Put MSCRIPT on EPROM

MSCRIPT is a very useful program. This article is for improving MSCRIPT, although it does not change any of the coding. What we are going to do is make it load faster by transferring it to an EPROM.

The following for putting MSCRIPT on an EPROM is only for the original tape version. It will not work on Jack Dohany’s improved and customized versions.

This article is for the hardened 2068 user. It requires that you have, or can lay your hands on, the following: one unused 8K X 8 EPROM (2764), one cartridge board (John Oliger or equivalent), one 2068 compatible EPROM programmer (John Oliger or equivalent). One more item that is helpful, but not necessary, is a copy of HOT-Z 2068.

You will be entering data from tables 1,2, and/or 3. For the normal version of MSCRIPT, enter data from only tables 1 and 2. If you want fat characters, as in Sync Ware News 2:4, then enter the data in tables 1 and 3 only. Also, the data at address 36628 (8F14h) must be changed from 34d to 61d for the fat characters. This point has been marked with an “*” in TABLE 1.

Data is entered from the tables left to right and top to bottom. If you will be using the Tasman version of Mscript, there are special instructions for the TASMAN INTERFACE VERSION at the end of this article.

If you have HOT-Z (especialy HOT-Z AROS), I recommend using it at this point. Load HOT-Z. Load the machine code portion of MSCRIPT into HOT-Z. Then enter either assembly listings 1&2 for normal characters or assembly listings 1&3 for the fat character version. Remember to include the modifications for the TASMAN Interface if you are using it. Jump on ahead to the BURNING YOUR EPROM section. It HOT-Z is unavailable to you, the first thing to do is to load your MSCRIPT program. Load it using the following comand:

LOAD ""CODE

Load only the machine code portion. Do Not load the basic loader or the screen logo.

Next, enter the following basic poker program. This program was borrowed from the Tom Woods’ BREAKTHROUGH newsletter.

 10 FOR X=36608 TO 36668 (36694 FOR FAT CHARACTERS)
 20 INPUT (X;"=";);Y$
 30 IF Y$="" THEN GOTO 60
 40 IF LEN Y$=5 THEN LET X=VAL Y$: PRINT X;"=";PEEK X: GOTO 20
 50 POKE X, VAL Y$
 60 PRINT X;"=";PEEK X
 70 NEXT X: STOP

Save this program. If anything goes wrong you can use it to re-check your code.

To run this program use GOTO 10. You will see a number at the bottom of the screen. This number is the address of the data that you will enter into the program. Hit enter after you type in each data value and it will move to the top of the screen. The next address will apear at the bottom of the screen.

Remember, for those of you who are going to use the fat characters, the following data has to be changed: the data at address 36628 has to be changed to 61d. Again, this point has been marked with an “*” in TABLE 1.

Burn Your EPROM

I suggest that you go back and check the code you just entered. This is easily done by flipping the pages in HOT-Z. It’s just as easily done with the BASIC poker program too. Enter GOTO 10 again. Now instead of entering data, you just hit enter. This will show the address and its data. Check them against the tables.

The code you just entered is the AROS I.D. code and the program transfer code. The first 8 bytes are the AROS I.D. code. The rest is the transfer code (and fat character code if included).

If you were using the BASIC poker, save your new code and MSCRIPT as one block of code. Do this by using one of the following two commands:

SAVE "ESCRIPT"CODE 36608,8192 
SAVE "FATESCRIPT"CODE 36608,8192

To save from HOT-Z, set the curser to 8F00 and END to AEFF.

Now that you have protected yourself from an unforeseen disaster, we will get on to the actual programming of the EPROM.

Before we start programming the EPROM, install any other modifications to MSCRIPT you desire. Once the code is in EPROM, the only way you can change it is by burning a new EPROM. If you make any other changes to MSCRIPT, save the entire program to tape as already described when finished.

