Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/windows/uc_20c.zip/UNICOM.HLP

Text File | 1990-08-05 | 22KB | 561 lines

& Introduction
UNICOM is a data communications application specifically
designed for users of the Microsoft Windows operating
environment versions 2 and 3.

UNICOM will perform all data communication tasks in the
background while other applications are running.  You may
switch to another Windows application at any time.

UNICOM Release 2.0 includes the following features:

Built-in file transfer protocols that include XMODEM Checksum,
XMODEM CRC, XMODEM 1K (old YMODEM), YMODEM G, YMODEM Batch,
ZMODEM, ZMODEM Resume, Kermit, CompuServe B, Quick B and ASCII.

Color ANSI-BBS, VT52 and TTY Terminal Emulation supporting user
selectable terminal fonts that span ANSI and OEM character sets.

A 250 line Scrollback Buffer is easily operated with the use of
a vertical scroll bar.

A user configurable Utility Menu allows instant access to your
favorite Windows or Dos applications.

A new Script Language supports more than 35 commands with a
Trace Mode for debugging.

A Script Scheduler allows pre-programmed execution of up to
eight script files each at specific days and times.

Directory assisted batch dialing and redialing is supported for
users with Hayes compatible modems.

An Online Help System allows instant access to general help and
script command topics.

The user manual is also available for direct reference from the
online help.

A unique journaling feature lets you record mouse and keyboard
operations for later playback.

UNICOM's Chat Mode makes keyboard communication simple.  Two
separate windows appear.  Type your message in one window and
view received characters in another.

User definable Hot Keys can allow any UNICOM menu selection to
be assigned to a function key for one button access to UNICOM
program options.

Keyboard macros, File logging, Printer Logging, File Paste and
Print Screen.

UNICOM provides some unique features that support the Windows
environment.  You can:

Transfer the contents of a Clipboard from one computer directly
into the Clipboard of another.  This provides you with the
ability to transfer many types of Windows-unique data formats
between computers.  Some of these formats include:

Excel Spreadsheets (SYLK, DIF), Bitmap Images (from Paint),
Metafile Pictures (from Designer), Text (from Notepad) and
any format that can be placed on the Clipboard.

Operate your computer in a multi-user mode with UNICOM's host
mode.  A built-in command processor allows a validated remote
user to examine or transfer files on a designated disk drive.

This operation is transparent to any user who may be at the
keyboard directly operating other Window applications.

Operate multiple program instances.  Advanced users with the
appropriate hardware configuration may initiate simultaneous
background file transfers with multiple remote systems.

Send a Screen Snapshot directly to the Clipboard.





& Hardware and Software Requirements
UNICOM requires Microsoft Windows version two or three to be
installed and properly configured on your computer.
Before installing UNICOM on your computer check the following:

1) If a BUS mouse is installed in your computer, make sure the
   mouse interrupt level does not conflict with interrupts
   reserved for serial port operation.  The BUS mouse interrupt
   is set via a jumper on the interface board.  Consult your
   mouse installation manual.

2) Your serial port(s) (COM1 and COM2) or (COM3 and COM4)
   should be set for interrupt operation using IRQ4 and IRQ3
   respectively.  The interrupt levels are typically selected
   via jumpers located on your serial interface board or on the
   motherboard.  Consult your computer reference manual.

3) Microsoft Windows version 2 may contain a BUG in the
   communication port driver.  If your version of Windows is
   dated before April 1989, you should update to Windows 3 or
   obtain a replacement communication port driver
   (named COMM.DRV) from Microsoft and reinstall Windows 2
   using this replacement file.

4) A Hayes compatible modem must be present to support UNICOM's
   directory assisted dialing and call hang-up features.

The modem dip switch settings should be set to the manufacturers
DEFAULT positions.  The modem must be configured to return
VERBOSE responses.

Also, please note that certain operations such as Clipboard
to Clipboard transfers require enough temporary memory and
disk storage to hold the data being transferred.  This storage
is released after the transfer operation is completed.

& Installing UNICOM

The UNICOM 2.0 distribution disk should contain the
following files:

      File                 Description
  UNICOM.EXE   -  The UNICOM executable program.
  UCLIB.EXE    -  UNICOM Runtime Support library.
  UNICOM.DIR   -  A sample dialing directory.
  UNICOM.KEY   -  A sample keyboard macro file
  UNICOM.CFG   -  A default program configuration file.
  UNICOM.WRI   -  UNICOM online manual.
  UNICOM.HLP   -  Online Help Text File.
  UCSCRIPT.HLP -  Script Online Help Text File.
  UC-READ.ME   -  UNICOM release notes.
  CMPUSRV.SCR  -  An example UNICOM login script file

To install UNICOM,

1) UNICOM requires that Microsoft Windows 2.x or 3.x be
   installed and working on your computer.

