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MyComm Version 1.0 Copyright (c) 1992 - Ken Dorshimer All Rights Reserved 1.0 Introduction to MyComm 1 1.1 MyComm Registration 2 1.2 Disclaimer and Warranty 4 1.3 Definitions, Acronyms 5 1.4 General System Requirements 6 1.5 MyComm Files 6 2.0 MyComm Installation 7 2.1 System Requirements 7 2.2 MyComm General Installation Instructions 8 3.0 MyComm Screens and Menus 10 3.1 Terminal Screen 10 3.2 Help Menu - F1 11 3.3 Chat Mode - Alt A 11 3.4 Send Break - Alt B 12 3.5 Clear the Screen - Alt C 12 3.6 Dialing Functions - Alt D 12 3.6.1 Add Phone List Item 13 3.6.2 Edit Phone List Item Screen 13 3.6.2.1 Name 13 3.6.2.2 Number 13 3.6.2.3 Baud Rate 14 3.6.2.4 Data Bits 14 3.6.2.5 Data Parity 14 3.6.2.6 Stop Bits 14 3.6.2.7 Default Protocol 14 3.6.2.8 Dial Prefix 14 3.6.2.9 Logon Name 15 3.6.2.10 Password 15 3.6.2.11 Terminal Type 15 3.6.2.12 Local Echo 15 3.6.2.13 Received BS (BackSpace) Destructive 16 3.6.2.14 BS Key Sends BS or DELete 16 3.6.2.15 Strip Hi Bits 16 3.6.2.16 Add LF after incoming CR 16 3.6.2.17 Clear last date called 16 3.6.2.18 Save Changes 17 3.6.3 Delete an Item 17 3.6.4 Call Numbers (Dial) 17 3.6.5 Phone Item Info Screen 18 3.6.6 Manual Dial Screen 19 3.6.7 Mark Phone List Items 19 3.6.8 Find Phone List Items 19 3.6.9 Load Phone List Screen 19 3.7 Local Echo On/Off - Alt E 20 3.8 Hang Up Modem - Alt H 20 3.9 Send Modem Initialization Strings - Alt I 20 3.10 Present Line Status - Alt L 21 3.11 Manual Dial - Alt M 21 3.12 Outside to DOS - Alt O 21 3.13 Change Port Parameters - Alt P 22 3.14 Quick Re-Dial - Alt Q 22 3.15 Run External Program - Alt R 22 3.16 Session Capture On/Off/Pause - Alt S 22 3.17 Update Configuration - Alt U 23 3.17.1 Modem Setup Screen 24 3.17.1.1 COM Port 24 3.17.1.2 Modem Initialization String 25 3.17.1.3 Modem Attention String 25 3.17.1.4 Modem Hang Up String 25 3.17.1.5 Modem Answer String 25 3.17.1.6 Modem Cancel Dial String 26 3.17.1.7 Modem Dial Suffix String 26 3.17.1.8 Dialing Wait Time 26 3.17.1.9 Pause Between Calls 26 3.17.1.10 Local Echo on by Default 26 3.17.1.11 Use DTR to Hang Up Modem 27 3.17.1.12 Use XON/XOFF Flow Control 27 3.17.1.13 Use CTS/RTS Flow Control 27 3.17.1.14 Use DSR/DTR Flow Control 27 3.17.1.15 Dialing Prefixes 28 3.17.2 Paths Setup 28 3.17.2.1 Download Directory 28 3.17.2.2 Upload Directory 29 3.17.2.3 Path\File for Screen Capture 29 3.17.2.4 Path\File for Session Capture 29 3.17.2.5 Path\File for Phone File 29 3.17.2.6 Path\Filename of Editor 29 3.17.2.7 Path\Filename of External Programs 29 3.17.3 Protocols Setup 30 3.17.3.1 ASCII Transfers Setup 30 3.17.3.1.1 Strip High Bits 31 3.17.3.1.2 Remote Abort Char 31 3.17.3.1.3 CR Translation Upload and Download 31 3.17.3.1.4 LF Translation Upload and Download 31 3.17.3.1.5 Local Echo On During Uploads 31 3.17.3.1.6 Expand Blank Lines to Spaces 31 3.17.3.1.7 Line Pace Time 31 3.17.3.1.8 Character Pace Time 31 3.17.3.1.9 Pacing Char 31 3.17.3.2 External Protocols Setup 32 3.17.4 Miscellaneous Options Setup 33 3.17.4.1 Screen Background Color 33 3.17.4.2 Screen Text Color 34 3.17.4.3 Date Format Style 34 3.17.4.4 12 or 24 Hour Time Format 34 3.17.4.5 Make Noise When Calls Connect 34 3.17.4.6 Make Noise After File Transfers 34 3.17.4.7 Use Direct Video 34 3.17.4.8 Your Name for sign ons 34 3.17.4.9 Password for sign ons 35 3.17.4.10 Clever quip for TagLine 35 3.17.5 Save Setup 35 3.18 Send Screen to File - Alt W 35 3.19 Exit MyComm - Alt X 36 3.20 Send Name - F2 36 3.21 Send Password - F3 36 3.22 Send Tagline - F4 36 3.23 Transferring Files 37 3.23.1 Starting a File Transfer 38 3.23.2 File Transfer Hints 40 3.23.3 Download Files - PgDn 40 3.23.4 UpLoad Files - PgUp 40 3.23.5 ASCII File Transfers 40 3.23.6 SEAlink Derived File Transfers 41 3.23.7 Xmodem File Transfers 41 3.23.8 1K-Xmodem File Transfers 41 3.23.9 Ymodem Batch File Transfers 42 3.23.10 Zmodem File Transfers 42 3.23.11 External Protocol File Transfers 42 Appendix A MyComm Line Editing Functions 43 Appendix B MyComm Test Environment 44 Appendix C Troubleshooting 45 Appendix D MyComm Command Summary 47 Appendix E Planned Modifications and Upgrades 48 Appendix F MyComm Revision History 49 Appendix G MyComm Order Form 50 Appendix H MyComm Bug Report Form 51 MyComm Version 1.0 Page 1 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 1.0 Introduction to MyComm MyComm is a small, yet powerful, telecommunications program designed primarily to enable the user to call public bulletin board systems (BBS). MyComm is designed to run under the PC/MS-DOS operating system using DOS version 3.3 or greater. MyComm has a variety of built in file transfer protocols including Zmodem, Xmodem, Xmodem-1K, Ymodem Batch, Ymodem Batch 1K option, SEAlink, and of course ASCII. There are also slots to include up to six external file transfer protocols. The main principle behind MyComm is to provide a reliable, powerful, and versatile communications package which is easy to use, and small in size. Great care has been taken to "optimize" MyComm for operating speed and to keep the size small so that it takes up less of your valuable disk space. MyComm is designed to be easy to use for novice and experienced users alike, and employs a menu system that is friendly and simple to navigate through. MyComm features include: ■ Wide variety of popular file transfer protocols ■ Small code size which will run in only 200K of RAM ■ Intelligent ANSI character translation which filters out potentially harmful ANSI keyboard re-mapping sequences ■ Smart DOS shell function brings you back to the directory you started in when you "Exit" back to MyComm ■ Simple, and easy to use. Some may even call it "fun" MyComm began mostly out of curiosity on my part. I wanted to get a better idea of how modem communications worked, and also wanted to step away from my usual routine of writing mainframe business applications. MyComm suddenly began to take on a life of it's own. I decided to design a telecommunications program that was simple to use, that didn't have a lot of unnecessary options that I seldom used, and that was fun to use. Hence, MyComm was born. MyComm is NOT Public Domain or free software. The MyComm software, support files, and documentation are Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer, all rights reserved. You are allowed to use MyComm for a 30 day evaluation period to determine its usefulness in your particular application. After the 30 day evaluation period you must register MyComm. For registration information see section 1.1 "MyComm Registration" below. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 2 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 1.1 MyComm Registration MyComm is NOT Public Domain or free software. The MyComm software, support files, and documentation are Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer, all rights reserved. You are allowed to use MyComm for a 30 day evaluation period to determine its usefulness in your particular application. After the 30 day evaluation period you must register MyComm. MyComm is being marketed under the Shareware concept. If you find MyComm useful and continue to use MyComm after a 30 day evaluation period, you must register it. Registration is as follows: $25 (twenty five U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank) sent to: Ken Dorshimer P.O. Box 193101 San Francisco, Ca. 94119-3101 (please send check or money order, do not send cash) For your convenience there is a file called ORDER.FRM which is an order form for MyComm. The same document is also included in Appendix G of this document. MyComm represents many, many hours of work on my part in research, design, coding, testing, and writing the documentation (so YOU can understand how it works). Your registration not only gives me the incentive to continue producing nifty shareware products like this one, but it is the right thing to do. Let's face it. $25 is not a lot to spend on a program that does everything MyComm does. Comparable communications packages are generally much more expensive. The Shareware market is an "all risk" endeavor for the author, while the user has everything to gain. Your registration and support tells me that MyComm was worth creating, and that people like it. I like to know that people appreciate the effort I put into a project, don't we all? Enjoy using the MyComm software, and I look forward to hearing from you. When you register MyComm I will send you the most recent version of MyComm and its documentation on disk (standard 3.5" or 5.25" floppy disk, 3.5" preferred). To keep my costs down, and the cost of the software reasonable, I am not offering a printed manual at this time. Registered versions will also have their own serial number. Also I'll probably keep a mailing list to apprise registered users of major upgrades to MyComm. Inquiries for site licenses or multiple registrations of MyComm should be directed to the above address. There is no phone or BBS support for MyComm at this time. I may consider phone and/or BBS support dependent upon the number of registrations of MyComm. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 3 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved Registered users will be granted license to use MyComm Version 1.0 as they deem fit and within the law. The registered version of MyComm may be duplicated for backup purposes only. MyComm is not to be used on more than one computer at a time. Feel free to contact me regarding multiple registrations and site licenses. Users are granted a limited license to make copies of the unregistered version of MyComm for the purpose of allowing others to try it out, and the unregistered version may also be uploaded to public bulletin board systems subject to the above restriction as well as the following: - MyComm must be distributed in unmodified form, including all support files and documentation. - MyComm may not be included with any other product for any reason without a licence from the author, Ken Dorshimer. - No charge or payment may be levied or accepted for the MyComm software except by the author, Ken Dorshimer. MyComm may not be sold or distributed to a third party (this includes copying services and shareware distribution outlets which distribute software for a copying fee) without the expressed written permission of the author, Ken Dorshimer. Shareware distribution services and bulletin boards which charge a fee for software distribution should contact me for written permission to distribute MyComm. The MyComm executable file(s) and documentation, both the "registered" and "unregistered" versions are copyrighted material and may not be modified or reverse engineered in any manner. This also means that MyComm may not be "hacked" in any manner what-so-ever. If you require modified or customized versions of MyComm for whatever reason please contact the author at the above address. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 4 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 1.2 Disclaimer and Warranty Disclaimer and Warranty THE AUTHOR, KEN DORSHIMER, MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THE SOFTWARE'S USEFULNESS IN A PARTICULAR APPLICATION. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR, KEN DORSHIMER, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS OR PERSONAL PROFITS, BUSINESS OR PERSONAL INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR PERSONAL INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PROGRAM, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR, KEN DORSHIMER, HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE USER ASSUMES FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR THE PROPER USE OF THE MYCOMM SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION. <Whew>, glad the legal stuff is out of the way. If I hadn't included that my attorney would have me drawn and quartered. