Notes on using Multiplan cart w/Nanopeb

[newTIboyRob]

I started this post in case anyone is trying to use a Nanopeb with the Multiplan cart. Thus far, I haven't had the success I had with another post (Notes on using Personal Record Keeping cart w/Nanopeb), but hopefully we can solve the mystery here. Like Curly said in City Slickers 1 "The day ain't over yet."  Follow me down here:

 

The way I am accustomed to doing things is the fairly standard combo of mounting the program disk as DSK1 and DSK2 for the data files.  Thus, with the Mplan cart in, in TI BASIC, I first did a CALL MOUNT (1,33) with the 33 being the Vol containing the Mplan program file, and CALL MOUNT (2,50) to save the MPlan data files onto the preformatted Volume 50 of DSK 2. So far so good.

 

The program loaded fine, I did some formulas, pressed T then O and then thanks to the help of @HOME AUTOMATION, was able to tab over via CTRL 2 to type in DSK2 so as to change the default drive in preparation for said data file saving and retrieval. (Note there is no space with the DSK2, because otherwise you will get an invalid parameter error message.)

 

Once the default drive changed to DSK2, I went back, pressed T then S to save the working file as WARES (with no quotes). I was encouraged when I saw the Nanopeb's yellow light flashing which I thought was an indication of drive activity, and it seemed to be saving. Or so I thought.

 

Unfortunately though, nothing saved, well at least it was not being displayed on Vol.50 in the VCATALOG, as nothing was present except the error message BAD VALUE IN 310.

 

I repeated the same basic concept using DSK3 hoping that I maybe would have the same luck I had with the PRK cart, but no dice there either, as that resulted in error message "CAN NOT WRITE FILE." When I tried a file load, I got an endless loop of Enter Y to retry access to WARES... ultimately a can not read file.

 

So any thoughts as to where I am going wrong here, or how to get a data file to save and load?  I was trying to avoid using the 1 disk drive concept, out of safety/precaution for drive confusion, but is that the only way for data storage here with the Mplan cart and Nanopeb combo, or what am I missing?

 

Edited February 18 by newTIboyRob

[WhataKowinkydink]

I might have to play around with MP and see what I can come up with.  I'll report here if I get to it.

[newTIboyRob]

Ok, that would be super, thank you!

[+Torrax]

Try changing the "DSK2" to "DSK2.".  And see if that helps.

[newTIboyRob]

How ironic here... I solved the mystery myself. This is not always the case. Turns out that the volumes for the data files were not formatted after all. That simple thing alone is enough to wreak wicked havoc, I just learned. Once I realized that, I went back into the program, followed along  verbatim with my steps at the top of this thread, (pre) set to DSK2 in the "setup" field, and voila... I was able to get in there, created a file named GRAINS, saved it, exited Mplan, and loaded it back. Even tried doing an additional file. Success again. Ultra satisfying.

 

The cherry on top was that I also saw the file GRAINS and SOUPS listed under Volume 50 in the VCATALOG.  [This also explains why I thought I was only able to save to DSK 3 with the PRK cart as mentioned in my other post... it must have been that that Volume 3 was formatted correctly initially, so all the files "took" there, but not on the unformatted volumes.]

 

Oh well. Live and learn. At least this brief expedition serves as a good reminder to always make sure your data disks are formatted correctly before heading out into the tempest.

 

P.S.  In case anyone is in fact using this combo, when it comes time for a print out, I, inspired by @HOME AUTOMATION , decided to explore things and took a guess within the Printer menu/settings that in the "setup" field if I just typed AXIOM, it would print. And, it did.  Otherwise the program/Nanopeb combo freezes like Antartica.

Edited February 18 by newTIboyRob