• Update CBIOS

    agp.cooper07/31/2021 at 07:06 0 comments

    Updated Boot

    First I have to update boot.asm, the code to load CP/M into memory. The CP/M V2 only had 32kb of RAM so the CP/M source was located at 0x8000. As CP/M V3 has 56k of RAM so the CP/M source is located at 0xE000.

    Here is the boot assembly code (i8085):

    ;   boot.asm: Load CP/M from ROM
    
    ;   Calc CPM addresses
    msize       equ     56                  ; 56k RAM
    sectors     equ     16                  ; sectors per track for my system
    systrks     equ     4                   ; my boot system has 4 tracks of 16 sectors 
    bias        equ     (msize-20-1)*1024   ; calculation for my system
    ccp         equ     3400h+bias
    cstart      equ     4a00h+bias
    
        org     0e000h                      ; executed in ROM after shift down
        jmp     0e003h                      ; reset bootstrap
    boot:
        di                                  ; disable interrupts                 
        lxi     sp,ccp-0080h                ; convenient place
        lxi     d,ccp-0080h                 ; start of boot dst
        lxi     h,0e000h                    ; start of ROM (boot src)
        mvi     c,sectors                   ; sectors per track
        mvi     b,systrks                   ; sytem track count
        push    b                           ; save 
    boot$nextsect:
        mvi     b,128                       ; sector size
    boot$copysect:
        mov     a,m
        inx     h
        stax    d
        inx     d
        dcr     b
        jnz     boot$copysect
        dcr     c
        jnz     boot$nextsect
        pop     b
        dcr     b
        push    b
        jnz     boot$nextsect
    ;   Cold boot
        jmp     cstart
        end

     Updated CBIOS

    CBIOS has a number of alterations to suit the new hardware design:

    ;   Calc CPM addresses
    msize   equ     56                      ; RAM capacity
    sectors equ     16                      ; sectors per track for my system
    systrks equ     4                       ; my boot system has 4 tracks of 16 sectors
    bias    equ     (msize-20-1)*1024       ; adjusted for my system
    cbase   equ     3400h+bias              ; base of ccp
    fbase   equ     cbase+800h              ; base of bdos
    bdos    equ     cbase+806h              ; bdos entry
    cbios   equ     cbase+1600h             ; base of custom bios (cold boot entry)
    spbase  equ     msize*1024              ; sp base (use top of RAM)
    usrdsk  equ     0004h                   ; current user and disk number
    iobyte  equ     0003h                   ; intel i/o byte
    rst7.5  equ     003ch                   ; interrupt to read serial data input
    
    lf      equ     0ah                     ; line feed
    cr      equ     0dh                     ; carriage return
    
    ;    Custom CP/M 2.2 BIOS
            org     cbios
    
    ;       jump vector for individual subroutines
            jmp     cboot                   ; cold start
    wstart:
            jmp     wboot                   ; warm start
            jmp     const                   ; console status
            jmp     conin                   ; console character in
            jmp     conout                  ; console character out
            jmp     list                    ; list character out
            jmp     punch                   ; punch character out
            jmp     reader                  ; reader character out
            jmp     home                    ; move head to home position
            jmp     seldsk                  ; select disk
            jmp     settrk                  ; set track number
            jmp     setsec                  ; set sector number
            jmp     setdma                  ; set dma address
            jmp     read                    ; read disk
            jmp     write                   ; write disk
            jmp     listst                  ; return list status
            jmp     sectran                 ; sector translate
    
    ;       System uses a two Flash AT29C020-90B with 2048 x 128b pages (256k)
    ;       Set as 128 tracks of 16 sectors of 128 bytes
    ;       System uses tracks 0 to 3 (64 sectors)
    ;       Directory is track 4 and 7 (128 entries)
    ;       Leaving 240kb file storage using 2048b blocks per chip
    
    dpbase:
    ;       disk Parameter header for disk A (system)
            dw      trans,  0000h
            dw      0000h,  0000h
            dw      dirbf,  dpblk256s
            dw      chk00,  all00
    ;       disk parameter header for disk B (system)
            dw      trans,  0000h
            dw      0000h,  0000h
            dw      dirbf,  dpblk256s
            dw      chk01,  all01;
    ;       disk parameter header for disk C (data) - Not installed
            dw      trans,  0000h
            dw      0000h,  0000h
            dw      dirbf,  dpblk256d
            dw      chk02,  all02
    ;       disk parameter header for disk D (data) - Not installed
            dw      trans,  0000h
            dw      0000h,  0000h
            dw      dirbf,  dpblk256d
            dw      chk03,  all03
    
    ;       sector translate vector (i.e. no translation)
    trans:
            db      1,  2,  3,  4           ; sectors  1,  2,  3,  4
            db      5,  6,  7,  8           ; sectors  5,  6,  7,  6
            db      9,  10, 11, 12          ; sectors  9, 10, 11, 12
            db      13, 14, 15, 16          ; sectors 13, 14, 15, 16
    
