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TCII.DOC
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1987-06-25
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RELEASE NOTES -- TCII V3.11
Program Overview
================
TCII is a terminal emulation program for the DEC Rainbow Personal
Computer (models A and B). The program offers VT102 emulation,
using the Rainbows internal emulator firmware, and VT220 emulation
as part of the program. With version 2.11 of MS-DOS, TCII also
permits VT125 and VT240 emulation when used in conjunction with
the Rainbow ReGIS program from Polygon Associates. (Rainbow ReGIS
is not fully compatible with MS-DOS 3.10 and higher.)
In addition to terminal emulation, TCII offers file transfer of
text and binary files, using the popular XMODEM protocol, and its
multi-file derivative Telink. To facilitate file transfer, some
file and path handling features are present, including a directory
display.
Session logging to disk is included as part of the ASCII file
transfer capability. The Print Screen features of Rainbow
terminal emulation is functional (see '[G]' under 'Invoking the
Program').
[Digital, DEC, VT102, VT125, VT220, VT240, Rainbow and ReGIS are
trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard MA.
Fido and FidoNet are trademarks of Tom Jennings, San Francisco CA.
IBM and Quietwriter are trademarks of International Business
Machines, Armonk NY.]
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Release Notes - TCII V3.11 (1987 06 10)
Features
========
- Emulation: VT102, VT220, VT125* and VT240* (* ReGIS interpreter
required)
- Switchable Baud Rates: 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600
- Switchable Parity/Stop bit settings
- Xmodem & Telink file transfer protocols
- Transmission of all keyable sequences, including control
characters and <Break>
- Redefinable function keys
- Help key menu control
- Print Screen - Screen Dump, and Printer Logging (see 'Known Bugs
and Anomalies')
- Disk logging
- Directory display from within the program (Hidden files' names
are bold - red when ReGIS is installed)
Invoking the Program
====================
TCII is invoked from the DOS command prompt (or from within a
shelling program) as:
[drive:] [path] TC [T] [A] [ 300] [VT102] [G] [F] [P] [@filename]
[X] [1200] [VT200]
[2400]
[4800]
[9600]
where: [drive:] and [path] are the DOS drive and directory
path to the program;
[T] starts TC in terminal mode immediately, without
an introductory screen;
[A] or [X] selects the initial file transfer mode
(Telink is the default);
[300] ... [9600] is the initial baud rate to select
(the default is the current COM port setting);
[VT102] or [VT200] selects VT102/125 or VT200/VT240
emulation (VT200/240 is the default) with the
graphics decision based upon whether or not Rainbow
ReGIS is installed;
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Release Notes - TCII V3.11 (1987 06 10)
[G] ignores Digital printer escape sequences. Use
generic for non DEC printers, so <print screen> will
function properly. When using a DEC printer, TCII
will print according to screen width, (80 or 132
characters per inch).
[F] designates <F4> as the command initiator, for
those who need the <Do> key in running other software
[P] initiates logging to a printer immediately; and
[@filename] selects an alternate key definition file.
Unless an alternate is specified, TCII requires the
default key definition file TC.KEY. This file must
be in the same directory as TC.COM as TCII will only
search there.
Operation
=========
Press <Do> to begin emulation. (See the command line entry T to
skip the introductory screen and hence this step.)
Once in terminal emulation, pressing <Do> and a feature letter
will activate the various features and options. Pressing <Help>
(or any incorrect key) after <Do> will provide a menu of
features. Select by letter from the high-lighted options.
Some commands call up a sub-menu. These are not optional menus
and will appear immediately you select the command. All TC menus
will be replaced by the previous screen display (unfeatured text
only) when command processing is finished.
Commands (<Do> followed by...)
A - assign/reassign function key definitions. The
following keys may be redefined:
F6 <Interrupt> <Find>
F7 <Resume> <Insert Here>
F8 <Cancel> <Remove>
F9 <Main Screen> <Select>
F10 <Exit> <Prev Screen>
F14 <Additional Options> <Next Screen>
F17 PF1
F18 PF2
F19 PF3
F20 PF4
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Release Notes - TCII V3.11 (1987 06 10)
B - change baud rate. TCII starts at whatever speed the COM port
is set, unless specified in command line.
C - close file, end ASCII download and/or session text capture.
D - Directory. A path is requested.
E - Exit to DOS, leaving DTR enabled (see Q).
