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Ithaca Intersystems DPS-1

Moonferret

Experienced Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2003
Messages
488
Location
Northwest (UK)
Hi Folks!

I've been slowly restoring an Ithaca DPS-1 over the past couple of weeks and have now gotten to the point where I'd like to get CP/M running. The system currently consists of...

Ithaca Z80-II CPU Board, 64k Dynamic RAM, VIO Board and FDC-II controller. Disk drives are a pair of Shugart 800's (Actually 801s but jumpered as 800s)

Does anybody have an image of an Ithaca CP/M boot disk? I've tried the one on Bitsavers however, the system will not boot from this disk.

Drives seem to function fine. I have them connected to a PC via a DBit FDADAP and an Adaptec 1522 and can read / write images fine.

Cheers,
Dave
 
I sent my DPS-1 boot image to Herb Johnson to be hosted on his site. The only difference would be I used Qume double density drives and I think yours are single density. I can't remember if I sent him a single density image as well. If you cannot find them on his site, I'll try and dig them up.

Kipp
 
kyeakel said:
...I used Qume double density drives and I think yours are single density...
There *should* be an application program to extract floppy files from image-files and reconstruct them into another format image-file. Eh, maybe easier to do a .jdg format
 
Last edited:
I sent my DPS-1 boot image to Herb Johnson to be hosted on his site. The only difference would be I used Qume double density drives and I think yours are single density. I can't remember if I sent him a single density image as well. If you cannot find them on his site, I'll try and dig them up.

I'd already dropped Herb an email as I couldn't find any images on his site and I know he has been working on restoring a DPS-1. My drives do support double density and read / write fine from the PC. If you do find the images, I'd be very grateful for copies.

Cheers,
Dave
 
I found the SSSD boot disk image, need an email to send it to. I think a program called Samdisk can extract floppy images and write them back to another format.

Kipp
 
Thanks Kipp! Tried the image but still having the same problems. Starting to think it might be an issue with my setup and writing single density disks.

This is my first S100 system and my first machine with 8 inch disks so I'm still learning. Just to confirm a few basics, Can I write single density images to double density media? In fact, ss there any real difference in the media or is it just how its formatted?

Cheers,
Dave
 
I think the index hole is in a slightly different spot. So you need single density media.

Really? I know it's in a different location for double sided disks.

One thing I have noticed is that in the specs for 8" drives, FM, single density is recorded at 250kbits/sec whereas MFM, double density is at 500. However, the image you have and the one on bitsavers tries to record at single density & 500kbits/sec. Could this be what's wrong?

Cheers,
Dave
 
It is probably mixed, boot tracks are single and the data tracks are then double? If I remember correctly I formatted a single density disk on the DPS-1 and transferred the system to it. I then mailed a single and a double density boot disk to Herb. I can try and make another one for you. The system hasn't been booted in several months so it may be hit or miss. Email me your shipping address if you would like me to do this.

Kipp
 
Other things come to mind, you have the front panel switches set for the proper baud rate? On mine I have to get everything running, do a reset, then press return on the keyboard several times. I believe my image is built for a TVI 920 terminal.

Kipp
 
Its not getting far enough for the terminal to work. On reset, it runs its memory check, moves the drive heads to track 0 and tries to read the boot sector. I'll take you up on the kind offer of a boot disk - Will email you details. Thanks!

Cheers,
Dave
 
Marty,

It comes from a pub quiz team name we had a few years back, 'The Heat-Seeking Moonferrets' Just kinda liked the name although its appeal has been lost in recent years due to advertising by a certain similarly named greetings card company here in the UK.
 
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