Commodore FD-4000 User Manual

Djsk

Drives

User's Manual

For all

FD

Series Models

Copyright Notice

by Creative Micro Designs, Inc.

Fourth Edition, First Printing, October,

1993

All

rights reserved.

No

part

of

this document

may

be

reproduced, in

any

form

or

by

any means either manually

or

electronically without written

permission

from

Creative Micro Designs,

Inc.

The

FD

Disk Operating System (FD-DOS) is protected

under

International

and

United States Copyright Laws, and may not

be copied, in whole

or

in

part,

without

prior

written

permission from Creative Micro Designs, Inc.

JiffyDOSTM,

RAMLinkTM,

FD-2000TM, FD-4000TM,

and

HD

Series™ are

trademarks of Creative Micro Designs, Inc. Commodore 64®,

64CTM,

SX-

64™,

C-128™,

C-128-DTM,

154FM,

1541-CTM,

1541-IITM,

1571™, and

1581™

are trademarks or registered trademarks of Commodore Electronics

Limited.

Amiga™

is

a trademark of Commodore

Amiga.

GEOSTM,

GEOS

deskTopTM,

GEORAMTM,

and Berkeley Softworks™ are trademarks of

Berkeley

Softworks. CP/M®

is

a registered trademark of Digital Research

Corporation. IBM®

is

a registered trademark of International Business

Machines.

Table of Contents

(

Section

1:

General Information

,

Introduction

................................................................................... ~ 1

Features

.........................................................................................

1

Orders

........................................................................................... 2

Technical Assistance and Information

..................................................

2

Section

2:

Getting Started

Hookup

.........................................................................................

3

Powering

Up

..................................................................................

3

Device Number

Configuration

...........................................................

4

Section

3:

Using the

FD

Before you Start

................................ , .............................................

5

Modes

of

Operation

.........................................................................

5

1581

Compatible Mode

.................................................................

5

CMD

Partition able

Mode

............................................................... 5

Formatting Disks

............................................................................

7

Disk Types

.................................................................................

7

Formatting Diskettes

....................................................................

7

Write Protecting Disks

..................................................................

8

Partitioning Disks

...........................................................................

8

Copying Software to the FD

...........................................................

10

Softwa~e

without copy-protection

..................................................

10

Copy-Protected

Software

..............................................................

11

GEOS, gateWay and Cp/M ........................................................... 12

1581

Compatible

Software

...........................................................

12

Popular Programs that work on the FD

..........................................

13

Loading and Running Programs

.......................................................

13

Changing

Partitions ....................................................................

13

Swapping Device Numbers

..........................................................

14

C-128 Autoboot Programs

...........................................................

15

Backing up Disks and Files

.............................................................

15

Real Time Clock Option

................................................................

17

Setting the RTC

........................................................................

17

Viewing the Current Time

...........................................................

17

Viewing Time and Date Stamped Directories

...................................

17

Setting the GEOS Clock from the RTC

.........................................

17

Section

4:

Using the

FD

with GEOS

Before

you Begin ...........................................................................

19

Using the FD with the GEOS Desktop ..............................................

19

Using the FD with gateWay

............................................................

21

Using

CMD_MOVE ......................................................................

24

Table of Contents

Section

5:

Using the

FD

with

CP/M

Before you Begin ........................................................................... 25

Using Cp/M

................................................................................

26

Section

6:

Partitions and Subdirectories

Introduction .................................................................................. 27

Partitions ..................................................................................... 27

Native Mode Partitions ................................................................ 27

Emulation Mode Partitions .......................................................... 28

Native Mode Subdirectories ............................................................. 29

Section

7:

Command Reference

Command Syntax ..........................................................................

31

Command String Elements ..........................................................

31

Example command string ............................................................. 32

Paths in Command

Strings .......................................................... 32

Subdirectory Paths Using

JiffyDOS Commands ............................ 34

Sending Commands from BASIC .............................. ~ ...................... 34

The Command ChanneL .................................................................

34

Reading Disk Errors .................................................................... 36

Partition Numbers in File Names ..................................................... 37

Partition Numbers in Disk Commands ..............................................

37

Partition Commands

......................................................................

38

Creating Partitions .....................................................................

38

Creating 1581 Style Sub-partitions .............................................

38

Deleting Partitions

.....................................................................

39

Deleting 1581

Style Sub-partitions ......................................... ~ ... 39

Changing Partitions .................................................................... 39

Moving Between 1581

Style Sub-partitions ................................

.40

Formatting Partitions and Disks .................................................... 40

Formatting 1581 Style Sub-partitions ........................................

.42

Initializing Partitions

..................................................................

43

Validating Partitions ................................................................... 43

Partition directory ....................................................................... 44

Renaming Partitions ................................................................... 44

Renaming Directory Headers ......................................................... 45

Getting Partition Information ....................................................... 45

Autobooting ................................................................................. 46

Subdirectory Commands ................................................................. 47

Creating Native Mode Subdirectories .............................................. 47

. Moving Between Native Mode Subdirectories .................................

.48

Deleting Native Mode Subdirectories .......................... ; ................... 49

Viewing Directories .......................................................................

50

Pattern Matching ........................................................................ 50

Time and Date Stamped Directory Listings ......................................

51

ii

Table of

ClOl'ltent~

File

Commands

........................................................................... ,

53

Loading Files ............................................................................

53

Saving Files ..............................................................................

54

Verifying Files ..........................................................................

55

Renaming Files ..........................................................................

56

Scratching (deleting) Files ............................................................

57

Copying Files ...........................................................................

58

Copying

files

between

drives .....................................................

58

Copying

and

Combining

files

between

partitions ..........................

58

Locking ....................................................................................

60

Relative File

Commands

................................................................

61

Opening or Creating a Relative File ...............................................

61

Positioning

to

a Specific Record ................................................... 62

Direct Access Commands ................................................................

63

The Direct Access ChanneL .........................................................

63

Block

Commands

.......................................................................

63

Allocating

and

Freeing

Blocks

...................................................

63

The

Buffer

Pointer

...................................................................

64

Reading

and

Writing

Blocks

......................................................

64

Block Execute .........................................................................

64

Memory

Commands

......................................................................

65

Reading

from

Drive

Memory

........................................................

