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Text File | 1988-04-02 | 17.5 KB | 417 lines

ZRUN 2 April 1988 -med The Z80 CPeMulator is the latest release of the Z80 program which allows CP/M-80 programs to be run on an MS-DOS computer. If you have a V20 or V30 chip, see the shareware information below on how to obtain a V20/V30 specific version. The Z80 program can run many CP/M 80 programs. There are however a few limitations due to the minor differences in the file handling structures of MS-DOS and CP/M, and of course any program that is machine dependent is probably not going to run. One area where the Z80 program has problems is when a CP/M program accesses file extents directly. MS-DOS does not use file extents, thus they don't exist. What will happen if an extent is accessed is that the primary file will re-accessed. This problem only occurs when the extent is accessed directly. Proper sequential accessing or random accessing will not have a problem. The file extent problem occurs in programs that try to be compatible to V1.x CP/M which did not have random access capability. Random access was performed by accessing the hidden extent files directly. As long as the file being read is smaller than 16K (can be contained within one file extent) this is not a problem. The problem only occurs when the file is larger than 16K. If you have access to the original code this can be easily solved by changing it to use the proper random access method. Much work has gone into the file handling emulation to allow it to work with as many programs as possible while still operating through the MS-DOS operating system and thus providing all the benefits of operating under MS-DOS. Many programs that are not able to operate in this environment will operate with the Z80 emulator, including PIP, STAT, and ED. The emulator even supports the IO byte function for those programs that use it. (The value is lost when returning to MS-DOS though.) The STAT program will not give correct information in all cases, but as much as can be obtained through its program structure is provided. The SUBMIT program will not work under the V2080 program since it is very closely tied to the CP/M operating environment. When a CP/M program is terminated, complete control is returned to MS-DOS, thus any hooks that submit created into the CP/M environment are lost. The MS- DOS batch program should be used instead. The batch program performs the same function in MS-DOS as the submit program does in CP/M, but gives you a greater degree of flexibility. Programs which use Z80 specific code will not run with the V2080 program. The V20/V30 processors do not have the ability to emulate the Z80 specific code. Most CP/M programs are written with the 8080 processor in mind since many CP/M systems used that processor. The Z80 processor was based on the 8080 processor, so it can run code for the 8080 processor without any problems. Note: If a CP/M program should ever crash on you be sure to reboot your computer since the 8080 emulation mode may get left on the stack causing some weird problems to occur the next time you try to run a program. One way to find out if the program uses Z80 code is to try running it. If the program crashes it probably uses Z80 code. Another way to find out is to send in your shareware donation ($40.00). Included in the package that you will receive is the 8080 software emulator. This program performs exactly the same as the Z80 and V2080 emulators except that it performs the action entirely in software under the normal 8088 environment. Thus when a Z80 specific op-code is encountered it will flag it and abort the program gracefully. As with the V2080 emulator you will receive full source code listings with the program so that you can modify it to suit your needs. If you have a V20 or V30 in your computer, you may want to use the V2080 CPeMulator instead. The V2080 CPeMulator operates in the special hardware emulation mode of the V20/V30. Thus you can run the CP/M 80 programs at full speed. The advantage to using the software CPeMulator is that it allows you to run the CPeMulator program on a regular 8088/8086 processor, or a 286, or even a 386! Thus you won't be left out in the cold when you upgrade to these newer processors. The price you pay for this is a slower emulation speed. Keep in mind though that speed is relative. Processing speed on a 16Mhz 386 is a whole lot faster than on a 4.77Mhz V20. Speed comparisons: V2080 CPeMulator on a V20 @ 4.77Mhz = Kaypro @ 2Mhz 8080 CPeMulator on a 8088 @ 4.77Mhz = Kaypro @ 0.5Mhz 8080 CPeMulator on a 286 @ 8Mhz = Kaypro @ 2Mhz Z80 CPeMulator on a 386 @ 16Mhz = Kaypro @ 4Mhz These times are very approximate. The actual times depend on the programs being run and the particular characteristics of your computer. I provided them here to give you an idea of what to expect. READCPM utility: In addition to the other programs on the shareware disk, you will receive a utility program that allows you to read Kaypro II CP/M disks on your IBM PC. The source code for this program is also provided for the true hacker who wants to dig into it. The utility is primitive, and will not handle Kaypro IV DS disks, but it does provide a mechanism to get those CP/M programs onto your IBM PC. Shareware donations: Here's what you get with your donation. The basic donation is $40.00 American. For this you will get a disk in- cludes the following: 1. The latest version of the V2080 CPeMulator. 