Subject: Re: Stoll Weaver
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From: Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
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Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 08:04:37 -0600
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David Phillips writes ...
> 
> I have just been asked for help by a weaving company. using a IIGS.
> 
> so Out I go to their factory and low and behold they are using a IIGS to
> control this weaving machine. They use it to input paterns for the colars
> that are woven by this machine. It has two proprietary boards one is in slot
> seven and the other in slot 3 however the control panel setting are not
> changed for them.
>
> It appears that the 5' DOS disks are or do have errors as some of the
> commands are not usable anymore they are labled.
> 
> Copyright 1979-91 by H Stoll GMBH & Co Reutlingen
> 
> They seem to be not available anymore.
> 
> I am going to try to get them to run on John McLeans 3.3 Launcher.
>
> Has anyone head of this system and can anyone help with the original copy of
> the program. The originals are corrupt and The firm is deserate.
>
 ....


     If you can convert the disks to disk images for use with DOS 3.3 Launcher,
it is fairly unlikely that they are corrupted.

     Suppose, though, that the disks do seem to have some bad spots. You do not
mention trying to make copies of the diskettes. Sometimes, this works to
salvage a disk with one or more 'weak' sectors. 

     Since the last copyright date is 1991, the diskettes probably are not
13-sector formatted; so, the following tries should have a chance at success.

     Write protect the originals with write protect tabs and try copying the
diskettes with a fast copier, like Disk Muncher. There's a good version on the
Turdnil Utilities Disk (file TnilUtil.sdk) at
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/ .

     If you can get a copy with no error indicators, then (unless the disk is
copy protected) at least the copy should be okay. (Sometimes, a copy which
misses on one or two tracks on one try will succeed on a second or third try.)

     You may not be able to get a copy with no bad tracks. If this happens, jot
down the bad track numbers. The Turdnil Copier (on the same disk) _may_ be able
to make good copies of these tracks. It's not much of a copier-- too slow-- but
it does let you make multiple retries on copying specific problem sectors on
any given track.

     In case the above approach does not work, you may be able to get somewhere
using Copy II Plus-- a good general purpose version is v7.x. If, after booting
DOS 3.3 or ProDOS you are able to Catalog a disk, you can try copying
individual files. Each target diskette needs to be formatted for the correct
DOS. If the originals use DOS 3.3, the target disks' volume numbers need to
match, too.

     One advantage of file copying is that you may succeed in getting good
copies of most files and will know which files are messed up. (If all files
copy okay, it probably means that the corruption was on a boot track.) 
Sometimes the bad files can be repaired or replaced.



     Suppose, though, that you discover that the diskettes seem to be okay. (Or
that, after you have good copies, the system still does not work correctly.)

     You mentioned that some commands do not work. While this could be due to
some messed up data file, it may, instead, to relate to a hardware fault.

     Try pulling the interface cards and cleaning the card contacts. Scootch up
and resocket each socketted IC on the cards. Check connecting cables and clean
the connectors.

     If there is some way to directly output codes, use it to check that all
output lines are active. (An I/O chip with a bad output or a blown buffer
transistor are not all that unlikely.) 

     Also, be sure to clean the R/W head on each 5.25" disk drive and check
each drive's speed using Copy II Plus. Make sure the drives work by booting and
running known-good software on 5.25" diskettes.




Rubywand