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1992-01-15
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Digital Innovations File Transporter
Shareware Version 2.1
Copyright (C) 1989-92 by Digital Innovations
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
-----------------
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Other Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Technical Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Corporate and Quantity Purchases . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1
INTRODUCTION
------------
This is a reliable, easy to use shareware file transfer
utility that uses the serial communication adaptors (also known as
"serial ports") in your PCs. Use it when you need to get files
from one system to another, under circumstances such as:
1) The two systems have dissimilar disk drives (5.25" vs. 3.5",
for example) and you can't or don't want to buy and install an
additional drive in one of them.
2) The two systems both have 5.25" drives, but one is a high-
density "AT" style and the other a low-density "XT" style, and
you find that one of them won't read disks written on by the
other.
3) You have different versions of DOS on the two systems, and have
the same trouble as 2 above.
4) You have more files to transfer from the hard disk in one system
to the hard disk in the other system than will fit on one
floppy (or files that are too big), and you hate to have to go
through a slow backup/restore operation (which will also be
derailed by the kinds of problems mentioned in 1, 2 and 3).
Worse yet, you have to manually pick groups of files that will
fit on one disk using the direct copy method.
5) The other file transfer utilities you've tried are just too
expensive, unreliable, cumbersome to use, just plain don't work
period, require you to change your system configuration files or
install memory-consuming resident programs or device drivers,
or all of the above. (All too common, I'm afraid.)
6) The commercial or shareware terminal programs are cumbersome,
requiring a lot of technical set-up by the user. (Do you really
care about or want to learn the difference between XMODEM and
KERMIT protocols, or what "8 bits no parity one stop" means?)
7) You would just like a simple, inexpensive method of getting the
files from one system into another with a minimum of fuss and as
conveniently as possible.
2
FEATURES
--------
The Digital Innovations File Transporter is the solution to
all of the above problems, and many others:
* Worried that a shareware utility isn't going to do the job as
fast as the commercial ones? The Transporter runs as fast as they
do; the speed depends on how fast your system can accept data
coming to it via the serial port, not the top speed of the serial
ports themselves (so don't believe the claims of certain companies
saying they are "the fastest with XXX,000 per second"). It also
depends on how fast your system can access the disks, and whether
you've loaded the system down with memory-resident utilities (such
as on-screen clocks, timed hard-disk parkers, timed anti burn-in
screen blankers, multitasking programs, etc.) that eat up processor
time in the background. The Transporter automatically adjusts its
sending rate to accommodate your machines.
* Not sure about serial port parameters and how to set them?
Forget it, the Transporter sets them up the way it needs them.
* You've got more than one port in your machine, but you're not
sure which is "COM1", "COM2", "COM3" and "COM4"? Forget it, the
Transporter automatically detects which port you've got the cable
plugged into. (Just be ABSOLUTELY SURE that you really are
plugging it into a serial port. DO NOT accidentally plug a cable
from an RS232 serial port on one machine into the printer or
monitor port of another! Doing so WILL destroy the non-RS232 port!
If you're not sure, seek competent technical help.)
* Worried about serial cable wiring, control lines, etc? Forget
it, you only need 3 wires. If both of your machines use 25 pin
connectors, you would need a simple "null modem" cable with female
connectors on both ends wired like this:
Computer "A" Computer "B"
2---------------3
(25-pin) 3---------------2 (25-pin)
7---------------7
If one of the machines has a 9 pin connector, the cable should
be wired like this:
Computer "A" Computer "B"
2---------------2
(25-pin) 3---------------3 (9-pin)
7---------------5
3
On the other hand, if they are both 9 pin, then this would be
the correct cable wiring:
Computer "A" Computer "B"
2---------------3
(9-pin) 3---------------2 (9-pin)
5---------------5
If there are other wires in the cable, that's OK; the
Transporter ignores them. If you don't care to wire your own
cable, or the cable you have on hand isn't wired correctly or
doesn't fit, a quick visit to your local Radio Shack or computer
retailer should provide you with the necessary cabling, gender
changers, and null modem adaptors that you may need.
