HP 85 stuff

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Wed Jul 5 08:18:18 2000

At 10:08 AM 7/4/00 -0700, Eric wrote:
>> HP85s with an HPIB interface and a mass storage ROM (IIRC) can support
>> floppy drives. If you have this sort of set-up, it's worth copying any
>> tapes you find onto floppies.
>
>On a related note. I have several machines with HPIB/GPIB/IEEE-???
>type interfaces, and occasionally see disk drives with the same interface.

   I know HP and the Commodore Pets both used that interface. So does my
Tektronix 4051. I don't know if anyone else used it.


>Is the protocol such that one size fits all?

   Definitely not! HP had at least three protocalls that I know of (Amigo,
CS-80 and SS-80).

 Is there a good HPIB reference
>available that someone could recommend?

   There are several good HP-IB command references around, I have ones from
both Tektronix and HP. The problem is that most HP-IB devices including
disk drives rely on Device Dependent Commands and not the normal low level
HP-IB commands. I haven't had much luck finding documentation on those but
one of the other list members has been working on reverse engineering some
of the HP disk drives and I think he has discovered and documented some of
the DDCs. Of course, that needs to be done for every protocall.

 Could a PC with a GPIB card act
>as a file server, or is there some host/slave dichotomy that prevents such
>things?

   You can use a PC with a HP-IB to operate HP-IB disk drives under some
circumstances. HP used to sell a kit that I THINK they called a Command
Library (PN 82500 ?) that included a HP-IB card and software that allowed
you to use some of their HP-IB tape drives and disk drives on a PC. Again
the biggest problem to a DIY approach is the lack of knowledge about the DDCs.

     Joe
>
>Eric
>
Received on Wed Jul 05 2000 - 08:18:18 BST