Gold Medal Software 1

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Text File | 1993-07-28 | 26KB | 517 lines

Here is a summary I can gather from the downloading/uploading problems many PCPlus 2.0 users are experiencing: 1) For 'Hayes' compatable 1200 bps modems set your initialization string to ATE1Q0V1X1 &C1 &D2 S7=45 S11=55 S0=0^M 2) Set the dialing prefix to ATDT 3) Make sure file path upload/download directories actually exist. 4) Set transmit pacing under general options to 15 milliseconds. 5) Turn software flow conrol OFF in Terminal options 6) Make sure all MODEM result 'CONNECT' messages are those returned by your modem. PCPlus 2.0 uses the CONNECT strings to determine your baud rate, when Autobaud detect is on. 7) If your modem has worked with Procom 1.1B or any other com. software you DO NOT have an IRQ conflict. If you can type 'ATH0' from terminal mode and see 'OK' returned by your modem YOU DO NOT have an IRQ conflict! Otherwise see the in-depth explanation below. 8) If you have a normal non-MNP modem set Autobaud detect ON in the Modem General options and the Host mode options. For MNP 5 modems set autobaud detect off, and your default and dialing directories to 9600 baud (for 2400 baud MNP 5 modemss) or 19200 baud (for faster modems). 9) Make sure you always use 8 bits, no parity, one stop bit wherever possible. To log into compuserve you can start with 7 bits, and change it to 8. (Manually with Alt-P, in scripts with Set DataBits 8). For Compuserve access you will need to Go Terminals and set your Compuserve parity to None. 10) Make sure the host mode connection type is set to 'Modem' The direct mode is used to link computers without a modem. 11) Do you see 'ONLINE' whenever you enter terminal mode? If you do then you are either using a non-existent COM port, you have an IRQ conflict (see note 7 again!), or you have DCD state set high all the time: Type AT&C1 and see if it changes to offline - then read the first item again! 12) If problems persist, as a last ditch effort remove all TSRs - especially cachers and spoolers. Cachers and spoolers hook into the timer interrupt, degrading overall CPU performance. They may be interrupting binary protocol timeouts. Also EMS handlers like PC Magazine's EMS40.SYS and 386Max degrade CPU performance the same way. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Check the 'Modem - General Setup' Initialization Screen. Verify each command in the initialization screen by typing them manually to see that no 'Error' message is returned. Most modems that use 'Hayes' type commands should use a string like this: ATE1Q0V1X1 &C1 &D2 S7=45 S11=55 S0=0^M This is very important! I couldn't upgrade my old version and needed to install 2.0 from scratch. The resulting initialization screen was just 'ATZ', which is only a modem reset. If you see a terse initialization screen try this and follow me below. Also be sure to TEST each setting individually by typing ATX1 etc. in the terminal mode. DO NOT include any string that returns an ERROR response! Of course the whole purpose of the string is to customize PCPlus to work with your modem. Some modem's like The Cermetek don't use AT commands, but may require an initialize string of their own proprietary commands. ATE1- Echo back all command characters sent to the modem. (ATE0- No echo- like being left in the dark!) (For Half duplex mode use ATE0) ATQ0- Quiet mode off. (ATQ1: Modem returns NO responses) ATV1- Use ENGLISH responses. PCPLus needs ENGLISH responses for 'CONNECT' messages to determine that a DCD is recognized by the modem! ATX1 to X6 - Use extended result codes 'CONNECT' - 300 BPS 'CONNECT 1200' - 1200 BPS 'CONNECT 2400' - 2400 BPS etc. The value of the X register will vary from modem to modem. Check your modem manual to be sure. With ATX0 all results are just 'CONNECT', and PCPLus could interpret a 2400 BPS connection as 300 - which will show on your status line - and you will see garbage! PS: Use ATX3 to dial from a hotel phone! This allows the modem to blind dial instead or returning 'No dial tone'. (Hotels have a lapse without a dial tone before the line is switched to an external line) AT&C1- Track the true DCD state. (Also VERY important to PCPlus). AT&C0 pretends DCD is always high- making PCPlus' Host mode think you're always connected! AT&D2- Sets DTR (Data Terminal Ready) transition modes. Causes the modem to go on-line and off-line properly. (PCPlus drops DTR to hangup, and this is the command to make sure it works right!) ATS7=60- Maximum time to wait for a DCD. This is independent of the 'Timeout' value you give to wait for a connection in the Modem- General setup. However, you should make sure it is AT LEAST the value in the setup. With ATS7=6 and the setuo as 30 seconds your modem would only wait 6 seconds for a DCD before giving up. Some LONNNNG distance calls may require an even bigger value. (Also modems set to answer after 5 or 6 rings will need a larger value - because you must wait longer whenever you call them!) ATS11=55 Sets the duration of a tone dial, and the length of delay between tones when dialing. (Many modems do not use thus register, but they may not complain. If you do get an ERROR typing it