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1993-07-24
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PCCLOCK DIGITAL CLOCK USER'S GUIDE
Version 3.0
Copyright (c) 1991-1993 M. J. Sadaway.
All rights reserved.
Introduction
------------
* PCCLOCK accurately sets your PC's date and time by modem, by
calling either the NIST (National Institute of Standards and
Technology) atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado, or the USNO
(U.S. Naval Observatory) atomic clock in Washington, D.C.
* PCCLOCK also displays the date and time in big digits in your
choice of up to 80 designs supplied with the program plus up to
20 designs you create yourself.
* PCCLOCK can set your clock on request or can be run from
AUTOEXEC.BAT to set your clock every n days or every time you
restart your PC.
* PCCLOCK can also be run to display the date and time whenever
you and your computer are not otherwise engaged.
* PCCLOCK also features manual setting, seconds display, 12- and
24-hour modes, alarm, and optional Big Ben chime.
* PCCLOCK works with almost any modem and with DOS version 2.1 or
later.
Getting Started
---------------
Although detailed instructions follow, you probably won't need
(or want) to read them before using PCCLOCK. To use PCCLOCK now,
copy file PCCLOCK.EXE to the desired directory on your hard disk.
Next, run PCCLOCK, press <F11> or <Ctrl-C> (Configure), and
follow the on-screen instructions to configure the program for
your modem and geographic location. To set the date and time,
press <F12> or <Ctrl-S> (Set by Modem). If you like, try the
other function keys, press <Esc> to exit PCCLOCK, then type
"pcclock /?" at the DOS prompt to review the program's command-
line switches.
Read further if you have problems or questions, and review the
rest of the user's guide if you want to be sure you're familiar
with all of PCCLOCK's features. Finally, please take a look at
"Special Discounts for Registered Users".
If you do have problems or questions and can't find the answers
here, whether you're just trying the program or you're a
registered user, please let me know (see "Feedback"), and I'll be
happy to help.
Page 1
Installation
------------
When installing PCCLOCK for the first time, copy file PCCLOCK.EXE
to the desired directory on your hard disk. When upgrading from
a previous version, replace PCCLOCK.EXE with the new version.
PCCLOCK uses file PCCLOCK.DAT to save configuration parameters,
modified clock designs, current settings, and other data. If
this file is not present (as when you run PCCLOCK the first
time), PCCLOCK tries to create it in the same directory from
which PCCLOCK.EXE was run. (When using DOS versions earlier than
3.0, PCCLOCK.DAT is placed in the root directory of the current
drive.)
Although PCCLOCK can be run from CD-ROM or a write-protected
diskette, it may be unable to create or update PCCLOCK.DAT. For
normal operation, PCCLOCK.EXE should be copied to your hard disk.
If you've previously run PCCLOCK on your system and you install
version 3.0 in the same directory, the program will automatically
upgrade your existing PCCLOCK.DAT file and continue to use the
existing configuration, clock designs, and other settings.
Only PCCLOCK.EXE and PCCLOCK.DAT are needed in order to run
PCCLOCK. The accompanying files PCCLOCK.DOC, which contains this
user's guide, and FILE_ID.DIZ, which contains a description of
PCCLOCK for use by BBSs, may be omitted from your hard disk, but
please include them when you upload PCCLOCK to a BBS or give
copies to your friends and associates.
Basic Operation
---------------
Operating PCCLOCK is fairly straightforward. Most functions are
selected by pressing the function keys, <F1>-<F12>, whose
functions are normally displayed at the bottom of the screen.
(On systems with 10 function keys, <Ctrl-C> and <Ctrl-S> are used
instead of <F11> and <F12>.) Other functions are selected with
command-line switches, whose functions can be displayed by using
the "help" switch "/?" (the DOS command "pcclock /?").
Keyboard Functions
------------------
To perform a function, press the associated key, <F1>-<F12>,
<Ctrl-C>, or <Ctrl-S>, as shown in Table 1, then follow any on-
screen instructions. These keys are active whether the labels at
the bottom of the screen are on or off.
Pressing the <Esc> key cancels the selected function, displays
the registration reminder screen, or exits PCCLOCK and returns to
DOS.
Page 2
When no other function is selected, PCCLOCK responds to the <Page
Up>, <Page Down>, left and right arrow, and other keys as though
<F2> (Select Design) had been pressed, except that instructions
for selecting designs are not displayed.
