Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/windows/uc_20c.zip/UC-READ.ME

Text File | 1990-08-26 | 12KB | 309 lines

& UNICOM 2.0c Update from 2.0 and 2.0a

  * Full-up shareware release.  All features are enabled.
  * Fixed! Save terminal type
  * Fixed! Efficiency calculation. I was too conservative.
           It was too low (in reality). Overhead bits
           (parity & stop/start) are now factored in.
  * Fixed! Various Modem setup radio buttons now remember
           their positions.
  * Changed: Add directory entry uses current baud rate
  * Changed: ZMODEM max allow errors extended from 5 to 12.
  * Fixed (?) You tell me: Some users reported:
    Unrecoverable Application Error.  If this ever happens
    to you, please contact the author immediately.

& Where is UCLIB.DLL ?

  The manual incorrectly refers to UCLIB.DLL which is not
  included in distribution.  It should read UCLIB.EXE.

& Hi Speed Error Correcting Modems

  Your modem should be set for hardware handshaking using
  CTS and RTS when using hi-speed.

  For 14.4k bps using USR HST, send AT &b1 &H1 &R2 before
  dialing.  The system to be dialed should be set for
  19,200 bps.  The remote host must be another HST modem
  to support this.

& Does the Screen layout look funny to you?

  Two screen areas are displayed at the same time:

  The scrollback and terminal screen.  Both are displayed
  in contrasting colors.  ANSI color will always default
  to Black Bkng and White Chars although the remote host
  will set the colors for you.

  Black and white terminal operation will set the terminal
  screen to the window color.  The scrollback area (on
  top) will always be the inverse of the terminal screen
  color.

  For now the scrollback area is always displayed. This
  may become an user selectable option later.


& Mail-in 2.0 Upgrade Info For Registered Users
All Registered UNICOM Users were mailed 2.0 upgrade notices
on or before August 3,1990.  If you didn't receive yours,
here are the specifics.

Data Graphics offers a MAIL-IN ONLY upgrade to currently
registered UNICOM 1.x users.
------------------------------------------------------------
   UNICOM 2.0 Single CPU Upgrade License Only (no disk)

         $20  -  If you registered BEFORE May 1, 1990

         FREE -  If you registered on or after 5/1/1990

         >>>>> OFFER EXPIRES AFTER 10/1/90 <<<<<<<

------------------------------------------------------------
To order your upgrade, fill out the order form and write
Upgrade on the top and enclose the appropriate amount.
Disks and Manuals must be ordered separately.

Send in the upgrade order by mail only.
Sorry, UPGRADE ORDERS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED BY PHONE.

& Color Operation with Your Video Adapter
UNICOM provides Color ANSI-BBS terminal emulation.
This color capability has been developed and tested
with color video adapters up to 640 x 480 resolution.

If your video adapter is operating at resolutions above
640 x 480, screen performance may degrade especially when
operating at higher baud rates.

Should you encounter performance or reliability problems
when operating UNICOM in color at 800 x 600 or higher:

1) Switch off the UNICOM color option in the terminal
   setup window and run exclusively in black and white.

                     - or -

2) Install a lower resolution video device driver into
Windows using the Windows Setup Utility.

& Check your hardware BEFORE installation
Unlike other Dos-based communication programs, UNICOM does
not talk directly to your hardware.  Instead, it uses the
communication port driver built into Windows.

Windows requires each device to operate using a unique interrupt
setting.  No two devices may be set to operate using IRQ 3 or
IRQ 4 at the same time.

Devices to watch for include: BUS MOUSE INTERFACE CARDS,
MUSIC SOUND BOARDS,  Option boards that include a Serial Port.

Remove any TSR or special device drivers and reboot.

If your machine locks, crashes or if UNICOM is unable to
communicate reliably, check your hardware configuration FIRST.

If you are a registered user, call for technical support after
6pm Pacific time.

& Setting your Modem to Hang up FAST
UNICOM will now drop the DTR line to your modem when
attempting to disconnect a phone connection.

To allow UNICOM to hang up quickly using this DTR drop
method, you must provide this hardware signal to your modem
using an RS-232 cable that supports pin 20.  The modem must
also understand that it is to drop the line upon loss of DTR.

The modem modem init string should contain such a command since
it is sent each time UNICOM is loaded.  Consult your modem
reference for the command specific to your modem.

& Undocumented Host Mode Features

Some host mode capabilities snuck into the software after the
manual went to print.  A (P)age operator menu selection
was added to allow conversations with the user (sysop)
operating the host computer.

A bell will ring on the host computer and a message will
be displayed announcing the remote user chat request.
To answer the page, just select the Chat Mode item from
the control menu.  Don't leave host mode then go into
chat mode, you may drop the phone line by doing so.

When chatting is done, just unselect Chat.  The remote user
will be dumped back to a menu just as if nothing has
happened.

& YMODEM G Downloading Note

Ymodem G seems to require that you start the sender
FIRST, allowing a minimum of 5 seconds BEFORE you
activate a download into UNICOM.