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 5 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 1.3 Definitions, Acronyms, Acknowledgements, and Abbreviations ■ BBS Bulletin Board System ■ IBM Trademark, International Business Machines ■ Hayes Hayes (trademark) compatible modems have become the defacto standard in modem communications. The Hayes command set are modem commands preceded by "AT" ■ DOS Disk Operating System ■ MS-DOS Microsoft Disk Operating System, trademark of Microsoft Corporation. ■ Shareware A marketing system where users are allowed to evaluate software before purchase and registration. ■ XMODEM A file transfer protocol developed by Ward Christensen in the summer of 1977. ■ YMODEM A file transfer protocol, based on XMODEM developed by Chuck Forsberg. ■ ZMODEM A file transfer protocol, developed by Chuck Forsberg/Omen Technology, Inc. ■ SEAlink A file transfer protocol, based on XMODEM developed by System Enhancement Associates, Inc. Copyright 1986, 1987 by System Enhancement Associates, Inc. ■ WordStar Trademark (company unknown) of an editor which has been around since the early days of personal computers ■ Unix Trademark of operating system designed by Bell Labs/Western Electric Any other names, trademarks, etc. not mentioned here belong to whomever they belong to. If there are errors or omissions, and you let me know, I will make an effort to correct them in the next version of this documentation. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 6 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 1.4 General System Requirements MyComm is designed to run under the PC/MS-DOS operating system. MyComm can be run either from a hard drive or a floppy drive, although a floppy drive is not recommended when performing file transfers (just too slow). Great care has been taken to keep the code size small so MyComm will run with as little as 200K of main memory (RAM) available. MyComm will run using a Monochrome Graphics Adapter (MGA), a true Hercules <tm> monochrome card, EGA, and VGA. MyComm has not been tested with CGA cards so I have no idea if they will work or not (drop me a line and let me know). MyComm is designed to use modems which use the Hayes (TM) "AT" command set. Your modem should support this standard or a subset of it. MyComm supports modem speeds of 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, and 9600 baud and a wide variety of data bit, parity bit, and stop bit settings. 1.5 MyComm Files The files included in the MyComm package are: ■ MYCOMM.EXE - the main executable program ■ MYCOMM.DOC - the documentation for MyComm (you're reading it now) ■ ORDER.FRM - a order form for MyComm ■ BUGRPT.FRM - a form to describe any problems or bugs you may have found, or to make suggestions for future versions of MyComm MyComm also creates and modifies the following files as part of its normal operation: ■ MYCOMM.CFG - the MyComm configuration file ■ MYCOMM.PHN - the MyComm phone list file ■ MYCOMM.OLD - a backup of the MyComm phone list file ■ MYCOMM.SCR - file created when you capture the screen to a file (see Alt W) ■ MYCOMM.SES - file created when capturing your current session to a file (see Alt S) ■ Other Files - phone lists that you create, and any files that were downloaded. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 7 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 2.0 MyComm Installation MyComm is amazingly simple to install and use. That's the whole idea. Just follow the instructions in this section and you'll be up and running in no time. Pay special attention to the information that should be in your CONFIG.SYS file, and the stuff about the COM ports. 2.1 System Requirements MyComm is designed to run on IBM or compatible personal computers under the MS-DOS operating system. Machines can be of the PC, XT, AT, 386 or above class of personal computers. MyComm has the following system requirements: - at least 200K of free memory (RAM) - MS-DOS version 3.0 or greater or similar "after market" DOS operating systems (may work with DOS 2.0, please drop me a line if it does) - Hayes compatible modem which accepts the " AT " command set - CONFIG.SYS statement of Files=40 or greater. Look at your CONFIG.SYS file to make sure there is a "Files=" statement. Refer to your DOS manual if you need more information on CONFIG.SYS. - CONFIG.SYS statement of Buffers=40 or greater. Look at your CONFIG.SYS file to make sure there is a "Buffers=" statement. Refer to your DOS manual for information on CONFIG.SYS. - CONFIG.SYS statement of Device=ANSI.SYS. Look at your CONFIG.SYS file to make sure there is a " Device=ANSI.SYS" statement. Refer to your DOS manual for information on CONFIG.SYS. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 8 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 2.2 MyComm General Installation Instructions Before you start the MyComm installation you should know at least what COM port your modem is set for. Consult your modem's manual if you're not sure. Modems vary too much from one manufacturer to another for me to describe that here. Step 1: Modify your CONFIG.SYS file to reflect the changes described in section 2.1 above. Step 2: Create a directory on your hard drive (or a floppy drive) called "MYCOMM" and change directory into the new "MYCOMM" directory. Example: C: CD\ MD MYCOMM CD MYCOMM Step 3: Copy the MYCOMM files into this new directory. Step 4: At the DOS command prompt type "MYCOMM" Step 5: MyComm will start to load. The first time MyComm is run it will tell you that it can't find the "Configuration File". It will then create a new configuration file called MYCOMM.CFG. MyComm will also create an empty phone dialing list called MYCOMM.PHN. Step 6: MyComm has a default COM port setting of COM Port 2. If your modem is set up for COM 2 already, don't sweat it. Otherwise, MyComm will look for the serial devices (COM Ports) in your system. MyComm will then show you a list of the serial ports (COM Ports) it found (MyComm also recognizes a Mouse as a COM Port). Choose the COM Port that your modem is set on. MyComm will then try to initialize the COM Port. If all goes well you should see the letters "OK" on the screen under the copyright notice. If the modem doesn't appear to be responding, try repeating Step 6 using another COM Port (if you have more than one) or see Appendix C Troubleshooting. You can see if the modem is responding correctly by typing "AT" (without the quotes) and then press <Enter>. The modem should respond with "OK". MyComm Version 1.0 Page 9 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved You can test the phone line connection by typing "ATM1DT" (again, without the quotes) then press <Enter>. What this does is tell the modem to turn its' speaker on, then dial nothing. You should hear a dial tone from the modems' speaker. Press <Enter> again and the dial tone should stop and the modem should respond "NO CARRIER". Step 7: Press the <Alt> and "U" key. This will bring up MyComm's' Update Configuration Menu. Go through each of the menu options and make any changes required. The rest of this document is dedicated to helping you understand how MyComm and its' options work, everything you'll need to know about MyComm is in here (I'm pretty sure it is...). MyComm Version 1.0 Page 10 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.0 MyComm Screens and Menus MyComm has several screens and menus to allow you to change various options, display various information, and dial telephone numbers. Most screens and menus are brought up by pressing the <ALT> key and then a letter. Pressing <F1> while in the terminal screen shows you Help Menu (see section 3.2). 3.1 Terminal Screen When MyComm is first loaded, and after the configuration file has been read, it defaults to the terminal screen which looks like this: MyComm Version 1.0. Serial Number 00000000 - Unregistered Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All rights reserved. Press <F1> for Help Press <Alt-D> for Dial Screen OK You will see the version number, serial number, and copyright notice. Also if the modem was correctly initialized, you will also see "OK" on the screen. In the terminal screen you may enter regular Hayes - AT commands, or choose one of the MyComm options. The MyComm options are listed in the Help Menu which is displayed when you press the <F1> key on your keyboard. A full description of the MyComm options are described in the following sections. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 11 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.2 Help Menu - F1 Pressing the <F1> key brings up the MyComm Help Screen which looks like this: (NOTE: most MyComm screens shown in this documentation are smaller than actual size so they will fit on a printed page.) +-----------------------------------------------------| MyComm Help |+ | | | MyComm Commands | | | | Alt A Activate Chat Mode Alt M Manual Dial | | Alt B Send Break Alt O Outside to DOS | | Alt C Clear the Screen Alt P Change Port Parameters | | Alt D Dialing Functions Alt Q Quick Re-Dial | | Alt E Toggle Local Echo On/Off Alt R Run External Program | | Alt H Hang up modem Alt S Session Capture On/Off | | Alt I Send Modem Init. String Alt U Update Configuration | | Alt L Current Line Status Alt W Write Screen to File | | | | | | F1 Help With Commands Alt X EXit MyComm | | F2 Send Name | | F3 Send Password PgDn Download Files | | F4 Send Tagline PgUp Upload Files | | | | | | MyComm Version 1.0. Serial Number 00000000 - Unregistered | | Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All rights reserved. | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ Pressing <Esc> or any other key closes the MyComm Help Screen window. Each of the options shown on the Help Menu is described in detail in the sections that follow. 3.3 Chat Mode - Alt A Pressing the <ALT> and the "A" key brings you into the MyComm Chat window. The Chat window is divided into a top half and a bottom half. The top half of the screen is where received characters are written, the bottom half is where the characters you type are written. The chat screen is useful when you want to "converse" with someone while on-line. If you were not using the Chat Mode and trying to do this, the "conversation" would eventually end up looking like a garbled mess on your screen. To exit Chat Mode, just press <Esc>. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 12 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.4 Send Break - Alt B Pressing the <ALT> and the "B" key sends a special signal called a Break signal. Some host systems use the Break signal to perform special functions such as ending a session. 3.5 Clear the Screen - Alt C Pressing the <ALT> and the "C" key clears the screen and resets the current color attributes. Some host systems send color information which stays in place even after you log off, so MyComm dutifully resets the screen colors to the ones you chose. 