[comp.sys.apple2] *fast* terminal program wanted

trott@dolores.Stanford.EDU (Mitchell Trott) (02/01/91)

Ok, here's the problem:

I'm trying to find a modem/terminal program for my //e that can keep
up with a Trailblazer 2500 running V.32, V.42, V.42bis.  I'd be happy
with a program that can cope with 19.2k bps, though burst speed
occasionally exceeds this.  Decent VT100 emulation is desirable, but I
can live with VT52.

So far, I've had the most luck with Ascii Express Mousetalk, probably
because it uses polling rather than interrupts to talk to the serial
card (which is an Applied Engineering SerialPro; it acts like an
ordinary Super Serial card).

I have a 4mhz ZipChip -- the modem was useless without it.
Would an 8mhz ZipChip help, or is the bottleneck somewhere else?

Also, do there exist serial cards with hardware handshaking, and if
so, are there terminal programs that know how to use them?

Thanks for any suggestions,

Mitch

trott@dolores.stanford.edu

dcw@lcs.mit.edu (David C. Whitney) (02/01/91)

In article <TROTT.91Jan31140215@dolores.Stanford.EDU> trott@dolores.Stanford.EDU (Mitchell Trott) writes:
>
>Ok, here's the problem:
>
>I'm trying to find a modem/terminal program for my //e that can keep
>up with a Trailblazer 2500 running V.32, V.42, V.42bis.  I'd be happy
>with a program that can cope with 19.2k bps, though burst speed
>occasionally exceeds this.  Decent VT100 emulation is desirable, but I
>can live with VT52.
>...
>I have a 4mhz ZipChip -- the modem was useless without it.
>Would an 8mhz ZipChip help, or is the bottleneck somewhere else?

OK, with an 8mhz Zip, I'm sure that most of your problems would be
solved. Using a terminal program that uses interrupts is much more
reliable in general; at 8mhz the interrupt overhead imposed by prodos
wouldn't amount to much and may be able to use 19.2 (think of it this
way - the GS runs at 2.8mhz, and the interrupt overhead was eliminated
in the serial firmware allowing the GS to use Appletalk which runs at
about 210kbaud).

Now, as for programs to use: Most are here are fans of Proterm which
can be had for somewhere between $60 and $95 depending on where you
shop. There's my Z-Link, which is shareware for $25. Finally, there's
Kermit which is free. All of these support vt100 and vt52, various
file transfers, and so on. I'm biased (duh) but I like Z-Link of
course. If you get Z-Link, then you have access to instant customer
support (through e-mail to me). You can also reach the authors of
Kermit thru e-mail.

There must be other programs for the //e, but I can't remember (is TIC
//e or //GS?)

--
Dave Whitney
Computer Science MIT 1990	| I wrote Z-Link and BinSCII. Send me bug
dcw@lcs.mit.edu   dcw@mit.edu	| reports. I have a job. Don't send me offers.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance" --Binky (aka Matt Groening)