Home » Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Electron_User_Group » EUG_16.ADF » LETTERS/LETT3B
LETTERS/LETT3B
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Electron_User_Group » EUG_16.ADF |
| Filename: | LETTERS/LETT3B |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0AC4 bytes |
| Load address: | 42204556 |
| Exec address: | 540D |
File contents
My advice is to buy a copy of the weekly Micro Computer Mart and
peruse the various advertisements because there is quite a divergence
in cost even for the same printer. I obtained mine this way through
Tomorrow's Office at LEEDS. If one does decide to buy a STAR colour
printer then one needs the BBC DUMPMASTER ROM to dump graphics. Here
one needs the last line of a program to be *BPRINT P22 to dump a colour
screen (any colour MODE). *BPRINT P0 or P5 will dump in black and white
as *PRINT will dump using STARGRAPH. The suffix B goes with DUMPMASTER
and is not required unless one needs to ensure the command does not go
to STARGRAPH.
LETTER 4
This letter is about my original thoughts on ROM technology to expand
the capabilities of the Electron and as now updated by the advent of
Derek Walker's developments.
At first, after collecting too many SLOGGER ROM's (the SLOGGER PLUS 2
was not then available) to be plugged in at once, I got annoyed by the
hassle of prising ROM's out after installation (particularly from twin
cartridges) and so by priority some were put aside and not used. Even
now I am not keen to take cartridges in and out on a frequent basis.
More about this when I come to problems.
However, the availablity of Derek Walker's ROM128/256 made me think of
the possibilities and this advance pretty well coincided with my
decision to expand my Electron system as a hobby and to keep me going
in my dotage. Including BASIC I now have a 35 ROM availability and am
in the process of getting them (except JAFA and ADVANCED PLUS 2) into
my main computer set up using a combination of straight ROM128's and
paired ROM's in a cartridge. When page space demands I will transfer my
Hilbig 2 times 16K module to the JAFA computer as, by then, the BBRAM
will be sufficient on the main computer.
This amount of ROM availability - for with the ROM128/256 set up one
can switch ROM's in and out without power down (in itself a vast
improvement)-one comes across memory problems with the *commands as to
what clashes may occur, particularly with abbreviated commands. So I
have drawn up large sheets with ROM's down the left side and letters
across the top. Now at a glance I can see my complete list of commands
starting with any letter. To my surprise the only letters not used
within my present command structure are Q and Y.
Ihope this letter gives food for thought on the possibilities open. If
anybody takes a recent member's advice to move on to latest
generation of computer then please let know what's for sale!
LETTER 5
To be written later.
00000000 4d 79 20 10 61 64 76 69 63 65 20 10 69 73 20 10 |My .advice .is .| 00000010 74 6f 20 10 62 75 79 20 10 61 20 10 63 6f 70 79 |to .buy .a .copy| 00000020 20 10 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 77 65 65 6b 6c 79 20 | .of the weekly | 00000030 4d 69 63 72 6f 20 43 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 4d |Micro Computer M| 00000040 61 72 74 20 61 6e 64 20 0d 70 65 72 75 73 65 20 |art and .peruse | 00000050 10 10 74 68 65 20 76 61 72 69 6f 75 73 20 61 64 |..the various ad| 00000060 76 65 72 74 69 73 65 6d 65 6e 74 73 20 62 65 63 |vertisements bec| 00000070 