ILPer as MASSMEM for HP71b

[dingebre]

First, I've read the HP71 HP-IL module several times.

Second, I love the PIL Box. I love the ILPer software. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I've had great success using it all with my HP41 and for the most part, my HP71. With one exception. I do not understand how to store a program onto either of the mass storage devices using the ILPer from my HP71. I use it often with my HP41 as storage.

I can set it as the PRINTER and DISPLAY for my HP71. I can initialize both of the devices from my HP71. I can see the addresses and device IDs. I can do a CAT (which of course is empty). I see the HP-IL commands flowing in the ILPer's scope. However, when I try to do any file operation, I'm sure I'm formatting the command wrong. I typically get an "Excess Chars" error message.

Could anyone who has managed to setup the ILPer as a mass storage for the HP71 give me a quick walk through? I"m convinced it is simply a command formatting error, but I've hit a mental block and can't get through it.

Thanks.

[rprosperi]

(10-16-2017 06:21 PM)dingebre Wrote:  Could anyone who has managed to setup the ILPer as a mass storage for the HP71 give me a quick walk through? I"m convinced it is simply a command formatting error, but I've hit a mental block and can't get through it.

Thanks.

Mass storage devices can be accessed using the device name :TAPE, or :MASSMEM, or :[device number]. So for the first storage device in IL-Per, this would be :TAPE(1), :MASSMEM(1) or (assuming the PIL-Box is the first device on your loop) :2 for the first (top) logical drive or :3 for the second (bottom) logical drive. (The first logical device in IL-Per is the virtual printer, so the first drive would be device #2 and the second drive :3, if addressing by device number).

So, to copy file MYFILE to the first logical drive:

(Do RESTORE IO before any loop operations to assign devices and ensure loop continuity)

COPY MYFILE TO MYFILE:TAPE(1)
or
COPY MYFILE TO MYFILE:MASSMEM(1)
or
COPY MYFILE TO MYFILE:2

Note you can also specify a different filename, such as:

COPY MYFILE TO NEWFILE:TAPE(1)

Also, if you want to keep the same filename, you can actually omit the filename:

COPY MYFILE TO :TAPE(1)

To copy to a different filename on the 2nd IL-Per drive:

COPY MYFILE TO NEWNAME:TAPE(2)

There are many variations, but try these examples as a starting place. If these don't work as expected, something isn't right.

Also, have you formatted the virtual drives prior to use? On the 71B, you would do:

INITIALIZE [VOL-LABEL]:TAPE(1), where VOL-LABEL is an optional volume label for that particular virtual disk.

[dingebre]

Thank you Bob. To answer your question, yes, I did initialize the drive with no error messages and I could see the HP-IL traffic with the ILPer scope.

I'll try the things you wrote and I'll let you know.

David

[Dave Frederickson]

(10-16-2017 11:09 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Also, have you formatted the virtual drives prior to use? On the 71B, you would do:

INITIALIZE [VOL-LABEL]:TAPE(1), where VOL-LABEL is an optional volume label for that particular virtual disk.

Before you can initialize a virtual drive you must mount a LIF disc image. One way is to create a zero byte file, rename the extension to .LIF or .DAT, and then mount the image using the Open file diaglog in the Mass Storage area of the ILPer window. A LIF disc image can also be created and initialized using HPDir.

Dave

[dingebre]

Success!

Thank you for the help.

I"m still trying to fully understand the HP71 environment and the syntax. This little venture has helped a lot.

I think one of the problems is I was trying to use the MASSMEM device as opposed to the TAPE device. But, in the end, I was able to save and load the program files I was trying to back up.

Again, thank you.

David

[hesc]

Dear Dave,

I am trying to follow your examples, but I get all kind of error messages. With a physical tape drive I am able to write programs to it.
With my pil-box it does not work out.
I did the following:
lifinit -z -m cass tape01.dat 64
liflabel tape01.dat TAPE01
in pyILPER it is shown as the lif image file tape01.dat
If I
INITIALIZE :2
I get an hpil error: device type
If I
COPY TESTHENK TO TTT:2
I get no error, but I cannot figure out where it went. In the scope I see activity by scrolling data.
I will not get any further. Do you have a suggestion?

Kind regards,
Henk Schellen