Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (05/05/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Thu, 4 May 89 Volume 89 : Issue 49
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
AT&T Modem 2224 CEO (need help)
Re: Dictionary file of words wanted
Hercules Graphics Problem
Re: printing italic characters with an IBM Proprinter
Problem with Turbo-C
Re: Floppy Status
Hard Disk problems - story continues
Hercules mouse driver
Reminder-type programs for the PC/PC-Clones
How to add a Hard Disk to an IBM PC Portable
Re: Floppy Status and 'Disk change'
Postscript & LPS40
Problems with FDFORMAT utility (2 msgs)
Problems with BYTE Magazine
VAX FTP Problems
Windows 386 problem
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Date: 4 Apr 89 02:39:34 GMT
From: killer!jccc@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Juan Castillo)
Subject: AT&T Modem 2224 CEO (need help))
I need some help with my AT&T 2224 CEO modem. I have an ATT6300 pc
and I'm using ProComm Plus for communications package, this is my problem:
After the far end answers it takes about 8 to 10 seconds before i get the
CONNECT message. I have tried just about every combination of dip switch
settings and several of the AT commands. The same thing happens when I use
XTALK as the comm package, even after setting the options according to the
manual that came with the modem. Does anyone out in the Net-land have any
ideas?
Thanks in advance
Juan Castillo
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 89 10:57:51 EDT
From: James R. Van Zandt <jrv@mbunix.mitre.org>
Subject: Re: Dictionary file of words wanted
Bill Campbell writes:
> I'm currently working on a computer science class team project
> writing a program which will play boggle. One of the hurdles we've
> stumbled upon is finding a list of words to build a dictionary from.
The Austin Code Works offers a dictionary of 234932 words for $60. They
can be reached at 11100 Leafwood Lane, Austin Tx 78750-3409, 512-258-0785
(voice), 512-258-8831 (BBS), or acw!info@uunet.uu.net.
I haven't dealt with these folks myself, but they offer a LOT of source
code and data on disk.
- Jim Van Zandt
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 89 13:22:42 CDT
From: Z4664324 <Z4664324%SFAUSTIN.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu>
Subject: Hercules Graphics Problem
I recently decided to start programming bit-mapped graphics in BASIC, for
my hercules graphics compatible card. I read the manual and it said that
I needed to set port 3B8 ( mode select register ) to reflect graphics mode
on, enable video signal, and set page number. The manuas said this was
all I had to do to access graphics, all I had to do now was poke to the
right locations.
Here is a rough sketch of what I did:
OUT 3B8,10
DEF SEG = &HB000
BYTE = 2000hex * ( Y modulo 4 ) + 90 * int( Y/4 ) + int( X/8 )
BIT = 7 - ( X modulo 8 )
POKE BYTE,BIT
where X=0 to 719 and Y=0 to 347 ( position on screen )
When I execute the poke I do not get any graphics on the screen, but I
occasionally get a character between chr$(0) and chr$(7) on the bottom of
the screen.
I don't even think I was able to access graphics mode, because when I use
a graphics program, the flushot+ symbol turns into a group of dots on the
upper right corner of the screen, but when I am trying to set graphics
mode the "+" stays at the top of the screen.
This is all I know, Can anyone help me??
MIKE MORAS <Z4664324@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 89 17:11:30 MET+0100
From: ACEVERJ@HUTRUU0.BITNET
Subject: Re: printing italic characters with an IBM Proprinter
In Digest 89/43, Terry Lewis posted a query about trying to get an IBM
Proprinter print italic characters. He mentioned that he couldn't find an
escape sequence to do this.
I'm afraid the Proprinter has no italic characters in its ROM, so there's
no way to get them out of it. You'll have to put them in yourself, in the
printer's RAM, that is, by downloading the bit patterns for italic charac-
ters to the printer whenever you want italic printing. Escape- and other
sequences for doing this are listed in the printer's manual. What it boils
down to is:
1) you tell the printer you want to use its RAM for download characters
instead of for buffer space;
2) you tell the printer which ASCII values you're going to assign to your
characters;
3) you send the printer the character-bitmaps;
4) every time you want an italic character printed, you tell the printer
you want to use its download character set instead of its ROM characters,
next you send the ASCII value of the downloaded character you want,
finally you tell the Pro to get back to its ROM (upright) characters.