    ;       disk parameter block for system disk (256k) and 1k block size
    dpblk256s:    
            dw      sectors                 ; SPT: sectors per track
            db      3                       ; BSH: block shift factor
            db      7                       ; BLM: block mask
            db      0                       ; EXM: extended block mask
            dw      247                     ; DSM: disk blocks - 1 
            dw      127                     ; DRM: directory max - 1
            db      240                     ; AL0: alloc 0 (=4 bits)
            db      0                       ; AL1: alloc 1
            dw      0                       ; CKS: check size (= not removable)
            dw      systrks                 ; OFF: track offset
    
    ;       disk parameter block for data disk (256k) and 1k block size
    dpblk256d:    
            dw      sectors                 ; SPT: sectors per track
            db      3                       ; BSH: block shift factor
            db      7                       ; BLM: block mask
            db      0                       ; EXM: extended block mask
            dw      255                     ; DSM: disk blocks - 1
     dw 127 ; DRM: directory...
    Read more »

  • Assembled

    agp.cooper07/27/2021 at 05:19 0 comments

    Assembled

    The 74HC21's arrived today. Here is the assembled machine:

    Hopefully for schematic mistakes.

    Next to do is to update the CBIOS for the 82C52 SIO.

    TBC ...

    AlanX

  • Final Check before Fabrication

    agp.cooper07/04/2021 at 03:12 0 comments

    Final Check

    I checked as much as I could. Particularly the 82C52 as it is new. Changed IO_RD/IO_WR to MEM_RD/MEM_WR (that would make the board useless).

    Updated the crystal frequency to 10MHz.

    So now I just have to wait a week or so for the PCB to arrive.

    Final Schematic:

    As much as I try I still find errors after sending the PCB to be manufactured.

    I updated the labels on UM61512 to make it clearer but I connected CE2 to CS_RAM rather than VCC. No matter, I can patch the board.

    AlanX

  • Disk Access

    agp.cooper07/03/2021 at 09:15 0 comments

    Disk Access

    Disk access uses the 8kb address space above the top of RAM. The 8kb window is mapped to the disk space with a write to I/O. Left over map space is used to select up to four disks:

    Although the method is fast it costs 8kb of RAM (i.e. 56kb rather than 64kb of RAM). After boot up it is not necessary to have ROM in the address space. I should look at this again later.

    AlanX

  • CPU

    agp.cooper07/03/2021 at 06:04 0 comments

    The CPU Schematic

    Here is the schematic:

    Nothing really unique here.  Typical address bus decoding (IC9) and IO/MEM RD/WR.

    AlanX

  • CP/M Boot Logic

    agp.cooper07/03/2021 at 02:54 0 comments

    CP/M Boot Logic

    One the things about CP/M is that upon reset the system boot from ROM. The ROM loads the CP/M operating system. For the i8085, reset starts at address 0x0000. In normal operation CP/M expects everything to be RAM. The zero page (0x0000 to 0x00FF) is used by CP/M and programs are loaded from 0x0100 up. And CP/M lives at the TOP of RAM.

    Therefore some logic is needed to move the boot system ROM address to 0x0000 on system reset. After boot/reset the address logic needs to be set for access to normal RAM.

    This can be done with a Set/Reset Latch using IC3 and IC6. On system reset, RESET_OUT set the latch, and A15, A14 and A13 reset the latch. Normally, the address of CS_ROM is 0xF800 to 0xFFFF (8kb) and the address of CS_RAM is 0x0000 to 0XF7FF (56kb). On system reset the latch is set and CS_ROM is set/locked low and CS_RAM is set/locked high. A high address (0xF800 to 0xFFFF) reset the latch to normal use.

    One of the advantages of the system is that 8kb the ROM is visible above memory. This makes access to ROM fast. The down side is less RAM.

    Other methods

    Grant Searle uses I/O to set and reset the boot ROM. After boot he access the harddisk via I/O. Therefore his system has 64kb or RAM.

    I am leaning towards Grant's banked memory approach, and using "port" (i.e. I/O or memory mapped) to access hardware.

    I have already decoded 4x4 ports starting at 0x0040 (e.g. the UART).

    But let us use baby sets!

    AlanX


  • The 82C52 UART

    agp.cooper07/02/2021 at 04:47 0 comments

    The 82C52 UART

    The 82C52 is a single channel UART. Here is my schematic:

    It is quite adaptable to different clock frequencies. Using the M80C85A-2 clock of 5 MHz (i.e the maximum recommended clock speed), here are the available baud rates:

    Note: A 9.8304 MHz crystal would make these baud rates exact.

    Going through my crystal junk box I find an 11.0592 MHz crystal. I could use this directly on the 82C52 and get a large range of exact bauds:

    Anyway I will stay with the 10MHz crystal for the M80C85A-2.

    Programming the 82C52

    I have fully decoded an address of 0x0040 (i.e. 0x40-0x43) which in reserved for the CBIOS in the zero page. I guess it is not often used as it takes some effort to decode.

    Here are the initialisation codes for 9600 8N1:

    • 0x40   Read/write serial data
    • 0x41    Set 8N1                                                 0x3C
    • 0x42   Use INTR with DTR/CTS                      0x66
    • 0x43   Set baud 9600 using a 5MHz clock   0x2A

    The decoding scheme can be used for up to to 3 other devices using the CBIOS reserved area.

    AlanX