Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!carroll1!jeff
From: jeff@carroll1.cc.edu (Jeff Bartig)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: What is a zoo file?
Keywords: Zoo, IR decoders.
Message-ID: <1472@carroll1.cc.edu>
Date: 29 May 90 05:46:15 GMT
References: <3347@zeta.oakhill.UUCP> <1990May26.134949.8760@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK>
Reply-To: jeff@carroll1.cc.edu (Jeff Bartig)
Distribution: sci.electronics
Organization: Carroll College-Waukesha, WI
Lines: 39

In article <1990May26.134949.8760@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK> ee88ppk@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK (KAVANAGH Peter Paul Damien) writes:
|In article <3347@zeta.oakhill.UUCP> rand@oakhill.UUCP (Rand Gray) writes:
|>I noticed a few days ago a reference to a schematic for an IR
|>decoder or some such which was available in a uuencoded zoo file.
|>Can someone describe what is a zoo file?  And, of course, what
|
|Well, a zoo file is a 'packed' data file. You need a program to unpack this 
|file, which runs on PC compatibles. 

ZOO is available for many different systems.  I have both the
IBM PC and Unix versions.  I believe it is also available for
the Atari ST, Amiga, Mac, and VMS.

|As the original posting stated, you first need to run the file through uudecode,
|a Unix program to convert an ASCII file back to its original binary version.
|
|After transferring the file ( using KERMIT or other file transfer ) to a PC,
|running the ZOO program produces a .DOC file ( containing the instructions )
|and a .GIF file ( containing the schematic.
|
|However, when I tried this, the ZOO program threw up some error messages!
|All that I could figure was that the original posting must have had some
|errors when we received it. Could it be re-posted, please? ( Or email to me
|at the address below. ).

I just uudecoded it and tested the zoo file on our Unix system.
ZOO said that the archive was just fine.  You probably forgot to
use binary mode when transfering the file to your PC.  The ZOO
version does not need to be reposted.  Perhaps the two files
contained in the ZOO archive should be posted separately for
those who do not have ZOO.  It there is interest in this, I could
do it.

Jeff

-- 
 Jeff Bartig, Carroll College   |     "The sooner you fall
 jeff@carroll1.cc.edu           |   behind, the more time you
 uunet!marque!carroll1!jeff     |       have to catch up."