New Pace RS232 - You Voted - Useful Treasure -Modded as a ROMBox

[Bryce]

Well it wouldn't really do it any harm, but there might be some piece of software out there, that reads the signal and assumes a DDI-1 is attached.

Bryce.

[arnoldemu]

Why? On the 6128 it is already linked to ground via LK1, same as it would be if a DDI-1 was fitted to a 464.

I can't see any reason or advantage to adding the link nor can I see it doing any harm.

is that the link that makes the 6128 boot into cpm directly without going to basic?
So if it does something with that link it'll force the 6128 to boot.
Or perhaps that is exactly why it is there?
Perhaps you are meant to connect up the serial interface to the 6128, set the link. it'll boot into cpm.
Serial will be available. And if you have a cpm boot disc setup it could boot direct into a terminal program under cpm?

[Bryce]

Does setting the EXP on a 6128 make it boot to CPM ? I must try that out.

Bryce.

[arnoldemu]

Does setting the EXP on a 6128 make it boot to CPM ? I must try that out.

Bryce.

it controls if the amsdos rom is 7 or 0.
if it's 0, it attempts to boot cpm.

maybe it's not possible for the serial interface to drive this to make it boot, perhaps it is a hardware modification that needs to be done inside the 6128, and then you can control it via the serial interface to control how it boots.

I am speculating, but it could be a possibility. I wonder if it's mentioned in the manual?

[IanS]

Does setting the EXP on a 6128 make it boot to CPM ? I must try that out.

EXP is permanently tied low by LK7 on the 6128 main board. Remember a 6128 is effectively a 464 + DDI-1 + 64K. LK1 on DDI-1 is LK7 on 6128 main board.


To get a 6128 to auto-boot CP/M you would have to cut LK7 so that EXP is not tied low. This would cause the internal DOS rom to take position zero and boot CP/M.


The EXP link on the Honeysoft board will do nothing.

[arnoldemu]

EXP is permanently tied low by LK7 on the 6128 main board. Remember a 6128 is effectively a 464 + DDI-1 + 64K. LK1 on DDI-1 is LK7 on 6128 main board.


To get a 6128 to auto-boot CP/M you would have to cut LK7 so that EXP is not tied low. This would cause the internal DOS rom to take position zero and boot CP/M.


The EXP link on the Honeysoft board will do nothing.

if it was cut on the 6128, the honeysoft board could not drive it?

[IanS]

if it was cut on the 6128, the honeysoft board could not drive it?

Yes, you're right, if you cut the link internal to the 6128, you could then re-make it via the honeysoft board. But why bother?


If you had cut the link so it booted into CP/M you probably wouldn't want some external hardware re-making the link so it no longer boots into CP/M.


On a standard unmodified 6128 (or 664) the EXP link on the honeysoft board will do nothing.

[arnoldemu]

Yes, you're right, if you cut the link internal to the 6128, you could then re-make it via the honeysoft board. But why bother?


If you had cut the link so it booted into CP/M you probably wouldn't want some external hardware re-making the link so it no longer boots into CP/M.


On a standard unmodified 6128 (or 664) the EXP link on the honeysoft board will do nothing.

so you can then switch as needed leaving....
really I don't know why the exp is there on the board. We'll only know when there is a doc that mentions it.

[Bryce]

I think I'll add that switch to my 6128 I have a switch already mounted, that's not used any more.

Bryce.

[beaker]

Not the switch you used to use with your logitech wireless mouse, Bryce? What happened?

[Bryce]

No, that's still there and working fine. The 6128 also had a switch to swap between AmsDOS / ParaDOS, but I don't use that any more, because I found that I just use ParaDOS all of the time.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Hey, nice thread over the past couple of days. Also, great photos in the first posts, this looks really mint!!!

[spookspring]

Hi thanks so much guys for helping out on this small mod project. I welded in the correct capacitor top left and inserted a ROM that came with my new digitizer.





This seems to be working as intended! So I can now order some new ROMS from faraway Austria!





Also modded the 64k RAM pack to 256k, Merlin was selling a RAM chip set for the PCW. So now this project is now near complete!

[Gryzor]

Yeah! It does look nice!