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S5 PG 675
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johns...@gmail.com
Jul 24, 2013, 11:43:09 PM7/24/13
to
Hello,
I just purchased a Siemens Simatic S5 PG 675 from ebay which unfortunately came with no boot disks.
I'm a programmer and am very interested in getting this machine up and running.
Does anyone have boot/system disks? And if these are in files what is the process to get them onto 5.25" disks using a modern pc?
I would be very grateful if you could assist me in my search.
Thanks,
John.
I just purchased a Siemens Simatic S5 PG 675 from ebay which unfortunately came with no boot disks.
I'm a programmer and am very interested in getting this machine up and running.
Does anyone have boot/system disks? And if these are in files what is the process to get them onto 5.25" disks using a modern pc?
I would be very grateful if you could assist me in my search.
Thanks,
John.
Mr. Emmanuel Roche, france
Jul 25, 2013, 2:27:28 PM7/25/13
to
Hello, John!
> I just purchased a Siemens Simatic S5 PG 675 from ebay
Ho, my!... Why did you buy such a specialized piece of (prehistoric) hardware?
> which unfortunately came with no boot disks.
Since I am the local "expert" on computers, I am offered very often some old
piece of junk. Except for systems that I already have, I do the logical thing:
a computer is hardware + software. If one of them is missing, then it is only
worth a "boat anchor". From time to time, I get lucky and find a really
intelligent person, who has packaged everything (computer and peripherals in
original cardboard boxes, books and software bought, spare parts, etc). Else,
if anything is missing, I simply refuse to waste my time trying to re-invent
the wheel.
> I'm a programmer and am very interested in getting this machine up and
> running.
So, could you, please, explain us what one can do with this outfashioned, no
longer made or sold "industrial controller"? (Well, the PG 675 was the
computer which was used to run a program named "Step5" (S5) which was (if I
have well understood) setting the behaviour of an "industrial controller", the
way a "PROM burner" burns a program into a PROM.
> Does anyone have boot/system disks? And if these are in files what is the
> process to get them onto 5.25" disks using a modern pc?
First, the obvious thing: fit a 5-1/4" floppy disk drive to your "PC". Now,
the size of those floppies varied over time. In the prehistory, the size was
720KB, but when you talk to people they only remember (if they remember) the
1.2MB size (which was using narrower tracks on the floppies: some people say
that, if the old drive was not properly aligned, it could make it difficult to
read the floppy.)
> I would be very grateful if you could assist me in my search.
Blah!
Ok. I know nothing about the PG675 but, 10 years ago, we had many discussions
about its successor, the PG685. Why this interest? Because John Elliott found
the string "CP/M-86 Plus" (the mythical 8086 version of CP/M Plus, which was
thought to have disappeared) in every CMD program coming from one unknown
"Personal CP/M" used on the PG685. (Everybody was surprised, of course, to see
a Califonian Operating System ressurrects in Germany under another name!)
Of course, 10 years later, we know nothing more, since nobody from Siemens (or
Germany) ever wasted his time answering our questions.
So, 10 years ago, I found on the Web server of Siemens a booklet about
"Personal CP/M". I compared it with my copy of the CP/M Plus manual: it was a
translation into German of the "CP/M Plus User's Guide", with 2 new commands.
Right now, if I do a search, only Web pages in German and Russian talk about
this "S5". Examples:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_5
Some blablabla about "Step 5", of course in German. The thing of interest is
the line: "Step 5 Version 1.1 -- (Personal) CP/M-86 V2.0 -- PG675".
Then the following line talks of "Version 3.2 -- (Personal) CP/M-86 V2.0 --
PG685".