F - Select a file transfer protocol (the default is Telink or
whichever has been selected by command line option). The
choices are: A - ASCII T - Telink X - Xmodem
N - new screen (clear the screen).
P - change parity settings. TCII starts at whatever setting the
COM port is found to contain.
Q - Quit to DOS, lowering DTR (see E).
R - receive a file (download) and/or commence ASCII text
capture. You will be asked for a path and filename to
receive in ASCII or XMODEM modes. In Telink mode you will
simply be asked for a path. Telink transmits filenames in
headers prior to sending the files.
S or T - send a file (upload). You will be asked for a file name
(or, in the case of Telink, file names). Paths are
acceptable as are wildcards when using the Telink protocol.
<Print Screen> dumps the current screen to the printer (without
text features such as bold).
<Ctrl-Print Screen> will commence text logging to the printer.
Neither <Print Screen> function requires the use of the <Do> key.
The provision of the T and P command line switches enable the use
of a Rainbow 100B as a monitoring console. By running TC from an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file with these options specified, the Rainbow will
restart and resume monitoring after a power failure.
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Release Notes - TCII V3.11 (1987 06 10)
File Transfer Notes
===================
Both Telink and Xmodem offer checksum and CRC (cyclic redundancy
check) error checking modes of operation. Where possible, TCII
will attempt to use CRC, the more reliable of the two. If the
'other end' does not respond appropriately, TCII will revert to
checksum operation.
The Xmodem protocol provides the sender with control over the
error checking choice. When using Fido, for example, and
downloading to TCII, use the command: D XC <filename>. When
sending from TCII, if the receiving unit does not respond to
TCII's attempt to use CRC error checking, TCII will revert to
checksum.
The Telink protocol, which, in the original definition, intended
all versions to provide for both CRC and checksum, allows the
receiver to make the selection. TCII will respond positively to
an attempt to send it files using CRC with Telink. TCII will
attempt to use CRC in all transmissions using Telink, but will
revert to checksum at the receiver's request.
Known Bugs and Anomalies
========================
With DOS 3.10 or higher, <Print Screen> functions used in
conjunction with Rainbow ReGIS will crash the computer.
When used with IBM compatable printers, the <Print Screen> screen
dump will not function, unless 'G' is specified in the command
line.
File transfer estimates are monitored and adjusted after 15
blocks, and every 100 blocks there after. TCII estimates the
remaining time according to the time taken to send or receive the
blocks already transfered. The initial times are calculated via
modem connections, therefore it is not unusual for times to drop
perceptivly during direct Vax to Rainbow connections.
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Release Notes - TCII V3.11 (1987 06 10)
About the Program
=================
TurboComm was originally written in Turbo-Pascal by Stew Stryker
of the DEC Ronnie support group (sorry, guys, Ronnie is a nice
name for the dealer network, not a nifty new machine) to test
communications and Turbo-Pascal on the Rainbow. Mr Stryker made
the source code public.
TCII was initially an upgrade of TurboComm, correcting one or two
minor errors and adding the Xmodem and Telink facility. Of late,
a large number of the original TCII functions have been
re-written in MicroSoft Assembler (V4.0) for speed and DOS
function handling improvements. In addition, the 'Keypad' keys
were made available for use in redefining function keys.
Finally, an oversight in MS-DOS was corrected. If you are
logging your session to a drive, TCII verifies that the original
diskette is still in the drive before writing. You are given
three opportunities to insert the correct diskette before TCII
aborts logging. ('DOS makes no checks, and actually writes the
original directory, (and volume!), onto the newly inserted
diskette; destroying any information stored on it).
TCII was created and maintained by Ian Fraser, of the Computer
Services Department of Keyano College, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Keyano has released TCII executables as a somewhat supported
public domain program through the FidoNet bulletin board network.
The source code will NOT be made public. (Not that I'm mean or
selfish... BUT now that I have a Rainbow in my living room, and
a much better grasp of RB graphics, I plan to rewrite TCII in a
more flexible, and efficient language, 'C'; using my own library
of assembler routines for ReGIS conversion et al. (I, for one am
tired of going for coffee while my screen refreshs in graphics
mode... only to find I still have time for a doughnut!).
For further information, write:
Ian Fraser
% Keyano College Computer Services
8115 Franklin Avenue
Fort McMurray, AB, CANADA
T9K 1K9
Will TCII work on IBM PC's and compatibles? The answer is the
same as the answer Andy Williams gave the 'Cookie-Mad-Bear':
No. Not now, not ever, NEVER!!!!
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