   If you are upgrading from a previous version of UNICOM,
do not mix your old UNICOM.CFG with that of a new UNICOM
release.  UNICOM configuration files are not compatible
across releases.

2) Insert the distribution disk in your floppy disk drive.

3) Copy the files to any directory on the destination drive
   where you wish to store UNICOM.  You will need to remember
   this directory path and enter it into the UNICOM file
   path window from within the program setup menu.

The support file: UCLIB.EXE must be placed in a directory
listed in your search path as defined by your MS-DOS PATH
environment variable.  This PATH environment variable is set
in the MS-DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  Consult your DOS operating
manual for more information about the DOS PATH environment
variable.

 4) Before running UNICOM, it is a good idea to check the
    items listed in the previous Hardware and Software
    Requirements section.

 5) Activate UNICOM and enter your license number by
    pressing the ENTER LICENSE NO. button that appears on an
    opening start-up screen.  The license number is printed on
    your receipt and should be saved for future reference
    should the program need to be re-installed.  Licensing
    disables the opening startup screens and prevents their
    return during program operation.

Should UNICOM be moved to another computer, or if Windows
was reinstalled, it may be necessary to enter the license number
again to disable the built-in nagware screens should they reappear.

& Running UNICOM

UNICOM may be activated from DOS using the following syntax:

UNICOM [configfile]

By omitting the optional [configfile] parameter, UNICOM will
look for a default configuration file named UNICOM.CFG.

From DOS, type the command (depending upon your windows version):

     WIN UNICOM
-or- WIN386 UNICOM

To activate UNICOM from the Microsoft Executive or File System,
doubleclick (using a mouse) on the file: UNICOM.EXE.

When invoked without a configuration file parameter, additional
UNICOM instances will attempt to access a configuration file
named UNICOM2.CFG.  If this file cannot be located, the port
settings will default to COM2, 1200, N, 8, 1.

When UNICOM is activated for the first time, a file path setup
window will appear  prompting you to enter a UNICOM files,
upload and download directory.

The files directory should be set to the drive and directory
where UNICOM has been installed.  The download directory should
be set to the drive and directory where files received from
data transfers are to be stored.  The upload directory should
be set to the drive and directory where UNICOM will first look
to locate files for upload selection.

Enter the pathnames into the edit fields within the dialog box.
Paths defined here are valid only for the current UNICOM
session.  To make the paths permanent, activate the SAVE SETUP
option from within the SETUP menu.  Paths are stored in your
Windows WIN.INI file.

An error message will be displayed if any of the path fields
contain an invalid directory or if UNICOM could not locate its
executable files in the directory specified in the FILES
DIRECTORY field.

At the start of each program run, the configuration file
'UNICOM.CFG' is accessed (from the file path set previously) to
determine what communication port will be used and other
operating parameters.  If UNICOM cannot locate this file, the
port will default to COM2, 1200 baud, No Parity, 8 data bits
and 1 stop bit.

Should a communication port fail to open, UNICOM will display a
message box to indicate the failure.  The port configuration
dialog window will be displayed automatically.  A valid
communication port should be selected.

When a communication port is successfully opened, UNICOM will
try to initialize the Hayes compatible modem if the port was
configured for a modem connection.  Should the message "Modem
Not Responding" appear, this means UNICOM could not get the
modem's attention.  Make sure the communicatons port and modem
are configured properly.  Ensure that the modem is set to
return VERBOSE responses.


& How to Obtain Additional Help
  Technical support is available only for registered users
  of this product.

  If you are registered and have difficulty using UNICOM
  or have a general question, please contact David Gan
  at Data Graphics.

  He can be reached via CompuServe EASYPLEX Email
  at 71631,464

   -or- phone [phone] during Technical Support
  hours between 6p.m. and 10p.m. Pacific time Monday-Thursday.

& HOW TO REGISTER THIS COPY OF UNICOM
  Registration of this product will allow you to enable restricted
  features and disable the built-in 'nagware'.

  UNICOM can be ordered :

     By Mail:  Please send the enclosed order form with
               payment to:

               Data Graphics
               P.O. Box 46354
               Seattle, WA  98146

     By Phone: Call [phone] between 9am and 9p.m.
               Pacific time if you wish to use your VISA
               or MasterCard.  A license number will be
               issued to you over the phone.

