kermit.columbia.edu/kermit.columbia.edu.tar/kermit.columbia.edu/bin/c64slkv22s.sda/SL232ADD.TXT

Text File | 1992-09-28 | 9KB | 183 lines

                       ├OMMODORE 64/128 ╦ERMIT V2.2(76)
                          ┴DDENDUM TO V2.2(73) ═ANUAL
                                 ═AY 23, 1992

╔NTRODUCTION
------------

╘HIS ADDENDUM CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT ├-64/128 ╦ERMIT V2.2(76), A SPECIAL
ADAPTATION OF ╦ERMIT V2.2 TO SUPPORT THE ╙WIFT╠INK-232 HIGH-SPEED SERIAL
INTERFACE.  ╬OTE THAT V2.2(76) SUPPORTS MODEMS INTERFACED VIA THE ╙╠-232 ╧╬╠┘
WHILE V2.2(73) SUPPORTS MODEMS INTERFACED VIA THE USER PORT ╧╬╠┘.  ┬OTH
VERSIONS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED SIMULTANEOUSLY.


├HANGES FROM ╓ERSION 2.2(73)
----------------------------

╦ERMIT V2.2(76) FOR THE ╙╠-232 HAS VERY FEW CHANGES FROM V2.2(73).  ╔T IS NOT
CONSIDERED AN UPGRADE FROM V2.2(73).  ╧NLY CHANGES DEEMED ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
HAVE BEEN MADE.  ╘HESE CHANGES ARE:

1) ╞ILENAME CHANGES.  ╘O HELP DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO VERSIONS OF ╦ERMIT V2.2,
   THE ╙╠-232 VERSION HAS THE FILENAME "╙╠╦┼╥═╔╘" INSTEAD OF ╦┼╥═╔╘.  ╙IMILARLY,
   THE INITIALIZATION FILE HAS THE NAME "╙╠╦┼╥═╔╘.╔╬╔" INSTEAD OF "╦┼╥═╔╘.╔╬╔".
   ╘HE AUTOBOOT MAKER PROGRAM FOR ├-128 USERS HAS ALSO BEEN CHANGED FROM
   "╥╒╬ ═┼ ╬╧╫!" TO "╙╠ ╥╒╬ ═┼ ╬╧╫!".  (╔F YOU ORDER A ╦ERMIT DISK FROM ╦ENT
   ╙ULLIVAN, THE BOOT SECTOR HAS ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED; THEREFORE, THIS
   PROGRAM IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE DISK.)

   ╬EITHER "╙╠╦┼╥═╔╘.╔╬╔" OR "╙╠ ╥╒╬ ═┼ ╬╧╫!" ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE
   USER-PORT VERSION OF ╦ERMIT.

2) ╙┼╘ ┬┴╒─ COMMAND ALTERED.  ╘HIS COMMAND WAS CHANGED SO THAT IT SUPPORTS
   4800 AND 9600 BPS, IN ADDITION TO 300, 1200, AND 2400 BPS.

3) ╙┼╘ ╨╧╥╘-┴──╥┼╙╙ COMMAND ADDED.  ╘HIS COMMAND WAS ADDED SO THAT ╦ERMIT CAN
   SUPPORT A ╙╠-232 CARTRIDGE AT ANY OF THE THREE POSSIBLE MEMORY ADDRESSES,
   $─┼00 (THE FACTORY DEFAULT), $─╞00, AND $─700 (POSSIBLE ON A ├-128 ONLY).
   ┴N EXAMPLE OF THE COMMAND IS:

      ╙┼╘ ╨╧╥╘-┴──╥┼╙╙ $─╞00

   ╘HIS WILL CHANGE THE ADDRESS THAT ╦ERMIT LOOKS FOR THE ╙╠-232 TO $─╞00.
   ╘HERE IS ALSO A CORRESPONDING ╙╚╧╫ ╨╧╥╘-┴──╥┼╙╙ COMMAND.  ╬OTE: ┬ESIDES
   CHANGING THE ADDRESS WITHIN ╦ERMIT, YOUR ╙╠-232 CARTRIDGE MUST ALSO HAVE
   BEEN MODIFIED TO "LIVE" AT AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN $─┼00.  ├ONSULT YOUR ╙╠-232
   DOCUMENTATION FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROCEDURE.