* You've tried other file transfer utilities that requires one of
the machines to be in a "slave mode" and don't like it? The
Transporter is a fully symmetrical design; there is no slave mode
to worry about. The same program runs on both machines, and they
behave identically.
* The other file transfer utilities you've tried take up too much
space on your laptop's hard disk or RAM disk? The Transporter is
written entirely in Assembler, for speed and disk space efficiency.
Compare the Transporter to others with a similar feature set.
* You say you don't care for utilities with complicated setup
requirements, confusing operator screens, that throw a lot of
technical jargon at you, or leaves you out in left field wondering
what to do next? We put a lot of thought into making the
Transporter easy to use, and think you'll be pleased.
4
OPERATION
---------
To start up the Transporter, type XPORT on both machines.
The first screen that will appear is an advisory, letting you know
that XPORT is waiting for a response from the other system.
Assuming that you have properly installed a serial cable, and that
your serial ports are in working order, the first advisory should
be quickly followed by another that says "Testing serial link".
The testing process may take several seconds depending on the speed
of the slowest machine of the pair.
If the Transporter doesn't establish the link within several
seconds, you may have a problem with the cable, or the serial
ports.
If one machine says "Waiting...", and the other is cycling
between "Testing..." and "Waiting...", then the one that is stuck
on "Waiting..." has a problem - it isn't properly receiving
data from the other system. Check the cable, and if that seems to
be OK, switch to a lower speed. (See Command Line Options, below).
If that doesn't help, check your port configuration (particularly
the interrupt line being used by that port, see Technical Points,
below), or try another port.
If there is a modem present in one of the systems, XPORT may
become confused if it is scanning all ports while trying to
establish the link, due to the modem echoing the link handshake
codes. This would be evidenced by both systems being stuck in
"Waiting..." or the one with the modem being stuck in "Testing...".
In this case, you must use the /Px command line option, to force
XPORT to use the particular port that the cable is plugged into, on
the machine equipped with the modem (see Command Line Options).
Once the testing process is completed, you are presented with
the main menu, offering you the choice of transferring files either
to the remote system or from it. The "remote system" is the one
you're not sitting in front of. If you are going to be sending
files to the remote system, hit ENTER. You will then be asked to
verify the destination path for the files, that is, where on the
remote system the files will end up. The Transporter displays the
current drive and path setting of the remote system, and offers you
the choice of changing drives via F9, changing directories via F10,
or acceptance of the current path via ENTER. Throughout the
program, F9 is used to change drives, and F10 to change
directories.
If you selected "From remote system" at the main menu, you
will be asked to verify/choose the destination path on the local
system (the one you are typing on). Change the drive and/or
directory to the path you want the files to appear in by following
the screen prompts. If the desired subdirectory doesn't exist on
the destination drive, you may create the subdirectory by pressing
F5 while in the directory selection mode, and entering the
subdirectory name. The directory selection screen will then
include the newly-created subdirectory, which you may then select
if you desire to transfer your files there.
If you changed the destination drive or directory, you will
again be presented with the destination path verification screen.
5
When you have the machine pointing to the right place, then, hit
ENTER. You will then be in file listing mode, showing the contents
of the current directory of the source machine. Note that whenever
you are working with the remote machine - during destination
selection when going TO the remote system, or file selection when
coming FROM the remote system - the (REMOTE) indicator is provided
in the upper right hand corner of the screen as a reminder.
Caution: some on-screen clocks use this area to display the time and
can mask the (REMOTE) indicator, leading to confusion.
Select the files that you want to transfer by moving the
cursor to each file individually and pressing the SPACE bar. The
tagged file's name will change to inverse video (yellow characters
with black background on a color system), and the cursor will
automatically move down to the next file. Pressing the SPACE bar
on a file that has already been selected will untag it. If you
would like to transfer all of the files in the current directory,
press F1. Pressing F2 cancels all selections. Press F9 or F10 to
change drives or subdirectories as needed. Only files in the
current subdirectory can be chosen for transfer; if the drive
or subdirectory is changed, all selections are cancelled.
