LoTonah Posted September 13, 2013 Author Share Posted September 13, 2013 The only Assembler that I know of that was developed for the ADAM's E.O.S. environment was MacADAM, a macro assembler. The image file is in my collection which I made available a couple weeks ago on here and is still available for download via the MediaFire file sharer and contained in the image file are a number of SmartWRITER documentation files of the manual that I had a lot of fun typing in many moons ago. I think your best bet is to use the CP/M / T-DOS environment and all the tools that are available thru it seeing as most past programmers simply developed their programs in SmartBASIC either as straight Basic code or by poking their routines in memory and then binary saving the whole of memory. I'm sure there were some custom developed tools that the lkes of Walters Software and Steve Pitman used in making their warez, but nothing that was ever shared with the masses. A good start also would be the E.O.S. Programmer's Manual that is available on ADAMcon's website and also all the Nibbles & Bits newsletters that are available on Joe B.'s website in PDF format and linked in my SIG below. Actually, there is a treasure trove of info in all the old PDF newsletters that Joe has made available. When I owned my first ADAM, all I did was SmartBASIC programming (and pretty bad programming, at that). By the time I actually learned how to program the ADAM was a distant memory. Now I'm back and I want to not only push SB to its limits, but also learn Assembly on the ADAM, too. This time around I'm not living in a small town, cut off from documentation and information (except the occasional article in Family Computing or Computer Shopper), I have tons of documents (mostly thanks to you two, NIAD and Bob) and even more physical books this time around. I've never got ADAMem working well enough under OSX, so I brought out my old Vista laptop and I played with T-DOS for the first time last night. Now I'm going to find MacADAM and get playing around with that. This is exciting! This is what I've wanted to do for 30 years now. Thanks, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoTonah Posted September 14, 2013 Author Share Posted September 14, 2013 Has anyone heard from ADAMcon? He said he was in the hospital, that was four days ago. Hopefully he's getting better, whatever he had. Sending best wishes his way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcon Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Has anyone heard from ADAMcon? He said he was in the hospital, that was four days ago. Hopefully he's getting better, whatever he had. Sending best wishes his way! LATEST NEWS, I AM ALIVE ND "WELL". At least that is the outcome. still tired, groogy and can't type, but here. Had knee replacement an al lthr no slpeep that gors long with it. Spelling sucks.......Anywwy, Jim nd I are here to get you up to speed with whaty yo need 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 LATEST NEWS, I AM ALIVE ND "WELL". At least that is the outcome. still tired, groogy and can't type, but here. Had knee replacement an al lthr no slpeep that gors long with it. Spelling sucks.......Anywwy, Jim nd I are here to get you up to speed with whaty yo need If you can't type, who's doing the typos for you? Get well soon, Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 (edited) If you can't type, who's doing the typos for you? Get well soon, Bob. Can't keep a good ADAMite down.... although I think his last message may have been the cause of some good pharmacutical drugs! BTW Bob, I hope you are doing well. I've been thru that ringer as well, but not to the extent you have with a knee replacement. I hope it's all smooth sailing from here for you. Edited September 14, 2013 by NIAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoTonah Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 Haha that's funny. Good to see you're in good spirits, Bob. Lemme know when you're back at work/home, I'm ready to order (oh, once you let me know the shipping charges). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoTonah Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 NIAD, you wouldn't to happen to have MacADAM as an DDP image you could send my way? I can't seem to find it in my files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Here you go. My collection of emulator image files only included disk images of MacADAM, so I used the Virtual ADAM Frontend to convert these disk images to data pack images and quickly tested them to see that they boot properly. The largest majority of ADAM 3rd Party/Homebrew software can be transferred between disk and data pack without any issues (just a standard backup copy from one to the other or you can even copy all the files from one to the other media as well as copy the boot block... block #00) and you can use ADAMem to do this and save wear and tear on your ADAM. I haven't tried any of the newer MESS emulator releases, but the one I am using from a couple years ago does not support Data Drive emulation. BTW, there are some slight differences in the provided MacADAM image files as you will see. The main version has multiple SmartWRITER documentation files included which the alternate version [a1] does not. MacADAM (1984) (CBS Loisors - Coleco of France).zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoTonah Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 Cool! Thanks for that. Now I get to play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoTonah Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 Hey adamcon, Are you back at home and mending/mended? Hope so. I've only had my knee scoped out twice, never a knee replacement. Can't imagine. Let me know... I'm still wanting to place an order soon. -Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcon Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Hey adamcon, Are you back at home and mending/mended? Hope so. I've only had my knee scoped out twice, never a knee replacement. Can't imagine. Let me know... I'm still wanting to place an order soon. -Don YUP, back home and mending, if that's wht you call it. ANd even climging up and down the stairs. Knee will take some time to heal completely, but at lest it is usable for now. Any time you need the stuff, let me know! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoTonah Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Hi adamcon, Got the parts yesterday. Thanks again! Turns out that I bent the timing wheel (it was really stuck in there with the goopy dissolved rubber... I didn't think the wheel would actually bend!). So I guess that goes on the next purchase (please put one aside if you're low?). Still can't test the equipment 'cause I don't have a working data drive yet. *sigh*. -Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcon Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Hi adamcon, Got the parts yesterday. Thanks again! Turns out that I bent the timing wheel (it was really stuck in there with the goopy dissolved rubber... I didn't think the wheel would actually bend!). So I guess that goes on the next purchase (please put one aside if you're low?). Still can't test the equipment 'cause I don't have a working data drive yet. *sigh*. -Don Timing wheels I don't have. That is the achilles heel of the whole timing wheel mechanism. BUT, carefully get it straight and it may work IF you have not broken out too many of the little "spokes" or gotten the black goo of the old tire off of it. I have tried everything I can think of to dissolve the gook, but haven't found anything yet. I have had them work a little bent and with a few "spokes" missing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblenkle Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 If the "timing wheel" is the little black rubber wheel...this PDF doc on my web page might help... Data Drive Wheel Replacement http://www.sacnews.net/adamcomputer/manuals.html Timing wheels I don't have. That is the achilles heel of the whole timing wheel mechanism. BUT, carefully get it straight and it may work IF you have not broken out too many of the little "spokes" or gotten the black goo of the old tire off of it. I have tried everything I can think of to dissolve the gook, but haven't found anything yet. I have had them work a little bent and with a few "spokes" missing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcon Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 If the "timing wheel" is the little black rubber wheel...this PDF doc on my web page might help... Data Drive Wheel Replacement http://www.sacnews.net/adamcomputer/manuals.html The "timing wheel" is actually the hub on which the black tire goes, Joe. The wheel itself has the rim you see, then goes back into the data drive with a thin 1/2" spoked wheel on the other end of it's shaft. A light reader of some type reads thru this back spoked end to judge the spin speed of the data pack. Don't ask me how but that is how the data drive knows where it is and when to spin up or down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 It can be a pain in the arsh to disassemble the Data Drive with it's two circuit boards and multiple small parts (especially the timing wheel), so it takes a lot of practice and more importantly patience. The small and very thin mounting pin and washers for the timing wheel assembly have always given me fits even with the help of DoubleDown's very detailed instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblenkle Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Ah, thanks for straightening me out on that. After all these years I have been fortunate enough to never have a data drive go bad and I have only seen one bad one in a lot of 10 or so I bought a number of years ago. The "timing wheel" is actually the hub on which the black tire goes, Joe. The wheel itself has the rim you see, then goes back into the data drive with a thin 1/2" spoked wheel on the other end of it's shaft. A light reader of some type reads thru this back spoked end to judge the spin speed of the data pack. Don't ask me how but that is how the data drive knows where it is and when to spin up or down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 I have 2 ADAMs and both have squealing drives though they seem to still work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcon Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Ah, thanks for straightening me out on that. After all these years I have been fortunate enough to never have a data drive go bad and I have only seen one bad one in a lot of 10 or so I bought a number of years ago. Biggest thing Joe is to NOT leave the data packs in the drive needlessly. While they are in the data drive, the drives are pulling both ways at once to keep the tape tight and that is the main reason the U4 or U6 chip burns out. The tires melting is mostly due I think to their chemical composition, some also from heat in storage and some just melt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamcon Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 I have 2 ADAMs and both have squealing drives though they seem to still work. James, the squealing wheels "may" be the drive motors, but lots of times they are the data packs themselves when they are moving at warp speed. I have squealing data drives also, and they seem to work ok, just a little noisy. If you have ever taken one apart to rewind it, the case has a "plastic" shield on each side to kind of be a shield between the tape and the data pack housing - not exactly condusive to high speed operation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblenkle Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Well, also, part of the reason my data drives never go bad is I rarely use them...disk drives spoiled me back in the 80s real quick...I do dread the day something happens to them though!!! Biggest thing Joe is to NOT leave the data packs in the drive needlessly. While they are in the data drive, the drives are pulling both ways at once to keep the tape tight and that is the main reason the U4 or U6 chip burns out. The tires melting is mostly due I think to their chemical composition, some also from heat in storage and some just melt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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