1193 lines
35 KiB
Plaintext
1193 lines
35 KiB
Plaintext
______________________________________
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ZMAGAZINE 85 December 23, 1987
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______________________________________
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Special Edition Part 3 of 3 parts
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Best of Technical Help Columns
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______________________________________
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Series compiled and edited by:
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Ron Kovacs
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Published by: Ron Kovacs
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(c)1986, 1987 Syndicate Services/Rovac
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Assistant Publishers: Ken Kirchner
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Susan Perry
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______________________________________
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Xx A Few Notes...
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______________________________________
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Here is the 1988 Schedule for Zmag!
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NEW PUBLISHING DAY ANNOUNCED
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We will release new issues of Zmag
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every Monday.
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Issue 87 1/ 4/88 Issue 88 1/11/88
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Issue 89 1/18/88 Issue 90 1/25/88
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--------------------------------------
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Issue 91 2/ 1/88 Issue 92 2/ 8/88
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Issue 93 2/15/88 Issue 94 2/22/88
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Issue 95 2/29/88
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--------------------------------------
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Issue 96 3/ 7/88 Issue 97 3/14/88
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Issue 98 3/21/88 Issue 98 3/28/88
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--------------------------------------
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We will update this schedule if needed
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after this run of issues. Issue 87
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will be Volume 3 Number 1.
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______________________________________
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Xx INDEX 85
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______________________________________
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<*> A Few Notes.............Ron Kovacs
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<*> 256/320K Ramdisk....Steve Ingalsbe
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<*> Modify 850 Express......Ol Hackers
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<*> SG10 Printer Driver
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<*> SX212 Review...........Bob Woolley
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<*> 850 Modification........Mike Davis
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<*> Speaker Addition.....Mr. Goodprobe
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<*> 1050 Notes.................Ed Chop
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<*> Notes on XModem...........TeleTalk
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<*> DataPac Parameters......Ken Watson
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______________________________________
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256/320K Ramdisk
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______________________________________
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256XL/320XE Ramdisk Installer Version
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1.0 Distributed by the Twin Cities
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ATARI Interest Group (TAIG), Mpls.
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Minnesota Original program by Claus
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Buchholz - 320XE modifications
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by Steven Ingalsbe
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The need for this program arose after
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I had modified my 130XE into a 320XE.
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The only DOS I had that would work
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with all of the extra memory was
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SpartaDos. This is a nice Dos, but
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does not allow me to use the warp
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speed of my INDUS. I also use a
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modified Dos 2.0 a lot, and had no way
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of using it with the 17 banks of
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memory that I now had. I tried loading
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one of Claus'QXL files into my system,
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but it just locked up. I got a copy of
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the source code and looked it over.
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The only problem I could see was the
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way he was switching the OS off, so I
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changed that portion of the program so
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it would work with all the XL/XE
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series (it should work with a modified
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1200XL also!).
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The program loads the XL/XE operating
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system into the underlying RAM and
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then turns off the ROM Operating
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System(OS). Next it loads the Ramdisk
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handler over the European character
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set and then hooks itself into the
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system. This handler (like Claus'
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original)does not format the drives on
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powerup. You must do that with the I
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function of DOS, or use a XIO 254 from
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BASIC (drives 3 & 4).
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I also made a few other minor changes.
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I reassembled some of his code to
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different memory locations; his code
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was at the end of ATARI DOS. Many
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third party Dos's use more memory than
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ATARI Dos, so I moved the code up. It
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has been tried with ATARI Dos 2.0, and
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2.5 as well as Dos 2.6 (highly
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modified). It also will work with
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MYDOS,TOPDOS, and SMARTDOS. I have not
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been able to get it to work correctly
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with DOSXL, it will only setup 1
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single density RamDisk. I feel that 1
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single density RamDisk with
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Synchromesh is better than none.
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There are 2 popular programs that will
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not work with this handler-SPARTADOS
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and BASIC XE. Both of these programs
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need the RAM under the OS for their
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own use, and we have that tied up.
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SpartaDos has its own 256XL and 320XE
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handlers so that is no big problem,
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but there is no cure for BASIC XE,
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sorry. There may well be more programs
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that will not work, but most do.
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There are a few other things you
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should know. Don't press system reset;
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it will cause the system to
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reinitialize. This causes the system
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to go back to the ROM OS. If you do
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press system reset, you can get back
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to the RAM OS by POKEing 54017,252.
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Also, make sure that you set your DOS
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up for the added drives. Most DOS's
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are shipped set up for 2 drives. I
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always set mine up for 4 (2 physical
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and 2 RAM drives). All of the DOS's
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that I have seen use location 1802 as
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the number of drives location. All
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that you have to do is POKE 1802,X
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then goto DOS and write the new DOS
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files. The change will now be
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permanent. Use this guide to find the
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right number:
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# of drives POKE 1802 with
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=================================
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1 1
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2 3
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3 7
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4 15
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NOTE:The drives are set up as 3 & 4,
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so you should POKE 1802,15 unless you
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have more than 4 drives.
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______________________________________
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Xx Modifying BBS Express (850)
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______________________________________
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From:The Ol' Hackers BBS(516)-884-4140
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If you have an AVATEX 1200 or the
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AVATEX 1200hc this modification may
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help your log-ons.
