[sebhc] Magnolia Microsystems

[Patrick]

>     Patrick;
>
>     I have a Z90 in my attic with a Magnolia Microsystems
> controller and 8"
> floppy drives.  I still have the documentation as well.  I'd be
> glad to help
> if I can, but it may take me a while to dig it out.  As I recall,
> there were
> several chips and jumpers to change to run this controller.  It
> was (is) the
> Cadillac, though.  Let me know what you're looking for/symptoms.
>
>     Paul Pennington

Paul, thanks!  I honestly think I'm close, but I'm also in the dark as to
where to go next.

I bought the controller about a year and a half ago from a guy in Belgium
who was selling a large collection of spare parts.  It was among them, in a
baggie with an EPROM and PROM, and two other gates.  And there was a manual.

I followed the instructions in the manual, and on power up got/get the
Magnolia prompt, but the keyboard is unresponsive.  Sometimes there is
garbage before or after the Magnolia monitor prompt, and sometimes I don't
get the prompt at all, just streams of garbage.  I never get far enough to
start a boot and get a drive selected.

I have completely backed out the configuration to hard-sector only, verified
the machine, and rolled forward through the setup instructions two or three
times.  The results are the same each time.

I understand that the Magnolia version of MTR autobauds with the terminal
logic board (which is set for the standard 9600 baud by the way).  My
suspicion was that the version of the MTR EPROM may be down-rev (the good
EPROM sitting in a machine I didn't buy of course), so that was my next
thing to try.  I only have the one EPROM, but Jack Rubin has a Magnolia as
well and I was hoping his was a newer version.

Unfortunately, I don't have the kit in front of me, so I can't tell you what
version is stamped on the EPROM.

I realize that's not much to go on, but any clues you could offer me would
be a great help, I'm sure!
Thanks!
Patrick


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