All this may sound a wee bit tedious, but it's really pretty straightfor-
ward. Any program in BASIC or whatever may be used to send the bitmaps to
the printer. The above is not the only way to do it. If you're working
with WordPerfect 5.0, for example, you can assign the codes for your
characters to a font in the printer definition (.PRS-)file for the
Proprinter, and let WP do the job of sending the stuff whenever it's
needed.
You don't have to invent the wheel for the shapes of your characters: in
any Epson FX-80 or Star SG-10 manual (and in many others, I guess), you'll
find them. Transfer the dots the drawings are made up of into bytes, 11
for each character, and that's it.
Finally, if you want *nice-looking* but *slooooow-printing* italics, you
could turn to something like the BRADFORD program in Simtel's
PD1:<MSDOS.PRINTER>BRDFORD2.ARC -archive file. The ideas mentioned above
are for draft quality characters - this one makes them NLQ-ish.
As I enjoy messing around with printers, mail me if the above isn't enough
to help you out. Hope this helps for a start, though.
Regards,
Jaap Verhage : ACEVERJ@HUTRUU0.BITNET
Academic Computer Centre, State University at Utrecht
Holland.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 89 15:24:18 IST
From: Sefi Merkel <SEFI%BGUVM.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu>
Subject: Problem with Turbo-C
Hi
I am working with Turbo-C ver 2.0.
A few days ago I got a nice library to use with Turbo C. My problem with
this library is that the procedure names don't start with the underline
character. Thus, the linker can't find them.
I tried to use generate without underline option in turbo-c but got a lot
of errors from the linker because it couldn't find _main().
So, I guess my qauestion is how do I declare that just for some procedurs,
the compiler wont generate a name in the object that start with underline.
-Sefi
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 May 89 10:23:24 +0300
From: "Yuval Tal (972)-8-474592" <NYYUVAL@WEIZMANN>
Subject: Re: Floppy Status
I think that the best way to do the same as PC-BACKUP is to VERIFY a
certain track and check the error that came back. I don't remember the
service number but one of the dos interrupt ($21) services can do so.
After verifying, check the return code. Make a simple routine that
verifies a certain track. Keep verifying it until the return code is the
one you like.
Yuval Tal (NYYUVAL@WEIZMANN)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 89 19:47:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Duchowski <jd3a+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Hard Disk problems - story continues
Hello there,
A while back I described several problems that occured after I chnaged
the interleave factor on my hard drive from 3:1 to 2:1 using IAU19A. Since
I belived that the drive could be rescued, I used HD-DIAGS (Adv. HD Utils)
from pd1:<msdos.dskutl> and hace low lelev formatted the drive and changed
the interleave back to 3:1. Somehow, the drive did `come back' and now it
essen- tially behaves as brand new. However, I found that I could not
restore my PC BACKUP software on it due to numerous CRC errors. So, my
first question is:
(1) is this because they were backed up when the interleave was 2:1 and
I'm attemting to restore them to a drive with interleave at 3:1 ?
Since I thought I rather be on the safe side, I bought a Seagate 251-1
from Compu Add Corp. Some more problems surfaced. Even though I used the
enclosed Disk Manager software, which apparently initially recognized the
drive correc- tly, I tried using it to obtain a 30/10 Meg partition. Then
the problems started, as I was getting an I/O error for every sector for
every head. When I stopped the process, The response was that the drive is
configured for 617 x 6 when is is actually 819 x 6 (or something like
that), even though Disk manager reconfigured CMOS at startup to take care
of the drive type.
I initially suspected out controller, which did display a degree of
flakeaness on some occasions, but exactly the same problems occured on
another AT (a slightly newer model, ca. 1985 whereas the first one was ca.
1983). So, my questions are:
(2) Is the new drive causing the problem here?
(3) Are the old controllers in these machines causing this problem?
(4) Are the old ATs simply not capable of handling a 40 Meg drive (on the
old AT diagnostics limit derive types from 1-15 an on the newer one from
1-47)?
