PORTFOLIO and Serial Communication ---------------------------------- Portfolio does not have any support of serial communication installed in ROM. This means that in order to use serial interface you need to load software into your Portfolio first. Serial interface opens a world of incredible possibilities. Especially the access to BBS and Internet is one of the greatest features of serial communications. Serial interface also opens a way to send and recive faxes from Portfolio. I am happy to say that Portfolio goes on being supported in the serial communications by a few 3rd party developers. There are already some of good programs available on Internet and from "local sources" (remaining Atari dealers, BBS, Portfolio clubs, fans ...). But the development goes even further. Let us have a look at some of the serial software that may be useful for Portfolio users with serial interface. 1. Booting up "bare" Portfolio with serial interface ---------------------------------------------------- Is there any way to upload a software onto "bare" Portfolio with serial interface? It is a question many users ask. It is a question many people answer NO. But the true answer is "YES!", booting up a Portfolio with serial interface only IS POSSIBLE. I have found a package PFBOOT which makes it possible to upload onto PF without any software on Portfolio! I have had this package for a long time on my HDD, and it never seemed to work. Fortunately, one day a friend of mine wanted to "crack" something from a school PC with no floppy drive and with no communication software on that PC. This package came into my mind again. I tried to run it with Portfolio and it did not work. But I had a look at the BAT files and discovered that the software does not work if there were already some of the files that the PFBOOT would create. I removed those old files and whoops!! it worked. The package is now available from dec59.ruk.cuni.cz and I think you can also find the same package on src.doc.ic.ac.uk and on other places. Anyhow, it is necessary to remove all *.dat and *.chk files that may come with the PFBOOT package. If these files are kept in the directory PFBOOOT will not work. Also should the PFBOOT transfer fail, remove all remaining *.dat and *.chk and *.out files that might be created on the disk in current directory. If you are interested in this package, it is: bootup.lzh available from dec59.ruk.cuni.cz pub/upload/portfolio The package is shareware. Here are a few words of the author: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In an attempt to enable the loading of these programs in an orderly and simple fashion, I have prepared the accompanying files. Credit goes to Jim Strauss, I believe, for XTERM1.COM, BINHEX.COM, HEXBIN.COM and CHKSUM.COM. I have added PFLOAD.EXE, PFBOOT.BAT and LOAD.BAT. Together, the process is nearly foolproof Okay you fools, prove me wrong). I have taken the liberty of bundling these programs together for ease of downloading, especially for novices. Oh Yes, all programs are MS-DOS compatible. To load, simply connect the serial cable, start both machines and type (on PC): PFBOOT [ENTER] The programs prompt you when necessary. For further assistance and/or questions: Michael D. Weisner 71401,1245 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The package will upload the XTERM1.COM onto PF which enables to upload better software like ACOM or some other (go on reading). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Shareware serial software ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACOM ACOM is a communications program written for the Atari Portfolio. However, it will run on IBM PC compatibles as well. Its purpose is to provide enhanced terminal emulation and file transferring capabilities for the Portfolio. It can copy the conents of a 128k ramcard from the Portfolio to a PC in a minute and a half. This program is owned and copyrighted by Roudley Associates, Inc. Due to the nature of the Portfolio, the program is somewhat idiosyncratic--that is, it attempts to provide a goodly number of functions but has to do so within the confines of the Portfolio environment. It does not use mice, icons, or the other beloved features of the postliterate user interfaces. It does use the function keys and command line options. Should your computer hang up, as is possible with interrupt driven programs, try to exit ACOM by pressing ESCAPE once. If that does not work, try to reboot by pressing CTL-ALT-DEL. If that does not work, cold boot. Roudley Associates, Inc, cannot be responsible for loss of data or other mishaps caused by running ACOM. ACOM has been in satisfactory daily use on a number of computers. Roudley Associates is committed to providing and supporting quality software, and endeavors to find and correct program flaws. ACOM requires approximately 32k of memory for all code and buffers. Roudley Associates, Inc. PO Box 608 Owings Mills, MD 21117 Charles Cook 71370,1025 available from dec59.ruk.cuni.cz - acom.lzh -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SFT Terminal-Program with Filetransfer for Portfolio with Serial-Adapter -------------------------------------------------------------------- supports ATARI ST and UNIX !!!! Designed to be a simple terminal-program for test-purposes (just tty, no vt100-emulation) and for quick filetransfer between portfolio and IBM-PC. Some special features: Complete backup of portfilo drive a: or c: with key CNRTL-F4. Download of hexfile to embedded-System-computers (example code for target system in 6502-assembler available). Program will display help screen at start time. Programs: SFT_IBM.EXE : executable for IBM-PC SFT_PTF.EXE : executable for Portfolio Programs are identical, except minor differences in the serial adapters code, due to hardware incompatibilities of portflio and PC (c.f. reference manual of portfolio). The serial adapters receiver routine is interrupt driven. Program messages are in english as provided (executables and batchscripts mentioned above). The language can be easily changed, because all messages are put in one file, SFTEMES.I(.C), you just have to translate that file to your laguage (sftgmes should be the german version, but I never did it). Sources for Atari-ST, Minix and UNIX are also included. The UNIX/Minix-programs are different from DOS and Atari-ST-versions. They assume that you are ,logged in the UNIX-System, using portfolio or PC running sft_xxx.exe as terminalprogram and call srec_ux (resp. ssen_ux) on the UNIX-System. Copyright: Program is put to the public domain. It may be distributed and used without charge. No commercial distribution without agreement of the author. Rolf Henze Schillerstrasse 42 D-37083 Goettingen email: henze@hrz.uni-kassel.de phone: +49-551-74124 available from dec59.ruk.cuni.cz - sft.arj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Professional serial software for Portfolio --------------------------------------------- In Germany there is a strong group of Portfolio users and thanks to this fact two companies still offer hi-tech software for PF+serial. UNICOM for Portfolio -------------------- Very very powerful software for Portfolio. Only brief info about the program (according to functions in menu) File Start program you may start another program as a subprocess!! Display file you may view any file Print file Kill file deletes file Change path Make dir Remove dir Config V.24 param. Windows Sorting Printer Time/Status Error beep Macros you can define macros! Info How to use Copyright SHAMROCK SOFTWARE Germany Disk+RAM you have new seen so much info about your PF! Macros views predefined macros V.24 Transmit file Get script file Protocol file Abort protocol Send Xmodem Receive Xmodem Change RTS/DTR Make break Quit Store Don't store Back to Unicom Do you like it? E-mail to get more infomation about availability. IT IS NOT SHAREWARE, IT IS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT!!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PTERM for Portfolio ------------------- The only terminal protocol with 80 characters on screen and with ZMODEM protocol. Brief description of menu: ALT-Z to evoke main menu COM-Parameters Baud Rate Data bits Stop bits Parity Terminal LF after CR Local ECHO ANSI emulation Graphic scroll SCRN-Modus 80x25 STAT 40x8 NORM 80x25 DYN 80x10 EMUL (in graphics small font) Protocol ZMODEM XMODEM ASCII Modem Modem Init String Dial-Prefix F-keys F1-F5 assignment Save Config --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Program has a graphic logo, works fine especially the small font 80*10 is nice. The DYNamic mode is fine to work with UNIX Internet terminal. Do you like this software? There is a limited demo version dec59.ruk.cuni.cz: pterm.lzh ALT Z menu (check your keyboard Y-Z setting) ALT X exit ALT D file transfer This product is a COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE. E-mail for availability if you are interested. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- That is all about serial communication for today. Looking forward to your responses, your experiences and comments. Jan Sedlak Portfolio Czech Republic