Magnum One/Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso/d7/hyperp2.arc/HYPERP.DOC

Text File | 1990-07-23 | 19KB | 424 lines

Congratulations!  You're about to unlock the speed and power of your
modem by using the fastest file transfer protocol available:

                             HyperProtocol

This HyperProtocol module is distributed free, to show the speed and
quality of Hilgraeve software.  Hilgraeve's HyperACCESS/5 is the
fastest of all communications programs and has HyperProtocol, Zmodem,
and many other protocols built right in.  PC Magazine, PC Week,
Personal Computing, and Software Digest have all rated it the best
communications software available.

You can easily integrate this external protocol module with PCBoard,
RBBS, or other bulletin board software, to give your users extremely
high speed data transfers.  Or you can use it with Telix, Qmodem,
Procomm, or any comm program that supports external protocol modules or
has a DOS shell feature.

As with other protocols, HyperProtocol must be in use at both ends of
the connection.

HyperProtocol  In independent tests, HyperProtocol (or "HYPERP") was
is fastest!    found to be up to five times faster than Kermit, Xmodem
               and other popular file transfer protocols.  You'll save
               time (and long-distance charges) and see your transfer
               rate blast even higher than the baud rate of your modem.

Quick and      If you are already using a conventional modem and comm-
easy to use    unications program, your computer is probably ready to
               use HyperProtocol.

               If your system is like most, you can use HyperProtocol
               right away.  If not, or if you want to increase your
               control, HYPERP is versatile enough that you can set it
               up to meet your precise needs.

Try it!        We have arranged for a quick demonstration using our
You'll see     Bulletin Board in Monroe, Michigan.

1. Copy        Copy the HYPERP.EXE into the same directory as your
               communications software.

2. Set up      Set up your system for 8N1 (8 data bits, no parity, 1
               stop bit).  1200 or 2400 baud.  This example assumes you
               are using COM1 for your modem.  If not, see HyperProtocol
               OPTIONS below.

3. Call        Call the Hilgraeve Bulletin Board at 313-243-5915. Log
               in with your name, then enter your own password.

4. Type        Select "Download HyperProtocol DOS Module or HCOPY,"
               and then download HCOPY, a free utility that guards
               against copying files that contain computer viruses.

5. Exit        Use your software's utilities to go to a DOS prompt while
               retaining your connection with Hilgraeve.

6. Type        Type HYPERP RECEIVE and press ENTER.

7. Watch       Watch the "Throughput" at the bottom right of your
               screen.  That's the baud rate of the data flowing into
               your computer.  You'll see your modem handling up to five
               times its normal rate.

               HyperProtocol also displays a bargraph showing how much
               of data has been transferred.

8. Return      Return to your communications program and disconnect from
               the Hilgraeve BBS.  HyperProtocol is fast and simple to
               operate from your current communications package.  (You'd
               find it even faster and easier if you had HyperACCESS/5,
               which has HyperProtocol built right in.)


HYPERPROTOCOL  You may have a special hardware configuration that
OPTIONS        requires you to enter some special options.  If you want
               to accept the default, you don't have to make an entry at
               all.

               You can adjust the following parameters:

                         Port           Suspend
                         Baud rate      Logfile
                         Time stamp     Display
                         Check type     Overwrite
                         Compress

How to use     To use an option, simply include it in your command
options        string.

               In the test above, you typed HYPERP RECEIVE.  To tell
               HyperProtocol not to compress files, you would type

                  HYPERP COMPRESS:OFF RECEIVE

               Enter all the options between HYPERP and the SEND or
               RECEIVE command.

HyperProtocol  The following options are listed with
Options Data   -  CHOICES you can make.
               -  the DEFAULT used if you omit the option.
               -  WRITTEN AS, which explains how you include the option
                  in your command.
               -  an explanation of the option.

Baud rate      CHOICES: 300-19200            DEFAULT:  set by modem
               WRITTEN AS:   Baud:1200
               The baud rate is the speed (in bits per second) your
               modem communicates.