Would anyone ought there be kind enough to give me some instructions on
how to proceed and whether any of the above makes sense. I thought that
one would or should be able to upgrade older equipment to newer standards
with just such procedures. Apparently there's more to it that that.
Thanks for any hints, comments or instructions,
Sincerely,
John Duchowski
BITNET: jd3a+%andrew.cmu.edu@cmccvb
y612jd3a@cmccvb
INTERNET: jd3a+@andrew.cmu.edu
y612jd3a@vb.cc.cmu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 89 10:31:05 EDT
From: James R. Van Zandt <jrv@mbunix.mitre.org>
Subject: Hercules mouse driver
On Apr 16, I wrote:
>> I bought a used Logitech C7 serial mouse some time ago, and I've run into
>> some trouble getting it run on a Hercules clone card. It works fine in
>> text mode, but won't display the cursor in graphics mode...
Martin Grossman <grossman@BBN.COM> and Dan Poirier <poirier@cs.unc.edu>
sent solutions for the problem...
> poke 6 for herc screen #0 or
> poke 5 for herc screen #1
>
> into the BYTE at 0040:0049.
I tried it, and it worked.
Also, Dan Fandrich <shad04@ccu.umanitoba.ca> wrote:
> Logitech has a BBS system set up that allows file transfer. Last I
>checked, they had version 3.42 of the mouse driver on-line. Their number
>is: (415) 795-0408 It might be worth a try.
I haven't gotten through to them yet.
Thank you very much!
- Jim Van Zandt
( ...poking magic values into mysterious addresses...
you'd think it was a *&$@ COMMODORE... :-)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 89 21:49 EDT
From: <KISMET%UMBSKY.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Reminder-type programs for the PC/PC-Clones
Hi,
I am looking for information concerning Reminding/Calendar programs for
the PC or PC-compatible. Any information is appreciated. Please respond to
me, as I do not subscribe to this list.
Thanks in advance,
Ted
/*
* Ted Corning "Blah!" *
* UMass/Boston *
* Computing Services *
* System Manager SysMgr@UMBSKY *
* (617) 929-7800 Kismet@UMBSKY *
*/
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 89 19:14:05 PST
From: David Schachter <david@daisy.uucp>
Subject: How to add a Hard Disk to an IBM PC Portable
Anyone know how to add a hard disk to an IBM Portable PC?
-- David Schachter
/ ...!ucbvax!imagen!atari--\
david@daisy.uucp OR + ...!uunet-----------------!daisy!david
\ ...!pyramid--------------/
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 89 05:48:50 -0500
From: Robert W. Pearson <sl161023@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Re: Floppy Status and 'Disk change'
Apparently PC Tools Backup merely continuously calls "absread"
until it gets an error and then assumes a disk has been removed. Then the
next wait is for a good read, thus signaling a disk has been replaced in
the drive. I cannot remember if "absread" does the retries on error or
not so the people at Central Point Software may have written their own
"absread" that returns immediately. Come to think of it - I am sure they
did write their own since they pack 400k onto the 360k disks and my bench
marks say they do write to 1.44meg disks fatser than the DOS "abswrite" at
full tilt from C (even writing the same data over and over again).
Robert W. Pearson
gold.bacs.indiana.edu::pearsonr
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 89 20:11 EDT
From: V095JUHX@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu
Subject: Postscript & LPS40
Has anyone had any experience printing Postscript files created on a
micro, using Quattro, Microsoft Word, and the like on the LPS40 laser
printer? I keep getting error messages when I try to print. Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have already tried the
/notranslation and /error qualifiers. Is there anything else that might do
it?
Thanks in advance
Jon Luntz V095juhx
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 May 89 00:09:07 EDT
From: ARMENGAU%FRECP12.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Problems with FDFORMAT utility
I have problems to read back diskettes that have a non-conventional
format, even with the FDREAD TSR. The problems begin only after a reset.
Is it my computer or a bug in fdformat ?
Joel Armengaud
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 1989 11:22 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Problems with FDFORMAT utility
Joel, you must run FDREAD again after a reset. When you reset the
computer it reboots, which causes all TSRs to be removed.