After selecting the files to be transferred, press ENTER. If
you selected more than one file, you will be asked "Pause before
overwriting existing files?". Press 'Y' if you would like the
Transporter to pause and warn you about the duplicate file (thereby
giving you the option of either skipping that file or overwriting
the existing one), or 'N' if you would like the program to go ahead
and replace all existing files. The Transporter will then proceed
to send the files from the source system to the destination. If
there is insufficient space at the destination for the file being
transferred, the Transporter will notify you and give you the
option of skipping that file and going on to the next file tagged
for transfer by pressing ENTER, or aborting the entire transfer
session by pressing ESC. If a file to be overwritten at the
destination is marked read-only, DOS will not allow the overwrite,
and XPORT will again give you the option of either aborting the
transfer session, or skipping that file.
Pressing ESC on either system during transfers aborts the
transfer procedure and takes you back to the main menu, as does
pressing ESC at the directory and subdirectory selection screens.
After the transfer process is completed, both systems return to
the file listing mode, displaying the contents of their respective
current directories. You may then select more files for transfer,
or press ESC to return to the main menu. Pressing ESC, then 'Y' at
the main menu will return you to DOS.
6
OTHER FUNCTIONS
---------------
Printing files:
To print files from one system to the other system's printer,
simply press F7 at the destination selection screen. You are given
the option of choosing between LPT1, LPT2 or LPT3.
Be sure that the file that you intend to print is a straight
'ASCII' text file, with no embedded control codes other than
PRINTER controls. (Many word processing programs record document
data using their own format and internal control codes - these
files cannot be sent to the printer directly.) Be sure that your
word processor is set to the type of printer that the file will be
routed to, and 'print' the document to a temporary file on the
local disk. Then, use the Transporter to transfer THAT file to the
remote printer. If your word processor doesn't have a "print to
file" facility, or it doesn't record needed printer control codes
when it prints to a file, ask your local PC guru or users group to
provide you with a printer interceptor program that will capture
printer data to a disk file.
If you change your mind about routing the file to the printer,
just press F9 or F10 to change to a drive and/or directory.
The remaining two "Other" functions in the file listing mode,
'E' and 'N', allows you change the sorting of the files listing by
either name or extension. All of the functions are always enabled
regardless of whether the "Other" functions are displayed at the
bottom of the screen; the 'O' option is there simply to serve as a
reminder, more than anything else.
The following functions are available only on the registered
version of XPORT.EXE:
Viewing files (registered version only):
Pressing 'V' during file listing mode will display the contents
of the selected file on the screen. At that point, the valid keys
are Page Down, Page Up, Home, End and ESC. Pressing ESC takes you
back to the file listing display.
Directory Replication (registered version only):
Pressing F6 while in the file listing mode will invoke the
directory replication feature. This will copy all files in the
current subdirectory from the source system, to the current
subdirectory of the destination, and copy each subdirectory under
the current subdirectory, and all files contained within them.
The maximum number of subdirectory levels that XPORT can handle
starting from the current subdirectory is 16.
To replicate an entire disk, the source must be set to the
root directory. For partial subdirectory tree replication, the
desired subdirectory on the destination drive must be created
first, and then selected as the transfer destination.
7
When F6 is pressed, a window will pop up showing the current
source and destination paths, as a final check of proper source and
destination settings. If the displayed destination setting is not
correct, pressing ESC twice will take you back to the main menu,
where you can then change destination.
While the files are being transferred, a window is displayed
showing the current directory being replicated.
File specification override (registered version only):
Pressing F3 during file listing mode will allow the user to
manually enter a file specification mask, which can include the
wildcard characters '?' and '*'. The file listing will then
include only those filenames that match the mask. If no matching
files are found, a message is displayed to that effect. The
default mask is '*.*', to include all files in the listing.
Pressing ENTER on the blank field during filespec entry mode
defaults to '*.*'.