+--------+--------+---------------------------------------------+
| Key | Label | Description |
|========+========+=============================================|
| F1 | F Keys | Alternately displays and erases list of |
| | On/Off | keys and associated functions at bottom of |
| | | screen. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F2 | Select | Displays 20 clock design "swatches", and |
| | Design | allows any design to be selected as the |
| | | current design. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F3 | Modify | Displays and allows modification of the |
| | Design | parameters defining the current clock |
| | | design. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F4 | 12/24 | Switches between 12- and 24-hour modes of |
| | Hour | time display. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F5 | Date/ | Switches between display of time alone, |
| | Time | date alone, and alternating date and time. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F6 | Chime | Alternately enables and disables chiming |
| | On/Off | every quarter hour. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F7 | Set | Displays current date, and allows new date |
| | Date | to be entered through keyboard. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F8 | Set | Displays current time, and allows new time |
| | Time | to be entered through keyboard. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F9 | Set | Displays current alarm setting, and allows |
| | Alarm | new alarm time to be entered. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F10 | Alarm | Alternately enables and disables alarm from |
| | On/Off | ringing at the set time. Also silences |
| | | alarm if ringing. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F11 or | Con- | Displays and allows modification of |
| Ctrl-C | figure | configuration parameters used when calling |
| | | atomic clocks. |
|--------+--------+---------------------------------------------|
| F12 or | Set by | Sets date and time by calling NIST or USNO |
| Ctrl-S | Modem | atomic clock. |
+--------+--------+---------------------------------------------+
Table 1. Keyboard Functions
Page 3
Command-Line Switches
---------------------
The switches shown in Table 2 can be specified as part of the DOS
command used to run PCCLOCK.
+----------+-----------------+----------------------------------+
| Switch | Alias | Function |
+==========+=================+==================================+
| /A | AUTO | Sets date and time to atomic |
| | | clock, then exits. |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /An | AUTO:n | Sets date and time to atomic |
| | | clock if not set for n (1-365) |
| | | days. |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /C | COLOR, COLOUR | Configures to use 16 colors (for |
| | | color display). |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /G | GRAY, GREY | Configures to use 4 gray levels |
| | | (for grayscale display). |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /M | MONO | Configures to use black, white, |
| | | and bright white only (for |
| | | monochrome display). |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /Cn, | COLOR:n, | Configures for color, grayscale, |
| /Gn, | COLOUR:n, | or monochrome display; selects |
| /Mn | GRAY:n, GREY:n, | clock design Cn (1-100), Gn |
| | MONO:n | (1-40), or Mn (1-20) as default. |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /Sn | SPEED:n | Configures PC-to-modem speed to |
| | | n (300-56000) bps. |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /I | INT | Configures to use interrupt- |
| | | driven serial I/O. |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /P | POLLED | Configures to use polled serial |
| | | I/O. |
|----------+-----------------+----------------------------------|
| /? or /H | HELP | Displays summary of command-line |
| | | switches, then exits. (Any |
| | | other switches are ignored.) |
+----------+-----------------+----------------------------------+
Table 2. Command-Line Switches
Notes:
1. The words in the "Alias" column may be used interchangeably
with the single characters in the "Switch" column.
2. Either upper or lower case may be used.
3. Any switch (word or single character) may be preceded by "/",
"-" or " ".
Page 4
4. n may be preceded by ":" or "=".
5. The configuration switches (/C, /G, /M, /S, /I, and /P) need
to be specified only once. The settings of these switches is
saved in the configuration file, PCCLOCK.DAT.
The syntax of the switches is flexible, to accommodate the style
you prefer. The commands "pcclock /A:7", "pcclock -a7", "pcclock
A7", "pcclock auto:7", "PCCLOCK AUTO=7", and even "PCClock
/Auto7" are equivalent.
Please see "Setting Date and Time" for a full description of the
/A (AUTO) switch. See "Configuration" for full descriptions of
the /C, /G, /M, /S, /I, and /P (COLOR, COLOUR, GRAY, GREY, MONO,
SPEED, INT, and POLLED) switches.
Clock Designs
-------------
PCCLOCK displays the date and time using specified characters
from the IBM extended character set. One extended character,
called "Mark Char", is used to form the big digits. Another
extended character, called "Space Char", is used to form the
surrounding box. Separate foreground and background colors can
be specified for both extended characters. Thus, six parameters
specify a complete design.
The clock designs are organized into pages of 20 designs each.
When PCCLOCK is configured for a color display, five pages are
available. Four pages are filled with 80 supplied designs. The
fifth page is initially blank and may be used to store up to 20
of your own designs.
For a grayscale display, two pages of designs are available. One
page contains 20 supplied designs; the other is initially blank.
For a monochrome display, only one page is available, with ten
supplied designs and ten initially blank.
When PCCLOCK is started, it either chooses a design at random or
uses a specified default design. To select another design or to
select either a random design or a specific design as the
default, press <F2> (Select Design), and follow the on-screen
instructions.
To create a design of your own or to modify any of the existing
designs, first select the design you wish to modify, then press
<F3> (Modify Design). Follow the displayed instructions to
change any or all of the design's six parameters.