4) ╙┼╘ ╫╧╥╦╔╬╟-─╥╔╓┼ COMMAND ADDED.  ╘HIS COMMAND WAS ADDED SO THAT YOU CAN USE
   DISK DEVICES OTHER THAN #8 FOR LOADING ╦ERMIT, DOING FILE TRANSFERS, ETC.  ╫E
   FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO ADD THIS COMMAND SINCE MANY PEOPLE WILL WANT TO
   UP/DOWNLOAD TO A FAST DISK DRIVE (SUCH AS A ╥┴═ DISK--SEE "╨ERFORMANCE
   ├ONSIDERATIONS / ╠IMITATIONS" BELOW), ESPECIALLY WHEN USING HIGHER BAUD
   RATES.  ┴N EXAMPLE OF THE COMMAND IS:

      ╙┼╘ ╫╧╥╦╔╬╟-─╥╔╓┼ 9

   ╘HIS WILL CHANGE THE DISK DRIVE ╦ERMIT ACCESSES TO DEVICE 9.  ╘HERE IS ALSO
   A CORRESPONDING ╙╚╧╫ ╫╧╥╦╔╬╟-─╥╔╓┼ COMMAND.  ╬OTE: ╘HE ╫╧╥╦╔╬╟-─╥╔╓┼ VALUE
   DEFAULTS AT BOOT TIME TO THE DRIVE YOU LOADED ╦ERMIT FROM.  ╔T CAN'T BE
   SAVED IN THE INITIALIZATION FILE.

5) ╔NITIALIZATION FILE CONTENTS CHANGED.  ┬ESIDES CHANGING THE NAME OF THE
   INITIALIZATION FILE (DESCRIBED IN #1 ABOVE), ITS CONTENTS HAVE ALSO CHANGED.
   ┬ECAUSE OF THIS, YOU CAN'T SHARE INITIALIZATION FILES BETWEEN USER PORT AND
   ╙╠-232 ╦ERMIT.  ╘O MAKE ╦ERMIT MORE ROBUST, WE HAVE ALSO REMOVED THE NEED TO
   HAVE AN INITIALIZATION FILE PRESENT AT BOOT TIME.  ╦ERMIT V2.2(76) WILL BOOT
   PROPERLY WITHOUT A ╙╠╦┼╥═╔╘.╔╬╔ FILE, AND WILL USE A "REASONABLE" SET OF
   DEFAULTS.  ╘HESE DEFAULT SETTINGS MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SETTINGS YOU PREFER.
   (┘OU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THINGS THEN CREATE AN INITIALIZATION FILE WITH THE
   ╙┴╓┼ COMMAND.)

6) ╙┼╘ ╥╙-232 ╥┼╟╔╙╘┼╥╙ COMMAND ALTERED.  ╘HIS COMMAND WAS CHANGED SO THAT IT
   OPERATES ON THE ╙WIFT╠INK-232'S CONTROL AND COMMAND REGISTERS.  ┘OU CAN USE
   THIS COMMAND, FOR EXAMPLE, TO SET BAUD RATES HIGHER THAN 9600.  (╘HESE BAUD
   RATES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ╙┼╘ ┬┴╒─ COMMAND BECAUSE NOT ALL SYSTEMS CAN
   KEEP UP AT THESE VERY HIGH SPEEDS.)  ╘HE FIRST BYTE IS THE VALUE FOR THE
   CONTROL REGISTER, WHILE THE SECOND BYTE IS THE VALUE FOR THE COMMAND
   REGISTER.  ├ONSULT YOUR ╙WIFT╠INK-232 DOCUMENTATION FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE
   APPROPRIATE VALUES TO USE.

7) ─╔╙╦ COMMAND ALTERED.  ╔N ORDER TO BETTER SUPPORT THIRD-PARTY DISK DRIVES,
   SUCH AS ├═─'S ╚─-SERIES HARD DRIVES, THE ─╔╙╦ COMMAND HAS BEEN CHANGED (YOU
   COULD CALL IT A "BUG FIX").  ╨REVIOUSLY, THE ─╔╙╦ COMMAND DID NOT ALLOW
   SPACES IN ANY OF ITS ARGUMENTS.  ╔T NOW DOES.  ┘OU CAN NOW TYPE, FOR EXAMPLE:

      ─╔╙╦ ╙0:╬┴═┼ ╫╔╘╚ ╙╨┴├┼╙

   ╬OTE: ╫HEN USING A ├═─ HARD DRIVE'S "├─ <BACK ARROW>" COMMAND (NATIVE-MODE
   SUBDIRECTORIES ONLY), TYPE ╙HIFT + "=" FOR THE "<BACK ARROW>".


