![]() An Overview of the MZ-80A
written by Maurice Hawes / SUC/UK
Source: SUC-magazine July 1994, Volume 14 Number 2, p. 20 - 21 |
An Overview of the MZ-80A ( Software / Hardware ) |
|
IMPROVED BASICS |
The situation was partly remedied by Chris Hearn; he produced useful patches for SA-5510 ( see Vol. 7 No. 2 ), and then went on to write X-PATCH 5510. This is a brilliant toolkit, but it does occupy a lot of memory. For this reason, I recently combined the ideas in Tape Commander with bits of Chriss code and some other SUC upgrades, to create MZ-80A SUPERBASICS SA-5575 and SA-6575. Both these new Basics were fully explained in Vol. 14 No. 1. For 16 s.f. arithmetic via tape, you can use MZ-80A Hu-BASIC. Sharp
did not transfer their 16 s.f. MZ-80K / B disk Basic onto the MZ-80A;
so for 16 s.f. via disk you must use CP/M. |
UTILITIES ( INCLUDING ASSEMBLERS AND DISASSEMBLERS ) |
MZ-80A disk utilities for Sharp format disks are few and far between. Sharps UTILITY program for formatting / copying disks has been upgraded by the SUC to V2.0 so that it will copy a master, and we have Sharps FILING<CMT, and our own DISKEDIT.A4B ( which was developed from the MZ-80K version by John Edwards ). We are currently working on an MZ-80A version of MZ-80K DISKUTIL. For an 80-column MZ-80A, there are many more utilities available under
CP/M ( see CP/M and other.....' ). |
APPLICATIONS |
On disk, the most useful applications run under CP/M; the best are
listed in the CP/M and other... section. |
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND GAMES |
|
CP/M AND OTHER DISK OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR THE MZ-80A |
Sharps MZ-80A FDOS has some useful ( if obscure ) features,
but a lot of time and patience is needed to learn how to use them. |
MANUALS |
|
EXPANSION BOXES, DISK DRIVES, PRINTERS AND PRINTER LEADS |
Sharp P4 / 5 / 6 printers, fitted with an A character eprom, have only one mode of operation. They expect an end-of-line CR ( $0D ), upon which they print the line and then do AUTO LF. This precludes any operation requiring two passes e.g. underlining. Standard printers may be used; for years, we were told that a special printer I/F was needed, but we now know that a standard Sharp printer card rnay be used. The Sharp ASCII character set, and Sharps odd printer control codes, remain inherent problems; if your software does not contain built-in cover on these two points, it must be modified. In most cases we can provide software which is already modified ( suffix /M, /LF, or /C ), or patches such as the SOFCENCOPY programs for Basics, or SOFTCENA.COM for CP/M. A standard printer with AUTO LF ON works like the Sharp printers described above. lt is better to set AUTO LF OFF and send $0A ( or $0D + $0A ) to print a line and do a line feed; $0D alone may then be used to print a line but allow another pass. Most of our modified software ( /LF, /C, SOFCENCOPY, SOFTCENA.COM ) is for AUTO LF OFF. P5 / 6 leads are straight through 1 - 25 ( 25 D-plug /
25 D-plug ). Standard and P4 printers need special leads, see Vol. 10
No. 3 pp. 10 - 11. |