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I made these mods because I didn't
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like the fact that the users had to
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hit Control-M or S to log-on the 850
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version of BBS EXPRESS, so I modified
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a few bytes to allow the users to log
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on by just hitting the Return.
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The mods are split-up into to Two
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Parts, Part(A) is for the non-HC
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version of the AVATEX, and Part(B) is
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the change for the AVATEX 1200HC.
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The two area's which you are going to
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change affect the baud step rates and
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the defaults of the the EXPRESS BBS
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program for your modem to pick the
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phone by starting the baud rate at 300
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baud.
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When BBS EXPRESS 850 hangs up the
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modem, it initializes the modem to
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default configurations, and sets the
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port and modem back to 300 baud. We
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are going to modify part of the code
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in EXPRESS BBS. So don't use your
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original disk, and get your favorite
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disk sector scanner. I suggest that
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you use DISKWIZ II, if you have it.
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First format a disk in ATARI DOS 2.0
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S/D and don't write any DOS files to
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the disk. Now copy BBS.COM to your
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formatted disk.
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PART -A- AVATEX 1200 Non HC
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Starting at sector 68;
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With byte $38 $00 $0A $0C
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-- change this to $0A $00 $0A.
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$00=300 Baud
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$0A=1200 Baud
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$0C=2400 Baud
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Since you have the AVATEX 1200, byte #
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$32 should be changed to $0A for 1200.
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Now write sector 68 back to the disk.
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Starting at sector 271
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With byte $39
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Your changing the text, which tells
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the printer log and the user at what
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Baud rate he or she logged on with.
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$33 $30 $30 $04 $31 $32 $30 $30 $04
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$32 $34 $30 $30
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$33 $30 $30=text 300 $31 $32 $30 $30=
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text 1200 $32 $34 $30 $30=text 2400
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I made the following changes; $33 $30
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$30 to $48 $2F $53=H/S for 1200 Baud.
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$31 $32 $30 $30 to $53 $6C $6F $77=
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Slow for 300 users.(hint to get them
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to change over to 1200. $32 $34 $30
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$30 to $20 $48 $2F $53= Blank Space
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then H/S, 1200 again.
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Now write that sector back to your
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disk. That's it for the non-HC AVATEX
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1200.
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PART -B- AVATEX 1200 HC Mods
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Use the changes in -Part A- with the
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following additional change.
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Starting at sector # 274
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At byte $58 $A0 $00 $8C $7B $30 Change
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the $00 at byte $59 to $01 $00=300
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Baud $01=1200 Baud $02=2400 Baud
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Now write this sector back to your
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disk and BOOT up.
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Things that will change with your
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log-ons.
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1) Non HC AVATEX: after the first line
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of garbage the 1200 user only hits the
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Return key once and he gets the HIT
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RETURN prompt. No more hitting the
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Control-M or S keys or having the user
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log-on first in ASCII then changing
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over to ATASCII.
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2) The AVATEX HC, will at the connect
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automatically prompt the 1200 users to
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HIT RETURN without any key strikes at
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all.
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Note: I'm sure that the -HC- changes
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will work with any modem that is a
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Hayes compat or the the real Hayes
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1200. Also PARTS -A and B- will work
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with both versions of the AVATEX,
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however, the non HC version will show
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the user the ATA command then prompt
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them to HIT RETURN.
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Special thanks to Keith Ledbetter for
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writing the NEVER crashing BBS EXPRESS
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and to Chris King for the Hard Drive
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back-up program (HARDBACK). Both
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authors are with ORION Micro Systems.
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_____________________________________
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Xx SG10 Printer Driver
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_____________________________________
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After 2 years of frustration and many
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dollars spent on -custom- printer
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drivers, I think I have a solution.
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Below is a printer driver that I have
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been using with great success to solve
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many of the Star Gemini - AtariWriter+
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problems. It may give you some ideas
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to help you build one that will suit
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your own needs.
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UNDERLINE DRIFT
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Most of my word processor print outs
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require underlining in NLQ. If you
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have tried this with inverse video
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underline command you will have a
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problem with what is called underline
|
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-drift-. The words and underline
|
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-drift- down as the printer does half
|
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spacing. Since I seldom have need for
|
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superscript or subscript, I have
|
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eliminated the type font macros for
|
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these and substituted direct codes for
|
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underline on and underline off (AW+
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[controls G8 and G9 are what I use].
|
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My printer driver allows for the use
|
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of inverse video when in draft mode.
|
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To underline in NLQ I use the G8 to
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begin underline and G9 to end
|
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underline. NO DRIFT!! Many times I
|
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will creat my document using inverse
|
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for rough drafts and then when I am
|
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ready for final print out go back and
|
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visually key off the inverse video,
|
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insert the G8 and G9 codes there and
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-undo- the inverse video using
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[control] U.
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You will also find that the G8 and G9
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codes will give you a -solid-
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underline (underlining the spaces
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between words as well).
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TURNING OFF NLQ AND MIXING FONTS
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My printer driver allows some degree
|
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of flexibility to change fonts using
|
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the -G- codes. You will note that all
|
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Font type commands begin with 27 66 5.
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This is the SG10 code to turn off NLQ.
