ez001287@deneb (Thomas Lew) (03/22/90)
I need an answer to the ago old question of "How fast can a 128 go?" I now have the need to communicate over my 128's user port (via a RS232 interface add on) at the fastest speed possible. I talked to a Commodore representative over Q-Link, and they told me that the fastest a 64 could communicate over the user port was 1200 baud, and the best a 128 could do was 2400 baud. Searching through my vast array of terminal programs, I found that the top speed supported by any of them for the 128 WAS in fact 2400 baud. However, I know that the machines can be pushed to go faster, because Berkeley Softworks has a program for use with their GEOS line of software that transmits data to LaserWriters over the serial port at 1200-9600 baud (on a 64)! So, I guess the REAL question is: does anyone know of a terminal program for the 128 that allows a communication rate FASTER THAN 2400 BAUD? If so, where can I get it and how reliable is it? It would be very nice if the program were capable of terminal emulations (ie VT52/VT100/ADM31A, etc) although not absolutely necessary. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! ============================================================================= Thomas Lew | "Of course I don't know everything! If I knew ez001287@deneb. | everything I'd run for God!" ucdavis.edu | =============================================================================
umturne4@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Daryl Turner) (03/23/90)
In article <7113@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> ez001287@deneb (Thomas Lew) writes: >So, I guess the REAL question is: does anyone know of a terminal program for >the 128 that allows a communication rate FASTER THAN 2400 BAUD? If so, >where can I get it and how reliable is it? It would be very nice if >the program were capable of terminal emulations (ie VT52/VT100/ADM31A, etc) >although not absolutely necessary. Any assistance would be greatly >appreciated! DesTerm v1.02 will do 9600 baud, apparently very nicely (I'm not sure as I've never pushed it past 2400 )but there are settings for baud rates over 2400. The terminal also has several emulation modes, including VT100, VT102, ANSI, and for just fun on local BBSes, Commodore c/g.) As to where it's available, I picked mine up off one of Mail Servers (I think...or was it an FTP. site..it's a terrible thing when a university student starts losing his memory around exam time.) Daryl Turner <umturne4@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
geoffw@xenitec.on.ca (Geoffrey Welsh) (03/23/90)
In article <7113@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> ez001287@deneb (Thomas Lew) writes: >I need an answer to the ago old question of "How fast can a 128 go?" I >now have the need to communicate over my 128's user port (via a RS232 >interface add on) at the fastest speed possible. I talked to a Commodore >representative over Q-Link, and they told me that the fastest a 64 could >communicate over the user port was 1200 baud, and the best a 128 could do was >2400 baud. The rep should be ashamed of himself. The info, while not incorrect per se, is incomplete. The C128 operating system will not operate a mdoem faster than 2400 bps, and even then not quite perfectly. However, there is nothing to stop a programmer from writing a better RS-232 driver and going plenty faster than 2400. Steve Douglas included a 9600 bps setting in PaperClip II and III for the C128 (though his timing isn't quite close enough to run an autosync modem like a USRobotics HST), and both Chris Smeets (CS-DOS) and Matthew Desmond (DesTerm) have installed my RS-232 drivers in their C128 terminal programs to get accurate 9600 bps, at least for all half-duplex and some full-duplex operations. If statistical duplexing, co-ordinated by hardware handshaking, is also acceptable, baud rates of 19,200 bps or higher can be achieved, but I don't know anyone who has come up with working code for it and I'm not about to spend time on it unless there's something in it for me. I'm not greedy, just busy. OK, so I'm greedy, too. >So, I guess the REAL question is: does anyone know of a terminal program for >the 128 that allows a communication rate FASTER THAN 2400 BAUD? If so, >where can I get it and how reliable is it? It would be very nice if >the program were capable of terminal emulations (ie VT52/VT100/ADM31A, etc) >although not absolutely necessary. DesTerm 128 does 9600 bps, and has damned good VT-102 emulation (including VT-52 fallback) - just about everything except 132 column mode is supported. Of course, I'm biased... but you have nothing to lose from trying it out, except perhaps the time and a small cost to get a hold of a copy. I don't kow if DesTerm can be obtained from an ftp site... sadly, I don't have access to a full TCP/IP machine to make it available. However, you can download DSTRM102.ARC from my machine at (519)742-8939 at 3/12/2400 bps. If you don't have something that handles Chris Smeets' ARC format (NOT compatible with 'standard' ARC), you'll need to d/l a copy of ARC250 as well. Geoff UUCP: watmath!xenitec!zswamp!root | 602-66 Mooregate Crescent Internet: root@zswamp.fidonet.org | Kitchener, Ontario FidoNet: SYSOP, 1:221/171 | N2M 5E6 CANADA Data: (519) 742-8939 | (519) 741-9553 My comments do not represent and should not obligate anyone but myself.
JLB119@psuvm.psu.edu (03/23/90)
According to the documentation, DesTerm 128 is fully capable of flawless
9,600 baud. The author states that is was fully tested and successful using
a popular 9,600 baud modem, the name of which I can't remember.
So, the answer to the question of how fast can it go is simply: Who knows?
There was a point when people thought that the 128 couldn't do more than 1,200.