The following is based on using the Oliger EPROM programmer. If you have a different programmer, its program may be different, but everything else will be the same. If you have the most recent version of HOT-Z AROS, then you have the capability to burn your EPROM from HOT-Z. Just follow the instructions in the documentation. Enter the following basic program unless you’re using the above mentioned version of HOT-Z:

 10 LET X=8192
 20 FOR N=36608 TO 44800
 30 POKE X, PEEK N:PRINT AT 10,11,N
 40 LET X=X+1:PAUSE 3:NEXT N
 50 BEEP 1,1

Table 1

Address      Data
36608           2
36609           2
36610           8
36611         128
36612          15
36613           1
36614           0
36615           0
36616         243
36617          62
36618         240
36619         211
36620         244
36621          33
36622          27
36623         128
36624          17
36625           0
36626         112
36627           1
36628*         34
36629           0
36630         237
36631         176
36632         195
36633           0
36634         112
36635           1
36636#          0
36637          32
36638          17
36639           0
36640         144
36641          33
36642           0
36643         129
36644          62
36645          48
36646         211
36647         244
36648         126
36649         245
36650         175
36651         211
36652         244
36653         241
36654          18
36655          35
36656          19
36657          11
36658         175
36659         184
36660          32
36661         238
36662         185
36663          32
36664         235

Listing 1

8F00 02       DATA
8F01 02       DATA
8F02 08       DATA
8F03 80       DATA
8F04 0F       DATA
8F05 01       DATA
8F06 00       DATA
8F07 00       DATA
8F08 F3       DI
8F09 3EF0     LD A,F0
8F0B D3F4     OUT (F4),A
8F0D 211B80   LD HL,801B
8F10 110070   LD DE,7000
8F13 012200   LD BC,0022(003D)
8F16 EDB0     LDIR
8F18 C30070   JP 7000
8F1B 010020   LD BC,2000[2072]
8F1E 110090   LD DE,9000[8F00]
8F21 210081   LD HL,8100
8F24 3E30     LD A,30
8F26 D3FA     OUT (F4),A
8F28 7E       LD A,(HL)
8F29 F5       PUSH AF
8F2A AF       XOR A
8F2B D3F4     OUT (F4),A
8F2D F1       POP AF
8F2E 12       LD (DE),A
8F2F 23       INC HL
8F30 13       INC DE
8F31 0B       DEC BC
8F32 AF       XOR A
8F33 B8       CP B
8F34 20EE     JR NZ,8F24
8F36 B9       CP C
8F37 20EB     JR NZ,8F24

Table 2

Address      Data
36665         251
36666         195
36667           0
36668         144

Listing 2

8F39 FB       EI
8F3A C30090   JP 9000

Table 3

Address      Data
36665          17
36666           0
36667          88
36668         213
36669           1
36670           3
36671          42
36672          54
36673          92
36674          36
36675         126
36676         167
36677          31
36678         182
36679          18
36680          35
36681          19
36682          13
36683          32
36684         246
36685          16
36686         244
36687         225
36688          37
36689          34
36690          54
36691          92
36692         195
36693           0
36694         144

Listing 3

8F39 110058   LD DE,5800
8F3C D5       PUSH DE
8F3D 010003   LD BC,0300
8F40 2A365C   LD HL,(chas)
8F43 24       INC H
8F44 7E       LD A,(HL)
8F45 A7       AND A
8F46 1F       RRA
8F47 B6       OR (HL)
8F48 12       LD (DE),A
8F49 23       INC HL
8F4A 13       INC DE
8F4B 0D       DEC C
8F4C 20F6     JR NZ,8F44
8F4E 10F4     DJNZ 84FF
8F50 E1       POP HL
8F51 25       DEC H
8F52 22365C   LD (chas),HL
8F55 C30090   JP 9000

Zap It

Now save this program. Once it is saved, turn off the computer. Connect the programmer board with EPROM installed to the computer. Connect the programmer power supply and set it to 4.5 V. Then turn the computer back on and reload your new MSCRIPT program and the programmer program. Enter the following command: GOTO 10. Switch the programmer voltage to 21V, then hit ENTER. Now sit back and relax for about 12 minutes. The program will beep when it is done. Turn the programmer supply to 4.5V and turn off the computer. Turn off the programmer supply and remove the programmer and the EPROM. Install the EPROM in a properly prepared cartridge board. The EPROM has been programmed to run from 8000H to 9FFFH.

Now comes the big test. Plug your cartridge board into the computer and turn it on. MSCRIPT should now be up and running. If it is not, you did something wrong and you will have to go back and recheck your work.

You are now finished. I hope you have a working copy of MSCRIPT on an EPROM. I realize that this may seem like a lot of work, but I feel anything that can make using a program easier is worth while. I believe that MSCRIPT is worth the trouble. If you do not want to invest in a disk system, then putting your most used programs on a cartridge is worth the bother. If this helps in making your computer a little less of a hassel to use, you may use it more. In using it more, you may find that it wasn’t such a bad investment after all.