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- OFFLOAD DOWNLOADER
-
- OFFLOAD is general purpose downloader and terminal emulation program for use
- with a wide variety of maufacturer's supplied emulation equipment. OFFLOAD is
- supplied in versions for the IBM and TI computers:
-
- OFFTI is for the TI professional computer
- OFFIBM is for the IBM pc
-
- In the remainder of this discussion the two of these implementations will be
- referred to as OFFLOAD.
-
-
- The OFFLOAD utility supports either XON/XOFF or ACK/NACK protocol on
- download, and several download formats. The default settings are ACK/NACK
- (wherein the receiving unit sends '0' <cr> in response to a correctly received
- object record) and TEKTRONIX HEX download format. The default settings can be
- changed by an options parameter at the time of OFFLOAD invocation.
-
- OFFLOAD is invoked as:
-
- OFFLOAD OBJECT <options>
-
- where:
-
- OBJECT is a drive/file specification indicating a file of type .HEX
-
- <options> is an optional list of operational parameters:
-
- TK indicates TEK HEX download format (default)
- TI indicates TI tagged object format
- M indicates MOTOROLA S record format
- N indicates INTEL HEX object format
- use N for downloading to the COP400 MOLE
-
-
-
-
- A indicates ACK/NACK protocol (default)
- X indicates XON/XOFF protocol
-
-
-
- OFFLOAD performs the necessary format conversion during the download
- process, you need not execute HEXCONV to create the desired object
- code format.
-
- As an example, to download a file OBJECT.HEX on drive B:, using an IBM pc
- with TI tagged object format, and XON/XOFF protocol, the command would be:
-
- OFFIBM B:OBJECT XTI
-
- There can be no spaces in the options list, and the order of the parameters
- is immaterial.
-
-
-
-
- OFFLOAD enters in the terminal emulation mode, under which you must establish
- the initial dialogue with the emulation equipment. When you have established
- communication with the device and are ready to download the file press
- Control/c. After the download function is completed OFFLOAD re-enters the
- terminal emulation mode to allow program debugging. Program upload is NOT
- SUPPORTED.
- SYMBOLIC DEBUGGING
-
- Offload provides access to the symbols defined by your program. You must
- first cause the assembler to create a symbol table .SYM file at the time
- of assembly. The MACxx documentation defines the assembly parameter list
- as .XYZ where X,Y are the source and object drive specifications, and
- Z defines the type of assembly and assembler output. The presence of a
- fourth character, immediately following the Z option instructs the assembler
- to create a symbol file on the drive specified by the fourth character.
- In order for the .SYM file to be available to the OFFLOAD program this
- .SYM file must reside on the same dirve as the object file. For example,
- to assemble a source file on drive A:, and create an object and symbol
- file on drive B:, without generating a screen listing:
-
- MACxx source.ABEA
-
- Where:
- .A defines A as the drive containing source.asm
- B defines the drive for the file source.hex
- E says show only only the assembly errors
- B (the final parameter) defines the drive for source.sym
-
-
- OFFLOAD searches the directory containing the object file .HEX for
- an associated symbol file .SYM. If the symbol file is found OFFLOAD
- reads the symbol table and develops a symbol table which allows you
- to access your program symbols by name. In the following (F1) refers
- to the single key Function 1, and it is assumed that a .SYM file is
- present along with your object file.
-
- In the terminal emulation phases of its operation, OFFLOAD allows you
- to reference your program symbols by name. References to your symbol
- table must be bracketed by the (F1) key. OFFLOAD collects the sequence
- of characters between two successive (F1) keys, searches through the
- symbol table, and replaces the symbol name by the four hex character
- representation of the symbol value. Thus if the emulation hardware
- command for display memory is DM, and if you wish to display memory
- at the location LOOP in your program, you may enter:
-
- DM (F1)LOOP(F1)
-
- After you type the first (F1) key, the cursor will be seen to
- cover a question mark, indicating that OFFLOAD is in the process
- of gathering the symbol name, and you must end that name with a
- matching (F1) key. When the trailing (F1) is found, OFFLOAD will
- erase the symbol name, and transmit the four character sequence
- representing the symbol value. Assuming that LOOP is located at
- 1234H in your program the above sequence will be equivalent to
-
- DM 1234
-
- If OFFLOAD cannot find the symbol the display will show:
-
- LOOP undefined (KEY)
-
- and await a key press. When you press a key the entire message
- will be erased to restore the screen to the state before your entry
- of the symbol name.
-
- Note, that the emulation hardware may require that you identify hex
- values by some precursor character, such as %,$, or >. OFFLOAD does
- not supply these tag characters. If your emulation hardware requires,
- say the > character, then you must type this character before the (F1)
- sequence:
-
- DM >(F1)symbol(F1)
-
-
-
-
-