Getting Started with Z280RC

Setup Hardware

ZZMon

CP/M

RAM Drive

This is a quick start guide to get Z280RC power up and running.

Refer to picture above for location of various hardware features.

Z280RC needs a 5V power supply with maximum current of 400mA.

A TTL-level serial adapter with Transmit and Receive and ground signals. No handshake signals are required. The terminal program parameters are: 115200 baud, Odd parity, 8 data bit, 1 stop and no handshake.

To boot from the CF disk, be sure the mode jumper is inserted.

The included CF already has all the necessary software installed in track 0. CPM2.2 distribution files are on drive B, CPM3 distribution files are on drive A.

Refer to manual for software installation on a new CF

when power is applied, the expected current is 300mA-400mA

The signal assignment of the serial port is designed for the 6-pin CP2102 USB adapter below. Other USB adapter may also be used. Only three signals need to be connected: RxD, TxD and Ground.

When the board is powered up with the mode jumper installed and a properly programed CF inserted, the ZZMon power up sign on message will be displayed on the console:

TinyZZ Monitor v0.8 3/25/18

>

ZZMon commands are single letter either upper case or lower case. Depending on the commands, the monitor software will prompt for additional actions.

H gives short list of ZZMon commands:

>help
G <addr> CR
R <track> <sector>
D <start addr> <end addr>
Z CR
F CR
T CR
E <addr>
X <options> CR
B <options> CR
C <options> CR

>

Detailed description of ZZMon commands are in ZZMon manual.

To boot CP/M 2.2 type:

b2 (press enter to execute)

Copyright 1979 © by Digital Research
CP/M 2.2 for TinyZ280
3/25/18 3.5 meg RAMDisk

a>

CP/M 2.2 distribution files are in drive B:

a>b:
b>dir
B: ASM COM : BIOS ASM : CBIOS ASM : DDT COM
B: DEBLOCK ASM : DISKDEF LIB : DUMP COM : DUMP ASM
B: ED COM : LOAD COM : MOVCPM COM : PIP COM
B: STAT COM : SUBMIT COM : SYSGEN COM : XSUB COM
b>

To boot CP/M 3 (non banked), type:

b3 (press enter to execute)

CP/M V3.0 Loader
Copyright (C) 1998, Caldera Inc.

BIOS3 SPR E800 1000
BDOS3 SPR C900 1F00

50K TPA
Copyright 1979 © by Digital Research
CP/M 3 for TinyZ280 3/25/18 3.5meg RAMdisk
A> dir
A: BDOS3 SPR : BIOS3 SPR : BIOSKRNL ASM : BNKBDOS3 SPR : BOOT ASM
A: CALLVERS ASM : CBIOS3 REL : CCP COM : CHARIO ASM : COPYSYS ASM
A: COPYSYS COM : CPM3 LIB : CPM3 SYS : CPMLDR REL : DATE COM
A: DEVICE COM : DIR COM : DIRLBL RSX : DRVTBL ASM : DUMP ASM
A: DUMP COM : ECHOVERS ASM : ED COM : ERASE COM : FD1797SD ASM
A: GENCOM COM : GENCPM COM : GET COM : HELP COM : HELP HLP
A: HEXCOM COM : HIST UTL : INITDIR COM : LDRBIOS REL : LIB COM
A: LINK COM : MAC COM : MODEBAUD LIB : MOVE ASM : PATCH COM
A: PIP COM : PORTS LIB : PUT COM : RANDOM ASM : RENAME COM
A: RESBDOS3 SPR : RMAC COM : SAVE COM : SCB REL : SET COM
A: SETDEF COM : SHOW COM : SID COM : SUBMIT COM : TRACE UTL
A: TYPE COM : XMODEM COM : XREF COM
A>

CP/M3 distribution files are stored in drive A and another copy in drive C.

Drive E is the RAM drive. The 1.5meg CP/M RAM drive is physically located in memory 0x80000-0x1FFFFF. RAM drive's directory needs to be initialized to 0xE5. This is done with ZZMon using the command:

xE (press enter to execute) ←please note the drive letter E must be in upper case.