The Select Design and Modify Design functions also have options
to erase a design and to restore a design's parameters to either
their original values or to the values saved during a previous
run of the program.
Page 5
Configuration
-------------
Unless you live in the Eastern time zone, you'll need to
configure PCCLOCK for your location. If you live in the Boulder
or Washington area, you'll want to select the time service near
you, and you may need to change the modem commands PCCLOCK uses
to dial the NIST or USNO phone number.
If your modem is not connected to serial port COM1, you'll need
to change the port setting. And, depending on your modem, you
may need to change the commands PCCLOCK uses to initialize it.
In some cases, you may also need to configure PCCLOCK for the
type of display attached to your computer. Finally, you may need
to change the speed at which or method by which PCCLOCK
communicates with your modem.
More frequently changed configuration parameters, shown in Table
3, are accessed by pressing <F11> or <Ctrl-C> (Configure) and set
by following the on-screen instructions. Less frequently changed
parameters are set with command-line switches, shown in Table 2.
+--------------+---------------------+--------------------------+
| Parameter | Default Value | Possible Values |
|==============+=====================+==========================|
| Serial Port | COM1 | COM1 to COM4 or COM8 |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| Init | ATZ|~~ATE1M1QV1|~~ | ATZ|~~ATE1M1QV1|~~ (for |
| | | most 300 and 1200 bps |
| | | modems), AT&F|~ (for |
| | | most 2400 bps modems), |
| | | AT&FNS37=5\N1%C|~ (for |
| | | most 9600 bps and faster |
| | | modems), custom (for |
| | | atypical modems) |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| Dial (NIST) | ATDT1-303-494-4774| | See text. |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| Dial (USNO) | ATDT1-202-653-0351| | See text. |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| Hang Up | ~~+++~~ATH| | See text. |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| Time Zone | Eastern | Newfoundland, Atlantic, |
| | | Eastern, Central, |
| | | Mountain, Pacific, |
| | | Alaska, Hawaii- |
| | | Aleutian, Universal |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| DST Observed | Yes | Yes, No |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| UTC Offset | +0:00 | -13:00 to +11:00 |
|--------------+---------------------+--------------------------|
| Service | NIST | NIST or USNO |
+--------------+---------------------+--------------------------+
Table 3. Configuration Parameters
Page 6
The "Serial Port" parameter specifies the port to which your
modem is connected. On most (ISA bus) computers, ports COM1
through COM4 are listed, and COM3 and COM4 are repeated with both
standard I/O addresses (3E8h, 2E8h) and alternate I/O addresses
(3E0h, 2E0h, 338h, 238h) shown in parentheses. On Microchannel
(MCA bus) computers, ports COM1 through COM8 are listed with
standard I/O addresses. Be sure to select the port setting with
the I/O address corresponding to your hardware configuration.
The "Init", "Dial", and "Hang Up" parameters specify the commands
PCCLOCK uses to communicate with your modem. The predefined
values should should work for most Hayes-compatible modems. If
they do not work with your modem, consult your modem
documentation, or contact the author for assistance if required.
Certain characters within the values of "Init", "Dial", and "Hang
Up" are interpreted by PCCLOCK rather than sent to the modem.
"|" (vertical bar) causes PCCLOCK to send a carriage return
character to the modem. "~" (tilde) causes PCCLOCK to delay one
second before continuing to send commands to the modem. When
polled serial I/O is used (see /I and /P switches below), "{"
(left brace) sends a break signal to the modem.
"Init" specifies the commands needed to initialize your modem.
Commands for the majority of 1200-bps, 2400-bps, and 9600- or
14400-bps modems can be selected by pressing <Alt-1>, <Alt-2>, or
<Alt-3>, respectively.
"Dial" specifies the modem commands needed to call either the
NIST or USNO atomic clock. Different commands are used for each;
the commands for the atomic clock specified by the "Service"
parameter are accessible. Depending on your location and the
service selected, you may need to delete the area code and/or "1"
prefix from the telephone number. If you do not have tone
dialing (Touch Tone service), change "ATDT" to "ATDP" to use
pulse dialing. Under certain circumstances, such as calling
outside a local telephone network or using a special long
distance service, you may need to use additional modem commands.
Table 4 shows commands that can be used between the "ATD" and the
"|" in the "Dial" parameter with most Hayes-compatible modems.
Some modems have additional commands that can be used while
dialing; check your modem documentation.
"Hang Up" specifies the commands PCCLOCK uses to place your modem
"on hook" after calling NIST or USNO and when you cancel a call
by pressing <Esc>.
"Time Zone" specifies an adjustment for your location to the
"universal" time (also known as UTC, GMT, or Zulu time) supplied
by NIST or USNO. Values for time zones in the United States and
Canada are predefined. Outside these areas, select the value
"Universal", and set the "UTC Offset" parameter.
