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Getting an Altair 8800c Computer SetUp and Going

AltairReferenceCARD.pdf Created by Thomas Niccum
66 Various Books on BASIC
8080InstructionsQuickRef.zip

Altair 8800c Hardware Assembly & BOOT to CP/M & MBASIC
...

. . . Power Supplies
. . .

So you bought an Altair 8800c cabinet from Mike Douglas/Farmtek
No Longer Available from Mike
or
You bought an $350 Altair 8800c cabinet from AdWaterandStir
or
Perhaps you'd like to build a $50 "HomeBrew" Wood Cabinet

Next you need a Backplane, Power Supply, Front Panel, CPU board, RAM and I/O
.

9-Slot Backplane Manual

Not many components needed other than the S-100 Edge Connectors a jumping the fuse points and a few LEDs

Search criteria
"100 pin 2x50 S100 Bus Backplane Pitch Card Edge Connetors"
or
"card edge connector dual 100"

EADC 346-100-520-202 or EADC 396-100-520-202 or EADC 346-100-520-802

DigiKey.com or Mouser.com

Power Supplies

The Mean-Well Power Supplies

You need TWO: "RS-25-15" for +15V and -15V
Digikey.com or Mouser.com or JameCo.com

and ONE: "HRP-75-7.5" for +8V
Digikey.com or Mouser.com or JameCo.com

Mean-Well Templates

or a newer two Mean-Well choice

DigiKey.com is one source for the power connectors

WM2104-ND 0009503061 Molex CONN RCPT HSG 6POS 3.96MM

WM2300CT-ND 0008500105 Molex CONN 18-24AWG CRIMP TIN

WM4624-ND 0026604060 Molex CONN HEADER VERT 6POS 3.96MM

Altair 8800c Basic Boards

Altair 8800c Front Panel Board Set from Mike Douglas FarmTek

. . . . .

Reproduction MITS 8080 CPU

. . . . .

Martin Eberhard's Altair 8800c 882SIOJP

. . . . . SW1 = 00011111 ... SW2= 11011100 ... SW3 = 00000000 ... SW4 = 000100000 ... SW5 = 000100000

J1 = 4-5 ... J2, J3, J4, J5, J6, J7, J8, J9, J10, J11, J12, J13, J14, J15 = OPEN

J16 = 1-2 ... J17 = OPEN ... J18 = JUMPER, J19 = OPEN ... J20 = CC/8080

Mike Douglas/FarmTek Altair 8800c FDC+ board

This can provide access to two 8MB Drives (A: & B:) and two 360KB Altair Disk drives (C: & D:)
real or emulated like with the ESP32 FDC+ WiFi module
or
the FDC+ Serial Drive Server running on your PC

. . . . . SW3 = 00000111 ... SW1 = 00000000 ... SW2 = 01110000 ... SW4 = 00000000 ... J3 = OPEN
Digging a little Deeper into the FDC+ board
.

Partick Linstruth 88-2SIOR1 board (UpDated the Original Altair 88-2SIO Dual Serial I/O board

. . . . . SW1 = OFF OFF OFF OFF for Full Serial I/O Handshake to a Modem

SW2 = ON ON ON ON for Simple Rx/Tx No Handshake

SW3 = OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF for 300 BAUD 8N1 Full Handshake

SW4 = OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF for 9600 BAUD 8N1 No Handshake

SW5 = OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF

SW6 = OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF

SW7 = ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF for I/O Addresses Port 0 = 14h/15h and Port 1 = 16h/17h

A Quick Look into My Altair 8800c Setup
...

. . . . .

Running FDC+ Serial Drive Server on Your PC

First, Get the FDC+ Serial Drive Server Software
or
the FDC+ Serial Drive Server Software Modified by Patrick Linstruth
.....

Now a folder on your PC with a set of .DSK files including a BOOT .DSK
. . . . . My Stash of .DSK files all zipped up CACHE-O-DSKs.zip for sharing
.....

FDC+ Serial Drive Server
. . . . .

...Disk 0	...=	...8MB CP/M or DOS BOOT .DSK file
...Disk 1	...=	...8MB Another Program FDD .DSK
...Disk 2	...=	...360K Another Program FDD .DSK
...Disk 3	...=	...360K Another Program FDD .DSK

.....

Set Up an ESP32 FDC+ WiFi Module

The �SD card holds all the .DSK files and configuration, Connect to your Altair via the RS-232 port on the right, or connect direct to the Mike Douglas FarmTek FDC+ board via a ribbon cable on the FDC connector. No need for a physical floppy drive.

