forde@EGLIN-VAX.ARPA.UUCP (04/23/87)
ProTERM seems to be one of the best new modem programs to come along in quite a while, surpassing even MouseTalk in its ease of use and overall capabilities. I haven't yet bought the program but it looks like I will. In the mean time, I did have occasion to correct an apparent bug on a friend's machine. He was running Proterm on a //e with an Avatex 1200HC modem. Unfortunately, the Avatex is missing from the installatZK +9+so he had it installed as a Hayes Smartcom 1200. The problem he encountered only occurred when he attempted to call a number that was busy. The Avatex does not recognize a busy signal but depends on a time-out value (in seconds) stored in register 7. Although you can set up the initialization string to set this register to any value, Proterm apparently resets register 7 to 90 seconds regardless of the value you request. Your value shows up in the DIAL menu and in the dialing countdown but when the countdown gets to 1 second to go the mode[=c 9until 90 seconds expires. The only way out is to turn the modem off and bac (that is unless you don't mind waiting for 90 seconds between each auto-dial attempt). The solution is a simple sector edit in the PT.BIOS file. Using you favorite sector edi_Kc@locate track $1C, sector $08 95change byte $A7 from $39 (low ASCII 9) to $33 (low ASCII 3). Write this back to disk and you're all set. Now, the value you select for carrier delay will be the value used. NOTE: Make sure you do this do a working copy of your disk and not to your original. Also, if you've modified you disk in any way, such as copying the files in a different sequence from the original, the track/sector info may not be the same. If so, search for the sequence 'ATS7=90' and make the modification to it there. That sequence oCKshowed up once on the disk I examined. Unfortunately for me, ProTERM offers only limited printer/interface support which doesoBinclude an install option for my MicroTek Dumpling-GX (among others). If this shortfall is corrected, ProTERM will move to the top of my acquisition list. ------
forde@EGLIN-VAX.ARPA.UUCP (04/25/87)
ProTERM seems to be one of the best new modem programs to come along in quite a while, surpassing even MouseTalk in its ease of use and overall capabilities. I haven't yet bought the program but it looks like I will. In the mean time, I did have occasion to correct an apparent bug on a friend's machine. He was running Proterm on a //e with an Avatex 1200HC modem. Unfortunately, the Avatex is missing from the installation menu so he had it installed as a Hayes Smartcom 1200. The problem he encountered only occurred when he attempted to call a number that was busy. The Avatex does not recognize a busy signal but depends on a time-out value (in seconds) stored in register 7. Although you can set up the initialization string to set this register to any value, Proterm apparently resets register 7 to 90 seconds regardless of the value you request. Your value shows up in the DIAL menu and in the dialing countdown but when the countdown gets to 1 second to go the modem holds the line open until 90 seconds expires. The only way out is to turn the modem off and back on (that is unless you don't mind waiting for 90 seconds between each auto-dial attempt). The solution is a simple sector edit in the PT.BIOS file. Using you favorite sector editor, locate track $1C, sector $08, and change byte $A7 from $39 (low ASCII 9) to $33 (low ASCII 3). Write this back to disk and you're all set. Now, the value you select for carrier delay will be the value used. NOTE: Make sure you do this do a working copy of your disk and not to your original. Also, if you've modified you disk in any way, such as copying the files in a different sequence from the original, the track/sector info may not be the same. If so, search for the sequence 'ATS7=90' and make the modification to it there. That sequence only showed up once on the disk I examined. Unfortunately for me, ProTERM offers only limited printer/interface support which doesn't include an install option for my MicroTek Dumpling-GX (among others). If this shortfall is corrected, ProTERM will move to the top of my acquisition list. Eric S. Ford Forde@Eglin-Vax.Arpa ------