"DST Observed" specifies whether or not Daylight Saving Time
(DST) is observed in your location. PCCLOCK is able to
automatically adjust for DST only if it is observed between the
first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. Therefore,
Page 7
this parameter is not accessible when "Time Zone" is set to
"Universal".
"UTC Offset" specifies an adjustment to the time supplied by NIST
or USNO for locations outside the U.S. and Canada. The value
specified can be zero, positive, or negative, and can be given in
hours, minutes, or hours and minutes. This parameter is
accessible only when "Time Zone" is set to "Universal".
The "Service" parameter specifies whether the NIST or USNO atomic
clock is called to obtain the date and time. If either service
is a local call, select that service (and change the "Dial"
parameter), to save telephone charges. If both are long-distance
calls, NIST is recommended, as the NIST lines are seldom all
"busy".
+--------------+------------------------------------------------+
| Command(s) | Effect |
|==============+================================================|
| 0 to 9, #, | Causes the modem to dial the specified digit. |
| and * | |
|--------------+------------------------------------------------|
| space, (, ), | These characters are ignored by the modem, but |
| and - | may be used to increase readability of the |
| | command. Example: "ATDT 1 (202) 653-0351|" |
| | has the same effect as "ATDT12026530351|". |
|--------------+------------------------------------------------|
| T | Switches modem to tone dialing. Use if you |
| | have Touch Tone service. Example: "ATDT1- |
| | 303-494-4774|" (the default "Dial" command) |
| | calls NIST long distance using tone dialing. |
|--------------+------------------------------------------------|
| P | Switches modem to pulse dialing. Use if you |
| | do not have Touch Tone service. Example: |
| | "ATDP1-653-0351|" calls USNO from within the |
| | 202 area code using pulse dialing. |
|--------------+------------------------------------------------|
| W | Causes the modem to wait for another dialtone. |
| | If no dialtone is detected within a specified |
| | period (5 seconds for most modems), the modem |
| | hangs up and a "NO DIALTONE" result code is |
| | displayed. Example: "ATDT303-494-4774W33|" |
| | calls NIST using a long distance service that |
| | requires dialing the called number, waiting |
| | for another dialtone, then dialing a special |
| | code. |
|--------------+------------------------------------------------|
| , | A comma causes the modem to wait for a speci- |
| | fied period (2 seconds for most modems) before |
| | continuing to dial. Example: "ATDT9,653- |
| | 0351|" calls USNO from the Washington area, |
| | first dialing "9" then waiting briefly to dial |
| | outside a local telephone network. |
+--------------+------------------------------------------------+
Table 4. Modem Dialing Commands
Page 8
Command-line switches (Table 2) are used to set less frequently
changed configuration parameters. These switches are "sticky"
and need to be specified only once, not every time you run
PCCLOCK, except if your hardware configuration changes.
Configuration switch settings are saved in file PCCLOCK.DAT.
The /C, /G, and /M (COLOR, COLOUR, GRAY, GREY, and MONO) switches
configure PCCLOCK for the type of display attached to your
computer. When PCCLOCK is run for the first time on your system,
it automatically configures itself for a color or monochrome
display, whichever is present, as though either the /C or /M
switch was specified. If you have a grayscale display (a
monochrome display capable of displaying at least 16 shades of
gray), you may want to use the /G switch, which gives you a
larger set of clock designs.
The /Sn (SPEED) switch is needed only if you have a 300-bps modem
or if you have a high-speed modem that requires a fixed PC-to-
modem speed. If you have a 300-bps modem, configure PCCLOCK to
use this speed by specifying the switch "/S300".
The /I and /P (INT and POLLED) switches specify which of two
methods PCCLOCK uses to communicate with your modem. /I or INT
selects the "interrupt-driven" method; /P or POLLED selects the
"polled" method. See note below for details.
Important Note
--------------
Some PCCLOCK users have reported that the interrupt-driven
serial I/O mechanism, built into the programming language in
which PCCLOCK is written, does not work properly with their
modems. Therefore, PCCLOCK includes an alternative polled
serial I/O mechanism. If interrupt-driven serial I/O does
not work with your modem, please try polled serial I/O. If
neither works properly, please contact the author for
assistance.
Setting Date and Time
---------------------
To set the date and time by modem, run PCCLOCK and press <F12> or
<Ctrl-S> (Set by Modem), or run PCCLOCK with the /A or AUTO
command-line switch. Commands sent to your modem by PCCLOCK,
result codes returned by the modem, and data received from NIST
or USNO are displayed in a window at the top of your screen.
If the call is successfully placed and valid data is received,
both the date and time are set, the call is terminated, and the
window is closed. The date and time are adjusted for the time
zone specified in your configuration. If Daylight Saving Time is
observed in your area (as specified in your configuration) and
Daylight Saving Time is in effect, the time (and possibly the
date) are adjusted accordingly.