Checktype      CHOICES:  CRC, Checksum       DEFAULT:  CRC
               WRITTEN AS:    Checktype:CRC
               Checktype defines the error checking method.  CHECKSUM is
               less rigorous but is slightly faster.  CRC (Cyclical
               Redundancy Checking) is more exacting.  Select CRC if you
               suspect noise on the phone line.

Compress       CHOICES:  On, Off             DEFAULT:  On
               WRITTEN AS:    Compress:ON
               HyperProtocol's high speed in part stems from its
               ability to compress files during the transfer.  When set
               to ON, HYPERP compresses files if it can.  It can sense
               files that are already compressed (like .ZIP or .ARC
               files) and doesn't attempt to compress them further.

Display        CHOICES:  On, Off             DEFAULT:  On
               WRITTEN AS:    Display:OFF
This option    The HyperProtocol module normally displays a bargraph so
is for BBS     you can watch the progress of each transfer, and when the
operators!     transfer completes, you must press a key to continue.

               If you are a bulletin board operator and want unattended
               operation, you MUST set DISPLAY:OFF.  This eliminates the
               bargraphs and the need to press a key after each transfer.

Handshake      CHOICES: None, RTS/CTS, XOFF/XON    DEFAULT: XOFF/XON
               WRITTEN AS:    Handshake:RTS/CTS
               XOFF/XON is used with most conventional modems.  Select
               RTS/CTS if you have a high-speed (9600 or 19,200 bps) or
               MNP modem which is currently set up to use RTS/CTS.

Logfile        CHOICES:  filename, none      DEFAULT:  none
               WRITTEN AS:    Logfile:filename
               HyperProtocol will maintain a log of each file transfer
               including time and date, the duration of the transfer and
               whether it was successful.  If you want a log file,
               specify the name of the file.  For instance, a typical
               command is LOGFILE:C:\HYPER.LOG.  (If you specify a
               filename without a path, the log file will be located in
               same directory as HYPERP.EXE.)

Overwrite      CHOICES:  On, Off             DEFAULT:  Off
               WRITTEN AS:    Overwrite:ON
               HyperProtocol won't overwrite an existing file unless you
               specify the OVERWRITE:ON command.

Port           CHOICES:  1, 2, 2E8(3), 3E8(4)   DEFAULT:  1  (i.e., COM1)
               WRITTEN AS:    Port:2  or  Port:2E8(4)
               This selects the serial port where your modem is located.
               If you are using COM2, just type in 2.  With serial ports
               higher than COM2 on a PS/2 or other MicroChannel
               computers, you can just type 3 through 8.  With serial
               ports higher than COM2 on an IBM PC, XT, AT or 386
               compatible computers, you must specify the ADDRESS and
               the INTERRUPT LEVEL.  Common entries are:

                  Port:3E8(4)   for COM3 using interrupt level 4
                  Port:2E8(3)   for COM4 using interrupt level 3

Suspend        CHOICES:  On, Off             DEFAULT:  Off
               WRITTEN AS:    Suspend:ON
               If you have a computer that can't receive data reliably
               while writing to a disk drive, set this to ON.  SUSPEND
               signals the sending computer to halt transmission while
               your disk is saving data.  You need to do this if you get
               several retransmission requests, even on noise-free lines.

Timestamp      CHOICES:  On, Off             DEFAULT:  On
               WRITTEN AS:    Timestamp:OFF
               When Timestamp is ON, a file is saved on your disk with
               the time and date you received it.  Turning timestamp OFF
               saves the file with the same date that appears on the
               sending computer.


EXAMPLES       Here are some examples of HyperProtocol commands.

Example 1      High-speed MNP modem located at COM2.  You want a log
               file saved in the same directory as the HyperProtocol
               module. Receive a file with the same name the sender uses.