I have forwarded your message to the author whose address is:
HOCHSTAE@DMRHRZ11.BITNET
--Keith Petersen
Maintainer of Simtel20's CP/M, MSDOS, and MISC archives
Internet: w8sdz@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil [26.2.0.74]
Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 89 22:29 N
From: <PAAI%HTIKUB5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Problems with BYTE Magazine
I'm angry at BYTE. Very angry.
To start with, it is totally unacceptable that both subscribing and
processing a change of address takes more than three months. I don't care
whether it is only the European branch that works so inefficiently or that
the service in the USA is as bad.
Worse: I think they try to cheat you. Processing a change of address may
take three months. BUT why DO they ask for payment of the next
subscription half a year before the subscription ends. Regardless of
whether or not you pay, just a month before your subscription actually
ends, they try to make you pay again!
I don't know about marketing methods in the States, but we Europeans take
a very dim view of such methods. Therefore I decided not to renew my
subscription and i give my students the same councel.
So if you have the same experience, just buy BYTE from the stands. They
will not like that and perhaps they'll mend their ways...
Hans Paijmans
PAAI@HTIKUB5.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1989 02:01 MDT
From: "Frank J. Wancho" <WANCHO@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: VAX FTP Problems
> There does seem to be one "odd" thing about it, the file greater than
>32KBytes error that was mentioned also nails me unless I "kick" the system
>with a keyboard input that generates an error reply. For some reason the
>quote "type l 8" doesn't work unless it is preceeded by nothing more than
>the word binary which generates the error (see my sequence below).
>Hugh,
The reason you *must* give the binary command is because it preconditions
your ftp program to create the receiving file as a binary, rather than
ASCII or some other format file. The "error" message you get from the
SIMTEL20 end is nothing more than a warning message - a reminder, if you
will - that the command our FTP server just received is possibly
inappropriate for the transfer about to occur. It won't prevent the
transfer in that mode. But, because the binary command sent a TYPE I
command to our end, which, to this machine, means the same as TYPE L 36,
our server would not send you the bits you expected - you would get all 36
bits - nine 8-bit bytes out of each pair of 36-bit words:
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx0000xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx0000
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
instead of just the first four 8-bit bytes out of each 36-bit word in the
file. The BINTNXVMS program (source in <ANONYMOUS>BINTNXVMS.* here) may
be used to post-process files transferred that way into the correct
format.
However, to eliminate that extra post-processing step and to correct what
we would otherwise send you, you must send that quote "type l 8" command,
and we send you the expected first four 8-bit bytes out of our 36-bit
words.
Some user ftp implementations have an equivalent command, named tenex,
which is the same as the binary command in preconditioning the file
creation mode. The important difference is that the tenex command
correctly sends us the TYPE L 8 command instead of the TYPE I command.
Unfortunately, there are some incorrect implementations of the tenex
command which send TYPE L 32, and that won't produce the desired results
either (and a similar warning message). Just send the quote "type l 8"
command at that point and you should get the expected and correct results.
Hope that explains the "kick."
--Frank
------------------------------
Date: 30 Apr 89 15:02:00 CST
From: zielke@physics.rice.edu
Subject: Windows 386 problem
I am running windows 386 on an IBM-AT with an INBOARD 386. Everything is
fine except if the program uses the math chip. Windows does not seem to
save the coprocessor registers. I selected the Inboard from the
installation menu when setting up windows. The problem shows up when
executing multiple copies of Lotus 123 or a crystal rotator which I use.
Any help would be appreciated.
David Zielke
ARPA==> Zielke@Physics.Rice.Edu *
Zielke@128.42.9.23 * After Three Days
MaBell==> 713-527-8101 ext. 4018 work * Without Programming
713-666-2982 home * Life Becomes
US Snail==> David M. Zielke * Meaningless
7490 Brompton #110 *
Houston, Tx 77025 * -The Tao of Programming
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 89 15:48:28 EDT
From: Anthony_Whipple@um.cc.umich.edu
I am looking for software to do speech recognition on a pc. I already
have an analog to digital board (dt2821) and would rather not occupy a
slot with special hardware if I can get around it. I have gathered
information from several of the leading recognition companies, all of
which require the use of their special hardware as far as I can tell. Any
advice on where to look and what is available would be greatly
appreciated.
Anthony_Whipple@um.cc.umich.edu
userID=LCYJ@UMICHUM
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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