Whiteline: Alpha/Whiteline Alpha.iso/tools/tospatch/serial/serfx20/serialfx.doc

Text File | 1992-12-14 | 10.8 KB | 265 lines

                               Serial Fix © 1993
                          by Medical Designs Software
                                  Version 2.0

    Written by: Bill Penner and Bruce D. Noonan, M.D.


        This  program may be distributed and used, free of charge, provided
    that  the program is distributed in complete form and UNmodified.  This
    software is not to be sold, however, may be included on disks which are
    sold  for  a  small  handling fee.  Medical Design Software retains all
    copyright   exclusive   rights  except  exclusive  distribution.   This
    software  consists  of  the following files: SERFX20.PRG, SERIALFX.CPX,
    and SERIALFX.DOC (this file).



    PURPOSE

        Serial  Fix  is  now  a  universal serial port patch for use on the
    ATARI  ST/STe/TT  computers.   Serial Fix now incorporates the TOS14FIX
    and SERPATCH patches from ATARI, so no longer do you need several patch
    programs.   A  problem  in the serial port software appears when a high
    speed  or  high speed buffered modem is used in conjunction with ZMODEM
    or  any  near-continuous flow transfer program.  The ST/TT has problems
    properly  recognizing  when  the modem deasserts CTS (telling the ST/TT
    that the buffer is full and don't send any more data), resulting in the
    ST overflowing the modem's buffer.  This results in bad data being sent
    which  results  in  CRC  errors,  packet  size problems, and other data
    transmission errors.

        TurboCTS  (an  old  program  of mine) was only a partial fix of the
    problem.  TurboCTS did manage to speed things up to the point where CTS
    response  was  generally  ok, however, that program did not work on the
    TT,  did not support XBRA programming requirements, and only worked for
    RTS/CTS handshaking.

        Serial FIX works with all versions of TOS from 1.0 through 3.06 and
    FALCON  TOS.   Serial  FIX  supports  both  RTS/CTS,  XON/XOFF,  and no
    handshaking  modes.  The desired handshaking mode is set from the RS232
    control  panel  or other program as you currently do now.  Simultaneous
    XON/XOFF  and RTS/CTS can be selected by locking the RTS/CTS mode on in
    the  SERIALFX  CPX  and selecting XON/XOFF from the control panel/RS232
    CPX.   This is a REAL fix to the RTS/CTS problem.  Previous fixes (like
    my TurboCTS) only fixed some of the symptoms of the problem.

    INSTALLATION:

        Serial  FIX is composed of two parts, a program for the AUTO folder
    and  a  CPX  file to be used with the extensible CONTROL (XCONTROL.ACC)
    panel.













        SERFX20.PRG  is  the heart of the Serial FIX solution.  SERFX20.PRG
    is intended to be installed in your AUTO folder, although it can be ran
    from  the desktop.  Serial FIX replaces the current serial routines for
    the ST compatible port.  The ST compatible port is the only port on the
    ST  and  STe  machines,  or  the  Modem  1  port  on the MegaSTe and TT
    machines.

        SERIALFX.CPX  is  a  control  panel  to be used with the extensible
    control  panel  (XCONTROL.ACC).   The  CPX  is  used to lock the serial
    routines into using RTS/CTS handshaking, regardless of the desires of a
    program.   The  file  SERIALFX.CPX is to be placed in in your folder of
    CPX files (often called 'CPX').

    OPERATION:

        SERFX20.PRG:   Once  the program has been started (either booted in
    the  'AUTO'  folder or run from the desktop), no special operations are
    needed.   The  program  replaces the system routines and the port speed
    and  handshaking  are  set  just  as  they  are now, either by terminal
    software, CONTROL panel, or the extensible control panel.

        SERIALFX.CPX:   This program will allow you to lock the handshaking
    in  RTS/CTS  mode.   This  is often needed because a number of programs
    have  been  written to ignore RTS/CTS mode (like FLASH).  If the CPX is
    not  used  to  lock  the  mode  on, if the mode is set from the control
    panel,  and  a  terminal  program  is started, very likely, the program
    would  turn  off  RTS/CTS.   With  the mode locked, the program will be
    unable  to  disable  RTS/CTS.  The CPX will give you the option to save
    the  current  lock setting.  Saving the setting will cause the selected
    mode  to  be entered every time the CPX boots up.  So, note, to be able
    to  lock the RTS/CTS mode on, you must use both the SERFX20.PRG and the
    SERIALFX.CPX.


    MODEM PROBLEMS:

        If you are having problems getting RTS/CTS to work with your modem,
    you need to check a few things:

        1.    Modem:    You will need to verify that the modem is set up to
    use  RTS/CTS.   For  error correcting/compression modems the command us
    usually  'AT&K3'  to  enable RTS/CTS mode.  Remember, when you get your
    modem working, be sure to save the configuration into the modem with an
    'AT&W'.   If  your  modem  is  a non-error correcting/compression type,
    RTS/CTS  may not be desired as most of the modems do not really support
    RTS/CTS,  and  besides,  it  is  not necessary since the modem does not
    buffer  data.   For  most  modems, if you wish to check to see what the
    settings are, use a terminal program and type 'AT&V' and the modem will
    display the current settings.  Verify the &K option has a 3 shown (i.e.
    &K3)  is  shown in the active configuration portion of the display.  If
    you type the AT&V and the modem replies ERROR, then that command is not
    supported  and  you will have to check the documentation with the modem
    to determine how to verify the setting.