Initial ESP32 FDC+ WiFI Module SetUp:

ets Jul 29 2019 12:21:46
rst:0x1 (POWERON_RESET),boot:0x13 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
configsip: 0, SPIWP:0xee
clk_drv:0x00,q_drv:0x00,d_drv:0x00,cs0_drv:0x00,hd_drv:0x00,wp_drv:0x00
mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x3fff0030,len:4604
ho 0 tail 12 room 4
load:0x40078000,len:15488
load:0x40080400,len:4
load:0x40080404,len:3180
entry 0x400805b8
ESP32 FDC+ Serial Drive Server 0.22
Sector Size: 512
SD Card Type: SDHC
SD Card Size: 3810MB
Setting FDC+ default baud rate to 403200
WiFi: Not Enabled
Setting default WiFi hostname to 'FDC-SDS-EPS32'
ESP32 FDC+>
ESP32 FDC+>HELP
BAUD baud...........................................Set FDC+ baud rate
CLEAR..................................................Clear statistics
COPY src dst.........................................Copy file from src to dst
DELETE filename.................................Delete file
DIR........................................................Directory
DUMP....................................................Dump track buffer
EXEC filename......................................Execute filename
HOSTNAME name...............................Set Wifi hostname
LOOPBACK.........................................FDC+ loopback test
MOUNT [drive filename].....................Mount drive
PASS pass.............................................Set WiFi password
REBOOT..............................................Reboot device
RENAME old new...............................Rename file
SAVE...................................................Save configuration to NVRAM
SSID ssid.............................................Set WiFi SSID
STATS..................................................FDC+ Statistics
TIME....................................................Display time
TYPE filename.....................................Display file
UNMOUNT drive................................Unmount drive
UPDATE..............................................Update firmware (update.bin)
VERSION............................................Dispay version
WIPE...................................................Wipe NVRAM configuration
WIFI [ON | OFF].................................Turn WiFi On and Off
ESP32 FDC+>

Okay, first these commands should be your initial setup:

* ESP32 FDC+>HOSTNAME ZAltair mini-FP
* ESP32 FDC+>BAUD 57600
..............(The speed to the FDC+ board is 403200 or to Port 1 Serial I/O is 57600)
* ESP32 FDC+>SSID Your Wifi SSID............................(Should be your WiFi but not important)
* ESP32 FDC+>PASS Your Wifi.....................................(Should be your WiFi but not important)
* ESP32 FDC+>MOUNT 0 "CPM22-8MB-56K.DSK"
* ESP32 FDC+>MOUNT 1 "BLANK 8MB.DSK"
* ESP32 FDC+>MOUNT 2 "BLANK 360KB.DSK"
* ESP32 FDC+>MOUNT 3 "BLANK 360KB.DSK"
* ESP32 FDC+>WIFI ON................................................(Should be your WiFi but not important)

Setting up an FTP to add/remove Files on the ESP32 FDC+ �SD Card

Open your ftp client:
Site name: Your Computer Name
Type of connection: FTP
IP Address: 192.168.0.56
UserID: fdc
Password: fdc

Connecting to the WiFi for ReConfiguration

Open TeraTerm

File � New connection Alt+N

Set Up Terminal

Check out the ESP32 FDC+ GitHub to Learn More

The Console with TeraTerm

Connect Port 0 from the 88-2SIOJP board to the PC via a RS-232 to USB adapter cable
Use the "Device Manager" to identify the COM port used by the RS-232 adapter cable . . . . .

Install and SetUp TeraTerm on your PC
< Setup > - < Serial Port > - < Port: >
Enter the COM Port number from the Device Manger . . . . .

< Speed: > = 9600

< Transmit delay > = 10 and 100 msec/line . . . . .

Choose which BOOT ... BOOT to AMON ... or ... BOOT to CP/M

BOOT to AMON Front Panel Switch Settings F800

To continue to CP/M on the console type BO

or
BOOT to CP/M Front Panel Switch Settings FF00

On the PC/TeraTerm display you will see;

You are at the CP/M Prompt
.....

From here you can type DIR or LS to see the files on a drive
.....

The command line to run MBASIC from the A: drive and the GALAXY.BAS program on the B: drive
.....

Front Panel Power ON & BOOT

Set the Sense Switches as in the photo

. . . . . Address FF00 = PROM MONITOR on FDC+ board

A15, A14, A13, A12, A11, A10, A9, A8 = UP

A7, A6, A5, A4, A3, A2, A1 = DOWN
.....

