Topic by big d 2016-11-23 23:52:27

  • big d
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Hi all,
I just got a BNS 2000 working, new batteries/ram backup battery (with many thanks to the friend who helped get it all working!). The only things I haven't tested are the serial ports, which I'll do when I get hold of the proper cables (No idea where mine are). Google wasn't too much help here, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of an archive of BNS stuff. Or if not, would anyone be interested in contributing to one? I'd be more-than-happy to start this, if no one else has.
I'm looking for all the games, programs, documentation, hardware info and related documentation... Basically  anything to do with any software or hardware revision of the BNS, TNS or BLT. Also any dev resources (structure of/making a .bns file, any example sources, operating system info), though I understand those may be... Just a bit... Harder to come by.
What think y'all?

Also, #justsayin, ima kill the person who stuck their name in here. big_smile Kidding, of course, though I am sorta interested who it was. Anyone remember the serial number 2m06559?

"Actually, they're just super-advanced holograms created for the sole purpose of enriching a children's cardgame."

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Reply by GrannyCheeseWheel 2016-11-24 00:46:00

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Nice, I'd like to have one but for nostalgia purposes, I can't justify $200 to $300

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Reply by blindncool 2016-11-24 22:40:20

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You can get all of Dan Zingaro's games here. It includes run.bns so you can run them. Now we just need the compiler.

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Reply by big d 2016-12-08 01:52:44

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Heh, somewhere amidst all my stuff, I have compile.bns. Somewhere... I'll link to it whenever I find it.
I'm also interested in things at a lower level, though I'm not really that good a coder. lol
From what I understand, the BNS used a z80. At what clockspeed? Is there any information about the structure of a .bns file, or were they written with a custom assembler? It seems to be, judging from the ^X^LBNS at the beginning of the files. Was any of this documented? Are there any sources for any older programs or assemblers, or binaries (I'm guessing for older, possibly mainframe, operating systems)?

"Actually, they're just super-advanced holograms created for the sole purpose of enriching a children's cardgame."

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Reply by blindncool 2016-12-08 02:04:29

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I found this website on the wayback machine. It has a lot of bns-related files.

“Can we be casual in the work of God — casual when the house is on fire, and people are in danger of being burned?” — Duncan Campbell
“There are four things that we ought to do with the Word of God – admit it as the Word of God, commit it to our hearts and minds, submit to it, and transmit it to the world.” — William Wilberforce

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Reply by big d 2016-12-08 02:29:28 (edited by big d 2016-12-08 02:33:45)

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LOL, you pointed right to compile.bns, almost. In that directory is basicbns.zip, which includes compile, run, and some documentation. Wonder if it'd be worth trying to get in contact with him/seeing if he might still have source for those programs, or info on how to compile bns files?
Also, I used to have a bunch more programs like those, but not those exactly. A lot of stuff from, I think the developer was Greensoft? A demo checkbook program, demo brailleterm, demo of pcmaster, some utilities for using the BNS keyboard for entry on a pc and vise versa... These were all on a now long bad floppy, labeled "demo programs for bns, tns, blt"

"Actually, they're just super-advanced holograms created for the sole purpose of enriching a children's cardgame."

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Reply by UltraLeetJ 2018-08-13 15:20:56

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wow, that is a very nice find, post 5.
i am having a bit of trouble locating many programs and I wish a bns resource would indeed exist. I say this because a friend and I managed to revive my dying braille lite m40 and give a new life to it, but both of us are missing the spanish firmware for the thing. This could benefit everyone. Also, for anyone who is interested, I do have a bunch of programs and a bunch of games for the braille lite m40 and probably for the bns too including bongo, hang man, etc. Just let me know on a post here and i will do my best to give a zip with them through a public link, ETC.

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Reply by jack 2018-08-13 16:32:47

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@UltraLeetJ You happen to have any bns programs from Munawar from BPC?

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Reply by turtlepower17 2018-08-13 22:58:39

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Whatever you or anyone else has would be much appreciated. I lost everything except Dan Zingaro's games a long time ago. The floppies I had them stored on them have long since either died or gotten lost.

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