Petsoft - pdas 32 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ScottishColin · 17th Jan 2025, 4:01 pm

I wonder if anyone can help.

I have a PETSOFT tape marked PDAS32. I've got in touch with the author from back in the day but he can't remember too much about it and has no records.

I attach a copy of the .prg here.

The issue I have is that it loads fine from tape, has one line:

SYS (1039)

and when I run it it displays the attached message.

But I can't work out how to invoke it.

it is actually the Programmer's Development Aid System (PDAS) and I can find references to it in old magazones, but no actual reviews.

I can see some text in the code attached but can't work out how to invoke it. Can anyone help at all please?

Thanks.

Colin.

ScottishColin · 17th Jan 2025, 4:08 pm

Here's the text (and the is a little more that is actually backwards for some reason):

"PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AID SYSTEM

FACILITIES AVAILABLE:

0 RETURN TO BASIC OR MONITOR
1 MACHINE CODE MONITOR
2 LIST OF COMMANDS FOR FACILITY 1
3 BASIC RENUMBER
4 BASIC PROGRAM LINKER
5 BASIC BLOCK DELETE
6 BASIC LISTING
7 BASIC VARIABLE DUMP

WHICH FACILITY? “FACILITIES IN MACHINE CODE MONITOR:

H RETURNS TO THIS HELP ROUTINE

X RETURNS TO BASIC

R DISPLAYS REGISTERS - ALTER BY
OVERWRITING ON SCREEN

M XXXX YYYY DISPLAYS MEMORY - ALTER BY OVERWRITING ON SCREEN

P XXXX YYYY MEMORY DUMP IN HEX & CHAR

D XXXX YYYY DISASSEMBLE

L DD,NAME LOAD PROGRAM

S DD,NAME,XXXX,YYYY SAVE PROGRAM

G XXXX ENTER AT XXXX"

Thanks again.

Colin.

SiriusHardware · 17th Jan 2025, 4:23 pm

I note our friends at the Centre for Computing History (Cambridge) have it in their collection - 8th item down on this page.

https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/66773/Petsoft-PDAS-32/

You haven't said whether yours is just a loose tape or includes the cassette inlay - if it doesn't maybe you could ask them to scan or photocopy the inlay (and any additional instructions) for you?

SiriusHardware · 17th Jan 2025, 4:36 pm

I did find this archived issue of the PET user group newsletter where there is a, it has to be said, terse, roundup of all the programming aids known to be available.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160611091750if_/http://archive...tions/printout/printout_1980_01.pdf

To save you looking, the attached below is all it had to say - you've pretty much worked this out by looking through the text in the program.

If they liked it that much, maybe they reviewed it properly in another issue of the newsletter?

ScottishColin · 17th Jan 2025, 4:48 pm

Yes - I emailed them and they have just replied to say their only is blank; mine do any have the inlay.

Colin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

I note our friends at the Centre for Computing History (Cambridge) have it in their collection - 8th item down on this page.

https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/66773/Petsoft-PDAS-32/

You haven't said whether yours is just a loose tape or includes the cassette inlay - if it doesn't maybe you could ask them to scan or photocopy the inlay (and any additional instructions) for you?

SiriusHardware · 17th Jan 2025, 4:50 pm

Um, again? (I got that their inlay is blank, but the rest?)

ScottishColin · 17th Jan 2025, 5:00 pm

Apologies. Auto-correct.

What I meant to say was that my copy, although an original doesn't even have an inlay.

Colin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

Um, again? (I got that their inlay is blank, but the rest?)

ScottishColin · 17th Jan 2025, 5:01 pm

Thanks - I'll work my way back through older copies.

Colin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

I did find this archived issue of the PET user group newsletter where there is a, it has to be said, terse, roundup of all the programming aids known to be available.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160611091750if_/http://archive...tions/printout/printout_1980_01.pdf

To save you looking, the attached below is all it had to say - you've pretty much worked this out by looking through the text in the program.

If they liked it that much, maybe they reviewed it properly in another issue of the newsletter?

SiriusHardware · 17th Jan 2025, 5:05 pm

Unfortunately there was only one issue prior to that one as the Dec 1979 issue was the first one.

If you want to trawl through all of the issues of PRINTOUT they seem to be here:-

http://6502.org/documents/publications/printout/

SiriusHardware · 17th Jan 2025, 5:32 pm

Did you find anything? I got about 2/3 of the way through them, didn't find anything more about PDAS so far but I had great fun reading them, they, like all fanzines dedicated to specific machines at the time, contain so much knowledge and love for the hardware.

SiriusHardware · 17th Jan 2025, 6:38 pm

More interesting newsletters, this time from the official? Pet User's Club.

https://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/magazines/pet_users_club/index.html

17th Jan 2025, 4:08 pm	#2
ScottishColin Nonode Join Date: May 2012 Location: Perth, Scotland Posts: 2,437	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 Here's the text (and the is a little more that is actually backwards for some reason): "PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AID SYSTEM FACILITIES AVAILABLE: 0 RETURN TO BASIC OR MONITOR 1 MACHINE CODE MONITOR 2 LIST OF COMMANDS FOR FACILITY 1 3 BASIC RENUMBER 4 BASIC PROGRAM LINKER 5 BASIC BLOCK DELETE 6 BASIC LISTING 7 BASIC VARIABLE DUMP WHICH FACILITY? “FACILITIES IN MACHINE CODE MONITOR: H RETURNS TO THIS HELP ROUTINE X RETURNS TO BASIC R DISPLAYS REGISTERS - ALTER BY OVERWRITING ON SCREEN M XXXX YYYY DISPLAYS MEMORY - ALTER BY OVERWRITING ON SCREEN P XXXX YYYY MEMORY DUMP IN HEX & CHAR D XXXX YYYY DISASSEMBLE L DD,NAME LOAD PROGRAM S DD,NAME,XXXX,YYYY SAVE PROGRAM G XXXX ENTER AT XXXX" Thanks again. Colin.

17th Jan 2025, 4:23 pm	#3
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,844	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 I note our friends at the Centre for Computing History (Cambridge) have it in their collection - 8th item down on this page. https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/66773/Petsoft-PDAS-32/ You haven't said whether yours is just a loose tape or includes the cassette inlay - if it doesn't maybe you could ask them to scan or photocopy the inlay (and any additional instructions) for you?

17th Jan 2025, 4:36 pm	#4
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,844	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 I did find this archived issue of the PET user group newsletter where there is a, it has to be said, terse, roundup of all the programming aids known to be available. https://web.archive.org/web/20160611091750if_/http://archive...tions/printout/printout_1980_01.pdf To save you looking, the attached below is all it had to say - you've pretty much worked this out by looking through the text in the program. If they liked it that much, maybe they reviewed it properly in another issue of the newsletter? Attached Thumbnails

17th Jan 2025, 4:50 pm	#6
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,844	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 Um, again? (I got that their inlay is blank, but the rest?)

17th Jan 2025, 5:05 pm	#9
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,844	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 Unfortunately there was only one issue prior to that one as the Dec 1979 issue was the first one. If you want to trawl through all of the issues of PRINTOUT they seem to be here:- http://6502.org/documents/publications/printout/

17th Jan 2025, 5:32 pm	#10
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,844	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 Did you find anything? I got about 2/3 of the way through them, didn't find anything more about PDAS so far but I had great fun reading them, they, like all fanzines dedicated to specific machines at the time, contain so much knowledge and love for the hardware.

17th Jan 2025, 6:38 pm	#11
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,844	Re: Petsoft - pdas 32 More interesting newsletters, this time from the official? Pet User's Club. https://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/magazines/pet_users_club/index.html