By the way, if you would like to hear the machines talking to
each other, I have included a sound toggle function. This is
activated by pressing F8 at the main menu. I originally installed
it as a diagnostic aid during development, but thought I would
leave it in for those of you that may like that feature. Nothing
may be heard on high-speed machines, however, due to the fact that
the pitch is so high that the speaker cannot handle it.
8
COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
--------------------
There are two command line options that you can use when
starting up XPORT: the /Sx option, to specify a slower Speed, and
the /Px option, to force XPORT to use a particular Port.
XPORT defaults to 115.2 Kilobaud when setting the speed of the
serial port in the absence of the /Sx option. The number 'x'
equates to the following speeds:
1 - 115.2 Kb
2 - 57.6 Kb
3 - 38.4 Kb
4 - 28.8 Kb
5 - 19.2 Kb
6 - 9600 Baud
7 - 4800 Baud
8 - 2400 Baud
9 - 1200 Baud
Please note that operation at the lower speeds, such as 1200
or 2400 baud, is very slow, comparable to a typical file transfer
via modem. If it is desired, however, XPORT can be used as an
external protocol for your favorite modem-communications program,
if it provides a way to temporarily exit to DOS. Also, your
communications program must not interfere with the port while in
the background, as you are running another program in DOS. One
program that I am familiar with that allows this is Procomm Version
2.42. Simply use Procomm's DOS Gateway function, by pressing ALT-
F4, after establishing your connection with the modem. Then, run
XPORT with the appropriate command line Speed option (/S9 if you
are using a 1200 baud modem, /S8 if it's 2400). If the party at
the other end of the connection does the same thing, XPORT will
establish its link through the modem.
The "/Px" command line option is used to tell XPORT to use the
port specified by the number you provide in place of 'x'. For
example, /P1 would tell XPORT to use COM1, and ignore any others in
the system. The default in the absence of the /Px option is to
scan each port in turn looking for the link handshake codes to come
across on one of them from the other system.
Example DOS command line invocations for XPORT:
C:\>XPORT ....Run XPORT with the defaults of 115.2 Kb
speed, and scan all ports.
C:\>XPORT /S2/P3 ....Force XPORT to use COM3, at 57.6 Kb.
C:\>XPORT /P1 /S8 ....Force XPORT to use COM1, at 2400 baud.
The order of the /Sx and /Px options is not important. If the
value provided for the /S option is not one of the numbers 1
through 9, it will be ignored. If the value provided for the /P
option is not one of the numbers 1 through 4, it will be ignored.
9
TECHNICAL POINTS
----------------
You will note that there are no facilities provided for
deleting files and directories - and that's the way I like it. If
you insist on messing up your disk, you'll have to do it with some
other program. The Transporter only creates files and directories,
and there is just one instance where a file can be overwritten -
when you explicitly tell it to do so in the course of a transfer.
XPORT uses "high-level" DOS function calls (via INT 21H) using the
file handle method to perform accesses to the disks - NO "direct",
"BIOS" or "low-level" disk access is EVER attempted, even when just
reading the directories. Going through DOS for ALL disk operations
makes XPORT independent of DOS versions, and makes it compatible
with Local Area Networks, as well.
XPORT supports COM1 through COM4, with addresses set as
follows: COM1 = 03F8, COM2 = 02F8, COM3 = 03E8, COM4 = 02E8. Also,
interrupt line assignments are of prime importance when using more
than two ports in a PC; there are only two interrupt lines available
for handling serial communications: IRQ3 and IRQ4. The convention
in the PC industry thus far has been to use IRQ4 for COM1 AND COM3,
while IRQ3 is used for COM2 AND COM4. This is the way XPORT is set
up. Keep in mind that the potential for conflict between a COM2 and
a COM4 in the same system, both using IRQ3 is ever present (and
likewise for IRQ4 and COM1/COM3); generally speaking, if one is in
use, the other MUST be disabled. In other words, if you are using
XPORT on COM3, be sure that there is no way COM1 can attempt to
generate an interrupt, and vice versa.