╨ERFORMANCE ├ONSIDERATIONS / ╠IMITATIONS
----------------------------------------

╫HILE THE ╙WIFT╠INK-232 SUPPORTS BAUD RATES UP THROUGH 38,400 BPS, ╙╠-232
╦ERMIT SUPPORTS BAUD RATES ONLY UP THROUGH 9600 BPS WITH THE ╙┼╘ ┬┴╒─ COMMAND.
╘HE MAIN REASON FOR THIS IS THAT ╦ERMIT HAS PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS KEEPING UP AT
THESE VERY HIGH SPEEDS.  ╦ERMIT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO OPERATE AT
SPEEDS ABOVE 1200 BPS (2400 WHEN USED ON A ├-128).  ╦EY SECTIONS OF THE PROGRAM
WERE DESIGNED TO BE MEMORY-EFFICIENT, NOT SPEEDY, SO OPERATING AT HIGH SPEEDS
CAN CAUSE SERIOUS PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS.  ╘HE MOST VISIBLE OF THESE PROBLEMS IS
LOST CHARACTERS ON THE SCREEN.

┴S YOU MAY KNOW, THE USER-PORT VERSION OF ╦ERMIT DOES NOT WORK AT 2400 BPS
WHEN USING THE ├-64 80-COLUMN SCREEN DRIVER (PERFORMANCE IS FINE WHEN USING
THE ├-128 80-COLUMN SCREEN DRIVER).  ╙╠ ╦ERMIT IMPROVES ON THIS -- IT FUNCTIONS
PRETTY WELL AT 2400 BPS WHEN USING THE ├-64 80-COLUMN SCREEN DRIVER.  ╙PEEDS
ABOVE 2400 BPS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED WHEN USING THE ├-64 80-COLUMN SCREEN DRIVER,
UNLESS YOU ARE NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT SCREEN OUTPUT (I.E., JUST DOING FILE
TRANSFERS).  ╘HE ╙WIFT╠INK-232 CARTRIDGE IS QUITE CAPABLE OF SENDING AND
RECEIVING CHARACTERS AT SPEEDS ABOVE 2400 BPS; ╦ERMIT JUST DOESN'T DO A GOOD
JOB OF UPDATING THE SCREEN WHEN USING THE ├-64 80-COLUMN SCREEN DRIVER.

╫HEN USING THE ├-128 SCREEN DRIVER, PERFORMANCE IS MUCH BETTER.  ╙╠ ╦ERMIT CAN
KEEP UP WELL AT SPEEDS UP THROUGH 9600 BPS, ESPECIALLY IF FLOW CONTROL IS USED.

┬ELOW ARE SEVERAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAXIMIZE ╙╠ ╦ERMIT'S PERFORMANCE:

1) ╘URN ON FLOW CONTROL.  ╔F YOU ARE USING ╦ERMIT TO TALK TO A REMOTE COMPUTER
   WHICH SUPPORTS FLOW CONTROL, MAKE SURE ╦ERMIT HAS FLOW CONTROL TURNED ON.
   ┘OU CAN TURN ON FLOW CONTROL BY TYPING ╙┼╘ ╞╠╧╫-├╧╬╘╥╧╠ ╧╬.  ╬OTE: ╘HIS IS
   THE FACTORY DEFAULT SETTING.

2) ╥EDUCE THE AMOUNT OF INFO THAT IS PRINTED TO THE SCREEN DURING A FILE
   TRANSFER BY TYPING ╙┼╘ ─┼┬╒╟╟╔╬╟ ╧╞╞.  ╬OTE: ╘HE FACTORY DEFAULT SETTING IS
   ╘┼╥╙┼.