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 71 75 |ause there is qu| 00000080 69 74 65 20 61 20 64 69 76 65 72 67 65 6e 63 65 |ite a divergence| 00000090 20 0d 69 6e 20 10 63 6f 73 74 20 10 65 76 65 6e | .in .cost .even| 000000a0 20 10 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 10 73 61 6d 65 20 | .for the .same | 000000b0 70 72 69 6e 74 65 72 2e 20 49 20 6f 62 74 61 69 |printer. I obtai| 000000c0 6e 65 64 20 6d 69 6e 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 61 |ned mine this wa| 000000d0 79 20 74 68 72 6f 75 67 68 20 0d 54 6f 6d 6f 72 |y through .Tomor| 000000e0 72 6f 77 27 73 20 10 10 4f 66 66 69 63 65 20 10 |row's ..Office .| 000000f0 61 74 20 10 4c 45 45 44 53 2e 20 49 66 20 6f 6e |at .LEEDS. If on| 00000100 65 20 64 6f 65 73 20 64 65 63 69 64 65 20 74 6f |e does decide to| 00000110 20 62 75 79 20 61 20 53 54 41 52 20 63 6f 6c 6f | buy a STAR colo| 00000120 75 72 20 0d 70 72 69 6e 74 65 72 20 10 74 68 65 |ur .printer .the| 00000130 6e 20 10 6f 6e 65 20 10 6e 65 65 64 73 20 74 68 |n .one .needs th| 00000140 65 20 42 42 43 20 44 55 4d 50 4d 41 53 54 45 52 |e BBC DUMPMASTER| 00000150 20 52 4f 4d 20 74 6f 20 64 75 6d 70 20 67 72 61 | ROM to dump gra| 00000160 70 68 69 63 73 2e 20 48 65 72 65 20 0d 6f 6e 65 |phics. Here .one| 00000170 20 6e 65 65 64 73 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 | needs the last | 00000180 6c 69 6e 65 20 6f 66 20 61 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 |line of a progra| 00000190 6d 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 2a 42 50 52 49 4e 54 20 |m to be *BPRINT | 000001a0 50 32 32 20 74 6f 20 64 75 6d 70 20 61 20 63 6f |P22 to dump a co| 000001b0 6c 6f 75 72 20 0d 73 63 72 65 65 6e 20 28 61 6e |lour .screen (an| 000001c0 79 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 20 4d 4f 44 45 29 2e 20 |y colour MODE). | 000001d0 2a 42 50 52 49 4e 54 20 50 30 20 6f 72 20 50 35 |*BPRINT P0 or P5| 000001e0 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 64 75 6d 70 20 69 6e 20 62 6c | will dump in bl| 000001f0 61 63 6b 20 61 6e 64 20 77 68 69 74 65 20 0d 61 |ack and white .a| 00000200 73 20 10 2a 50 52 49 4e 54 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 64 |s .*PRINT will d| 00000210 75 6d 70 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 53 54 41 52 47 52 |ump using STARGR| 00000220 41 50 48 2e 20 54 68 65 20 73 75 66 66 69 78 20 |APH. The suffix | 00000230 42 20 67 6f 65 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 44 55 4d 50 |B goes with DUMP| 00000240 4d 41 53 54 45 52 20 0d 61 6e 64 20 10 69 73 20 |MASTER .and .is | 00000250 6e 6f 74 20 72 65 71 75 69 72 65 64 20 75 6e 6c |not required unl| 00000260 65 73 73 20 6f 6e 65 20 6e 65 65 64 73 20 74 6f |ess one needs to| 00000270 20 65 6e 73 75 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6d 6d | ensure the comm| 00000280 61 6e 64 20 64 6f 65 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 67 6f 20 |and does not go | 00000290 0d 74 6f 20 53 54 41 52 47 52 41 50 48 2e 0d 0d |.to STARGRAPH...