     By Email: Credit card orders can be accepted
               via CompuServe EASYPLEX electronic mail.
               Send your electronic mail order to:
               71631,464 and your license number will
               be sent to you via return email.



& HELP!: Solving Communication Errors
--------------------------------------------------------------
                UNICOM and Error Reporting
--------------------------------------------------------------
     UNICOM uses the Microsoft Communication port driver
     built into Windows to communicate to the outside world.

     Communication errors are detected by the Windows port
     driver.  UNICOM reports errors in the form of PORT STATE
     messages anytime the driver encounters an error.

     Unlike many other communication programs, UNICOM is not
     in low level control of your hardware.  When an error
     occurs in communication, it is detected by the driver
     then reported by UNICOM.

     In other words, to correct communication errors, the
     solution must be to the satisfaction of the Microsoft
     Port driver built into Windows.

     It is through UNICOM by which you instruct how
     communication is to be set.  If UNICOM complains,
     it does so on behalf of the Microsoft driver.

-------------------------------------------------------------
               Identifying Communication Errors
-------------------------------------------------------------

     The first step in solving a communication difficulty is
     to identify the cause.   The three most common causes
     are listed as follows.

     1) A mismatch in port settings may exist between your PC
        and the remote system that you are connected to.
        Make sure that UNICOM and the remote system are set
        to communicate using the same baud rate, parity,
        stop bits and wordsize.

     2) Your PC hardware may be configured improperly and
        thus preventing proper operation of the port.
        The hardware settings to be aware of include:

        * A BUS Mouse Interrupt Level jumper setting
          (located on the bus mouse interface card) should
          be set to an interrupt level that does not conflict
          with an interrupt reserved for your serial port.
          Consult your mouse installation manual.

        * Check the interrupt settings for you serial port(s).
          COM1 (or COM3) should be set for IRQ4. COM2 (or COM4)
          should be set for IRQ3.

          Interrupt settings are typically selected via a
          jumper on your serial card or motherboard.
          Consult your computer reference manual.

      3) Windows 2 (not 3) may contain a bug in the
         communication port driver provided by Microsoft.

         A bug exists in Windows 2.0 - 2.1 dated before
         April 1989.  You should obtain a file called COMM.DRV
         (or COMMDR.ARC ) from Microsoft and re-install Windows
         using this replacement file.  This file should be
         available on CompuServe in the MS-APP area in
         library 1 or 2.

--------------------------------------------------------------
                Solving Communication Errors
--------------------------------------------------------------

       Correcting problems is often accomplished through a
       process of elimination.  If the problem you are having
       is cause 1 (above), it cannot be addressed until
       causes 2 and 3 are checked and corrected (if necessary).

       At this point it is assumed that you have verified your
       hardware configuration and have re-installed Windows
       using the replacement communication driver.

       If the problem still persists, it is very likely a
       mismatch in communication settings between your
       PC and the remote host computer.

       See 'HELP with CompuServe' for troubleshooting
       communication difficulties with this service.

               Setting Communication Parameters

       Setting communication parameters involves determining
       the baud, parity, wordsize and the number of stop
       bits required for the computer you wish to connect
       with.  It then becomes a matter of setting your PC
       to match the parameters of the remote computer using
       UNICOM's Comm Port setup option.

       If you are not sure of the communication parameters
       required by the remote computer contact the
       operator of the system or refer to the following
       table.

       System Type           Typical Settings
       -----------------------------------------------
       Bulletin Boards        8-N-1
       TYMNET                 7-E-1
       TELENET                7-E-1
       CompuServe             7-E-1 (and/or 8-N-1)

       Some network services or data links impose
       their own communication operating parameters when
       connecting your PC with a remote host computer.
       If you are sure of the operating parameters
       required by the remote host and are still experiencing
       difficulty, the data link may be the cause.  If this
       is the case, an alternate (or more direct) method of
       connection may be required.

       If you have exhausted all the above possibilities and
       just can't solve the problem, feel free to contact
       Data Graphics - See 'How to Obtain Additional Help'.

& HELP with CompuServe
PROBLEM:

   After dialing into CompuServe, characters appear
  'garbled' before and/or after entering my USERID number.

ANSWER:

  CompuServe requires that you be aware of 3 communication
  settings:
          1) The CompuServe access port settings.
             The Access port prompts you for the system,
             user id and password.
             Settings are either 7E1 or 8N1.

          2) The CompuServe online TERMINAL settings.
             After entering your USERID during login
             at your access port, CompuServe will switch
             to ONLINE settings.  These online settings
             can be viewed or changed by typing
             GO TERMINAL from the CompuServe prompt.

