Z-News Second Birthday Celebrated...with announcements of upcoming new
products taking advantage of Hitachi HD64180 8-bit superchip.
* Micromint develops high-resolution graphics add-on to SB180 single board
computer, using existing expansion bus--late October shipping date set.
And Steve Ciarcia writes articles for Nov/Dec BYTE magazine detailing
new product. Board includes Hitachi HD63484, graphics chip we have said
good things about, to provide 640 x 480 pixel resolution, with 16 colors
from a palette of 4096 total (IBM PGA). Board comes with "Grafix
Toolbox" (GT180 written in Turbo Modula-II) from Borland International
(see Z-News 306 and 504 for more on Borland and benchmarks for their
beta-test Modula). IBM-style keyboard and RGB monitor interfaces are
provided. Sounds good so far...more comes from BYTE and Micromint.
* Packaged desktop HD64180 microcomputer featuring 256k bytes memory, one
serial port (for modem and printer), 2-96tpi floppies, 640 x 400 pixels
using IBM standard Motorola/Hitachi 6845 CRT controller chip. Open
architecture, expandable. Selling complete for less than $1600.00.
Available in November. Source of supply will be reported soon.
* C Language Compiler, Database Manager, and Spreadsheet Program...
Compiler uses HD64180 instruction set to increase compiled code speed
and density. Full Kernighan & Ritchie and Unix v7 functionality, plus
has co-assembler (like Forth, but without Reverse Polish Notation) that
permits easy placement of assembly language code within C program
(available mid August). Spreadsheet (similar to Lotus 1-2-3) and Data-
base Manager (similar to dBase II) use up to 256k-bytes of main memory
(both available late October). This modern Z-Tools trio soon joins
other Lasting-Value Software!
Much to celebrate as these offerings become available. Programs should flesh-
out skinny frame of 8-bit world. Stay tuned-in with patience, no scarcity of
good things coming.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
More on Searching. C Language search and extract programs of Z-News 505
produced similar results. We became curious about where bottle necks were, if
CPU (compute) bound or disk I/O bound. So we re-ran benchmarks using
electronic timer, instead of sweep second-hand of wrist watch; additionally,
we tested from 1) both Ampro's floppy and hard disk (HD), and 2) from a DT42
(prototype, see Z-News 502) using big RAMdisk and a floppy. Both programs and
text files to be searched were stored on a freshly formatted diskette and used
alternately with each computer. Programs and files were in RAMdisk for RAM
test. Hard disk had programs in one partition and text files in another.
Search time ranged from low of 19.3 seconds to high of 57.7, 3 to 1 ratio,
controlled by, unsurprisingly, computer chip, memory media, and program.
Ampro Model 1220 Bookshelftm computer, 4mHz Z80 with 20-megabyte Seagate
225N SCSI hard disk, has 48tpi Cannon floppy with standard 6ms (millisecond)
�step rate. SemiDisk DT42 was running at 6.144mHz (no wait states) using big
RAMdisk and fast 48tpi Fujitsu floppy, 3ms step rate.
SEARCH and SIFT are essentially of equal speed on Ampro HD and DT42 RAM-
disk; but, SEARCH's work buffer is not optimum for Cannon which times out
almost continually during search. SIFT appears to have "best" buffer of three
programs, drives never timing out, making it fastest on relatively slow Cannon
floppy drive. Electra-Find is somewhere in between, with Cannon timing out
about half as often as with SEARCH. If design is optimized for slow floppy
you may give something up on fast RAMdisk; nonetheless, all three programs
were about equal in RAM tests.
We conclude that our benchmark (two-files of combined 32k-bytes total,
15-character search string) is determined by CPU throughput but only if disk
I/O speed is sufficient to support CPU compare-byte needs. Study above
table...lots of interesting conclusions to be drawn. Yet mysteries remain.
DT42 transfers data from one section of RAM to another using HD64180
onchip DMAC/MMU (Direct Memory Access Controller/Memory Management Unit) at
rate of 800k-bytes per second with 6.144mHz CPU clock frequency (SB180 is as
fast, if wait states are removed); 1.6 megabytes per second at 12.288 mHz, Z-
News 409 and 501 bench testing frequency. Z80 at 4mHz has about half the
throughput of HD64180 at 6.144mHz, has no DMAC. CPU string compare (actually,
byte compare) capability seems less than 2 to 1 in favor of HD64180; Electra-
Find's 33.4 and 19.3 second measurements are a tip. Interesting! Mystery:
SEARCH should be faster (we use Version 1.25, the latest, which is faster than
1.22 used in tests of 505) than other two programs. It is not; may not be as
mature (old) as the others, less revision has occurred. Though written for
C/80 compiler, which produced compare-and-loop Bench2 measurements 2.6 times
faster than BDS-C used by other two programs (see Z-News 501), SEARCH is not
as fast as Electra-Find and no faster overall than SIFT. (Speed mystery
solved if programs have assembly language subroutines placed at critical
points in C code, making specific compiler less or not important.)