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If you are in NLQ and want to change
|
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to italics with double strike you may
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do so with G5 and G7 command. If you
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look at the G1 (pica) commands you
|
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will see the commands to turn off all
|
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the other font styles. It is important
|
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to remember that you MUST -pass
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through- G1 to move from all
|
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typestyles except NLQ or you might get
|
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some funny looking print outs.
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In effect G1 will -undo- everything
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(except underline) and put you back in
|
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draft mode. If you have need for
|
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subscript and superscript AND NLQ
|
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underlining, you may need to make
|
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modifications to this program. This
|
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can be done by substituting sub and
|
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superscript for perhaps Elite and
|
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condenced fonts. If you do this be
|
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sure to also substitute the -turn off
|
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commands- in the G1 (pica) codes. It
|
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would be a good Idea to keep a print
|
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out of which G codes you are using for
|
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what on hand.
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It may also be necessary to build more
|
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than one driver if your documents vary
|
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in format. Hope this is of some help
|
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to all the SG10 users.
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CODES TO ENTER FOR EDITOR PROMPTS:
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Underline off blank
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Underline on blank
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Backspace 8
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Elongate off 27,87,0
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Elongate on 27,87,1
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Bold off 27,70
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Bold on 27,69
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Up 1/2 line blank
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Down 1/2 line blank
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Down 1/2 line and CR blank
|
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Return w/o line feed 155
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Font Type Codes
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=========================
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1 Pica 27 66 5 27 53 27
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72 27 112 0
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2 Condensed 27 66 5 27 66 3
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3 Proportiional 27 66 5 27 112 1
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4 NLQ 27 66 4
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5 Italics 27 66 5 27 52
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6 Elite 27 66 5 27 66 2
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7 Double Strike 27 66 5 27 71
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8 Underline on 27 45 1
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9 Underline off 27 45 0
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______________________________________
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Xx SX212 HARDWARE REVIEW
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______________________________________
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by Bob Woolley
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For those of you with no modem, or a
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SIO connect 8-bit modem, or a 300 baud
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modem (leave anybody out?), Atari has
|
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got a great new product for you - the
|
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SX212 1200 baud modem. It has a
|
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standard RS-232 interface for those
|
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users with an 850, or an ST, or a P:R
|
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Connection and an SIO connector for
|
|
those 8-bitters who lack an RS-232
|
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box. It is Hayes compatible and even
|
|
has a nice row of LEDs accross the
|
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front of the unit to keep you informed
|
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of its status (High Speed, AutoAnswer,
|
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Carrier Detect, Off Hook, Receive
|
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Data, Send Data, Terminal Ready, and
|
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Modem Ready).
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The best thing about this guy is that
|
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it only costs $99.95 - List Price. A
|
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product of increasing integration, it
|
|
is another level up on the path to
|
|
single chip, 1200 baud, modems - much
|
|
like the 300 baud XM301 that preceded
|
|
it.
|
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|
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I can remember my first RS-232 modem.
|
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It was also Hayes compatible, which
|
|
seems to mean that it has to have 6
|
|
million switches set before your
|
|
computer will talk to it. Not the
|
|
SX212. Absolutely nothing to set on
|
|
this guy. Move it from your 8-bit to
|
|
your 16-bit system ... works just fine
|
|
with no switch juggling. Aren't any to
|
|
mess with, anyway. My X-Ray Vision
|
|
tells me that there are jumpers
|
|
inside, but it isn't something the
|
|
average guy is going to fool with. I
|
|
tried the 212 on my ST with FLASH.
|
|
Although I am not any kind of TP
|
|
expert, the modem worked just fine. It
|
|
seemed to be perfectly happy with
|
|
XModem downloads and such. Even the
|
|
operator trying to interrupt my call
|
|
didn't bring down the modem. Lots of
|
|
garbage, but carrier stayed up. This
|
|
is exactly what the computer industry
|
|
needs - an affordable product that you
|
|
just pull from the box and run!
|
|
|
|
When it came to my 8-bit system, I hit
|
|
a little snag. Since the modem would
|
|
connect to the SIO port, it has to
|
|
either emulate an 850 and the Hayes
|
|
modem, or not emulate the 850 and not
|
|
work on my 8-bit. Guess which one I
|
|
got?? Works just fine on the P:R
|
|
Connection as a Hayes (knew that since
|
|
it worked on the ST) . Didn't work at
|
|
all as an 850. I tried a Status
|
|
command to every address on the SIO
|
|
buss and got no response from the SX.
|
|
One thing for sure, no matter how it
|
|
works, the modem requires a handler.
|
|
Some devices load their own handler
|
|
and some programs replace them with
|
|
the handler that the program wants.
|
|
So, without a handler, I had no chance
|
|
to make the thing work. If the device
|
|
didn't even talk to the CPU on the SIO
|
|
buss, how could the handler talk to
|
|
the modem? The XM301 modem came with
|
|
an excellent communications program
|
|
and plenty of documentation on disk to
|
|
fully describe the handler necessary
|
|
for that device. I quickly learned
|
|
that an SIO cable (which is not
|
|
included in the box - for obvious
|
|
reasons. You can't use the SIO feature
|
|
without the handler) and a version of
|
|
EXPRESS will become available from
|
|
Atari at some future date. I should
|
|
hope so. Not requiring a P:RConnection
|
|
or an 850 can save an 8-bit user as
|
|
much as the cost of the modem itself.