          3) Your PC Communication Port Settings set by
             UNICOM using the Comm Port menu selection
             from the Setup menu.

          Should your PC Communication settings differ
          from 1 or 2 above at any time, UNICOM may
          report a PORT STATE RX-PARITY message and
          characters received can be lost.

    When you first call into CompuServe via an access port,
    your PC communication settings must match those of the
    access port.

   There are two types of settings with CompuServe:

      8 Data Bits, No Parity and 1 Stop Bit,
                     or
      7 Data Bits, EVEN Parity and 1 Stop Bit

DO THIS:
   1) Determine the Parity and Word Size (or Data Bit Size)
      settings for the CompuServe access port that you dial
      into.  You may need to contact customer service at
      800-848-8990 for this info.

   2) Log into CompuServe and change your TERMINAL SETTINGS
      to match the parity and word size of your dial-in
      access port.  Type GO TERMINAL at the CompuServe
      ! prompt.  Make this setting permanent when asked to
      make the change for the session only or permanent
      (for all future sessions).

   3) Set UNICOM to match the parity and wordsize for
      CompuServe in the Dialing Directory using the
      Change option.

& File Transfer Capability
A powerful feature of UNICOM is the ability to exchange
information between computers.  The protocols provided with
this software will allow you to transfer files between many
different computers.

UNICOM performs file transfer tasks in the background, so you
may switch to other running applications at any time.

& Downloading Files

To download a file into your computer, start the download
procedure on the remote system and select the DOWNLOAD FILE
option from the Control menu.  The PgDn key (if not macro defined)
or the DOWNLOAD screen button may also be used.  UNICOM will
then prompt you to select a protocol from window.

& Uploading Files
To upload a file to the remote system, instruct the remote
computer to receive a file from you.  Initiate the file upload
on your computer by selecting UPLOAD FILE from the transfer menu.
A protocol selection window will appear.  Select the file(s) to
be transferred using the file selection window.

& Using Chat Mode
UNICOM provides a Chat capability to support keyboard conversations
with a person on the other end of a connection.  To activate Chat
Mode, select Chat Mode from the control menu.  UNICOM will split
the screen with two listboxes.  The top listbox displays characters
received from the remote user.  The bottom listbox is used to edit
messages for transmission to the remote user.

Edit the line of text to be transmitted then press ENTER.
The edited line will not be transmitted until a carriage return
is entered.  This allows each line to be edited (or corrected)
before transmission.

To exit Chat Mode, select the Chat Mode option from the Control Menu.

& Resuming an aborted Zmodem transfer

UNICOM supports the ZMODEM Crash Recovery feature so aborted
transfers may resume at the point of interruption.  When ZMODEM
Resume is specified by the receiver on the next transfer attempt,
the receiver compares the size of the interrupted file to that
of the sender.  If the sending file is longer, the receiver
instructs the sender to resume transmission at the appropriate
offset and appends the incoming data to the existing local file.


& Manually Dialing from the Keyboard

You may command the modem to dial by entering a keyboard command.


A typical manual Dial command might be:

           AT D 555-1212  followed by a Carriage Return


& RS-232 Pin Assignments

                                    To    From
Pin Number      Description        Modem  Modem

   1          Protective Ground      x      x
   2          Transmitted Data       x
   3          Received Data                 x
   4          Request-To-Send        x
   5          Clear-To-Send                 x
   6          Data Set Ready                x
   7          Signal Ground          x      x
   8          Carrier Detect                x
  20          Data Terminal Ready    x
  22          Ring Indicator


At a minimum, UNICOM requires pins 1,2,3 and 7 .

If you want to use EIA (hardware) handshaking,
include pins 4 & 5

To allow UNICOM to hangup using DTR, include pin 20

& Hayes Modem S Registers

Register Range       Default  Definition
  S0     0-255 Rings    0     Auto answer on Ring
  S1     0-255 Rings    0     Incoming Ring Count
  S2     0-127 ASCII    43    Escape Character
  S3     0-127 ASCII    13    Carriage Return Char
  S4     0-127 ASCII    10    Linefeed Character
  S5     0-32,127 ASCII  8    Backspace Character
  S6     2-225 Secs      2    Wait for Dialtone
  S7     1-255 Secs     30    Wait for Answer
  S8     0-255 Secs      2    Pause time for comma
  S9     1-255 (.10 sec) 6    Carrier detect response time
  S10    1-255 (.10 sec) 7    Delay between loss of remote
                              carrier and hangup
  S11   50-255 msec     70    Duration/Spacing of Touch Tones
  S12   20-255 (1/50sec)50    Escape Guard Time