ILPer v1.44 update

[Christoph Giesselink]

ILPer has been updated to v1.44 at http://hp.giesselink.com.

Major changes:

Auto-extended address mode

Since ILPer v1.43 both internal devices support the "auto-extended address" mode. This could cause a different device addressing in connection with other "auto-address" devices in the same loop. Also this feature may cause trouble with other forthcoming new features. So in consequence the "auto-extended address" mode was disabled by default in v1.44.

If you want to reactivate this feature you have to modify the registry key value HKCU\Software\EmuTools\Ilper\Settings\AutoExtAddr from 0 to 1 or, when you're using the setup-file method, change the "AutoExtAddr" argument in the "[Settings]" section to 1 please.

Device ID for the mass storage device

Since ILPer v1.44 the device ID of the mass storage simulation changed from ID="HDRIVE1" to ID="HP9114B". This improve compatibility with programs written to access HP9114 floppy disk drives which are using the device ID to identify the device address of attached drives.

[rprosperi]

(09-30-2014 06:58 PM)Christoph Giesselink Wrote:  ILPer has been updated to v1.44 at http://hp.giesselink.com.

Major changes:

Auto-extended address mode

Since ILPer v1.43 both internal devices support the "auto-extended address" mode. This could cause a different device addressing in connection with other "auto-address" devices in the same loop. Also this feature may cause trouble with other forthcoming new features. So in consequence the "auto-extended address" mode was disabled by default in v1.44.

If you want to reactivate this feature you have to modify the registry key value HKCU\Software\EmuTools\Ilper\Settings\AutoExtAddr from 0 to 1 or, when you're using the setup-file method, change the "AutoExtAddr" argument in the "[Settings]" section to 1 please.

Device ID for the mass storage device

Since ILPer v1.44 the device ID of the mass storage simulation changed from ID="HDRIVE1" to ID="HP9114B". This improve compatibility with programs written to access HP9114 floppy disk drives which are using the device ID to identify the device address of attached drives.

Thanks for the update Christoph! I installed the new version 1.44 and all seems to be working fine, set up with ILPilbox and 2 instances of ILPer via virtual IL.

Very anxious to learn more about the "forthcoming new features".

[Sylvain Cote]

(09-30-2014 06:58 PM)Christoph Giesselink Wrote:  ILPer has been updated to v1.44 at http://hp.giesselink.com.

Hello Christoph,

Thank you!
I will try it later this week.

Best regards,

Sylvain

[Dave Frederickson]

(10-01-2014 12:50 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  Very anxious to learn more about the "forthcoming new features".

Like SS/80 support? Maybe a graphics printer device?

[Ángel Martin]

(10-01-2014 02:51 AM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 12:50 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  Very anxious to learn more about the "forthcoming new features".

Like SS/80 support? Maybe a graphics printer device?

How about a resizable window? that sure enough mustn't be very tough to pull off...

[Michael Fehlhammer]

(10-01-2014 09:40 AM)Mike (Stgt) Wrote:  I did a HP-GL plotter very close to the HP7470A opt. 003 and present it at the Allschwil meeting.

Will your virtual IL plotter appear at Christoph's site in the near future?

[hp41cx]

(10-01-2014 02:51 AM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 12:50 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  Very anxious to learn more about the "forthcoming new features".

Like SS/80 support? Maybe a graphics printer device?

Gooooooooooooooooooood !!!!!! :-) :-) :-)

[Dave Frederickson]

(10-01-2014 09:40 AM)Mike (Stgt) Wrote:  You'd like new features? Well, don't hesitate and code it.

You taunt me, sir, like the French knight in the Holy Grail. Alas, my programming skills are rather rusty and I'm in the company of some very proficient programmers. I find it easier to plant the seed, sit back, and see what grows.

Dave

[Christoph Giesselink]

Quote:Also this feature may cause trouble with other forthcoming new features.

