Hey guys,
I had just purchased a set of Integer ROMs from dorkbert when another set dropped on my lap for cheap (way less than half the going ebay rate). Anyway, I don't have a working keyboard now so can't go very far, but I did install the ROMs and power up. I have a couple of questions.
I have the Apple II User's Guide by Dave Finnegan here but I'm not clear on how exactly you load a bootable disk (or do you?) with an integer BASIC system, since it doesn't have the Autostart.
The other question is -- on most pictures of the Integer basic machines I've seen, the typical 'startup' screen is 3/4 of a screen full of question marks, followed by the monitor prompt. On mine, it is mostly but not all question marks. Sometimes there are other characters, like 7s, sprinkled in there. I can't type anything to test... but the random characters do change with each power up. Sometimes it is indeed all ?.
Not sure what you mean about the typical startup screen.
Can you post a picture.
Also I should get your package out tomorrow with keyboard parts including a cable. I just have to make one today for you, I did pickup connectors last week.
Cheers,
Corey
If you don't see the Monitor Prompt, you Press Reset ( or CTRL-Reset ) to get to the Monitor Prompt..
Then, to Boot a Disk, IF your Disk ][ Controller is in Slot 6, you type a "6" and a Ctrl-P and the press the RETURN key. or you can type Ctrl-B and press the RETURN key, then type PR#6 and press the RETURN key.
IIRC, to invoke the Input, like IN#2 from the Monitor is a "2" and a Ctrl-K and the press the RETURN key.
Well you know how on a II+ you get the APPLE ][ thing.. with the Integer machines you get screen garbage and the monitor prompt. I've looked at pictures of that screen from other Integer BASIC machines and so far they are all 3/4 of a page of ? marks, followed by the monitor prompt *. On mine though, sometimes the ? marks have random characters scattered amongst them. Just wondering if that was normal or a sign of trouble.
Thank you so much for all your help re: cable. I just wish I hadn't attempted to make one here (I had the parts, figured it would be a learning exercise) and now have a dead keyboard. Hopefully I can get it working again with some new parts and a bit of luck.
Thanks Mark. I guess that'll have to wait until I can repair my defunct keyboard that I accidentally murdered. Stupid me. I do get the monitor prompt.. I just wondered if the little character variations in the 'screen garbage' above meant anything.
Dumb question to everyone -- a II+ keyboard should work just fine with a Rev 04 board right? I would assume so since early pluses used Rev 04 boards.. Looks like I've managed to damage that one too.. I borrowed the one from my Plus, was extremely careful to connect everything properly with good cable pins right way, etc.. when I turned it on the power LED dimmed and it wouldn't work. Now on the Plus it produces the wrong characters for many keys. Augh! Going to learn to stay clear of A2 keyboards.
There's quite a lot of material in The New Apple II User's Guide! When it comes to booting disks from the Monitor, those commands are covered in Chapter 11, Machine Language Monitor. Page 447, to be exact.
I guess I should have put the information in Chapter 2 as well.
Yes, my Apple II Plus is a revision 4 motherboard, and it works. It's the one pictured throughout the book. All the pictures in the book are of my own Apple systems.
Thanks muchly. Yes, that is a great book and I am glad I bought it. It's very large, and I just must have missed the bits about invoking disk commands in integer basic. I think I'm about 100 pages in so far and have tried my best to skim back and forth to find what I need.
I don't know what the heck happened with my Plus keyboard then. I do know for sure it's the encoder board.. I swapped the encoder from my Bell & Howell out and it worked fine. I also swapped the encoder chips between boards and it still worked with the one from the 'broken' Plus on either keyboard but still the other encoder is not working. I'm trying to understand the schematic because I think there is a big hint here -- all the letter keys work, but the numbers and function keys do not. If I'm reading the schematic correctly, those keys are controlled by the 74LS04 at B5? I tried piggybacking it without result, so I guess I'll try replacement.