From: robert.mole@xonxoff.com (ROBERT MOLE) Dear Z88 User, I got this from Simon C. Hall. Now, I'm giving it to you. Enjoy. There does not seem to be to many of us z88 users out there,I have been looking around the net for some info on the z and have come up with a little bit I will attach a file at the end of this msg I got from a gentleman in the states. There does not seem to be very many programs on the net for the z88,but you can get a few from ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/sinclair/z88. there is one in the middle east but it is slow and is just a mirror of nvg. If I can be of help let me know. regards be946@freenet.carleton.ca jim aka simon. INTRODUCTION The Z88 Source Book is designed to be a good reference on the Z88, how to interface it with the world, what products are available, and what dealers carry them. It is not designed to be a replacement for the Z88 User Guide, but as a supplement to it, filling in areas not covered by the User Guide. This Source Book also comes with a number of utilities and files for the Z88 on QL or MS-DOS disks. Although the Z88 can interface with any computer with a serial port, these are two that I have choosen to focus on. Those that have interfaced the Z88 with other computers can submit the details so that they may be added to this book. All utilities that come with this book are either Shareware, Freeware, or Public Domain and may be freely distributed. The reason for this book comes from being a new Z88 owner and not really knowing how to get it to interface with any computers. I initially got some help from Dave Bennet, but still had to fumble a bit in the dark. The Z88 documentation assumes that one purchased the QL-Link, PC-Link, or Mac-Link software and cable and does not discuss the ways to transfer files to another computer. >From my initial lack of knowledge came the idea for a Source books to assist new (and old) Z88 users, including utilities to help. This book relies heavily on the work of others and thier exploration of the Z88. A lot of the information in this book comes from a variety of publications and people. I am indepted to both Dave Bennet and Frank Davis for providing the back issues of various newsletters. Below is a list of publications and persons from which/whom this book is indebted. Update Magazine, Z88 Fax News, PipeLine, Z88 EPROM, Dave Bennett, Frank Davis, Phil Wheeler, Chris Fenn, and other contributers of Z88 articles to the various newsletters. CONVENTIONS There are a number of keys on the Z88 that are not on other computers. Below is the convention of how they will be used in this book: [] - Square Key <> - Diamond Key PIPEDREAM TIPS Multiple Columns Change the width of Column A with <>W to 40. Set a right margin of 38 with <>H. Goto Options with <>O. Set justify to Y. Set the page length to what you want. Set Header, Footer, and Bottom to 0 and Left to 2. Editing is more difficult with multiple columns, so 99% of the editing i done with the text in column A. Any insertions and deletions of lines of text must use the commands <>EIRC and <>EDRC. <>N and the <>Y insert and delete in ALL columns. Now you are going to separate and move your text into column B. There will be a jagged line across the column where you previously set the page length. Now move the cursor one line past this marker. Type <>Z and then move to the enx of the text with <> and Down Arrow. Type <>Z again. All the selected text will be highlighted on the screen. Press TAB to move your cursor to Column B and use the arrow keys to put the cursor where you want the moved text to start. Now type <>BM for Block Move. Your selected test will be moved to your cursor position. BBC BASIC TIPS Screen Control Codes The Z88 has a number of codes that are used to control the screen and to print special characters (ones not on the keyboard). Remember VDU X is the same as CHR$(X). VDU 8 Move cursor Left VDU 9 Move cursor Right VDU 10 Move cursor Down VDU 11 Move cursor Up VDU 1,32 Three Dots VDU 1,33 Bell Symbol VDU 1,39 Backwards Apostrophy VDU 1,42 Square VDU 1,43 Diamond VDU 1,45 Shift Symbol VDU 1,124 Upright Slash VDU 1,142 Block VDU 1,224 Space Symbol VDU 1,225 Enter Symbol VDU 1,226 Tab Symbol VDU 1,227 Delete Symbol VDU 1,228 ESC Symbol VDU 1,229 Menu Symbol VDU 1,230 Index Symbol VDU 1,231 Help Symbol VDU 1,240 Left Key Arrow VDU 1,241 Right Key Arrow VDU 1,242 Down Key Arrow VDU 1,243 Up Key Arrow VDU 1,244 Thick Left Arrow VDU 1,245 Thick Right Arrow VDU 1,246 Thick Down Arrow VDU 1,247 Thick Up Arrow VDU 1,248 Thin Left Arrow VDU 1,249 Thin Right Arrow VDU 1,250 Thin Down Arrow VDU 1,251 Thin Up Arrow VDU 1,ASC("B") Bold Characters VDU 1,ASC("C") Toggles Cursor VDU 1,ASC("D") Slows the Display VDU 1,ASC("F") Flash Characters VDU 1,ASC("G") Bright Characters VDU 1,ASC("R") Inverts the Screen VDU 1,ASC("S") Screen Scrolls from Top to Bottom VDU 1,ASC("T") Small Characters VDU 1,ASC("U") Underlines Characters Key Codes Sometimes it is necessary to know the codes that keys generate. To find out what codes a key press generates, enter the following program: 10 PRINT "Hit Key or Combination"; 20 Z$ = GET$ 30 PRINT Z$,ASC(Z$) 40 GOTO 20 The Diamond <> Key acts like a CTRL key. KEY ALONE SHIFT KEY CTRL KEY <> ----------------------------------------------- UP 0, 255 0, 251 0, 247 DN 0, 254 0, 250 0, 246 RT 0, 253 0, 249 0, 245 LT 0, 252 0, 248 0, 244 Other interesting codes: CTRL TAB 0, 194 CTRL DEL 0, 195 CTRL \ 28 CTRL = 0, 0 CTRL - 31 CTRL ] 29 CTRL ' 96 CTRL [ 27 CTRL ENTER 0, 