               HYPERP PORT:2 HANDSHAKE:RTS/CTS LOGFILE:HYPERP.LOG RECEIVE
               |____| |____| |_______________| |________________| |_____|
                 |      |           |                |               |
  Starts HyperProtocol  |     Sets up handshake      |        Receives
                        |       for MNP Modem        |        (no filename
                        |                            |        specified)
                        |                            |
                  Selects COM2               Creates log file


Example 2      Sending a file to another computer.

                             HYPERP SEND C:\TABLE.DOC
                             |____| |__| |__________|
                                |    |        |
               Starts HyperProtocol  |     Filename
                               Sends a file


Example 3      Receiving a file that will replace existing files.
               File creation date will be the time you received it.

               HYPERP OVERWRITE:ON TIMESTAMP:ON RECEIVE C:\TABLE.DOC
               |____| |__________| |__________| |_____| |__________|
                 |         |             |         |         |
     Starts HyperProtocol  |        Save with      |      Filename
                           |        receipt time   |
                     Command to replace           Receives
                     files having the same        a file
                     name

               NOTE: If you specify a single FILENAME, you can receive
               only one file.  If you specify a DIRECTORY name, you can
               receive multiple files.



AUTOMATING HYPERPROTOCOL OPTIONS

HyperProtocol's versatility makes it simple to tailor for your uses.
Since most of the options you use are the same each time, using batch
files to start the module can save you time and keystrokes.  While
batch files are merely an optional convenience if you're using HYPERP
with a comm program, they are mandatory when integrating the module
with some BBS software.

Batch files are easy, once you get the basic idea.  Suppose you wanted
to use a batch file to issue:

     HYPERP PORT:2 HANDSHAKE:RTS/CTS RECEIVE <any filename>

To do this, you could create a batch file named HREC.BAT, containing
the same line, but with %1 in place of <any filename>:

     HYPERP PORT:2 HANDSHAKE:RTS/CTS RECEIVE %1

Now, instead of entering the full HYPERP command, you would merely
enter HREC followed by the desired filename.  Entering HREC TABLE.DOC,
for example, would execute HYPERP and cause it to receive TABLE.DOC.

For sending files, you could create a similar batch file named
HSEND.BAT, containing the following:

     HYPERP PORT:2 HANDSHAKE:RTS/CTS SEND %1

To send a file, you would simply enter HSEND followed by the desired
filename.  Entering HSEND TABLE.DOC, for example, would execute HYPERP
and cause it to send TABLE.DOC.

Simple batch files like those above work fine in many cases.  However,
some comm programs and BBS software start external protocol modules by
passing baud rate, port, and other values along with the filename.  For
each additional value that the software passes, the batch files must
contain one additional variable (%2, %3, etc).  The first value passed
replaces %1, the second replaces %2, etc.  For example, a batch file
for use with BBS software that passes a port specification, baud rate,
then filename might contain the following line:

     HYPERP PORT:%1 BAUD:%2 HANDSHAKE:RTS/CTS DISPLAY:OFF RECEIVE %3

And HSEND.BAT might contain:

     HYPERP PORT:%1 BAUD:%2 HANDSHAKE:RTS/CTS DISPLAY:OFF SEND %3

Here, the first value passed by the BBS software (the port
specification) would replace %1, the second value (baud rate) would
replace %2, and the third value (filename) would replace %3.

To create batch files for use with your particular BBS software or comm
program, you must know how many values the software passes, and in
which order they are passed.  If unsure, you can find out by performing
a test.  To begin, create a batch file named TEST.BAT, containing the
following lines:

    echo Argument 1 is %1
    echo Argument 2 is %2
    echo Argument 3 is %3
    echo Argument 4 is %4
    echo Argument 5 is %5
    echo Argument 6 is %6
    echo Argument 7 is %7
    echo Argument 8 is %8
    pause

Set up your BBS software or comm program so that it will execute
TEST.BAT as if it were an external protocol module.  Next, start the
BBS software or comm program and cause it to run TEST.BAT.  Instead of
doing a file transfer, TEST.BAT will merely display the values passed
by your software.  Once you have this information, you can write
suitable batch files.