That's all I know. If the hardware of the PG675 is compatible with the PG685,
then you can run any copy of "CP/M-86 Plus" found on Gaby's Web site
(www.gaby.de). If it is not compatible, then simply reach your credit card:
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Siemens-PG675-S5-DOS-Zentralf-/110724283512?_trksid=m263&_trkparms=algo=SI&its=I&itu=UCI&otn=12&pmod=260904963566&ps=63&clkid=103202247625653351
The boot disk of your portable is worth only 130 Euros. You will note that, as
usual, the seller is located in "Remscheid, Germany".
If you want to learn more about this mysterious "Simatic", the only Web page
in the world for this German proprietary product is... Russian!
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatic
Apparently, there were several versions. The "S5" variant is documented, once
more, only in Russian:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatic_S5
(Those Russians appear to have a good opinion of German hardware...)
Very few books were ever written about this curiosity.
In short: Good Luck!
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Emmanuel Roche, France
> I just purchased a Siemens Simatic S5 PG 675 from ebay
> which unfortunately came with no boot disks.
piece of junk. Except for systems that I already have, I do the logical thing:
a computer is hardware + software. If one of them is missing, then it is only
worth a "boat anchor". From time to time, I get lucky and find a really
intelligent person, who has packaged everything (computer and peripherals in
original cardboard boxes, books and software bought, spare parts, etc). Else,
if anything is missing, I simply refuse to waste my time trying to re-invent
the wheel.
> I'm a programmer and am very interested in getting this machine up and
> running.
longer made or sold "industrial controller"? (Well, the PG 675 was the
computer which was used to run a program named "Step5" (S5) which was (if I
have well understood) setting the behaviour of an "industrial controller", the
way a "PROM burner" burns a program into a PROM.
> Does anyone have boot/system disks? And if these are in files what is the
> process to get them onto 5.25" disks using a modern pc?
the size of those floppies varied over time. In the prehistory, the size was
720KB, but when you talk to people they only remember (if they remember) the
1.2MB size (which was using narrower tracks on the floppies: some people say
that, if the old drive was not properly aligned, it could make it difficult to
read the floppy.)
> I would be very grateful if you could assist me in my search.
Ok. I know nothing about the PG675 but, 10 years ago, we had many discussions
about its successor, the PG685. Why this interest? Because John Elliott found
the string "CP/M-86 Plus" (the mythical 8086 version of CP/M Plus, which was
thought to have disappeared) in every CMD program coming from one unknown
"Personal CP/M" used on the PG685. (Everybody was surprised, of course, to see
a Califonian Operating System ressurrects in Germany under another name!)
Of course, 10 years later, we know nothing more, since nobody from Siemens (or
Germany) ever wasted his time answering our questions.
So, 10 years ago, I found on the Web server of Siemens a booklet about
"Personal CP/M". I compared it with my copy of the CP/M Plus manual: it was a
translation into German of the "CP/M Plus User's Guide", with 2 new commands.
Right now, if I do a search, only Web pages in German and Russian talk about
this "S5". Examples:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_5
Some blablabla about "Step 5", of course in German. The thing of interest is
the line: "Step 5 Version 1.1 -- (Personal) CP/M-86 V2.0 -- PG675".
Then the following line talks of "Version 3.2 -- (Personal) CP/M-86 V2.0 --
PG685".
That's all I know. If the hardware of the PG675 is compatible with the PG685,
then you can run any copy of "CP/M-86 Plus" found on Gaby's Web site
(www.gaby.de). If it is not compatible, then simply reach your credit card:
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Siemens-PG675-S5-DOS-Zentralf-/110724283512?_trksid=m263&_trkparms=algo=SI&its=I&itu=UCI&otn=12&pmod=260904963566&ps=63&clkid=103202247625653351
The boot disk of your portable is worth only 130 Euros. You will note that, as
usual, the seller is located in "Remscheid, Germany".
If you want to learn more about this mysterious "Simatic", the only Web page
in the world for this German proprietary product is... Russian!
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatic
Apparently, there were several versions. The "S5" variant is documented, once
more, only in Russian:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatic_S5
(Those Russians appear to have a good opinion of German hardware...)