THat has been proven wrong. Supposedly, many west-coast BBSs won't even
validate a new user if he/she doesn't have a MINIMUM of 9,600, so that seems to
imply that the 128 can surpass 9,600!
John L. Berger >> Penn State: Harrisburg >>specter@disk.UUCP (Byron Max Guernsey) (03/24/90)
In article <7113@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, ez001287@deneb (Thomas Lew) writes: > I need an answer to the ago old question of "How fast can a 128 go?" I > now have the need to communicate over my 128's user port (via a RS232 > interface add on) at the fastest speed possible. I talked to a Commodore > representative over Q-Link, and they told me that the fastest a 64 could > communicate over the user port was 1200 baud, and the best a 128 could do was > 2400 baud. > > > So, I guess the REAL question is: does anyone know of a terminal program for > the 128 that allows a communication rate FASTER THAN 2400 BAUD? If so, > where can I get it and how reliable is it? It would be very nice if > the program were capable of terminal emulations (ie VT52/VT100/ADM31A, etc) > although not absolutely necessary. Any assistance would be greatly > appreciated! > Desterm 128 goes up to 9600 baud if I remember correctly. In fact, a note from the author (Mathew Desmond) in here stated that it outperformed the amiga's 9600 baud terminals. But, I believe it uses flow control during the communication, so you will have watch out and make sure whatever you are using it on can handle the flow control. You can get DesTerm from the Disk Mail Archive, or more than likely every ftp site that supports commodore 128. If you need any more assistance, just ask, my numbers in the book. (grin) er uh, well its specter@disk.UUCP. BTW: If yoyou need plans for building an rs232 interface for c64, Frank Prindle sent his plans to the server and they are available in "other" along with his plans for a midi interface, rgbi-mono interface, and his sid-midi connection program(which is in "music") Adios.. Byron Guernsey -- Byron 'Maxwell' Guernsey | /// //\\ specter@disk.UUCP or | /// // \\ uunet!ukma!corpane!disk!specter | \\\/// //====\\ "No, I fart too." - Mr. Personality | \\\/ // \\ m i g a
wkaufman@oracle.oracle.com (William P. Kaufman) (03/24/90)
OK, here's a tougher one. I've got a C=128, and also a Microcom 9600 baud modem, and, obviously, I want to use the modem for all it's worth. BUT I also need a pliable terminal emulator--one that will allow me to emulate a Data General "Dasher" terminal. Any recommendations? TIA, etc. -- Bill Kaufman hplabs!hqsun2!wkaufman.us
jgreco@archimedes.math.uwm.edu (Joe Greco) (03/25/90)
In article <7113@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> ez001287@deneb (Thomas Lew) writes: >Searching through my vast array of terminal programs, I found that the top >speed supported by any of them for the 128 WAS in fact 2400 baud. However, >I know that the machines can be pushed to go faster, because Berkeley >Softworks has a program for use with their GEOS line of software that transmits >data to LaserWriters over the serial port at 1200-9600 baud (on a 64)! You neglect the fact that sending to a printer is a one-sided operation - a 64 can RECEIVE fine and a 64 can TRANSMIT fine at 9600 but has some trouble doing both at once. On the 128, I believe DESTERM and I *know* CS-DOS's terminal do 9600 beautifully. I believe CS-DOS just went Shareware, too. Oh, and CS-DOS does an impeccable ANSI emulation, at least compared to some IBM's. :-) ... Joe
profesor@wpi.wpi.edu (Matthew E Cross) (03/26/90)
In article <3064@uwm.edu> jgreco@archimedes.math.uwm.edu (Joe Greco) writes: >You neglect the fact that sending to a printer is a one-sided operation - >a 64 can RECEIVE fine and a 64 can TRANSMIT fine at 9600 but has some trouble >doing both at once. I read, at one point, that the 64's serial had no UART chip, that it was implemented in software, and that was why it could not handle speeds above 1200 baud, which may explain why it can handle 9600 one-way. The designers of the 64 probably figured that there would never exist a peripheral for the 64 that would have to do more than 1200-2400 baud, and therefore would be cheaper to implement in software than add a UART chip. My question is, would it be possible to add a UART chip to the 64's bus through the cartridge (for lack of a better name) port, and write a driver for it and change the kernal pointer to from the old serial routine to the new serial routine, so as to make high-speed communications more reliable (I don't think it would require much hardware...)
bowen@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Devon E Bowen) (03/27/90)
In article <10201@wpi.wpi.edu>, profesor@wpi.wpi.edu (Matthew E Cross) writes: > My question is, > would it be possible to add a UART chip to the 64's bus through the cartridge > (for lack of a better name) port, and write a driver for it and change the > kernal pointer to from the old serial routine to the new serial routine, > so as to make high-speed communications more reliable (I don't think it would > require much hardware...) Yep. I've got a 6551 UART hanging off the expansion bus on my c128. Works great in c64 mode, too. The circuit isn't quite portable yet, though. For example, it doesn't work on my friends c64. The bus timing is different on different makes of the machine. I can (and did at one time) post the current schematics for it in PostScript form. But there is a large prob- ability that you will have to debug it for your specific machine. Devon