| 000002a0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 000002b0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 4c | L| 000002c0 45 54 54 45 52 20 34 0d 0d 54 68 69 73 20 10 6c |ETTER 4..This .l| 000002d0 65 74 74 65 72 20 10 69 73 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20 |etter .is about | 000002e0 6d 79 20 6f 72 69 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 74 68 6f 75 |my original thou| 000002f0 67 68 74 73 20 6f 6e 20 52 4f 4d 20 74 65 63 68 |ghts on ROM tech| 00000300 6e 6f 6c 6f 67 79 20 74 6f 20 65 78 70 61 6e 64 |nology to expand| 00000310 20 0d 74 68 65 20 10 63 61 70 61 62 69 6c 69 74 | .the .capabilit| 00000320 69 65 73 20 10 6f 66 20 10 74 68 65 20 45 6c 65 |ies .of .the Ele| 00000330 63 74 72 6f 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 61 73 20 6e 6f 77 |ctron and as now| 00000340 20 75 70 64 61 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 | updated by the | 00000350 61 64 76 65 6e 74 20 6f 66 20 0d 44 65 72 65 6b |advent of .Derek| 00000360 20 57 61 6c 6b 65 72 27 73 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f | Walker's develo| 00000370 70 6d 65 6e 74 73 2e 0d 0d 41 74 20 10 66 69 72 |pments...At .fir| 00000380 73 74 2c 20 10 61 66 74 65 72 20 63 6f 6c 6c 65 |st, .after colle| 00000390 63 74 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 6f 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 53 |cting too many S| 000003a0 4c 4f 47 47 45 52 20 52 4f 4d 27 73 20 28 74 68 |LOGGER ROM's (th| 000003b0 65 20 53 4c 4f 47 47 45 52 20 50 4c 55 53 20 32 |e SLOGGER PLUS 2| 000003c0 20 0d 77 61 73 20 10 6e 6f 74 20 74 68 65 6e 20 | .was .not then | 000003d0 61 76 61 69 6c 61 62 6c 65 29 20 74 6f 20 62 65 |available) to be| 000003e0 20 70 6c 75 67 67 65 64 20 69 6e 20 61 74 20 6f | plugged in at o| 000003f0 6e 63 65 2c 20 49 20 67 6f 74 20 61 6e 6e 6f 79 |nce, I got annoy| 00000400 65 64 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 0d 68 61 73 73 6c |ed by the .hassl| 00000410 65 20 10 6f 66 20 70 72 69 73 69 6e 67 20 52 4f |e .of prising RO| 00000420 4d 27 73 20 6f 75 74 20 61 66 74 65 72 20 69 6e |M's out after in| 00000430 73 74 61 6c 6c 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 28 70 61 72 74 |stallation (part| 00000440 69 63 75 6c 61 72 6c 79 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 77 |icularly from tw| 00000450 69 6e 20 0d 63 61 72 74 72 69 64 67 65 73 29 20 |in .cartridges) | 00000460 10 61 6e 64 20 10 73 6f 20 62 79 20 70 72 69 6f |.and .so by prio| 00000470 72 69 74 79 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 77 65 72 65 20 70 |rity some were p| 00000480 75 74 20 61 73 69 64 65 20 61 6e 64 20 6e 6f 74 |ut aside and not| 00000490 20 75 73 65 64 2e 20 45 76 65 6e 20 0d 6e 6f 77 | used. Even .now| 000004a0 20 10 49 20 10 61 6d 20 10 6e 6f 74 20 6b 65 65 | .I .am .not kee| 000004b0 6e 20 74 6f 20 74 61 6b 65 20 63 61 72 74 72 69 |n to take cartri| 000004c0 64 67 65 73 20 69 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 6f 75 74 20 |dges in and out | 000004d0 6f 6e 20 61 20 66 72 65 71 75 65 6e 74 20 62 61 |on a frequent ba| 000004e0 73 69 73 2e 20 0d 4d 6f 72 65 20 61 62 6f 75 74 |sis. .More about| 000004f0 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 68 65 6e 20 49 20 63 6f 6d | this when I com| 00000500 65 20 74 6f 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d 73 2e 0d 0d |e to problems...| 00000510 48 6f 77 65 76 65 72 2c 20 10 74 68 65 20 61 76 |However, .the av| 00000520 61 69 6c 61 62 6c 69 74 79 20 6f 66 20 44 65 72 |ailablity of Der| 00000530 65 6b 20 57 61 6c 6b 65 72 27 73 20 52 4f 4d 31 |ek Walker's ROM1| 00000540 32 38 2f 32 35 36 20 6d 61 64 65 20 6d 65 20 74 |28/256 made me t| 00000550 68 69 6e 6b 20 6f 66 20 0d 74 68 65 20 10 70 6f |hink of .the .po| 00000560 73 73 69 62 69 6c 69 74 69 65 73 20 10 61 6e 64 |ssibilities .and| 00000570 20 10 74 68 69 73 20 10 61 64 76 61 6e 63 65 20 | .this .advance | 00000580 10 70 72 65 74 74 79 20 10 77 65 6c 6c 20 10 63 |.pretty .well .c| 00000590 6f 69 6e 63 69 64 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 6d 79 |oincided with my| 000005a0 20 0d 64 65 63 69 73 69 6f 6e 20 10 74 6f 20 10 | .decision .to .