|
|
This is one of the greatest assets of
|
|
this device, the ability to run
|
|
without additional interfaces.
|
|
Needless to say, this was most
|
|
discouraging. Maybe a little hacking
|
|
could help?
|
|
|
|
There was (is?) a company called
|
|
Advanced Interface Devices that made a
|
|
simple RS-232 adapter for the Atari
|
|
SIO buss. Since the SIO is already a
|
|
serial buss that can be programmed to
|
|
operate in almost any mode, they
|
|
thought they could just write a
|
|
handler and wire up a cable that would
|
|
suffice for RS-232 operation. They
|
|
produced the R-Verter and managed to
|
|
do exactly what I described - run the
|
|
SIO as an RS-232 serial interface.
|
|
With this in mind, and a little more
|
|
X-Ray Vision, it appeared that Atari
|
|
was using the same method on the
|
|
SX212. There is a two chip modem set,
|
|
a couple of RS-232 receiver/driver
|
|
chips, an audio amp, an LS logic chip,
|
|
and some sort of clock generator
|
|
inside this modem. It would be very
|
|
unusual for a modem chip set to be
|
|
able to talk to an Atari SIO buss
|
|
directly (the XM301 uses a
|
|
microprocessor to operate as a modem
|
|
and to talk to the buss). So, I had to
|
|
conclude that Atari used the R-Verter
|
|
approach. Close inspection of the SIO
|
|
pins indicate that the -Command line
|
|
(pin 7) is not even connected in the
|
|
SX212. No way to do SIO without that
|
|
pin. No SIO means an RS-232 emulator.
|
|
The only one that I am aware of is the
|
|
AID R-Verter.
|
|
|
|
So, I logged on to CompuServe and
|
|
looked for an R-Verter handler in DL2.
|
|
Luckily, I found exactly what I needed
|
|
in a file called RVHAND.XMO. It is an
|
|
R-Verter handler that has been re-
|
|
compiled for use with HOMETERM.
|
|
Following the RVHAND.DOC file, I
|
|
created a copy of HOMETERM that would
|
|
run on the R-Verter. Booted up on my
|
|
SX212 and got the 850 status screen.
|
|
Even though the modem is directly
|
|
connected, the program thinks it is
|
|
talking thru an 850. All the commands
|
|
that I needed worked just fine on
|
|
HOMETERM-downloads, disk directories,
|
|
pauses, everything! Tom Neitzel has
|
|
passed on the word that the same
|
|
handler will allow the SX212 to run
|
|
Amodem 7.4, a program that I am not
|
|
familiar with, but is very popular. I
|
|
have not tried to replace the handler
|
|
in EXPRESS with the R-Verter code. I
|
|
don't think that task will be as
|
|
simple as re-compiling the code, since
|
|
EXPRESS seems to use all available
|
|
memory. None the less, those 8-bit
|
|
users who own SIO connect 300 baud
|
|
modems can upgrade to the SX212 and
|
|
start tele-computing immediately with
|
|
Amodem or HOMETERM.
|
|
|
|
One or two more comments.
|
|
|
|
The manual states that the modem
|
|
cannot be used on an 800XL with a
|
|
cassette recorder. The Motor line is
|
|
fed into the modem and is grounded
|
|
thru a 680 ohm resistor. This appears
|
|
to upset the 800XL or the recorder or
|
|
somebody. I don't see any significant
|
|
differences between the 800XL and the
|
|
rest of the Atari line in this
|
|
respect, so expect this restriction to
|
|
apply to all 8-bit models.
|
|
|
|
A suggestion is made to place the
|
|
modem on top of your disk drive and
|
|
the phone on top of the modem. Some
|
|
telephones have magnets in them - put
|
|
it someplace else if you are not sure.
|
|
Some disk drives generate considerable
|
|
heat, while the SX212 seems very cool.
|
|
I put my modem under my drive, leaving
|
|
the vents on top of the drive clear
|
|
for good cooling.
|
|
|
|
The bottom line on this modem is that
|
|
it is a great value for the money,
|
|
performs well and can be used on
|
|
either 8 or 16 bit systems with a
|
|
minimum of expertise. The 8-bit
|
|
software is not yet available from
|
|
Atari, but even that can be fixed for
|
|
the time being. No modem offers you so
|
|
much for so little. Don't overlook
|
|
this bargain!!
|
|
______________________________________
|
|
Xx 850 INTERFACE MODIFICATIONS
|
|
______________________________________
|
|
by Michael T. Davis
|
|
|
|
Since I run a BBS here in Ohio, I have
|
|
the -need for speed- that most SysOps
|
|
who run Atari (8-bit) based BBS'
|
|
usually have. One of the things I
|
|
discovered early in my BBS setup,
|
|
though, was that the software I was
|
|
(and am) using (Carina) did not handle
|
|
premature logoffs well. Instead of
|
|
detecting the loss of carrier
|
|
immediately, it just timed out. I was
|
|
almost positive there had to be a
|
|
better way.
|
|
|
|
The second problem I was encountering
|
|
had to do with the fact that the 850
|
|
doesn't reset per se. To reset the
|
|
interface, you have to toggle the
|
|
power switch off and on. This can get
|
|
annoying if you are constantly
|
|
switching telecommunications software
|
|
or if your 850 is in a hard-to-reach
|
|
place.