Switch DOWN to Power ON
.....

Switch UP to STOP
.....

Switch UP to RESET
.....

Switch UP to Examine
.....

Switch DOWN to RUN
.....

PC/TeraTerm

Connect Port A from the 88-2SIOJP board to the PC via a RS-232 to USB adapter cable
Use the "Device Manager" to identify the COM port used by the RS-232 adapter cable
.....

Install and SetUp TeraTerm on your PC
Setup ‑ Serial Port ‑ COM Port
. . . . . Enter the COM Port number from the Device Manger
.....

Speed = 9600

Transmit delay = 10 and 100 msec/line
.....

After "RUN"ing the BOOT from FFOO
. . . . . On the PC/TeraTerm display you will see;
.....

You are at the CP/M Prompt
.....

From here you can type DIR or LS to see the files on a drive
.....

The command line to run MBASIC from the A: drive and the GALAXY.BAS program on the B: drive
. . . . .

Useful CP/M & MBASIC NFO

SetUp LPRINT to Port B address 12h/13h or 18d/19d
. . . . . B:STAT LST:=UL1:
.

Now in a MBASIC program you can PRINT to the console screen, or LPRINT to the Utility Serial Port B

This simplifies sending $trings of Data to the Utility Port B
.

The "LS" command provides a listing of the files on the selected disk drive
e.g.,
. . . . . A>LS D:

IF you perform the LS command for each drive, then run the "STAT" program and then the "SURVEY" program

. . . A0>STAT
.

A: R/W, Space: 7940k
B: R/W, Space: 7188k
. . . C: R/W, Space: 28k

D: R/W, Space: 34k

. . . A0>C:SURVEY

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *** System Survey (June 82) ***

. . . Drive A: 244K bytes in 26 files with 7940K bytes remaining

Drive B: 996K bytes in 159 files with 7188K bytes remaining
Drive C: 272K bytes in 35 files with 28K bytes remaining
. . . Drive D: 266K bytes in 31 files with 34K bytes remaining

Memory map:
. . . 0 . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . 24 . . . . . . . . 32 . . . . . . . 40 . . . . . . . . 48 . . . . . . . 56 . . . . . . . 64

| . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . |
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTCCCCBBBBBBBBBBBRRRR
. . . T=TPA C=CPM B=BIOS or unassigned R=ROM or bad

BIOS at C403 iobyte 55 drive 00 BDOS at B606

. . . 61439 Bytes RAM 4096 Bytes ROM 46598 Bytes in TPA

0 Bytes Empty 65535 Total Active Bytes

. . . Active I/O ports:

08 0A 0B
10 11 12 13
. . . . . F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 FA FB FC FD FE

22 Ports active

. . . A0>

Adding a HAYES Smartmodem 1200 #97-433 782
.....

. . . . .

DIP Switch Settings:

1.....UP.............Modem Hangs-Up when Altair Drops DTR
2.....UP.......... ..Verbose Result Codes (CONNECT 300)
3.....DOWN.....Result Codes Enabled
4.....UP.......... ..Enable Modem Echo
5.....DOWN.....Auto-answer OFF
6.....UP.............DCD Follows Carrier
7.....UP.............Single Phone Line
8.....DOWN.....Command Mode Enabled

Using my "DUMBTERM.BAS" Program to connect to other computer systems .....DUMBTERM.BAS

88-2SIOR1 (DTE).....to.....Hayes Smartmodem 1200 (DCE)

Computer to..................HAYES 1200 DB25 Connector
TXD → RXD...............Pin 2 → 3...............................Data out from Altair to modem
RXD ← TXD...............Pin 3 → 2...............................Data back from modem
GND → GND....... ......Pin 7 → 7...............................Common ground
DTR → DTR...............Pin 20 → Pin 20.....................Needed for carrier control
CTS → CTS................Pin 22 → Pin 5.......................Optional, but you have it enabled
DCD → DCD..............Pin 6 → Pin 8.........................Needed for carrier detect
.....

Console Commands to DUMBTERM.BAS
"L" for LoopBack ... then the Control Port of your 88-2SIO board
.....

After starting DUMBTERM.BAS, type:
ATZ
ATE0V1Q0X1
Command.....Purpose
E0.................No Echo from Modem
V1.................Verbose Results
Q0.................Show Result Codes
X1.................Basic Dialing Responses
. . . . .