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My nanoPEB questions.


Sinphaltimus

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OK, from a complete noob perspective. Here it goes.

I know nothing of this nanoPEB except it emulates 3 DSK drives, has 32k ram, rs232 port and needs a power supply.

I RTFM.

I'm going to take this one step at a time. Tonight, here's my first few questions I'll read about in the morning as I go bed...

Am I supposed to format the CF FAT?
I connect it to my CF card reader, of course windows wants to format and I say no. But when I run cf2dsk (because I want to see what, if any, volumes exist on the card), cf2dsk does not see my compact flash. Windows gives my card reader a drive letter but I don't want to screw anything up by formatting the CF.

If I am supposed to format FAT first, then fine. I'll do that in the morning.

If not, how can I find what is on this? Do I just mount 1,1 then 1,2 then 1,3 etc...? Then run catalog?
I dunno.

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it should be formatted with the default drive images on it

 

don't format it it is a propriatary format that is not compatible with PC formats, it can only be read by tidir and the utilities he provides, i have had zero experience with any of his utilities as tidir is braindead easy and doesn't require dos

 

Try it on the ti, as you posted call mount (1,1) then catalog

 

disk images should start with these three:

1 - cfmgr

2 - backup of cfmgr

3 - utilities

 

should come that way from the mfgr

 

Greg

Edited by arcadeshopper
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Format it with FAT under windows, once, or if in doubt (contents will be lost, of course)

Then start TI99DIR and say "Initialize CF" from the menu.

From this point on, ignore all windows-wishes like format a.s.o. ;)

 

Then you should be able to copy DSKs/Volumes with the DSK2PC-Tool.

(ie the CFMGR to vol.1)

 

Back to the TI, this should be mounted under TI-Basic first

/ie CALL MOUNT(1,1)

Then you can start the CFMGR (normally on Vol.1) via the E/A-Option

 

 

"braindead easy", nice saying :) :)

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The best tool when using the nanoPEB or CF7 on the TI is Fred's CF2K (loaded with E/A5). My 400KiB image for CF2K v2.4 for the nanoPEB or CF7+ is attached to this post. Use Fred's TI99Dir to copy it to the CF card. You can also do your initial volume mounts in TI99Dir. I usually keep CF2K.DSK mounted as DSK3.

 

...lee

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I appreciate that Lee.

Before I got off to work I was able to copy disk images to the cf via tidir.

I barely had time to test but on the real iron dsk1 was automating disk utilities that I couldn't exit or quit.

 

There were volume utilities for the cf but I couldn't find a way to unmount dsk1 then I had to run it the door.

 

So I guess that's my next question.

 

With a real floppy drive you unmount by physically removing the disk from the drive and reboot.

 

With my goTek, I physically remove the usb stick and reboot.

 

What do I do with the nano when I'm stuck in a program that won't let me quit and autoloads? Without removing it and using a pc?

 

Today is my Friday so I'll be playing with it in about 9 hours.

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...

What do I do with the nano when I'm stuck in a program that won't let me quit and autoloads? Without removing it and using a pc?

 

There are several ways to handle this:
  • QUITting CFMGR with FCTN+= will get you back to the TI title screen. Obviously, you will have the same problem trying to get back to XB.
  • Holding down “CLEAR” (FCTN+4) immediately after selecting XB should break DSK1.LOAD.
  • You can MOUNT another volume as DSK1 from TI Basic (TIB) because DSK1.LOAD does not autoload in TIB. I would suggest either copying VOL1 to another volume slot and copying CF2K.DSK as volume #1 or renaming LOAD to something else, say “XBLOAD”, which you can do in both CFMGR and CF2K.
I never use UNMOUNT because UNMOUNT actually changes the MOUNTed volume for DSKn to volume #n, e.g., CALL UNMOUNT(1) will change DSK1 from whatever volume was MOUNTed to volume #1, which, of course, is VOL1, frustrating your intentions. There is no way to actually remove a virtual disk from a virtual disk drive. The extent of the metaphor is to swap disks. CALL UNMOUNT(n) is equivalent to CALL MOUNT(n,n), where n is 1, 2 or 3.
...lee
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Most excellent. Thank you again. I'll rearranged my mounted volumes via tidir to put a stop to the autoloading for now. I have a lot of playing around to do with this until I feel comfortable so thanks for the guidance.

