M100 CP/M

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What is M100 CP/M?

M100 CP/M is an implementation of CP/M 2.2 that is tailored to the TRS-80 Model 100 & Tandy 102. Now able to run the dominant operating system of the 1970s & early 1980s means a huge library of programming languages, text adventures, utilities, etc, can now run on these computers.

In order to run CP/M, these computers need two changes to hardware:

  * RAM needs to be present in lower 32KB region.
  * Some form of memory to act as disk storage

REXCPM is the device that achieves this. Developed by long-standing M100 hardware specialist Steve Adolph, REXCPM is a plug 'n play Option ROM board that provides the lower 32KB, plus either 2MB or 4MB of RAM-disk.

This makes these computers a venerable CP/M machine with their small footprint, enviable keyboard, super-fast disk, long battery, etc, etc.

CP/M. The main goal of REXCPM is to enable support for Philip Avery's port of CP/M 2.2 onto the M100 hardware. CP/M requires the full 64k address space to be RAM in order to operate, and so a RAM based capability is needed.

RAMdisk. CP/M is a disk based operating system. REXCPM, via the 3 bank-switched memory regions, is able to transform the majority of the SRAM resource into a RAM based, battery backed, ultra fast disk.

...and of course, all of the classic capabilities of REX can be supported using SRAM as well! So REXCPM is really all of the best aspects of REX, combined now with a custom, supported CP/M implementation, opening the door to a wide range of new applications!

Links

REXCPM Information page

Status

  * REXCPM is currently in beta testing.
  * Hardware design and test is complete.
  * Inventory status will be kept up to date at the Ordering page.

Software

example Table

Type	Supported Models	Memory type	CP/M?	Option ROMs?	RAM backups?	PCB2MOLEX Carrier?	Robustness improvements?
REXCPM	M100, T102	Static RAM, 2MB or 4MB	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
REXsharp	M100, T102	Flash, 1MB	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank those that have contributed to the project:

Steve Adolph - for producing REXCPM hardware (which is a delight to program). For CASS/BCR video output, hi-speed Backup and technical support.

Kenneth Pettit - for VirtualT as this project would have remained a dream if not for VT.

Mike Stein - for alerting me to Geoff Graham's VT-100 Terminal project and for beta-testing.