193 Line Graphics The Z88 is capable of producing "IBM style" line graphics. These are generated by VDU commands in the following form: VDU 1,ASC("2"),ASC("*"),ASC("char") where char is a letter in the range A to O. Here is an example program: 10 Z=65 20 REPEAT 30 VDU 1,ASC("2"),ASC("*"),Z 40 VDU 9 50 Z=Z+1 60 UNTIL Z=80 Sound The Z88 is capable of limited sound. Variations can be made of the Z88's beep. Below are three examples to experiment with: VDU 1,52,33,38,34,34 VDU 1,52,33,34,33,34 VDU 1,52,33,40,33,33 User Defined Characters The Z88 has the ability to have up to 64 user defined characters. Characters can be defined from CHR$(64), the @ symbol, to CHR$(127), ESC. They are defined in the following format: VDU 1,138,ASC"=",ASC"char",n0,n1,n2,n3,n4,n5,n6,n7 where char is the ASCII character that this new character is assigned to. n0 through n7 are the decimal equivelents to the binary code defining the character. The characters are defined in a 6 column by 8 row matrix. The rows are defined by the numbers n1 to n7 in downward sequence (n7 is the bottom row) and the columns are defined by the six lower bits of the binary form of these numbers (bit 0 is the right-most bit). It appears that the setting of the two highest bits is not important. Here is an example of a Smiley Face character: Binary Decimal 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 27 <-- n0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 17 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 <-- n7 | |--- Blank Column for space between characters Printing HEX Values Using a tilde (~) with the ASC command in a print statement will print out the HEX value of the character being operated on. ~ASC"A" will print out the HEX value of the character A (41). ASC"A" is 65. PRINT "A", ASC"A", ~ASC"A" will produce: A 65 41 BASIC Inline Assembler BBC BASIC on the Z88 comes with in inline assembler built in. The variable P% is used an a program counter. The user must set P% to the desired start point for the machine code before invoking the assembler. The assembler can be envoked with the [ symbol on a single line. It is unenvoked by a ] on a single line. Below is a sample program: 10 DIM code 100 20 P% = code 30 [ 40 LD BC,50 50 RET 60 ] It is recommended that the user have a good knowledge of Z80 machine code programming before trying the assembler. Lock up of your Z88 could cause it to do a hard reset (take it to a "virginal" blank state). CABLES The serial port is the primary way to get data into and out of the Z88. Below are cable diagrams for linking a number of computers, a modem, and a printer. Z88 Z88 --- --- 2 ---------------- 3 3 ---------------- 2 |-4 4-| |-5 5-| 6 6 7 ---------------- 7 8 ---------------- 9 9 ---------------- 8 Z88 QL SER2 --- ------- 2 ---------------- 3 3 ---------------- 2 |-4 ------ 4 |-5 | 5 6 | 6 7 ----------|----- 7 |-8 ----------| 8 |-9 9 Z88 MAC --- --- 2 ---------------- 5 3 ---------------- 3 5 ---------------- 1 7 ---------------- 4 8 ---------------- 1 9 ---------------- 2 Z88 PC DB25 --- ------- 2 ---------------- 3 3 ---------------- 2 |-4 4-| |-5 5-| 6 6-| 7 ---------------- 7 | 8 -------| 8-| | |-------- 20 If hooking up to a PC with a 9 pin serial port, use this cable and a 25 pin to 9 pin adapter. Z88 Modem --- ----- 2 ---------------- 2 3 ---------------- 3 7 ---------------- 7 5 ---------------- 20 8 ---------------- 20 9 ---------------- 20 Z88 Printer --- ------- 2 ---------------- 3 3 ---------------- 2 4 ---------------- 5 5 ---------------- 20 7 ---------------- 7 8 ---------------- 20 9 ---------------- 6,8 Z88 Amstrad CPC6128 --- --------------- 2 ---------------- 3 3 ---------------- 2 4 ---------------- 5 7 ---------------- 7 5 ---------------- 20 | 8 -----| The Spectrum - Z88 pinout below assumes the Spectrum has an Interface 1 to provide a serial port. Z88 Spectrum ----- -------- 2 ---------------- 3 3 ---------------- 2 4 ---------------- 5 5 ---------------- 4 | 8 ---| 7 ---------------- 7 9 ---------------- 9 For users of British QL's, the serial port is an RJ11 phone like port. Here are the pin outs for both SER1 and SER2 for this type of serial port. Z88 SER1 SER2 2 -------------- 2 3 3 -------------- 3 2 4 -------------- 4 5 5 -------------- 5 4 7 -------------- 1 1 HOW THE Z88 STORES FILES The Z88 has three basic files types; PipeDream, CLI(ASCII), and BBC BASIC. PipeDream can store files in plain ASCII text format but normally stores them in a proprietary format. BBC BASIC files are stored in a tokenized format. There is a way to transfer BBC BASIC files into ASCII (Z88 User Guide P. 200). The Z88 used CR (Carriage Returns) to stand for End-Of- Line. The QL uses LF (Line Feed), MS-DOS uses CR/LF. Some conversion is necessary to make these ASCII documents ready for the QL or PC. CRtoLF_exe for the QL and ADDLF.EXE and RMCR.EXE for the PC will do the conversion. In going from the QL to the Z88 the program QLtoZ88_exe has an option to convert LF's to CR's so that ASCII files can be easily sent to the Z88. When PipeDream prints, it adds a LF to the CR that the printer is expecting. It also adds ESCAPE sequences that tell the printer what to do. One ESC sequence will be at the start of the file, others may be embedded in the document. If you are going to transfer PipeDream documents to be used on the other computer, it is best to save them as ASCII documents. On the Save File screen, there is an option to save in ASCII. Since most other computers do not use BBC BASIC, converting the files to ASCII is not