 

just mount a volume without autoload :) that has gotten me a few times too.. oh no this xb cart doesnt work.. oh it loaded something whew

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Most excellent. Thank you again. I'll rearranged my mounted volumes via tidir to put a stop to the autoloading for now. I have a lot of playing around to do with this until I feel comfortable so thanks for the guidance.

 

Also if you are using XB 2.7 when you select XB just hold a key down and it will bypass the LOAD file

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OK, I'm getting a little confused by this. I can copy dsk files back and forth no problem. I got the autoload thing under control or at least not autoloading anything anymore. I'm guessing that's a DSK1 thing.
However; I get title screen, I select Extended Basic. CATALOG doesn't do anything. I try in TIBASIC and again error. I was able to initiate a CALL MOUNT(2,2) to theoretically mount volume 2 as DSK2 (CALL MOUNT(DSK,VOL)) but I can't "catalog iut from BASIC to know what is in there.

AND that makes complete sense to me because that is how it is with a real floppy disk. It's just a challenge because there are no "Floppy labels" to look at. I need to create an index file of all volumes on the CF AND include an indexer program in each dsk file.
I haven't used my peb or gotek or floppies in a while so I forget about this stuff quickly.

 

OK, so from the time I started typing this comment to this very sentence right here, I'm no longer confused by this. Answered my own inquiry as I typed it out. :/

Except for the "CATALOG" thing.

"TI-99/4A Software

 

CATALOG
Catalog is a Basic program that displays the files on disks 1, 2 or 3. If you wish to view
the contents of volumes 4 and up, you must mount it using the CALL MOUNT command
and then re-run CATALOG."
Where do I run the basic program from? Where does it actually reside? I felt like it was part of the DSR and would execute from a BASIC or XB prompt.
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Ahh the number one noob ti disk question. The catalog program is in the back of the disk controller manual from TI which is it available on the FTP site wh Tech.com or if you have a disk manager you can use that or if you have the extended basic 2.7 cartridge you could use the call cat command to do a catalog or if you're at the menu of the extended basic cartridge you could just hit the number of the disk drive you want to catalog and it will catalog it

 

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

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...

Where do I run the basic program from? Where does it actually reside? I felt like it was part of the DSR and would execute from a BASIC or XB prompt.

 

As you said, CATALOG is a Basic program. You can copy it wherever you like, but it is in the disk image, “VOL1”. It comes in volume #1, but you can change it. If VOL1 is in volume #25, you would need to MOUNT it in one of the virtual disk drives (DSK1, DSK2 or DSK3): CALL MOUNT(3,25). Now that VOL1 (the name of the “disk”) is MOUNTed as DSK3, you would invoke CATALOG by OLD "DSK3.CATALOG" followed by RUN in TIB; or RUN "DSK3.CATALOG" in XB. You can catalog any of the three virtual disks. If the volume you want catalogued is not MOUNTed, you need to mount it in one of the virtual drives.

 

But—you can use another Basic program on VOL1 to catalog volumes without going to the trouble of MOUNTing them. The program is VCATALOG. Try it. [note: VCATALOG can only be run in TIB because it uses CALL MOUNT() POKEV(), which is unavailable in XB.] [note 2: VCATALOG will only work if the E/A cartridge is plugged in.]

 

...lee

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@ArcadeShopper - LOL - Yep, I knew that from when I got my floppies running in my PEB but thought maybe it was included someplace I couldn't locate. Which turned out correct. I have a program Tursi gave me called indexer, customized version called index. I wasn't too excited about copying the program to all my DSK images though (which is what I do with my hfe images for the gotek)

@Lee - VOL1 - Got It! Sweeeeet. Thanks as always.

Edited by Sinphaltimus
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As you said, CATALOG is a Basic program. You can copy it wherever you like, but it is in the disk image, “VOL1”. It comes in volume #1, but you can change it. If VOL1 is in volume #25, you would need to MOUNT it in one of the virtual disk drives (DSK1, DSK2 or DSK3): CALL MOUNT(3,25). Now that VOL1 (the name of the “disk”) is MOUNTed as DSK3, you would invoke CATALOG by OLD "DSK3.CATALOG" followed by RUN in TIB; or RUN "DSK3.CATALOG" in XB. You can catalog any of the three virtual disks. If the volume you want catalogued is not MOUNTed, you need to mount it in one of the virtual drives.

 

But—you can use another Basic program on VOL1 to catalog volumes without going to the trouble of MOUNTing them. The program is VCATALOG. Try it. [note: VCATALOG can only be run in TIB because it uses CALL MOUNT() POKEV(), which is unavailable in XB.] [note 2: VCATALOG will only work if the E/A cartridge is plugged in.]