65

Writing

to

Drive

Memory

............................................................

65

Memory

Execute

........................................................................

65

User Commands ............................................................................ 66

UO

Utility Commands ................................................................. 66

Reading

and

Writing

Blocks

......................................................... 66

User

Jump

............................................................................... 66

User Reset ...............................................................................

66

Special

Loaders

.............................................................................

67

Utility Loader ............................................................................

67

Autoboot

:I.i>ader

........................................................................

67

Special FD Commands ...................................................................

67

Software

Write

Protect ................................................................

67

Software SWAP .........................................................................

68

Getting

Diskchange

Status ...........................................................

68

RTC

Commands

...........................................................................

69

Burst Commands ...........................................................................

72

Job

Queue

Instructions ...................................................................

80

Jump Tables .................................................................................

85

iii

Table of Contents

Appendix

A:

Utilities

About the Utility Disks ..................................................................

87

FD-TOOLS ..................................................................................

87

DISKETTE

FORMATTING

OPTIONS

.........................................

88

PARTITIONING OPTIONS .........................................................

89

SET REAL TIME CLOCK ..........................................................

92

CHANGE

DEVICE

SELECTION .................................................

92

LOG

NEW

DISK

.......................................................................

92

EXIT

FROM

PROGRAM ...........................................................

92

FCOPY .......................................................................................

93

MCOPY ......................................................................................

95

BCOPY ........................................................................................

96

Modes

......................................................................................

96

Backing

up

data ..........................................................................

96

Restoring data ............................................................................

97

1541SUB

and

1581SUB

.................................................................

97

Appendix 8: Error Codes

Command

Channel

Error Codes .......................................................

99

Appendix

C:

Disk, Partition

and

File Formats

Physical Disk Formats ..................................................................

105

Common Formats Used

in

all Partition

Types

...................................

106

1541

and

1571

Emulation Mode ......................................................

108

1581 Emulation Mode ................................................................... l10

Native Mode ................................................................................

111

File Formats ...............................................................................

115

Appendix

D:

FD

Memory

Map

CMD FD Extended Memory

Map

....................................................

118

Appendix

E:

DOS ROM

and

RTC

Install,dtion

Installation

Procedure

....................... " ...........................................

119

Warranty Information

LIMI1ED

WARRANTY

...............................................................

121

RETURN POLICy ......................................................................

122

Section 1

General Information

Introduction

The CMD FD-2000 and FD-4000 are 3.5 inch floppy disk drives which

have been designed utilizing the latest in micro-floppy technology. While retaining backward compatibility with Commodore 1581 formatted diskettes (8ooK), these drives are also capable

of

utilizing high density (HD) disks for

a storage capacity

of

up to 1.6 Megabytes. The FD-4000 model can also use

the newer enhanced density (ED) diskettes for a storage capacity

of

up to 3.2

Megabytes. In addition to emulating the standard Commodore 1581 disk format, the FD

Series drives also operate as CMD

partitionable devices. Users may create

up to a maximum

of

31

partitions (ED disk format), using a mixture

of

any

of

the supported disk/partition types. Partition types available include 1541,

1571, 1581 and

CMD

Native partitions. Both FD Series drive models

will

automatically determine

if

an inserted disk is in 1581 or CMD partitionable format, and special commands and utilities are provided to ease formatting, partitioning and copying.

Features

The

FD

Series drives contain a number

of

features in addition to those

considered to be necessary for the operation

of

a disk drive system. Here is a

short list

of

some

of

the features and options available:

• Compatible with Commodore

DOS

commands, GEOS, and CP/M

• Easy connection via the serial port

• Compatible with all serial modes and burst commands

• Built-in JiffyDOS compatibility

• Real Time Clock option available for time and date stamping of files

• Swap functions allow drive to become device 8 or 9

• Up to

31

separate partitions on a single disk (ED)

• 1541, 1571 and 1581 emulation partitions

• CMD Native mode partition support with true subdirectories

1

General

Information

Orders

If

you wish to place

an

order or need general infonnation about any product available from us, you should call Monday through Friday 10:00 AM through 5:00

PM

Eastern.

If

at all possible, call before 3:00

PM

for fastest

service.

To

place ORDERS call:

Continental US and Canada All others

(800) 638-3263 (Orders only) (413) 525-0023 (Questions/support)

You may also call this number during these hours

if

you have a problem

with an order you placed with CMD.

If

you have a problem with an order

which you placed with one

of

our dealers, you should contact the dealership.

Technical Assistance

and

Information

Technical information and assistance

is

available from 10:00 AM through

5:00 PM Eastern.

If

you are calling for technical assistance with a CMD product which you own, please have your serial number, model number, and any other pertinent information ready. The phone number to call is:

CMD Technical Support

(413) 525-0023

If

you have programming questions, or your are in need

of

non-immediate technical assistance or information, you should contact CMD via mail. Alternatively, you may pose your questions in the appropriate CMD support areas located on Q-Link (CIN/Hardware Support Group) or GEnie (Commodore Flagship

RI).

CMD visits these areas regularly, and there are

also many other users who may be able to assist you. Bug reports

or

compatibility problems should

be

handled via mail, as they are rarely fixable via telephone, and usually require hard copy detailing your system configuration, the software involved, and a method

to

repeat the

problem.

We

also enjoy hearing about any successes you have

in

using your

drive with various types

of

software. Our mailing address is:

Creative Micro Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 646 East Longmeadow, MA 01028

Hookup

Section 2

Getting Started

Before attempting to setup and begin using your drive, you should read this manual.

It

may not

be

necessary for you to read

it

completely, but you

should at least browse through it and become familiar with the sections

which pertain to you and your intended use

of

the drive.

If

you have not yet removed your drive from its shipping carton, do so now. The shipping carton should contain the drive, a power supply, a serial cable and this manual. Place the drive

in

a well ventilated area on a level surface close to your computer and other peripherals. Be sure to keep the shipping carton in case you have any problems with the system and find it necessary

to return your drive for service.

Connections

You may now connect your FD to your computer by using the included serial cable. This cable may be plugged into either

of

the connectors labeled

SERIAL on the back

of

the drive. The other end

of

this cable may

be

connected to the port labeled SERIAL on the back

of

your computer, or

if this connection is already being used by another disk drive or printer, you may connect it to an available serial port on one

of

these devices.