necessary. But if you want the BASIC programs to be readable on the other computer, then you have to convert them to ASCII and store then in CLI files (Z88 User Guide P. 200). It only adds a few steps to make them runable on the Z88. TRANSFERING FILES Files can be transfered from Z88 to Z88 via EPROMs, but mostly files will be transfered via the serial port. The Z88 comes with file transfer software, but it has it's limitations. Some people prefer to use a communications program like Z88COMM that supports XMODEM protocall and has error correction. PipeDream documents can be printed and captured on a remote computer. Files are transfered for two reasons, 1) to use the other computer to store Z88 files on disk, 2) to import the Z88 files for use on the other computer. If you wish to only store Z88 files on another computer, then you need not worry about how to put the Z88 files into a form usable by the other computer. If you wish to use the Z88 files on the other computer then you will need to change the Z88 files so that they can be used by the other computer. Transfering Files with Import-Export The Z88 manual does not make big news of it, but the Import-Export pop-up has a protocol for transfering files. Any files sent throught Import-Export will have some added bytes. At the beginning of a transfered file will be ESC N filename ESC F. At the end of the file will be ESC E. You will probably need to trim this data from the file. On files that have non-ASCII data, the non-ASCII bytes are converted into a ESC B xx yy sequence. This means that to get these files back into the Z88, they must be imported through Import-Export to convert them back. In general, files transfered out of a Z88 with Import-Export need to be transfered in with Import-Export. Those coming out with XMODEM need to be sent in with XMODEM. If wishing to use a PipeDream document on an other computer, it is best to have the document as ASCII (on the save screen) before sending it. This will make importing into another application easier. To a QL: The QL serial ports are known for having problems at higher baud rates. There is a HERMES chip that fixes these problems. Without HERMES, I recommend using a baud rate of 1200. I've also noticed that transfering files to disk instead of a RAM Disk, some errors creep into the file. On the QL enter: COPY SER2 TO RAM1_FILE_EXT On the Z88 do: <>X, S (for send), enter the file name and hit ENTER. The file will be sent to the QL, with the number of lines being displayed on the Z88. When the prompt returns on the Z88, hit CTRL-SPACE to stop the copy on the QL. >From a QL: On the Z88, go to the Import-Export pop-up, type R to Recieve, enter a file name, and then hit ENTER. On the QL, EXEC QLtoZ88_EXE, enter a file name, select the baud rate, and wait for the program to run. On the Z88, you will see a countup of the lines as they are transfered. When the transfer is complete, the Import- Export Menu will return. To a PC: Due to the diffuculty of accessing the serial port via Basic or C on a PC, I was not able to write any transfer programs for the PC. There was one on the Z88 BBS in California, but that BBS has been gone for a couple of years. Instead you can use almost any communications software for the PC. I will use Procomm as an example. Procomm is one of the more popular communications programs and it has a Shareware version. Once you have hooked up to computers via the serial cable. Start Procomm. Set it to the same baud rate as the Z88. Set the Z88 to not use XON/XOFF. Hit the PageDown key on the PC. Procomm will as for a transfer type. Hit 7 for ASCII. Enter a file name and hit return. The PC will be waiting for the file to be sent. On the Z88, enter Import/Export by hitting [] X. Enter S for send. Enter the filename and hit return. You should see the text appear on the PC screen as it is being sent. Once the file transfer is complete, hit ESC on the PC to tell Procomm to stop the file transfer. You now have the file on the PC. It is advisable to run the file thought the program ADDLF.EXE so that the file will be fully MS-DOS compatible. >From a PC: Before sending an ASCII document to the Z88, you should run it through the program RMLF.EXE so that the file will be Z88 compatible. Using Procomm as above, set the baud rate on both computers. On the Z88 enter Import/Export with [] X. Enter R to recieve. Enter a file name and hit return. The Z88 will be waiting for the file. On the PC, hit the PageUp key to do an upload. Hit the 7 key to signify ASCII transfer. Enter the name of the file to send. The file will now be sent to the Z88. When the transfer is done the Z88 should beep and be asking what to do next. If not, hit the ESC key to tell it that the transfer is done. Printer Capture One way to get a PipeDream document without saving it as ASCII is to print it, but instead of having the Z88 hooked up to a printer, it is hooked up to a computer. Output from the Z88 is stored on the computer. To a QL: On the QL, type COPY SER2 TO RAM1_FILENAME_EXT and hit ENTER. On the Z88, in PipeDream, hit <>PO to print. On the QL, once the Z88 cursor is back, hit CTRL-SPACE to stop the copy. The transfer is compete. To a PC: Use the same procedure listed above for transfering files from the Z88 to the PC. Since PipeDream is sending the file to a printer, the file will have the necessary CR and LF's for the PC. You do not need to run it through ADDLF.EXE. XMODEM Transfer To a QL: There are a number of QL communication programs that support XMODEM