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1992-09-16
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33KB
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661 lines
PCCLOCK DIGITAL CLOCK USER'S GUIDE
Version 2.15b
Copyright (c) 1992 Michael J. Sadaway
Please see important information about
registering your copy of PCCLOCK and about
special discounts available to registered users.
Introduction
------------
* PCCLOCK sets your computer's date and time quickly, conveniently, and
accurately via modem - it calls the National Institute of Standards and
Technology's atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado.
* PCCLOCK is a also a full-featured digital clock program that displays the
date and time in big digits in your choice of 80 colorful designs supplied
with the program plus up to 20 designs you create yourself.
* Useful as well as fun to watch, PCCLOCK includes manual as well as automatic
setting, seconds display, 12- and 24-hour modes, an alarm, and an optional
Big Ben hourly chime.
* Add "PCCLOCK" (or "PCCLOCK AUTO") to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to check the date
and time (or set them to the NIST atomic clock) whenever you restart your PC.
* Run PCCLOCK whenever you need to set your computer's clock, or run it just to
pass the time whenever you and your computer are not otherwise engaged.
* PCCLOCK requires a CGA, EGA, VGA, MCGA, or compatible color display. A
1200-bps (or faster) modem is required for automatic timesetting.
Operation
---------
Pressing the <F1> key alternately displays and erases a list of functions at
the bottom of the screen. Functions are selected by pressing <F2>-<F10>; these
keys are active whether or not the list of functions is displayed. When a
function is selected, instructions are displayed if further input is required.
When no other function is selected, the <Page Up>, <Page Down>, <Home>, <End>,
<Ctrl-R>, and left and right arrow keys can be used to select a clock design
just as though <F2> (Select Design) had been pressed.
Pressing the <Esc> key when no function is selected causes the program to exit.
PCCLOCK can also be run in a non-interactive automatic timesetting mode. If
the "AUTO" command-line option is specified, PCCLOCK calls the NIST atomic
clock, sets the date and time, and exits. A "PCCLOCK AUTO" command can be
given at the DOS prompt or in AUTOEXEC.BAT or another batch file.
1
Clock Designs
-------------
The date and time are displayed using specified characters from the IBM
extended character set. One extended character, called "Mark Char", is used to
form the big digits. Another extended character, called "Space Char", is used
to form the surrounding box. Separate foreground and background colors can be
specified for both extended characters. Thus, six parameters specify a
complete design.
The clock designs are organized into five pages of 20 designs each. Four pages
are filled with the 80 designs supplied with the program. The fifth page is
initially blank and may be used to store up to 20 of your own designs.
When PCCLOCK is started, it either chooses a design at random or uses a
specified default design. To select another design or to select either a
random design or a specific design as the default, press <F2> (Select Design),
and follow the displayed instructions.
To create a design of your own or to modify any of the 100 designs, first
select the design you wish to modify, then press <F3> (Modify Design). Follow
the displayed instructions to change any or all of the design's six parameters.
The Select Design and Modify Design functions also have options to erase a
design and to restore a design's parameters to either their original values or
to the values saved during a previous run of the program.
Setting Date and Time
---------------------
If you have a compatible modem, PCCLOCK can set your computer's date and time
by calling the atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST, formerly NBS, National Bureau of Standards) in Boulder,
Colorado. The call usually takes only a few seconds (always less than a
minute) and costs very little (13 to 24 cents from Boston with AT&T).
Before you use PCCLOCK's modem timesetting function, you should review and may
need to modify its modem timesetting configuration parameters. Refer to
"Configuration" below for details.
To set the date and time by modem, run PCCLOCK and press <Ctrl-S>, or run
PCCLOCK with the "AUTO" command-line option. Commands sent to your modem by
PCCLOCK, result codes returned by your modem, and data received from NIST are
displayed in a window at the top of your screen.
If the call is successfully placed and valid data is received from NIST, both
the date and time are set, the call is terminated, and the window is closed.
