TI Advanced Diagnostics
                          By Ulrich K.  O.  Hofmann

    Few  Texas  Instruments  Professional  Computer  owners  know that the
    standard DIAGNOSTICS program supplied by Texas Instruments with  their
    TI-PC Operating Instructions holds hidden treasures, normally intended
    for the eyes of repair technicians only.

    In scanning all those data files on  the  DIAGNOSTICS  diskette,  many
    hidden  features  become  fairly  obvious.   For  instance,  the DIAGS
    program reads in different files off the DIAGNOSTICS dis kette, as  it
    builds  its  well known MENU options.  Rather than keeping it a secret
    any longer, I feel that it is within the scope  of  a  Computer  Users
    Group  such  as  ours, to share this kind of information.  Most of the
    information in this paper was  obtained  from  the  Texas  Instruments
    Professional    Computer    Maintenance    Handbook,    (part   number
    2223200-00001, dated 01 February, 1983.  I am sure there  is  a  newer
    one  around  by  now,  but  for  our  pur poses this will be adequate.
    Clearly, this document is not one commonly  purchased  by  the  normal
    TI-PC user, and yet, some of the information it contains should really
    have been included in the Operating Instructions Manual.  Reference is
    also  made to the December 1984 edition of TI Profes sional Computing.
    The Techs & Tips section has a good write-up on how to use the  FLOTST
    to  test  and  adjust  the  speed  of  a  Dis kette drive.  Winchester
    diagnostics are not going to be  covered  here  for  several  reasons.
    Most  users  have  only floppies and the manual has very little to say
    about Winchester diagnostics, and  this  version  of  the  DIAGNOSTICS
    diskette  only  contains  support  for Winchesters supported by MS-DOS
    v1.25.  Incidentally, I have DIAGNOSTICS V1.6, and it only  runs  with
    MS-DOS   V1.25.   The  key  to  getting  a  glimpse  of  the  advanced
    diagnostics is simple.  One must "boot up" the  DIAGNOSTICS  diskette,
    which ini tially builds the MENU.  Once this process is completed, one
    must key in CTRL-A.  This input causes the following  menu  screen  to
    appear:




    Texas Instruments Professional Computer Advanced Diagnostics

    KEYBOARD  entry  of diagnostics BATCH execution of diagnostics FACTORY
    diagnostics interface



    Select mode and press enter...

    Press ESC to return to main menu...


    COMMAND FORMAT.


    First, we will address the commands which can be input  to  the  DIAGS
    program.   Whether  input  to  the  KEYBOARD  option,  or to the BATCH
    option, all commands take the following form:


    COMMAND PARm=VALue PARm=VALue .........  PARm=VALue


    ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS TESTS


    In this section we describe the actual commands, and  their  use.   In
    the  various  tests shown below, some fields are mandatory in put, and
    some are optional.  If optional, they will usually de fault to certain
    defined  values.   Instead  of  repeating  all the optional fields for
    every input, we will define them later in  the  OPTions  table.   TEST
    INPUTS.


    The  tests  that  follow  list  only the minimum required inputs.  All
    other optional inputs, if not used, will default to  specific  values,
    as shown in the Default Table below.

    CRT:   CRTTST  TESt=ALIGN  CRTTST  TESt=VIDeo  (ERR  LOG  LOO)  CRTTST
    TESt=ATTributes (ERR LOG LOO)

    GRAPHICS:  GRATST TESt=ALIGNMENT

    KEYBOARD:  KEYTST TESt=INTerface (ERR LOG LOO) KEYTST TESt=KEYS

    COMMUNICATIONS:  COMTST TESt=LOCAL (POR  FOR  SPE  MOD  ERR  LOG  LOO)
    COMTST TESt=REMOTE (POR)

    ROM:  ROMTST (ERR LOG LOO)

    RAM:  RAMTST TESt=RAM (BEGIN END ERR LOG LOO) RAMTST TESt=REFresh (ERR
    LOG LOO)

    DISKETTE:  FLOTST  TESt=FORmat  (DRI  ERR  LOG  LOO  PAT  OPT)  FLOTST
    TESt=VERIFY  (DRI  ERR LOG LOO OPT) FLOTST TESt=WRITE (DRI ERR LOO TRA
    PAT OPT) FLOTST TESt=ALIGN (DRI PAT OPT) FLOTST TESt=RANdom  (DRI  ERR
    LOG LOO PAT OPT)

    PARALLEL  PRINTER:  PRTTST TESt=PAT (ERR LOG LOO) PRTTST=LOOPBACK (ERR
    LOG LOO) OPTIONAL INPUTS.


