
|
|
#1 28-10-2017 02:07:46
- witchy
- New member
-
(Hover for details) - Registered: 23-09-2017
- Posts: 6
- Reputation : 0
Newbrain Server working
Hi folks,
I'm pretty sure I've been the only person in the world actively working with the Newbrain server (nbserv_3) found here in the last couple of weeks. After getting a pair of floppy drives running and CP/M booting happily I found the server and details on how to make a serial cable so why not utilise my 5.25" floppy imaging PC to squirt programs directly into a 'brain?
I need to write this down before I forget it
Server: ooooold PC running win98 with 2 serial ports. Same machine I'd been using with TELEDISK to make CP/M floppies.
Cable: CAT5 network cable with RJ45-DB9 adapter wired as a modem*. Snip broken end off and fit Newbrain 2x3 end.
'Proper' DOS mode was necessary on the PC end so F8 at boot and select 'Command Prompt' followed by MODE COM1:9600,8,n,2. I'd used google translate to UK-ify the INI file but left it unchanged. With the server running I could start the 'brain and get to a BASIC prompt while the server noticed things happening on the serial bus. Trouble is I didn't know what to do to kick things off and the docs here don't say so I searched for 'newbrain nbserv' and found http://mything.nl/NB_Software/NBserver_UK.htm (the only hit) which told me to OPEN #0,9 - and a menu downloaded!
Happy days. I translated the menu program (MENU.BAS) too whilst working out what it did, essentially it gives you a list of programs and lets you select one, then prints the load instruction and NEWs itself. There followed a lot of downloading and gaming
This is a very condensed version of the last few days and misses out the misconfigured serial cable, trying to run the server in a command window and quite a bit of swearing at win98. At one point I considered building a pure DOS 6.22 machine...
Pictures as always on facebook.com/binarydinosaurs or I can upload them here.
*RJ45 adapter specs:
Code:
DB RJ Desc Colour 1 7 DCD+DSR 2 6 RX GR/WH 3 3 TX WH/GR 4 4 DTR 5 5 GND WH/BL 6 7 DCD+DSR 7 8 RTS BR/WH 8 2 CTS OR/WH
Cheers!
#2 01-11-2017 16:21:24
- cdesp
- Moderator
-
(Hover for details) - Location: : Kilkis, Macedonia, Greece
- Registered: 27-07-2008
- Posts: 82
- Reputation : 0
Re: Newbrain Server working
Hi,
glad you manage to make this work.
you can try this tool PC2NBhttp://www.newbrainemu.eu/component/opt … Itemid,54/ made more than 10 years ago but should work.
You select the .bas file (ONLY DISC ones not from tape) and then press the SEND button to transfer it to a Newbrain Connected to COM1.
On the Newbrain side you should open device 9 "open#0,9" and then type "Load#9" BEFORE pressing the SEND button on PC2NB.
You can also use the NB Emulator to make the transfer by using open#0,9 command on both (NB emu and NB).
Then you type Load#9 and Save#9 on either machine depending in which machine you have the program you want to send (use save) and where you want to load it through RS232.
Load command always before the save one.