atr8000 + copower 88 - how to format MSDOS disk?

[rcgldr]

I have an atr8000 with copower 88, I'm trying to back up the floppies, which I've done for the CP/M floppies, but I haven't figured out how to format MSDOS floppies with the ATR8000. There's a FORMAT.COM command, but I don't know what the parameters are, I can't find my manuals, and the format program doesn't have any help to explain the options.

 

I'm trying to format an 8" floppy disk to be the same as the two MSDOS floppies I already have, with about 1.2MB each. I'm not sure of the sector size or number of sectors per track.

Edited July 19, 2018 by rcgldr

[_The Doctor__]

I gave you the link to the ms dos manual in pm...

[Justin Payne]

So, can I assume it doesn't support the MSDOS format syntax such as format A:?

[_The Doctor__]

Here is a way around the 360K limit in 2.11 if that is what your looking for... this is fairly restrictive and limited... I chose kaypro because it has the most in common with the co power 88 board in the atr, same card and manufacturer slight shoe horning

 

https://forum.winworldpc.com/discussion/7265/how-to-use-1-44mb-disks-with-ms-dos-2-11-kaypro-2000-oem

 

it is similar across the different machines.

 

remember MS-DOS didn't give proper support for 1.2 and 1.4 drive until version 3.xx

Edited July 19, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[_The Doctor__]

you may find a wealth of information, answers, and help on those forums if you intend on doing customization of the format types and may even be given different formatters that have been created already as opposed to the standard msdos format command which won't get you what you are looking for..
MS DOS 3.2 allowed for 1.2M floppies
MS DOS 3.3 was the first to allow user defined formats to a degree and support for most types of drives including 1.2m and 1.4 HD floppy etc.... 2.11 etc up to 3.0 required oem and custom formatter beyond 360K for the most part... 3.0 (1.2M) and 3.3 (1.4M)handled it in format command

FORMAT
drive: (A: drive only)
/1- single sided
/4- use double rather than high density (40 tracks)
/8- use 8 sectors of each track
/n:xx - specifies xx sectors per track
/t:yy - specifies yy tracks
/v - prompt for volume label, up to 11 characters
/f:720 - format at 720 kb
(/fc fd fe etc.... correspond to drive sizes and types)
/s write system files (this is all I remember off hand)

 

did you try format /?

it might give a list of what your version can do...

Edited July 19, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[rcgldr]

ATR8000 MSDOS FORMAT appears to be modified. I used a debugger to find the switch parameters, as there is no help parameter. Looks like "/E" is for 8 inch double density floppy, and "/D" is for double sided. "/V" is for volume label, which will prompt for the volume label after the format is completed (as opposed to having a parameter like "/V:name"). There is a "/Q", but it's not a quick format option. Using "/D" + "/E" results in the same number of bytes as I see on my current MSDOS floppies.

Edited July 19, 2018 by rcgldr

[_The Doctor__]

okay that makes sense, what of... glad you were able to find the switches...

I wonder if it will still accept

/FE

/FD

/FQ

 

is Q for quad? might be....

 

 

yes volume label is prompted even on a 386 when using 2.xx 3.0

 

I'm glad bits of this stuff has been useful in some small way

Edited July 19, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[rcgldr]

The ATR8000 FORMAT doesn't have a /F... in it's parameter table. "/Q" is probably for quad (versus quick), but as posted above "/D" + "/E" matches what I already had, 1.2MB on the 8 inch floppies.

[a8isa1]

I never owned CO-POWER-88 or 8" drives for my ATR8000 so this has been a fun read. Thanks!

 

I found this advertisement for the CO-POWER-88. I have never actually seen one. Photo is poor quality so I'd have to say I still haven't seen one.

[_The Doctor__]

I understand, I was still trying to fish a little more... couldn't hurt to try.

 

I'd been to the zorba and kaypro sites previously... some interesting tid bits.

[Stefan Both]

Are those disks in CP/m format?

 

If you had an old PC with 5.1/4 Disk drive...

I would suggest 22Disk. http://www.retrocomputing.org/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=det&p=774&id=retroorg

This is an'all in one' solution. After setting up

your system, it's just operating a menue.

(also 'format')

There was an 'examination program' too, to figure out

the parameters needed for 'unknown' disk formats.

I can't remember it's name however...

 

Stefan

Edited July 20, 2018 by Stefan Both

[rcgldr]

I found this advertisement for the CO-POWER-88. I have never actually seen one. Photo is poor quality so I'd have to say I still haven't seen one.

I found the attached imagaes doing a web search. On my ATR8000, the board that plugs into the Z80 socket faces component down. All it does is provide a port to interface with the 8088 board. That board is under the main board, and I didn't want to risk taking my ATR8000 apart just to take an image. I assume the 8088 board is similar to the one in the attached picture. The copower 88 on my system has 512 KB of ram. I didn't use the MSDOS feature much, and mostly used it as a 512KB ramdisk for CP/M. The MSDOS 2.11 on the copower can read / write 5.25 inch double density 360 KB floppy disks that are compatible with PCs. I modified the software so I could read or write CP/M files while in MSDOS mode, allowing me to interchange CP/M files as well as MSDOS files with a PC (the CP/M write program needs a minor fix, the read program is working).

Edited July 22, 2018 by rcgldr

[Subby]

Interesting, I hadn’t realized that the Co-Power existed long enough for there to be a Co-Power II.

Mine is dated 1983, and this one 1984.

[Kyle22]

That's a nice board, but I'd rather run NZ-COM over M$-DOS any day.

 

NZ-COM is Sweet, Powerful CP/M at it's finest. Small memory footprint with lots of power.

[tschak909]

The CO-POWER 88 could be added to any system that was built on the Ferguson Big Board, this included:

 

* Big Board 1

* Big Board 2

* ATR-8000

* Kaypro II/IV/2/4/1/10/etc

* Xerox 820

 

-Thom

[Kyle22]

I know, but I love CP/M. Its small memory footprint, etc.