Msg: 5150 *Conference*
07-02-94 15:57:04
From: RICHARD HANSON
To : DARREN MARCY
Subj: REPLY TO MSG #5135 (RICK'S DEALS)
---- Darren: Okay... so you want to transfer program files (.BA and .CO), as well as ASCII (.DO) files. No biggie! (grin) The method is exactly the same as annotated earlier in this message thread. The only thing different is the "file transfer protocol." In review: A stock Model T (100, 102, 200) can only transfer in ASCII (.DO) while in TELCOM. Note: There "is" a trick to transferring .BA files in and out of BASIC--I will cover that at the end of this message. To transfer .BA and .CO files to and from your Model T and any other computer, you will need a different TELCOM program in your Model T--one with XMODEM file transfer protocol capability. We have such programs in our library. They are easy to use and most have documentation. Start by downloading (in ASCII (.DO) of course) one of the XMODEM programs from our library. You will need library access--a worth while investment I assure you. (grin . . . or is that greed?) Next, LOAD"filename.DO" your program into BASIC and SAVE"filename.BA" to make the .BA file available from your menu. Use your new XMODEM program as you would TELCOM. After connecting your Model T to your other computer, confirm that you are connected . . . type on one computer and see the typing on the other computer's screen. To upload a .BA or .CO file from your Model T to your other computer, start by telling your other computer to open a capture file of the same filename.ext using XMODEM file transfer protocol. (1) Then, simply upload your .BA file using the XMODEM commands within your new XMODEM program. Once the file is transferred, both machines will conclude, and the receiving computer will automatically close the file. The same is true for downloading. (2) That's it... -Rick- (1) There are two XMODEM bit calculation methods, i.e., CRC and Checksum. Frankly, I forgot which method is used the most. I do know there are only two, so if one does not work, try the other--that is, if you are asked! (2) The terms upload and download are from the participants view point. Upload means away from you, or send. Download means to you, or receive. Thus, if you are sending something to your friend, you are uploading and they are downloading. --- Now the BASIC trick I mentioned above: You can load and save a .BA file through your serial port from within BASIC. The data stream will be ASCII in all cases. The command structure in Model T BASIC is easy. Let's say you want to download GFCLK.BA from your DOS computer to your Model 100. The file GFCLK.BA must be in ASCII on your DOS computer for this to work--and yes, there are ways to get around this ASCII thing but let's keep this simple, okay? So, on the DOS computer, let's call this file GFCLK.DO. 1) Connect your two computers. 2) Go into telcom on your DOS computer, and BASIC on your Model 100. 3) Set the baud rate on your DOS computer to 300 baud. I successfully used 600 baud in the past but had problems with 1200 and faster within BASIC since BASIC tokenizes the serial stream as it enters--the 80C85 processor working at 2.4 MHz is a little too slow to keep up with higher baud rates while tokenizing. 4) On your Model 100 key in LOAD"COM:38N1E" and hit <enter>. 5) From your DOS computer, send the GFCLK.DO file using ASCII. 6) Opon completion, you might have to issue a <ctrl><z> from your DOS computer to signal an end-of-file (EOF) to your Model 100--yet another trick! 7) Lastly, save the now-tokenized file in your Model 100 . . . key in SAVE"filename.BA" and hit <enter>. --- To save a tokenized file from your Model 100 to your DOS computer, simply reverse the action. Again, with your two computers connected, your DOS computer in telcom at 300 baud and your Model 100 in BASIC, do the following: 1) Open an ASCII capture file on your DOS computer. 2) Go into the BASIC file you want to save and break it as it starts to run . . . with a <ctrl><break> or <ctrl><c> 3) Key in SAVE"COM:39N1E" and hit <enter> 4) Your Model 100 will usually issue a <ctrl><z> automatically once the file transfer ends. At this point, close the capture file on the DOS computer end. --- Once again, that's it! Have fun... PS: Did you know you could successfully transfer files to and from an open .DO file at 19200 baud? Is anyone interested? Just ask...