|
|
|
|
Solution One:
|
|
|
|
First of all, it would simplify
|
|
matters greatly if you have a 130XE.
|
|
While the modifications I am going to
|
|
describe should work with all (8-bit),
|
|
Ataris I can only give specific
|
|
directions for the 130XE, as that is
|
|
what I use. At points throughout the
|
|
text, I will offer possible
|
|
alternatives, when I am utilizing an
|
|
XE-only feature.
|
|
|
|
The 130XE does not use trigger input
|
|
four from the missing joystick four
|
|
port. We can use this input on the
|
|
GTIA chip (pin ten (10)) to monitor
|
|
the Carrier Detect line in the 850
|
|
almost constantly. (By the way, this
|
|
would be a good time to put in a plug
|
|
for Sam's Technical Reference Sheets..
|
|
they're great for just this kind of
|
|
work.) Anyway, first identify the
|
|
Carrier Detect (CRX) line on port one
|
|
of the 850. Looking at the port, CRX
|
|
is the fourth pin from the left on the
|
|
top row. Now follow this line into the
|
|
850. You are trying to find capacitor
|
|
number 117 (C117). It will be the
|
|
next-to-last capacitor in a row of
|
|
capacitors. We will attach a jumper
|
|
wire to the side of C117 that runs to
|
|
the 6532 RIOT (RAM, Input/Output,
|
|
Timer) chip. Solder it in at that
|
|
point any way you like.
|
|
|
|
The other end is a bit tricky for non-
|
|
XE owners. Actually, the XL series
|
|
could probably follow the XE scheme,
|
|
but the locations of the circuitry
|
|
will be different. For XE/XL owners,
|
|
solder the other end to pin 12 of the
|
|
SIO port (either one). Pin 12 is the
|
|
top right pin, as you look at the
|
|
port. If you're doing this for a 400/
|
|
800 setup, you might try pins 9 or 13.
|
|
Note that using either of these,
|
|
however, will prevent use for their
|
|
original purposes (Proceed and
|
|
Interrupt lines, respectively). This
|
|
isn't too big of a deal, since no one
|
|
has taken advantage of these lines to
|
|
date.
|
|
|
|
As for the computer side, simply
|
|
solder a wire directly from pin 10 of
|
|
the GTIA chip to pin 12 of the SIO
|
|
port. Users of computer models other
|
|
than the 130XE should connect this
|
|
line from the GTIA to the appropriate
|
|
SIO line..the same line they connected
|
|
the jumper wire to in the 850.
|
|
|
|
Now determining the status of CRX is
|
|
simply a matter of a PEEK to location
|
|
53265 ($D011). It will be either on
|
|
(1) or off (0). CRX provides an
|
|
inverted output; that is, if you get a
|
|
1, then there's NO carrier, a 0 means
|
|
there is a carrier.
|
|
|
|
Solution Two:
|
|
|
|
Find pin 1 of the 6507 in the 850.
|
|
This is the Reset line (and it is
|
|
active low). To reset the interface,
|
|
we will run a line from this pin,
|
|
through the SIO cable, to pin 39 of
|
|
the PIA. Note that this will prevent
|
|
the use of a cassette recorder (but
|
|
then who does serious work on cassette
|
|
nowadays, anyway). Connect a wire from
|
|
pin 1 of the 850's 6507 to pin 8 of
|
|
the SIO port. Now, the tricky part: in
|
|
the computer, cut the trace to pin 39
|
|
of the 6520 PIA. MAKE SURE YOU ONLY
|
|
CUT THAT ONE TRACE!!! Also, to make
|
|
sure we are geting a clear signal, it
|
|
would be a good idea to cut the trace
|
|
at pin 8 of the SIO port in the
|
|
computer, too. Then connect a wire
|
|
from pin 39 of the PIA to pin 8 of the
|
|
SIO port within the computer.
|
|
|
|
To reset the 850 now, we need to lower
|
|
bit 3 of PACTL (54018; $D302). In
|
|
BASIC, this is accomplished with POKE
|
|
54018,52:POKE 54018,60. (60 resets
|
|
PACTL to its original value and puts
|
|
the 850 back in -normal- mode.) Note
|
|
that if you wish to write an assembly
|
|
language routine to accomplish this,
|
|
you should use a suitable delay
|
|
between the time that you lower the
|
|
bit and the time you raise it back to
|
|
logic one.
|
|
|
|
Conclusion:
|
|
|
|
If you have any problems, or you just
|
|
want to get in touch with me, I may be
|
|
reached on CompuServe's Atari 8-bit
|
|
SIG (ATARI8). My User ID is 72337,2075
|
|
I am also online in Columbus, Ohio on
|
|
most of the major Atari BBSes,
|
|
including Pandora (614-471-9209) and
|
|
ACEC (Atari Computer Enthusiasts of
|
|
Columbus; 614-471-8559).
|
|
______________________________________
|
|
Xx SPEAKER ADDITION
|
|
______________________________________
|
|
Those Were The Good Old Days
|
|
|
|
by Mr. Goodprobe
|
|
|
|
Ah, remember when you could go down
|
|
the boardwalk and smell the nuts
|
|
roasting in the little shops, bikini's
|
|
were the most eye-catching thing
|
|
around beside mini-skirts, and
|
|
skateboards had metal wheels? Some of
|
|
the things from then I dearly miss,
|
|
and others not at all! Those killer
|
|
metal wheels on skateboards quickly
|
|
disposed of several pairs of jeans in
|
|
my teenage years, and accounted for
|
|
numerous shredded elbows, knees and
|
|
jackets!
