UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Gemini 80-Bus System

john_newcombe · 4th Oct 2020, 10:45 pm

Thanks John.

The machine came with an eprom labled SIMON4.1MFB and I have not changed this. However, along the way I have been working under the assumption that the machine configured to run MFB-2 software. This was based on the following:

the original machine included a GM829 disk controller and this appears to have been upgraded to the GM849MFB unit;
there were MFB-1 and MFB-2 user guides supplied with the machine

Having said that, only MFB-1 floppy disks were supplied with the machine so maybe it was configured for MFB-1 software and perhaps SIMON4.1MFB would be able to boot this.

I guess if I ever get the original Rodime RO201 running I will find out

The BOOT.COM utility that comes with the MFB-2 software works fine once I am booted to the Wincester as it simply reads the boot sector of whichever track you specify on drive A: e.g.

Code:

A> BOOT 0

or

Code:

A> BOOT 1

GENSYS allows me to put different system configs on tracks 0 and 1 which is really handy.

So for now at least I have a reasonable solution by booting to floppy using the SIMON41MFB rom and then running your utilty to boot to the Winchester.

Does your utility read the boot sector code and execute it or does the utility actually contain the boot code?

4th Oct 2020, 10:45 pm	#419
john_newcombe Hexode Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Skipton, North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 252	Re: Gemini 80-Bus System Thanks John. The machine came with an eprom labled SIMON4.1MFB and I have not changed this. However, along the way I have been working under the assumption that the machine configured to run MFB-2 software. This was based on the following: the original machine included a GM829 disk controller and this appears to have been upgraded to the GM849MFB unit; there were MFB-1 and MFB-2 user guides supplied with the machine Having said that, only MFB-1 floppy disks were supplied with the machine so maybe it was configured for MFB-1 software and perhaps SIMON4.1MFB would be able to boot this. I guess if I ever get the original Rodime RO201 running I will find out The BOOT.COM utility that comes with the MFB-2 software works fine once I am booted to the Wincester as it simply reads the boot sector of whichever track you specify on drive A: e.g. Code: A> BOOT 0 or Code: A> BOOT 1 GENSYS allows me to put different system configs on tracks 0 and 1 which is really handy. So for now at least I have a reasonable solution by booting to floppy using the SIMON41MFB rom and then running your utilty to boot to the Winchester. Does your utility read the boot sector code and execute it or does the utility actually contain the boot code? Last edited by john_newcombe; 4th Oct 2020 at 10:57 pm.