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Clock compatible programs


Omega-TI

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I want to compile a listing of TI programs compatible with the various RTC's.

 

gallery_35324_1027_30516.jpg

 

At this point all I have is:

 

REMIND ME!

By: John A. Johnson

 

Compatible with: CorComp, MBP, Myarc 9640

 

 

BOOT

By: John A. Johnson

 

Compatible with: CorComp (need more information on other clocks)

Note: Also F18A Compatible

 

 

Disk Utilities (DSKU)

By: John Birdwell (RIP)

(Not yet known which RTC's)

 

 

So here are more questions:

 

1. Is it correct that the MBP clock does not support the YEAR or possibly even the MONTH?

2. Is the CorComp clocks calendar still viable? What year does is go out of sync?

3. And most importantly, are there any other programs that support the clocks?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

** EDIT **

I seem to remember one Disk Manager program used a time & date stamp, but I have no clue which one it was, even though BOOT will read it if it's there.

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I want to compile a listing of TI programs compatible with the various RTC's.

 

At this point all I have is:

 

REMIND ME!

By: John A. Johnson

 

Compatible with: CorComp, MBP, Myarc 9640

 

 

BOOT

By: John A. Johnson

 

Compatible with: CorComp (need more information on other clocks)

Note: Also F18A Compatible

 

 

So here are more questions:

 

1. Is it correct that the MBP clock does not support the YEAR or possibly even the MONTH?

2. Is the CorComp clocks calendar still viable? What year does is go out of sync?

3. And most importantly, are there any other programs that support the clocks?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

** EDIT **

I seem to remember one Disk Manager program used a time & date stamp, but I have no clue which one it was, even though BOOT will read it if it's there.

 

Regarding #2, I believe the Corcomp clock to be like the Pgram clock. That is, there's no first 2 digits for the year. So it just increments till it gets to 99, then I don't know what it does. :) If all that's true, we're good until Midnight on December 31, 2099

 

Gazoo

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There are quite a few hardware peripherals with clock capability. Some off the top of my head:

 

CorComp Clock

CorComp Triple Tech

MBP

MBP II

Myarc HFDC (does not retain time unless you install a battery backup circuit)

PGram

Myarc Geneve

IDE Card

 

From what I recall most programs were written with the MBP or CorComp clock in mind, along with some carry-over and new Geneve programs.

 

Hmm. As I write this, I'm thinking there is already an older thread listing the clock-compatible programs??

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DSKU will grab clock data to time stamp files, IIRC. Also, to add to the Insanemultitasker's list of clock-capable hardware, I'm pretty sure the BwG DSDD Disk controller also has a clock.

 

While I've never seen one of these German FDC's before, I heard they were quite good... but I never knew they had a clock! Anyone have a photo of this card?

 

DM2K is pretty much the standard program everyone uses today (I think). Could you imagine an 80 column F18A compatible version of DM2K with RTC support? That would just be too awesome.

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All these FORMERLY obtainable clocks:

 

CorComp Clock/CorComp Triple Tech

MBP/MBP II

Myarc HFDC

PGram

IDE Card

BwG FDC

and the Myarc Geneve

 

And only these few programs for the 4A?

 

REMIND ME!

By: John A. Johnson

 

BOOT

By: John A. Johnson

 

Disk Utilities (DSKU)

By: John Birdwell (RIP)

Please, say it's not so!

 

 

Hmm. As I write this, I'm thinking there is already an older thread listing the clock-compatible programs??

 

I didn't see one, but I'll check again , because I can't accept that there are only three little programs... :(

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You dropped the BwG controller from your hardware list too. . . ;)

 

Thanks, I edited the post and put it back in.

I've decided to drop the ball on this particular pursuit. I've been pursuing this one long enough, I guess it's just not meant to be. As someone told me on here about a year ago, this is a 'Chicken and the egg type of thing". No one else seems to be interested anyway.

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I didn't see one, but I'll check again , because I can't accept that there are only three little programs... :(

 

I am sure there are more programs but they are likely to be lesser-known apps. The clock seemed to make its way into menus and time-stamping. On the Geneve, all files are timestamped and the disk catalog shows time/date. This comes in handy with other programs that can display the info. But even on the Geneve, clock usage isn't wide-spread beyond things like word processors, disk management, term emulators, and the command line (DOS prompt).

 

My BBS for the TI uses the TripleTech, MBP, IDE, or Geneve clocks. I suspect other BBS's use one of these as well.

 

I'm no

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But even on the Geneve, clock usage isn't wide-spread beyond things like word processors, disk management, term emulators, and the command line (DOS prompt).

 

Hehe ... I found another one recently: benchmarking command execution (to verify the Geneve wait state emulation in MESS). This really give highly reliable results (of course, using loops with millions of iterations).

 

But the file time stamping is probably the most interesting benefit.

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But the file time stamping is probably the most interesting benefit.

 

Yeah, I guess the RTC's never became popular enough among the masses to really be exploited. I don't know if that was due to prices, or if people were already dumping the TI and decided not to invest heavily in it anymore. It also appears the guys who wanted one already have most of the ones out in the wild.

 

I saw some some potential uses and applications myself, granted some of my ideas were just mindless fun, like a screen saver clock, others had a little bit more utility like an alarm clock or a timer for home automation equipment, not just time stamping files. My biggest reason was the program called, "Remind Me!". That last program is useful and gives the TI something useful to do other than just sit around looking pretty or playing games.

 

I could be wrong in all my assumptions too. I guess I'll make a quick poll to know once and for all.

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My darkroom Timer program uses a clock, either the one in SXB or a short routine Bruce Harrison wrote for me in the case the program is run under XB. The program looks for the version and loads the appropriate code. The clock runs until you reboot the TI, so any XB/SXB program would thus have a screen display of the time. Though it's not all that accurate over a day it was a help on my timer program to have a dual time display.