| 000005b0 65 78 70 61 6e 64 20 6d 79 20 45 6c 65 63 74 72 |expand my Electr| 000005c0 6f 6e 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 61 73 20 61 20 68 |on system as a h| 000005d0 6f 62 62 79 20 61 6e 64 20 74 6f 20 6b 65 65 70 |obby and to keep| 000005e0 20 6d 65 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 20 0d 69 6e 20 10 6d | me going .in .m| 000005f0 79 20 10 64 6f 74 61 67 65 2e 20 49 6e 63 6c 75 |y .dotage. Inclu| 00000600 64 69 6e 67 20 42 41 53 49 43 20 49 20 6e 6f 77 |ding BASIC I now| 00000610 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 20 33 35 20 52 4f 4d 20 61 | have a 35 ROM a| 00000620 76 61 69 6c 61 62 69 6c 69 74 79 20 61 6e 64 20 |vailability and | 00000630 61 6d 20 0d 69 6e 20 10 74 68 65 20 10 70 72 6f |am .in .the .pro| 00000640 63 65 73 73 20 6f 66 20 67 65 74 74 69 6e 67 20 |cess of getting | 00000650 74 68 65 6d 20 28 65 78 63 65 70 74 20 4a 41 46 |them (except JAF| 00000660 41 20 61 6e 64 20 41 44 56 41 4e 43 45 44 20 50 |A and ADVANCED P| 00000670 4c 55 53 20 32 29 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 0d 6d 79 20 |LUS 2) into .my | 00000680 10 6d 61 69 6e 20 10 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 |.main .computer | 00000690 10 73 65 74 20 75 70 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 61 20 |.set up using a | 000006a0 63 6f 6d 62 69 6e 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 73 |combination of s| 000006b0 74 72 61 69 67 68 74 20 52 4f 4d 31 32 38 27 73 |traight ROM128's| 000006c0 20 61 6e 64 20 0d 70 61 69 72 65 64 20 52 4f 4d | and .paired ROM| 000006d0 27 73 20 69 6e 20 61 20 63 61 72 74 72 69 64 67 |'s in a cartridg| 000006e0 65 2e 20 57 68 65 6e 20 70 61 67 65 20 73 70 61 |e. When page spa| 000006f0 63 65 20 64 65 6d 61 6e 64 73 20 49 20 77 69 6c |ce demands I wil| 00000700 6c 20 74 72 61 6e 73 66 65 72 20 6d 79 20 0d 48 |l transfer my .H| 00000710 69 6c 62 69 67 20 10 32 20 10 74 69 6d 65 73 20 |ilbig .2 .times | 00000720 31 36 4b 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 |16K module to th| 00000730 65 20 4a 41 46 41 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 |e JAFA computer | 00000740 61 73 2c 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 6e 2c 20 74 68 65 |as, by then, the| 00000750 20 42 42 52 41 4d 20 0d 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 | BBRAM .will be | 00000760 73 75 66 66 69 63 69 65 6e 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 |sufficient on th| 00000770 65 20 6d 61 69 6e 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 2e |e main computer.| 00000780 0d 0d 54 68 69 73 20 10 10 61 6d 6f 75 6e 74 20 |..This ..amount | 00000790 10 6f 66 20 52 4f 4d 20 61 76 61 69 6c 61 62 69 |.of ROM availabi| 000007a0 6c 69 74 79 20 2d 20 66 6f 72 20 77 69 74 68 20 |lity - for with | 000007b0 74 68 65 20 52 4f 4d 31 32 38 2f 32 35 36 20 73 |the ROM128/256 s| 000007c0 65 74 20 75 70 20 6f 6e 65 20 0d 63 61 6e 20 10 |et up one .can .