Cromemco - Trying to boot CDOS

[bconverse]

My setup is a Z-2 with ZPU set at 4 mhz and jump to C000h, 3 x 16kz and 16FDC with RDOS. I also have multiple PFD drives. I am able to get to RDOS on the terminal. I have no way to write to an 8” disk directly using IMD.

So I have hooked up a 5” drive to the 16FDC. I have made a CDOS disk using IMD. When I boot the system, I get the “Preparing to Boot, ESC to abort” and then “Standby”. The disk spins but nothing else happens.

I also have tried to use Dave Dunfield’s RT program to transfer an image to the machine and then format and write the image to the 5” drive. The transfer goes fine and when I type G100 to format the 5” disk I get the prompt to select a drive, the drive spins and I get an error that says “Testing: No index pulses being received”. I get the same on 2 other 5” drives thinking maybe there was an issue with the drive.

I figure if I can get CDOS up on the 5” drive I can initialize a disk on the 8” and get rid of the 5” drive.

Any suggestions where to pursue from here? I feel so close ;-(

Thanks in advance ;-)

 

[smplfyi]

Hi Bconverse.

First I sent you back an email asking for your bio so then I could invite you to the Cromemco google group. But nothing so far so please reply to the email that I sent you.

(Dont all the time monitor here , so just lucky that I saw it)

All my code for disks is down https://amaus.net/static/S100/cromemco/code/disks

You are using a 5" soft sector disk of course in equivalent drive

From memory me thinks the drive will have to spin and load head on only drive select
(this is corrected on later FDC cards like 64FDC)

You are right that the index pulses must be received in RDOS otherwise something is wrong.

I would start off with a single sided , single density cdos boot disk, they are memory size specific so a 64K CDOS boot disk would not work etc.

You did check the Theory of Operation manual

https://amaus.net/static/S100/cromemco/cards/Cromemco 16FDC Instruction Manual 023-2004 198105.pdf

Please come over to the google group! https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/cromemco


regards marcus b