3) ╒SE A FAST DISK DRIVE.  ╙TOCK 1541, 1571, ETC., DISK DRIVES ARE VERY SLOW
   AND CAUSE A BOTTLENECK DURING FILE TRANSFERS AT SPEEDS ABOVE 2400 BPS.  ╔F
   AT ALL POSSIBLE, USE A FAST DISK DRIVE FOR UP/DOWNLOADS.  ╞OR BEST RESULTS,
   DOWNLOAD TO A ╥┴═ DISK (SUCH AS A ├OMMODORE 17╪╪ ╥┼╒ RUNNING ╥┴═─╧╙ OR A
   ├═─ ╥┴═╠INK/─RIVE).

4) ╒SE THE ├OMMODORE 128 SCREEN DRIVER.  ╦ERMIT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE 2 ═HZ.
   MODE OF THE ├-128 WHEN USING THE ├-128 80-COLUMN SCREEN DRIVER.  ╘HIS EXTRA
   SPEED HELPS ╦ERMIT KEEP UP AT HIGHER SPEEDS.

5) ╒SE A MODEM WHICH SUPPORTS ╓.32 OR ╓.32BIS ERROR CONTROL.  ═ODEMS WITH BUILT-
   IN ERROR CHECKING CAN HELP REDUCE PROBLEMS WHEN ╦ERMIT HAS TROUBLE KEEPING
   UP.


├-64/128 ╦ERMIT ╧RDERING ╔NFORMATION
------------------------------------

├-64/128 ╦ERMIT V2.2 NOW COMES IN TWO "FLAVORS": ONE FOR THE USER PORT ONLY
(MINOR VERSION #73) AND ONE FOR THE ╙╠-232 ONLY (MINOR VERSION #76).  ┬OTH OF
THESE VERSIONS AND THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION ARE AVAILABLE ON MAJOR
COMPUTER NETWORKS FOR DOWNLOADING, AS ╦ERMIT IS FREELY-DISTRIBUTABLE.  ┘OU CAN
ALSO ORDER ╦ERMIT (EITHER VARIETY) ON A 1541 DISK FROM:

   ╦ENT ╙ULLIVAN
   16611 ╬┼ 26TH ╙T.
   ┬ELLEVUE, ╫┴ 98008

┼ITHER VERSION ON A 1541 DISK (WITH ON-DISK DOCUMENTATION) IS $5.00.
┴ SEPARATE LASER-PRINTED MANUAL IS $7.50.

╬OTES: (1) ╫┴ RESIDENTS PLEASE ADD 8.2% SALES TAX.  (2) ╒.╙. FUNDS ONLY CAN BE
ACCEPTED.  (3) ╙END CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY, PLEASE.  ├HECKS WILL BE HELD
UNTIL THEY CLEAR, SO ALLOW 4-5 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY.  (4) ╞OREIGN ORDERS SHOULD
ADD $5.00 PER ORDER FOR AIRMAIL SHIPPING.


╙WIFT╠INK-232 ╧RDERING ╔NFORMATION
----------------------------------

╘HE ╙WIFT╠INK-232 IS A HIGH-SPEED SERIAL INTERFACE THAT PLUGS INTO YOUR ├-
64/128'S EXPANSION (CARTRIDGE) PORT.  ╘HE ╙╠-232 ALLOWS MUCH FASTER SERIAL
COMMUNICATION BECAUSE IT PERFORMS IN HARDWARE WHAT THE ├-64/128 MUST NORMALLY
DO IN SOFTWARE.  ╙PEEDS OF UP TO 38,400 BPS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE ╙╠-232 AND AN
APPROPRIATE HIGH-SPEED MODEM OR DIRECT NETWORK CONNECTION.

╘HE ╙╠-232 WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED BY ─R. ┼VIL ╠ABORATORIES (ALSO A LONG-TIME
╦ERMIT DISTRIBUTOR) BUT IS NOW SOLD EXCLUSIVELY BY ├REATIVE ═ICRO ─ESIGNS (├═─).
╞OR INFORMATION ON ORDERING THE ╙╠-232, CONTACT ├═─ AT:

   ├REATIVE ═ICRO ─ESIGNS
   ╨.╧. ┬OX 646
   ┼AST ╠ONGMEADOW, ═┴ 01028
   413-525-0023