FUZIX "Unix" for NC100 (and other Z80 systems soon)

[TFM]

Sadly (I guess) nobody here does know anybody who ever owned (still has) that device. At ebay they would say... it*s... RARE

[Munchausen]

I'd seen that quote but found it a bit confusing. Later however I was playing with ZCN and found this in the manual:

The add-on disk drive available for the NC100 (the RangerDisk3 from
Ranger) is not supported, and for various reasons would be difficult
to support directly. I could probably write a program for ZCN to
transfer files to/from an MS-DOS format disk in the drive if someone
lends (or gives ;-)) me a drive, though. Anyone willing to do that
should contact me, and I'll see what I can do. (I've already written a
C program to read/write MS-DOS disk images on a Unix box (I wrote it
before I'd heard of `mtools'), so I'd only need to write absolute disk
read/write routines to get it working under ZCN. It probably wouldn't
take long.)

It is good to know that the port is bi-directional so could be used for adding other hardware though.

To be honest, though it's a fun machine to play with I'm finding the NC100 screen a bit too small for anything useful so far.

[TFM]

Right, the NC200 screen is just fine. But sadly the upper characer line has drop outs of a couple scan lines. And this happens to nearly all machines.


Is anybody here who has a NC200 with every single scanline (or even pixel) working?

[Gryzor]

Mine worked just perfect last time I saw it...

[robcfg]

Mine too.

[Prodatron]

Min too 

[Ygdrazil]

Mine too 

[Bryce]

No problems on my NC200 screen either. I had to change the floppy drive though (cracked head), but I assume others will have floppy problems too soon, as they are belt driven.

Bryce.

[TFM]

WoW! So the only two NC200's with missing scan lines are either at my home or at ebay (saw that problem there too).


Assume nobody ever openend the NC200 screen ever...?

[Bryce]

WoW! So the only two NC200's with missing scan lines are either at my home or at ebay (saw that problem there too).


Assume nobody ever openend the NC200 screen ever...?

I striped my NC200 right down to the last screw when I restored it, so yes, I've had the screen open.

Bryce.

[Poliander]

If I got this correctly, then Mr. Cox is currently working on improving banking support in sdldz80 (which should enable Fuzix to run on CPCs, am I right?)

[genesis8]

Did someone compile fuzix for nc100 and nc200 ?


I specify the target in the main Makefile, had to install sdcc, sdcc-ucsim, srecord, but still the make finish with an error.


Also, does someone have a pcard image for using with zcn with a lot of tools, turbo pascal for example ?

[zhulien]

Abstraction can be good. If you have a layer of abstraction then that abstracted code if written well allows less skilled programmers who code the application to at least have some good code used. If everyone for example has to code their own text output, you likely will get 100 different ways and some will be better than others. If bug free and ideally the best is abstracted then all applications get the benefit including future improvements in the abstraction. The key is designing those abstractions well.

[zhulien]

Looking at the fuzix code the biggest problem is likely the memory layout used by default but it could be possible to customize it for CPc to make Fuzix sit either in the first 64kb or the 2nd 64kb and all other tasks given almost a full 64kb with a small fuzix stub near the top of memory which can do full 64kb memory bank switches.  Top of memory to do full 64kb bank switches would mean if the main fuzix logic can fit in main memory, then video memory should be moved down to 4000 (if firmware is to be preserved) or (8000 if no firmware is required). I think its definitely possible just a bit more effort than for systems with different banking models.

[zhulien]

Ok, so a port to the Speccy makes even more problems than a port to the CPC.


If I would port it, I would put the Fuzix in ROM and swap full 64 KB page. 4x better 


EDIT: Like CP/M Plus does it.

Remember we can do full 64kbnbanknswitches on cpc quickly and reliability without the need for a rom.