3.6 Dialing Functions - Alt D Pressing the <ALT> and the "D" keys displays the MyComm Dial Screen. From this screen you can add, delete, edit, view, find, and mark phone list entries, and of course dial phone list entries. You will see the options available from this screen written into the little window at the bottom of the screen. The letter which activates an option will appear highlighted or in reverse video (depending on colors being used). A description of the options follows. You will also see a bar highlighting the current phone list item. You can move the highlight bar up and down by using the Up-Arrow, Down-Arrow, Page Up, Page Down, Home and End keys. The highlight bar appears as a reverse video bar depending on which colors you have set in the Color Selection Menu (described later in this document). +----------------------------------------------------| Dial Screen |+ | | | # Name Phone Number Last Call | | | | 1 Your Favorite BBS 555-4657 01/26/92 | | 2 The Music Board 555-8944 01/19/92 | | 3 The Other Side BBS 555-5813 01/23/92 | | 4 00/00/00 | | . . . . | | . . . . | | . . . . | | 15 00/00/00 | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | Add Edit Delete Call Info Manual (Un)MarK Find Load | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 13 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.6.1 Add Phone List Item Pressing the "A" key in the Dial Screen window adds a blank entry after the currently highlighted entry. 3.6.2 Edit Phone List Item Screen Pressing the "E" key in the Dial Screen window brings up the Dial Edit window. This is where you set up the phone list entry for each system you will call. There are several options to choose from, and each is described. You can also use the Up-Arrow and Down-Arrow keys to move between items. Items such as Name, Number, etc use MyComm's Line Editor described in Appendix A. +----------------------------------------| Edit |+ | | | Name: Your Favorite BBS | | Number: 555-4657 | | Baud Rate: 2400 Data Bits: 8 | | Data Parity: None Stop Bits: 1 | | Default Protocol: 1K-Xmodem | | Dial Prefix: 1 ATDT*70 | | Logon Name: Your Name | | Password: Password | | Terminal Type: ANSI | | Local Echo: No | | Received BS Destructive: Yes | | BS Key Sends BS or DELete: BS | | Strip Hi Bits? (Pure ASCII): No | | Add LF after incoming CR?: No | | Clear last date called and number of calls? | | | | | +------------------------------------------------+ The following describes each phone list item and how to configure it. 3.6.2.1 Name Just type in the name of the bulletin board system or person you will call here. 3.6.2.2 Number The telephone number of the system you will call goes in here. The telephone number can include spaces or hyphens for readability (modems usually ignore spaces and hyphens). Characters such as letters or other gibberish will probably confuse your modem. Whatever you put here MyComm will assume is a valid telephone number. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 14 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.6.2.3 Baud Rate Choose a baud rate (300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600) that you want MyComm to use when connected to the system. 3.6.2.4 Data Bits Choose the data bits (5, 6, 7, 8) that you want MyComm to use when connected to the system. 8 data bits is the most common setting for public bulletin board systems. 7 data bits are common on mainframes and many Unix (Tm) systems. 5 and 6 data bits are rarely used by many systems any longer, but were included for completeness. Most systems in their advertisements, etc. tell you what Data, Parity, and Stop bits they expect. You will often see them listed as 8-N-1 or similar. 8-N-1 means 8 data bits, no parity (None), and 1 stop bit. 8-N-1 is probably the most popular settings in use today. If in doubt, try these first. 3.6.2.5 Data Parity Choose the data parity (None, Even, Odd, Mark, Space) that you want MyComm to use when connected to the system. None is usually used on most systems, especially with 8 data bits. Even parity is common when using 7 data bits. 3.6.2.6 Stop Bits Choose the stop bits (1, 2) that you want MyComm to use when connected to the system. 1 stop bit is the most common. 3.6.2.7 Default Protocol MyComm allows you to choose the file transfer protocol that you want to use by default for each system you call. Choose the protocol which best suits your needs. A more complete description of the various protocols is in the section on Uploading and DownLoading Files. 3.6.2.8 Dial Prefix Choose the dialing prefix that you want MyComm to use when calling the number for this system. MyComm has slots for three different dialing prefixes. Choose one by moving the highlight bar to the selection you want. The dialing prefixes can be changed to suit your needs in the Update Configuration menu option. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 15 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.6.2.9 Logon Name This option lets you enter the name that you log on with when you call this system. When bulletin board systems answer your call they usually ask for your name and password. Putting the "|" character at the end of the Logon Name causes an <Enter> character to be sent. Some BBS's don't like seeing an enter character in immediately after the Logon Name string when logging on, which case you may leave the "|" out. If Logon Name is filled in MyComm will send your logon name when you push the <F2> key to save you some typing. 3.6.2.10 Password This option lets you enter the password that you log on with when you call this system. When bulletin board systems answer your call they usually ask for your name and password. If Password is filled in MyComm will send your logon password when you push the <F3> key to save you some typing. If you are really super security conscious, then you can leave this option blank. Putting the "|" character at the end of the Password causes an <Enter> character to be sent. Some BBS's don't like seeing an <Enter> character immediately after the Password string when logging on, in which case you may leave the "|" out. 3.6.2.11 Terminal Type This option lets you choose the type of terminal emulation to use when calling this system. The two choices are TTY and ANSI. TTY (TeleTYpe) gives no emulation what-so-ever. The characters appear on your screen just as they come in with no formatting. ANSI emulation provides mapping to your ANSI.SYS driver to provide color attributes (except on mono monitors of course), blinking characters and other goodies. MyComm uses intelligent ANSI character translation which filters out any ANSI sequences which cause keyboard re-mapping functions. This prevents the unscrupulous from sending ANSI sequences to your personal computer system that could potentially cause damage or annoyance. 3.6.2.12 Local Echo Local Echo is used when the other system does not send the characters typed on your terminal back to you. Most systems do echo characters back, so Local Echo is normally off ("No"). If you find that you can't see what you are typing when connected to a system, set Local Echo on ("Yes"). On the other hand if you see double characters when you hit a key (for example you see "xx" when you type an "x") then Local Echo should be off ("No"). MyComm Version 1.0 Page 16 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.6.2.13 Received BS (BackSpace) Destructive This option tells MyComm whether received BackSpace or DELete characters should back up the cursor and erase what was there. Usually this On. 3.6.2.14 BS Key Sends BS or DELete This option tells MyComm whether to send a BS (BackSpace) or DEL (Delete) character when the backspace key is pressed. Usually this is set to BS. I have found that mainframe hosts usually like to see DEL rather than BS. 3.6.2.15 Strip Hi Bits This option tells MyComm whether to strip the high bit from received and sent characters. Usually this is set to "No". Just for your own information, bytes on the personal computer are 8 bits long. So, the bit-map of a byte might be 10011101. The left- most bit is the high bit. So if you were to strip the high bit, the byte above would become 00011101. Pure ASCII only covers bytes in the range of 00000000 (0 decimal) to 01111111 (127 decimal). The ANSI extended set includes values from 10000000 (128 decimal) to 11111111 (255 decimal). So by stripping the high bit, a character is guaranteed to be in the range of the pure ASCII number/character set. 3.6.2.16 Add LF after incoming CR This option tells MyComm whether to add a LF (Line Feed) character after a CR (Carriage Return) character is received. Usually this is set to "No". If you notice that the lines on the screen seem to look odd or do not scroll up properly, you will want to turn this on (Yes). 3.6.2.17 Clear last date called and number of calls Each time you connect with a system MyComm updates the last time called and last date called portion of the phone list item record. If you want to reset the date and time the system was last called and the number of times you have called it, answer "Yes" here. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 17 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.6.2.18 Save Changes (not shown in example) MyComm asks if you want to save the changes you just made. If you answer "Yes" MyComm also updates the phone file on your disk drive. When MyComm updates the phone file a copy of the last phone file is created and named PHONE.OLD. 3.6.3 Delete an Item Pressing the "D" key allows you to delete the item that is currently at the dialing highlight bar. MyComm asks you to confirm the delete request before proceeding. MyComm also updates the phone file on your disk drive. When MyComm updates the phone file a copy of the last phone file is created and named PHONE.OLD. 3.6.4 Call Numbers (Dial) Pressing the "C" key tells MyComm that it's time to start calling numbers in the Dialing List. (See section 3.6.7 (Un)MarK below also) If no Dialing List Items are "marked" MyComm will dial the number that the highlight bar is currently resting on. If there are "marked" Dialing List Items, MyComm will start dialing the marked numbers in sequence until a connection is made. During the dialing attempts you can cancel the calling by pressing the <Esc> key. While MyComm is calling numbers and waiting for a connection, a Dial Status Window is displayed (see example below). The status window shows who is being called and the telephone number, how many call tries have been made so far, the status of the last dialing try, the time in seconds until this try "times out", the time since you started calling, and the time that the current dialing attempt started. +----------------------------------------------------------| Dial |+ | | | Calling: Your Favorite BBS At: 555-4657 | | | | Try # 1 Last Status: None Yet Dial Time: 42 | | | | Dialing started at: 3:01:20 This try started at: 3:01:21 | | | | | | Hit ESC to quit dialing, 'N' for next number, | | or 'D' to delete number from list. | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 18 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved Pressing the "N" key causes MyComm to stop dialing the number it is currently dialing and to skip to the next marked number. Pressing the "D" key causes MyComm to stop dialing the number it's currently calling and to remove it from the list of "marked" numbers. If you press "D" and the number is the only one left in the "marked" list, MyComm will give you a warning and stop dialing. The Dial Time and Pause Time between calls is a user configuration option which can be set up in the Update Configuration menu described later in this document. 