Next, connect the power supply to your drive by plugging the small DC power plug into its connector on the back

of

the drive.

Before plugging the power supply into an

AC

power outlet, make sure that the power switch on the drive is in the OFF (0) position. Now plug the supply into a suitable

AC

power outlet.

Powering

Up

Your drive is now ready for use with your computer. Tum on the drive using the power switch located on the rear panel. Please note that when turning on your equipment, the order in which you activate each peripheral sometimes affects the computer's ability to recognize some devices. In this respect, your

FD

series drive may be turned on first, last, or at any point in between without harm to itself. Therefore, use the order which you are accustomed to, or which seems to work best for your system.

3

Getting Started

Powerup Diagnostics

When power is applied to your FO Series drive, an internal test is perfonned to make sure that the drive is working correctly.

If

a problem exists, the

ERROR lamp on the front panel will indicate the error.

If

this should occur,

try

restarting the drive.

If

the problem persists, contact CMO Technical

Support for assistance.

Device Number Configuration

FD Series drives are shipped with a device number setting

of

10.

This device

number can

be

changed via a four position dip switch which is accessed

though a cutout in the rear panel.

If

you wish to change the default to some other number, make sure the drive is turned off, then use the chart below to detennine the settings for the device number you wish to configure the drive

for. When considering what device number to use the drive as, be aware that the SWAP button on the front panel will allow you to swap the device number to 8 or 9 very easily for temporary requirements.

Device

Number

Switch

1

Switch 2

Switch

3

Switch

4

8

Not

Used

DOWN

9

Not

Used

DOWN

UP

10

Not

Used

DOWN

UP

DOWN

11

Not

Used

DOWN

UP

12

Not

Used

UP

DOWN

13

Not

Used

UP

DOWN

UP

14

Not

Used

UP UP

DOWN

15

Not

Used

UP

You can use a small screwdriver, pen, etc. to move each switch to the

appropriate position.

If

your

FO

does not respond to the proper device

setting when you tum

it

on:

1. Shut the FD

off

and move each switch

up

and down a few times to

remove any oxidation that might be

on

the switch contacts.

2. Reset the switches again according to the table above, and then try powering the drive up again.

Important:

If

you have a Xetec Super Graphix Gold printer interface, you

should not configure your

FD

as device number

14.

4

Section 3

Using the FD

Before

you

Start

Before reading

the

following information, it is important

to

understand that

your

FD

Series drive is a

true

Commodore-compatible

disk

drive.

In

other

words, if you already

own a 1541,

1571,

1581

or other Commodore-

compatible drive,

you

already

have

the

basic

skills

and

knowledge

required

to

operate the FD. This section

shows

you

how

to

apply

the

already familiar

concepts of disk drive operation

to

the

FD,

and briefly describes

how

to

make

use

of some of

the

FD's

unique

and

advanced

features.

Modes of Operation

FD

Series drives can operate

in

two

basic

modes:

1581

C()mpatible

Mode

and

CMD

Partitionable

Mode.

Even

though

the

FD

automatically knows

which

mode

to

use

when a formatted

disk

is

inserted,

you

should

be

familiar

with

each

operating

mode

and

its

capabilities.

1581 Compatible Mode

As

the

name of this mode implies, your

FD

can

emulate a Commodore

1581

disk drive.

It

can read and write disks that were created

on

a

Commodore

1581

and

can

format

800K

disks

for

use

on a 1581.

Your

FD

responds

to

all

1581

commands

and

can

read all

1581

files

and formats

(including

GEOS

and

CP/M)

without

the

need

for conversions.

CMD Partitionable Mode

The

FD

can format disks

in

a manner that provides storage capacity and

flexibility far beyond that of

the

1581

or

any

other floppy drive.

On

disks

with a CMD

partition able format,

you

can break up

the

overall storage

space into as many as

31

segments (partitions). This concept, which is

already familiar

to

CMD

HD,

RAMLink

and RAMDrive users,

is

similar

to

dividing a large disk into a

number

of smaller disks. CMD-formatted disks

can

store 800K,

1.6

Megabytes

and

on

the

FD-4000, 3.2

Megabytes.

Each partition

on

a'disk

is

referred to by number (1-31),

has

its

own

directory, and

is

treated

as

if it

were

a separate

disk.

Your

computer

can

"see"

the

directory, files and storage area of

only

one

partition

at a time

- making

partitions ideal for keeping different programs separate

from

one another.

On

a partitionable disk,

you

will

work

in

one partition at a

time

(the current

5

Using the FD

partition). The current partition is changed

by

sending a simple command

and has the same effect as physically swapping disks on other floppy drives. A CMD-formatted disk must have at least

one

partition for it to be usable. A partition can be as small as 256 blocks (64K) or as large as the entire disk (up to 3.2 Megabytes for an

FD-4000 Enhanced-Density disk). Although the

partitioning system can handle

up

to

31

partitions on a single disk, the

number

of

partitions you can create is limited by the total storage

of

the

particular disk and the size

of

the partitions you create.

There are a number

of

good reasons for making a large capacity disk

partitionable.

Some programs may take up very little space, or may contain

a lot

of

filenames. Using partitions allows you to have separate directories

for different programs

or

types

of

programs. Partitions can also be useful for

quick backups or compatibility. There are two types

of

CMD partitions:

CMD Emulation Mode partitions

These partitions duplicate the storage and directory/BAM layout

of

1541,

1571 and

1581

disks exactly. The main reason for using an Emulation Mode partition is software compatibility (some programs will only work from within a partition that emulates a 1541, 1571

or

1581 drive). A good

example is the standard

GEOS desktop, which will work on the FD only

through the use

of

1581 Emulation Mode partitions.

The

table below gives

the number

of

blocks required to create each type

of

Emulation Mode

partition, and the number

of

blocks free available in the directory.

