Hi cloudschatze, I'll try to use a LPT-Zipdrive and there are some LTP-CDROM-Drives too. Don't know if these will work. Currently I am checking the XTA2SD.
It works but I don't have benchmarks jet. Copying from floppy seems to be not so fast, but I have to make some benches. I am using Dos from ROM and then
use config.sys and autoexec.bat from the harddrive. I'll upgrade from actual 1x 20MB to 2x32MB. I also checked *.fli's but they seem to be too slow on that tandy.

- Beside that I would like to know what games/demos work with OPL2/3LPT ? can the OPL be routed to 388h on the tandy?
- What image-viewer are you using on the tandy?

My scene-archive has currently no OPL supported or tandy-sound supported productions, only no-sound or PC-speaker. If you have other stuff, then please share.

Best regards
Doc

HansZ wrote on 2022-07-06, 19:46:

Many thanks for your detailed explanation. It would be excellent if you can compile those required drivers for the Shuttle connects as I've only got interface without anything else... Shuttle adapter has indeed the power plug, and it requires 5V center negative. Bigger problem would be to source our that HD50F-to-DB25M adapter....

Attached. Running "SHUTTLE.BAT" will load the necessary driver executables for removable media at-will, but, as mentioned earlier, the .SYS versions can also be loaded via CONFIG.SYS instead. Also, the batch file has entries for CD-ROM support; you'll just want to uncomment those lines if/when applicable.

The adapter I'm using is a Pan Pacific ADZ-HD50FD25M. Looks like it might be available from a few online retailers...

dr.zeissler wrote on 2022-07-06, 20:02:

- Beside that I would like to know what games/demos work with OPL2/3LPT ? can the OPL be routed to 388h on the tandy?

There's quite a bit of RL-applicable Apogee/Lucasarts/Sierra/Taito/etc. stuff that can be patched using Peter De Wachter's ADPATCH utility. I've also patched several titles from Westwood (including the first two Eye of the Beholder games), Koei, and even (Cryo's) Dune, all of which are also reasonably playable on an RL with a VGA card installed.

- What image-viewer are you using on the tandy?

Still just using LXPIC.

Figured I'd do some tweaking of the GeoWorks desktop on the RL (oh, hooray) since I brought it out again for the Zip testing and all. I'm undecided as to whether I prefer the use of Windows 3.0 or GeoWorks 1.2 on this system, but surely either is preferable to Deskmate.

Please have a look on my Scene-Archive. Nice VGA-Demos runnable on RL with ET4k 😉
I will check out the 32MB Images this weekend for my XTA2SD Interface. I will also make the bridge-connection for getting a real LPT on my T1000. How did you do that? Did you solder a wire-connection, or only a bigger solderpoint, or have you soldered a real jumper for that?
I think you have converted the game-icons with a tool to make them usable on geoworks? could you please share the icons or the way that you have converted them?
I have an several old iconsets in some DLL-Files, whould these be of any interest?

Thx cloudschatze!

I have a problem! One key "u" is not working on my Tandy-Keyboard. Every other key is fine. I have to investigate the problem.
I have no other Tandy 1000 keyboard, so this will likely be a big problem. I'll keep you informed how this turnes out.

Upgrades:

Tandy-Keyboard:
Fixed the keyboard! it's working great again but that was a hell of a ride...

XTA2SD:
- 1x20MB is working
- 1x32MB does not work, because no bios-option for that
- 1x40MB is working, loading Dos from Rom and switching to C: for config.sys and autoexec.bat, C:32MB and E:8MB (D: is the Romdrive)
- 2x20/40MB both not working!

LPT-issue:
- still no real progress
- after reading tvdoogs lpt writings I am sure that even if E2-E3 connected (soldered) palmzip still does not work.
- palmzip (zipdrive) is only working on a real lpt-card that is set to primary. No slot free because of the VGA-card and no VGA-LPT-Como available.
- still have not figured out how my LPT2SCSI works and driver locks up the machine.

@cloud:
can you give me your config.sys/autoexec.bat of your T1000RL/HD.

Thx!
Doc

I switched out the VGA card and put an real LPT in it. It's jumpered to SPP and 378/I7.
palmzip-driver is loaded, reading zip-disks is working writing not. I deactivated both bios-settings for "LPT=OFF" and "Lpt-OE=OFF"

I think I have to probe different settings.

Hi. Is the Hercules Monochrome compatible to the Tandy system?
I'm asking, because most HGCs have an LPT port on $3BC. The IRQ line, if there's any, can easily be cut by carpet knife.
The parallel port itself should still be usable in DOS and Windows 3.x (they use polling for printers, afak)..

Hi Jo22, I don't know but according to this it should work. But I donÄt have his settings for the LPT card.

http://www.oldskool.org/guides/tvdog/RLRLX.html

"...Also required to use a parallel-port Zip drive is a parallel port 😀, and the built-in one on the RL would not work. I tried installing a parallel port on a card and jumpering it as secondary, but that conflicted with the hard drive. Instead, the new parallel port needed to be primary. To accomplish that, the built in port needs to be disabled. The screen shot at left shows this being done. This screen is displayed by running SETUPRL /A...."

Ah, I see. It was just an idea, because my PC/XT clone had similar issues.
None of the Parallel Ports cards worked, they all started with 378h, 278h etc.