Some brands of serial adaptors can be configured to use
interrupt lines IRQ2 or IRQ5. This capability may have caused more
problems than it has solved, since the person installing such
boards to use those lines must be aware of what IRQ2 and IRQ5 may
already be used for in the particular machine that the card is
being installed in. Generally speaking, IRQ2 is either not used,
or typically used by a mouse in XT-class machines, while in AT-
class machines, it is redirected to IRQ9, with the output from the
second (slave) interrupt controller chip driving IRQ2 on the
motherboard. IRQ5, on the other hand, may be unused on AT-class
machines, or it may be used for a mouse or printer port (although
rarely). In XT's, IRQ5 is reserved for the hard disk controller.
The Transporter does not and cannot be made to support serial port
operation with either IRQ2 or IRQ5.
Contact your local PC guru or users group if you need help in
verifying the proper assignment of addresses and interrupt lines
for each serial port.
When you exit the Transporter, it leaves the serial ports (and
everything else) in the same state as before it was started (except
for the screen, of course). Speaking of the screens, it was found
that the screen handling routines provided by the BIOS were just
too slow in some cases to be tolerable; I therefore chose to
perform direct screen access. This could pose a problem for users
of multitasking programs, preventing XPORT from being operated in
the background. The problem is that the screens will 'bleed
through' to the foreground. So, if that happens, don't say you
weren't warned.
10
Many users have asked whether XPORT performs any kind of error
checking. It most certainly does. In fact, it uses several
methods to ensure data integrity. Among them are testing during
initial link establishment, automatic character pacing adjustments,
packet format and length verification, and 16-bit CRC in addition to
the usual hardware error status flags provided by the serial port
itself.
XPORT has been operated, with varying degrees of success,
under popular multitasking programs and operating systems.
However, problems may be encountered when running XPORT at top
speed (115.2 Kb) in such environments, due to the way such programs
operate. The cure is to reduce the serial port speed, using the
/Sx command line option discussed above. However, if the port
is using the NS16550 UART, XPORT will automatically detect this
and enable the 16550 internal FIFO buffers, alleviating the problem.
The problem encountered, typically, has been lock-up of the
system, either during XPORT startup or exit, resulting in no
apparent response to keyboard entries, thus requiring a reboot.
Some multitasking programs require careful consideration being
given to ANY communication program, typically requiring them to be
set to a "non-swappable" status and a "foreground-operation-only"
status, among others. Refer to your particular program's
operator's manual, especially any discussion regarding running
communication programs in general. If your program requires you to
specify the amount of memory to be allocated to a particular
program, it is suggested that you allocate at least 100K to XPORT.
In any case, since XPORT is designed to be used in a single-
user non-multitasking system, no guarantee whatsoever is provided
that it will operate in a manner acceptable to the user or that
system malfunctions will not occur when used in a multitasking
environment. See limited warranty, below.
Users of XPORT versions 1.3b (shareware) or 2.3d (registered)
or older should upgrade using the older version to transfer the
newer one to the remote system; the screen data transfer protocol
has been changed to accommodate having color on one system and mono
on the other, and one of the error detection methods has been
changed from using checksum to CRC. Therefore, shareware version
2.1 and registered version 3.1 are incompatible with the older
versions.
If XPORT aborts a transfer attempt, and displays the 'ABORTING
DUE TO DISK ERROR' window, please note the circumstances under which
this occurs, and report it. Unless it is something fairly obvious,
such as no disk in the floppy drive, and the like, this could be an
indication of a problem with your disk, or with your system
configuration, or some other cause. This message is displayed only
when DOS itself reports having some kind of problem with a disk
access. In this case, is recommended that you discontinue using
XPORT until the problem is resolved.
11
LIMITED WARRANTY
----------------
The program XPORT.EXE is warranted to perform in substantial
accordance with the description outlined in this document, when
operated on an IBM Personal Computer or close compatible system
running under DOS Version 2.1 or greater. No guarantee is provided
that this program will operate as intended or expected by the user
under all circumstances, combinations of hardware, or operating
environments. No warranty, express or implied, of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose is provided. This program is
provided "AS IS" and user assumes all risk as to the quality or
suitability of this program for whatever purposes contemplated.
