LDPDSK.NOD  (Load Power-Disk from Node)

Power-Disk Loader from files in the Node RAMdisk


Copyright 1989 Tony B. Anderson
All Rights Reserved


This program is specific to use in the Tandy 200, equipped with a Node Datapak
RAMdisk storage device, and Power-Disk, an alternate DOS for the Tandy Portable
Disk Drive.  It may be adaptable to other DOS's, but since I don't support any
other DOS's, I wouldn't know what changes might be required.  The general
principles should be the same.

Power-Disk is a copyrighted program by Acroatix, Inc., which has been released
for public use through this forum, and which is also available from other
sources.

The DOS file POWR-D.CO must be stored in the Node storage device under that
name, and the below loading program should also be stored in the Node, as
LDPDSK.BA. The POWR-D.CO file is available on the original distribution disk as
POWR-D.CO, or in Library 9, in the file PDSK05.200. If you download the latter,
you will also need the HXFER.200 program (from Library 10) operational in your
computer in order to convert the hex file into operational code as POWR-D.CO.

The operational concept is to be able to load Power-Disk easily from the image
file in the Node, whenever you experience a cold start, or when you have
deliberately removed Power-Disk from RAM.  It is only necessary to enter the
Node Datapak through the RAMDSK program (CALL 61167,2 to load it after a cold
start), and run the LDPDSK.BA program directly from the Node menu by moving the
cursor over the name and pressing the ENTER key.  It will automatically load
LDPDSK.BA into RAM, run it, load and setup Power-Disk, and return you to the
computer's main menu.

Obviously, you need to store both POWR-D.CO and LDPDSK.BA in the Node storage
device, to have them readily available after a cold-start.  Running LDPDSK
directly from the Node makes it an easy way to reload your DOS at a moment's
notice.


0 ' LDPDSK.BA (Supports the 200, Power-Disk and Node DataPak)
1 ' Loads and Initializes POWR-DISK under MAXRAM from POWR-D.CO file in the
2 ' Node DataPak, then deletes itself from RAM. (Loads Power-Disk at 58960)
3 ' Copyright 1989 Tony B. Anderson, All Rights Reserved
4 ' Uses initialization code described in the Node manual in lines 10-13
5 '
10 CALL61162,8
11 S$="POWR-D.CO"
12 CALL61162,13,VARPTR(S$)
13 CALL61162,23,VARPTR(S$)
20 CLEAR 100,58960:LOADM"POWR-D":KILL"POWR-D.CO"
30 CALL58960
40 CLS:PRINT@124,"POWER-DISK is now operational..."
50 CALL25102
60 K=64798:POKEK,1:POKEK+1,0:POKEK+2,255
70 {MENU


Note that the curly bracket in front of "MENU" in line 70 is correct.  It is
used by the Node RAMdisk software.


You may also copy the LDPDSK.BA program into RAM, exit the Node back to the
computer's main menu, and run LDPDSK from there, if you prefer.  In that case,
it will load and setup the system hooks for Power-Disk to operate, then delete
itself from RAM and return you to the computer's main menu.  In order to use
the program in this manner, you must substitute the following lines in the
program.  You can load the above program, then cut these lines out of this file
and "paste" them into the loaded program.  This version will not run cleanly
FROM THE NODE MENU.  It will run, but wil increase the size of the RAMDSK file
on the computer's main menu by an amount equal to the size of the program,
needlessly assigning 500 or so unused bytes to that program.  RAMDSK will
still be usable, but will just use up an extra 500 or so bytes of RAM space.

60 A$="NEW"+CHR$(13)+"KILL"+CHR$(34)+"LDPDSK.BA"+CHR$(13)+"MENU"+CHR$(13)
70 FORI=1TOLEN(A$):POKE64797+2*I,ASC(MID$(A$,I,1)):POKE64798+2*I,0:NEXT:POKE64798,I-1


Optionally the program can be used to reload other cold-start reconfigurations.
The below listed lines will install the 200's linefeed patch, which will add
linefeeds to printer carriage returns.  Similar configuration routines can be
added as required.

51 DATA254,13,192,205,201,132,62,10,201,255
52 AD=61803:FORA=0TO8:READX:POKEA+AD,X:NEXT
53 POKE 62740,INT(AD/256):POKE62739,AD-PEEK(62740)*256:POKE 61243,1


The below line will add the TELCOM F7 printer form feed patch, hiding it in the
unused area behind the F4 function key definition in BASIC, leaving key 4 as
"Run" (a loaded program).

54 KEY4,"Run"+CHR$(13)+CHR$(1)+CHR$(62)+CHR$(12)+CHR$(205)+CHR$(20)+CHR$(90)+CHR$(195)+CHR$(110)+CHR$(99):POKE61737,0:POKE62785,41:POKE62786,241


Other patches or configuration commands may be added in a similar manner.

55 POWER OFF        will disable the automatic power down feature

56 POKE 62067,184   will remove ADDRSS from the main menu.

57 POKE 62078,184   will remove SCHEDL from the main menu.

58 POKE 62089,248   will remove MSPLAN from the main menu.

You may also add lines which will allow you to reset the computer's calendar
or clock, if you like.  Personally, I don't find that too useful, since it
would appear each time you wanted to reload Power-Disk, whether or not the
computer had actually been cold-started.  Perhaps it would be useful if you
checked to see if the year was "00" first (IF RIGHT$(DATE$,2)="00" THEN...),
and skipped that part of the program if it was not.  Assuming that a cold-start
will reset the internal calendar to "1900", but that may be a problem in 2000.
But then, the whole calendar will be a problem after 1999.