Sorry, this sentence is somehow wrong. Correctly I should write "Also this feature may cause trouble with maybe other forthcoming new features.". Indeed, you're correct when you mean the SS800 protocol. But, I only made changes in the frame decoder of the disk device, so when you have look into the source code, you will find remarked source code fragments to adapt a SS80 protocol implementation. But I have to disappoint you, at the moment there are no plans for any implementation of the SS80 protocol from my side.

The next hope asked for a resizeable window. With another framework like QT an implementation of a resizeable window with automated repositioning the buttons and the other stuff is much easier than with the MFC framework behind. Because I'm working on many projects I have to decide where and on which project I spend my free time. My interests are focused to other projects at the moment, so many of my programs only get minimal support in form of bugfixes. So a bugfix in the last version of ILPer in the auto-extended address mode decoder now allows to address multiple listener for the printer and disk drive.

Christoph

[rprosperi]

(10-01-2014 07:06 PM)Christoph Giesselink Wrote:  ...So a bugfix in the last version of ILPer in the auto-extended address mode decoder now allows to address multiple listener for the printer and disk drive.

Christoph

Christoph - is this change you mentioned in Ver 1.44 for "auto-extended address mode" the same as what is called "Secondary (Extended) Addressing Mode" in the pink HP-IL book, which is used to address beyond 31 devices in a large loop configuration (up to 900 I think), via AAD, AAU, etc?

I was not aware ILPer supported such advanced modes of HP-IL use. I have no practical need for such features, but I know this is the technique used to do multiple simultaneous disk writes. Could multiple instances of ILPer on virtual HP-IL do this?

[Dave Frederickson]

(10-02-2014 10:01 AM)Mike (Stgt) Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 03:23 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  ... and I'm in the company of some very proficient programmers.

LOL! Proficient programmers? Sounds like smart managers.

I was, of course, referring to you guys!

[Christoph Giesselink]

(10-01-2014 10:21 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Christoph - is this change you mentioned in Ver 1.44 for "auto-extended address mode" the same as what is called "Secondary (Extended) Addressing Mode" in the pink HP-IL book, which is used to address beyond 31 devices in a large loop configuration (up to 900 I think), via AAD, AAU, etc?

Yes, it is. ILPer v1.42 and before supported only "auto address mode" (with primary address). In 2013 I worked on the Mountain 80col video adapter simulation (ILVideo80.exe) which supports the "auto-extended address mode". Therefore I had to add this mode to JFG frame decoder sources I used for implementation. The only controller with support of the "auto-extended address mode" I had, was a real HP-71B. To have a bigger test platform to understand the "auto-extended address mode" I added the mode also to ILPer v1.43. Be aware, that the original HP9114B device only support "auto address mode". In ILPer v1.44 the "auto-extended address mode" has been disabled by default, but can be enabled by a registry or ini file patch (this depends what you chosen to save the general settings, please refer the ILPerAdd.htm document).

Later I added the "auto-extended address mode" also to the HPIL simulation of Emu71/Win (since v1.05).

(10-01-2014 10:21 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  I was not aware ILPer supported such advanced modes of HP-IL use. I have no practical need for such features, but I know this is the technique used to do multiple simultaneous disk writes. Could multiple instances of ILPer on virtual HP-IL do this?

I tested the multiple listener feature with ILVideo, ILVideo80 and the generic printer part of ILPer, but not with the 9114 disc simulation. It could work also, but I never tried it.

[Michael Fehlhammer]

(10-02-2014 09:18 AM)Mike (Stgt) Wrote:  But since Compuserve is gone I have no homepage any more and I did not decide yet where to offer the my virtual HPGL plotter - what would you suggest?

I suggest that you register with google drive or dropbox (15 GB shared cloud space or so for free, password protection is possible).
Dave has recently used google drive to provide us with the Portable Papers (HP 110 magazine).

[Jurgen Keller]

(10-01-2014 09:40 AM)Mike (Stgt) Wrote:  I did a HP-GL plotter very close to the HP7470A opt. 003 and present it at the Allschwil meeting.

That's interesting, I'm looking forward to your presentation!

[Dave Frederickson]

(10-02-2014 05:22 PM)Michael Fehlhammer Wrote:  Dave has recently used google drive to provide us with the Portable Papers (HP 110 magazine).