Page 9
If the call is not successfully placed, a modem result code (for
example, "BUSY") will be displayed. Press <Esc> to cancel the
call, and, if you wish, press <F12> or <Ctrl-S> to try again.
If the data received from NIST or USNO is not valid, an error
message will be displayed, and PCCLOCK will remain online until
it receives valid data, until a timeout period of 90 seconds is
exceeded, or until you press <Esc> to cancel the call.
The /A or AUTO switch causes PCCLOCK to run in a non-interactive
automatic timesetting mode. When this switch is specified
without a number of days, PCCLOCK calls the atomic clock, sets
the date and time, and exits. When a number of days is
specified, PCCLOCK calls the atomic clock only if at least that
number of days has elapsed since the last call.
PCCLOCK is often run with the /A or AUTO switch from the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. To set the date and time every time you
restart your computer, add the command "pcclock /a" to
AUTOEXEC.BAT. Assuming you restart your computer at least once a
day, you can set your clock once a week by adding the command
"pcclock /a:7" to AUTOEXEC.BAT.
When /A or AUTO is used, PCCLOCK displays a message indicating
the success or failure of the call to NIST or USNO. It also sets
the exit code to zero if the call is successful and to a nonzero
value otherwise, so that the command "IF ERRORLEVEL . . ." can be
used in a batch file to test the outcome. Possible exit codes
are listed in Table 5; see "Error Messages" below for detailed
+-----------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Exit Code | Corresponding Error Message |
|===========+===================================================|
| 0 | None |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Internal error - PCCLOCK aborted |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 2 | Error <accessing> <drive>:<path>\PCCLOCK.DAT - |
| | <reason> |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 3 | Invalid switch - Type "pcclock /?" for help |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 4 | Date and time not set - Call not due for m more |
| | day(s) |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 5 | Date and time not set - Call cancelled by |
| | operator |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 6 | Date and time not set - Serial I/O error n |
|-----------+---------------------------------------------------|
| 7 | Date and time not set - Response timeout |
+-----------+---------------------------------------------------+
Table 5. Exit Codes
Page 10
explanations.
To set the date or time manually, press either <F7> (Set Date) or
<F8> (Set Time), and follow the displayed instructions.
About the Atomic Clocks
-----------------------
The time services accessed by PCCLOCK are operated by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly
NBS, National Bureau of Standards) in Boulder, Colorado, and the
U.S Naval Observatory (USNO) in Washington, D.C. The NIST
service is directly synchronized to UTC(NIST), the primary time
and frequency standard for the United States. The USNO service
is synchronized to the USNO Master Clock, which is itself
synchronized to UTC(NIST).
Although the signal from NIST or USNO arrives at your modem
within a few milliseconds of the correct time, the accuracy with
which your computer's clock can be set is limited by the fact
that it ticks only about once every 55 milliseconds and can only
be set to the nearest tick. And although it can be set to the
nearest 55 ms, its accuracy is most affected by its tendency to
gain or loose time. However, by using PCCLOCK to set your
computer's clock regularly, you can ensure that it will be
accurate enough for all but the most demanding applications.
Calls to either NIST or USNO usually take only a few seconds
and always take less than a minute. Calling either service long-
distance costs very little (13 to 24 cents from Boston using
AT&T). The cost of calling both services long-distance from a
given location is generally the same, but you may want to check
with your long-distance carrier or call both services at the same
time of day and check your bill.
About Your Computer's Clock(s)
------------------------------
DOS maintains a "system date" and "system time", which can be
read and set with the DOS DATE and TIME commands. The system
date and time settings are lost whenever your computer is powered
off and must be reset each time the computer is restarted.
Most computers have a battery-operated "permanent clock" that
keeps the date and time when the computer is turned off. IBM PC
AT, AT-compatible, and newer computers have these clocks built-
in. Other computers may be equipped with an add-on clock that
plugs into an expansion slot or with a "slotless" clock that
plugs into a socket under a ROM chip or other socketed chip on
the computer's motherboard.
If your computer has no permanent clock, you need to set the date
and time every time you restart your computer. You can make this
less tedious by running PCCLOCK from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and
using either its automatic or manual timesetting functions.
Page 11
If your computer does have a permanent clock, the system date and
time are set from the permanent clock when the system is
restarted. With a built-in clock, this is done automatically.
With an add-on or slotless clock, you may need to run a program
from AUTOEXEC.BAT; refer to the documentation supplied with the
clock. If you also run PCCLOCK from AUTOEXEC.BAT, PCCLOCK
should, of course, be run following this program.
If your computer has a built-in permanent clock, setting the date
and/or time with PCCLOCK will set the permanent clock as well as
the system date and time, regardless of the version of DOS you
are using. (Prior to DOS version 3.3, the DOS DATE and TIME
commands set only the system date and time, not the permanent
clock.)