The date and time are adjusted for the time zone specified in your
configuration. If Daylight Saving Time is observed in your area (as specified
in your configuration) and Daylight Saving Time is in effect (as determined
from the data from NIST), the time (and possibly the date) are adjusted
accordingly.
If the call is not successfully placed, a modem result code (e.g., "BUSY") will
be displayed. Press <Esc> to cancel the call, and, if you wish, press <Ctrl-S>
to try again.
2
If the data received from NIST is not valid (e.g., because of a noisy line), an
error message will be displayed, and PCCLOCK will remain on-line until it
receives valid data, until a timeout period of 90 seconds is exceeded, or until
you press <Esc> to cancel the call.
When PCCLOCK is run with the "AUTO" option, it displays a message indicating
the success or failure of the call to NIST. If the date and time are not set
successfully, PCCLOCK creates a file named "PCCLOCK.ERR" in the default
directory. If the date and time are set successfully, it deletes this file.
In a batch file, the command "IF EXIST PCCLOCK.ERR . . ." can therefore be used
to determine the outcome of a preceding "PCCLOCK AUTO" command.
To set the date or time manually, press either <F7> (Set Date) or <F8> (Set
Time), and follow the displayed instructions.
All About Your Computer's Clock(s)
----------------------------------
DOS maintains a "system date" and "system time", which can be read and set with
the DOS DATE and TIME commands. The system date and time settings are lost
whenever your computer is powered off and must be reset each time the computer
is restarted.
Many computers have a battery-operated "permanent clock" that keeps the date
and time when the computer is turned off. IBM PC AT, AT-compatible, and newer
computers have these clocks built-in. Other computers may be equipped with an
add-on clock that plugs into an expansion slot or with a "slotless" clock that
plugs into a socket under a ROM chip or other socketed chip on the computer's
motherboard.
If your computer has no permanent clock, you need to set the date and time
every time you restart your computer. You can make this less tedious by
running PCCLOCK from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and using either its automatic or
manual timesetting functions.
If your computer does have a permanent clock, the system date and time are set
from the permanent clock when the system is restarted. With a built-in clock,
this is done automatically. With an add-on or slotless clock, you may need to
run a program from AUTOEXEC.BAT; refer to the documentation supplied with the
clock. If you also run PCCLOCK from AUTOEXEC.BAT, PCCLOCK should, of course,
be run following this program.
If your computer has a built-in permanent clock, setting the date and/or time
with PCCLOCK will set the permanent clock as well as the system date and time,
regardless of the version of DOS you are using. (Prior to DOS version 3.3, the
DOS DATE and TIME commands set only the system date and time, not the permanent
clock.)
Some add-on and slotless permanent clocks come with a device driver that sets
the permanent clock whenever the system date or time is set. If you have such
a device driver installed, setting the date or time with PCCLOCK will also set
the permanent clock. If not, after setting the system date and/or time with
PCCLOCK, you will need to run the program supplied with your clock to set it as
well.
3
Configuration
-------------
To review or modify PCCLOCK's modem timesetting parameters, shown in Table 1,
press <Ctrl-C>, and follow the displayed instructions.
+---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Parameter | Default Value | Possible Values |
|===============+=====================+=======================================|
| Serial Port | COM1 | COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4 |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| Init | ATZ|~~ATE1M1QV1|~~ | See text. |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| Dial | ATDT1-303-494-4774| | See text. |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| Hang Up | ~~+++~~ATH| | See text. |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| Time Zone | Eastern | Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, |
| | | Pacific, Yukon, Alaska-Hawaii, |
| | | Bering, Universal |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| DST Observed | Yes | Yes, No |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| UTC Offset | 0 | See text. |
|---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------|
| Serial I/O | Interrupt-driven | Interrupt-driven, Polled |
+---------------+---------------------+---------------------------------------+
Table 1. Configuration Parameters
"Serial Port" specifies the port to which your modem is connected. PCCLOCK
displays the I/O address it has determined for the port in parentheses after
"COMn". PCCLOCK will not work if the I/O address is incorrect. The I/O
address should be correct for "standard" configurations; however, nonstandard
configurations may require special consideration:
1. Like DOS, but unlike some communications software packages, PCCLOCK does
not include unimplemented ports in its numbering scheme. For example, if
your PC has two ports, one at I/O address 3F8h and one at 3E8h, the
standard addresses for COM1 and COM3, but none at 2F8h, the standard
address for COM2, PCCLOCK (and DOS) refer to the port at 3E8h as COM2, not
COM3.
2. If your modem is connected to COM3 or COM4, the port is not at the standard
address of 3E8h for COM3 or 2E8h for COM4, and your computer's BIOS
recognizes only two ports, you will need to run a separate utility program
to update the address of the port before PCCLOCK can use your modem. One
suitable utility is Port Finder, a shareware program that can be downloaded
from CompuServe and many BBSs. On CompuServe, Port Finder is currently
available as PF253.ZIP in IBMCOM forum library 7. Contact the author for
assistance if required.
"Init" specifies the commands needed to initialize your modem. "|" causes
PCCLOCK to send a carriage return character to the modem; "~" causes PCCLOCK to
delay one second before continuing to send commands to the modem.
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"Dial" specifies the modem commands needed to call NIST. As in the "Init"
parameter, "|" causes PCCLOCK to send a carriage return character to the modem.
The telephone number for the NIST atomic clock (1-303-494-4774) appears in this
parameter. If you are calling from the 303 area code (northern and western
Colorado), you will need to delete the "303". If you are calling from the
Boulder area, you may also need to delete the "1". If you do not have tone
dialing (Touch Tone service), change "ATDT" to "ATDP" to use pulse dialing.
Under certain circumstances, such as calling outside a local telephone network
or using a special long distance service, you may need to use additional modem
commands. Table 2 shows the modem commands that can be used between the "ATD"
and the "|" in the "Dial" parameter with most Hayes-compatible modems. Some
modems have additional commands that can be used while dialing. If you are
unable to call NIST using the commands shown in the table, check your modem
documentation.
"Hang Up" specifies the commands needed to place your modem "on hook" when
valid data is received from NIST or when you cancel the call by pressing <Esc>.
"|" and "~" have the same effect as in the "Init" parameter.
The values shown for "Init", "Dial", and "Hang Up" should work for most Hayes-
compatible modems. If they do not work with your modem, consult your modem
documentation, or contact the author for assistance if required.
+--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| Command(s) | Effect |
|==============+==============================================================|
| 0 to 9, #, | Causes the modem to dial the specified digit. |
| and * | |
|--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------|
| space, (, ), | These characters are ignored by the modem, but may be used |
| and - | to increase readability of the command. Example: "ATDT 1 |
| | (303) 494-4774|" has the same effect as "ATDT13034944774|". |
|--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------|
| T | Switches modem to tone dialing. Use if you have Touch Tone |
| | service. Example: "ATDT1-303-494-4774|" (the default |
| | "Dial" command) calls NIST long distance using tone dialing. |
|--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------|
| P | Switches modem to pulse dialing. Use if you do not have |
| | Touch Tone service. Example: "ATDP1-494-4774|" calls NIST |
| | from within the 303 area code using pulse dialing. |
|--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------|
| W | Causes the modem to wait for another dialtone. If no dial- |
| | tone is detected within a specified period (5 seconds for |
| | most modems), the modem hangs up and a "NO DIALTONE" result |
| | code is displayed. Example: "ATDT303-494-4774W33|" calls |
| | NIST using a long distance service that requires dialing the |
| | called number, waiting for another dialtone, then dialing a |
| | special code. |
|--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------|
| , | A comma causes the modem to wait for a specified period (2 |
| | seconds for most modems) before continuing to dial. |
| | Example: "ATDT9,494-4774|" calls NIST from the Boulder |
| | area, first dialing "9" then waiting briefly to dial outside |
| | a local telephone network. |
+--------------+--------------------------------------------------------------+
Table 2. Modem Dialing Commands
5
"Time Zone" specifies an adjustment for your location to the "universal" time
(also known as UTC, GMT, or Zulu time) supplied by NIST. Values for time zones
in the United States are predefined. For time zones outside the United States,
select the value "Universal" and set the "UTC Offset" parameter.
"DST Observed" specifies whether or not Daylight Saving Time is observed in
your location. PCCLOCK is able to automatically adjust the time supplied by
NIST for Daylight Saving Time only in U.S. time zones; therefore, this
parameter is not accessible when "Time Zone" is set to "Universal".
"UTC Offset" specifies an adjustment to the time supplied by NIST for locations
outside the U.S. The value specified can be zero, positive, or negative. This
parameter is accessible only when "Time Zone" is set to "Universal".
"Serial I/O" indicates which of two mechanisms PCCLOCK uses to communicate with
your modem, "Interrupt-driven" or "Polled". See note below for details.
Important Note
--------------
Some PCCLOCK users have reported that the interrupt-driven serial I/O
mechanism, built into the programming language in which PCCLOCK is written,
does not work properly with their modems. Therefore, PCCLOCK includes an
alternative polled serial I/O mechanism. If interrupt-driven serial I/O
does not work with your modem, please try polled serial I/O. If neither
works properly, please contact the author for assistance.
PCCLOCK.DAT
-----------
PCCLOCK uses the file PCCLOCK.DAT to save configuration parameters, any
modified clock designs, and settings for 12/24-hour mode, date/time display,
chime on/off, alarm time, and alarm on/off.
PCCLOCK.DAT will be created when PCCLOCK is first run and whenever it is not
found by PCCLOCK. With DOS versions 3.0 and later, PCCLOCK.DAT is placed in
the same directory as PCCLOCK.EXE. With earlier DOS versions, PCCLOCK.DAT is
placed in the current directory.
Shareware Notice
----------------
PCCLOCK is copyrighted software distributed as shareware. It may not be sold
without the written permission of the author. However, you are welcome to use
a single copy of PCCLOCK on a 30-day free trial basis. If you find PCCLOCK to
be useful or enjoyable or continue to use it beyond the trial period, you are
expected to register your copy and pay a one-time fee of $10 to support its
development.
As a registered user, you will receive a printed user's guide plus a copy of
the latest version of PCCLOCK on diskette, you will be entitled to use all
future versions of PCCLOCK at no additional charge and without reregistering,
and you will be notified by mail or electronic mail of each major upgrade of
PCCLOCK. Registered users have the right to use a single copy of PCCLOCK and
may register additional copies or purchase pre-registered copies on diskette.
6
You are permitted to make multiple copies of PCCLOCK for use within a single
business or organization only if you register and pay for each copy that is
used beyond a 30-day free trial period. Alternatively, you may purchase
additional pre-registered copies of PCCLOCK from the author.
Shareware disk vendors, user groups, computer clubs, computer stores, bulletin
board systems, and individuals are permitted to copy and distribute PCCLOCK for
others to use on the same 30-day free trial basis, provided that the program is
unmodified and is accompanied by its user's guide, except that disk vendors not
currently approved by the Association for Shareware Professionals (ASP) must
first obtain written permission from the author. A reasonable fee may be
charged for media, copying, and shipping and handling or for transmission time.
How to Register
---------------
To become a registered PCCLOCK user, run PCCLOCK, press <Esc> to exit, and
follow the displayed instructions to complete and print a registration form.
If a printer is not available, simply send your name and address together with
your payment (cash, check, or money order) to: M. J. Sadaway, Box 128-P, South
Walpole, MA 02071. Please specify diskette size (5.25" or 3.5").
Special Discounts for Registered Users
--------------------------------------
Registered users of PCCLOCK are eligible to receive:
* A one-year subscription to Shareware Magazine, regularly $20, at the special
rate of just $12.95. Find out about other low-cost, quality PC software.
Edited by Mike Callahan, author of the best-selling book "Dr. File Finder's
Guide to Shareware".
* Free CompuServe membership (user ID and password) plus a $15 usage credit and
a subscription to CompuServe Magazine. CompuServe is a leading on-line
information service. Membership enables you to locate and download thousands
of shareware and public domain programs and, in many cases, talk to the
programs' authors via electronic mail.
Complete instructions on how to take advantage of either or both of these
offers is in included in the printed user's guide you will receive when you
register your copy of PCCLOCK.
Bypassing the Registration Reminder Screen
------------------------------------------
Registered users may bypass the registration reminder screen normally displayed
when PCCLOCK is exited. Instructions for bypassing the screen are given in the
printed user's guide sent to registered users.
Support Policy
--------------
Registered users of PCCLOCK are entitled to support at no additional cost for a
minimum of three months from the date of registration. Within this time, the
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author, when contacted by CompuServe mail, GEnie mail, or U.S. mail will answer
the user's questions concerning the use of PCCLOCK and will attempt to correct
any problem reported by the user that causes PCCLOCK to fail to perform in the
manner described in the user's guide. If a reported problem is due to the
user's specific hardware configuration or software environment rather than an
error in PCCLOCK, or the problem cannot otherwise be corrected by the author,
the user may request and will receive a full refund of the registration fee.
Feedback
--------
Your questions, comments, criticisms, and suggestions concerning PCCLOCK are
welcome. Please send them to M. J. Sadaway, Box 128-P, South Walpole, MA
02071, via CompuServe mail to 75046,2272, or via GEnie mail to M.SADAWAY1.
Thank you.
Shareware and the ASP
---------------------
Shareware is software you can try before you buy. You are permitted to use it,
and you are generally free to copy it for others to use, on a trial basis. If
you find it to your liking and continue to use it, you are expected to pay for
it. Payment is in the form of a registration fee, which entitles you to
continue to use the software, and may entitle you to other benefits. The
length of the trial period and any restrictions on copying and distribution of
the software vary depending on the author and program.
Shareware is generally of the same high quality as other software. Plus it has
the ultimate money-back guarantee - if you don't use it, you don't pay for it.
The ASP, or Association of Shareware Professionals, is an organization of
shareware authors and distributors that promotes the shareware concept. ASP
members are required to abide by established standards of professionalism, and
the ASP name and logo are your assurances that an author or distributor meets
these standards.
Shareware bearing the ASP name is fully functional, not a stripped-down or demo
version, and all features of the program are described in the documentation, so
that you can fully evaluate the software before you pay for it. All ASP
shareware includes support by the author for a minimum of three months after
user registration, and authors are required to fully refund registration fees
to users reporting problems during this period if the problems cannot be
resolved. The ASP also helps resolve disputes between shareware users and
authors or distributors.
Look for the ASP name when choosing shareware. And help ensure the
availability of quality software at reasonable prices by registering the
shareware programs you use.
8
Error Messages
--------------
The following messages may be displayed during modem timesetting operations:
[Error:] Date and time not set
PCCLOCK did not set your PC's clock/calendar. Possible causes: The call to
NIST could not be placed due to a "NO ANSWER" or "BUSY" status, a valid data
string was not received within the 90-second timeout period, or the call was
cancelled by pressing the <Esc> key.
Invalid data received - Retrying . . .
The preceding NIST data string was not in the correct format, and PCCLOCK is
staying on-line until another data string is received. Usually due to a
noisy phone connection.
Serial I/O error n
PCCLOCK was unable to successfully communicate with your modem. Possible
causes: PCCLOCK is configured for the wrong port, power to the modem was
off, or the selected serial I/O mechanism is not compatible with your
equipment. Verify that your modem is operating correctly with your other
software, and try both interrupt-driven and polled serial I/O (see
"Configuration" above). Contact the author for assistance if required.
The following messages may be displayed while printing a registration/order
form:
Number of copies must be specified
When registering, you must order at least one copy of the program on either
a 5.25" or 3.5" diskette.
Printer off-line or out of paper
Self-explanatory.
The following messages may be displayed at the DOS command level:
Error accessing <drive>:<path>\PCCLOCK.DAT - <reason>
PCCLOCK was unable to read its configuration file upon start-up or write it
upon exiting. <reason> indicates the probable cause of the error. Because
PCCLOCK writes to PCCLOCK.DAT each time it exits, if PCCLOCK is run from
diskette, the diskette should remain in the drive and should not be write-
protected while PCCLOCK is running.
Invalid video mode - PCCLOCK aborted
The computer's display is not CGA, EGA, VGA, MCGA, or compatible, or was not
set for 80-column by 25-line operation.
9
Revision History
----------------
+---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Date | Ver. | Summary |
|=========+======+============================================================|
| 1/01/91 | 1.0 | Initial release. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2/05/91 | 2.0 | Added timesetting by modem. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2/16/91 | 2.01 | Changed to ignore DSR and DCD signals to work with more |
| | | modems. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 3/03/91 | 2.04 | Corrected problems with accessing COM3 and COM4. |
| | | Improved validation of incoming data. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4/07/91 | 2.10 | Added "AUTO" command-line option to call NIST and exit. |
| | | Added functions to designate default clock design. |
| | | Added functions to erase and restore clock designs. |
| | | Eliminated need to press <Enter> to save modified clock |
| | | designs. |
| | | Eliminated need for Port Finder in all but unusual cases. |
| | | Separated modem initialization and dial commands. |
| | | Improved default modem initialization commands. |
| | | Corrected problem with "Universal" time zone. |
| | | Corrected problem with recognizing first day of DST. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4/09/91 | 2.11 | Made "DST in Effect" parameter display-only. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4/15/91 | 2.12 | Corrected problem with "AUTO" option. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4/18/91 | 2.13 | Added option to suppress registration reminder screen. |
| | | (Available to registered users only.) |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4/30/91 | 2.14 | Added option to use polled rather than interrupt-driven |
| | | serial I/O. |
|---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------|
| 8/17/91 | 2.15 | Added "UTC Offset" parameter for non-U.S. time zones. |
| | | Removed slash from zero in clock display font. |
| | | Replaced <Ctrl-Alt-S> with "Serial I/O" parameter. |
| | | Added success/fail messages for <Ctrl-S> timesetting. |
| | | Added error messages for PCCLOCK.DAT I/O errors and for |
| | | registration-form printing errors. |
| | | Corrected problem whereby interrupt-driven I/O sometimes |
| | | failed to delay for "~" characters in modem commands. |
| | | Corrected problem whereby polled I/O sometimes locked up |
| | | PC if time set back. |
| | | Corrected problem whereby port set incorrectly if configu- |
| | | ration changed while TSR writing to corner of screen. |
| | | Corrected problems whereby certain sequences of keystrokes |
| | | caused PCCLOCK to abort. |
| | | Added modem dialing commands to user's guide. |
| | | Added port-numbering explanation to user's guide. |
+---------+------+------------------------------------------------------------+
10
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |------------------ Michael J. Sadaway
| ____|__ | Association of Box 128-P
| | |_| Shareware South Walpole, MA 02071
|__| o | Professionals CompuServe: 75046,2272
-----| | |-------------------- GEnie: M.SADAWAY1
|___|___| MEMBER
This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works
for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP
member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP
Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the
ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442, or send a message via
CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
Disclaimer
----------
The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including but not
limited to implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose, with respect to PCCLOCK and the accompanying documentation. In no
event shall the author be liable for any damages, direct or consequential,
arising out of the use of or inability to use this product, even if the author
has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
11
