-------Commodore Trivia Edition #33 Questions and Answers Preface-------- Not to leave you in the dark for too long, here are the trivia answers to the previous edition of Commodore Trivia. I am posting the answers at this time, and will post the scores and winners in a few days. This time frame is set up to allow time for any discussions on the correctness of these answers. By this time, the newest edition of trivia has been posted. I encourage you to enter it. This edition of trivia answers has been posted to the USENET newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm, alt.folklore.computers, and comp.sys.amiga.advocacy. It has also been posted to the FidoNET CBM Echo. Feel free to use these trivia answers in newsletters, magazines, and other publications (please see disclaimer). If you use the trivia, I would appreciate knowing where it has ended up. If you intend to use this information, please wait a few days after the posting date to allow for major errors to be corrected. Please mail any new questions for upcoming trivia (with answers) to my address. This edition and previous editions the trivia can be obtained from my mailserver. To: brain@mail.msen.com Subject: MAILSERV Body: send trivia1 quit This will retrieve the first edition of the trivia. Replace the number with the edition you want. **NEW** Interested persons can now subscribe to the Trivia Mailing List. To add your name to the list, please mail a message: To: brain@mail.msen.com Subject: MAILSERV Body: subscribe trivia Firstname Lastname help quit Each new edition of the trivia will be automatically mailed to you when it is made available on the Internet. I try to post the answers for the questions shortly after the monthly contest has ended. However, I usually wait a few days for any errors I may have made to be worked out before scoring the contest. -------Commodore Trivia Edition #33 Questions and Answers (BEGIN)-------- The C128 Set: Q $200) How many general purpose central processing units does a C128 contain? A $200) The "3 computers in one" machine only contains 2 CPUs. The Z80 handles CP/M mode, while the 8502 handles both 64 and 128 mode. The "3" in the C128 motto threw a bunch of folks. Q $201) The Commodore 128 contains a MMU IC. What does MMU stand for? A $201) MMU = Memory Management Unit. Technically, the 64 contains one as well, but it was always referred to as the PAL or PLA in the 64. The 128 MMU does more than the 64 version, though. Q $202) What Commodore produced cartridge is specifically mentioned in the 128 PRG as being incompatible with the 128? A $202) The Commodore 64 CP/M 2.2 cartridge. Q $203) The C128 introduces the concepts of "banks" How many such banks are recognized by the C128 BASIC? A $203) 16. Bank 0 through Bank 15. Q $204) What version is the BASIC included in the C128 in native mode? A $204) BASIC 7.0. Q $205) Can any of the BASIC graphics commands be used on the 80 column screen? A $205) It depends on how you define "graphics commands". When writing the question, I was thinking of commands like BOX and CIRCLE that are written solely for use with the 40 column screen. However, commands like SCRNCLR, CHAR, and COLOR commands are considered part of the graphics set. Graphics commands that draw pixels on the bitmapped screen will NOT work on the 80 column screen, but those that merely set attributes or put characters at certain locations will work. However, don't let this fool you into thinking the 80 column screen can't support graphics. It can. Q $206) How many high-level graphics commands are available on the C128 in C128 mode? A $206) 14 high level graphics commands are included on the 128. Q $207) In C128 mode, at what location does screen memory start? A $207) It resides in the same location as on the 64: 1024-2023 ($0400 - $07e7). Q $208) The 80 column IC in the 128 can display how many full character sets of 256 characters each at one time? A $208) 2. While the VIC-IIe can only display 1, the VDC IC can handle display opf both sets simultaneously. That means a person can print upper/lowercase and graphics/uppercase characters on the same screen. Q $209) Many have scorned the C128's 80 column video IC. What about this IC makes it so hard to use? A $209) The VIC-IIe 40 column IC maps its configuration registers and screen memory into the C64/C128 memory map. The 8563 VDC IC does neither. All of its registers, screen memory, and color memory are hidden behind two registers. These two registers control access to the entire IC. In effect, these two registers are the "portal" to the VDC memory map. To modify or read a VDC internal register, the programmer must place the register number in one lcoation and wait for the result to appear in the other register. Q $20A) What number is the 80 column IC referenced by? A $20A) 8563 Q $20B) What machine language addressing modes cannot be used with the 80 column chip? A $20B) The manual warns against using "indirect" addressing opcodes by claiming their use could generate "false" bus states that confuse the IC. In reality, howevr, only the indirect mode of the STA opcode will cause any harm. To understand why, one must note that the STA ($00),y instruction executes a read of memory before doing its write. Q $20C) The C128 contains keyboard keys not present on the C64. What IC is used to read these keys? (besides the CIA, as on the 64) A $20C) There are two answers. Aside from the ROM, the CPU, and the above mentioned CIA, the VIC-IIe IC provides the extra 3 lines used to scan the keyboard. The C128 MMU IC provides the capability of reading the status of the 40/80 key. (Thanks for Marko Makela for this info) Q $20D) Following the introduction of the C128, a new version of was developed. Name it. A $20D) It is alternately called CP/M Plus or CP/M 3.0 Q $20E) Many people refer to C128s as 16k or 64k units. To what does this refer? A $20E) In question $209, we noted that the 8563 80 column IC in the C128 has an internal memory map. As such, the 8563 can have varying amounts of RAM attached to it. Earlier C128 contained 16kB of this "VDC" RAM, while later variations and some third party products increased this to 64 kB VDC RAM. Q $20F) According to the C128 literature, the C128 can be expanded to use how much memory? A $20F) 640 kB. The information in this between the lines marked by (BEGIN) and (END) is copyright 1996 by Jim Brain. Provided that the information between the (BEGIN) and (END) lines is not changed except to correct typographical errors, the so marked copyrighted information may be reproduced in its entirety on other networks or in other mediums. For more information about using this file, please contact the address shown below. Jim Brain j.brain@ieee.org 10710 Bruhn Avenue Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 431-7754 --------Commodore Trivia Edition #33 Questions and Answers (END)---------