The Portable Paper is actually being hosted by the HP Computer Museum, but I use Google Drive for files too big to send as email attachments.

[J-F Garnier]

(09-30-2014 06:58 PM)Christoph Giesselink Wrote:  Since ILPer v1.44 the device ID of the mass storage simulation changed from ID="HDRIVE1" to ID="HP9114B". This improve compatibility with programs written to access HP9114 floppy disk drives which are using the device ID to identify the device address of attached drives.

Thanks, Christoph, for this update.

However, here is a warning for HP Portable users that are using the PIL-Box and ILPer to access DOS-formatted disk images such as found on my Portable Plus page:
ILPer 1.44 will not work correctly with the Portable (Plus). Use ILPer 1.43 instead.
The cause is the change of the mass storage ID, now the Portable assumes the mass storage is a legacy HP9114 drive and attempts to use the SS/80 protocol, which is not implemented yet.

J-F
(edited wrong link)

[rprosperi]

(10-05-2014 03:12 PM)J-F Garnier Wrote:  

(09-30-2014 06:58 PM)Christoph Giesselink Wrote:  Since ILPer v1.44 the device ID of the mass storage simulation changed from ID="HDRIVE1" to ID="HP9114B". This improve compatibility with programs written to access HP9114 floppy disk drives which are using the device ID to identify the device address of attached drives.

Thanks, Christoph, for this update.

However, here is a warning for HP Portable users that are using the PIL-Box and ILPer to access DOS-formatted disk images such as found on my Portable Plus page:
ILPer 1.44 will not work correctly with the Portable (Plus). Use ILPer 1.43 instead.
The cause is the change of the mass storage ID, now the Portable assumes the mass storage is a legacy HP9114 drive and attempts to use the SS/80 protocol, which is not implemented yet.

J-F

J-F: Thanks for this note clarifying the issue with PP and v1.44. I was about 30 minutes away from using this and would have been very puzzled indeed.

FYI - the link to your Portable Plus Page in your post is not valid (I was going to look for new updates...)

[Christoph Giesselink]

(10-05-2014 03:12 PM)J-F Garnier Wrote:  However, here is a warning for HP Portable users that are using the PIL-Box and ILPer to access DOS-formatted disk images such as found on my Portable Plus page:
ILPer 1.44 will not work correctly with the Portable (Plus). Use ILPer 1.43 instead.
The cause is the change of the mass storage ID, now the Portable assumes the mass storage is a legacy HP9114 drive and attempts to use the SS/80 protocol, which is not implemented yet.

As reaction to this warning I published ILPer v1.45. ILPer v1.45 still use "HP9114B" as ID$, but this version has now the possibility to change the ID$ in the registry or ini-file. For more information read the section "Device ID for the mass storage device" in the ILPerAdd.htm file please.

[Dave Frederickson]

Awesome tech support! Thanks, Christoph.

Dave

[rprosperi]

(10-07-2014 07:18 PM)Christoph Giesselink Wrote:  As reaction to this warning I published ILPer v1.45. ILPer v1.45 still use "HP9114B" as ID$, but this version has now the possibility to change the ID$ in the registry or ini-file. For more information read the section "Device ID for the mass storage device" in the ILPerAdd.htm file please.

Nice solution Christoph. Allowing ID$ to be defined via ini-file makes it simple to just set up an alternate launcher .cmd file using .vil files with the new device names.

Initially I set the names to "HP9114C\r\n" but this does not work; reverting back to "HDRIVE1\r\n" does work as expected. So, 2 questions:

1. Does any name that starts with "HP9914..." get interpreted by the Portable Plus as a real HP drive, and therefore it tries to use SS/80 protocol?

2. Are there restrictions on what name I can use for the emulated drive? For example, can I use HDRIVE1 for my first ILPer session (on virtual loop), and HDRIVE2 for 2nd ILPer session, etc? Can I use any name, e.g. ILPER1 ?

Thanks for your continued improvements.

And thanks again to J-F as well for finding and repporting this so quickly.