Laser 2001 & Salora Manager - official thread

[Scouter3d]

Hi Carlsson,

Thanks for checking on the C64!
If you have the time can you try it on your Laser 2001 and see what happens?

Maybe my Salora is "ill" and too much calculation is too hot for him... :0)

TOM

[carlsson]

Now that I think about it, should you really use 200? As far as I know, the VDP has a resolution of 256x192 pixels, unlike e.g. the C64 which has 320x200. I ran your program with Super Expander 64 and on that platform it plots the mandelbrot to the finish. I admit I don't fully understand the listing, but perhaps J/192 and 192-J would avoid errors?

[Scouter3d]

Thanks Carlsson,

You are absolutly right about the 192 Pixels...!

But that was not the problem! (because the white pixels to plot are only in the middle of the screen with this coordinates... and no plotting happens outside the 192)

The Salora was really becoming to hot!!!!!! and crashed!!!!

Today i ran the program and it completed without Error!

Thanks again for your Input!

TOM:0)

PS: If anybody is to lazy to type it in, i can send you the *.wav file...

[Scouter3d]

Hi Carlsson,

I just started my Laser 2001 after a long time and i recognized it uses BASIC 1.0, my Salora uses 2.1...

What about your Laser 2001? What Version of BASIC is it running?

TOM:0)

[@username@]

The differemce between BASIC 1.0 and 2.1 is merely marketting. The only real differences are in the character sets and keyboard mappings. There's an attempt at making them incompatible with the CSAVE/CLOAD timings, but nothing to worry about.

KEYOFF

Although not implemented, it can be simulated by poking $300 with $A5. This completely disables the keyboard until another value is placed at $300. This is used by the SM at boot to stop spurious keypresses, and by the DISK function, presumably to stop you interrupting the PIA while it's reading / writing. As a bonus, it gives back the CPU time to the BASIC program - so a little speed increase is there. Just don't forget to poke a value other than $A5 before ending, or RESET is the only way you can get control back.

VPOKE BUG

It appears both suffer from the VPOKE bug. This is actually an advantage, if you wanted to experiment in other VDP modes - without having to use a low level language. The address you pass is just EOR to $80. The VDP programmers will see that this actually sets the VDP register - if the address is $700 or below

The solution, to switch on the right bits etc - is just add $C000 to the address.

If I find anything else as I test, I'll post it here.

[Scouter3d]

Hi to all you Laser 2001 or Salora Manager owners out there!

How do you save and load your Basic programs?

On a Laser or Salora Tape Recorder?
On a normal Audio Tape Recorder?
On a PC Soundcard?
Something other?

I recognized my machines are really "picky" when it Comes to loading... (they Need exactly the right volume... only load every 2. time...)

So how do you do it? ;0)

Greetings, TOM:0)

[MADrigal]

The only owner I know of a genuine Laser 2001 tape is Carlsson.

I do have the "load-save" cables, which (I suppose) came with the Salora Manager computer, but I never used them as I don't have any tape player here, and I never tried with the PC soundcard as well.

[carlsson]

I've used a bog standard mono tape recorder, and as far as I can remember the only game that I've got on tape loaded on first attempt. Some day I'll make a new WAV recording of it so it can be digitized and possibly analyzed. Generally old computers are a bit deaf so they want reasonably loud signals. I don't own any original cables, I used a standard cable, possibly with some adaptors along the way and never considered it would cause an issue.

[Scouter3d]

Hi,

Thanks go to Madrigal and Carlsson for sharing...
I will try my DR-10 Tape and see what signals it produces (if it works)...
Meanwhile Mobsie has successfully (on the Salora Manager) loaded from his iPhone...

TOM:0)

[carlsson]

Today I brought out my Laser 500 which came in a carrying case with a Laser DR-30 tape recorder. I just noticed it has a switch to select mode: 2001/3000 or 200/310/500/700 series. I don't know what the difference is, loudness level? There is no volume control or such, just the usual jacks for output, input and remote control.