LaddieCon

What is LaddieCon

LaddieCon is a Model 100 disk drive emulator written for Microsoft .NET. However it does depend on the Win32 API for access to the serial port. So it is completely portable to any Microsoft operating system running .NET ;-) . This is for historical reasons only... when LaddieCon was written, there was no serial port API in .NET. If you need a TPDD emulator for a POSIX system, you should be using DLPlus or LaddieAlpha.

Note that LaddieCon does NOT support TS-DOS directory extensions, but LaddieAlpha does.

To run LaddieCon, you need to have installed the .NET Framework redistributable from Microsoft. Most likely if your system is up-to-date on patches this is already done.

Download LaddieCon

Download LaddieCon

Running LaddieCon

On your laptop, you must be running a TPDD client. TPDD clients include TS-DOS, TEENY, POWR-DOS, FLOPPY.CO or the WP-2 Disk mode.

REX Manager is also a TPDD client, though it is limited to transferring 32K image files rather than individual .DO and .CO files.

For the physical connection, you need a "null modem" wired serial cable to connect to a serial port on your Windows PC. You need to know which numbered COM port you are using on the PC side.

LADDIECON.EXE runs on a Windows computer, on top of the .Net Framework. To start it,

Click Start -> Run -> cmd.exe

Assuming LADDIECON.EXE is saved at c:\tools\laddiecon.exe

For the M100/T102/T200:

c:\tools\laddiecon.exe com1 6

For the WP-2:

c:\tools\laddiecon.exe com1 8

Here I put 'com1.' For your setup, the number may well be different.

If you are using a Tandy WP-2 word processor, make sure to change the '6' to an '8'. This is important because the WP-2 uses an 8.2 style (8 characters for the base name, 2 characters for extension) filename, while the Model 10x and 200 use a 6.2 style filename. If you don't set this properly, you will get weird behavior.

When you press ENTER, laddiecon should run until you hit CTRL-C. It won't appear to "do anything." It is completely "remote controlled" by your disk client on the Model T laptop.

LaddieCon and Vista

LaddieCon is reported to work with Vista. However, you must run laddiecon.exe in "Administrator Mode." Also, your USB adapter must have a driver that is compatible with Vista.

To enable "Run As Administrator:"

1. Find your laddiecon.exe executable with Windows Explorer.
2. Right click on laddiecon.exe
3. Select Properties->Compatibility Tab
4. Check the 'Run as Administrator' option.

Note: if anyone knows a more fine-grained way to permit laddiecon.exe to access the COM port without using Administrator Mode, please note it here.

If you're looking for a USB->serial adapter known to work with Vista, the following have been tested:

• USBGEAR U232-P9AP

Also, Chris Fezzler reports this device as working:

Gigaware 6-Ft. USB-A to Serial Cable
SKU Model:26-949
Driver Date 6/25/2007
Driver Version 3.1.0.0
Provider: Prolific Technologies
Purchased at Radio Shack

Please add any other adapters you verify work with Vista and LaddieCon.

The following devices are known not to work with Vista:

• Belkin USB-to-Serial cable Model F5U109. Despite having Vista driver, was unsuccessful in getting it to work.

LaddieAlpha

LaddieAlpha is a "cross platform" build of LaddieCon file service that works on both .NET and mono. So you can run the same LaddieCon on Windows, Linux and Mac boxes!

• Runs cross-platform
• Implements TS-DOS/Desklink directory extensions
• Maps/fixes up extensions presented to TS-DOS so .DO's misnamed .BA don't crash your laptop
• Maps/fixes up filenames so you can load/save TXT, HTM, etc. files as .DO files
• Supports 8.3 filename format for use with Model T CP/M
• It supports TCP connections Connecting NEWDOS to Wimodem232

Download LaddieAlpha

.\LaddieAlpha.EXE COM1 6 [[-ext=xxxx|-win32|-baud=xxxxx|-resp=sz|-req=len|-ver]]

By default, -ext is set to 2 which is the extension length for the Model T. The only other value of use is 3, for CP/M support 8.3 support.

-baud is for setting the baud rate. Default is 19200

-resp and -req are an experimental feature for setting larger packet sizes to increase throughput. -resp sets the maximum # bytes LaddieAlpha will read in file-write request. -req is the maximum length of a file-read reply from LaddieAlpha. You probably don't need these settings. You would need a special client (special TS-DOS, etc.) for compatibility

-win32 makes LaddieAlpha use the Win32 serial API directly through .NET Interop, rather than the Serial framework API. Sometimes I use this to see if a problem is in the Serial framework object. You probably don't need this option.

-ver is to print the version block. This will crash on some systems if the assembly needs/hasn't been granted permission to access its file metadata.

Example for CP/M support:

.\LaddieAlpha.EXE COM1 8 -ext=3

Example Linux invocation for use with a Model 100/102/200:

mono ./LaddieAlpha.EXE /dev/ttyUSB0 6

If your executable has execute permissions for your user / group, you can usually leave out invoking Mono, the shell will do it for you.

./LaddieAlpha.EXE /dev/ttyUSB0 6

Reliable Text-Only Transfers

If you are only transferring text files, Hyperterminal is known to be a reliable way to transfer files even at 19200 using XON/XOFF protocol. Note that saving and loading text files via the TEXT application is much faster than TELCOM, because TEXT does not scroll the text to the screen as it captures.

See Text File Transfer using Hyperterminal for details instructions on getting Hyperterminal working.