2. The complete source code listing for the V2080 CPeMulator. 3. An introductory lesson on the V20/V30 processor. 4. Sample CP/M programs. 5. The latest version of the 8080 software CPeMulator. 6. The complete source code for the 8080 software CPeMulator. 7. The latest version of the Z80 software CPeMulator. 8. The complete source code for the Z80 software CPeMulator. 9. A utility program to allow you to read Kaypro II disks. 10. Complete source code listing for the READCPM program. 11. A manual and all this nifty documentation. Distribution is on a IBM 360K 5.25 inch diskette. The 3.5 inch 1.44M disk format is available on request. Although I ask that you include $5.00 to help defray the cost of shipping and handling, don't worry about it if you forget or don't think it is worth it. If you send the $40.00 you'll get the stuff anyway. And of course no one is forcing you to pay anything. The only reason you need to send the money is to get the above listed goodies. Of course if you simply feel that the product is worth the $40.00 anyway I'm not going to complain, and I'll still send you the stuff. OEM's: Are you thinking of using the CPeMulator in conjunction with another product? No problem. The commercial license for the CPeMulator is very simple: I ask that you purchase the $40.00 shareware package as a one time fee. As long as you do not modify the code and leave the Copyright notice intact there is no other requirement. If you wish to modify the code and/or change the copyright notice then I only ask that you pay a one percent royalty on each modified CPeMulator product sold. One percent royalty on what? Normally royalties are based on the overall product in which the component is used. This is based on the assumption that the overall product would not be possible without the component. If the CPeMulator is the only component in the product, then the royalty would be based on the CPeMulator itself. Some may not feel that it is worth the one percent royalty fee. I understand your feelings in this regard. No one is forcing you to pay the royalty, I am only asking that you do so. I will not pursue the matter if you don't wish to pay it, it is only a request. Use your own good judgment, pay what I ask, what you think it is worth, or nothing at all. Full rights purchase: Some of you may not want to deal with the hassles of royalties. You may purchase the complete non-exclusive right to use the CPeMulator as you see fit for $1000. What you will get is the complete source code to the CPeMulator and the right to do anything you want to it including putting your own name on it and selling it for any price you want. The full-purchase rights are non-exclusive to the basic CPeMulator package. What that means is that you can do anything you want with the package. Any derivatives you generate from the package are you own and will be covered by your own copyright. I will not have any rights to the derivative packages you might produce (unless an agreement is made otherwise). What you do not get is exclusive rights to the basic CPeMulator package. I as the author retain the right to the basic package and any derivation that I might make to the package myself, and any other full-rights purchaser retains the rights to their own derivations that they might make. Support: I do not imply that any support for the CPeMulator will be provided by sending in a donation, paying royalties, or purchasing full rights to the package. (At these prices what do you expect?) Any support arrangement must be made separately on a retainer basis. That is not to say that I will necessarily not support the product, only that sending in the donation or purchasing full rights does not imply that any support will be provided as a part of the transaction. The only obliga- tion that I have in exchange for receiving the donation is to ship the latest source code disk. But enough weasel words, on to other items... Modifying the emulator: In many cases the CPeMulator program may be better suited to your needs if you modified it to suit them. By all means please do so. It won't crush my ego if you modify the code. I do recommend that you get the shareware package first so you know what impact the changes will have. In some cases you may have modified the program to the extent that you may consider it more your program than mine. I don't have any problems with this. You have as much right to your work as I do to mine. If you reach this point I only ask that you refer to my original work somewhere. Something along the lines of "Based on CPeMulator program by Michael Day". If you have objections to even this, no problem, simply don't say anything, I won't be hurt by it. Your Basic General Disclaimer: I make no warranties or claims of the fitness of this product for any particular purpose. Or to put it in layman's terms... I can't control how you use the program or what you use it for. Like all software there can be no guarantee that the program will work in your situation. With an emulator program this becomes even more so. There are umpteen zillion different CP/M machines out there, and a lot of programmers write machine dependent code. Add to that that I am not God (a minor deity maybe...) and thus there are bound to be bugs in the software. So