 

...lee

Oh yeah forgot about those xb27 spoils me

@ArcadeShopper - LOL - Yep, I knew that from when I got my floppies running in my PEB but thought maybe it was included someplace I couldn't locate. Which turned out correct. I have a program Tursi gave me called indexer, customized version called index. I wasn't too excited about copying the program to all my DSK images though (which is what I do with my hfe images for the gotek)

 

@Lee - VOL1 - Got It! Sweeeeet. Thanks as always.

 

 

 

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

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I use a small basic program, that I´ve copied on all my volumes:

 

 

 

 

10 PRINT

20 PRINT
30 PRINT
40 GOTO 110
100 CALL CLEAR
110 DIM TYPE$(5)
120 TYPE$(1)="DIS/FIX"
130 TYPE$(2)="DIS/VAR"
140 TYPE$(3)="INT/FIX"
150 TYPE$(4)="INT/VAR"
160 TYPE$(5)="PROGRAM"
170 INPUT "MASTER DISK(1-3)? ":A
180 A=INT(A)
190 IF A<1 THEN 170
200 IF A>3 THEN 170
210 OPEN #1:"DSK"&STR$(A)&".",INPUT,RELATIVE,INTERNAL
220 INPUT #1:A$,J,J,K
230 DISPLAY "DSK";STR$(A);" - DISKNAME= ";A$:"AVAILABLE=";K;"USED=";J-K
240 DISPLAY:"FILENAME SIZE TYPE P":"-------- ---- ---- -";
250 FOR LOOP=1 TO 127
260 INPUT #1:A$,A,J,K
270 IF LEN(A$)=0 THEN 350
280 DISPLAY:A$;TAB(12);J;TAB(17);TYPE$(ABS(A));
290 IF ABS(A)=5 THEN 320
300 B$=" "&STR$(K)
310 DISPLAY SEG$(B$,LEN(B$)-2,3);
320 IF A>0 THEN 340
330 DISPLAY TAB(28);"Y";
340 NEXT LOOP
350 CLOSE #1

 

 

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I played with it for a little while today and am getting used to it. Keeping the VOL1 in DSK3 is a great habit. I use DSK2 for trying out programs and other DSK images and leave DSK1 with a blank in case I ever need to save stuff.

Next....I need to make a cable adaptor for the RS232 and get that going. I hope I can locate another seraiol cable in my collecting. I have a UDS now.

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OK thanks to Chris, I was able to make a cable matching these specs.

It's the same type that is referenced for Stuart's internet browser:

NanoPEB side Lantronix side
9-way D-type 25-way D-type Male
Female
Pin Pin
2 (RX) ------<<------ (RX out) 3
3 (TX) ------>>------ (TX in) 2
5 (GND) -------------- (GND) 7
7 (RTS) -->>--+
8 (CTS) --<<--+ (pins 7 and 8 connected together)
I also have a UDS 10 I'm about to configure. (R'ingTFM right now).

Then what?
:)
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  • 4 months later...

Wow, I haven't used my nanoPeb in a while. And i completely forgot everything. Even reading my own thread here I feel lost.

I have my CF card connected to my PC and can browse the CFcard using ti99dir but I am completely drawing a blank on how to:
1. Create a disk image from scratch (I thought I used TIImageTool to do this but forgot all the specifics).

2. Load that created file to the cfcard

3. Use it on the ti.

I won turbo forth at FestWest and was trying to create the utilities disk (I have a copy of the BLOCKS file).

I am completely lost.

I'm thinking a step by step on using various TI tools on the PC with CF Card connected to PC would be great. I'm going to start from scratch and attempt to recall and get this going again. Once I think I've got the process down I would be more than happy to create a PDF for others. But in the meantime, any help or suggestions here would be great. Assume i forgot it all, what's a noob to do?

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Also if you are using XB 2.7 when you select XB just hold a key down and it will bypass the LOAD file

RXB uses the Space Bar instead, but selecting any invalid drive like Z or / or = or ' also works.

Of course 0 (zero key) does a WDS1.LOAD instead. (This works on IDE, SCSI or HFDC cards)

Edited by RXB
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RXB uses the Space Bar instead, but selecting any invalid drive like Z or / or = or ' also works.

Of course 0 (zero key) does a WDS1.LOAD instead. (This works on IDE, SCSI or HFDC cards)

 

Cool. Now I know how to do that same thing with my RXB 2015!

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