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+--- Thread: Upgrading a Microbee PC85 to a PC85b and adding extra Game ROMs. (/thread-366.html)
RE: Upgrading a Microbee PC85 to a PC85b and adding extra Game ROMs. - ChickenMan - 24-02-2022
EDASM fits to an 8k rom (2764) no probs. It can also run off a floppy and allows you to save code back to floppy, all can happen on a Gotek. Check out the Manuals for EDASM in the Repository also.
There is a Dreamdisk system that can plug into the 50 way but these are rare and the boot rom needed for a 32k rom machine has not been archived as its never been seen. They were manly used on the early 64k Microbees as they could run with 8", 5.25" or 3.5" floppies while the Microbee official system only worked with 5.25" floppies.
You can also do the whole on an emulator. You can emulate any Microbee via ubee512 and save files directly to your PC/Linux hard drive.
RE: Upgrading a Microbee PC85 to a PC85b and adding extra Game ROMs. - mjelic - 25-02-2022
(24-02-2022, 11:09 PM)ChickenMan Wrote: EDASM fits to an 8k rom (2764) no probs. It can also run off a floppy and allows you to save code back to floppy, all can happen on a Gotek. Check out the Manuals for EDASM in the Repository also.I purchased a Gotek off an Oz eBay supplier that says it has the fastfloppy thing on it. Hopefully it all works. Have to fix my keyboard at any rate. Thanks for all the patient advice. I'll still keep my eye open for a Premium PC85.
Correct me if I'm wrong; The 50 pin expander can be accessed on my machine because the floppy connector takes up the room the 50 would?
RE: Upgrading a Microbee PC85 to a PC85b and adding extra Game ROMs. - ChickenMan - 25-02-2022
The 50 way connection is normally on the Main board, not the top coreboard, you have to fit the plug yourself. The 64k CIAB, 128k and Premium 128k has a 34/40 way in the top coreboard. The early 64k (actually had 56k only) had a 50way on the coreboard that connected to an external floppy controller and looked like
But glad you got the Gotek, you wont know how easy things are with that really. You will need a small 34 way floppy cable with no twist in it and set the Gotek to S0 ( A: drive). Its needs a 5v supply and if you not using your floppy box, you will need a 10v supply for the Microbee, I'm sure you will be able to sort that out. The USB key needs to be FAT32 formatted and you just copy the DSK images to it via your normal PC.
I'm sorry I gave you the wrong link to apply for Repository Access as that will give you access to our Public and Vintage Repos only, For the Microbee Repo to get all the good Microbee stuff you need to go here https://microbeetechnology.com.au/MTFR_Access/MTFR_Access.htm Sorry again
RE: Upgrading a Microbee PC85 to a PC85b and adding extra Game ROMs. - someone - 25-02-2022
(25-02-2022, 09:18 AM)ChickenMan Wrote: The 50 way connection is normally on the Main board, not the top coreboard, you have to fit the plug yourself. The 64k CIAB, 128k and Premium 128k has a 34/40 way in the top coreboard.
Are you sure?
Original mainboards don't have a 50 way connector where as Alpha Plus (Premium Series) and 256TC mainboards do.
A DRAM microbee with original mainboard (e.g. CIAB, 128k, starnet workstation/server) could have a 50 way connector added using a horrible adapter PCB that fitted under the mainboard.