PARTITION

TYPE

BLOCKS

REQUIRED

BLOCKS

FREE

1541

Emulation

Mode

684

664

1571

Emulation

Mode

1368

1328

1581

Emulation Mode

3200

3160

CMD Native Mode partitions

CMD

Native Mode partitions are the most flexible and powerful type of partition. Native Mode partitions can be as small as 256 blocks or as large as the entire disk and

are

defined

in

256 block increments up to a maximum

of

12,800 blocks (3.2 Megabytes). The directory and BAM

of

a Native

Mode

partition take up 64 blocks regardless

of

the partition's size. For

example, a Native Mode partition that takes 256 blocks to create will show

192 blocks free, a 512 block partition will show 448 blocks free, and a 12,800 block partition will show 12,736 blocks free.

Native Mode partitions

are

ideal because you can tailor the size

of

the

partition to the exact needs

of

a program and its files without wasting space

or running out

of

room. Most programs can run from within Native Mode

partitions; a notable example is CMD's gateWay desktop for

GEOS. Native

Mode partitions can also contain CMD's

MS-DOS style subdirectories (an

advanced topic explained in detail in a separate section).

6

Using the FD

Formatting Disks

Disk Types

FD

Series

driv~s

are capable of formatting most of

the

available types of

3.5"

micro-floppy diskettes.

The

chart below

shows

the

supported

disk

types

along with information

on

storage capacities. Please note that

the

ED

disk

type

is

only supported

on

the FD-4000

model.

DISK

DESCRIPTION

UNFORMAmD

FORMATIED

TYPE

CAPACITY

DO

Double-sided Double-density 1000K{1

M)

BOOK

HD

High

Density

2000K

(2M)

1600K

(1.6M)

ED

Enhanced

Density

(FD-4000)

4000K

(4M)

3200K (3.2Ml

Supported

Disk

Formats

and

Capacities

A Warning About Formatting

and

Disk

Types

You

should always

use

the

correct format density

for

the

disk

type

you

are

formatting.

Other options

may

appear

to

work,

but

the

results and reliability

are not guaranteed, especially if

you

format disks

at

a higher density

than

they

were

manufactured

for.

You

should also

be

aware

that

the

FD-2000

will

not

format disks

in

ED

(Enhanced

Density).

Formatting Diskettes

The

easiest

way

to

format disks

is

to

use the

FD-TOOLS

utility program

supplied on the FD

UTILITIES disk. The

FORMATTING

OPTIONS

area

in

FD-

TOOLS

allows

you

to

create

any

of a

number

of standard formats,

and

also

provides options

for

custom

formatting.

The

following paragraphs

describe

the

two

standard options

for

formatting

the

disks

that

will

hold

your

Commodore

programs

and

files.

1581

Compatible Format

The

FD

can format Double-Density 800K disks that

are

identical

to

those

formatted

on

a 1581.

To

format a 1581-compatible disk

in

FD-TOOLS,

select 'CBM'

as

the disk

type.

Note:

disks that

you

want

to

use

for

CP/M

should be formatted

as

1581

compatible disks.

CMD

Partltlonable Formats

CMD

partitionable formats let

you

take

full advantage of

the

capacity

and

flexibility of your drive, and

can

be

Double-Density 800K, High-Density

1.6M,

or Enhanced-Density

3.2M

(FD-4000 only).

To

create a disk

with

a

CMD

partitionable format

in

FD-TOOLS, first select

'CMD'

as

the

format

type.

Next, select the desired density

(800K/1.6M!3.2M).

Finally, select

the

7

Using the FD

partition arrangement that you want to appear on the disk. There are three possible choices:

NATIVE This option creates a single CMD Native Mode partition that

uses all

of

the available storage space, resulting in 3136 blocks

free on

800K disks, 6336 blocks free on 1.6M disks, and 12736

blocks free on 3.2M disks.

1581 This option creates

1581

partitions on the disk. 800K disks will

have one 1581 partition, 1.6M disks will have two, and 3.2M

disks will have four. Each

1581

partition has 3160 blocks free.

NONE This option does not create any partitions on the disk, allowing

you to create your own custom partition arrangement. Before you can use the disk, you'll have to use the PARTITIONING OPTIONS in FD-TOOLS to create at least one partition.

Write Protecting Disks

Your FD will detect the condition of the write protect 'window' on any disk inserted into the drive.

If

this window

is

open, the disk is write protected,

and cannot be written to.

You open or close the write-protect window by

sliding a small plastic tab

to

the appropriate position. You can easily move

the tab by using the point of a pen or a similar instrument.

It

is important to note that the write-protect window on a 3.5" disk

functions in a manner opposite

to

that

of

the write-protect tab on a 5.25"

inch disk. That is to say, a 3.5" disk is write protected when its window is open, while a 5.25" disk is write protected when its window is closed (writeprotect tab on).

There is also a set

of

software commands which can be issued

to

write protect an FD disk from within your own programs. For further information on these commands, see the Command Reference section

of

this manual.

Partitioning Disks

FD-TOOLS allows you to tailor the partitioning arrangement of CMD-

formatted disks to suit the needs

of

the particular programs that you use.

The default partitioning options (NATIVE, 1581, and

NONE) discussed

in the previous paragraphs for CMD-formatted disks are not permanent and may be changed at any time. By using the

PARTITIONING, OPTIONS in

FD-TOOLS, you can view a list

of

the existing partitions on a disk, delete unwanted partitions, create new partitions, set the default partition, and format (NEW the directory) of a partition.

Note: In

FD-TOOLS, partition sizes are always displayed in 'blocks'. Each

block is 256 bytes in size; therefore four blocks

is

equal

to

lK

of

storage.

S

Using the FD

Viewing Partitions

The VIEW PARTITION TABLE option enables you to see a list

of

the partitions that currently exist on a disk. The partitions are listed by their number, name, size and type.

Setting The Default Partition

If

you have more than one partition on a CMD-formatted disk, you will

want to define the

default partition by using the CHANGE DEFAULT

PARTITION option.

The

default partition is the partition that the computer

"sees" whenever that disk is inserted in the PD.

As

an example, you might have a disk with Partition 1 containing a database program and Partition 2 containing your wordprocessing program.

If

you use the wordprocessing

program

90%

of

the time, you would want

to

set Partition 2 as the default

partition so that

you

would automatically be

in

the wordprocessing partition

each time the disk is inserted.

In

order to use the database program, you

would issue a 'Change Partition' command after inserting the disk. Each disk has its own default partition. Note: Whenever you create a

CMD-

formatted disk, the default partition is set

to

Partition

1.

