SimpleTerm is an experimental terminal program for the USR Pilot. It doesn’t do any terminal emulation, but does allow you to use AT commands to connect to remote computer systems via a modem or directly via a serial cable.

The Pilot can be used in its cradle with a NullModem adapter (obviously you need to connect the modem to the other end of the cradle cable!) or you can use the modem cable available from USR. With some modems the modem cable is necessary for correct operation.

Once SimpleTerm is installed on your Pilot clicking the ‘Online’ button starts a session.

To send data to the serial port either enter the data into the text field at the bottom of the screen and press ‘SEND’. A toggle box determines whether a carriage return is sent after each line or not. Data can be sent directly down the serial line by removing the focus from the text entry box (by tapping elsewhere on the screen) and writing in the Graffiti area.

If you need to enter an ‘Escape’ type ‘esc’ and press ‘SEND’, for something like Control-C type ‘ctlc’ and Send. Note that these only work if they are sent alone, not in amongst other characters in a single Send.

On completion of a ‘session’ the ‘Offline’ button should be pressed, this will close the serial port.

There is limited ‘Copy’ functionality - the first 1000 characters are copied to the clipboard. The clipboard has a limit of 1000 characters. There is also paste, which copies the clipboard to the send buffer, this is limited to 40 characters.

The screen tries to scroll in synch with the received data, but can also be scrolled up and down manually using the scroll keys. Another tip is to use the Pilot shortcuts facility to hold phone numbers, machine names, commands, etc.

SimpleTerm can be used at 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 or 19200 baud, the default connection is 8N1 though a dialog offers 7E1 (so you can use Compuserve as well). SimpeTerm now preserves settings between sessions.

Please feel free to download and play with SimpleTerm - I’d be interested in what you think of it and any interesting uses you make of it.

SimpleTerm and its source code are nominally free for personal use. If you want to use either for other reasons or feel you'd like to pay for SimpleTerm, please contact me at isb@pobox.com. Future developments depend on this.

simplet5.prc, 14/02/97: Dropped character problem fixed (hurrah!), settings maintained between sessions, more baud rates supported, graffiti anywhere but ‘send’ box will send data down serial line immediately.

simplet4.prc, 07/11/96: 7E1 now works for CompuServe.

simplet3.prc, 06/10/96: Added copy, paste, on-screen keyboard, selectable baud rates, retry for missing characters, ‘esc’ and ‘ctlX’ support, simple on-screen instructions, updated readme.

simplet2.prc, 30/09/96: Fixed memory locking bug, improved error messages, updated this document.

simplet.prc, 29/09/96: First release to internet. Scary moment!