But I couldn't just use the internal LPT because it a) too dangerous in case of a short b) because of the large Centronics connector.

The HGC clone, however, was fully recognized by the BIOS and didn't interfere with the on-board CGA (primary) .

The BIOS even detected the extra LPT port no problem (at 3BCh, first address). The internal HDD was a classic MFM drive with ST506 controller (IRQ5?). I used the LPT for a homebrew radio modem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2-99-qO0mk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zLL0Z-zI4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZToasMzLRps

That being said, I don't know about the frame buffer address of the Tandy's graphics chip. 🤷‍♂️

I think I should go to the start of this thread and check everything. my LPT card is at I7 but allows I5. but ...

"...There is a set of three jumpers on the RL's motherboard. One assigns IRQ5 to vertical sync, which is how the original PCjr. and Tandy 1000 worked. Some early games that support Tandy/PCjr. graphics expect IRQ5 to be assigned to VSYNC. However, PC/XT hard drives also use IRQ5. You have the option of using IRQ5 or IRQ2 for the hard drive in the RL by setting the proper jumper. Read Pages 101-102 of the Tandy 1000 Tech Notes & Jumper Manual, Volume 1."

Changed irq2->5 on harddrive and back again...no luck, changed every setting on lpt-card, no luck.
put another lpt-card in, works right out of the box. "lpt_test" fails on bi-directional but it works.
the lpt card offers one additional serial port too...I have other cards that offer a game port too, but the tandy1000 already has two game ports...I am thinking what card I should choose, perhaps I would go and checkout if the lpt/game card works too.

I stayed with the parallel/serial-card because with this setup I can use interlnk/intersrv and serial2midi without switching the cable.

After some time and a fresh install of the midi devices I have done wrong, don't know what I did, tested some thing and can not find out why my midi-devices play the music way too slow.
Strange, I messed it up. What should I look for?

I don't think it's the LPT card, neither the XTAHD...

Cloudschatze wrote on 2022-07-06, 18:16:

The connection is indeed basically identical to the diagram, but with the addition of an HD50F-to-DB25M adapter between the Shut […]
Show full quote

The connection is indeed basically identical to the diagram, but with the addition of an HD50F-to-DB25M adapter between the Shuttle interface and the Zip drive.

Here's an example of such a setup, with Windows 3.0 running off of the Zip drive.

Driver-wise, you'll need a minimum of EPST.SYS/EPST.EXE paired with ASPIHDRM.SYS/ASPIHDRM.EXE from any of the Shuttle software packages (where the .SYS versions are loaded at boot via CONFIG.SYS entries, or where the .EXE versions can be loaded anytime afterward instead). I can supply the exact versions I'm using, if those are needed.

Now, this all assumes you've installed the necessary jumper pins on the RL motherboard for this to work... 😀

Also, bear in mind that the SCSI Zip drives do not supply TERMPWR, so you'll either need to use an external adapter to power the Shuttle interface, or chain an additional SCSI device to the Zip drive that does supply TERMPWR.

Where can I buy the white external power adapter?

sangokushi wrote on 2023-05-20, 19:07:

Cloudschatze wrote on 2022-07-06, 18:16:

The connection is indeed basically identical to the diagram, but with the addition of an HD50F-to-DB25M adapter between the Shut […]
Show full quote

The connection is indeed basically identical to the diagram, but with the addition of an HD50F-to-DB25M adapter between the Shuttle interface and the Zip drive.

Here's an example of such a setup, with Windows 3.0 running off of the Zip drive.

Driver-wise, you'll need a minimum of EPST.SYS/EPST.EXE paired with ASPIHDRM.SYS/ASPIHDRM.EXE from any of the Shuttle software packages (where the .SYS versions are loaded at boot via CONFIG.SYS entries, or where the .EXE versions can be loaded anytime afterward instead). I can supply the exact versions I'm using, if those are needed.

Now, this all assumes you've installed the necessary jumper pins on the RL motherboard for this to work... 😀

Also, bear in mind that the SCSI Zip drives do not supply TERMPWR, so you'll either need to use an external adapter to power the Shuttle interface, or chain an additional SCSI device to the Zip drive that does supply TERMPWR.

Where can I buy the white external power adapter?

The Shuttle adapter requirements are 5V DC, 500mA, center-negative. In the photo, I'm just using a multi-voltage adapter from Radio Shack in conjunction with Adaptaplug "H."

I suppose I should provide a proper thread update otherwise. Similar to dr.zeissler, I also added an "XTA2SD" board to my RL recently, supplanting the obnoxiously noisy ST351A/X.

thx @cloudschatze for that update...I see use still use the VGA card in your T1000RL...I still use the mce-adapter with my Nec vm51 and stay on TGA.
After fixing that midi-slowdown (thx for the tip with the IO-Adresses colliding I was abe to fix everything and so LPT and COM is working fine now
without slowing down the midi music) Now the main target is to fix more games to work with that midi solution.

Would be very nice if you shared some of your already working patched files for some games. One of the very best optimized game I can play
on that T1000 and even on my A2286 is GODS, this is so beautiful coded in TGA and fantastic fast in VGA 16color-optimized pal. Would be a
big thing to get midi-working on that game.

Beside that I will share some VGA-scene that wil run on your T1000 with ET4000 if you like to check that out.