After living with these three text search and extraction programs, if we
were to own only one we would settle for Electra-Find (EF). More flexible
than other two, EF is fully menu-driven with extensive, clear, in-context
online help along the way. It is fastest, but not by much. If needing only
simple searching SIFT is good value. SEARCH is mid-way between SIFT and EF.
So inexpensive, any one is considered "a buy" and candidate for WRITER'S
WORKBENCH menu of Z-News 504. Defaults and menu prompts could make search
set-up process exactly to your liking. But let's see how Richard's FINDS in
assembler (Syslib) compares...only four little measurements away.
Flash! Version 1.6 of BDS-C is in beta test. Update has lots of
improvements...error detection and diagnosis refined, K&R buffered I/O,
BCD floating point package, standard header file now STDIO.H, and more.
Plus, RED editor, written by microcomputer pioneer Ed Ream, included
with its source code, knows about errors in compilation and goes to line
of first error--we seek this for assembler. Still 8080 based...more
reported as we use v1.6. Maybe this version is faster than v1.5a we
have used for four years. For immediate additional information, write
or call Leor Zolman, BD Software, P.O. Box 2368, Cambridge, MA 02238,
617/576-3828.
Another Announcement. Massive Index to Z-News, produced by Z-System user
Lorraine McCord, now supplied with $24.00 per year newsletter renewals.
Working with MicroPro's StarIndex, best indexing and table of contents program
for 8-bit systems we know of, she produced multi-level references to not only
Z-News issue numbers but also to page numbers where material is located. If
you haven't renewed your subscription yet, here's sufficient reason to do so.
�Index is not found on RASs. Index is not public domain, is copyrighted, but
comes bundled in printed-form with subscription renewals to Z-News. As added
bonus, you who renew subscription to every-two-week (fortnight) publication
are provided latest Z-Node RAS (Remote Access System) listing printed on heavy
tan parchment.
Z-User's Corner. VMENU and CMD (VFILER) menus plus support utilities,
including C source and object for AN, PCC, and WC, described in Z-News 504 and
505 are all in file called WORK-VMN.LBR (50k-bytes, 400 128-byte records) on
Z-Nodes. From these files much can be gleaned to assist in computer task
automation. Study Z-System User's Guide, pages 5-1 thru 5-6, 6-1 thru 6-18,
and ZCPR3: The Manual, Chapters 5 and 7, as you read a menu command line.
Understand meaning of each string between semicolons, ";", Z3 command
separator. From there you can change, shrink or stretch, menus to your
specific needs. Incidentally, WC, Word Count, counts lines and characters in
addition to words, and handles wild card file name declarations--a must for
writers who measure their writing.
Need technical help and Echelon phones are busy--try calling one or more
of our thirty or so Good-Neighbor Helpers. Each volunteered to help backup
Echelon in any way he can, to promote and increase high-performance, upward-
compatible to CP/M, microcomputer use and understanding. Helpers are listed
in file ZHELPRnn.RAS found on Z-Nodes. Quiet and diverse group, some may
"speak your language" better than we do. Give GNHs a try!
Now, let's review a little alias we find useful. Main purpose is gaining
flexibility using transient DIR13 (our alias is called DIR) without re-
assembling its source. You may gather we prefer horizontal sorts.
if nul $1;ROOT:dir13 *.* h;else;ROOT:dir13 $* h;fi
Works like this: if no trailing parameter is keyed in after command name
(verb) first command string of alias is run, showing all directory files
because of *.* in alias. Command entered is dir<cr>. Second string of alias
runs if file mask is entered, which selects files to be displayed, e.g.,
*.doc. Command entered is dir *.doc<cr>. In any event, files show hori-
zontally sorted because of trailing "h" placed in alias script.
Recall, a reminder of transient-command options available is usually
obtained by typing transient name followed by a space and two forward slashes:
command //<cr>. If you type DIR //<cr> you see:
DIR ver 1.3
Syntax: DIR dir:afn o
Options: A=All, S=Sys, H=Horiz, V=Vert, T=File Type/Name Sort
Alias (and menu) script design tip: declaring location (directory) of
command file bypasses path search and speeds command execution.