        2.    Cable:     Most  manufactured  RS232  cables  should not be a
    problem,  but some commercial cables and home built cables may not have
    the RTS and CTS pins connected.  For RTS/CTS to work, the RTS pins (pin
    4) and CTS pins (pin 5) need to be connected through the cable.  If you
    want  to  check  the  cable and are familiar with the use of a meter in
    doing  a  continuity test, verify that the pin 4s on the two connectors
    are  connected  together,  the pin 5's are connected together, and that
    the pin 4's are NOT connected to the pin 5's.

        3.   Software incompatiblity: If you are still having problems, try
    removing   all  other  AUTO  folder  programs  and  ACCESORIES  (except
    SERFX20.PRG  and  XCONTROL.ACC).   If things still do not work, you may
    have a hardware problem.

        4.    Hardware Problem:   If you have checked everything above, and
    RTS/CTS  is  still not working, you may have a hardware problem.  It is
    possible  that the RTS or CTS circuitry in the computer or in the modem
    may have failed.  Attempt to use the modem on another computer and/or a
    different  modem  on  your computer to verify whether the problem is in
    the modem or the computer.

        5.    Last  (and hopefully LEAST) possiblity is that there is a bug
    in  my  software (or an undocumented, possibly undesirable, feature, as
    some call it).  Let me know if you cannot get SERIALFX to work and I'll
    see what help I can provide.


    PROGRAMMING INFORMATION:

        This  version  of  the  software is fully XBRA compliant.  When the
    software  starts and installs the replacement routines, the TOS version
    is  checked  to  determine  the  best  method of installation (read for
    maximum speed).  Under TOS 1.0, traps 1, 13, and 14 are intercepted and
    processed.   Under  TOS  1.2,  1.4,  and  1.6 (non-Bconmap() compatible
    machines after 1.2), the xcon vector table is used, and only trap 14 is
    used  to  receive Rsconf() calls.  Under Bconmap() compatiable systems,
    bconmap  (port  6)  and  xcon  vectors  are  modified  so  that no trap
    interception is necessary.

        Other  software  can be used to lock or unlock the serial routines.
    To  perform  this function, look in the cookie jar for a 'MDSa' cookie.
    The long data byte is a pointer to the following data structure:

    struct {
         int  lockfg;        /* RTS/CTS locked flag (bit 1 = locked) */
         int  (*setlock)();  /* Routine to set lock status           */
         char bcon[6];       /* Flag for following table = "BCON"    */
         int  (*auxistat)(); /* AUX port input status routine        */
         int  (*auxin)();    /* AUX port input character routine     */
         int  (*auxostat)(); /* AUX port output status routine       */
         int  (*auxout)();   /* AUX port output character routine    */
         long (*rsconf)();   /* Rsconf() routine for AUX port        */
         struct *iorec;      /* Pointer to Iorec buffer              */
    } serfx;













    The lock status is set by pushing an integer with the value of either 0
    (to disable lock) or 1 (to enable) and then jsr'ing the setlock routine
    (i.e.  (*serfx->setlock)(1)  to enable the lock).  The call can be made
    in user or super mode.

    Direct  access  to  the ST compatible serial port.  This is intended to
    provide  faster  access  to serial routines on systems running an older
    version  of  TOS.   Access  to  the  routines  is the same as accessing
    current Bconmap compatible routines.


    WRAP UP

        As  normal,  PLEASE  let  me know if you have any problems with the
    program.  I have attempted to make the program as compatible with other
    software as possible.

    Bill Penner
    3235 Wright Avenue
    Bremerton, WA  98310-4753

    Phone: [phone] (before 9pm Pacific)
    GEnie: BPENNER


    CHANGES SINCE VERSION 1.0

        Two  bugs  that  were  discovered were fixed.  Both bugs would only
    occur  if  no  cookie  jar  was  found.  One bug resulted in creating a
    cookie  jar  that  was  full of garbage and the other would not build a
    cookie  jar.  The second bug was the more common, which would result in
    the  CPX  reporting  that  the  program  was  not  loaded.  Running the
    SERIALFX.PRG program a second time often worked to fix the problem.

    CHANGES SINCE VERSION 1.1

        Two  more  bugs  were  found that prevented the software from being
    loaded  on  some  systems and a couple of obscure problems were fixed.
    SERPATCH  and TOS14FIX routines have been incorporated to make SERIALFX
    a  universal patch.  A new vector table was added for people who wanted
    to  have  faster access to the original ST serial port so that software
    can  directly  interface to the serial routines (as with newer versions
    of  TOS)  to  bypass  the  overhead  in  exception  vector  execution.
    SERFX20.PRG replaces the older SERIALFX.PRG.