IN NO EVENT WILL DIGITAL INNOVATIONS OR KEN LOGSDON BE LIABLE TO
YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES, WHETHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, INCLUDING
ANY LOST SAVINGS, LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES
ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PROGRAM, EVEN IF
THE DEALER OR DIGITAL INNOVATIONS HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LIABILITY OR OTHER CLAIMS.
Digital Innovations offers support and assistance to registered
users only, and its sole liability shall be limited to a refund of
the purchase price.
BY USING THIS PROGRAM, USER AGREES TO THE ABOVE.
Every effort has been made to ensure that this program will
operate reliably when executed on an "IBM-compatible" personal
computer running under DOS version 2.1 and later. Your particular
brand of computer and/or DOS version may not be as well behaved;
the only way that I can discover that is by way of user reports to
that effect. As of the date of this release, XPORT has been used
successfully on systems too numerous to list here, literally
hundreds of different combinations. If your particular system
doesn't appear to work with XPORT, or you encounter any problems
at all, please report them in writing to the address provided
below.
12
LICENSE
-------
As with all shareware utilities, this program is being
distributed under the 'try before you buy' shareware concept; this
is not free software, nor is it 'public domain'. It is and shall
remain the sole copyrighted property of Ken Logsdon and Digital
Innovations. You are hereby granted a limited license to evaluate
the software, make as many copies as you wish, and distribute such
copies to anyone, as long as this document and the program are not
modified in any way. You are not authorized to use this program on
an ongoing basis without registering.
Site licensing terms are available, as well as quantity
discount arrangements. Please see below, and call or write for
further information.
Many long hours over several months has been spent to develop
this utility, (which is written entirely in Assembler) and it was
done for one reason: to help support my family. I'm hoping that
most users will feel that this program is worth the $24.95 that I
am asking. If you find yourself using it on a regular basis, I
would assume that you like it better than the other utilities of
the same nature.
In any case, I hope that the reminder/registration form
presented when you exit XPORT will serve to motivate you to
register. If you do, you will receive the latest version of the
program (which will include the additional features described above)
minus the registration screen at the end. Please be sure to specify
the media (5.25" high-density, 5.25" double-density or 3.5" disk)
that you would like to receive. If you would like more than one,
please add $1.00 for each additional disk to cover the costs of the
additional disks, postage and handling. In all cases, please add
$2.50 for shipping and handling, plus 6% sales tax if you are a
resident of Kentucky. Tax-exempt organizations must include an
exemption certificate with the order.
13
CORPORATE and QUANTITY PURCHASES
--------------------------------
All corporate, business, government or other commercial users
of XPORT.EXE must be registered. Quantity discounts are offered
starting at the tenth copy.
Purchase orders are accepted in amounts over $100 only. All
other orders should be prepaid. Purchases of more than one copy are
handled as commercial licensing agreements. Licensing agreements
allow duplication and distribution of specific numbers of copies
within the licensed institution. Duplication of multiple copies is
not allowed except through execution of a licensing agreement, the
terms of which are usually made part of the documentation, as
portrayed above.
Quantity discount schedule as follows:
1-9 copies: No discount
10-49 copies: 5%
50-99 copies: 10%
100-149 copies: 15%
150-199 copies: 20%
200-249 copies: 25%
250-299 copies: 30%
300 and above: call
Prices and discount rates are subject to change without notice.
Please call or write for a quotation.
I would like to thank Dennis Deckmann, Elden DuRand, and Mike
Weixler for their unflagging support and assistance towards making
this utility the fine product that it is. Comments and suggestions
are always welcome. Please call or write to the address provided
below, or leave a message on Deckmann's Exchange BBS, (502) 267-
7422, in the D. I. Support Conference area.
Thank you for trying out the Transporter. It is my sincere
hope that you will enjoy using it.
Ken Logsdon
Digital Innovations
4003 Northumberland Drive
Louisville, KY 40245
(502) 423-9317
14
