=============================================================================== Document source: Original backup tapes owned by Dutchman2000, obtained by Atarimania. Documentary research and PDF layout by Laurent Delsarte. Note that these backup tapes contain A LOT of information spread out in many folders, meaning it will take time to process the important bits. =============================================================================== Document identification: Original file name: EMAIL extracted from CEO.01JUN84 Title of document: Atari 1080 Classnet, External Reference Specification Author(s): John CURRAN (John R. CURRAN) Original file date: 1983-06-03 Type of document: Memo Target audience: Internal Status: Final Reference (Atari): (unknown) Reference (Laurent Delsarte): For any discussion, this PDF has been given the reference BKUP-1983-06-03-MEMO-0005A-0 which should be quoted in any communication. Tags: #Atari #8bit #6502 #400 #800 #1200XL #600XL #800XL #1400XL #1450XLD #1600 #MECC #Network #Client #Server #OS #NOS #Education #ClassRoom =============================================================================== =============================================================================== =============================================================================== EXTERNAL REFERENCE SPECIFICATION 1080 CLASSNET JOHN R. CURRAN JUNE 3, 1983 CONFIDENTIAL APPROVED BY: ________________________________________________________________ MANAGER, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT DATE ________________________________________________________________ MANAGER, PRODUCT TEST DATE ________________________________________________________________ MANAGER, SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE DATE ________________________________________________________________ MANAGER, PUBLICATIONS AND PACKAGING DATE ________________________________________________________________ PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER DATE ________________________________________________________________ MANAGER, 1080 CLASSNET DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERING DATE EXTERNAL REFERENCE SPECIFICATION 1080 CLASSNET 1.0 Purpose 1.1 Introduction and Product Description This document is the reference specification for the software required for the 1080 Classnet. The 1080 Classnet consists of the hardware and software to allow multiple student stations (nodes) to share the system resources through a teacher station (hub). System resources, at the hub, may consist of a printer and 1 to 8 disk drives (current hardware only allows 4 disk drives on the system). The hub interacts with a node through a network interface module (NIM), at the hub, and a line driver and receiver (LDR) at each of the nodes. The Network Operating System (NOS) consists of hub-resident software, node-resident software and the Network Utility Package (NUP), downloaded to the node upon request. The hub-resident software, provides the interface between the nodes and the hub peripherals. The node-resident software is downloaded at initialization, and provides a limited DOS capability to the node user. The NUP, downloaded to the node on request, provides the user with a reduced DOS utility capability (see paragraph 3.2.3). 1.2 Consumer Profile The typical user of the 1080 Classnet will be an educational institution wishing to provide disk and printer capabilities for students in the classroom without incurring the expense of multiple peripherals and copies of courseware. 1.3 Interface to Other Products 1.3.1 Applications The 1080 Classnet will execute applications that do not exceed the memory size of the node computer, use standard CIO device interfaces and do not require the use of the cassette drive. 1.3.2 DOS 2.0S NOS will be functionally compatible to DOS 2.0S at the CIO user command level. NOS will appear identical to DOS 2.0S to the user, except some functions found in the DOS 2.0S Utility Programs will not be available to the user (see paragraph 3.2.3, Network Utility Package (NUP)). 1.3.3 Atari Computers The 1080 Classnet may use the Atari 400, 800, 1200XL, 600XL, 800XL, 1400XL, 1450XLD, or 1600 as hub computers. The 400 and the 600XL need to be expanded to at least 48K bytes of RAM to be used as hub computers. Any of these computers may be used as a node computer, with the exception of the 1200XL, which cannot interface electrically to the node LDR. 1.3.4 Atari Peripherals The 1080 Classnet may use the Atari 810, 1050, 820, 822, 825, 1020, 1022, 1025, 1027 and/or 1029 as hub peripherals; however, only 1 printer may be connected at a time. In addition, one of the above printers may be used as a node peripheral (the network printer will be the default printer). The Atari cassette drives (410 and 1010) and the Atari 850 interface module RS-232 handler may not be used as network peripherals at either the hub or the node. 1.4 Family of Products The 1080 Classnet belongs to the Institutional Education family of products 1.5 Definitions HUB - The Atari computer, normally the teacher's station, which interfaces the network to the common peripherals. LINE DRIVER AND RECEIVER (LDR) - The hardware interface between each node and the network. NETWORK INTERFACE MODULE (NIM) - The hardware interface between the hub and the network. Each NIM may interface 1 to 8 nodes to the hub. The hub may connect to 1 to 4 NIMs. NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEM (NOS) - A modified DOS 2.0S which supports most of the DOS 2.0S functions. NOS consists of the hub-resident software, the node-resident software and a modified DOS Utility Package (NUP). NODE - The Atari computer, normally the students' station, which is used by the user. 1.6 Distribution The NOS will be distributed, on diskette, with each 1080 Classnet. Appropriate means of distributing future updates will be addressed by Sales and Marketing. 