    Input        Parameter        Description        Default        Ranges
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    ERRors Number of errors reported.  10 1 to 255

    LOG Log results to printer.  OFF ON or OFF

    LOOp Number of repetitions.  10 1 to 9999 (Must be last.)

    PORt Ports to test.  All 1 to 4

    FORmat Synchronous or Asynchronous ASYnc SYNc, ASYnc Loopback.

    SPEed Speed of Loopback.  9600 110 to 9600

    MODe Internal or External INTernal INTernal, Loopback.  EXTernal.

    BEGIN First RAM bank to be tested.  0 0 to 12

    END Last RAM bank to be tested.  12 0 to 12

    PATtern Testpattern for writes.  6DB6 4-digit Hexadecimal

    OPTion Drive type (See table below.) 8 0 to 9


    DRIVE TYPE OPTIONS.

    This table outlines the options to be used for the OPTion parameter.
    It establishes the drive type to be tested.


                                    Write Precompensation
    OPTion    Drive Type                        Setting

    0         40-track, single-sided            OFF
    1         40-track, single-sided            ON
    2         40-track, double-sided            OFF
    3         40-track, double-sided            ON
    4         80-track, single-sided            OFF
    5         80-track, single-sided            ON
    6         80-track, double-sided            OFF
    7         80-track, double-sided            ON
    8         Track and Side as installed       OFF
    9         Track and side as installed       ON
    KEYBOARD OPTION.

    Initially, we are going to concern ourselves with the first  op  tion,
    the KEYBOARD option.  Position the cursor over the option by using the
    Cursor Control keys, and press RETURN.  The screen presented  at  this
    time  is used to input specific commands.  These commands then execute
    the various diagnostics tests, as outlined above.  For example, if one
    were to input the following on the line indi cated:

    COMTST TESt=LOCal PORt=1 FORmat=ASYnc SPEed=300 MODe=INTernal ERRor=5
    LOG=ON LOOps=2

    The test to be performed would include:

    * Communications Local Loopback Test
    * RS-232 Port 1 (Or Internal modem set up as port 1.)
    * Asynchronous mode (Most MODEMS use this mode)
    * 300-baud rate
    * Internal loopback test mode
    * Maximum of 5 errors are recorded then the test aborts
    * The test is conducted twice.
    * Test results are printed on an attached parallel printer.

    Although not all commands are required,  the  capitalized  portion  of
    each  command  is  required as input, when the command is used.  BATCH
    Processing.


    The second option on the Advanced Diagnostics  display  is  the  BATCH
    execution  of  diagnostics  option.   You may create files con taining
    your own diagnostics.  They can be placed on the DIAGNOS TICS Diskette
    for  later use.  They must have an extension of .BCH.  Upon requesting
    the BATCH option, the screen presented will allow inputting of a batch
    filename.ext.,  and  the program will then execute the instructions in
    this file.  A command file can be created  with  any  word  processor,
    such  as  EDLIN.   The format of these files is as follows:  The first
    line of text in this file  is  always  a  comment,  and  will  not  be
    recognized  as a command.  Any subsequent lines will be re cognized as
    commands, unless the first character on the line is  an  !,  in  which
    case  this  line is considered a comment.  A batch file can be made to
    appear on the primary menu, if the first character of the filename  is
    a  $.   The  program  builds the menu items by using the first line in
    each file as text.


    FACTORY Diagnostics Interface.

    Apparently used by TI Personnel only, and not documented at all.