intro and RML380Z

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Fri Nov 17 16:36:49 2000

On Fri, 17 Nov 2000, [iso-8859-1] kebabthesheep wrote:

> Hi, as is customary for many a mailing list, I should
> introduce myself first.
>
> My name is David Rowntree, I am a systems engineer,
> working for Philips Semiconductors, based in
> Southampton, UK. My interests centre mainly on UNIX
> systems, but I like anything computational and old.
>
> I recently found my Research Machines 380Z in a pile
> of junk, and got interested in it again. For those
> who don't know, its a Z80 based CP/M machine sold in
> the UK, mainly to schools and other educational
> establishments. Mine came from Imperial College,
> London, where I studied for my Meng in Electronic
> engineering.
>
> The box in question is a RML-380Z-D model, with dual 5
> 1/4" drives, and I think, 32K RAM. It has two video
> boards (I believe this is the hires option) and an
> additional ram board(cpu board with most bits removed)
> an analog i/o card, and seems to have firmware
> 'COS4.2A'
>
> The date of the box is '83, and is complete with its
> keyboard, and even the dust cover!
>
> Unfortunantly - NO SOFTWARE AT ALL. Not even cp/m :(
> I know next to nothing about this box, so my query:
>
> Does anybody have the system disks? How about
> documentation of the firmware?

David, I cannot help you in the documentation arena, but if you
have access to TeleDisk and a PC with 5.25" floppy drive -
preferably 360k - I will email you any or all of the following
disk images:
 
                      Research Machines Limited
 
Name Format Description
RML14B31 SSSD CP/M 1.4B (31K) system disk for 380Z
RML14B56 SSSD CP/M 1.4B (56K) system disk for 380Z
RML22C31 SSSD CP/M 2.2C (31K) system disk for 380Z
RML22C3R SSSD CP/M 2.2C (31K) system disk for 380Z (reformatted)
RML22C56 SSSD CP/M 2.2C (56K) system disk for 380Z
 
Or, if TeleDisk is not an option, send me private email and we can
work something out.

                                                 - don
 
> I've found various bits of cp/m source, but nothing
> specific to the 380z. I believe it ran cpm2.
>
> One other point - I believe you hit 'b' to bootstrap
> the floppy - when I do this there is NO disk activity
> (even with a floppy in the drive) I've tried both
> drives, and both cable positions. The drive psu gives
> stable volts, so that's not the problem. I'm sure it
> should do something! There is an LED on the floppy
> controller, it flashes with a kind of 'heart beat'
> pattern i.e. Flash-flash--pause--flash-flash--pause
> etc. Anybody know if this is normal?
>
> You guys are possibly my last hope - I've spent a
> total of over 20 hours scouring the web for info, and
> have come up with very little. I'd like to get as
> much on this box as possible, for preservation reasons
> - and so I can build a website about it.
>
> Many thanks in advance for anybody who can help me
> out!
>
> Dave.
>
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Received on Fri Nov 17 2000 - 16:36:49 GMT

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