480z system disk on ebayu

[Jules Richardson]

Tony Duell wrote:
>>I've been trying to get hold of one of these and a 380z for ages, they
>>seem to be quite scarce now. Unless I'm looking in the wrong places.
> 
> 
> I've never seen the floppy drive for the 480Z. From what I can tell, it 
> linked to one of the serial ports on the 480Z, and used a synchronous 
> protocol (both ends of the link were Z80-SIO chips). IIRC it's the same 
> PCB as was used for ther intellegent disk controller in the 380Z, which 
> contained a Z80, RAM, and the serial chip.

I think we've been here before :-) Yep, you're absolutely correct - it 
does use the same controller in the drive. I've got one of the 
(museum-owned) drives back in the UK, along with the Shared Disc 
software so that the drive could be made visible across a network (one 
step down from the full CHAIN network fileserver that I have). One day 
when I have time I'll try and make it Do Something...

I'm lacking the connecting cable, but as there are SIOs at either end 
that shouldn't be a problem to figure out.

I believe that the 480Z hosting the drive then becomes a decicated 
fileserver in this setup; it can't be used to run normal programs.

The software on EBay would sure be nice though as it seems that's 
designed to allow a single user to boot CP/M from a 480Z, without 
futzing around setting up a full network (not all 480Zs come with the 
analogue side of the network hardware fitted anyway)

> I suspect the ROM was different though.

Hmm, can't check from here - I left all the ROM dumps at home. Actually, 
it could well be the same. I think the stock 380Z controller ROM 
supports both bussed and serial transfer modes - so it just needs the 
board fitted in the 480Z drive to notice that it's hooked up to a serial 
link and everything should just work (assuming the 480Z talks the same 
protocol)

> 480Z machines are hard to find now, although there' a plastic-cased one 
> on E-bay at the momnet, I think. The older metal-cased version (black 
> painted, like a 380Z keyboard) is, I am told. rarer.

That's certainly been my (limited) experience. Shame really, as they 
were pretty good machines - a lot better than much of the other 8-bit 
stuff floating around at the time IMHO. Somewhat let down in the 
graphics department though, even with the hi-res hardware fitted - plus 
of course they don't have all the nice expansion options of a BBC micro.

(I've got a plastic-cased 480Z set aside for you btw, just in case you'd 
forgotten!)

Lack of software's the main problem with the machines though - they 
never really hit the home market, and much of the educational software 
that was produced for them seems to have vanished :-(

cheers

Jules