Next. In keeping with our string searching benchmark activities above,
we explore an alias useful to those owning The WORD Plus. TWP's FIND utility
determines spelling of words, from any directory if PUBLIC ZRDOS Plus is
available. Here's how. Create alias, we call it Get Spelling, GS, containing
conditional script (remember "<<" convention, from PAGE and PRINT, means line-
continuation, indicates unbroken line):
if nul $1;echo word not specified;echo syntax:gs <word><cr>;else; <<
if $1=//;echo syntax: gs <word><cr>;else;a$u:;ROOT:find $*;$d:;fi;fi
Using correct syntax and "//" help not requested, messages are bypassed.
Next, alias logs into Disk (drive) A but stays in current user area; then,
�runs FIND (with arguments, if any) on word or words to locate (wild cards
permitted). And finally logs back into directory from where we called alias.
Main dictionary, MAINDICT.CMP, is in public directory declared as A6:PRIVATE.
FIND.COM is in A15:ROOT. Example command lines (<cr> means gently strike
RETURN key):
gs ??ing<cr> display five-letter words in dictionary ending in "ing" 1)
gs cal*<cr> display dictionary words starting with "cal" 2)
gs cal???<cr> display all six-letter words starting with "cal" 3)
gs s?t?r<cr> display five-letter word or words starting with s, 4)
having t for middle letter, and ending with r
gs california<cr> determine if spelling of word is correct 5)
Words in MAINDICT.CMP are up to 19 characters in length. Technique of Line 1)
is great for finding word rhymes. For finding correct spelling of a word,
it's hard to beat line 2). Simply indicate beginning of word, then a list of
words from main dictionary is displayed to show what might be desired word.
Line 4) makes discovering unknown words, e.g., of crossword puzzles, a snap.
Think of ways to add as command lines this alias and other word manipulation
programs to WRITER'S WORKBENCH menu of Z-News 504.
Okay! Here goes...TWP's WORDFREQ.COM easily, quickly determines
vocabulary of a document file, how many unique, different words there are.
Completing file profile, WORDFREQ counts total number of words and number of
words used once. Additionally, a sorted file of type FRQ is automatically
created on default drive containing all words in document with number of
times, frequency, each appears. And finally...
Our VMENU WRITING.VMN script line, d, using WORDFREQ to create and VTYPE
to scan, and optionally print selected portions, temporary word statistics
file:
d $d$u:;ROOT:wordfreq $pf;sak strike any key to continue; <<
ROOT:vtype $pn.frq;era $pn.frq
Many aliases, companions to GS and DIR above, can be created to speed
routine computer operations. Help us! Send in ones you find useful. Help
yourself! Study (read seven times, per Z-News 302, page 3) Z-System User's
Guide, section 3.4, for more details on conditional flow control using IF,
ELSE, FI, XIF, EMpty, ERror, EXist, INput, and NUll.
From Our Mail Box. "Thanks for your continued support of GREATEST OS
ever...and please continue to send those handy reference jewels [Z-News]...how
about offering a disk or two every so often to subscribers paying for this
service. The service being: updates to the Z-System utilities, demos of
aliases, menus, etc.," writes Bill Kline from Miami, FL. Bill, we have been
thinking of doing this for some time because of many asking for it. Your
wonderful letter is catalyst making us get off the dime! Here's how service
works: you receive all programs and updates mentioned in Z-News on disk format
of your choice. Diskettes come out as often as every month, but at least one
every two months. Price of complete service for one year is $85.00, $47.00
for six months, continental USA. If Canada, Mexico, Alaska, or Hawaii, compl-
ete service is $97.00 per year, $53.00 for six months; elsewhere, $125.00 per
year, $69.00 for six months. We also offer single update disks for $12.00
continental USA; $14.00, Canada, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. Includes
software, diskettes, shipping and handling. For you who don't access, or have
trouble accessing, Z-Nodes here is your bridge to things current, twelve
months of software updates. Get on update service list now! Thanks again,
Bill, for moving us to action.