then omit it from the initialize string.) ATS0=0 Do NOT answer the phone. (Don't be concerned. This is used for the terminal mode, not the host mode. Notice the 'Auto Answer command + + + ATS0=1^M is used when starting host mode to get the phone to answer in one ring. Want three rings? Just change it to read ATS0=3^M. I separated the pluses because they are used ny the modem to recognize the command is intended it for it. Without the separation some modems would set Auto Answer on by the above command just by reading this online! Lesser Registers: ATS9=6- Need a steady DCD state at least 6/10 of a second continuously before recognizing DCD. (ATS9=2 would recognize phone line garbage as a DCD erroneously because 2/10 of a second isn't long enough to distinguish a true DCD!) ATS10=14 If DCD is lost for more than 14/10 of a second- then hangup! (1.4 secs). Use ATS10=255 to never drop the line due to a loss of DCD. If the S10 register < S9 register even the slightest loss of DCD will cause the line to hangup. ATS11=55 DTMF: Dialing Tone frequencies. (Time between dialing tones, default= 95. Some modems do not use this register. When used it can speed-up the attack dialing.) Once you've tested these commands manually, most modems can write them to non-volatile ram with AT&W. PS: My problems actually required some commands used by Microcom to turn 'internal' flow control off. More on that later, but the commands I needed were AT\Q0 \X0 \G0. Some other high end V.32 or V.42 modems MAY accept these commands, and it won't hurt for you to try them from terminal mode. (Most modems WILL NOT recognize these commands. - but you may need to browse your modem manual to see if it has similar quirks to handle flow control automatically. YOU DO NOT WANT AUTOMATIC FLOW CONTROL handled by your modem.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) If you are having trouble just getting your modem to dial you may want to change the dialing prefix from ATDT to ATM1DT. This will allow you to hear your modem dialing the number. Many modems also support a software volume control where ATL0 is no volume, ... upto ATL3 for the loudest vilume. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From the file/path options screen, make sure any Upload and Download directories given exist! (IE: If the download path is C:\Download\, can you CD C:\Download ?) (This is something Datastorm can, and should, correct. It is very easy to test for the presence of a directory. (A directory can be opened as a file. If a DOS zero error code is returned then there is no such directory. [In fact a file actually exists by the given name]. If a DOS 5 error code is returned then the directory exists. Otherwise there is no such directory. PS: It's actually even easier to handle, as every time a file is to be download the directory can be created. If the directory exists - nothing happens, otherwise it is created. ) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) Under general options you should set the transmit pacing to '15' milliseconds. Once you have reliable communications you can try lower values for the pacing. The pacing value can have a considerable impact on your ability to communicate properly at all. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Set the terminal XOn/XOff, and RTS/CTS flow controls off in the terminal options. If you are talking to an HP (Hewlett Packard) computer set the ENQ protocol on, otherwise make sure the ENQ- Enquiry protocol is off. Actually PCPlus should work properly with all these flow control options - but turn them all off while trying to solve upload/download problems. HP systems need both XOn/XOff and Enq/Ack protocols to converse smoothly. RTS/CTS is a hardware handshaking that SHOULD have no effect on PCPlus. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) Make sure all modem result strings are those returned by your modem. Usually these are 'CONNECT' "CONNECT 1200' "CONNECT 2400' etc. Unfortunately there is no easy way to test the strings returned except to call another modem at each of the baud rates. If in doubt check your modem manual under the ATX0 - ATX4 command strings, or just set them as above. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) Regarding IRQ conflicts I do not have as big a concern as reported in the Datastorm section. It is critical to have your program configured for the proper IRQs and port addresses. However, if your software works under Procomm 1.1B, or ANY other communication program then YOU DO NOT have an IRQ conflict. I also have no problem with modems configured as COM3 or COM4. In fact I recommend users configure internal modems as COM3 or COM4 to allow the real serial ports to be used with Mice, Seiko's label printer, bar code devices, external modems, etc.) A simple test: If you are in terminal mode can you type 'ATH0' and see the characters? Do you see an 'OK' response? If so -- YOU (most probably) DO NOT HAVE AN IRQ or ADDRESS CONFLICT! In fact you have the correct IRQ, address, and COM port number selection in PCPlus 2.0! ***** If this works then skip to step 8 please! ***** === If you don't see the ATH0 or the OK then something is amiss. === However it could just be that Echo is off, or you have === no verbal responses. So be sure to type 'ATE1Q0V1 &C1' before === proceeding. Then try different Com port numbers: === 1 - 2 - 3 - 4. Also make sure you are using a baud rate === your modem can handle with NO parity, 1 Stop Bit, 8 Data Bits. === (Surprisingly some modems cannot handle AT commands sent with === other parities!) === If you STILL get no response look at the PCPLus 2.0 === modem PORT assignments. You should have: === COM1: 0x3F8 IRQ 4 === COM2: 0x2F8 IRQ 3 === COM3: 0x2E8 IRQ 3 === COM4: 0x3E8 IRQ 4, ..... If you have tried these values, and are fairly sure your board is coinfigured as COM 3 or COM 4 change the COM3 and/or COM4 IRQs to read 5 and try again! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ***** NOTE ***** From a software programming view every time PCPlus is accessed a port is opened with the installed parameter settings. It is possible to change the baud rate, parity, databit, and stop bit settings on the fly without closing the port. Unfortunately when you change the address or IRQ of a port it will not take effect until the port is closed and re-opened. Yes, the Datastorm programmers could have coded their software to recognize when you have changed the address and/or IRQ of a port in the Modem / Port setup menus. They could have programmed Procomm to recognize this, closed the ports, and re-opened them, ... but they didn't! Therefor, WHENEVER YOU CHANGE THE ADDRESS AND/OR IRQ OF THE COM PORT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCESS YOU MUST EXIT PCPLUS AND THEN RE-EXECUTE IT BEFORE YOU CAN TEST IF THE CHANGES HAD ANY EFFECT. By the above token let's say you already are using COM 1 at the correct address of $3F8 and IRQ 4. If you change the PCPLus modem port to address $100 and IRQ 5 you can still type ATH0 and get an OK response from your modem after you exit the menu! However, once you exit PCPLus and re-enter it you would find that you cannot access the modem. Changing the options back to $3F8 at IRQ 4 still won't solve the problem --- until you exit PCPlus and re-enter it. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PS: For digiboard owners. This IS the table to change for your digiboard to access PCPlus from the Digiboard ports. You should already know the addresses and IRQs you set the Digiboard to use. Let's assume you set all Digiboard ports to share IRQ 5 at addresses 100, 108, 110... Then you would change the above table to read COM3 as 0x100 at IRQ5, COM 4 0x108 at IRQ5 etc. If this still does not work, well ... I hope you have your original modem and/or serial board manuals. Modem manuals are usually pretty good at showing jumper and DIP switches required to select addresses and IRQsa. Unfortunately most serial boards provide a single cryptic page. I often find serial boards support a parallel port, two serial ports, and a game port - and almost always misconfigure the printer! (A printer port configured as IRQ 5 will conflict with a serial port configuresd as IRQ 5.) Some boards allow a printer port to be configured as BOTH LPT1 & LPT2 - which it cannot be. IE: A jumper is used to configure the port as LPT1 at IRQ 5 on pins 1 & 2 or LPT1 at IRQ 7 on pins 2 & 3. A second jumper enables the port as LPT2 at IRQ 5 on pins 4 & 5 or LPT2 at pins 5 & 6. The manufacturer's intent was to have either the LPT1 or LPT2 jumper block to be removed entirely. 3F8 2F8 3E8 2E8 LPT1 LPT2 COM1 COM2 COM3 COM4 IRQ7 1-x 4-x IRQ4 7-x 10- 13 16 2-x 5-x 8-x 11-x 14 17 IRQ5 3- 6- IRQ3 9- 12-x 15 18 This diagram shows the printer port configured as both LPT1 & LPT2 at IRQ 7! The jumper joining pins 4 & 5 should probably be removed. (Assuming the user has a VGA or other video card without a primary printer port. Otherwise the 1st jumper should be removed.) Notice the up/down relationship of the jumpers on the COM1 & COM2 ports - which is correct. This diagram assumes the top pins link the ports to IRQ 4 and the bottom pins to IRQ 3. You CANNOT connect both ports to IRQ 4, or both to IRQ 3! You could change the COM1 & COM2 blocks to join pins 8 & 9, and 10 & 11, which will work, but will actually swap the ports so that you could think of the physical ports as COM2 & COM1. *** Most internal modems come configured as COM 2, but I advise you change them to COM 3. If you have two serial ports installed as above, with UARTs in both sockets a conflict will exist with a modem configured as COM 1 or with the manufactured default of COM 2. You could reconfigure the physical com ports as COM 3 or COM 4 in the above diagram, but many mice and other serial devices will not even let you load their drivers with anything but COM 1 or COM 2! You can simply remove the jumper from the offending port - but that would be throwing away the availability of a perfectly good port! Most computers are still delivered with only one serial port as COM 1, and thus the reason modem manufacturers configure the modem as COM 2. However, today their are good reasons to get two physical ports - for your mice, bar coders, seiko labelers etc. SO.... get out your modem manual and make sure it is configured as COM 3. A few older internal modems will only allow you to use COM 1 & 2. in which case you will either have to disable the physical COM 2 port or buy another modem. (.... Have you noticed how cheap FAX modems have become? ... Or high speed modems?) Despite my prior warning about not being able to configure both COM 1 & COM 2 on the same IRQ, you can configure most internal modems on COM 3 with either IRQ 3 or IRQ 4 EVEN though you have a physical port on the IRQ. However, if it is possible select IRQ 5 for the internal modem. Once you have configured your serial port & modem correctly put it back into your PC, startup PCPlus, and MAKE sure the Modem PORTS table has the addresses & IRQs you set! Then make sure your have selected the modem port from the ALT-P menu, and try sending ATH0 to the modem again! --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) For normal 2400 and 1200 baud modems set autobaud detect on in the Modem General options, and in the Host mode options. This may be difficult to accept, BUT: If you have an MNP Class 5 2400 baud modem set Autobaud detect Off in the Modem General Options and in the Host mode options. Set your default baud rate to 9600 baud, AND make sure all your current dialing entries to 9600 baud. (Trust me.) If you have an MNP Class 5 modem with a 4800 or higher baud rate set Autobaud detect off in the Modem General options and in the Host mode options. Change your default (Alt-P), and all dialing directory (Alt-D) baud rates to 19200 baud. PS: If you have a 1200 baud modem you should seriously look at upgrading it! Modems with 4800 Baud send fax and 2400 baud modem ability now sell for under $100. Modems with 9600 Baud Send/Receive cost only a little more! Even MNP 5 class modems are now relatively inexpensive. If you dial long distance at all an upgrade isn't just a recomendation -- Do It! --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) Check all dialing directories. The PCInstall may have changed baud rates behind your back! --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) Make sure you always use 8 bits, no parity, one stop bit wherever possible. To log into compuserve you can start with 7 bits, and change it to 8. From a script: Set Databits 7 ; Start with 7 Bits Dial "1" ; Dial CIS If Connected Waitfor "Host Name:" 15 Pause 1 ; Always pause before an XMit! Transmit "CIS^M" Waitfor "User ID:" Pause 1 Transmit "77777,777^M" Waitfor "Password:" Pause 1 Transmit "Its-Me^M" Set Databits 8 ; Switch to 8 Bits! ... Binary transfers always need 8 bits to transmit characters with an Ascii range from 0-255. 7 Bit transfers can only transmit characters with an Ascii range from 0-127, chopping off the high bits. (Note: Kermit is SUPPOSED to work with 7 bits, which is exactly what it was originally written for.) Compuserve users may need to change their default terminal parity setting from Even to None. This will allow you to access Compuserve with 8 data bits, although you may need to login with a 7 bit setting as above. Here is a script to change your parity on CIS to none: Transmit "G Terminal^M" Waitfor "Enter choice!" 60 Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "2^M" ; Change Pemanent Settings Waitfor "Enter choice!" 15 Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "4^M" ; Change Terminal Type/Parameters Waitfor "Enter choice!" 15 Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "8^M" ; Change Parity Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Waitfor "<CR> to leave unchanged!" 15 Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "3^M" ; Set Parity To None Waitfor "Enter choice!" 15 Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "^M" ; Cr to exit menu Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Waitfor "Enter choice!" Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "6^M" ; Make Sure Settings are permanent! Waitfor "Enter choice!" Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "1^M" ; "YES - Do It!" Waitfor "Enter choice!" Pause 2 ; Always pause befor an Xmit Transmit "EXIT^M" ; End of Changes Waitfor "!" 25 ; Previous Menu Transmit "Bye!" ; Logoff Hangup ; And Hangup the Phone --------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) Make sure the host mode connection type is set to 'Modem' The direct mode is used to link computers without a modem. If you are experiencing a problem in host mode where your modem is answering a call, but not signalling DCD and sending a 'Welcome...' response try changing the mode to direct mode. Most likely you are not using a Hayes compatable modem, or you have not set the 'CONNECT' messages properly. ========================================================================== Once you have things working you may want to back track one step at a time. PCPlus should work with all the handshaking protocols, and some systems really do require XOn/XOff, RTS/CTS, and/or Enq/Ack handshaking. You may also want to experiment with faster transmit pacing from the 15 milliseconds I suggested. When you're confident your modem dials correctly you may want to change the dialing prefix to ATM0DT. On the other hand many people like to listen in--- it is handy when you 'hear' someone answer the phone! Then you know you have the wrong number, and can stop dialing them 100 times! Tony Romer 76606,364