Very few books were ever written about this curiosity.
In short: Good Luck!
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Emmanuel Roche, France
Dr.K...@t-online.de
Jul 25, 2013, 8:05:42 PM7/25/13
to
Am Donnerstag, 25. Juli 2013 05:43:09 UTC+2 schrieb johns...@gmail.com:
> Hello, I just purchased a Siemens Simatic S5 PG 675 from ebay which unfortunately came with no boot disks. I'm a programmer and am very interested in getting this machine up and running. Does anyone have boot/system disks? And if these are in files what is the process to get them onto 5.25" disks using a modern pc? I would be very grateful if you could assist me in my search. Thanks, John.
Hello John,
> Hello, I just purchased a Siemens Simatic S5 PG 675 from ebay which unfortunately came with no boot disks. I'm a programmer and am very interested in getting this machine up and running. Does anyone have boot/system disks? And if these are in files what is the process to get them onto 5.25" disks using a modern pc? I would be very grateful if you could assist me in my search. Thanks, John.
the PG 675 runs with the S5/ST-package, operating system CP/M86, V2.0 (PCPM).
A shorter english site you can find at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatic_S5_PLC .
A converting tool you can find at http://www.gaby.de/ecconver.htm, look at FX86.ZIP.
Greetings,
Michael
Mr. Emmanuel Roche, france
Jul 26, 2013, 4:19:19 PM7/26/13
to
I documented how to use those tools and install CP/M-86 Plus on a hard disk,
in the message: "Wanted: Proof-readers", published on the comp.os.cpm
Newsgroup the 6 December... 2001! (12 years ago!)
As far as I remember, since then, only 5 persons asked me my version of
CP/M-86 Plus. The only thing that I remember well at the moment (I am getting
old, with all those white hairs.) is that I sent to the last one, Jeffrey
Shook (New York, USA), the print-out of all the manuals that I have recreated:
- "CP/M-86 Plus User's Guide"
- "CP/M-86 Plus Programmer's Guide"
- "CP/M-86 Plus System Guide"
- "CP/M-86 Plus SORT Program User's Guide"
I never finished my port of Mallard-86 BASIC and Dr. Logo interpreters. I
would need several months of free time and/or money to finish them.
(But, as far as I undersand it, he only wants to use one antique copy of "Step
5".)
in the message: "Wanted: Proof-readers", published on the comp.os.cpm
Newsgroup the 6 December... 2001! (12 years ago!)
As far as I remember, since then, only 5 persons asked me my version of
CP/M-86 Plus. The only thing that I remember well at the moment (I am getting
old, with all those white hairs.) is that I sent to the last one, Jeffrey
Shook (New York, USA), the print-out of all the manuals that I have recreated:
- "CP/M-86 Plus User's Guide"
- "CP/M-86 Plus Programmer's Guide"
- "CP/M-86 Plus System Guide"
- "CP/M-86 Plus SORT Program User's Guide"
I never finished my port of Mallard-86 BASIC and Dr. Logo interpreters. I
would need several months of free time and/or money to finish them.
(But, as far as I undersand it, he only wants to use one antique copy of "Step
5".)
fritz chwolka
Jul 28, 2013, 11:05:10 AM7/28/13
to
http://z80cpu.eu/mirrors/oldcomputers.dyndns.org/rechner/siemens/prg_s5/info.html
and for making disks from the images
http://z80cpu.eu/mirrors/oldcomputers.dyndns.org/rechner/eaca/genie_3s/image/image.zip
drago...@gmail.com
Jan 29, 2014, 8:59:28 AM1/29/14
to
I have a working PG675 and a bootable disk. I would like to make some backup copies of this disk. I wonder if this could be done with the PG675 or should I try writing floppies using the images from http://z80cpu.eu/mirrors/oldcomputers.dyndns.org/rechner/siemens/prg_s5/info.html ?
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