Installing PicoDOS8 into your TT8 for C Development
1. With the TT8 powered and showing the TOM8> monitor prompt, load 8PICO###.AHX using CrossCut or MotoCross. At the completion of the load, answer Y<enter> to the confirmation prompt.
2. PicoDOS8 is now resident in the top (unused) portion of the TT8’s onboard flash memory and is ready to service your programs file system requests. You can get to the PicoDOS8 command shell from the TOM8 monitor at any time by typing GO 28000<enter>.
In addition to providing DOS like commands such as DIR, TYPE, COPY, batch files, and the like, PicoDOS8 also replicates all of the basic TOM8 functionality so you may find it convenient to have your TT8 automatically start PicoDOS8 at power up.
From the PicoDOS8 prompt you can switch startup action by typing BOOT PICO or BOOT TOM8. However, you do not want to use BOOT PICO if your are running TxBASIC or want to run your own application from the TT8’s onboard flash memory.
3. Run PicoDOS8 with the GO 28000<enter> and begin to explore. Use the HELP command to get a list of commands and the DIR command to see what’s on the card (probably nothing yet!).
4. Become familiar with your Persistor by reading the other PicoDOS8 and Persistor documentation listed earlier, and by building and running one or more of the example programs in the directory:
C:\TT8\PicoDOS8\EXAMPLES\
TxBASIC Notes
Before installing PicoDOS8 into your TT8 you need to be aware of considerations that are unique to the TxBASIC environment.
1. TxBASIC is the startup program that will run in your TT8’s onboard flash memory, so you cannot automatically run the PicoDOS8 command shell, nor do you normally see the TOM8> monitor prompt which is where you need to be to load programs.
2. The TxTools communications window does not know the shortcuts that CrossCut and MotoCross use to quickly load TT8 programs, so you have to perform additional steps and the program loads work at 9600 baud instead of 57600 baud and therefore take quite a bit longer.
3. The order in which you install TxBASIC and PicoDOS8 does not matter, though it may change the startup behavior and what you see in your communications window which can be confusing when you’re trying to follow step-by-step installation instructions.
Installing PicoDOS8 into your TT8 for TxBASIC Development
1. If you are running TxTOOLS and already see the TOM8> monitor prompt then skip the next step which forces TxBASIC to enter the TOM8 monitor.
2. If instead you are seeing the TxB# prompt, you will need to force TxBASIC to enter the TOM8 monitor by typing a CTRL-X then replying “Y” to the confirmation prompt. You should now see the TOM8> monitor prompt.
