MemoryDisk_BASIC - wich machines

Door enribar

Paragon (1224)

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02-06-2023, 18:20

According to this page https://www.msx.org/wiki/Category:MemoryDisk_BASIC :
"Firstly, these instructions appeared on a few Toshiba MSX1 machines: [...] HX-22 (Japanese version)".
But in Italy the HX-22 was sold with the RAM-Disk feature inside, so I think at least the International and Japanese HX-22 machines were equipped with the RAM-Disk (so, not only the Japanese models).

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Van mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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02-06-2023, 19:38

According the rom for the openMSX HX-22I machine, there is no MemoryDisk BASIC in HX-22I.

Name of the file: HX22IIC3.BIN

Concerning HX-22CH and HX-22GB, we don't have dumps of the roms.

Maybe 2 versions of HX-22I were sold, but in this case, the roms of the 'alternative' HX-22I need to be dumped.

Note: The file with Memory Disk BASIC included (HX22IC3.BIN or HX22-IC3.BIN) is for the Japanese HX-22, it's actually the same file as HX21-IC3.BIN, used for the Japanese HX-21.

Van enribar

Paragon (1224)

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05-06-2023, 11:04

I own both the Toshiba HX-22 and HX-20 and manuals say that RAM-DISK is implemented.
I will check if this really works on these real machines.
Take a look at these pages:
https://msx.org/forum/development/msx-development/toshiba-hx...
[IT - page 76] https://ia801500.us.archive.org/18/items/MC_microcomputer-04...

Van cjs

Master (143)

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05-06-2023, 11:21

The reference you gave is for a magazine review; while that does say it has the memory disk commands, there's a photo of the disk drive unit on the same page. I'm wondering if they just happened to have that plugged in when they were testing things out and didn't realise that those commands were being supplied by the disk ROM instead of the internal ROM, or something like that.

I have the Japanese version of that disk unit, so I could pull it out and see if it adds the memory disk commands to a machine that I know does not have them. I'm not sure how useful that would be, though, since the Japanese one is different in at least one way (double versus single sided, IIRC) from the international models.

I can't find any links to the manual itself in that other thread you linked.

Van mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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05-06-2023, 11:54

And to add to the confusion, Toshiba used the same box for both HX-20I and HX-22I: the computer cardboard box is a generic HX-20 "universal" one. One side of the box shows the Toshiba HX-20 computer and the other side shows the pic of a Toshiba HX-22.

I would not be surprised that there's some confusion too in the manuals!

Note: the mentioned review is about the MSX2 HX-23! MemoryDisk BASIC has been integrated in MSX-BASIC 2.0 and has never been part of Disk BASIC.

Van enribar

Paragon (1224)

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05-06-2023, 14:01

cjs wrote:

The reference you gave is for a magazine review; while that does say it has the memory disk commands, there's a photo of the disk drive unit on the same page.

Manual say that (at least) the HX-22 has RAM-Disk and explains commands in detail, but I will try this evening by myself with the real machine.

Van enribar

Paragon (1224)

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05-06-2023, 21:53

I confirm that HX-2xI series support RAM-Disk, the proof is here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/msxitalia/permalink/10152838...

Van mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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05-06-2023, 22:15

I don't see a test made on a HX-22, but only on a HX-20.

Van enribar

Paragon (1224)

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05-06-2023, 22:33

That manual was in bundle with the HX-22I, so I suppose this machine supports the RAM-Disk, too.
Tomorrow I'll try to find the HX-22I inside my mega MSX warehouse and make the same test, but I'm pretty sure I'll find RAM-Disk inside :-)

Van mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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05-06-2023, 22:37

If the test is positive, I am sure openMSX team will ask you to dump the roms. Anyway, the HX-22I of Werner Kai does not have MemoryDisk.

In the other case, it would mean that there's some confusion in the manual (it's the same manual for both computers, just like the box)

Van enribar

Paragon (1224)

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05-06-2023, 23:02

Maybe you're right... in the HX-22I, the RAM-Disk was removed to make room for the RS232. Tomorrow I will check.
Toshiba published the same manuals for both models, and specified the differences between the machines in various pages.