💾 Archived View for mirrors.apple2.org.za › archive › ground.icaen.uiowa.edu › Mirrors › uni-kl › do… captured on 2024-12-18 at 00:40:12.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mountain hardware's "Apple clock" prodos driver and utilities - Dated 11/2/93 This system should contain the files: MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM (Main clock driver) MT.CLOCK.SYS.S (Source code to MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM, made with Merlin-8) MT.CLOCK.SETUP (Clock utilities) MT.CLOCK.SET (System file for setting time) MT.CLOCK.SET.S (Source code to MT.CLOCK.SET, made with Merlin-8) READ.ME (This file) STARTUP (Basic file for starting "mt.clock.setup") To have the time, put the file "MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM" as the first file AFTER prodos. The clock system will install the clock driver, then launch the next system file it finds. MT.CLOCK.SETUP or STARTUP must be run from basic.system. About MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM: The "mt.clock.system" is a system file that patches a new clock driver for Mountain hardware's "Apple Clock" that will allow prodos to use to clock. It has been tested with Prodos 8, Versions: 1.9, 2.0.1, 2.0.2, and 2.0.3 On all of these versions of prodos, the clock installs it's self to $D742-$D7C1. Every version of prodos I have tried uses this location for it's internal clock routien, but if this location is to change in later versions, the installation routien should be able to re-loacte to where-ever prodos whishes it. I say should becouse it hasn't yet been put to the test. The ROM on the Apple clock uses a memory location in the Apple ($280-$2AD) that Pro-dos normaly likes to use. Becouse of this, it is necessary to copy the information in this area to another, and then copy it back. As of now the best place I have found to store the information is in prodos memory ($D7AB-$D7CD), just below the clock driver. In doing this I have found no problems, but I have not tested it with all software. If you look through the original documentation that comes with the Apple Clock, it will seem that the clock will only affect $281-$2A1. Well, I have found otherwise. Yes, the numbers you see above are correct. Becouse of this, some of the previous versions of this clock patch will stop some programs from working properly... Copy II plus, and DDD Deluxe 5.0 are two examples of this problem. This version will correct these problems. Another shortcoming of the clock is the fact that it sets the interupt disable flag upon entry to it's rom ($CX00, where X is the slot). The reason this is a problem is programs like ProTerm will update the clock quite often, even while sending and reciveing data. These programs are dependant on interupts being enabled all the time during data I/O. If you look at the source code, you will see what had to be done to get around this. I have no idea how well the mountain clock likes being interupted, but I have not noticed any problems with it yet. The clock driver also has to year hard-coded into it. The reason for this is that the "Apple Clock" hasn't the ability to tell the year. To change the year that has been hard-coded, you can use the "mt.clock.setup" When a MLI get time call is issued, you may get the seconds from location $3E, provided another device call to prodos, or the system monitor does not use that location before you can get to it. About MT.CLOCK.SETUP: This is a basic program, and contains some of the original code from the utility program that came with the Apple clock. It will show you how to access the clock from basic should you ever want to. One of the main uses you will find in this program is that it will allow you to change the year on MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM (Yet another downfall of the Apple clock, it has no way of keeping track of the year. That is hardcoded into MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM). About MT.CLOCK.SET: Here is a neat new addition since the last release of this program. MT.CLOCK.SET is a system file that allows you to change the time on your Apple clock with out the long haul thru BASIC.SYSTEM, and then into the basic programs MT.CLOCK.SETUP. You will still need the basic program however. MT.CLOCK.SET does not have the ability to change the hardcoded year on the clock patch (MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM). About whatever: MT.CLOCK.SYSTEM and part of MT.CLOCK.SETUP (the original programmer of the Dos 3.3 clock utilities that came with the Apple clock cannot be found) has been written by "John Kielkopf". If you have any problems, or suggestions with this program, I may be contacted on Apocalyptic city (612) 789-3613. My username there is Zeeb. It had came to my attention that there were actually still alot of Apple Clocks out there in the Apple // world. And there are still yet many Apple //'s that dont know the time of day. This program is here to help correct that problem. I have included the source code for the two system files incase you feel you need to make changes to them. If you to make changes, please to not distribute them in this same program package, this will avoide any confusion and "Bug reports" to myself that I did not create. This program is Public domain, and may be distributed as long as NO money changes hands.