�
Lunch Break. An engineering and graphics workstation (Computer Aided
Design/Engineering, CAD/E) leader, Intergraph, Huntsville, AL, has committed
to Fairchild CLIPPER, 30 nanoseconds instruction cycle time, average 5 mips,
32-bit microprocessor chip set...certainly a beginning for Fairchild, to have
such a large OEM sign up for their high-performance processor and number-
cruncher (one mflops, million floating point operations per second). CLIPPER,
a three or four chip set consisting of main processor with floating point,
memory management and I/O units, seems presently to lead pack in microcomputer
throughput. Designed by Howard Sachs, formally of Cray Research, CLIPPER's
basic lay-out can be carried to 25 mips, beyond contemporary mainframe
t
hroughput territory. Wonder who will be second source for these chips, and
who is writing an Ada Language compiler. Assembler and C, FORTRAN, and Pascal
compilers are available now! We understand CLIPPER sells for about $1,100.00
each in small quantities, price soon goes down to $500.00 as production
increases. National's 32032 6mHz set goes for $84.95. Oh! Well... More
information? Call or write Ms. Chris Souder, Marketing Department, Fairchild
Semiconductors, Advanced Processor Division, 4001 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto, CA
94304, 415/858-4249.
Those using Software Toolworks C/80 may be interested in "HiSpeed" C
Library offered by Viking Software, 2243 South Belaire Drive, Salt Lake City,
UT 84109, 801/466-6820. Object Library and Reference Manual on disk for
$29.95, with source code an additional $19.95...such a deal...routines work
with C/80 under Z-System or CP/M.
====================================================================
Of Cabbages and Kings. Information gathering and processing tools: Term3
under Z-System collect and prepare data from A to Z, for subjects from
Astrology to Zoology. All obtained from places like The Source, CompuServe,
and over 2,000 other remote access systems. Data about finance, law, real
estate, farming, health, sports, engineering, auto repair, politics--words and
numbers, facts resolved into information we individually turn into knowledge,
and finally, with more work, into understanding to improve our life. Last
year, for the first time in history, money spent supporting office workers ex-
ceeded that spent for factory workers. "Information" as an industry grows
faster than any other segment of modern life. Yet what do we communicate? Do
we even know meaning of word communicate? Lo! Knowledge never seems to be a
match for that called ignorance.
Laser printers, typesetters, are dazzling additions to desktop micro-
computers, but a 24-wire-head dot matrix still is cost effective, does a good
job, for both text and graphics. We use Epson's new LQ-800 and Fujitsu's
mature DPL24 for most of our work. You have seen their output; latter is used
for Z-News. A laser could be added but we spend our energy on document
content instead of form. Substance over appearances, depth over surface,
these are our priorities. Others join us with quickness of arthritic turtles.
But we continue thinking what we do is necessary, more necessary now than
ever, at least for us; sheep recognized from goat, wolf from lamb. An
individual's attitude is incisive, makes the difference...institutions are not
as important as individuals...endless repetition from habit, or move to next
plateau, into next octave of consciousness...it's up to you and me. We affect
outcomes! What we each do is infinitesimal, but what we each do is infinitely
important in determining kind of world we live in.
Rise up! Pray, free us from invalid thinking, superstition. Into trash
can with these. Permit us to have new thoughts, to break negative ties that
bind, that inslave. Our goal is freedom, freedom to become what we are
capable of becoming, free to BE.
Happy Birthday, Happy Centennial, Lady Liberty! And thanks go to
Frenchman Bartholdi for his vision, emotion, and leadership, which combined
�produced for world, with assistance from many others, such a symbol. See you
down the lines...
Echelon, Inc.
885 N. San Antonio Road
Los Altos, CA 94022 USA
Telephone: 415/948-3820
Z-Node Central (RAS): 415/489-9005
Trademarks: Bookshelf, Ampro Computers; SB180, Micromint; PRO-180, Magnum
Digital; ON!, Oneac; DT42, The SemiDisk, Deep Thought 42, SemiDisk Systems;
TRS-80, Tandy; HD64180, Hitachi; CLIPPER, Fairchild; Z-System, ZCPR3, ZRDOS,
Z-News, Z-Tool, Z-Tools, Zas, Zlink, Z-Msg, TERM III, Term3, Quick-Task,
Lasting-Value Software, Echelon; CP/M, Digital Research; GT180, Turbo Modula-
II, Borland International; Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Development; TWP, The Word Plus,
Oasis Systems; dBASE II, Ashton-Tate; C/80, Software Toolworks; BDS-C, BD
Software; SIFT, Siftsoft; SEARCH, CompuMagic; Electra-Find, O'Neill Software.
tall
ship here *
Z sets you FREE!
* *
Z-News 506 is Copyright 1986 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission
to reprint, wholly or partially, automatically granted if source credit is
given to Echelon.
