Fluke 9100A signatures

[level42]

Since the ROM signatures of the Fluke 9100A are different from those on the 9010A I thought it might be worthwhile to check them on known working hardware and maintain a list.

Here's the small start

https://www.icloud.com/numbers/AwBUCAESEE5y2qCeoAXOG8sqQGggsMIaKbJLDaOZmWbosjtZHRkyTEqF5TPwm1Eluj725HvNzK29lnTJZUvp4rr5MCUCAQEEIFTL9fKl7mElO7x7QvumaDLsNfOwydRC5lK37Zm06xXf#Fluke_9100A_signatures.numbers

[smarty]

I watched your you tube video today on the 9100A. 

Nice demo.

Good luck with your signature list, hopefully any other 9100 users will contribute.

[Etienne MacGyver]

Indeed, i liked your vid, very interesting stuff.

[level42]

Great, thanks !

Got some response on the tech tool list and I forgot to show something: when doing ROM or RAM tests you need to set the step to 1. By default this is 2 which means that the tests will always skip every next  address. This sounds strange but he 9100A was designed in the 16 bit era and following that it makes more sense.

Also need to check the mask setting when doing ROM tests, don't know what it should be yet.....

Anyway the values in my list are incorrect, will update it ASAP......the funny thing is that suddenly this info is popping up
[EDIT] I have updated the file, checked the Midway signatures and they confirm and I've read the Namco signage sand added those too.

[level42]

I retrieved my Fluke keyboard (plus I/O modules and some pods) from my storage so I could do my first careful steps in programming it.

Let me say that being used to point and click for so long doesn't make using the system any easier, but with the downloaded manuals on the iPad I was able to create a new Program file and started to enter a practice program from the manual and later also Andy's CRC32 program, which will make it possible,to check ROMs with the values known on stuff like ROMident.

Regretfully the screenshot Andy posted only shows part of the program so I emailed him...

But....I have opened a new file, successfully entered the test program, checked it for errors, debugged it (no errors, but I learned how to do it), saved and even compiled the program.....and successfully ran it too

Now all I need is to learn the TL/1 language. Lots of stuff is pretty familiar and straightforward like Basic/C.

First goal is to write a simple program for Galaxian that will do the basics in one go:
- bus test
- ROM tests (hopefully will integrate Andy's CRC code)
- RAM tests

If I get that working I'd love to add I/O tests using the I/O modules I have, this will really add something the 9100A can do, but the 9010A can't

[level42]

30+ years ago I was typing in programs from computer magazines, now I'm typing in a program from an iPad, you can't say we haven't progressed

Damn using that keyboard......it feels.......much better than I'd expected....like meeting an old friend...of course it's an extremely high quality keyboard....

It's rather big though....both these keyboards are great in their own way

The display however.....mmmmmm....80 columns in color is not something I really enjoyed. Of course my eyes haven't gotten any better either.....i did flip the handy "green only" button on the monitor but still....the dot pitch on this size color monitor is something we're not used to anymore

I think a monochrome display might look a lot better, the colors don't add a lot anyway (it's possible to configure the colors by the way, but the defaults are the best).

Oh wel....it'll do. I have successfully hooked up an RS-232 cable between the Fluke and my iMac before so I should be able to type programs on the Mac and transfer them.....but all in all it's definitely workable as is
Just reminds you how spoilt we are today...

[Etienne MacGyver]

those are the best keyboards out there, just like the old IBM ones :



Nothing beats the good old clicky keyboards IYAM  

by the way, did you backup that drive in there ?
what happens if it fails, will it render your fluke totally unusable ?

there must be a way to clone that drive, i am sure

[level42]

Yeah you're kinda right about those keyboards....it would be funny to confront a youngster with it....HAH I'm going to let Mark type in some text on it and see his respond, LOL.

I still have your SCSI interfaces Etienne so I should be able to back it up.
However, if the HD crashes it won't be a nightmare, Andy provided a very good way to do a full install.
He even figured out a way to get rid of the HD all together and use an Compact flash card instead, using a (rather expensive) SCSI to CF interface from EBay (Japan).
This also makes it possible to get rid of the extremely loud fan....it's like a vacuum cleaner !

Anyway all that great info can be found here:
http://www.andysarcade.net/personal/tech/fluke9100/index.htm

[level42]

Mmmmm, I found an alternative to the SCSI to CF adapter:


http://shop.codesrc.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=58

It's quite a bit cheaper AND it is actually mentioned to be compatible with the Fluke 9100A....

[Etienne MacGyver]

I still have your SCSI interfaces Etienne so I should be able to back it up.

did i supply SCSI interfaces ? cant remember that   

[level42]

Haha yes you did

[level42]

Well waddayaknow.....there hasn't been any videos about the 9100A on YouTube until a few weeks ago and now look !!!

http://youtu.be/BqmWddqsETI

Posted only a couple of days ago !

And it's a whole serie ! Too bad I don't understand an word !!!!

Etienne..........we need your help.......

[Etienne MacGyver]

  my wife's help you mean, my spanish is not so good 

[level42]

Precies maar jij moet haar even lief aankijken


Sorry guys, hard to translate that one.....but indeed Etienne, indeed, I hope her technical Spanish is excellent

[Etienne MacGyver]

have downloaded them, will ask her tonight to take a look.

she's a spanish teacher so i guess she should know her spanish