Lt. Kernal

Description

It is connected to the C64/128 via an interface module which plugs into the expansion port. Besides the boot ROM, this module contains 16kB of RAM, used for loading parts of the operating system, which is more than 150kB big. The 64'er [1] states that the Lt. Kernal system is very compatible to the 1541, despite the numerous improvements. What is most interesting is the fact that Xetec had built in a kind of freezer which would copy the complete memory content to harddisk. To prevent users from being led into temptation of pirate copying, it is impossible to transfer such an image to floppy disk.

Lt. Kernal also works in C128 mode as well as CP/M mode (according to the manual), although the 64'er claimed that it would not work in CP/M mode [1]. The original price in America [1] was about $900.

The following is an excerpt from the manual for Lt. Kernal / Xetec v7.1:

• Runs certain copy-protected software.
• Built in KEYED INDEXED-RANDOM ACCESS METHOD.
• Supports both C-64 and 128 modes of operation and CP/M.
• 58 additional or enhanced system commands and features.
• Disk access speed more than 100 times faster than the 1541 floppy.
• Automatic power-up execution of any application program.
• Built in CP/M - like command-line features in C-64 and 128 modes.
• User configurable system characteristics such as screen and character colors, and logical drive sizes.
• Up to eleven logical drives may be defined on the hard disk.
• Up to 7 hard drives in one system
• DOS allows up to seven files to be OPEN for reading and writing at the same time in addition to the command/error channel.
• DOS differentiates between BASIC and machine language programs.
• Built-in backup and restore facilities.
• Direct invocation of programs from the READY prompt.
• Standard capacity of 20 MB configurable up to 140MB.
• Optional Multiplexer allows up to 16 computers to share 1 Lt. Kernal system.

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