3.6.5 Phone Item Info Screen The Phone Item Info Screen looks very much like the Edit Phone List Item Screen with the exception that the Last Call Date, Last Call Time, and Number of Calls fields are shown. If you see something you want to change, pressing "E" will bring you to the Edit Phone List Item Screen. +------------------------------| Phone Item Info |+ | | | Name: Your Favorite BBS | | Number: 555-4657 | | Baud Rate: 2400 Data Bits: 8 | | Data Parity: None Stop Bits: 1 | | Default Protocol: 1K-Xmodem | | Dial Prefix: 1 ATDT*70 | | Logon Name: Your Name | | Password: Password | | Terminal Type: ANSI | | Local Echo: No | | Received BS Destructive: Yes | | BS Key Sends BS or DELete: BS | | Strip Hi Bits? (Pure ASCII): No | | Add LF after incoming CR?: No | | | | Last Call Date: 01/26/92 | | Last Call Time: 4:26:12 | | Number of Calls: 28 | | | | Press "E" to Edit Record | +-------------------------------------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 19 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.6.6 Manual Dial Screen Pressing "M" brings up the Manual Dial Screen. The Manual Dial Screen lets you enter in a single phone number to dial. The dialing prefix used is always Dialing Prefix number 1. If you press <Esc> you can cancel the selection. Pressing <Enter> accepts the telephone number and the usual Dialing Status Window appears. +-------------------------------------| Manual Dial |+ | | | Enter phone number: 555-1234 | | | +----------------------------------------------------+ 3.6.7 Mark Phone List Items Pressing "K" marks or un-marks phone list items for later dialing. As a convenience, Pressing the <Space> bar also marks and un-marks items. When a phone list item is marked a chevron ("»") will appear next to the item. 3.6.8 Find Phone List Items Pressing "F" brings up the Find Phone List Items screen (not shown). Simply type in the characters in the name, or a partial phone number that you want to find, and MyComm will find it for you. MyComm will only locate the first occurrence on the search string. If the search fails, MyComm will let you know with a message. 3.6.9 Load Phone List Screen Pressing "L" brings up the Load Phone List Screen (see example below). MyComm will keep more than one phone dialing list for you. Each list can hold up to 100 telephone numbers. If the dialing list you select does not yet exist, MyComm will display an empty dialing list. Again, when changes are made to the phone file, MyComm will create or update the file PHONE.OLD as a backup. There is only one PHONE.OLD backup file kept, so all new backups overwrite the last PHONE.OLD backup file. +-----------------------------------| Load Phone List |+ | | | Enter Path/Filename of new phone list | | | | > NEWPHONE.LST | +------------------------------------------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 20 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.7 Local Echo On/Off - Alt E Local Echo is used when the other system does not send the characters you typed on your terminal back to you. Most systems do echo characters back, so Local Echo is normally off ("No"). If you find that you can't see what you are typing when connected to a system, set Local Echo on (Yes). On the other hand if you see double characters when you hit a key (for example you see "xx" when you type an "x") then Local Echo should be off ("No"). 3.8 Hang Up Modem - Alt H Pressing the <ALT> and the "H" key tells MyComm that you want to disconnect from your current telephone connection. MyComm will try to hang up the phone first by dropping the modem signal called DTR, and if that fails by sending the Hang Up String defined in the Modem Setup Screen (see section 3.17.1 Modem Setup Screen). If you don't want MyComm to use DTR to hang up the modem set the option "Use DTR to Hang Up Modem" in Modem Setup Screen to "No". 3.9 Send Modem Initialization Strings - Alt I Pressing the <ALT> and the "I" key brings up the Send Init. String Menu shown below. Choosing one of these options will send the Modem Initialization String, or the Hang Up String (same as <Alt> + H), or the Modem Attention String, or the Phone Answer String. These strings are defined in the Modem Setup Screen (see section 3.17.1 Modem Setup Screen). +-------| Send... |+ | Init. String | | Hang Up String | | Attention String | | Phone Answer | +------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 21 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.10 Present Line Status - Alt L Pressing the <ALT> and the "L" key brings up the Present Line Status Window. This window tells you the current COM Port Status, i.e. what Port, Baud Rate, Data Bits, Parity Bits, and Stop Bits are in effect, and whether you are On-line and for how long. If you are on-line MyComm tells you the name of the system you are logged onto, and the default file transfer protocol. Also shown is the present Local Echo status and whether Session Capture is active. Pressing <Esc> closes the window. +--------------------------| Present Line Status |+ | | | COM Port Status COM2, 2400, 8, N, 1 | | ---------------------------------------- | | | | On-line: No Time On-line: 0:00:00 | | Logged on to: Nobody you know... | | Current Protocol: None | | ---------------------------------------- | | | | Local Echo On: No | | Screen Capture On: Yes | | ---------------------------------------- | | | | Current Time: 12:34:56 Date: 01/26/92 | +-------------------------------------------------+ 3.11 Manual Dial - Alt M Pressing the <ALT> and the "M" key brings up the Manual Dial Screen. The Manual Dial Screen lets you enter in a single phone number to dial. The dialing prefix used is always Dialing Prefix number 1. If you press <Esc> you can cancel the selection. Pressing <Enter> accepts the telephone number and the usual Dialing Status Window appears. This is exactly the same function as in the Dialing Screen, selection "M", described above. 3.12 Outside to DOS - Alt O Pressing the <ALT> and the "O" key lets you shell out of MyComm to DOS. You can use the Outside to DOS even when you are on-line. Typing "EXIT" on the DOS command line brings you back to MyComm. MyComm reminds you that you are shelled out with a message above the command line. If there is not enough available memory to shell out MyComm will inform you with an error message. One point of interest here: if you switch to a different drive or directory while in the DOS shell, MyComm will automagically bring you back to the drive and directory you started from when you type "EXIT" to return to MyComm. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 22 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.13 Change Port Parameters - Alt P Pressing the <ALT> and the "P" key brings up the Change Port Parameters Screen (see example below). MyComm will let you change the port configuration, even while on-line. Please note however that changing the COM Port while on-line will probably disconnect the current session. However Baud Rate, and Data, Parity, and Stop Bits can be changed. +----------------------| Change Port Parameters |+ | | | Present settings: COM2, 2400, 8, N, 1 | | | | COM Port:2 | | | | +---------+ | | | 1: COM1 | | +-----------| 2: COM2 |---------------------------+ | 3: COM3 | | 4: COM4 | +---------+ 3.14 Quick Re-Dial - Alt Q Pressing the <ALT> and the "Q" key allows you to quickly redial the last number that MyComm dialed. This is especially useful for re- dialing manually entered telephone numbers. 3.15 Run External Program - Alt R Pressing the <ALT> and the "R" key brings up the Run External Program Screen (not shown). MyComm lets you define an editor program plus up to three other programs you can run without leaving your MyComm session. The external programs are defined in Paths Setup (see 3.17.2 Paths Setup). If there is not enough available memory to run the external program, the external program will not run and control passes back to MyComm. 3.16 Session Capture On/Off/Pause - Alt S Pressing the <ALT> and the "S" key opens the MyComm Session Capture Screen (not shown). You can either accept the default name that MyComm provides for the capture file or enter a new name. If the Drive:\Path\Filename is in any way invalid, MyComm will issue an error message. You can also press <Esc> to leave the Session Capture Screen without starting the Session Capture. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 23 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved After a Session Capture has begun you can pressing the <ALT> and the "S" key again to Close, or Pause the capture file. If you choose to Pause the Session Capture, Pressing the <ALT> and the "S" key again will give you the option to Close or Resume the capture session. If you exit MyComm and forget to Close the Session Capture file, MyComm will do it for you. Please note that often while Session Capture is active, that the display may appear jerky, or start and stop from time to time. This is normal during Session Capture as it is the time that MyComm is writing to the capture file. 3.17 Update Configuration - Alt U Pressing the <ALT> and the "U" key brings up the Update Configuration Menu (see below). From this menu you can choose various options to allow you to customize the MyComm configuration. You can either use the Up and Down-Arrow keys, the press <Enter> to choose an option, or simply press the highlighted letter of the option you want. A description of the things you can configure follows. +---| Update Configuration |+ | Modem Setup | | Paths and Filenames | | File Transfer Options | | Other Stuff for MyComm | | Save Configuration | | Exit | +---------------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 24 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.1 Modem Setup Screen The Modem Setup Screen (see below) allows you to make changes to the various setting that control the modem. You can move from item to item by using the Up and Down-Arrow keys and the pressing <Enter>. Some of the items use MyComm's built in line editor to modify the item, others use little pop-up Yes/No windows. If you want to exit without making any changes, just press the <Esc> key. A description of each item in the Modem Setup Screen follows. +----------------------------------------------------| Modem Setup |+ | | | COM Port: COM2, 2400, 8, N, 1 | | Modem Initialization String: ATM0X4Q0V1S0=0S11=50&D1&C1S7=50| | | Modem Attention String: +++ | | Modem Hang Up String: ATH0| | | Modem Answer String: ATA| | | Modem Cancel Dial String: | | | Modem Dial Suffix String: | Remember: "|" char is CR | | Dialing Wait Time, in Seconds: 45 Range: 1 to 240 Seconds | | Pause Between Calls, in Seconds: 4 Range: 0 to 60 Seconds | | Local Echo on by Default? No | | Use DTR to Hang Up Modem? Yes | | Use XON/XOFF Flow Control? Yes | | Use CTS/RTS Flow Control? No | | Use DSR/DTR Flow Control? No | | Dialing Prefix #1: ATDT*70 | | Dialing Prefix #2: ATDT 9, | | Dialing Prefix #3: ATDT 1 | | | | | | Use Up and Down Arrows to move between items | | Hit <Enter> to edit, <Esc> to Quit | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ 3.17.1.1 COM Port The COM Port selection allows you to set the various settings your COM port should use. When you first installed your modem you probably set the COM port up for COM1, COM2, etc. use the setting correct for your modem. If you set the wrong COM port in this area, MyComm doesn't mind, it just won't let you dial numbers and stuff. MyComm makes a best try to check out the new COM port setting. If there is a problem, MyComm will give you an error message. The baud rate should be set to whatever the top speed of your particular modem is. Refer to your modems' user manual if you're not sure. Again, MyComm won't mind if the speed is set incorrectly. MyComm will use the speed you set, or the top speed of the modem, whichever is lowest. The most common settings for the Data, Parity, and Stop bits are 8- N-1 (8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit). If the settings you prefer are different, this is the place to change them. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 25 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.1.2 Modem Initialization String This option lets you set up the Modem Initialization String. This is the string which is sent to the modem to "wake it up" when MyComm is first loaded. The initialization string is usually made up of Hayes "AT" commands. The command line always starts with the letters AT. The rest of the string is various options for your modem. Your modem manual should have a list of the commands that are valid for your modem. MyComm always likes to have AT LEAST the Q0, V1, and X4 commands. Q0 tells the modem to ALWAYS send result codes, V1 tells the modem to ALWAYS send the text, not numeric, result codes. MyComm needs the result codes in this format to send you useful information that the modem produces. X4 (your modem may use X1, X2, etc) tells the modem to send verbose modem status information to MyComm. Another useful feature is, if you place the "|" (that's the double vertical lines above the backslash key) at the end of the Initialization String MyComm will send a Carriage Return at the end of the line. 3.17.1.3 Modem Attention String This is the Attention signal that tells the modem that you want it's undivided attention for something. Most Hayes compatible modems use three plus signs (+++) as the attention string. Refer to your modem's manual if you use a different Attention string. 3.17.1.4 Modem Hang Up String This is the string that tells your modem to hang up the telephone line. On most Hayes compatible modems this is ATH0. You can use the "|" character to have MyComm send a Carriage Return after it sends the Hang Up string (recommended). Refer to your modem's manual if you use a different Hang Up string. 3.17.1.5 Modem Answer String This is the string that tells your modem to answer the telephone. On most Hayes compatible modems this is ATA. You can use the "|" character to have MyComm send a Carriage Return after it sends the Answer string (recommended). Refer to your modem's manual if you use a different Answer string. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 26 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.1.6 Modem Cancel Dial String This is the string that tells your modem to cancel dialing a telephone number. On most Hayes compatible modems this just a Carriage Return. You can use the "|" character to have MyComm send a Carriage Return after it sends the Cancel Dial string (recommended). Refer to your modem's manual if you use a different Cancel dialing string. 3.17.1.7 Modem Dial Suffix String This is the string that tells your modem what to terminate telephone numbers with when dialing. On most Hayes compatible modems this just a Carriage Return. You can use the "|" character to have MyComm send a Carriage Return as the Dial Suffix string (recommended). Refer to your modem's manual if you use a different Dial Suffix string. 3.17.1.8 Dialing Wait Time After MyComm dials a number it waits for certain amount of time for a connection. The Dialing Wait Time sets the time MyComm should wait for a connection. Waiting stops automatically if MyComm detects a BUSY signal. The valid range for Dialing Wait Time is 1 to 240 seconds. I have found that a wait time of 45 seconds is good for most local and long-distance calls, 60 seconds for international calls. You will also want to add "S7=nn" (without the quotes), to your modem Initialization String (see above). Replace nn with a number greater than or equal to the time set in Dialing Wait Time. 3.17.1.9 Pause Between Calls After MyComm dials a number it waits up to a certain amount of time until a connection is made. If a connection is not made due to a BUSY signal or a time-out, MyComm resets the modem and waits the amount of seconds specified in the Pause Between Calls before trying to dial again. The valid range for Pause Between Calls is 0 to 60 seconds. I have found that a pause time of 5 seconds is a sufficient time for most modems to reset. 3.17.1.10 Local Echo on by Default Local Echo is used when the other system does not send what you typed on your terminal back to you. Most systems do echo characters back, so Local Echo is normally off ("No"). If you find that you can't see what you are typing when connected to a system, set Local Echo on (Yes). On the other hand if you see double characters when you hit a key (for example you see "xx" when you type an "x") then Local Echo should be off ("No"). MyComm Version 1.0 Page 27 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.1.11 Use DTR to Hang Up Modem This option allows you to set whether MyComm should use the modem signal called DTR to hang up the telephone connection. Using DTR to hang up is usually faster than just sending the Hang Up String (above). This option is usually set to "Yes". However, some modems don't like to have DTR messed with. You can usually tell if the modem doesn't like you to fool with DTR as it will cause your computer system to lock up (not a bad thing really, just terribly annoying - re-booting always fixes this). Refer to your modem manual if you have questions about whether to use DTR to hang up the telephone connection. 3.17.1.12 Use XON/XOFF Flow Control This tells MyComm whether it should use the XON/XOFF software handshaking protocol while in terminal mode and during ASCII file transfers. This should usually be on ("Yes"). 3.17.1.13 Use CTS/RTS Flow Control This tells MyComm whether CTS/RTS hardware handshaking should be on or off. Hardware handshaking is used with high speed modems and null modem cable links to regulate the flow of data. If the modem supports hardware handshaking this should be on (refer to the user manual for your modem). If a null modem cable is being used and these signals are to be sent over the cable, this should be on. 3.17.1.14 Use DSR/DTR Flow Control This tells MyComm whether DSR/DTR hardware handshaking should be on or off. Hardware handshaking is used with high speed modems and null modem cable links to regulate the flow of data. If the modem supports hardware handshaking this should be on (refer to the user manual for your modem). If a null modem cable is being used and these signals are to be sent over the cable, this should be on. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 28 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.1.15 Dialing Prefixes 1 Dialing Prefixes are dialing codes such as area codes, that get sent before a telephone number is dialed. MyComm lets you set up three different dialing prefixes. For example, if you have Call Waiting <tm> you can disable it by dialing *70 (that's asterisk - 70) before the number you're calling (in the San Francisco dialing area, your dialing area may differ). If you were to set one of your dialing prefixes to *70 MyComm would "prefix" every number you called with *70. The dialing prefixes can also be used to store long distance codes, or whatever dialing codes you would want to have dialed before a number. The dialing prefix can be up to 25 character/digits long. 3.17.2 Paths Setup The Paths Setup Screen (see below) is where you set up paths to directories that you want MyComm to know about. A description of the various system paths follows. +------------------------------------------------| Paths Setup |+ | | | Directory to Download files to: C:\PUBLIC\ | | Directory to Upload files from: C:\PUBLIC\ | | Path\File for Screen Capture: C:\PUBLIC\MYCOMM.SCR | | Path\File for Session Capture: C:\PUBLIC\MYCOMM.SES | | Path\File for Phone File: C:\MYCOMM\MYCOMM.PHN | | Path\Filename.Ext for Editor: C:\UTIL\EDITOR.EXE | | Path\Filename.Ext of Xter Prog1: C:\SOMEPRGM.EXE | | Path\Filename.Ext of Xter Prog2: C:\ | | Path\Filename.Ext of Xter Prog3: C:\ | | | | | | Use Up and Down Arrows to move between items | | Hit <Enter> to edit, <Esc> to Quit | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ 3.17.2.1 Download Directory This option tells MyComm which directory you want MyComm to put files that you download from another system. Notice that the path always ends in a backslash ( "\" ) character. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 29 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.2.2 Upload Directory This option tells MyComm which directory you want MyComm to get the files that you want to upload to another system. Notice that the path always ends in a backslash ( "\" ) character. 3.17.2.3 Path\File for Screen Capture This option tells MyComm which directory and the filename that you want MyComm to use for the Screen Capture file. Screen Capture is activated by <Alt> + W. 3.17.2.4 Path\File for Session Capture This option tells MyComm which directory and the filename that you want MyComm to use for the Session Capture file. Session Capture is activated by <Alt> + S. 3.17.2.5 Path\File for Phone File This option tells MyComm which directory and the filename that you want MyComm to use for the Phone File which contains your dialing directory. You can have multiple Phone Files, but this is the one that MyComm will load when it starts up. 3.17.2.6 Path\Filename of Editor If you want to quickly use your favorite editor without leaving MyComm, this option lets you tell MyComm the path and filename of the editor. Notice that the filename of the editor must include not only the filename, but the extension (.EXE or .COM) as well. 3.17.2.7 Path\Filename of External Programs You can define up to three other external programs that you may want to run without leaving your MyComm session. These options lets you tell MyComm the paths and filenames of the programs. Notice that the filename of the programs must include not only the filename, but the extension (.EXE or .COM) as well. The extension .BAT is also valid here. MyComm will let you run DOS batch file (see your DOS manual for information on batch files). MyComm Version 1.0 Page 30 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.3 Protocols Setup The Protocols Setup Menu (see example below) lets you set up parameters for ASCII file transfers, and the external protocols. The usage of these options follows. +--| Protocol Setup |+ | ASCII Transfers | | EXternal Protocols | | Exit | +--------------------+ 3.17.3.1 ASCII Transfers Setup The ASCII Transfers Setup screen (see example below) lets you set up the parameters for ASCII file transfers. ASCII file transfers are only used to transfer text files. Program files and archived files, also known as binary files, should not be transferred as ASCII files. Most of the options for the ASCII transfers work well with their default settings. A description of the different options follows. +----------------------------| ASCII Transfers Setup |+ | | | Strip High Bits?: No | | Remote Abort Char (0 for none): 0 (ASCII Value) | | | | ASCII Upload Options | | CR Translation: None | | LF Translation: None | | Local Echo On During Uploads?: Yes | | Expand Blank Lines to Spaces?: No | | Line Pace time in 1/10 seconds: 0 | | Char Pace time in 1/10 seconds: 0 | | Pacing Char (0 for none): 0 (ASCII Value) | | | | ASCII Download Options | | CR Translation: None | | LF Translation: None | | | | | | | | Use Up and Down Arrows to move between items | | Hit <Enter> to edit, <Esc> to Quit | | | +-----------------------------------------------------+ MyComm Version 1.0 Page 31 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.3.1.1 Strip High Bits This option tells MyComm whether to strip the high bit from received and sent characters during ASCII uploads and downloads. Usually this is set to "No". Just for your own information, bytes on the personal computer are 8 bits long. So, the bit-map of a byte might be 10011101. The left- most bit is the high bit. So if you were to strip the high bit, the byte above would become 00011101. Pure ASCII only covers bytes in the range of 00000000 (0 decimal) to 01111111 (127 decimal). The ANSI extended set includes values from 10000000 (128 decimal) to 11111111 (255 decimal). So by stripping the high bit, a character is guaranteed to be in the range of the pure ASCII number/character set. 3.17.3.1.2 Remote Abort Char If the system you're performing the ASCII file transfer with uses an abort char to cancel transfers you should set this value. The value is in the range of 1 to 255. A value of zero (0), the default, means MyComm won't look for the abort character during ASCII file transfers. 