they told me that used them since it was the cheapest way to get a decent CP/M machine...

i was looking at CP/M machine prices around, and they are requiring a good chunk of change, was considering selling my second ATR-8000, but havnt decided yet...

sloopy.

[Tempest]

I have an ATR8000 with the CO-POWER 88 option, but I've never really found a use for it.  It's not like it can run games because most of those require graphics of some sort.  It's interesting to have, but pretty useless in this day and age.

Tempest

[ruthven]

Thanks for the info.  I didn't realize the Z80 was required to run CP/M in general.  I guess the C128 has a Z80 coprocesser which is how I am able to access CP/M disks on that machine.  Specifically, I was trying to recreate a piece of software that controls an old synthesizer.  This software has never been ported from it's original Kaypro II format.  I managed to find the raw files on the net and get them into C128 CP/M format.  From here I can use C128 software to write a Kaypro II CP/M disk of these files.

But what was really cool was that I found I could just run this software straight up on the C128.  Only problem is I'm stuck in 40 columns with my current C128 setup... So I was thinking it would be cool if I could get it running on the 130XE (another feature of Omniview XE is built-in 80 col mode).  I guess this would be possible if I had the ATR8000, which I would need anyway for the COM port to control the synth.

[sloopy]

ruthven, on Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:39 PM, said:

Thanks for the info.  I didn't realize the Z80 was required to run CP/M in general.  I guess the C128 has a Z80 coprocesser which is how I am able to access CP/M disks on that machine.  Specifically, I was trying to recreate a piece of software that controls an old synthesizer.  This software has never been ported from it's original Kaypro II format.  I managed to find the raw files on the net and get them into C128 CP/M format.  From here I can use C128 software to write a Kaypro II CP/M disk of these files.

But what was really cool was that I found I could just run this software straight up on the C128.  Only problem is I'm stuck in 40 columns with my current C128 setup... So I was thinking it would be cool if I could get it running on the 130XE (another feature of Omniview XE is built-in 80 col mode).  I guess this would be possible if I had the ATR8000, which I would need anyway for the COM port to control the synth.

probly better off getting 80 columns on you C128 running... and yes C128's have a Z80, it actually controls the machine on first cold start, and then transfers control to the 8501...

my second ATR-8000 could probly be pried from my fingers for a decent sum, but the first one would require some serious bread as its the uncommon black one.... but an offer of trade for a ICD MIO, would get one in a heartbeat...

sloopy.

[atarimac]

Rybags,
  When you are talking about a XEP80 emulator, are you talking about one being part of a Atari emulator (in which case Atari800 and Atari800MacX already have that), or are you talking about a hardware interface and "terminal" program on the PC, that would allow a real Atari to output to it?

Mark

[ZylonBane]

ruthven, on Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:39 PM, said:

I guess the C128 has a Z80 coprocesser which is how I am able to access CP/M disks on that machine.

ARRRRGGGHHHH.

[ZylonBane]

What, I can't edit my post? ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH AGAIN.

Anyway...

The function of a Z80 chip is to execute Z80 machine language. A floppy disk is not Z80 machine language. The reason the C128 can access CP/M disks is because the 1571 drive was designed to be able to read and write CP/M sector formatting (properly speaking, MFM-formatted disks). The copy of CP/M running on the C128 then interprets this raw sector data as the CP/M file structure. This task could be done just as well by any program running on any family of microprocessor. The only requirement is that the program understands the file structure.

[tregare]

Rybags, on Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:16 AM, said:

AFAIK the only other method of running CP/M is on the Indus GT disk drive, so in both cases the Atari itself is just acting as a terminal.

In this day and age, it's kinda pointless beyond being a novelty - if there was any value in it I think someone would have bothered to write a PC-side emulator that could run the code and interface with the real Atari via SIO2PC or APE.

On that note, some people are still begging for an XEP80 emulator and I think it would be a much more worthwhile project.

ATR8000 also has a Z-80 in it.