Let’s Read TS2068 Disks With Your QL

Well, here it is. You can read Timex 2068 Oliger disks with a QL with nothing more then a disk interface and ToolKit II. This is made easy due to the simplicity of the methods used to store information on the 2068 JLO system. At this time and present configuration a “basic” read is all this set of procedures does. Working out a set of “conversions” for the way Sinclair Basic is stored becomes fairly easy once you can get a file into the QL.

Now for the PROCedure explanations.

DEF PROC QL, this let me “see” the structure of a QL disk. Working with ASCII (text) files made it somewhat easy to study the methods used to store files and how they are distributed on the side, track, and sectors of a QL disk. I was able to develop a “memory map” of a QL disk this way.

DEF PROC INN, this was used in part with the PROC QL to help control my peeking about the QL disks. I typed INN, answered the prompts, then typed in QL.

DEF PROC OPN, this asks you which drive to look at. Opens a RAM disk file, and “OPENs” the target disk. So far, in all the experimentation with this utility I have NOT harmed a 2068 disk at all. But it is best to work on a copy of your disk.

DEF PROC TIM, this is meaty. It will read a sector of the 2068 disk and print it to the screen. It then asks if you want to transfer the material to the ram disk file, if so, then COPY the 10 sector block of “data” to the ram disk.

DEF PROC DISK_IT, does the actual copying of the track. Since I use the program “EDITOR SE” I use line 520 to print to the ram file the source track, side, and sector I was currently reading. It may be deleted if you wish.

DEF PROC AA & PDET, these just print information to the QL screen.

DEF PROC CLO, as far as the QL and my TRUMP card are concerned, this PROC was necessary. When you are done copying a file to the ram disk, it needs to be closed. The TRUMP card needs to see that the disk is “closed” the 2068 does not care.

DEF PROC REST, sets the drive heads to track, side, and sector 0, or “Parks” the drive heads if you need It.

These are the steps I use. So far, I am toying around with text files from MSCRIPT and TASWORD, and data files from PRO-FILE. For 2068 disks I type OPN (enter), then type TIM (enter), get the file(s) I am interested in, then CLO (enter).

Copy the ram file to a QL disk. Then load QUILL of EDITOR to work on the file to clean up and stray unwanted contents. This method “gets” all of a track (5120 bytes). So the file will have some “garbage” following any useable data to the end of the file. Usually just spaces or some such.

Experiment, use, enjoy, or just fool around with this. I believe that this can work on AERCO and LARKIN disks once you understand how they write to the disks. If you try this, you need to experiment with the FOR/NEXT loops in the PROC TIM.