|
|
|
|
The Atari 800 had one of the finest
|
|
keyboards available on the home
|
|
computer market, and the entire unit
|
|
was designed with longevity in mind.
|
|
One nice touch the 800 possesed which
|
|
was eliminated with the advent of the
|
|
XL series was the internal speaker. I
|
|
can remember a game I used to enjoy on
|
|
the 800 whose name escapes me at the
|
|
moment. The general idea was to spray
|
|
the garden with bug spray to rid your
|
|
plot of pesky bugs that would flutter
|
|
about and devour your veggies. As the
|
|
bugs appeared on the screen, from the
|
|
internal speaker would arise such a
|
|
clatter that you would really have to
|
|
stop as it sounded for all the world
|
|
that they were ACTUALLY inside your
|
|
beloved computer...it was an uneasy
|
|
feeling to be sure! Now, just because
|
|
you upgraded to an XL/XE doesn't mean
|
|
you have to do without this feature
|
|
any longer! This will be one of the
|
|
simpler projects you will undertake,
|
|
but its rewards for the installer will
|
|
far exceed the effort expended. This
|
|
article will cover the version I
|
|
whipped together for the 800xl, and
|
|
next issue we will share the version
|
|
for the 130xe with you.
|
|
|
|
Parts you will need:
|
|
|
|
1. Diode: Part # ECG 177
|
|
2. Transistor: Part # ECG 123AP
|
|
3. Capacitor: .001 @ 50v
|
|
4. Resistors: 1k 1/2 watt
|
|
100 ohm 1/2 watt
|
|
5. Speaker: 8 ohm 1/2 or 1 watt
|
|
variety (The smaller the physical
|
|
size the better)
|
|
6. Small hook-up wire
|
|
|
|
Construction:
|
|
|
|
Dissemble your 800XL, remove keyboard,
|
|
metal shield, and screws and place
|
|
these items safely aside. You will not
|
|
need to remove the PC board from the
|
|
bottom of the case.
|
|
|
|
1. Attach wire to bottom side of
|
|
C23. This capacitor can be easily
|
|
located by first looking directly
|
|
between the RF modulator and the
|
|
cartridge slot on the right. find the
|
|
middle ground between these 2 points,
|
|
then mentally draw a line 3 inches
|
|
long back toward yourself from this
|
|
point and you see C23. Just above and
|
|
to the right of this part is a small
|
|
electrolytic standing on end. Found
|
|
it? Good!
|
|
|
|
2. At the other end of the wire
|
|
attach your 1k 1/2 watt
|
|
resistor.
|
|
|
|
3. The neatest way to build this
|
|
project is to build a large portion of
|
|
the needed circuitry right onto the
|
|
speaker itself.
|
|
|
|
Using the lead placement chart solder
|
|
the collector of your ECG 123AP
|
|
transistor to one of the lugs on the
|
|
speaker.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
\ * * * /
|
|
\ E B C /
|
|
\ /
|
|
\------------------/
|
|
|
|
(Bottom view with pins facing toward
|
|
you)
|
|
|
|
4. Grasp your ECG 177 diode, and
|
|
connect the end which DOES NOT have
|
|
the band on it to the same lug on the
|
|
speaker as you connected the collector
|
|
of the transistor to.
|
|
|
|
5. Connect the front (banded) end
|
|
of the diode to the other lug of the
|
|
speaker.
|
|
|
|
6. Connect the 100 ohm resistor to
|
|
lug of the speaker with the banded end
|
|
of the diode.
|
|
|
|
7. Connect the .001 capacitor to
|
|
the base of the transistor.
|
|
|
|
8. Connect the free end of the 1k
|
|
resistor to the base of the
|
|
transistor.
|
|
|
|
9. Locate the small 8 pin IC.
|
|
notice the small dot on the bottom
|
|
left corner. This is pin 1. Count over
|
|
to pin 4, this is the point we will
|
|
use for ground. Connect a wire here.
|
|
|
|
10. Connect the other end of this
|
|
wire to the following parts:
|
|
|
|
A: The free end of the .001 capacitor
|
|
B: The emitter lead of the transistor
|
|
|
|
11. Locate C14. This capacitor is
|
|
located directly to the left of the
|
|
modulator. The top of this cap is our
|
|
5v source. Solder a lead to this
|
|
point.
|
|
|
|
12. Connect the free end of this
|
|
lead to the free end of your 100 ohm
|
|
resistor.
|
|
|
|
All that remains to be done is locate
|
|
a spot to mount the speaker inside of
|
|
the cabinet of your XL. The smaller
|
|
the physical size of the speaker you
|
|
have chosen, the easier your task for
|
|
finding the needed space will be.
|
|
|
|
Also, it might be wise to use
|
|
electrical tape to insulate all
|
|
exposed wire leads of your add-on to
|
|
avoid any future problems.
|
|
|
|
Keep those Atari's hummin'!