transfer. For demonstration purposes I'll use QLterm. Once QLterm is load on the QL and Z88COMM on the Z88, make sure both systems are using the same baud rate. Hook up the cables and we're ready to go. On the Z88, select R for Recieve Xmodem. Enter the file to recieve, but do not hit return. On the QL, hit F3 to get into command mode. Enter XS for XMODEM Send, enter a file name, but do not hit return. On the Z88 hit return and then hit return on the QL. As each block is sent, you will see the progress on both computers. Once the transfer is complete, QLterm will go back to Terminal mode, and the Z88 will switch to VT52 Terminal. On the Z88, hit the Index key and select Z88COMM and your back where you started. From a QL: On the QL, hit F3 to enter command mode. Enter XR for XMODEM Recieve, enter a file name and do not hit return. On the Z88, hit S for send XMODEM. Enter a file name, but do not hit return. Hit return on the QL and then hit return on the Z88. As the as each block is sent you will see the progress on each computer. On the QL, QLterm will return to Terminal mode. The Z88 will enter the VT52 Terminal. Hit the Index key and select Z88COMM. To a PC: Load up a communications package on the PC. As stated above, I'll use Procomm as an example. Run Z88COMM on the Z88. On the Z88 enter S for Send XMODEM. Enter the filename, but do not hit enter yet. On the PC, hit PgDn for Download. Select 1 for XMODEM, enter the file name and hit return. Procomm will wait for the transfer to start. On the Z88 hit return. Z88COMM will print the total number of blocks needed to transfer the file and will start counting up blocks as they are sent. Once the transfer is complete, Z88COMM will put you in to the Terminal. Hit the Index key and select BASIC to return to Z88COMM. On the PC, Procomm will know that the file transfer is done and return to it's normal screen. From a PC: Load up the software on both machines as stated above. Once in Z88COMM on the Z88, select R for Recieve, enter a file name and hit return. Z88COMM will wait for the transfer. In Procomm on the PC, hit PgUp for Upload. Select 1 for XMODEM, type in a file name, and hit return. The file will now be transfered. Once the file is transfered, Z88COMM will again put you in the Terminal. Hit the Index key and the select BASIC to return to Z88COMM. On the PC, Procomm will return you to it's normal screen. Quill to the Z88 One user came up with a neat idea of how to transfer a text file from Quill to the Z88. Using INSTALL_BAS, set up a printer driver that uses preamble codes of ESC,N,ESC,F and post-able codes of ESC,E,ESC,Z. These are commands for the Z88 Import/Export application. To transfer the text, enter Import/Export and select Recieve and enter a file name. Now have Quill print the file. Once the file is printed, the post-able code will tell the Z88 that the transfer is done. Macintosh File Transfers Since I do not have a Macintosh, I have to rely on the work of others, primarily Dave Bennet. When the Z88 first came out, it was marketed to Macintosh owners as a portable Mac. Since Mac people were used to being a little different, it was assumed that they would not mind a laptop that was sort of non-standard. Cambridge sold Z88MacLink to make Z88 to Macintosh file transfers easy. The software even comes with file conversion, allowing text and spreadsheet files to be shared between the Z88 and Mac. Z88MacLink comes on ROM and can be bought with the Mac to Z88 cable. Once the two computer are hooked up, all work is done on the Macintosh. The Mac treats the Z88 file system as an additional disk drive (but a slow one). The program works with the typical Mac look and feel. File conversion is between MacWrite and PipeDream, PipeDream and Lotus WKS files (which most Mac spreadsheets should be able to handle), and Z88 BBC BASIC and Macintosh BBC BASIC (probably available from England). There is a no conversion option for straight text file or for storing Z88 files on the Mac hard disk in native Z88 form. File transfers between a Mac and Z88 do not need Z88MacLink. Any communication software should do the trick. The only advantages to Z88MacLink is the ability to transfer multiple files at once, and the ease of use. There are some Public Domain Mac/Z88 programs written by Richard Haw. All are available on GEnie or from Dave Bennet. They are: ZX : a Mac to Import/Export (Z88) transfer program. Z-Image : Enables the Z88 to disply Mac graphics. ZHyper : Enables the Z88 to interface with the Mac Hypercard program. Dave Bennet's address is: 329 Walton St. (rear), Lemoyne, PA, 17043. T/S 2068 File Transfers Once again I have to rely on others to help fill in this area of file transfers. Again Dave Bennet supplied information, along with John Shepard. There is no commercial software available to transfer files to/from the T/S 2068 and the Z88. Both computers will need to use some sort of communications program. It has even been suggested to use a BBS program on the T/S 2068. Two methods of hooking the computers up have been suggested. The most obvious is hooking up the serial ports on both machines. The problem with this is that the T/S 2068 does not come with a serial port. A serial port board must be added. These can be bought from some Sinclair dealers, or one can be added to a T/S 2050 modem. I have not found any information that describes the pin-outs in making a T/S 2068-Z88 cable. The other method is hook the two computers up with two modems. A phone line is linked between the two modems. One modem