Creating Partitions

The CREATE PARTITIONS option allows you to create one or more partitions on a CMD-formatted disk.

For

each partition you create, you

must select a number, name, and type (1541, 1571,

1581

or Native).

If

you

choose

to

create a Native Mode partition, you will also have to specify a

size in increments

of

256 blocks.

Note:

Once you create a Native Mode partition, you cannot increase or

decrease its size without deleting the partition entirely first. Please note that the number

of

partitions you can create is always limited by

the amount of available storage

on

a particular disk. In addition,

if

there is

little free space remaining on a disk, the type

of

partitions you can create

may also be limited (for example,

if

only 400 blocks remain, you will only

be able

to

create a 256-block Native partition).

An

INSUFFICIENT SPACE

A V AILABLE message means that you will not be able

to

create a new

partition until at least one existing partition has been deleted.

Deleting Partitions

The DELETE PARTITIONS option allows you to delete one or more

partitions on a CMD-formatted disk. When you delete a partition, it is removed from the disk's partition table and any programs

or

data in that

partition are lost. Deleting a partition will free up space which can then

be

used in the creation

of

new partitions. Note:

If

you wish to delete all the

partitions on a disk, use the DELETE ALL

PARTITIONS option instead.

9

Using the FD

Deleting a partition may take some time (up to

15

minutes), because any

remaining partitions located above the one being deleted must

be

moved

down to fill in the vacated space. In addition,

if

a disk error occurs while you

are deleting partitions, there is a risk that information in one

of

the

remaining partitions could

be

corrupted. Therefore, you should not delete a

partition until you have backed up all valuable data on the disk.

Formatting Partitions

The REFORMAT PARTITION option allows you to 'NEW' the directory of

a partition on a CMD-formatted disk without destroying information

in

any

of

-the

other partitions that reside on the same disk. This can be useful

when you want to quickly 'clean out' a partition in order

to

use

it

for a

different program or set

of

meso

Copying Software

to

the

FD

Two programs are supplied that you will use almost exclusively

to

copy

programs and data files to your PD: FCOPY is a file copy program that will copy all types

of

files (except GEOS files) between any FD partition and any type of drive. You should always

try to copy software

to

the FD by using FCOPY,

as

it will allow

you to place your programs and data

files into the powerfiIl and flexible

Native Mode partitions. MCOPY is a full disk copier that makes a mirror image copy of every

sector on a disk. Because it copies a disk

by

sectors, MCOPY can only copy

between drives and partitions of the same type (i.e. between a

1541

disk

drive and a 1541 Emulation Mode partition, a 1581 drive and a 1581

partition, etc.).

MCOPY is most useful for copying programs that are

dependent upon the exact track and sector layout

of

a Commodore disk drive

to run properly. FCOPY and MCOPY both incorporate the same menus and command keys

that make it easy

to

select the drives and partitions that you will be copying

to and from.

Software without copy-protection .

Software which is not copy-protected can almost always be installed directly on the PD. With these programs the main concern is usually which type

of

partition

to

use. The best way is to start with a Native Mode partition, and

then copy all the

files· from the program disk to that partition by using

FCOPY. You should then try

to

run the program (see the instructions given

a few pages ahead in the section titled "Running Programs"), Note: Some

Cb

128 programs can only be loaded by autobooting after powerup or reset.

HI

Using the FD

These types

of

programs will require you to copy the boot sector

to

your

FD partition by using FCOPY's

'COpy

C-128 BOOT SECTOR' function.

Some software, even though it contains no copy-protection, will only work with a certain type

of

drive and should be placed in

an

Emulation Mode

partition.

Use

FCOPY and work your way 'downward', trying a 1581

partition first, then a 1571, and finally a 1541 partition.

If

the software will still not work, all is not lost, as there may be some 'hidden' data on the program disk which cannot be duplicated with

FCOPY. In this case, use

MCOPY to copy the entire disk to a partition

of

the same type.

If

the program still does not work, it is probably performing some very drive specific tasks or may use an incompatible fast loader routine. Certain fast loader routines may have

to

be disabled

in

order to get software

to

work

with the FD (a good example is the fast loader built into CMD's

Stereo

SIDplayer

software).

Multiple Disk Programs

Some programs are distributed on a number of disks. In many cases, simply copying all the files from each

of

the disks into a single partition using

FCOPY will allow you

to

use this type

of

program on the FD. Watch out

for file names which are the same when copying these types

of

disks. These

files

mayor

may not be identical.

If

some

of

the information for a program is stored directly on the disk

without a file name, or the disk name is checked

to

determine

if

the correct

disk is being used, it will be necessary to use

MCOPY

to

copy the disks

to

partitions. However, you may only be able to use one

of

the disks in the set

inhere

is no provision in the program for sending a

C:p

(Change Partition)

command to the FD before a disk swap is required.

directory

of

the

FD

by

entering:

LOAD"$",dv LIST

JiffyDOS

users

can

instead

press

f1

to

view

the

directory.

13

Using the FD

If

you do not remember which partitions are on a particular disk, you can

view the partition directory by entering:

LOAD"$=P",dv LIST

JiffyDOS users can instead enter:

@$=P

You will see a list

of

the partitions on the disk showing each partition's number and name. The list should remind you which partition the particular program is in. The first partition in the list will always

be

the System

Partition. Please

note that the System Partition is used exclusively by the FD to store system information and cannot be used to hold your files or programs.

Swapping Device Numbers

Many times a program can only be loaded from device 8 or 9.

If

your FD is

normally set to another device number

(15

for example), you can still easily

load these programs by using the front panel

SWAP function. Press SWAP once to make the FD device 8, twice to make it device 9, and three times to change back to the FD's original.device number. The ACCESS and ERROR lamps will stay on for about three seconds to indicate when an FD has been swapped to device 8 or 9. The following chart shows how the FD

Series

drives react to presses

of

the SWAP button.

NUMBER OF TIMES

FD

BECOMES

ACCESS

ERROR

SWAP

IS

PRESSED

DEVICE

LAMP

1

8

ON

OFF

2

9

OFF

ON

3

DEFAULT

ON

As an example, assume your FD is device IS, you have a 1541 that is device 8, and the program you want

to

load from the FD needs

to

load from

device 8. Before loading the program, you would press

SWAP once. This will make the FD become device 8 and will swap the 1541 to device 15. You can then load the program in the normal manner. After you have finished using the program and want to use your 1541 as device 8 again, press

SWAP three times.