& Lost Your Cursor?

It is possible for the cursor to move above the top
of your window when a screen erase is performed.
To retrieve it, scroll the screen down to locate the
top of the terminal screen.

UNICOM does not scroll the window to follow the cursor
in all cases.

& Running UNICOM with Other Applications
                         BE CAREFUL

Dos applications will impair the performance of your Windows
applications in the following ways.

1) If you are running in real mode and start a dos app,
time critical Windows applications (such as UNICOM) will
stop in their tracks.  Time criticial operations like
data transfers will 'Timeout'.  When control returns to
UNICOM after the Dos app is closed, any transfer in progress
will likely have aborted.

2) If you are running Windows in standard or enhanced 386 modes,
Your Windows applications will continue to run but may suffer
performance losses since Dos applications receive time slices.

Some Windows applications are unfriendly in the sense that they
hold onto the CPU too long and starve other, more friendly
Windows applications.  A good example is loading a med-large
spreadsheet into Excel.  Depending upon your computer and drive,
this could take more than 60 seconds.

Excel holds on to this time and prevents other applications from
running.  If you just happened to be running a UNICOM data transfer,
it will likely time out.

The purpose of this topic is to make you aware that Windows has
performance limits.  By understanding them, you may be able to
avoid problems such as these.

& Using COM1 through COM4 under Windows 3

UNICOM communicates to the outside world using the capabilities
of the communication port built-in to Windows itself.

Windows 3 provides support for COM1 through COM4.  UNICOM allows
you to 'request' access to any of these ports.

If you have an AT or XT class of computer, access is allowed to
at most TWO ports at any given time.  These two ports must not
share the same interrupt level.

In other words, at most you can use one of the following pairs
of ports:
                       COM1 and COM2
                       COM1 and COM4
                       COM2 and COM3
                       COM3 and COM4

The following table lists the default base port and interrupt
levels assigned for COM1 - COM4.

            DEFAULT          DEFAULT
DEVICE    PORT ADDRESS    INTERRUPT LEVEL

COM1         3F8             IRQ 4
COM2         2F8             IRQ 3
COM3         3E8             IRQ 4
COM4         2E8             IRQ 3

Windows lets you change the BASE port address for any of these
ports (see SYSINI2.TXT) but, unless you have an EISA or
Microchannel system, the interrupt level cannot be changed from
the defaults shown above.

If you have COM3 and COM4 and it is not recognized by Windows,
your BIOS may be at fault.  The job of the bios is to instruct
dos as to your hardware configuration upon each boot of your
computer.

To determine what serial hardware has been recognized by your
bios, use a debugger like symdeb.exe to examine special
memory addresses in your computer.

Windows will blindly believe that hardware exists for any
base port value placed in the following memory addresses:

            DOS ADDRESS           PORT
            0040:0000 - 0001      COM1
            0040:0002 - 0003      COM2
            0040:0004 - 0005      COM3
            0040:0006 - 0007      COM4

It is the job of your bios to determine the contents of these
locations.  If the bios is not doing its job, these addresses
may be updated by an experienced expert.  Some public domain
utilities will also do this for you.

If any of these address pairs are zero, no port is assumed.
To check if Windows recognizes these addresses, select
the 386 enhanced setup from control panel (if you have a 386
or 486).  All recognized ports will be listed.

NOTE: COM3 and COM4 are not supported by Windows 2.x

& Using External Protocols
External protocols written for DOS may behave poorly in the
Windows environment when entering and exiting these
applications.  Multitasking performance can be drastically
reduced when executing DOS (external) applications using
Windows versions 2 and 3.

Use of external protocols with UNICOM is possible, but not
recommended.

& Where to find the Latest UNICOM
The latest release of UNICOM can always be found on CompuServe
in the library section within all Windows application forums.
At the CompuServe prompt !, Type GO MSWIN or GO WINAPA.

& Share Your Script Files!

If you have a unique UNICOM script file that you wish to share
with other users, please send it in to Data Graphics.  We will
include it in a future update for all to enjoy.

& Your feedback is requested
Many have taken their time to provide important feedback
on how to best improve UNICOM.  This is your shareware
program, let the author know what you like and dislike.
Great ideas and constructive criticizm will be glady accepted.

Please send correspondence directly to Data Graphics.

Data Graphics         -or- route email to CompuServe 71631,464
P.O. Box 46354
Seattle, WA  98146

& PLEASE HELP DISTRIBUTE UNICOM
UNICOM may be freely distributed according to the license
agreement displayed upon activating UNICOM for the 1st time.
This license can also be found in the online manual.

If you like this program and wish to share it with others,
feel free to upload it to your favorite BBS or computing
service.

& Please save your license number!
You have just bought a UNICOM license and entered it into
the registration window.  Everything is fine, UNTIL you
reinstall windows - then UNICOM acts as if it is not
registered.  The license in the Win.ini seems similar but,
UNICOM does not like it.  What will you do?

PLEASE avoid this problem and save your original number
for future use.  It is printed on your receipt.