All:

There was another thread about Citadel under AltairZ80 which sparked a
question of my own regarding the BYE_520 program. I have an IMSAI that I'm
setting up as a BBS (as an experiment for a possible display maybe at VCF).

I got myself a Hayes Smartmodem 300 and connected it to a Vector
Graphics Bitstreamer serial board (standard 8251). Everything works with
manual testing (using the SMODEM37 program on the IMSAI and dialing to a
modem connected to a Windows box running Hyperterminal). So, I know the
hardware works.

This morning I decided to try to get BYE_520 working before I chained it
to RBBS. I set the modem configuration switches per the help file but I keep
getting an "echo error" from BYE. I played with the modem switch relating to
command echo but that doesn't seem to help.

Can anyone offer some words of wisdom for getting BYE setup correctly?
I'm also not wed to using RBBS -- if someone has a better BBS idea, I'm all
ears.

TIA!



Rich Cini
http://www.altair32.com
http://www.classiccmp.org/cini

Richard A. Cini wrote:
> This morning I decided to try to get BYE_520 working before I chained it
> to RBBS. I set the modem configuration switches per the help file but I keep
> getting an "echo error" from BYE. I played with the modem switch relating to
> command echo but that doesn't seem to help.
>

Rich, it appears that you need to have command echo set to ON.

For the Smartmodem 300, this means that switch #4 should be up.
The AT command for that is ATE1.

If the modem is verifyably in echo mode (what you type in command mode
should be echoed back to you) then the inbound characters are not
reaching BYE for some reason. Are you using the correct overlay for the
board you've got?

g.

On 8/17/08 12:53 PM, in article
Y6mdndI_V-4VyjXVnZ2dnUVZ_jadnZ2d@posted.connectcorp, "Gene"
wrote:

> Rich, it appears that you need to have command echo set to ON.
>
> For the Smartmodem 300, this means that switch #4 should be up.

I have 1-2-4-6-7 up and 3-5-8 down. Do you have a mapping of the switches? I
don't have a manual for this modem.

> If the modem is verifyably in echo mode (what you type in command mode
> should be echoed back to you) then the inbound characters are not
> reaching BYE for some reason. Are you using the correct overlay for the
> board you've got?

There is no overlay specifically for the Bitstreamer (which is a generic
8251-based card), so I used B5NH-1.INS which is for the Northstar Horizon. I
read through the code briefly and aside for adjusting for the port
assignments, there doesn't seem to be much to do. I made sure the bit masks
matched the Bistreamer, which just seems to pass the 8251 status through.

I guess I'll have to examine the code more closely. There must be some
subtle difference that I'm missing.

Thanks Gene.
Rich

Richard A. Cini wrote:
> On 8/17/08 12:53 PM, in article
> Y6mdndI_V-4VyjXVnZ2dnUVZ_jadnZ2d@posted.connectcorp, "Gene"
> wrote:
>
>> Rich, it appears that you need to have command echo set to ON.
>>
>> For the Smartmodem 300, this means that switch #4 should be up.
>
> I have 1-2-4-6-7 up and 3-5-8 down. Do you have a mapping of the switches? I
> don't have a manual for this modem.
>
1 - UP Setting that may be used if your computer supports
RS-232C DTR lead (pin 20). If your computer supports
this signal, then the Smartmodem can be made to hang up
or not answer calls by making this lead false.
TR indicator light only comes on when modem is powered on
*and* power to the terminal or computer is on (Note A)

DN Setting that must always be used if your computer does not
support RS-232C DTR line. Makes Smartmodem ignore state of
RS-232C Data Terminal Ready (pin 20) and assume it's logic
TRUE always. Terminal Ready (TR) indicator light is always
on when modem is powered (Note A)

2 - UP Verbose - result codes are sent as English words
DN Non-verbose. Result codes are sent as single digits

3 - UP Quiet. No result codes are sent
DN Non-quiet. Result codes are sent to your terminal screen.

4 - UP Smartmodem will echo characters while in the local command state.
DN Smartmodem will not echo characters.

5 - UP Smartmodem will automatically answer the phone on the first ring
unless changed by the S command.
DN Modem will not answer the phone if it rings.

6 - UP In on-line mode enables computer connected to the Smartmodem to
determine if a carrier signal is coming from a distant modem by
reading the status of the RS-232C Carrier Detect lead (pin 8).
DN Forces the computer to accept locally echoed characters and
result codes from the Smartmodem. CD will be held logic HIGH.

7 - UP Required setting for use with single line phone installations
connected to an RJ11 jack.
DN Setting with multiline key set installations connected to an RJ12
or RJ13 phone jack; this setting will make the lamp on the phone
light when the Smartmodem goes off hook.

8 - Unused.

Basically verbatim from the manual.

Interesting note on the Smartmodem 300 - if you enter "ATDC1 " followed
by "-.-./--.-" it'll ping out "CQ" - you can feed it any morse code
sequence you like using "." and "-" with "/" separating letters. It
transmits at 20WPM.

>
> There is no overlay specifically for the Bitstreamer (which is a generic
> 8251-based card), so I used B5NH-1.INS which is for the Northstar Horizon. I
> read through the code briefly and aside for adjusting for the port
> assignments, there doesn't seem to be much to do. I made sure the bit masks
> matched the Bistreamer, which just seems to pass the 8251 status through.
>
> I guess I'll have to examine the code more closely. There must be some
> subtle difference that I'm missing.
o

What you might want to try is to set up IMP with an equivalent 8251 overlay
(FYI, the Royal Alphatronic PC uses that USART as well - I've used it with
BYE3 maaaany years ago) and see if you can talk to the Smartmodem via terminal
mode in IMP. Irv Hoff was involved with BYE5 and he wrote IMP, so the chances
of BYE5 working after you make sure IMP works are pretty high given the same
overlay starting point.

g.