is put in ORIGINATE mode and the other in ANSWER mode. Once they connect, anything you type on one computer will be displayed on the other. Now files can be transfered using the built in file tranfer options in Z88COM and something like MTERM on the T/S 2068. Text files can be tranfered by doing a data capture. This is a feature of most communications programs that store any text going to the screen, in a file. One user reported that he could not get the two modems to talk with out first hearing a dial tone. Not wanting to alter the two modems to fake a dial tone, he plugged a line from each modem in to a RJ-11 Y adapter and then plugged the adapter into the wall outlet. Now each modem would get a dial tone. DOCUMENT CONVERSION There are some commerical programs that will convert Pipedream documents into Quill or other word processors. PCLink, MACLink, and the other commerical Link packages have this software. With out having this software, the best way to use Pipedream documents with other word processors is to use plain ASCII to get the document from Pipedream to the other word processors. Most word processors support the importing of ASCII files. Some will import by line or by paragraph. Experiment how each wordprocessor imports text files. If the file has extra blank lines, some wordprocessors will not allow you to delete these lines once the document is imported. Each program is different. RAMS AND EPROMS Memory on the Z88 can be increased by adding extra RAM cards in the to slots on the front. Each of the three slots can address up to 1 Meg of RAM. Slots 1 and 2 should be used for RAM and Slot 3 for EPROMS. Adding RAM in Slot 3 will consume more power, thereby reducing battery life. Inserting a RAM or EPROM Card 1. Turn the Z88 ON and have the INDEX displayed. 2. Open the clear plasic flap covering the slots. The Z88 will give a short beep and go blank. 3. Push the RAM pack into the slot, making sure the writing on the front is upright. 4. Close the flap. The Z88 will come back on. To check that the card is working, type <> CARD. Removing a EPROM Card 1. Turn the Z88 on and ahve the INDEX displayed. You must not have any suspended activities which are making use of the EPROM. 2. Open the clear plasitc flap. The Z88 will give a short beep and go blank. 3. Remove the EPROM. 4. Close the flap. The Z88 will come back on. DO NOT REMOVE AN EPROM WHILE THE Z88 IS TURNED OFF. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Memory Organization The Z88 is based on a Z80 processor running at 3.2876 MHz. The Z80 has a 16-bit address bus and can directly address 64K of memory. The Z88 can use of to 4Meg of memory by having 256 banks of 16K. The Z88 can address 4 such banks at one time. The 64K logical address space is divided into the following 4 16K segments: Segment 0: Logical addresses &0000 - &3FFF Segment 1: Logical addresses &4000 - &7FFF Segment 2: Logical addresses &8000 - &BFFF Segment 3: Logical addresses &C000 - &FFFF BASIC's program workspace is arranged in the following manner: -------------------------- &FFFF | BASIC Interpeter | |------------------------| . . . . |------------------------| &C000 or &4000 HIMEM | Stack | |------------------------| . . . Unused Memory . |------------------------| Current limit of HEAP | Heap | LOMEM |------------------------| . . . . |------------------------| TOP | Program | |------------------------| PAGE &2300 | Workspace for Interp. | -------------------------- &2000 When a Z88 has 128K or more RAM it becomes an expanded machine. Below are the differences between an expanded and unexpanded machine. Property Expanded Unexpanded ----------------------------------------------------------- Size of BASIC 40K 8K Max Map Width 256 pixels 80 pixels User Chars 64 16 Value of EOF -1 0 Putting RAM in Slot 2 or 3 does not expand the machine (only 8K for BASIC) but does increase memory size. The unexpanded machine can use 64 user characters, but if an 80 pixel map is used the last 48 of these will be overwritten by map information when PipeDream is used. Reducing the map width to 64 pixels, or not using the map at all, allows for free use of all 64 user characters. Devices Besides the devices listed in the User Manual, the Z88 has a few more: :INP.0 the keyboard :OUT.0 the screen :ROM.0 the 128K ROM built in :COM.0 serial port :PRT.0 serial port (output only) :NUL.0 unknown To see the list of all devices on the Z88 (including additional RAM), in Filer select Catalogue Files and give a file name of :*/ . Use a file name of :ROM.0//* to see what appears to be a list of Z88 applications. Even though the use of :NUL.0 is unknown, I'll guess that it is similar in usage to the Unix device known as /dev/null. /dev/null is a device to send all your unwanted output to (the preverbial bit bucket). If a program provides output that you don't need, you can redirect it to /dev/null and it will never appear. Z88 Internals If you were to open up your Z88 (don't do this lightly), here is what you would see: There are four chips in the Z88. From left to right they are: 128K ROM 32K RAM ULA - Uncommitted Logic Array. This chip is a specially made chip for the Z88. It replaces a number of stock chips. Sinclair/Cambridge is known for having ULA chips in virualy every computer. Z80 CPU - This is a CMOS version of the Z88 that uses less power than a regular Z80. Next to the ROM chip is the Supercap Capacitor. This is the power resevior when changing the batteries. Below the expasion port is the speaker (see the small ring of