Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!purdue!i.cc.purdue.edu!j.cc.purdue.edu!pur-ee!iuvax!bsu-cs!cfchiesa From: cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Sir Xetwnk) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit Subject: Re: Modem communications on an 800 Message-ID: <2046@bsu-cs.UUCP> Date: 6 Feb 88 01:17:26 GMT References: <6548@sol.ARPA> Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana Lines: 95 Keywords: 800 VT100 Summary: Can Do, Buddy-Dog! In article <6548@sol.ARPA>, ciaraldi@cs.rochester.edu (Mike Ciaraldi) writes: > > This guy has an Atari 800 with a hard disk (don't know the brand). > He wants to use it to talk via modem to a VAX and emulate > a VT100 terminal. So, he has the following questions: Yes, Mike, it can ALL be done! I am using an unmodified Atari 800 to type this very message, while dialed in at 1200 baud and emulating a VT100. > > 1) How do you connect a modem to an 800? Isn't there a > built-in serial port of some kind? Can you use this for a > modem, or is it needed for disk or printer communication? > Originally, the only way to connect a modem to an Atari was through the built- in serial port. ALL Atari 800 peripherals would attach to this serial port, "daisy-chaining" from one to the next. An Atari 850 Interface Module was re- quired in order to convert Atari serial signals to RS-232 compatible signals and connectors. A software handler would boot into memory FROM the Interface Module if it was powered up before the computer were turned on. This is one way your friend can go; this is in fact the way I'm connected right now. It has a certain reputation as the "standard" configuration. Drawbacks: outlay of about $100 for the Interface Module, assuming you can even FIND one; you can't access any other serial-port peripheral (printer, disk, cassette) de- vice while the Modem port is open. Terminal software for file transfer, etc., has to close the modem channel before saving each piece of data, then close the storage (say, disk) device before re-opening the modem. The last few years have seen many different pieces of hardware and software come out for the Atari 800 and subsequent models, to let the computer use modems without needing the often-expensive-and-hard-to-find Interface Mod- ule and its handler. One such device is the "P:/R: Connection" which plugs into the Joystick port and can drive a printer (P:) or RS232 (R:) device through there, using, again, a custom handler Atari recently (1987?) came out with a 300-baud smart modem which plugs directly into the serial-port daisy chain; if you didn't require 1200 baud I'd say this was the way to go, hardware-wise (write to 'aegnor@bsu-cs' or 'atariman@bsu-cs' - two of my friends here - who have this device). The model number is XM301, I believe, and it comes with a fairly nice TTY pro- gram... Atari is supposed to release a 1200-baud version, the XM1201 I think, sometime soon. I'm looking forward to it, as the 1200 baud modm I'm currently using is borrowed from 'atariman'! > 2) Can you get an 80-column by 24-line display on 800? > Do you need an add-on board? Where do you get one? > (no Atari dealers in town anymore, I think). Yes. You can either get an add-on board (from Atari, for one, but I forget the model number. Came out last year) or software to emulate 80x24 on the Graphics 8 screen. There are several programs I am aware of which do the latter, as well as several VT100 emulations, as well as several programs with various other capabilities. Unfortunately, the ones that do a good VT100 generally don't have very versatil file-transfer, and vice versa - for all I know, it may be a memory limitation! I'd suggest getting several programs of different strengths, and using whichever one suits your needs of the moment. > 3) Assuming you can do the above stuff, is there software to emulate > a VT-100 terminal? It would be nice if it could also > dump the screen to disk and/or printer on operator request. > If not Vt-100, how about some other terminal (other than > a "glass TTY" with no cursor control at all!). I recommend OmniCom if you want a wide variety of capture/file-transfer modes, plus a half-hearted VT100 emulation; John Dunning's port of Kermit65 (from the C64) for TERRIFIC VT00 and VT52 emulation if you can stand having only Kermit file-transfer and NO "print screen;" 850 Express! or 1030 Express! if you want screen-capture and screen-print on a dumb-TTY terminal. Person- ally, I prefer J.D's ported Kermit65. I wouldn't use "V-T-10-squared" if you paid me; it's not very good at being a VT100, and there's NO capture. > Mike Ciaraldi > University of Rochester Computer Science Mike, I'm at BSU in Indiana, but I'm a Rochester native. Have you checked Leon's on CLinton Ave. downtown? If they don't carry Atari stuff I don't know who will. You might also try calling Chuck Antonelli at (cross fingers) 461-3900 or 3920, mention my name, and ask if he still does Atari business. He might be able to at least inform you of the current state of availability. At worst, if you don't have this up and running by three weeks from now, I will be coming back to Rochester for my Spring (?) Break and will bring my disks so you can at least SEE the programs and maybe copy the PD stuff. Let me know if this is good for you and your friend! Chris Chiesa (317) 288-2957 home phone <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Chris Chiesa <><><><><> <> {ihpn4|seismo}!{iuvax|pur-ee}!bsu-cs!cfchiesa <> <> cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP <> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>