                        ===================
                        BOTBIOS version 1.0
                        ===================

BOTBIOS is a very simple operating system for use in embedded system
controller work that permits the use of PC based development tools
for programming the controller.  Furthermore, BOTBIOS has a
development mode or command processor that appears similar to a PC.

For more information, read the article in the May 1996 issue of Nuts
& Volts magazine and refer to the file BOTBIOS.TXT included here.
Also be sure to read the included LIMITS.TXT which describes
limitations of BOTBIOS and corrections to the Nut & Volts article.


There are three different versions of the V25BIOS portion of BOTBIOS
in this release.  When initializing after a reset, the banner that is
output to the console of the V25 board will identify which version is
currently running.

Note that for now the only processor that is supported by BOTBIOS is
the NEC V25.  And all of the testing of BOTBIOS has been done on the
New Micros, Inc, NMIT-0025 single board computer.


BOTBIOS.BIN is the combination of one of the included V25BIOS files
and some utilities supplied as COM files.  BOTBIOS.BLD is the
ROMMAKER build file that is used to create BOTBIOS.BIN from its
component parts.  ROMMAKER is available separately.

If you are using a 32k EPROM on your V25 based board, the simplest
first step is to program the EPROM with BOTBIOS.BIN included here and
install it so that it occupies the top 32k of the V25's address
space.

Other variations of BOTBIOS.BIN can be created with the ROMMAKER
program and the BOTBIOS.BLD build file by changing the BIOS entry in
BOTBIOS.BLD to refer to one of the other V25BIOS files.  Additional
COM files can also be created and added to the files already
specified in BOTBIOS.BLD.  Refer to the ROMMAKER documentation for
details describing the use of ROMMAKER and the creation of a ROMMAKER
build file.


V25BIOS.BIN is the basic version.  This is the version that was put
in the BOTBIOS.BIN included here.

V25BIOSD.BIN adds to the basic version some additional diagnostic
output to the console that identifies information about how a program
is being loaded before it is executed.  It also reports any
unsupported interrupts that are called.

V25BIOST.BIN includes this additional diagnostic output but has the
dispatch capability of the basic version disabled.  This is necessary
to use BOTBIOS on a board that does not have Port 0, pins 0-3
available or does not have Port 0, pins 0-3 hooked up to provide a
dispatch value.  See BOTBIOS.TXT for a description and usage of the
dispatch value.

There are some additional source files provided that are not included
in the BOTBIOS.BIN.  These files and the source files that are a part
of BOTBIOS are provided to give a starting point for programming
under BOTBIOS.

I hope you are able to get something useful out of BOTBIOS.  It has
been useful for me.


Bill Bailey
16 May 96