holes on the back of the computer). Next to the ULA is the two eight way keyboard connectors into which go the ribbon cables from the keyboard. Unlike the membrane keyboard of the Spectrum, ZX81 and the QL, the plasic molded keyboard acutally conducts electricity and makes the electrical connection. Below the keyboard connectors are the two crystals used for timing. AC Power Supply The Z88 has a plug-in for an external AC adapter. When the adapter is plugged in, power is taken from it and not the batteries. The specifications for the adapter are: 6 Volts 300 - 500 milliamps Positive center Most Radio Shack stores or other electronic stores should carry such an adapter. The one that I use is a universal adapter. It lets me switch the voltage and the polarity. It also has 4 different plugs. Batteries Some have suggested using rechargable batteries in the Z88. The standard NiCad batteries do not put out enough umph to keep the Z88 up and going for too long. One partial solution was to use 2 regular AA batteries and three special 1/2 AA rechargable batteries from Sanyo. They would put out a total of 6.2 volts, just over the 6 volts of new batteries. Some adapters are needed to make the 1/2 AA batteries fit into a recharger. Spacers with 90 Ohm resisters were made to fit batteries into the recharger. This is detailed in the first issue of PipeLine, the Z88 magazine put for a short time by Tim Woods. CARE OF THE Z88 Cleaning After having the Z88 a short time, you will probably notice that the keyboard seems to attract dust like a magnet. It's not easy to keep clean. I've heard some discussions on how best to clean it. Some have suggested using a Q-tip and plain water. I like to use a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol. Others have suggested using a vinyl protectorate like Son-Of-A-Gun or Armor All. I don't know how these will affect the keyboard, so use at your own risk. Just don't plan on keeping the keyboard clean always. Just a few days after I cleaned mine, it looked like I had never cleaned it. As for the screen, ideas range from blowing on it, using compressed air, using tissue, and using the same stuff to clean a pair of glasses. I find a tissue and some clean water to be good enough. There was mention of how sunlight affects the Z88. It seems that sunlight heats up the screen and takes more power to make the letters dark. Just blocking the screen from direct sunlight should fix this. I've no concrete numbers on the temperature range that the Z88 can handle, but I would guess that is should not be allowed to get too hot or too cold. Leaving in direct sun in a parked car is a definite no-no. If the keyboard seems a bit sluggish or non-responsive, it could be the fault of the membrane beneath the keyboard being dirty. The entire rubber keyboard can be taken off and cleaned underneath. Do this at your own risk and don't do it during any warrantee period. The Z88 has been known to crash when having a constant pressure on it's keyboard for a long time, while it is turned off. I've only experieced this with a Z88 that had other problems, but not my current Z88 (I have not tested it). I've picked up a "Topper" to prevent this from happening (see products below). The "Topper" is a plastic cover that fits over the Z88 and protects the keyboard and screen. TRAVELING WITH THE Z88 I carry my Z88 as part of my briefcase. With it I carry a few extra items. Batteries: Since it's hard to tell when the batteries will go out on me, I like to keep a set of fresh batteries around. It is nice to know that I can quickly pick up more batteries if I have to. In reading one book on laptops, one contributer mentioned that traveling with a laptop that used off-the-shelf batteries was better than traveling with a laptop with rechargable batteries. Most off-the-shelf batteries are available almost anywhere in the world. With rechargable batteries, you need to have a converter to plug the recharger into the local electrical system (which can be quite odd in some countries). AC Adapter: Since I want to make the batteries last as long as possible, I like to use the AC adapter when I can. Especially if I am using the serial port, as this is one of the major power drains for the Z88. Cables: I always carry a Z88-PC cable so that I can transfer any documents to/from the Z88 and my PC at work. I never know if I have to use my Z88 to keep meeting notes. Sometimes I carry a serial printer cable just in case I need to use a printer while on the road. To keep the cables wrapped up fairly small I needed some cable ties that were reusable. Most cable ties are for single use only so they were out. I made my own cable ties by sewing two pieces of velcro together, hook on one side and pile on the other. When used, the inside pile will grip the outside hook (or vise versa). My wife's sewing machine could not handle the thick thread and the tough velco, so I had to do the sewing by hand. With a little patience I was able to make enough cable ties. Procomm: Since most places have PC's, I like to carry a copy of Procomm on 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 disks. With the cable and software, I have all that I need to transfer documents. PRINTERS AND MODEMS If you are taking your Z88 on the road, it would be nice to also have a printer and/or modem. There are a number of portable printers and modems on the market that are designed to work with any laptop with a serial device. There are a couple of good magazines devoted to laptop users, like Portable