don't be surprised if your particular program doesn't work with the emulator. Remember: the prudent user *always* backs up everything before trying something new. To other shareware authors: If you see anything in the shareware concepts brought forth in this document that you like, by all means plagiarize! Distribution: The CPeMulator is being offered as a shareware product, and thus there are some things that should be considered in regard to distribu- tion. The basic product is being distributed as an archived file which includes the latest version of the emulator and some documentation. I encourage you to give the product to your friends, place it in libraries, on BBS's and other areas where shareware is normally distributed. I do however have some basic requests in this. Please only distribute the original shareware archive file so that the next person will get the same thing as everyone else including the documentation. Please do not distribute the donation response source code disk. This is how I support the effort to get the product out. If everyone gets the donation source code disk there is no incentive to send in the donation, and I lose incentive to continue with the effort. I will send the donation response source code disk to anyone who sends the required $40.00 American. I recognize that many times there will be group purchases involved. Though I would hope that every individual who uses the program would send in the donation, I am realistic enough in this to accept what I can get. I would rather get $40.00 out of every ten users than nothing at all from anyone. Where does the donation money go: The donation money goes many places, some of them are obvious, and others not so obvious. Some of the areas where the money goes are: Purchase of supplies: Disks, labels, shipping boxes, etc. Postage: P.O. Box rent, postage on package, fliers. Travel: Gas and time to and from post office and suppliers. Package prep: Time and effort to put package together, Wear and tear on computer and printer, Operating supplies - ribbons, paper, disks, pens. Support: Answering letters and E-mail, phone, service fees. Development: Purchasing or obtaining access to equipment to expand and improve the product. Future: Hopefully there will be enough income to encourage me to continue to support and improve the product and introduce others. If I lose money on this it's not exactly going to encourage me to continue... An open letter to the software industry in general: It has long been my considered opinion that since people who would think twice about taking a pencil home from the office will steal (err...make off-site backups of...) software that there is a major discrepancy between how the users view software and the way manufactures do. When the problem is as rampant as it is in our industry it goes beyond moral issues of theft. It indicates that the software industry itself is not properly serving the needs of the customer. When the customer takes the software, it indicates that there is a perceived need for it. When they steal the product, it indicates that the pricing strategy is wrong. Let's be realistic here, *nobody* is going to pay $700+ for a spreadsheet package to do their home budget on. Yet software companies get upset and start screaming foul when the user "borrows" the software to use it. The problem here is not the customer, it is the software manufacturer for placing the product outside the reach of the small user. As a result the user is left with a dilemma. Do they steal the software, use a cheap clone, or continue to use pen and paper? In some cases the software manufacturer rubs salt in the wound by taking legal action against the clone manufactures threatening to remove one of the options available. The end result of all this is that the end user begins to see the software manufacturer in a different light, as a predatory robber baron. This then gives the end user the excuse needed to take the software without regret. I am not attempting to apologize for, or justify software piracy. What I am trying to do is understand it and find out what can be done to solve it. This is particularly important to me as a software developer since the small user is my customer. One thing is certain, continuing to treat the small user as pond scum and laying guilt trips on them in the form of "Thou Shalt Not Dupe" only alienates the customer even further and does nothing to solve the problem. The needs and requirements of the small user are not the same as the needs and requirements of the business user. As long as we the software manufacturer continue to ignore the needs and requirements of the small user, that customer will continue to ignore our needs and requirements and the problems of theft will continue. Request Form Send your request to: Michael Day C/O Day Research P.O. Box 22902 Milwaukie, OR 97222 Date________________ Please send me ______ copies of the V2080 source disk at $40.00 ea. Total ______________________________ Shipping and handling ------- $5.00 Total enclosed _____________________ Please send to: Name____________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ City____________________________________________________________ State________________________________Zip________________________ Thank you for your support! Mike Day Day Research P.O. Box 22902 Milwaukie, OR 97222