Serialink is a small RiscOS application to transfer files between two Acorn 32-bit machines via the serial port. It can do this multi-taskingly, and also provides a talk option.
Loading Serialink
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Load Serialink in the normal manor, by double clicking on it's icon in the directory viewer. An icon representing the serial port will appear to the left of the iconbar.
Clicking MENU on this icon will lead you to Serialink's menu.
Clicking SELECT will open the Talk window.
Clicking ADJUST will open the Choices window.
The Serialink menu
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The options on the Serialink menu are :
Info... ⇨ Leads to a box showing information on the program & version.
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Choices... Click here to open the Choices window.
Talk... Click here to open the Talk window.
Clear Flush the serial buffer and remove any received files.
Save as... ⇨ Leads to the save box of a received file (or greyed out).
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Quit Removes the application and any received files from memory.
The Choices window
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The choices window allows you to set up various options for Serialink.
You can set the Baud rate, data bits, parity and stop bits in the top part of the window. The baud rate must be one of the acceptable values by the OS (eg. 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200). The number of data bits (first of the three small writable icons) can be either 7 or 8. The parity (second small writable icon) can be 'N' for none, 'E' for even or 'O' for odd. The stop bits (third small writable icon) can be either 1 or 2.
In the 'Transfer settings' group of options, you can set the following :
• Multitasking transfer -- if this option is selected then Wimp_Poll will be called between each block, and the next block will not be sent until a null event is received.
• Squash if uncompressed -- this option at present does nothing.
• Chunk size -- you can set the chunk size to any whole number of bytes by entering the value into the writable icon. The default is 1024. When files are transferred they will be sent in chunks of this size. When used with the 'Multitasking transfer' option, the chunk size gives control over the level of multitasking.
Note that the chunk size used for a transfer is determined by the sender only, so the chunk size on the receiving end doesn't have to be the same.
You can Save the Choices as the defaults by clicking on 'Save', or you can click 'OK' to accept the choices and close the window.
The Talk window
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This function allows you to transfer short messages between the two machines, which could be handy if you are sending files to someone in another room and you want to let them know what's going on.
To send a line of text, enter it into the writable icon, then press Return (note that if you expand the window you will see a 'Send' button which is equivalent to pressing Return). When you press Return the writable icon will be cleared.
An incoming message will appear in the slabbed in icon above the writable icon. If an incoming message is received and the Talk window is not open, then it will be opened on top of the pile.
Transmitting a file
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To transmit a file, simply drag it to the Serialink icon on the icon bar, or to any Serialink window. A status window will open at both the sending and receiving end (the receiving end automatically detects the send and starts to receive), which keeps you informed of the transfer progress.
The status window remains open when the transfer is complete, and a save box will pop up allowing you to save the received file. If you lose the save box then use the 'Save as...' option from Serialink's menu. Note that the received file is kept in Serialink's memory until another file is sent or received, or until the 'Clear' option is chosen from the menu.
Errors during transfer
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If an error occurs during transfer then both ends will hang up for a short while and then a timeout error will be generated. Choosing 'Clear' from the menu at both ends and trying the transfer again should work, providing that your serial lead is wired up correctly.
Please note that if you have an A3000 you must have a serial upgrade fitted to use this program! (And of course you need two Acorn computers and a suitable lead!)
Future plans
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I have a few ideas for future updates to Serialink :
• Optional automatic squashing of files which aren't already compressed (ie all but Spark, PackDir, Squash & Tar files). This should improve transfer times, and quite dramatically for sprites etc. Using this option will be a bit like using hardware compression on a modem.
• Transfer of a batch of files; that is a directory or application, instead of just single files.
• Allow transfer of files larger than memory.
Conditions
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This application is Freeware and as such may be distributed freely so long as no profit is made from it in any way, and that it is not tampered with in any way, ie ALL FILES ARE LEFT INTACT AND UNTOUCHED, and no extra files are added.
The copyright remains mine at all times.
Contacts
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How to contact me :
During university term time, I can be reached via email or snail mail :
