Example Scenarios



Unboxing Scenarios

Full System

The first scenario to describe is the full system option in this  scenario a box arrives that has:

  1. Full CoCo 5 Case including keyboard.
  2. An external power supply (AC to 12V/5 Volt DC Power Supply Adapter w/ 4-Pin Molex)
  3. A bound CoCo5 user manual and a sheet of paper with the quick start guide and the URL of the online support site.

Base System

The second scenario to describe is the base system option in this case the box contains only the motherboard bolted into the bottom half of a CoCo5 case.
The user must provide or order separately:
  1. The top half of the case for witch a Color Computer 3 top half will work fine.
  2. A keyboard.
    • A.CoCo MECH CoCo5 Keyboard.
    • B.Bluetooth Keyboard
    • C.A Color Computer 3 keyboard and a three button or scroll mouse.
    • D.Wired PS/2 keyboard updated to support CoCo5 Keyboard emulation or with a three button or scroll mouse.
  3. A protective cover for the empty keyboard space if using keyboard options B or D.
A few sheets of paper with the URL of the online support site and a few troubleshooting hints are also included. 

 Motherboard System

The third scenario to describe is the motherboard only  system option in this case the box contains only the motherboard and a few sheets of paper with the URL of the online support site and a few troubleshooting hints. Ordering this system makes sense if you are planning to put the CoCo 5 in a classic PC case that includes a power supply with molex connectors in such a case you may use a PS/2 Keyboard Interface, a Bluetooth Keyboard or a CoCo MECH.


Tri-Coco


The Tri-Coco mode is the origional "factory" mode for a new CoCo5.
So after unboxing your coco5 pluging in the monitor or TV and pluging in the power supply to the molex port at the back of the CoCo5 and your AC you are ready.
When you press the ON switch at the back of the CoCo5 the computer boots up for the first time The Udisk-0 runs the RS-DOS DOS command and a menu apears.
This menu lets you:
  1. Read the user manual updates. (NEW.TXT:0)
  2. Read your crib notes file (CRIB.TXT:0)
  3. Run The Demo Games.(DEMO.B4S,MLDEMO.BIN)*
  4. Run The Dumb Terminal(requires a serial cable for the bit banger.)
  5. Run The Disk Backup Program( Requires a drivewire server connected to the Bit Banger works similar to the program WIRED.)
  6. Run The Drive Wire Terminal( Requires a drivewire cable connection to a PC and a special BBS program runing on the PC.)
  7. Exit to Basic in Tape Mode
  8. Exit to Basic in Drive Wire Mode
All these programs are saved on Udisk-0 formated as a 35 Track single sided drive on the NVRAM.


Reading about all the new features you are eager to try them out but taking the advice in the manual you want to make a backup of the Udisk-0 first. Here are some options.

Mode Switch Set to 4

The mode switch is only read on power up so if you change the mode switch you must power cycle after.

If set the switch to 3 you boot to a screen not much different from a Color Computer 3's start screen.

If set the switch to 4 you boot to a menu that  has the following items:***

                   SW 4
             POWER UP
           START MENU

Note how the option BASIC is underlined pressing Enter , Spacebar or typing B (case insensitive)  drops you to the Basic 4 prompt.

To make another selection type A, C, D, E or F or use the arrow keys to change the underlined entry and then press Spacebar or the Enter key.


Assembler/Debugger.

If you choose A and only have a One Monitor attached you will get the message:

This Assembler requires both
VGA and a Composite Monitors attached.

Press any key to return to the START menu.

If you can start the assembler it will ask If you are developing for a High res. ( Over 800x480 ) or Low res. ( Under 800x480 ).

If you choose High res the assembler will open on the Composite Monitor in a 64 Column Grey Scale mode that should be quite readable even on a poor TV after editing the assembler program you press ^R to run it and it runs  on the VGA monitor in resolutions up to 1280x960.

On the other hand if you select  the Low res. the assembler will run in 132 column mode on a 1280x720 screen on the VGA monitor and when you press ^R the program will run on the TV.

Before the assembler proper is started the following form questions need to be answered.



Change Master Settings.

If you choose C then the master settings menu appears. Click here for details.



Drivewire Server Boot.

If you choose D and are in Tri-Coco mode then CoCo Blue will boot from a running Drivewire server's Drive 0 if it is attached to the Bit-Banger.

If in Dual-CoCo mode then CoCo Red will Boot from a  running Drivewire server's Drive 0 if it is attached to the the designated PRIMARY SERIAL PORT of the  CoCo Red.

Ideally this BOOT should apply not only to OS-9 virtual disks but to any disk that has been setup so that typing DOS in Basic causes a program to boot.


Enter Hardware Configuration Mode

If you choose E then you enter the Hardware Configuration Menu. Click here for details.



Function Key Configuration.

If you choose F then you get the function key configuration screen.





Mode Switch Set to 3