OTHER METHODS FOR SPECIFYING HYPERPROTOCOL DOS MODULE OPTIONS

To simplify the process of using the HyperProtocol DOS module in
different environments, there are two alternative methods for
specifying module options.  The first method allows the use of an
environment variable.  The second allows you to create a response
file.  This response file may contain HyperProtocol options as well
as file specifications.

An environment variable named 'HYPERP' can be defined at the DOS
command prompt.  You can set this variable so that it includes any
of the HyperProtocol options defined above.  For example, from the
DOS command prompt, you could enter the command:

                    SET HYPERP = port:1 baud:2400 display:off

When the module begins, it will use the options defined by this
environment variable.  If the same options are also included on the
command line, they will be used in place of those defined by the
variable.

Using a response file makes it easy to specify both options and
file names when using the HyperProtocol DOS module. A response file
is a simple ASCII file that may contain one option or file name per
line.  This is particularly useful for sending multiple files.  If
you are using the module through your bulletin board system, your
bbs software may create a file that contains a list of files
selected by a caller.  This list could then be passed to the module,
instead of each file name. For example, the following command line
tells the HyperProtocol module to send the files listed in the
response file named 'filelist.txt'.

        HyperP port:1 baud:2400 display:off send @filelist.txt

Note the use of the special symbol '@' used to preface the response
file name.  This symbol tells the module that the named file is a
response file.

The response file, filelist.txt, might contain the following
information:

    c:\lotus\file1.wks
    c:\lotus\file2.wks
    d:\data\*.*

The response file may also contain any of the HyperProtocol options
defined above.  Again, each option in the response file must be on
a line by itself.  As with the command line, any options should be
specified before the SEND or RECEIVE parameters.   For example, a
response file named, 'response.txt' might contain:

    port:1
    baud:2400
    display:off
    send
    c:\lotus\file1.wks
    c:\lotus\file2.wks
    d:\data\*.*

Now you can start the module with the command:

    HyperP @response.txt

In the example above, the first 4 options may never change, while
the file names may change frequently.  To accommodate this, you may
want to use two response files.  For example, one file named
'options.txt' might contain:

    port:1
    baud:2400
    display:off
    send

A second file named 'filelist.txt' could include the names of the
files:

    c:\lotus\file1.wks
    c:\lotus\file2.wks
    d:\data\*.*

Now you could issue the HyperP command supplying both response file
names:

    HyperP @options.txt @filelist.txt

When working with response files, be certain that the options
are specified before the SEND or RECEIVE commands.  The file names
should appear after these commands.

BEYOND COM1 & COM2

The HyperProtocol DOS module is an interrupt driven file transfer
protocol.  An interrupt is a resource of your computer hardware that
must be available for the module to function correctly.  If you are
using a serial port other than COM1 or COM2, be sure that the
interrupt you specified on the 'port:' option (defined above), is
not also being used by some other piece of hardware or software.  A
mouse, plotter, scanner, or device drivers specified in your config.sys
file might require interrupts.  A single interrupt cannot be used by
two different applications successfully.  If you are using a PS/2
model 50 or greater, or some other microchannel computer, then you
need no be concerned about these conflicts.  Microchannel computer
can share interrupts.

Typical problems resulting from an interrupt conflict show up during
file transfers.  Data errors and decompression errors are the first
signs of such a conflict.  The following table show the interrupts
that are used for COM1 and COM2, and those most commonly used for
COM3 and COM4.
                     Port        IRQ
                     ---------------
                     COM1         4
                     COM2         3
                     COM3         4 or 5
                     COM4         2 or 3

QUESTIONS?

We're glad you're using HyperProtocol and hope you to enjoy it!  If you
have any questions or comments about HyperProtocol, please call
Hilgraeve's BBS at 313-243-5915.