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

More info to come. This is a new "cross platform" build of LaddieCon that works on both .NET and mono. So you can run the same LaddieCon on Windows, Linux and Mac boxes!

Advantages of LaddieAlpha over LaddieCon:

• 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

The only disadvantage of LaddieAlpha is that it won't run on Windows 98 (that is, the .NET version it requires was never ported by Microsoft to Windows 98).

Download and test LaddieAlpha

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

mono ./LaddieAlpha.EXE /dev/ttyUSB0 6

NOTE: On OSX, If you get an error about libMonoPosixHelper.dylib, mono may be finding the wrong shared library.

You need to edit the file /opt/local/etc/mono/config and change the relevant line as follows:

        <dllmap dll="MonoPosixHelper" target="/opt/local/lib/libMonoPosixHelper.dylib"/>
        <!--dllmap dll="MonoPosixHelper" target="libMonoPosixHelper.dylib" os="!windows" /-->

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.