Some add-on and slotless permanent clocks come with a device
driver that sets the permanent clock whenever the system date or
time is set. If you have such a device driver installed, setting
the date or time with PCCLOCK will also set the permanent clock.
If not, after setting the system date and/or time with PCCLOCK,
you will need to run the program supplied with your clock to set
it as well.
Notes for NetWare and Windows Users
-----------------------------------
Novell NetWare users can set their file server's date and time to
the NIST or USNO atomic clock by using PCCLOCK in conjunction
with S2S, a free utility written by PCCLOCK user and network
administrator Barry Brevik. First PCCLOCK is run on a
workstation, then S2S is used to set the file server's clock to
the workstation's clock. S2S can be downloaded from CompuServe's
NOVUSER forum library 1 as file S2S100.ZIP or from ZiffNet's
UTILFORUM library 15 as S2S.ZIP. For further information on S2S
and other NetWare utilities, contact Barry at 711 Calle Cardo,
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, by CompuServe mail to 70132,2277, or by
Internet mail to 70132.2277@compuserve.com.
Although PCCLOCK is not designed to run under Microsoft Windows,
many Windows users run PCCLOCK under Windows successfully. For
best results, run PCCLOCK full-screen. When run in a window,
errors often occur when using polled serial I/O (/P or POLLED
switch). When run in the background, the time display often
lags, and the chime and alarm are unreliable, regardless of the
background priority.
Error Messages
--------------
Date and time not set - Call cancelled by operator
PCCLOCK was run with the /A (AUTO) switch, and the operator
cancelled the call to NIST or USNO by pressing <Esc>.
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Date and time not set - Call not due for m more day(s)
PCCLOCK was run with the /An (AUTO:n) switch, and n days have
not elapsed since the last successful call to NIST or USNO. If
you continue to run PCCLOCK with the same /An switch each day,
PCCLOCK will set your clock in m more days.
Date and time not set - Response timeout
PCCLOCK did not receive an initial response from your modem
within one second or did not receive valid data from NIST or
USNO within 90 seconds. If PCCLOCK received a "BUSY" response,
try again later. If "NO ANSWER", check the "Dial"
configuration parameter. Otherwise, make sure the power to
your modem is on, and verify that the "Serial Port" and "Init"
configuration parameters are set correctly (see "Configuration"
above).
Date and time not set - Serial I/O error n
PCCLOCK was unable to successfully communicate with your modem.
Try both interrupt-driven and polled serial I/O (see
"Configuration" above), and verify that your modem is operating
correctly with your other software. Contact the author for
assistance if required.
Error <accessing> <drive>:<path>\PCCLOCK.DAT - <reason>
PCCLOCK was unable to read its configuration file upon start-up
or create and/or write it upon exiting. <accessing> is
replaced by "reading", "creating", or "writing". <reason>
indicates the probable cause of the error. If PCCLOCK is run
from diskette, the diskette should remain in the drive and
should not be write-protected while PCCLOCK is running.
Internal error - PCCLOCK aborted
PCCLOCK detected an error in the internal structure of the
PCCLOCK.EXE file, which may be corrupted. Try reinstalling
PCCLOCK.EXE from diskette or from the .ZIP file. If the error
persists, please contact the author.
Invalid data received - Retrying . . .
The preceding NIST data string was not in the correct format,
and PCCLOCK is staying on-line until another data string is
received. Usually due to a noisy phone connection. Possibly
due to incorrect modem "Init" commands (see "Configuration
above).
Invalid switch - Type "pcclock /?" for help
One or more switches in the DOS command used to run PCCLOCK
were not in the correct format. See "Command-Line Switches"
above, or enter "pcclock /?" at the DOS prompt for
instructions.
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Invalid video mode - PCCLOCK aborted
Your computer's display was not set for 80-column operation;
PCCLOCK can not operate in 40-column modes. Use the DOS MODE
command to select an 80-column display mode, then rerun
PCCLOCK.
Printer offline or out of paper.
PCCLOCK was unable to print a registration/order form. If your
printer is connected to parallel port LPT1, ready the printer
and try again. Otherwise, refer to "How to Register" below.
Response timeout
See "Date and time not set - Response timeout".
Serial I/O error n
See "Date and time not set - Serial I/O error n".
UTC Offset must be between -13:00 and +11:00.
The "UTC Offset" configuration parameter cannot be used to
adjust the time received from NIST or USNO over more than a 24-
hour range.
UTC Offset not in correct format.
The "UTC Offset" configuration parameter must be entered as a
number of hours, as a number of hours followed by a colon
followed by a number of minutes, or as a colon followed by a
number of minutes, optionally preceded by a plus or minus sign.