Office and Mobile Computing, and carry adds for a lot of portable printers and modems. Check your local newsstand or library. Printers Most portable printers are battery powered and can be used anywhere. The only one that I've used is the Kodak Diconix ink jet printer. It's printer quality is just a bit better than normal dot matrix. Most portable printers will be of the ink jet type. Modems There is a variety of modems called "pocket" modems. These are modems that plug directly to the serial port and are powered by a 9-volt battery. I have even heard of one that uses the power from the phone lines. Hooking one of these to the Z88 will require a small adapter cable but this need not be too long. There might even be some battery powered FAX/modems available, check any of the more popular computer magazines for more info on small modems. SOURCES Suppliers Mechanical Affinity Paul Holmgren 5231 Wilton Wood Ct Indianapolis, IN 46254 (317) 291-6002 Frank Davis 513 East Main St. Peru, IN 46970 (317) 473-8031 MACroSystems, E.T.C. Lee Hickenlooper 1207 South State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 575-8855 Domino Cubes Mike Fink 484 W. 43rd St. Suite 27 Q New York, NY 10036 Roy Wisti 135 Sheldon Rd Voluntown, CT 06384 Z88 User's Group Roy Woodward P.O. Box 15 Belper Derbyshire DE56 0XE UK Fax (44) 773 828707 Ranger Computers Ltd Ranger House 2 Meeting Lane Duston Northampton NN5 6JG UK Fax (44) 604 589505 The Music Suite Ltd. Cenarth Newcastle Emlyn Dyfed SA38 9JN UK Repair Computer Classics Dan Elliot RT 1, Box 117 Cabool, MO 65689 Magazines UPDATE Magazine P.O. Box 1095 Peru, IN 46970 User Groups Z88 User's Club Roy Woodward P.O. Box 15 Belper Derbyshire DE56 0XE UK Fax (44) 773 828707 BBS's There was one BBS run by Phil Wheeler, has not been around for a number of years. At this time, I know of no BBS's specializing in the Z88. Online Resources CompuServe Steve Marsh : 70374,1332 Steve Manners : 70007,4737 Norm Lehfeldt : 72466,3273 GEnie Dave Bennett : D.BENNET10 GEnie should still have some Z88 files available for download. Internet available via Anon-FTP: sun.soe.clarkson.edu (128.183.12.3) /pub/z88 Timothy Swenson tswenson@dgis.dtic.dla.mil swensotc@p2.ams.wpafb.af.mil General Laptop Book The book "The Complete Laptop Guide" by David Rothman is a good source for general laptop use. It focuses mostly on MS-DOS and MAC portables, but it has a couple of chapters applicable to all laptop users. These sections include traveling abroad with a laptop, getting your laptop though customs, telecommunications, on-line sources, and the basics of electronic mail. Z88 PRODUCTS This section is an attempt at a comprehensive list of products that are/were available for the Z88. Those listed with a * are known to be available from one of the above dealers. Mini-Reviews of Selected Products ZN-DOS ZN-DOS is disk operating system that allows the Z88 to use a modified Tandy TDD2 disk drive. The Tandy TDD2 is a portable, 3 1/2 inch, battery-operated, serial based disk drive designed for the Tandy Model 100 and 102 laptops. ZN-DOS comes with an EPROM, cable, and disk drive. ZN-DOS can be purchased with out the disk drive if you already have one. The drive will need to be modified. ZN-DOS has the following menu items: Bank: Switches between two available "banks" on the TDD2 disk drive. Each bank can hold up to 40 files, with a total of 80 files per disk. Total disk storage is roughly 200K. The largest file size is 64K. Directory: Provides a directory of Bank 0 or Bank 1. Format: Formats a disk. Kill: Delete a file. Load: Move a file to the Z88. Quit: Exit ZN-DOS. Rename: Rename a file. Save: Move a file to disk. Rangerdisk Disk Drive The Rangerdisk is a 3.5" battery powered disk system. It formats disk in 720K MS-DOS 2.1 format. Z88 files can easily be copied to an MS-DOS system. It's size is 18cm x 14cm by 67 mm. It comes with a cable to hook to the Z88, an AC adapter, and a 32K EPROM with the disk OS software. Performance of the disk drive is limited to 9600 baud transfer from the Z88 to the disk drive. The software is easy to use and allows selection of files the same as the Z88's Filer. The Rangerdisk commands are: Catalogue Disk <>DD Catalogue Z88 <>CF Select Z88 Device <>SV Select Z88 Directory <>SI Save to Disk <>DS Fetch from Disk <>DF Change Disk <>DC Erase Disk File <>DE Rename a Disk File <>DR Format Disk <>FM View Disk File <>DV Hardware Extra Memory: 32K, 128K, 256K, 512K, 1Meg* EPROMS: 32K, 128K, 256K, 512K* Portable Disk Drive w/ ZN-DOS* (This is a Tandy Model 102 Disk Drive with software to make the Z88 work with it) SuperTwistalite by Aware Tech (Add on light to illuminate the Z88 screen in the dark) Topper: Plastic to cover top of Z88.* RangerDisk: 3.5" 720K drive in MS-DOS 2.1 format.* Battery Pack: External battery pack. Books: Z88 Computing Book Using Your Z88 Z88 Developers' Guide Z88 Practical Applications Book BBC Basic Reference Manual (Z88) Z88 Dabhand Guide by "authors of Z88 OS" Z88 Magic by Gerhardi, Gerhardi & Barry Z88 Real Power Computing by F. R. Flaig Software: SpellMaster: QuickEdit editor + WordFinder spelling checker.* zBase: Database program similar to dBase II. zTerm: Xmodem plus Terminal. zTape: Load and save to tape recorder. Withered Toad: Text adventure. Scrazble: Graphics Game. QZ: QL to Z88 software. PCLink: PC to Z88 software & cable.* MacLink: Mac to Z88 software & cable.* QLink: QL to Z88 software & cable.