3.17.3.1.3 CR Translation Upload and Download Some systems require a CR (Carriage Return) character placed before the LF (Line Feed) character during ASCII file transfers. If the lines of the file look odd after the transfer, this may be the case. 3.17.3.1.4 LF Translation Upload and Download Some systems require a LF (Line Feed) character placed after the CR (Carriage Return) character during ASCII file transfers. If the lines of the file look odd after the transfer, this may be the case. 3.17.3.1.5 Local Echo On During Uploads During ASCII uploads if you want to watch the file transfer set the Local Echo to "Yes". This is often used when uploading a message into a bulletin boards message base. 3.17.3.1.6 Expand Blank Lines to Spaces This option tells MyComm to expand lines that are empty except for a CR/LF into a line of spaces. 3.17.3.1.7 Line Pace Time This options tells MyComm to how much time to wait between sending each line of text from the ASCII file. Some systems can't handle high speed ASCII transfers, this gives the other system time to "think". The value entered from 0 (the default) to 255 are in increments of 1/10 second (approximately). 3.17.3.1.8 Character Pace Time This options tells MyComm how much time to wait before sending each character from the ASCII file. Some systems can't handle high speed ASCII transfers, this gives the other system time to "think". The value entered from 0 (the default) to 255 is in increments of 1/10 second (approximately). 3.17.3.1.9 Pacing Char Some systems send a Pacing Character to limit throughput on ASCII transfers. MyComm will wait for the Pacing Char before sending each line of the file. The Pacing Char value ranges from 1 to 255 which represents an ASCII value. A value of zero (0), the default, means MyComm will not look for the Pacing Char. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 32 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.3.2 External Protocols Setup MyComm lets you define up to six external file transfer protocols. The external file transfer protocols will also appear in the Upload and Download protocol selection menus. The External Protocols Setup Screen (see example below) lets you set up the external file transfer protocols for use with MyComm. You can use the Up and Down-Arrow keys to move from item to item. The <Enter> key selects an item for editing and saves the completed edit. Pressing the <Esc> key stops the edit. +---------------------------------------| External Protocols Setup |+ | | | Protocol Name Upload.Bat Download.Bat Ask FileName | | | | 1: BIGFAST BIGFASTU.BAT BIGFASTD.BAT No | | 2: Yes | | 3: Yes | | 4: Yes | | 5: Yes | | 6: Yes | | | | | | Use Up and Down Arrows to move between items | | Hit <Enter> to edit, <Esc> to Quit | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ The name of the external protocol should be typed in under the "Name" heading as you would like it to appear in the MyComm Upload and Download protocol selection menus. In the spots for Upload.Bat and Download.Bat you will enter the names of the DOS batch files that will be used to run the external protocol. In the selection marked "Ask FileName" tells MyComm whether you should be asked the name of the file when performing Downloads (some file transfer protocols automatically get the filename for you). MyComm Version 1.0 Page 33 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved External file transfer protocols are run as DOS batch files from MyComm (see your DOS manual for information on batch files). MyComm sends only the Drive:\Path\ and filename as the first parameter for the batch file. Using the example above, let's say you are using an external protocol called "BigFast" and your upload directory is "C:\PUBLIC\" and you are uploading a file called MYSTUFF.ARC, your DOS batch file for Uploads with BigFast might look something like this: REM BigFast Upload batch file BigFast Send Port:2 Baud:2400 %1 the %1 would be replaced with the name of the upload directory and the filename: "C:\PUBLIC\MYSTUFF.ARC when MyComm calls the .BAT file to run. External file transfer protocols often differ quite a bit, but they usually come with enough documentation of their own to get you going. 3.17.4 Miscellaneous Options Setup The Miscellaneous Options Setup screen (see example below) lets you set up special options for MyComm. Most options are self-explanatory, but are covered below. +------------------------------------| Misc. Options Setup |+ | | | Screen Background Color: Black | | Screen Text Color: Gray | | Date Format Style: MMDDYY | | 12 or 24 Hour Time Format: 12 Hour | | Make Noise When Calls Connect?: Yes | | Make Noise After File Transfers: Yes | | Use Direct Video? (Faster): Yes | | Your Name for sign ons: Your Name| | | Password for sign ons: Password| | | Clever quip for TagLine: Witty quote goes here... | | | | | | Use Up and Down Arrows to move between items | | Hit <Enter> to edit, <Esc> to Quit | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------+ 3.17.4.1 Screen Background Color This option tells MyComm what color to use for the screen background color. This option also affects the screen of the pop-up windows. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 34 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.4.2 Screen Text Color This option tells MyComm what color to use for the screen foreground (the text) color. This option also affects the screen of the pop-up windows. 3.17.4.3 Date Format Style You can choose three date formats for MyComm to use when it puts the date on things: MM/DD/YY, DD/MM/YY, or YY/MM/DD. choose the one that best fits your mood. 3.17.4.4 12 or 24 Hour Time Format MyComm will display the time in either 12 hour or 24 hour format. Choose the one that bests reflects how you identify with time. 3.17.4.5 Make Noise When Calls Connect MyComm sounds a short alarm noise when a connection is made during dialing. If you don't want MyComm to sound the alarm, set this option to "No". 3.17.4.6 Make Noise After File Transfers MyComm sounds a short alarm noise after a file transfer to let you know the transfer has completed. If you don't want MyComm to sound the alarm, set this option to "No". 3.17.4.7 Use Direct Video MyComm by default uses a system called "direct video" when displaying information to the screen. Unfortunately, direct video will usually "bleed through" to other programs in a multitasking environment. If you are using a multitasker and getting bleed through from MyComm, set the Direct Video option to "No". 3.17.4.8 Your Name for sign ons This option lets you enter the name that you log on with when you call systems. When bulletin board systems answer your call they usually ask for your name and password. This name becomes the default for "Logon Name" for new numbers you add to the dialing directory. If Logon Name is filled in MyComm will send your logon name to systems when you push the <F2> key to save you some typing. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 35 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.17.4.9 Password for sign ons This option lets you enter the password that you log on with when you call systems. When bulletin board systems answer your call they usually ask for your password and password. This password becomes the default for "Logon Password" for new numbers you add to the dialing directory. If Logon Password is filled in MyComm will send your logon password to systems when you push the <F3> key to save you some typing. 3.17.4.10 Clever quip for TagLine When you call a BBS there are usually message areas in which you can converse with other people. If you want to be able to sign your name, leave a witty quote or whatever without typing it over and over for each message fill this area in. When you press the <F4> key MyComm will send the message you have entered here. The message can be up to 40 characters long. You can also send ANSI "Escape" (see DOS manual) sequences from the Tagline. If you want to send the ASCII "ESCape character (27 decimal, 1B hex) which usually precedes ANSI escape sequences, MyComm uses the " ` " character. (" ` " is the backwards quote found under the " ~ " character on the upper left side of the keyboard). For example, the ANSI.SYS driver recognizes the string <Esc>[5mThis is blinking<Esc>[0m as a string that blinks. (note: <Esc> represents the 27 decimal (1B hex) character here). So, if your Tagline looked like `[5mThis is blinking`[0m the other system would display "This is blinking" as a blinking message line. 3.17.5 Save Setup This option saves the changes you made to the various configuration items to the file MYCOMM.CFG. If you make changes, but do not save them, the changes will only remain active until you exit from MyComm. 3.18 Send Screen to File - Alt W Pressing the <ALT> and the "W" key takes a "snap shot" of the currently displayed terminal screen and writes it out to the file MYCOMM.SCR. The file contains the actual contents of the screen, including all the ANSI sequences. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 36 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.19 Exit MyComm - Alt X Pressing the <ALT> and the "X" key brings up the window shown below. Press "Y" to exit MyComm or "N" or <Esc> to not leave MyComm. +----------------------+ | | | | | Exit from MyComm? | | | | | | Yes No | | | | | +----------------------+ 3.20 Send Name - F2 This option lets you enter the name that you log on with when you call a system. When bulletin board systems answer your call they usually ask for your name and password. If Logon Name is filled in MyComm will send your logon name when you push the <F2> key to save you some typing. 3.21 Send Password - F3 This option lets you enter the password that you log on with when you call a system. When bulletin board systems answer your call they usually ask for your name and password. If Password is filled in MyComm will send your logon password when you push the <F3> key to save you some typing. If you are really super security conscious, then you can leave this option blank. 