| 000007d0 73 77 69 74 63 68 20 10 52 4f 4d 27 73 20 10 69 |switch .ROM's .i| 000007e0 6e 20 10 61 6e 64 20 10 6f 75 74 20 10 77 69 74 |n .and .out .wit| 000007f0 68 6f 75 74 20 10 70 6f 77 65 72 20 64 6f 77 6e |hout .power down| 00000800 20 28 69 6e 20 69 74 73 65 6c 66 20 61 20 76 61 | (in itself a va| 00000810 73 74 20 0d 69 6d 70 72 6f 76 65 6d 65 6e 74 29 |st .improvement)| 00000820 2d 10 6f 6e 65 20 63 6f 6d 65 73 20 61 63 72 6f |-.one comes acro| 00000830 73 73 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 |ss memory proble| 00000840 6d 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 2a 63 6f 6d |ms with the *com| 00000850 6d 61 6e 64 73 20 61 73 20 74 6f 20 0d 77 68 61 |mands as to .wha| 00000860 74 20 10 63 6c 61 73 68 65 73 20 10 6d 61 79 20 |t .clashes .may | 00000870 10 6f 63 63 75 72 2c 20 70 61 72 74 69 63 75 6c |.occur, particul| 00000880 61 72 6c 79 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 62 62 72 65 76 |arly with abbrev| 00000890 69 61 74 65 64 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 73 2e 20 |iated commands. | 000008a0 53 6f 20 49 20 0d 68 61 76 65 20 10 64 72 61 77 |So I .have .draw| 000008b0 6e 20 10 75 70 20 10 6c 61 72 67 65 20 73 68 65 |n .up .large she| 000008c0 65 74 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 52 4f 4d 27 73 20 64 |ets with ROM's d| 000008d0 6f 77 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6c 65 66 74 20 73 69 64 |own the left sid| 000008e0 65 20 61 6e 64 20 6c 65 74 74 65 72 73 20 0d 61 |e and letters .a| 000008f0 63 72 6f 73 73 20 10 74 68 65 20 74 6f 70 2e 20 |cross .the top. | 00000900 4e 6f 77 20 61 74 20 61 20 67 6c 61 6e 63 65 20 |Now at a glance | 00000910 49 20 63 61 6e 20 73 65 65 20 6d 79 20 63 6f 6d |I can see my com| 00000920 70 6c 65 74 65 20 6c 69 73 74 20 6f 66 20 63 6f |plete list of co| 00000930 6d 6d 61 6e 64 73 20 0d 73 74 61 72 74 69 6e 67 |mmands .starting| 00000940 20 10 77 69 74 68 20 10 61 6e 79 20 10 6c 65 74 | .with .any .let| 00000950 74 65 72 2e 20 10 54 6f 20 10 6d 79 20 73 75 72 |ter. .To .my sur| 00000960 70 72 69 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 6c |prise the only l| 00000970 65 74 74 65 72 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 75 73 65 64 20 |etters not used | 00000980 0d 77 69 74 68 69 6e 20 6d 79 20 70 72 65 73 65 |.within my prese| 00000990 6e 74 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 20 73 74 72 75 63 |nt command struc| 000009a0 74 75 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 51 20 61 6e 64 20 59 |ture are Q and Y| 000009b0 2e 0d 0d 49 68 6f 70 65 20 10 74 68 69 73 20 6c |...Ihope .this l| 000009c0 65 74 74 65 72 20 67 69 76 65 73 20 66 6f 6f 64 |etter gives food| 000009d0 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 74 20 6f 6e 20 | for thought on | 000009e0 74 68 65 20 70 6f 73 73 69 62 69 6c 69 74 69 65 |the possibilitie| 000009f0 73 20 6f 70 65 6e 2e 20 49 66 20 10 0d 61 6e 79 |s open. If ..any| 00000a00 62 6f 64 79 20 10 10 74 61 6b 65 73 20 10 10 61 |body ..takes ..a| 00000a10 20 10 72 65 63 65 6e 74 20 10 6d 65 6d 62 65 72 | .recent .member| 00000a20 27 73 20 10 61 64 76 69 63 65 20 10 74 6f 20 10 |'s .advice .to .| 00000a30 6d 6f 76 65 20 10 6f 6e 20 10 74 6f 20 10 6c 61 |move .on .to .la| 00000a40 74 65 73 74 20 10 0d 67 65 6e 65 72 61 74 69 6f |test ..generatio| 00000a50 6e 20 6f 66 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 10 74 |n of computer .t| 00000a60 68 65 6e 20 70 6c 65 61 73 65 20 6c 65 74 20 6b |hen please let k| 00000a70 6e 6f 77 20 77 68 61 74 27 73 20 66 6f 72 20 73 |now what's for s| 00000a80 61 6c 65 21 0d 0d 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |ale!.. | 00000a90 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000aa0 20 20 20 20 20 4c 45 54 54 45 52 20 35 0d 54 6f | LETTER 5.To| 00000ab0 20 62 65 20 77 72 69 74 74 65 6e 20 6c 61 74 65 | be written late| 00000ac0 72 2e 0d 0d |r...| 00000ac4
LETTERS/LETT3B.m0
LETTERS/LETT3B.m1
LETTERS/LETT3B.m2
LETTERS/LETT3B.m4
LETTERS/LETT3B.m5
.