* The Z88 - Link II: Z88 to PC, ST, Amiga* TX - File transfer system. PPS - Phone Post System - private elec. mail. T-Touch - Typing Tutor. COUNTz - Timed Survey program. FORM 7 Administrator - zBASE application for School administrators. EAzY Money - zBASE application for personal finance. Wordchip - Spelling checker. BBC Link - Link to BBC Micro. Vision 100 - VT100 Terminal. Zback - Add to PCLink for backup of all Z88 files. INCLUDED UTILITIES AND FILES There are a number of Z88 utilities that have become classics over the years and are almost standard for most Z88 Users. Below is a description of these important utilities. Z88COM - As mentioned above Z88COM is the standard communications program for the Z88. Like the built in VT52 program, Z88 provides the ability to log onto BBS's but it also support ASCII and XMODEM file transfer. Since Z88COM is written partially in Machine Code, there is a slight risk of Z88COM crashing the Z88. Run your version without any important file, just in case (I found this out the hard way.). ZFU - This is a archive, compression, and backup utility, very similar to PKZIP. ZFU allows you to do full, differentional, or incremental backups. Mulitple files are compressed and stored in a single file, making it easier to transfer the file out of the Z88. ZCP - This is another Z88 communications program. It supports ASCII and XMODEM file transfer. Since it has no documentation, I have to guess that some of the commands are for transfering files between Z88's. Not having a second Z88 I have not tried this. It looks as though you can control one Z8* from the other (for file transfers only). PAT2PCW - This BBC BASIC utility provides many important add-on's to BASIC on the Z88. New commands that deal with graphics, allow line editing, text and graphics windows. For advanced BASIC programming, this utility is a must. ROMDMP - ROMDMP (ROM Dump) is a utility that allows you to do a HEX and ASCII dump of the Z88's ROM. The included text file shows a sample dump of the BBC BASIC area. ZRLE - This program allows the decoding, displaying, and printing of RLE files. An RLE file is a graphic file stored in a Run Length Encoded file. RLE files can be displayed on a number of computers. PAT2PCW is needed for this program to run. Z88TOOLS - This is a sample BBC BASIC program that shows some of the features of the VDU command. It shows how to have bold text, underlines text, flashing text, etc. Shows you how to "pretty up" your BASIC programs. Many of the BASIC programs on the disk utilize the same features demonstrated in Z88TOOLS. Other Utilites Below is a list of the files are included on the disk that comes with the book. All BBC Basic files have been converted to plain text CLI files( at least those that I could convert). These files can be converted to tokenized BBC Basic on the Z88. Documentation files are in plain text. All files can be sent to the Z88, from the QL, with the utilities included. PC's will need a copy of a communications package like Procomm. ADDLF.CLI Add LineFeeds to each line to make it compatible with MS-DOS. ANIMAL.CLI AI Animal query/learning game. BOMBER.CLI Video game. Bomb buildings before hitting them. CAMEL.CLI Desert treking with a Camel game. CATERPIL.CLI Video game. Eat fruits but don't eat the mushrooms. CODEBRK.CLI A version of the game Mastermind. CRDFIL.CLI Card File Utility. CRDFIL.TXT Document file for CRDFIL. CRDFIL.INF CRLF.CLI Like ADDLF.CLI with modifications. DICONIX.PE Printer file for Diconix printer. EPCAT.CLI Catalog EPROMs. EPCHK.CLI Check ERPOMs for total erasure. EPCHK.TXT Doc file for EPCHK. EPLOAD.CLI Load file from EPROM. EPSON.PE Printer file for Epson printer. FINANCE.CLI Financial Calculations. GLISSADE.CLI Sample sound program. GRAPH2.TXT Describes GRAPHALL.CLI. GRAPHALL.CLI Graph PipeDream spreadsheets and printer them out. HOUSE.CLI Draws a house. HX.CLI Hex Import. HX.TXT HX.CLI document file. KINGDOM.CLI Rule a kingdom type game. LABEL.CLI Make mailing labels. LABEL.DAT Data file. LINK.CLI BBS like program to hook to a host computer. LINK.TXT Documentation. PAT2PCW.CLI Patch II. PATCH.TXT Documentation for Patch. PATCH2.TXT Documentation for Patch II. PATCHDEM.CLI Patch demo. PHONE.LOG Log file for Z88COM. PRTCONV.ZFU ROMDMP.CLI ROM Dump program. ROMDMP.TXT Documentation. ROMDP2.CLI ROM Dump version 2. SOUND.TXT Documentation SOUND2.CLI Sound demo program. STAR.CLI Draws a star. WCHILL.CLI Calculates wind chill factor. WIZARD.CLI Game. Z88COM.CLI Communications program. Z88COM.TXT Documentation Z88PDRI.ZFU Z88TOOLS.CLI Program shows some neat features of BBC BASIC. ZCP.CLI Z88 communications program. ZFU202.CLI Archive program (like PKZIP). ZFU202.TXT Documentation. ZRLE.CLI RLE file decoder, displayer, and printer. ZRLE.TXT Documentation. From: swensotc@ss2.sews.wpafb.af.mil (TIMOTHY C. SWENSON) Subject: Z88 To: be946@freenet.carleton.ca Thanks for the feedback on the book. Glad you liked it. To xfer the tokenized basic files to the Z88, you need Z88comm. A CLI version is available with the print version of the Z88 Source Book. The book is available from Mechanical Affinity (see the book for the address) for about $7. It comes with a disk of Z88 freeware and shareware (similar to what's available on the Internet). You should be able to find Z88comm on the net someplace. Feel free to pass on the Source book to other Z88 users. I'm collecting a list of Z88 user e-mail addresses. If anyone is interested, please send their e-mail address to me. I plan to make the e-mail list available so others can use it and know other Z88 users on the Internet. Tim Swenson