Stringy Floppy Notes

If you use a CAI Stringy Floppy for high speed program saves, you’re not alone if you tried unsuccessfully to adapt PRO/ FILE to work with this device.

With the help of Don Bernath in Michigan, Peter Danes in New York, Jim Benedict of Miss., Lionel Barthelemy of Alabama, and Frank Finkelstein of New York, this 16K stringy modification emerged.

17 GOTO 9000
25 IF X$="SAVE" OR X$="LOAD" THEN GOTO 9100
35 IF X$(LEN X$)="/" OR LEN X$>28 THEN GOTO 18
4000 DIM D$(10500)
4080 LET P=20
4090 LET S=1
4100 LET C1=3
4110 LET C2=11
4120 LET E=0
4130 LET Y$=""
4140 LET Q$=D$( TO 32)
4150 LET D$( TO 21)="*SEARCH IS COMPLETE*"
4160 GOTO 18
9000 CLS
9010 IF PEEK (PEEK 16400+256*PEEK 16401)<>128 THEN GOTO 18
9040 POKE 13390,2
9050 CLEAR
9060 POKE 16451,8
9070 DIM D$(10700)
9080 RAND USR 10243
9085 FAST
9090 GOTO 9000
9100 CLS
9105 IF X$="LOAD" THEN GOTO 9020
9140 POKE 16390,2
9150 POKE 16451,6
9160 RAND USR 10243
9170 GOTO 9085

Once the changes are made save a copy on a wafer using the ESF menu. The program should be labeled File 1. To initialize all the variables type RUN 4000. When you are ready to save data, type SAVE from the Main ZX Menu.

Once a program and data file have been put onto a stringy wafer, Load the program by using the ESF Menu to load File 1. Then, go to Basic and type RUN. File 2, the data, will automatically load.

From the Main ZX Menu you can type SAVE to place updated files on the wafer. You can also type LOAD to load other data files stored on different wafers.

Upcoming issues will include 64K Stringy modifications as well as an idea for relocating the CAI ROM software into RAM so you can use the stringy with other hardware or software that uses the 8-12K address space.

I have learned that CAI is developing a “new and improved” Stringy Floppy. To find out more about this device contact CAI Instruments.