3.22 Send Tagline - F4 This is used to sign your name, or put a short quote, up to 40 characters at the end of a message. If you want to send the ASCII "ESCape character (27 decimal, 1B hex) which usually precedes ANSI strings, the " ` " char is used. (" ` " is the backwards quote found under the " ~ " character on the upper left side of the keyboard). For example the ANSI.SYS driver recognizes the string <Esc>[5mThis is blinking<Esc>[0m as a string that blinks. (note: <Esc> represents the 27 decimal (1B hex) character here). So, if your Tagline looked like `[5mThis is blinking`[0m MyComm Version 1.0 Page 37 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved the other system would display "This is blinking" as a blinking message line. 3.23 Transferring Files MyComm has a wide variety of file transfer protocols built in including Zmodem, Xmodem, Xmodem-1K, Ymodem Batch, Ymodem Batch 1K option, SEAlink, and of course ASCII. There are also slots to include up to six external file transfer protocols if you would like to add more. You can Upload (send) files or Download (receive) files. Most host systems will have you start the file transfer at their end first, and then wait for you to set up on your end. Host systems usually wait about a minute or so for you to set up, so don't panic. File transfers differ slightly from one host system to another. Basically you need to know three things: ■ whether you want to Upload (send) or Download (receive) a file ■ the name of the file you want to send or receive ■ which file transfer protocol you want to use Probably you can figure out for yourself whether you are uploading or downloading from a system, and what the file name is that you want to transfer. The tricky part sometimes is deciding which file transfer protocol to use. There are so many! Mainly, both you and the host system MUST use the same file transfer protocol or the transfer will fail. Actually it's real easy to decide which file transfer protocol you want to use. When you request a file transfer from the host system, they usually show you a list of which file transfer protocols their system supports. Just pick one that both MyComm and the host system support, and you're on your way. The two most frequently used protocols are Xmodem and Zmodem. A little experimentation on your part will help you decide which of the file transfer protocols you like the best. All file transfer protocols on MyComm use 8-N-1 (8 data bits, No parity, and 1 stop bit). MyComm automatically sets these settings for you before the file transfer begins, then switches back to what ever settings were in place before the transfer began. A description of each of the file transfer protocols that MyComm support will be found later in this section. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 38 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.23.1 Starting a File Transfer The steps to start the file transfer from your end with MyComm are simple: ■ Press PgUp to send files, or PgDn to receive files ■ Choose the file transfer protocol you want to use from the menu ■ Type in the filename (if needed) ■ The file transfer starts and displays a status window ■ When the file transfer completes, MyComm makes a noise MyComm's file transfer menus and screens look basically the same for both uploads and downloads. When you press PgUp or PgDn a menu pops up showing you the different file transfer protocol options you have (see example below). Pick a protocol, or press the <Esc> or "Q" key to cancel. Download Protocol Menu Example +------| Down Load |+ | ASCII | | SEAlink Derived | | Xmodem | | 1K-Xmodem | | Real Ymodem Batch | | Ymodem Batch - 1K | | Zmodem | external protocol ==> | 1: BIGFAST | (example) | Quit/None | +-------------------+ After you pick the file transfer protocol, MyComm will ask you for the filename that you want to send or receive from another pop-up screen (see example below). Some of the file transfer protocols for receiving files, such as Ymodem Batch and Zmodem, don't need to ask you the file name so you may not always be asked for a filename. MyComm ALWAYS asks for the filename when you upload files. Note: When you upload files you can also use the DOS "wildcard" characters for filenames such as *.* or ALL*.ARC, or FILE??.*, etc. (see DOS manual for more information on "wildcards".) MyComm Version 1.0 Page 39 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved Get Filename Screen Example +-----------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Enter Filename and Path, (Wildcards Allowed) | | | | >C:\PUBLIC\SOMEFILE.EXT | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------+ If the filename, or the path to the file (the directory) are invalid, or MyComm can't find them, you will see an error message and you can re-enter the filename. If you want to leave without performing the file transfer, press the <Esc> key. If the filename was entered correctly MyComm will start the file transfer. When the file transfer begins the File Transfer Status Window shown below pops-up. Download/Upload Status Window +--------------------------------------------| YModem Download |+ | | | Receiving: D:\PUBLIC\SOMEFILE.EXT | | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | Xfer Time: 0:04:18 Bytes Received: 14567 | | Elapsed Time: 0:01:18 Bytes Expected: 58645 | | Approx. CPS: 186 Blocks Sent: 114 | | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | Error Count: 0 Error Correction: CRC-16 | | Last Error Message: Receiving File | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ The status window displays information about the file transfer such as the file name being sent/received, an estimate with how long it will take to do the transfer, the elapsed time so far, the CPS (Characters Per Second), the bytes sent/received, the blocks sent, and error correction type and error status. Note: Some protocols will not tell you the Xfer Time or the Bytes Expected during downloads. This is because some protocols do not send an information "header" packet that tells MyComm how many bytes to expect from the sender. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 40 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved When MyComm calculates the amount of time a transfer will take it does the calculation based on a "worst case" rate of 80% efficiency. This is to take into consideration possible line noise, packet resends, and other considerations. Actual file transfers may be faster than what MyComm calculates. When MyComm calculates the CPS (Characters Per Second) it divides the number of bytes successfully transferred by the elapsed time since the transfer started. This should provide a very accurate and true CPS rate. 3.23.2 File Transfer Hints ■ Both the sender and receiver MUST use the same file transfer protocol ■ If a file transfer keeps aborting using one protocol on a host system, try using a different one. ■ It's not a very good idea to upload or download from floppy. This can significantly affect transfer rates under some circumstances. - Floppy drives are slow, so the read and write access time will slow down the transfer. - Floppy drives really do not hold very much data. If the floppy disk were to fill up during a download, the transfer would be aborted. 3.23.3 Download Files - PgDn Pressing the PgDn (Page Down) key starts the file download procedures previously discussed. 3.23.4 UpLoad Files - PgUp Pressing the PgUp (Page Up) key starts the file upload procedures previously discussed. 3.23.5 ASCII File Transfers ASCII file transfers are only used to transfer text files. Program files, also known as binary files, should not be transferred as ASCII files. ASCII uploads do not show the File Transfer Status Window. ASCII transfers have no form of error correction, but just plough along as though the characters were actually being typed from the keyboard. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 41 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.23.6 SEAlink Derived File Transfers SEAlink is an advanced version of Xmodem developed by System Enhancement Associates. SEAlink uses a "sliding window" protocol which sends ahead several packets until waiting for an acknowledgement from the receiver. SEAlink sends the file name, and size when the transfer starts up. SEAlink is often 10 to 20 percent faster than plain Xmodem, and can be used to send more than one file at a time. The version of SEAlink that MyComm uses is known as "derived SEAlink". MyComm doesn't use all the options from the original SEAlink protocol such as the "overdrive" option which is only used in half-duplex links. This may change with future versions of MyComm if there are enough requests to justify making the change. 3.23.7 Xmodem File Transfers Xmodem is probably the most widely used protocol today. Xmodem was originally developed by Ward Christensen in the summer of 1977 for use on CP/M machines, and was quickly ported to the MS-DOS environment. Xmodem sends data in 128 byte blocks. The block count seen in the File Transfer Status Window shows the number of 128 byte blocks that have been transferred. This euphemistically has been called "Xmodem blocks" and has become somewhat of a standard in P.C. data communications. Xmodem has two flavors; Check Sum and CRC-16 mode. The check sum mode is not nearly as reliable as CRC-16, and isn't used as often. MyComm supports both Check Sum and CRC-16 mode, and automatically selects the correct one to use. 3.23.8 1K-Xmodem File Transfers Xmodem-1K is a variation of Xmodem which uses a 1K (1024 byte) block to send data. Under most conditions Xmodem-1K is slightly faster than plain Xmodem. If there is a lot of line noise however, the throughput can degrade due to having to perform a resend on the larger packet. Some host systems may refer to Xmodem-1K as "Ymodem". Hence the distinction between Ymodem and the Ymodem Batch protocol described below. MyComm Version 1.0 Page 42 Copyright (c) 1992 Ken Dorshimer - All Rights Reserved 3.23.9 Ymodem Batch File Transfers The Ymodem Batch protocols in MyComm both perform batch file transfers. That is, they can send or receive more than one file in a transfer session. Ymodem Batch starts sessions by sending the file name and size to the receiver, then sends the file data. Ymodem Batch comes in two flavors; "Real" Ymodem Batch which uses a 128 byte packet, and Ymodem Batch - 1K which uses a 1K packet. MyComm can recognize either type when receiving files (download) using Ymodem Batch. However due to variations in different host systems MyComm will need to know which type of Ymodem to use when sending (uploading) files. When downloading a file using Ymodem, you don't have to type in the file name on your end. Ymodem sends the filename as part of a special "header" that MyComm recognizes and will supply the file name. 3.23.10 Zmodem File Transfers Zmodem is another widely used file transfer protocol. It was developed by Chuck Forsberg/Omen Technology, Inc. Zmodem is an extremely robust protocol, that is, it recovers from errors well and will try to keep the file transfer session going. Zmodem will perform both single file and batch (multiple) file transfers. Like Ymodem, when downloading a file using Zmodem, you don't have to type in the file name on your end. Zmodem sends the filename as part of a special "header" that MyComm recognizes and will supply the file name. Zmodem uses either a 16 bit or 32 bit CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) when transferring the file. You will see the CRC type displayed in the File Transfer Status Window. The CRC is used for error checking during the transfer. MyComm automatically selects the proper CRC type to use so you don't have to worry about it. The 16 bit CRC transfers often go a little faster than 32 bit CRC transfers. However the 32 bit CRC is much more reliable for error correction, and well worth the few seconds added to the transfer time. 3.23.11 External Protocol File Transfers MyComm lets you define up to six external file transfer protocols. The external file transfer protocols will also appear in the Upload and Download protocol selection menus. External protocols should be set up in the External Protocols Setup Screen (see section 3.17.3.2). External