|
|
Mr. Goodprobe
|
|
(on lend from) Midtown TV
|
|
Atari 8/16 Sales/Repair (216) 633-0997
|
|
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx 1050 Notes
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
By:Ed Chop
|
|
|
|
Did you know that Atari made two 1050
|
|
drives? The newer drives are Tandon
|
|
drives and the older drives are WST
|
|
(World Storage Technologies). It seems
|
|
that the WST drives are quieter and
|
|
more reliable, but the belts are more
|
|
expensive. The WST drives are
|
|
generally not marked as to
|
|
manufacturer, but they have NOVACON
|
|
motors.
|
|
|
|
What about these cheap SD drives you
|
|
see advertised in Computer Shopper all
|
|
the time? Can you use them on your
|
|
Atari? Well....yes ....and no. You
|
|
can't use them without modifying the
|
|
drive or your computer.
|
|
|
|
By adding a microprocessor and
|
|
interface circuits to the drive you
|
|
could probably get it to work with
|
|
your Atari just like a 1050. But an
|
|
easier way may be to take the
|
|
mechanical drive assembly from the
|
|
cheap drive and wire it to the 1050
|
|
electronics. And why go through all
|
|
this trouble? Because the cheap drive
|
|
that you want to buy should be gear-
|
|
driven. They are MUCH quieter and
|
|
reliable. According to Bob Wooley,from
|
|
the Compuserve Atari Sig Community,
|
|
the drive must be one that draws less
|
|
power than the original. Bob says that
|
|
you may burn up your driver
|
|
transistors, although he hasn't tried
|
|
it himself, yet.
|
|
|
|
Another way would be to add a PIO to
|
|
your computer. That's a parallel I/O
|
|
adapter. Mmmmmmmm..sounds interesting,
|
|
huh? Well it seems our friend Bob
|
|
Wooley is working on such a project.
|
|
The PIO board will plug into the PIO
|
|
port in the XL with a 24- cable. The
|
|
information for building the PIO will
|
|
be available on the Atari Sig when he
|
|
has it completed. By adding the proper
|
|
controller chip to the PIO, you can
|
|
run the new drive with your Atari. But
|
|
Bob has a better idea. How about a
|
|
parallel 1050 drive that can load a
|
|
disk in 10 seconds? Got your
|
|
attention, huh? Well, he has an
|
|
interface card planned that will plug
|
|
into the PIO to run your 1050. That,
|
|
too, will be available on the Atari
|
|
Sig. We'll be looking forward to that
|
|
hardware project.
|
|
|
|
What's Atari doing to enhance their
|
|
drives? Well, to start with, Bill
|
|
Wilkinson is working on a new DOS
|
|
called A-DOS. Although originally
|
|
planned for the promised 3.5 inch
|
|
disk, now scrapped, A-DOS is being
|
|
designed for a new DD 5.25- drive from
|
|
Atari.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx NOTES ON XMODEM
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Ctsy TeleTalk Magazine Issue 12
|
|
|
|
QUESTION: -I use XMODEM across the
|
|
system and transfers take twice [or
|
|
thrice] as long as they should. Why?-
|
|
|
|
ANSWER: As best as I can tell, the
|
|
information we were passed from the
|
|
Net Exchange BBS was well-meaning but
|
|
wrong. Here is the scenario as I
|
|
figger it--someone let me know if I'm
|
|
wrong, too.
|
|
|
|
XMODEM sends data in a 132-byte block
|
|
that resembles a mini-packet:
|
|
|
|
<----------Direction of transmission
|
|
|
|
[SOH] [#] [#] [DATA] [CHK]
|
|
| | | | |___ChkSum
|
|
| | | +128 bytes of data
|
|
| | |_________ block number
|
|
| |_____________ Block number
|
|
|_____Start of header (ASCII 01)
|
|
|
|
This closely matches the size of a
|
|
Telenet packet (generally 128 bytes)
|
|
and can, for our purposes, be
|
|
considered a packet's worth of data.
|
|
PC Pursuit is set to forward data
|
|
only on full packets and on expiration
|
|
of idle timers (which are set for 1/10
|
|
second).
|
|
|
|
The delay occurs because a connection
|
|
through PC Pursuit goes through four
|
|
modems and two entirely separate data
|
|
transmissions. Each block of data
|
|
must undergo the following (assuming
|
|
a download from the BBS to the user):
|
|
_____ _________ __________
|
|
| |__ ( )__ | |
|
|
| BBS | /__( PDN ) /___|PCP user|
|
|
|_____| (_________) |________|
|
|
|
|
|_____| |_______| |_______|
|
|
| | |_____ 1.1
|
|
| |_Variable (0.1/1+
|
|
|__________1.1 seconds
|
|
|
|
That's potentially 3+ seconds to
|
|
transfer data that would take slightly
|
|
over 1 second to transmit in a direct
|
|
connection--maybe 35% efficiency.
|
|
|
|
To make matters worse, the
|
|
acknowledgment (ACK) from the user to
|
|
the BBS may take upwards of a second-
|
|
-instead of a fraction of a second-to
|
|
be transmitted back into the network,
|
|
have idle timers expire, be forwarded
|
|
to the outdialer, and be transmitted
|
|
to the BBS. As you can see, though,
|
|
the real delay is *not* because of the
|
|
delay in sending the ACK, but because
|
|
the block size and packet size so
|
|
nearly match, the two computers are
|
|
almost never working simultaneously.