The

SWAP function can .also be useful even if a

copy-prote~ted

program

cannot be loaded from the FD. A good example is the

Pocket Writer

wordprocessor program.

In

this case, you would first load Pocket Writer

from your 1541 or 1571 (device 8) and then

SWAP the FD to device 8 after

the program loads. This allows you

to

use the FD to store Pocket Writer

documents and program overlay files.

14

Using the FD

SWAP can also be used even

if

you do not already have a device S

or

9 on

the serial bus. In this case, the

FD

simply becomes device S or 9 without

affecting any other devices on the bus.

Things to remember about device swapping

1. When first powering on or resetting a C-64 (or entering C-64 mode on a C-I2S), the serial bus must be cleared before the SWAP functions can be

used. This can

be

done by performing any disk access (such as

LOAD"$",S) or by the command POKE 56576,199.

2.

When GEOS is active, the SWAP function cannot

be

used. This is because GEOS is always controlling an active handshake with the current drive on the serial bus. In any case, swapping device numbers after

GEOS has booted would not be recommended because GEOS assigns a different device driver to each type

of

drive. Therefore, the proper time to

swap device numbers when using GEOS is before booting.

3.

NEVER press the SWAP button while a drive on the serial bus is being

accessed. Doing so invites the possibility

of

locking

up

your computer. A rule-of-thumb to apply before pressing the SWAP button is to make sure that none

of

your drive activity lights are on, and that the program you are using is not processing data at the time. (A good time to swap device numbers is while a program is waiting for user input).

C·128 Autoboot Programs

Certain programs for the C-128 can only be loaded by autobooting after your computer has been turned on or reset. After turning on your computer, you may need to perform one

or

more

of

the following steps

in

order to get

such programs to load.

1.

If

your FD is not device number

S,

press SW AP once in order to make it

deviceS.

2.

If

the program you want to load is not in the current partition, enter the 'CP' command in order to change the current partition (see Changing Partitions above).

3.

To

load the program, type the following command and press Return:

BOOT

Backing

up

Disks

and

Files

Once you start using your FD, you will want to back up the disks and files that you create in order to protect against their loss due to an accident or a disk that becomes defective. In addition, CMD Hard Drive, RAMLink and RAMDrive owners will want to use their FD to back up the data from their

15

Using the FD

other CMD devices. There are three programs you can use to back up data: FCOPY,

MCOPY and BCOPY. The following paragraphs give a general

explanation

of

how these programs can be used to back up data. More

detailed instructions on their use are given in Appendix

A.

FCOPY

FCOPY is useful for backing up data on a file-by-file basis. With FCOPY

you

can

copy the files you create

on

your FD to another disk drive

or

storage device (1541, 1571, 1581, CMD HD, RAMLink or RAMDrive).

If

you have the Real-Time Clock Option installed in your FD, you can use the time

and

date stamp on files to back up only those that have been modified

since your last backup. Please note that

GEOS files cannot be copied by

FCOPY, and must

be

backed up to another disk from within GEOS or

gateWay.

MCOPY

MCOPY allows you to make a copy

of

an entire partition to another disk

drive

of

the same type.

For

example, a 1541 Emulation Mode partition can

be

copied to a 1541 disk, a 1571 partition to a

1571

disk, and a 1581

partition to a

1581

disk.

If

you own another CMD device (HD, RAMLink,

RAMDrive,

or

another FD), you can also copy the contents

of

a Native Mode partition to another Native Mode partition that is the same size or larger. 1541, 1571 and 1581 partitions on your FD can also be copied to other CMD devices providing that the same type

of

partition exists on the

other device.

BCOPY

BCOPY allows you to copy an entire

FD

disk or the contents

of

selected

partitions to any other type

of

floppy disk drive (1541, 1571, 1581, or

another FD).

If

you own another CMD device (HD, RAMLink, RAMDrive,

or

another FD), you can also use BCOPY to back up that device to your

PD. The number

of

floppy disks required to back up a particular partition or

disk depends on the size

of

the partition or disk that you want to back up

and on the type

of

the backup drive.

For

example, an entire 1.6 Megabyte

FD disk can

be

backed up on ten 1541 disks, five

1571

disks, or three

1581

disks. Because

BCOPY backs up a complete image

of

a partition

or

disk by

sectors,

it

will restore only the entire partition

or

disk when called upon

to

retrieve a backup (BCOPY cannot selectively restore individual files).

16

Using the FD

Real Time Clock Option

The

following paragraphs describe the functions

and

benefits

of

the FD's

optional RTC (Real Time Clock) module.

Setting the RTC

When you first get your FD, you should set the

RTC

to the proper time and

date

by using the 'Set

Real

Time Clock' option

in

F D -

TOO

L S (see

Appendix A for details). Programmers should note that software commands

can

also

be

used to

set

the RTC (see the Command Reference section),

Because the RTC is battery-backed, you will not need to set

it

again unless

seasonal time changes occur (Daylight

Savings/Standard Time). The normal

life

of

the battery is from 2 to 5 years. Note: Because the battery is an

integral part

of

the

RTC

module, the entire RTC must

be

replaced when the

battery wears down

to the point where it cannot retain the proper time.

Viewing the Current Time

The

current time as kept by the RTC can be viewed by using the 'Set Real

Time

Clock' option in FD-TOOLS. Alternatively, a short BASIC program

can be run which issues the FD's 'T-RA' command:

10

OPEN15,10,15,"T-RA"

20

GET#15,A$:T$=T$+A$:IFST<>64THEN20

30

PRINT

T$:CLOSE15

As a shortcut, JiffyDOS users can issue the following command:

@"T-RA":@

Programmers:

See

the Command Reference for RTC command details.

Viewing Time and Date Stamped Directories

The

time and date stamp that the

FD

applies to files can

be

viewed by

entering the following commands:

LOAD"$=T",lO LIST

JiffyDOS users can enter the following shortcut:

@$=T

Setting the GEOS Clock from the RTC

Whenever you boot GEOS, the RTC in your

FD

can automatically set the

GEOS clock to the proper time and date. See 'Using the

FD

with GEOS' for

detailed instructions on how to use this function.