2.0 Applicable documents Marketing Requirements Specification, Low-Cost Educational Network, Ref. #B-EN-01-82-1-0, 20-May-1982 Marketing Requirements Specification, Low-Cost Educational Network, Ref. #B-EN-01-82-1-2, 20-Sep-1982 Memorandum, John Curran, 8-Nov-1982, SUBJ: MECC Network Compared to Atari MRS Memorandum, Narayan Murthy, 24-Nov-1982, SUBJ: Exceptions of MECC Network and Hardware with 1080 MRS Functional Requirements Specification, Atari Educational Network, 17-Dec-1982 Functional Requirements Specification, Atari Educational Network, 14-Apr-1983 3.0 Requirements 3.1 Interfaces 3.1.1 Physical 3.1.1.1 Hub The minimum hub shall be an Atari computer with 48K RAM and a television set or monitor. The NOS shall interface to CTIA, GTIA, OS REV A, OS REV B, 1200XL OS and SURELY OS. 3.1.1.2 Node The minimum node shall be an Atari computer with 16K RAM and a television set or monitor. The NOS will support a node of up to 64K RAM and shall interface to CTIA, GTIA, OS REV A, OS REV B, 1200XL OS and SURELY OS. 3.1.1.3 Hub Peripherals The NOS requires one Atari, single density, disk drive (810 or 1050) and one NIM. The NOS shall support up to 7 additional, single density disk drives (810 or 1050) and up to 3 additional NIMs. In addition, the NOS shall support a single Atari printer (820, 822, 825, 1020, 1022, 1025, or 1027). 3.1.1.4 Node Peripherals The node requires one LDR at each node. Optionally, the node shall support a local printer (820, 822, 825, 1020, 1022, 1025 or 1027). 3.1.2 Logical NOS shall be used as a standalone application or in conjunction with any application that needs disk or printer support. NOS shall allow, but not require, a standard ROM cartridge at the node. NOS shall not allow a ROM cartridge at the hub. If the hub computer has "built-in" Basic, the user must boot-up in the "disable Basic" mode. 3.1.3 Man/Machine 3.1.3.1 Hub Man/machine interface shall be through the television set or monitor. NOS shall allow no input from the hub keyboard, other than the START key. 3.1.3.2 Node Man/machine interface shall be through the console keyboard and the television set or monitor. Applications programs shall access NOS through the CIO interface, using a subset of the DOS 2.0S command set (Format Disk command is disallowed). 3.2 Functional Requirements 3.2.1 Hub Start-up and Initialization NOS shall initialize automatically when the user performs a standard disk boot with the NOS diskette in disk drive 1. NOS shall display an informational message consisting of the NOS title and copyright information and determine the number of NIMs connected to the system. Attract mode shall be disabled on the hub computer. Following initialization, NOS shall display the Node Status Display (Figure 1), and shall direct the user to insert the applications diskette(s) in the disk drives and press START. Upon the user pressing START, NOS shall perform a startup procedure. During startup, NOS shall determine the number of disk drives connected to the system. +---------------------+ | NODE STATUS | | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | | 1 # * * * * * * * * | | 2 # * * * * * * * * | | 3 # * * * * * * * * | | 4 # * * * * * * * * | | | | | +---------------------+ Node Status Display (Figure 1) NOTES: The number of lines in the status display is dependent upon the number of NIMs found by NOS at initialization. The number of status lines may vary from 1 to 4. The asterisks in the above figure shall indicate possible node status indicators. Node status indicators shall be: blank At initialization - No activity seen B Node boot request I Node executing DOSINI routine R Control passed to AUTORUN.SYS U Node executing NUP 1 Number of transmission tries/node (may vary from 1-8) X Node lost to hub (normally following excessive retransmissions). Recovery procedure consists of rebooting the node. The color of the node status indicators shall indicate current activity. Yellow shall indicate idle mode, while Blue shall indicate transmission in progress. The #'s in the above display indicate possible NIM status indicators. NIM status indicators shall be: blank Normal operation X NIM malfunctioning (either loss of power after initialization or malfunctioning hardware). 3.2.2 Node Start-up and Initialization The node shall start-up automatically when the user powers the system on while holding down the START key (similar to a cassette boot) and presses RETURN when the node "beeps". Upon start-up, NOS shall download the node resident portion of NOS and, then, perform as any DOS 2.0S system. For example, if the node contains a Basic cartridge (or built-in Basic), the system shall initialize Basic and display the "READY" prompt on the television screen. If there is no autorun cartridge in the node, NOS shall download the NOS Utility Package (NUP) after the download of the Node resident portion of NOS. 3.2.3 NOS Utility Package (NUP) The NUP shall be the same as the DOS 2.0S Utility Package, except, the "WRITE DOS FILES", "FORMAT DISK", "DUPLICATE DISK", "CREATE MEM.SAV", and "DUPLICATE FILE" shall not be available to the user. The NUP menu screen shall be the same as the menu screen for the DOS 2.0S Utility Package, except, the screen menu selections "H", "I", and "J", corresponding to non-available functions, shall be labeled, "NOT USED" and the menu selections "N" and "O", corresponding to non-available functions, shall not be displayed. If the user attempts to select these non-available options, the message, "NO SUCH ITEM" shall appear on the screen (the same as DOS 2.0S). 3.3 Performance Requirements The time to download an application program to a node shall be dependent upon the size of the program, and the network configuration and activity; however, worst case download time for a 4K byte program shall not exceed: - 0.5 minutes in an 8-node network - 0.75 minutes in a 16-node network - 1.5 minutes in a 32-node network 3.4 Design Requirements There shall be no requirement for the NOS to operate on PAL or 50 Hz systems. 3.5 Packaging Requirements The NOS shall be contained on a single density diskette and packaged with the 1080 Classnet hardware. 3.6 Special Requirements None