Revision History
----------------
New features implemented in PCCLOCK version 3.0 include:
1. Option to call USNO rather than NIST clock.
2. /An (AUTO:n) switch to set clock every n days.
3. Chimes every 15 minutes as well as on the hour.
4. <F11> and <F12> aliases for <Ctrl-C> and <Ctrl-S>.
5. Addition of Newfoundland time zone and replacement of Yukon,
Alaska-Hawaii, and Bering time zones with Alaska and Hawaii-
Aleutian time zones.
6. Support for "UTC Offset" in hours and minutes as well as
whole hours.
7. Support for MDA and Hercules displays, including monochrome- and
grayscale-specific clock designs and /C, /G, and /M switches.
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8. Improved color clock designs.
9. Support for alternate COM3 and COM4 addresses, and for COM5-8
on MCA-bus machines.
10. Support for 300-baud, Telebit, and other atypical modems:
a. /Sn (SPEED:n) switch to set PC-to-modem line speed.
b. Ability to call NIST at 300 as well as 1200 bps.
c. Output of embedded blanks in modem commands.
d. "{" in modem commands to send break signal.
11. /? (HELP) switch to display summary of command-line switches.
12. Single-character switches and optional "/" and "-" prefixes.
13. Improved error handling and error messages:
a. Exit code set to reflect outcome of call.
b. Shortened timeout for modem not responding.
c. Added "Response timeout" error message.
d. Added "<reason>" to "Date and time not set" messages.
14. Redesigned online registration to accept credit card and SWREG
payment.
Problems corrected in PCCLOCK version 3.0 include:
1. Compatibility problems with DOS 2.1 and 2.1x and with some TSRs and
memory managers.
2. Problems whereby interrupt-driven I/O sometimes failed to
correctly process "~" and "|" in modem commands.
3. Errors recognizing the first few hours of DST and ST.
4. A problem whereby the date and time display was "invisible"
when some BIOS versions were used.
5. A problem whereby an "*" in a modem command resulted in an
erroneous "Invalid data received" message.
6. Problems using interrupt-driven I/O with 16550A UARTs.
Functional differences between PCCLOCK 3.0 and previous versions
include:
1. Command-line switches /I (INT) and /P (POLLED) are used to
select interrupt-driven or polled serial I/O, rather than
the "Serial I/O" configuration parameter or the <Ctrl-Alt-S>
key used with previous versions.
Page 15
2. Running PCCLOCK with the /A (AUTO) switch sets the exit code
rather than creating or deleting file PCCLOCK.ERR. In a
batch file, use "IF ERRORLEVEL . . ." rather than "IF EXIST
PCCLOCK.ERR . . .".
Shareware Notice
----------------
PCCLOCK is copyrighted software distributed as shareware and may
not be sold without the written permission of the author.
However, you are welcome to use this copy of PCCLOCK on a 30-day
free trial basis.
If you find PCCLOCK to be useful or enjoyable and continue to use
it beyond 30 days, you are required to register your copy and pay
a one-time fee of $20 (plus shipping and handling) to support its
development.
When you register, you will receive a printed user's guide plus a
copy of the latest version of PCCLOCK on diskette, and you will
be entitled to use all future versions of PCCLOCK at no
additional charge and without reregistering.
Registered users have the right to use a single copy of PCCLOCK
and may register additional copies or purchase pre-registered
copies on diskette.
You are permitted to make multiple copies of PCCLOCK for use
within a single business or organization only if you register and
pay for each copy that is used beyond a 30-day free trial period.
Shareware disk and CD-ROM vendors, user groups, computer clubs,
computer stores, bulletin board systems, and individuals are
permitted to copy and distribute PCCLOCK for others to use on the
same 30-day free trial basis, provided that the program is
unmodified and is accompanied by this user's guide. A reasonable
fee may be charged for media, copying, and shipping and handling
or for transmission time.
How to Register
---------------
To become a registered PCCLOCK user, run PCCLOCK, press <Esc> to
exit, and follow the displayed instructions.
If no printer is available, or if your printer is not connected
to parallel port LPT1, you can register directly with the author
by sending your name and address together with your payment of
$20 per copy to: M. J. Sadaway, P. O. Box 128-P, South Walpole,
MA 02071. Please specify diskette size (5.25" or 3.5"). For
direct orders, shipping and handling is free. Payment must be by
cash, check, money order, or postal money order, and in U.S.
dollars. Checks and money orders must be drawn on a U.S. bank.
Page 16
Special Discounts for Registered Users
--------------------------------------
Registered users of PCCLOCK are eligible to receive:
* Free membership in CompuServe, a leading online information
service, including user ID and password, a $15 usage credit,
and a subscription to "CompuServe Magazine". Among other
benefits, CompuServe membership enables you to locate and
download thousands of shareware and public domain programs and,
in many cases, obtain support directly from the programs'
authors via electronic mail.