17

Using the

FD

(This page has been intentionally left blank)

18

Section 4

Using the

FD

with GEOS

Before you Begin

This section will provide you with the information you need for getting

your

FD

operating under GEOS V2.0 with either the standard GEOS

desktop

or

with CMD's gateWay. We assume that you already use GEOS

and are familiar with its operation. Therefore, you should not start into this

section

if

you are booting GEOS for the very first time.

Using the FD with

the

GEOS Desktop

Under the standard GEOS V2.0 desktop (64 or 128), your FD will function almost identically to a 1581.

In

fact, through the use

of

CONFIGURE,

you

will tell

GEOS that the FD actually is a 1581. Multiple partitions are

accessible through the use

of

the

CMD

_MOVE utility, and your FD will be

able to automatically set the GEOS clock

if

have the Real Time Clock

option installed.

Important: The FD will only work with

GEOS V2.0. It will not work

with earlier versions

of

GEOS. Contact Berkeley Softworks (GEOWorks)

if

you need to upgrade your GEOS to V2.0.

Device Numbers

GEOS utilizes devices numbered 8, 9 or 10, and uses device number

11 temporarily for drive swapping. Therefore, your FD must be set to device 8, 9 or

10 before you boot GEOS (you can use the SWAP function

if

you

wish). In addition, you should not have any drives configured as device

11. Another note: GEOS expects devices to be consecutive. For example, on a system with a single 1541 floppy drive attached as Drive A (device 8), your

FD should

be configured as Drive B (device 9) -

not

as

Drive C (device 10).

Formatting Disks

Since the GEOS desktop can only recognize 1581 partitions on the FD, you should consider formatting the disks you want to use under

GEOS with

either one, two, or four 1581 partitions (on

800K, 1.6M and 3.2M disks

respectively).

Use the

FD-TOOLS

program supplied on your FD Utilities

disk to format and partition the disks you want

to

use under GEOS.

Note: Selecting the format option in GEOS will format (NEW) only the current partition on your PD.

It

will leave any other partitions that may be

19

Using the FD with GEOS

on

the disk untouched. However,

if

the disk you insert in your FD is

unformatted,

or

is an 800K 1581 disk, choosing the format option will

cause the disk

to

be formatted as an 800K disk. Therefore,

if

you want

to

use 1.6M or 3.2M disks under GEOS, you must format them outside

of

GEOS by using

FD-TOOLS.

Configuring the desktop

To get your FD working under GEOS, boot GEOS with your FD attached and configured with a valid

GEOS device number (see above for proper device number settings). When the DeskTop comes up, it is not likely that you will see any additional drive icons associated with your FD. To get your FD to show up on the DeskTop:

1.

Double click on the

CONFIGURE

icon. After a short pause, the

CONFIGURE

application screen will open showing three or four boxes

labeled 'Drive

A', 'Drive B', 'Drive

C'

and 'RAM expansion:'.

2. Find the first box (using A,

Band C as

the logical order) which does

not have a drive selected. This will usually

be

Drive B on a system that has one drive besides the FD, or Drive C on a system with two drives besides the FD.

3.

Select the 1581 option.

4.

Select

save

configuration from thefile menu.

5. Your FD is now installed and ready for use under GEOS. Select quit from the file menu and begin using your FD.

USing Partitions

The ability

to

use more than one partition

on

an FD disk presents some

important advantages under

GEOS. In particular,

it

allows you to organize

your applications and files more efficiently.

An

individual partition can be

dedicated

to

a single application and its support files. For example, one partition may be dedicated to geoPublishwith associated applications and clip art. Another might contain a complete applications development environment with another containing word processing or graphics.

In order

to

access more than one partition on the FD, you will need

to

use

the

CMD MOVE utility supplied on the FD Utilities disk. CMD MOVE is

launched

from

the desktop and allows

you

to

change the current

Fi5

partition

arid can also

be

used to copy files between partitions. Because

CMD

_MOVE

must be launched from the current FD partition, a copy

of

CMD

_MOVE and

the DeskTop should be kept in each partition that you use under

GEOS.

Complete instructions on the use

of

CMD

_MOVE

are given later in this

section.

20

Using the

FD

with GEOS

Notes for 1581 Owners

If

you own a 1581 drive. you will

be

able

to

use your

1581

GEOS disks in

the PO

if

you wish. You should note. however. that you will not

be

able to

boot GEOS from your FD with a

1581

GEOS boot disk. See the following

paragraph for instructions on how to create a

GEOS boot disk on your FD

..

Making a Boot Disk

To place a bootable copy

of

GEOS on an FD disk. you will need a separate

utility program.

The

one

we

recommend is CMD's

geoMakeBoot.

Instructions are provided with this utility that explain the steps required to make the actual FD boot disk. geoMakeBoot can also be used to create boot disks or partitions for other

GEOS-compatible devices, such as the 1581.

CMD Hard Drive. RAMLink or RAMDrive. Warning: Most other 1581

GEOS bootmaker programs, such as Maverick

and RUN's

1581

Bootmaker will not work with the FD.

Automatically Setting the GEOS Clock

If

you have the optional Real Time Clock installed in your FD, you can

automatically set the

GEOS clock

to

the proper time whenever you boot

GEOS. To do so,

use

GEOS to copy the CMDT

ime

autoexec utility from

the FD

Utilities disk onto your GEOS boot disk or partition. Then.

whenever you boot

GEOS from that disk or partition,

CMD

Time

will automatically read the correct time and date from the FD's RTC and set the GEOS clock accordingly.

Using the

FD

with gateWay

CMD's gateWay is a replacement desktop for GEOS that streamlines the standard desktop functions and enables you

to

utilize the full capabilities

of

the FD under GEOS. Under gateWay, you can use both

1581

and Native Mode partitions and can also create subdirectories within Native Mode partitions.

With gateWay. moving between partitions on your FD is as easy as selecting a menu item.

If

you have the Real Time Clock option installed,

gateWay will automatically set the

GEOS clock each time you boot up

Without the need for an autoexec utility.

Important:

You will need gateWay V2.5 or higher in order for you

to

use

the PO with gateWay.