protocols differ from vendor to vendor, so you should refer to the particular protocol's documentation for more detailed installation instructions. Appendix A MyComm Line Editing Functions Many of the user configuration options and the dialing list have sections that require a line of text to be input and/or edited. MyComm has a built in line editor to perform simple editing on these text lines. The MyComm line editor uses a tiny subset of WordStar type commands. A description of the line edit commands follows. ■ Enter - Terminates the line and keeps it ■ Esc - Terminates editing the line and does not keep it ■ Right Arrow - Moves the cursor right. If the cursor is at the very end of the line a beep is heard ■ Left Arrow - Moves the cursor left. This is "non-destructive". That is, the character is not erased as the cursor moves ■ BackSpace - Moves the cursor left. This is "destructive". That is, the character is erased as the cursor moves ■ End - Positions the cursor at the end of the line ■ Home - Positions the cursor at the beginning of the line ■ Cntl + T - When the Cntl key and the letter T are pressed simultaneously, the line is erased from the current cursor position to the end of the line ■ Cntl + Y - When the Cntl key and the letter Y are pressed simultaneously, the entire line is erased and the cursor is positioned at column one Appendix B MyComm Test Environment MyComm was tested with several IBM clone 286 machines using generic Hayes compatible 2400 baud modems. MyComm was tested under MS-DOS version 3.3. MyComm was also tested using a true IBM P/S 2 with a 2400 baud modem. No testing has been done with high speed modems at this time. All test machines except the P/S 2 had Monochrome Graphic Adapters (MDA) or true Hercules Graphic cards. The routines for color displays are not outstanding, although this will probably be enhanced in future versions. Appendix C Troubleshooting This section should answer common problems that you might have when using MyComm. Problem: - Modem doesn't respond. Possible Causes: - Is the COM port the right one? i.e COM 1, 2, 3, or 4. - Is the modem installed correctly? - Is the modem really Hayes compatible? - If this is an internal modem, are the cables hooked up? Is it plugged in? - MyComm uses the standard DOS interrupt vectors for COM Ports of: COM 1: 3F8 COM 2: 2F8 COM 3: 3E8 COM 4: 2F8 If you have set these to something different, MyComm probably won't like it. Reset the interrupt vectors to their standard settings. If you don't know what this means, you probably didn't fool with it in the first place, so don't mess with it now. MyComm doesn't, at this point, allow user configuration of interrupt vectors on the COM ports. It wasn't an oversight, rather a design decision since it was something that I never had any reason to reset, and didn't feel it was a necessary option. Problem: - Modem won't hang up the phone line. Possible Causes: - Some modems have a DIP switch setting that keeps Carrier Detect always on. MyComm uses the Carrier Detect (CD) to see if it's on-line, and to see when the modem has released the phone line properly. You should set your modem to let software, in this case MyComm, to handle the Carrier Detect signal. - Try adding the Hayes command &C1 to your initialization string. This tells the modem to use Carrier Detect only when connected. Problem: - The result codes from the modem are numbers instead of text. Possible Causes: - Try adding Q0 and V1 to the modem initialization string. MyComm MUST see the result codes, and they have to be the English Text. Also try adding X4 to the initialization string. Problem: - When using a multitasker such as Windows (Tm), DoubleDOS (Tm), etc, the MyComm displays bleed through to other applications. Possible Causes: - Set the option in the Miscellaneous Options Screen named "Direct Screen Writes" to "No". Problem: - When I call some services, the characters look weird, or just garbage. Possible Causes: - Make sure that the Data Bits, etc. are set correctly. Most public BBS's use 8-N-1, but some may use 7-E-1 (often true with Unix (Tm) based systems and mainframes). Problem: - File transfers seem to always time out or abort. Possible Causes: - MyComm will abort a transfer if there are too many errors in the transfer due to line noise, or other unpredictable circumstances. - Are you and the other guy using the same file transfer protocol? Appendix D MyComm Command Summary Alt A - Chat Mode Alt B - Send Break Alt C - Clear the Screen Alt D - Dialing Functions Alt E - Local Echo On/Off Alt H - Hang Up Modem Alt I - Send Modem Initialization Strings Alt L - Present Line Status Alt M - Manual Dial Alt O - Outside to DOS Alt P - Change Port Parameters Alt Q - Quick Re- Dial Alt R - Run External Program Alt S - Session Capture On/Off/Pause Alt U - Update Configuration Alt W - Send Screen to File Alt X - Exit MyComm F1 - Help Screen F2 - Send Name F3 - Send Password F4 - Send Tagline PgUp - Upload Files PgDn - Download Files Appendix E Planned Modifications and Upgrades At this time I am planning (contingent on the number of registrations of MyComm) to make several modifications and upgrades to MyComm Version 1.0. Some of these are: - Fancier color screen displays - Add more modem speeds - Add "Auto-Download" feature to Zmodem file transfer protocol - Add "Crash Recovery" to Zmodem file transfer protocol (recovers aborted file transfers where they left off) - Add KERMIT file transfer protocol - A simple Host/BBS mode (real maybe on this one) - Capture buffer to see last few screen pages - More Terminal Emulators - Logon Script Mode Of course upgrades are mainly dependent on you, the end user. MyComm is user supported software. If I see that people are interested in the program, and interested enough to register it, I will feel more inclined to continue to upgrade MyComm. Appendix F MyComm Revision History September 19, 1991 - MyComm Version 1.0 design began February 16, 1992 - MyComm Version 1.0 completed Appendix G MyComm Order Form MyComm Version 1.0 Order Form Copyright (c) 1992, Ken Dorshimer All Rights Reserved Mail to: Ken Dorshimer P.O. Box 193101 San Francisco, Ca. 94119-3101 Your Name: _________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________________ State: _________ Zip Code: _________________________ Number of Copies of MyComm _______ X $25.00 = __________ Number of Copies of MyComm _______ X $1 S&H = __________ Total: __________ Please make check or Money Order out to Ken Dorshimer, and send payment to the address above (mine not yours). Funds should be in U.S dollars, and drawn on a U.S. bank. Do not send cash. Appendix H MyComm Bug Report Form This form is used to describe any problems, or bugs that you may have found with MyComm. You may also use it to tell me of any enhancements you would like to see added to MyComm, or suggestions for future versions. Bug reports and suggestions are always welcome. I am trying to provide the very best communications software package I can. Of course all bug reports and suggestions get much closer scrutiny when accompanied by a registration check. <grin> ---------------------------------------------------------- Machine Type __________________________ DOS Version ____ Machine BIOS Type _____________________ Monitor ________ Modem Brand __________________________ Speed ____ Describe problem, bug, or suggestion: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Mail To: Ken Dorshimer P.O. Box 193101 San Francisco, Ca. 94119-3101 1K-Xmodem File Transfers 41 Add LF after incoming CR 16 Add Phone List Item 13 Alt A 11 Alt B 12 Alt C 12 Alt D 12 Alt E 20 Alt H 20 Alt I 20 Alt L 21 Alt M 21 Alt O 21 Alt P 22 Alt Q 22 Alt R 22 Alt S 22 Alt U 23 Alt W 35 Alt X 36 ASCII File Transfers 40 ASCII Transfers Setup 30 ASCII Transfers Setup Screen 30 Baud Rate 14 BS Key Sends BS or DELete 16 Bug Report Form 51 Call Numbers (Dial) 17 Change Port Parameters - Alt P 22 Change Port Parameters Screen 22 Character Pace Time 31 Chat Mode - Alt A 11 Clear last date called 16 Clear the Screen - Alt C 12 Clever quip for TagLine 35 COM Port 24 Command Summary 47 CR Translation Upload and Download 31 Data Bits 14 Data Parity 14 Date Format Style 34 Default Protocol 14 Definitions, Acronyms 5 Delete an Item 17 Dial Prefix 14 Dial Screen 12 Dialing Functions - Alt D 12 Dialing Prefix #1 28 Dialing Prefix #2 28 Dialing Prefix #3 28 Dialing Prefixes 28 Dialing Status Window 17 Dialing Wait Time 26 Disclaimer and Warranty 4 Download Directory 28 Download Files - PgDn 40 Download Protocol Menu 38 Download/Upload Status Window 39 Edit Phone List Item Screen 13 Exit MyComm - Alt X 36 Exit MyComm Window 36 Expand Blank Lines to Spaces 31 External Protocol File Transfers 42 External Protocols Setup 32 External Protocols Setup Screen 32 F1 key 11 F2 key 36 F3 key 36 F4 key 36 File Transfer Hints 40 Find Phone List Items 19 General System Requirements 6 Get Filename Screen 39 Hang Up Modem - Alt H 20 Help Menu - F1 11 Help Screen 11 Installation 7, 8 Introduction to MyComm 1 LF Translation Upload and Download 31 Line Editing Functions 43 Line Pace Time 31 Load Phone List Screen 19 Load Phone List Window 19 Local Echo 15 Local Echo on by Default 26 Local Echo On During ASCII Uploads 31 Local Echo On/Off - Alt E 20 Logon Name 15 Make Noise After File Transfers 34 Make Noise When Calls Connect 34 Manual Dial - Alt M 21 Manual Dial Screen 19 Manual Dial Window 19 Mark Phone List Items 19 Miscellaneous Options Setup 33 Miscellaneous Options Setup Screen 33 Modem Answer String 25 Modem Attention String 25 Modem Cancel Dial String 26 Modem Dial Suffix String 26 Modem Hang Up String 25 Modem Initialization String 25 Modem Setup Screen 24 MyComm Bug Report Form 51 MyComm Command Summary 47 MyComm Files 6 MyComm General Installation Instructions 8 MyComm Installation 7 MyComm Line Editing Functions 43 MyComm Order Form 50 MyComm Registration 2 MyComm Revision History 49 MyComm Screens and Menus 10 MyComm Test Environment 44 Name 13 Number 13 Order Form 50 Outside to DOS - Alt O 21 Pacing Char 31 Page Down 40 Page Up 40 Password 15 Password for sign ons 35 Path\File for Phone File 29 Path\File for Screen Capture 29 Path\File for Session Capture 29 Path\Filename of Editor 29 Path\Filename of External Programs 29 Paths Setup 28 Paths Setup Screen 28 Pause Between Calls 26 PgDn 40 PgUp 40 Phone Item Info Screen 18 Planned Modifications and Upgrades 48 Present Line Status - Alt L 21 Present Line Status Window 21 Protocols Setup 30 Protocols Setup Menu 30 Quick Re-Dial - Alt Q 22 Received BS (BackSpace) Destructive 16 Remote Abort Char 31 Revision History 49 Run External Program - Alt R 22 Save Changes 17 Save Setup 35 Screen Background Color 33 Screen Text Color 34 Screens and Menus 10 SEAlink Derived File Transfers 41 Send Break - Alt B 12 Send Init. String Menu 20 Send Modem Initialization Strings - Alt I 20 Send Name - F2 36 Send Password - F3 36 Send Screen to File - Alt W 35 Send Tagline - F4 36 Session Capture On/Off/Pause - Alt S 22 Starting a File Transfer 38 Stop Bits 14 Strip Hi Bits 16 Strip High Bits 31 System Requirements 7 Terminal Screen 10 Terminal Type 15 Test Environment 44 Time Format - 12 or 24 Hour 34 Transferring Files 37 Troubleshooting 45 Update Configuration - Alt U 23 Update Configuration Menu 23 Upload Directory to files from 29 UpLoad Files - PgUp 40 Use CTS/RTS Flow Control 27 Use Direct Video 34 Use DSR/DTR Flow Control 27 Use DTR to Hang Up Modem 27 Use XON/XOFF Flow Control 27 Xmodem File Transfers 41 Xmodem-1K 41 Ymodem 41 Ymodem Batch - 1K 42 Ymodem Batch File Transfers 42 Your Name for sign ons 34 Zmodem File Transfers 42