* A one-year subscription to "Shareware Magazine", regularly $20,
at the special rate of just $9.97. Features news and reviews
of low-cost, quality PC and Macintosh software, plus regular
columns for beginners and shareware programmers. Edited by
Mike Callahan, author of the best-selling book "Dr. File
Finder's Guide to Shareware".
* Public (software) Library's "Source Book of Free and Low-Cost
Software" plus five reviews disks, for $13.40, 33% off the
regular price of $19.95. With 700 pages of descriptions of the
more than 4000 disks that make up the world's largest
collection of shareware and public domain software, "PC
Magazine" calls it "by far the most thorough and reliable guide
to shareware available anywhere". Reviews disks include full
text of book plus updates.
* A one-year subscription to "PsL News", Public (software)
Library's catalog/magazine, for $12, regularly $18. "PsL News"
reviews over 200 new and updated programs each month and serves
as a companion to PsL's "Source Book". John Dvorak of "PC
Magazine" says, "Do yourself a favor and subscribe to this gem
. . . pays for itself in software discoveries".
Complete instructions on how to take advantage of any or all of
these offers is in included in the printed user's guide you
receive when you register your copy of PCCLOCK.
Bypassing the Registration Reminder Screen
------------------------------------------
Registered users may bypass the registration reminder screen
normally displayed when PCCLOCK is exited. Instructions for
bypassing the screen are given in the printed user's guide sent
to registered users.
Support Policy
--------------
Registered users of PCCLOCK are entitled to support at no
additional cost for a minimum of three months from the date of
registration. Within this time, the author, when contacted via
CompuServe, GEnie, Internet, or U.S. mail will answer the user's
Page 17
questions concerning the use of PCCLOCK and will attempt to
correct any problem reported by the user that causes PCCLOCK to
fail to perform in the manner described in the user's guide. If
a reported problem is due to the user's specific hardware
configuration or software environment rather than an error in
PCCLOCK, or the problem cannot otherwise be corrected by the
author, the user may request and will receive a full refund of
the registration fee.
Feedback
--------
Your questions, comments, criticisms, and suggestions concerning
PCCLOCK are welcome. Please send them to M. J. Sadaway, P. O.
Box 128-P, South Walpole, MA 02071, or via CompuServe mail to
75046,2272, GEnie mail to M.SADAWAY1, or Internet mail to
75046.2272@compuserve.com. Thank you.
Shareware and the ASP
---------------------
Shareware is software you can try before you buy. You are
permitted to use it, and you are generally free to copy it for
others to use, on a trial basis. If you find it to your liking
and continue to use it, you are expected to pay for it.
Payment is in the form of a registration fee, which entitles
you to continue to use the software, and may entitle you to
other benefits. The length of the trial period and any
restrictions on copying and distribution of the software vary
depending on the author and program.
Many shareware programs perform unique functions not available in
retail software at any price; others are similar to retail
programs but usually cost considerably less. Shareware is
generally of the same high quality as retail software, and many
shareware authors offer technical support more responsive than
the big software companies. Plus, shareware has better than a
money-back guarantee - if you don't use it, you don't pay for it.
The ASP, or Association of Shareware Professionals, is an
organization of shareware authors and distributors that
promotes the shareware concept. ASP members are required to
abide by established standards of professionalism, and the ASP
name and logo are your assurances that an author or distributor
meets these standards.
Shareware bearing the ASP name is fully functional, not a
stripped-down or demo version, and all features of the program
are described in the documentation, so you can fully evaluate the
software before you pay for it. All ASP shareware includes
support by the author for a minimum of three months after user
registration, and authors are required to fully refund
registration fees to users reporting problems during this period
if the problems cannot be resolved. The ASP also helps resolve
disputes between shareware users and authors or distributors.
Page 18
Look for the ASP name when choosing shareware. And help ensure
the availability of quality software at reasonable prices by
registering the shareware programs you use.
_______
____|__ | (R) Michael J. Sadaway
--| | |------------------ P. O. Box 128-P
| ____|__ | Association of South Walpole, MA 02071
| | |_| Shareware CompuServe: 75046,2272
|__| o. | Professionals GEnie: M.SADAWAY1
-----| | |-------------------- Internet: 75046,2272
|___|___| MEMBER @compuserve.com
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve
a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can
help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at: Association of Shareware
Professionals, 545 Grover Rd., Muskegon, MI 49442, fax (616) 788-
2765, or send a message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman
70007,3536.
Disclaimer
----------
The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied,
including but not limited to implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect
to PCCLOCK and the accompanying documentation. In no event shall
the author be liable for any damages, direct or consequential,
arising out of the use of or inability to use this product, even
if the author has been advised of the possibility of such
damages.
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