korn@pavepaws.berkeley.edu (Peter "Arrgh" Korn) (07/23/86)
I have an old SuperBrain system, and I recently purchased an IBM
clone. All of my files are in Lexisoft's Spellbinder, and for the
life of me, I can't get XenoCopy or Uniform to read the disk and
get the files off.
Does anyone out there have ANY ideas? Also, where can I pick up
a terminal program for my SuperBrain (and thus transfer via the
serial port)? And finally, does anyone out there have the
pinouts for the SuperBrain?
Many many thanks to anyone who can help!
(and a bottle of your favorite beer to the one who's fix works!)
Peter
-----
Peter Korn "Fred Astaire? Ginger Rogers did
korn@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU everything he did, backwards
{dual,decvax,sdcsvax}!ucbvax!korn and in high heels!"ghenis.pasa@xerox.ARPA (07/24/86)
Peter, One thing worth trying is to find out IF a diskette WRITTEN ON THE IBM-PC in Superbrain format (using Uniform for example) can be read by your Superbrain. If so then you can use you PC to pick up a copy of Modem7 (to transfer using the XMODEM protocol) from any BBS and pass it on to your Superbrain to enable the file transfer through the serial port (get XModem for your IBM too if you don't have it already). If you're unlucky and the incompatibility goes both ways you will have to contact some user group to see if they can provide Modem7 for the Superbrain in the right format. A third possibility, which is likely since Uniform failed to do the trick, is that your disk drives on one of the machines is out of alignment. If that is the case you may not be able to read floppies produced on any other computer unless you realign them first. A simpler (although unsafe) way to get the files across if proper methods fail is to use PIP With PIP you can send the content of a file to the serial port (consult your CP/M documentation for specifics). On the IBM side, just do a COPY COM1: <filename> to pick up the bytes. This is unsafe because no error checking is taking place, but with a bit of luck the file will make it across in one piece. In any case it won't hurt anything and you can try it right away. Make sure your serial port settings are the same on both ends. To set your serial port, use MODE on the IBM (see DOS manual); in CP/M I think that STAT is the program to use (see CP/M manual). If you try this method, please send out a message to report your results (I've never tried it but it sounds like it should work). If you need to get Modem7 from a user group send me another message, I might be able to help. BTW, some mailer along the line rejected my first message addressed directly to you <korn@pavepaws.ucb-vax.ARPA> as undeliverable (?), so I'm sending my reply to the whole DL. Good luck! -- Pablo Ghenis, Secretary, Osborne Komputer Owners' Klub
ghenis.pasa@xerox.ARPA (07/24/86)
Peter, I forgot to mention that (if the Superbrain has a standard RS232 port) you will need a null modem adaptor in line with your serial cable to do port-to-port transfers. Radio Shack sells these adaptors.
hildum@ucb-vax.ARPA (07/24/86)
Regarding Radio Shack null modem adaptors - you're much better off getting a length of ribbon cable and two db25 connectors from the other side of the store and building it yourself (for about $20 - $30 less). Eric
jeffs@quad1.UUCP (Jeff Sonstein) (07/25/86)
> > Does anyone out there have ANY ideas? Also, where can I pick up > a terminal program for my SuperBrain (and thus transfer via the > serial port)? And finally, does anyone out there have the > pinouts for the SuperBrain? > Main Port Pin # Assignment Direction ===== ========== ========= 1 GND - 2 Transmitted Data Fm SB 3 Rec'd Data To SB 4 RTS Fm SB 5 CTS To SB 6 DSR To SB 7 GND - 15 Transmit Clock To SB 17 Rcv Clock To SB 20 DTR Fm SB 22 Ring Indicator To SB 24 Clock Fm SB AUX PORT ======== 1 GND - 2 Rcv'd Data (NOTE) To SB 3 Transmitted Data Fm SB 7 GND - 20 DTR To SB Jeff Sonstein Quadratron Systems Inc. UUCP: {sdcrdcf|ttdica|scgvaxd|mc0|bellcore|logico|ihnp4}!psivax!quad1!jeffs -------------------- "There is a hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not wave in a vacuum..." -- Arthur C. Clarke -- --