If

you have an earlier version

of

gateWay. contact

CMD or your dealer for

gateWay upgrade details.

21

Using the FD with GEOS

Device Numbers

To use your FD with gateWay, set the device number to 8, 9 or

10

(you can

use the SWAP function

if

you wish). In addition, you should not have any

drives configured as device 11.

Formatting Disks

gateWay can recognize both 1581 and Native Mode partitions on the FD. Use the

FD-TOOLS

program supplied

on

your FD Utilities disk to format

and partition the disks you want

to

use under gateWay.

Note: Selecting the

format option in gateWay will format (NEW) only the

current partition on your FD. It will leave any other partitions that may be on the disk untouched. However,

if

the disk you insert in your FD is

unformatted, or is an

800K 1581 disk, choosing the format option will

format the disk as 8ooK.

If

you want to use 1.6M or 3.2M disks under

gateWay, you must format them outside

of

GEOS by using

FD-TOOLS.

Installing the

FD

Device Drivers

Four new gateWay drivers are included

on

your FD Utilities disk:

FD1581,

FD1581

128,

FDNative,

FDNative

128.

The FD1581 drivers allow

you to

use 1581 Emulation partitions, while the FDNative drivers allow you to use Native Mode partitions (only one partition type can be used at a time). Before you can use the FD with gateWay, you will have

to

copy the

driver(s) you need from the FD Utilities disk to your gateWay boot disk. Important: Even though you may already haveFD drivers on your gateWay

V2.5 disk, you should replace them with the ones supplied on the FD Utilities disk. This guarantees that

you

will be using the most up-to-date

versions

of

these drivers.

To install the FD disk drivers:

1.

Make sure your

FD

is shut off or not attached

to

the serial bus.

2. Boot gateWay

from

your normal boot drive.

3.

Place a copy

of

the CBM15

81

driver on your boot disk in the position

where the FD will show up later

on

(position 1 for drive

A,

position 2

for drive B, and position 3 for drive

C).

4. Shut down gateWay, and connect and/or turn on your FD. Make sure

your FD is configured with the proper device number.

5~

Boot gateWay again from your normal boot drive. Your

FD

should

show up on the desktop

6. Insert the FD Utilities disk into your FD and copy the FD disk drivers

onto your boot disk (remove

CBM15

81

if you do not have a 1581).

7.

Shut down gateWay, then reboot and begin using your FD.

22

Using the FD with GEOS

Changing Partitions

You can change partitions from within gateWay by using the

open

partition

option on the special menu. Another method is to close the filePad

of

an

FD

partition, which causes gateWay to display a list

of

the available

partitions on the disk (Native Mode partitions must

be'

in the root directory

for this to happen). Note:

Your PD must

be

the currently active drive in

order for you

to

change partitions.

Using Subdirectories

SUbdirectories can be created within Native Mode partitions on the

PD

by

using the gateWay document

MakeDir.

Subdirectories show up on the filePad as a folder, and are entered by double-clicking on the folder. You exit a subdirectory by closing the

filePad,

at

which point you are "dropped back"

to the parent directory that contains the subdirectory. The

Bordercross

document lets you define up to 8 files that will appear

in every subdirectory

of

a Native Mode partition. This gateWay document places up to 8 files into the off-page directory block which is automatically appended

to

every subdirectory in a partition, thus giving access to those files no matter which subdirectory you are in. The most often realized benefit of this feature is to save you the time, trouble and space required

to

place a copy

of

gateWay into every subdirectory you create.

It is important to note that files can only be copied into a subdirectory from another drive - they cannot

be

copied from another subdirectory

or

partition

on the

FD

by

using CMD_MOVE.

Making a Boot

Disk

To

make a gateWay boot disk on your FD, first copy all

of

the files on your

present

boot

disk along with a copy

of

MakeBoot

into the desired PD

partition. Next, make your FD the active drive and launch

MakeBoot

from

the PD. After

MakeBoot

finishes creating the new boot files, you will

be

able

to

shut down and reboot gateWay from your PD.

Automatically setting the GEOS Clock

If

you have the optional Real Time Clock installed in your PD, gateWay

will automatically set the

GEOS clock

to

the proper time and date whenever

you boot. Note:

You must have an

FD

disk driver file in one

of

the first three positions on your boot disk in order for the automatic clock setting function

to

operate.

23

Using the FD with GEOS

Using CMD_MOVE

CMD

_MOVE

has two basic functions.

It

allows you to change partitions on

the FD (and other CMD devices) and also allows you to copy files

from

one

partition to another.

Changing Partitions

To change partitions using CMD

_MOVE:

1.

Launch the CMD

_MOVE

application.

2.

Use the DRIVE button to select the FD.

3.

Select a partition from the list and click on the OPEN button.

The program will move

to

the selected partition and quit. Make sure you

have a copy

of

the DeskTop or gateWay file in any partition you wish

to

use, or the system will prompt you

to

insert a disk containing that file.

Copying Files Between Partitions

To

use CMD

_MOVE

to copy files from one partition

to

another:

1.

Launch the CMD

_MOVE

application.

2.

Select lhe FD by using the DRIVE button.

3.

Select the source partition from the list and click'on the FILES button to

see the files in that partition (if you don't see the files you want

eo copy, you may click on the PDIR button to return to the partition directory

to

select a different partition).

4.

Select the files that you wish

to

copy. You select any single file by

clicking once on its name.

Selected files are shown in reverse print.

You can de-select a selected file

by

clicking on its name once again.

You can also select or de-select a group

of

files by dragging the pointer

over the filenames while the button is depressed.

You will also see a

number

of

option icons near the bottom

of

the requestor box. These

options are (from left to right): De-select All,

Select All, Move

to

Bottom

of

List, Move to Top

of

List, Scroll Down one Page, Scroll

Up One Page, Scroll Up

one File, Scroll Down one File.

5. When you are done selecting files, click on the

OK button. Next, select

the destination partition from the list and click on the

OPEN button

to

start the copy process.

After the copy process is complete, you may repeat these steps

to

copy files

into other partitions, use the QUIT button

to

exit to the last partition

selected (the destination partition), or select a different partition

to

exit to

from the list and quit to that partition

by

using the OPEN button.

24

Commodore FD-4000 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual