Documentation for Crab's terminal which is to be sent to registered users.
@CRAB'S Terminal - System summary
A Commodore 128, a 1571 or 1581 disk drive, a modem (1670, 1660, 1650 or Hayes) and a color monitor are needed to use the program properly. An Epson compatible printer and a Commodore 1351 mouse will also be recognized by the software. Crab's terminal was partly written in Basic 7.0, partly in machine language.
@Installing Crab's Terminal
If you obtain the program in the form of a self-dissolving archive (SDA), then run this file. Make sure that you have the files
@CRAB'S TERMINAL, /CRAB'S, /CRAB.UT
on the disk. You are now ready to enter
@RUN "CRAB'S TERMINAL"
on your keyboard.
@Getting help
You will find this software easy to learn and use. But, if after reading this manual you still have difficulties operating the program, you can drop me a line explaining your problem at the following online services:
Genie: SLAROCHE
Compuserve: 73017,2632
or by regular mail at:
3654 Henri-Julien
Montreal, Quebec
Canada, H2X 3H5
@Description
Crab's terminal is a full-featured terminal emulation program offering the user a greater control over his system. Terminals emulated are VT100, IBM3101, ADM3A, TVI925 and ANSI. The execution of the program is controlled from menus. Items in the menus can be selected by using the CURSORS and RETURN keys, a joystick plugged in port #2 or a mouse plugged into port #1.
You can maintain as many phonebooks as you like, each one containing nineteen entries. You can then use the phonebook to dial one or more numbers, or even use it with "Call-Back" system. A buffer of 50K is also available along with a good file management system.
The user will also find an extensive Preferences menu where various parameters, including color, can be adjusted. These settings can then be saved for later retrieval.
Users of Lobster Terminal will notice that RLE capabilities have been suppressed. If you still need these graphics, I suggest that you keep a copy of Lobster Terminal on a
separate disk
@How to use Crab's Terminal
I will here give a brief description of all the menus and their respective functions.
@1. Directory
When you first choose this option, the directory of the disk is read in memory and the directory is displayed in a window. If there is more files on the disk that can be displayed on the screen, then you will have to press the number of the page you want to see (usually one or two). Also, if you do not swap disks or drive or do not modify the pattern (explained below), the program will know that the directory is in memory and will display it without going to the drive. This improves disk accesses remarkably.
- List : This option asks for a pattern and then list the directory. The pattern can be anything allowed by the DOS (see your disk drive user's manual). This option is useful when you want to change the current disk, drive or pattern.
- Page : Display the following directory page.
- Command : Use this option to send a DOS command or to read the error channel (by pressing RETURN at the prompt).
- Type : After choosing a file, you will the be presented with the option of printing it, viewing it on the screen with or without Ascii conversion.
The other commands, rename and delete are quite self explanatory.
@TERMINAL MODE
This option must be used only to send commands to the modem. You should select EXIT TO TERMINAL if you are already online.
The following functions are available whe
The following functions are available when you are in terminal mode:
C= 0 or
HELP key : HELP facility
C= 1 : Toggle receiving buffer ON/OFF
C= 2 : Toggle local echo ON/OFF
C=3 : Send ID as defined in the phonebook
C=4 : Send PASSWORD as defined in the phonebook
C= 5 : Download / Upload window
C= 6 : Return to main menu (without disconnecting)
C= 7 : View buffer
Press SPACE to scroll the text, STOP to terminate. If the buffer is longer than one screen, then you can press '-' on the keypad to get the same action as C= - (see below).
C= 8 : End the communication
C= 9 : Define the programmable keys.
(Valid for the current session only)
C= + : Line mode, ideal for CB simulation.
You can type on a reserved line and you have access to the cursor keys, INST and DEL keys to edit this line, which will not be sent until RETURN is pressed. When data is received, it is printed on the screen without disturbing the line you are currently typing.
- other C= commands are not accessible while in this mode.
- Press STOP to exit at any time.
C= - : Screen dump facility
<< Press STOP to abort at any time >>
Choose lines to send with the cursors (up or down) and select with the + key or cancel your selection with the - key. When you are ready to send, press RETURN. You can then send the selected lines to the modem, the printer or the buffer. This facility can also be used to send part of the buffer to the printer or modem (see C= 7).
@NOTE:
When you are sending to the modem, every line is correctly sent even if garbage appears on your screen.
STATUS LINES
Top line:
TTY 1670 1200-Full-8-N-1 Data drive: 8 50644 Bytes free
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
(1) : Terminal type
(2): Modem type
(3): Communication parameters currently in use
(4): Drive used for the Directory, Buffer and Upload menus
(5): Bytes free in buffer. The buffer does not "auto-save"; be sure to save it before it becomes full.
Bottom line:
Connect: 00:00 Time: 00:00 | b e v c i | Standard Ascii
(1) (2) (3) (4)
(1) : This clock starts when a carrier is first detected and is reset when the carrier is lost.
(2): 24 hour clock. This clock is set in the Preferences menu.
(3): Flags
'b' : indicates if buffer is open or closed.
'e' : indicates echo mode
'v' : turned on if the buffer is being viewed
'c' : indicates if a carrier has been detected
'i' : insert mode (not present on TTY and ANSI terminals)
(4): Indicates the function of the keypad for the VT100, IBM3101 terminals or the character set in use for the TTY and ANSI terminals.
@Upload/Download
This menu is accessed from terminal mode by pressing C= 5. Four protocols are available when downloading. They are Xmodem, Punter, Xmodem CRC and B protocol. The last two are not available for uploading, but you may upload without protocols. This last option is useful when sending letters.
If you are not a registered user,
@you won't be able to transfer any file.
@KEY Definition
When editing an entry from the phonebook, or after pressing C= 9 when in terminal mode, choose a key number corresponding to the keys F1-F8 and enter your definition. You may press STOP at any time to quit this area.
To enter control codes in the definition, press ESC followed by the letter of the code.
Eg. ESC-C => Control C
ESC-M => Carriage Return
ESC-ESC => Escape
This convention is also valid for the ID and PASSWORD fields of the phonebook.
@PREFERENCES
Choose SET PARAMETERS to modify one or more of these:
2400 Baud factor : Increase or decrease this number slightly if there is a lot of transmission errors at 2400 baud.
Xmodem buffer : This controls the size of the receiving buffer when downloading with xmodem. The faster the disk drive, the larger the buffer should be (1571 => 20).
Initialization command : Any command you want to send to your 1670 or Hayes compatible upon initialization of the program. The command should be entered in lower case letters only.
Phonebook name : The name of the phonebook you want to have in memory when first running the program. If none is specified, the first one on the disk, if any, will be loaded.
Dialing delay : The time you want the program to wait when dialing before the line is disconnected. This number is used when dialing from the keyboard, from terminal mode or from the phonebook if the priority (see below) is set to DEFAULT.
Priority : You decide if you want the terminal emulator and the dialing delay parameters to come from the phonebook or from the preferences.
Sound : Controls the alarm when dialing or transfering a file.
ng a file.
is last option is useful when sending letters.
If you are not a registered user,
@you won't be able to transfer any file.
@KEY
Carrier bit : For the 1670, this should be set to
but if you use another modem and the carrier flag is on, then set the carrier bit to
Monitor : Choose color for a color monitor or mono for a monochrome monitor.
Choose SET COLORS to change all the colors in the program except for the color of the windows which will always be white.
Choose SET TIME to enter the time into the system. The time is expected to be in a 24 hour format (Ex. 090534 for 9:05 and 34 seconds).
You can save more than one set of parameters. The program will always load the first one on disk upon booting up.
@BUFFER
If the buffer is empty, the directory will be displayed and you will be presented with the following options:
- List : Same as in the DIRECTORY menu.
- Page : Same as in the DIRECTORY menu.
- Load : Select a filename and this file will be loaded
into the buffer.
If the buffer is not empty, you will also have access to the following options:
- Print : Print the entire buffer on device 4.
STOP aborts the printing.
- Type : View the buffer on screen. Pressing any key will "smooth scroll" the screen. STOP aborts at any
time.
- Save : Save the buffer in Petscii (SEQ format).
@DIAL OR ANSWER
- The Phonebook
The maximum number of entries in the phonebook is 19, but you may have as many phonebook as you need. There must be at least one entry to DIAL, EDIT, DELETE or SAVE from this menu.
Once you have entered a phone number using ADD, you can dial. Select DIAL from the menu and choose an entry by pressing RETURN. If you want to dial more than one system (multi-dialing), than select the systems with the right cursor key and press RETURN when finished (selected systems are in green).
When multi-dialing, you have the option of, at the
waiting for carrier
message, pressing RETURN to skip to the next number or STOP to abort dialing. The CLEAR
When multi-dialing, you have the option of, at the
waiting for carrier
message, pressing RETURN to skip to the next number or STOP to abort dialing. The CLEAR option in the menu is used to erase all your selections.
Call-back : There exists a security scheme where you have to type in something like ATDT 999-9999,,,,,,XXXXXXX (where XXXXXXX is your access number) and then the system calls you back. It is possible to use this feature with the phonebook: when editing, instead of entering the phone number, enter a slash (/). Then go to the key definition area and define key #1 as above (with the command in lower case). You are now ready to dial this system in the same manner as any "regular" system.
Your phonebook must have a name in order to be saved; select NAME from the menu. This will be the name to enter in the Preferences if you want this particular phonebook to be loaded when booting Crab's terminal.
- Dial from keyboard
Enter a phone number. The communication parameters will be the ones defined in the Preferences menu.
- Redial
Dials the last number entered in the
Dial from keyboard
option.
- Answer now
Sets the modem to answer mode and waits for a carrier.
- Answer at a ring
Choose at which ring you want Crab's terminal to answer. When the number of rings required is detected, the modem goes into answer mode.
Terminal emulators
@TTY:
All control characters are available, plus
CLR, clears the screen
HOME, sends a control-S
CURSOR DOWN, sends a control-Q
STOP, sends a control-C
With the 40/80 key, you can select which character set you want to use
With the 40/80 key, you can select which character set you want to use, as indicated on the status line at the bottom.
@ANSI:
You will find this terminal useful for communication with IBM PCs. Once again, the 40/80 key selects which character sets is going to be used (Ascii or Extended Ascii). If you choose Ascii, any incoming commands for changing colors will be ignored.
@Other terminals:
See respective user's manual for more information (VT100, ADM3A, IBM3101, TVI925)
STOP, emulates the break or PA1 key.
HOME, emulates CLEAR EOLN.
CLR, emulates CLEAR.
DEL, emulates DEL or BACKSPACE.
INST, sends a control-H.
With the 40/80 key, you select whether you will be using the numeric keypad to send Terminal Mode commands or PFK's (as defined on most IBM mainframes): 1 to 9 acts as PFK 13 to 21
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