|
|
|
|
A protocol that uses a larger block
|
|
size--YMODEM, for instance--will run
|
|
faster over the system, but not
|
|
because it needs fewer
|
|
acknowledgements. Instead, while
|
|
sending the larger block, it causes
|
|
data forwarding on a full-packet
|
|
condition. After the first packet
|
|
gets sent, both machines are doing
|
|
work for most of the rest of the
|
|
transmission, as such:
|
|
|
|
BBS USER
|
|
--- ----
|
|
Start of 1K block
|
|
Sends packet 1 Does nothing
|
|
Sends packet 2 Receives packet 1
|
|
Sends packet 3 Receives packet 2
|
|
Sends packet 4 Receives packet 3
|
|
Sends packet 5 Receives packet 4
|
|
Sends packet 6 Receives packet 5
|
|
Sends packet 7 Receives packet 6
|
|
End of 1K block
|
|
Sends packet 8 Receives packet 7
|
|
Does nothing Receives packet 8
|
|
(Of course, the BBS is not really
|
|
sending the *packet*, just a packet's
|
|
worth of data.)
|
|
|
|
In effect, YMODEM wastes only 2 of
|
|
every 9 128-byte transfers; it should
|
|
run at about 75% efficiency. In
|
|
addition, since it only has a single
|
|
ACK per kilobyte (instead of 8), less
|
|
time is spent in waiting for the idle
|
|
timer to expire.
|
|
|
|
Of course, to make things more
|
|
confusing, there are XMODEM packages
|
|
using 256-byte and 1K blocks and
|
|
XMODEM packages that allow a -window-
|
|
of unacknowledged blocks to be sent,
|
|
among other flavors.
|
|
|
|
Recently, the default parameters for
|
|
the PC Pursuit ports were changed; by
|
|
whom, I don't know. For best results,
|
|
users should break to command mode and
|
|
set X.3 parameters 1 and 10 to 0
|
|
(disables break to command mode and
|
|
word wrap) and set ITI parameter 57 to
|
|
1 and parameter 63 to 0 (enable 8-bit
|
|
transparent mode). This is all done
|
|
with similar commands as those issued
|
|
when connecting to Exec PC.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx DATAPAC PARAMETERS
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Ctsy CompuServe Atari8 Sig
|
|
|
|
#: 188501 S2/Telecommunications
|
|
26-May-87 02:14:07
|
|
Fm: Ken Watson 73157,3100
|
|
To: John Oetter 73657,771 (X)
|
|
|
|
Hi John,
|
|
|
|
The method you describe will work if
|
|
you are going through a Datapac public
|
|
dialport but not if accessing Datapac
|
|
through iNet 2000. iNet will _NOT_
|
|
allow the user to have a transparent
|
|
profile (which is what PROF 3 is
|
|
suppose to give you) so you cannot do
|
|
any Xmodem U/L to CIS if you are using
|
|
Datapac through iNet.
|
|
|
|
For downloads I use a slightly
|
|
different PAD paramater which is as
|
|
follows:
|
|
|
|
PROF 1
|
|
SET 6:0,126:4
|
|
|
|
like PROF 3 you won't be able to see
|
|
your last bit of typing. Unlike PROF 3
|
|
(correct me here if I am wrong about
|
|
PROF 3), you will get your character
|
|
echo back after you do the D/L and
|
|
your profile will remain open for
|
|
subsequent downloads while you remain
|
|
on CIS.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, until iNet installs new
|
|
software that will allow 8 bit
|
|
transfers you cannot U/L to CIS if you
|
|
are using DATAPAC through iNet so poor
|
|
schmucks like myself continue to be
|
|
able to D/L from CIS but not do any 8
|
|
bit U/L.
|
|
|
|
Ken
|
|
|
|
Background
|
|
|
|
Datapac essentialy invloves itself as
|
|
a middleman. When you type a letter,
|
|
Datapac decides who it is going to,
|
|
sends it, and in this case, is echoed
|
|
back by Compuserve. This involves
|
|
time delays that make it next to
|
|
impossible to download! The packet
|
|
switching used by Datapac can be
|
|
overcome.
|
|
|
|
Solution
|
|
|
|
The trick is to get Datapac to switch
|
|
off the packet switching. So here's
|
|
what you do:
|
|
|
|
Type a CTRL-P <^P> This is a Datapac
|
|
access code. Then type PAR followed by
|
|
a <CR>. Type PROF 3 <CR> (you will not
|
|
be able to see what you are typing)
|
|
Type SET 2:1 <CR> <CR>
|
|
|
|
Now type in the Compuserve forum
|
|
commands to download.
|
|
|
|
Once again the sequence should go:
|
|
|
|
1. CTRL-P
|
|
2. PAR <CR>
|
|
3. PROF 3 <CR>
|
|
4. SET 2:1 (remember, you won't see
|
|
this line) <CR>
|
|
5. <CR>
|
|
|
|
Happy downloading and uploading! If
|
|
you have any comments or suggestions,
|
|
please let me know!!
|
|
John Oetter 73657,771
|
|
______________________________________
|
|
ZMAGAZINE 85 Special Edition 12/23/87
|
|
Next Issue: 12/30/87
|
|
BBS Systems Issue.
|
|
(c)1987 Ron Kovacs
|
|
Volume 2 Number 52
|
|
______________________________________
|