 

The current time could be specified if one wished to write the XB for it and a date calculated as well. No need for any hardware, but of course it's pretty limited and won't keep time when the TI is turned off.

 

But who runs a darkroom AND owns a TI these days? This clock was independent of my timer, so the code could be lifted and used elsewhere.

 

I otherwise never had a need for date-stamping of files on the TI. I do use clock/date/time-stamping a lot on my Mac, however.

 

-Ed

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My darkroom Timer program uses a clock, either the one in SXB or a short routine Bruce Harrison wrote for me in the case the program is run under XB.

 

Oh I have a TSR clock that I could use in XB, but it will not work with other programs.

 

The thing I find interesting, with all this seeming lack of interest in RTC's, people sure have a death grip on the ones they have and don't use and if anyone wants to sell, they seem to want the equivalent ounce per ounce price-wise with gold. So, F it, I give up. I've spent too damn much time trying to find one, buy one or commission a new one to be built. I thought others might be interested, but the poll says it all. I was just wasting my time.

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I'd have to venture a guess the rtc feature was not in high demand when these boards were made and sold, as reflected by the present disinterest. Why so many different makers if the market was so slim is beyond me. But I'd have to guess those who feel a need for one, do so strongly. Many projects get their start when the creator feels the need themselves or senses a market. In either case, they're aligned to want to bring the product to the market.

 

The offshoot is likely one of two scenarios. Either the owners of these cards know what they have and are hanging onto them or they are blissfully ignorant of what the heck that add-on card in their PE box is. Neither scenario releases any to the open market except by chance at an estate sale or someone finally liquidating their collection.

 

Sounds like you've set a high desireability factor but a low market value, which seems a bit incongruous. Either sit and wait and hope to get lucky or be more proactive. Put out wanted-to-buy offers to ebayers who seem to frequently list TI items or by craiglist, or pics and descriptions printed up and posted at the local grocery, local newspaper, etc. Put your top price in the ad and again you wait. But at least you got some feelers out. That's how folks who collect antique radios, or vintage cars parts, etc., eventually find what they seek. Touch someone who doesn't use ebay or the internet for that matter.

 

$50 seems a bit on the low side for a card which seems so scarce in the wild (or highly valued by the current owner).

 

Besides, we know you really, really want one! :)

 

I'm more in the TI dispersal mode than making new acquisitions. If I had one, you'd be tops on my list and I'm not one to chase the proverbial ebay highest offer price as my low starting bid. Surely there's others who think as I do but are unaware of what they have or your desire.

 

The clock's ticking, better get busy! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

-Ed

Edited by Ed in SoDak
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Sounds like you've set a high desireability factor but a low market value, which seems a bit incongruous.

 

$50 seems a bit on the low side for a card which seems so scarce in the wild (or highly valued by the current owner).

 

Besides, we know you really, really want one! :)

 

The clock's ticking, better get busy! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

-Ed

 

Yeah, that $50.00 was an arbitrary number to gauge interest, picked from the average prices of NEW cartridges and the soon to be available speech adapter. I figured if people were not willing at those rates, it would never happen. I also figured parts and build time would be comparable, so thought that was a fair ballpark guess.

 

The truth is I've previously offered TWICE that amount for a stand alone and even more for a Triple Tech to no avail. While it would be nice to have one, I don't play the sucker game. I've lived this long without one, so I guess that's the way it will be.

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Yeah, I guess the RTC's never became popular enough among the masses to really be exploited.

 

What is bad about using a RTC for time stamping only?

 

Of course, it also depends on the way you get access to the clock. On the Geneve, thanks to the 80-col display, the directory listing has columns for the date/clock, and of course you have the DATE command.

post-35000-0-50456300-1411995208_thumb.png

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What is bad about using a RTC for time stamping only?

 

Of course, it also depends on the way you get access to the clock. On the Geneve, thanks to the 80-col display, the directory listing has columns for the date/clock, and of course you have the DATE command.

 

Not a dang thing wrong with it!

BTW - NICE, wish I had that capability. Have you tried boot? I think it supports your setup too. This is an 80 column display of a directory in BOOT, although I'm missing the data on my system.

post-35324-0-44851100-1411996511_thumb.jpg

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I just think that, well, what else do you expect from a RTC? :) If you did not have a clock on the desktop of your PC you would use your watch to get the current time; but you are obviously very happy to have a time stamp on your files.

 

I think only some disk controllers actually do time stamping, at least the HFDC and I think also BwG. It's clear that if have to do extra struggle to see the time stamp, you don't use it. So you need the proper controller and a suitable output.

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I just think that, well, what else do you expect from a RTC? :) If you did not have a clock on the desktop of your PC you would use your watch to get the current time; but you are obviously very happy to have a time stamp on your files.

 

I think only some disk controllers actually do time stamping, at least the HFDC and I think also BwG. It's clear that if have to do extra struggle to see the time stamp, you don't use it. So you need the proper controller and a suitable output.

 

So that means the next obvious step/solution is to make a SSHD/DSDD 80 Track controller card for the P-Box with a built-in RTC. :grin:

(Just kidding folks!)

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You're thinking of a floppy controller that allows you to use off-the-shelf 3,5" HD floppy drives? With a compatibility mode to read PC-formatted disks? Something like that? ;)

 

More like the Myarc HFDC but instead of an external HD, have an SD card on the controller inside the box!

 

Since we are talking pie in the sky, yeah your compatibility mode would be great, so we could also have a USB connector on the card too for direct connection to a PC with true Drag & Drop! ROFL!

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