DOWNLOADING TO THE TDD Using a little known feature of POWR-DOS, a file which is too large for available RAM in the Model 100 can easily be downloaded from the host system to the TDD. (Somewhere I read that the maximum size file that the TDD can store is 64K.) This feature was described in the Acroatix "POWR Newsletter Number 2 dated September 12, 1986. The first part of this article describes the process for downloading a file to the TDD. The second part is the original article from the POWR Newsletter entered here without being changed or updated. Keep in mind that Acroatix, due to unfortunate circumstances, left the Model 100/200 world shortly after writing this article and never developed POWR-DOS for the Model 200 and never developed the special cable discussed in the article. HOW TO DOWNLOAD TO THE TDD The process is actually quite simple except the the acoustic coupler MUST be used and an XMODEM program (I used XMODEM 2.6) is required. The steps are: 1) Prepare the Model 100 to download a file using the acoustic coupler and XMODEM protocol. 2) POWR-DOS must be installed and the TDD must be connected and turned on with a formatted disk inserted. The disk doesn't need to be empty. Just make sure it has enough room for the file to be downloaded. 3) Enter BASIC and type LFILES C 4) Log on to the HOST system using the acoustic coupler and XMODEM and proceed to download a file. When asked for the filename to be received, insert a colon ":" in front of the filename and proceed normally. When the download is complete, the file will be on disk instead of in RAM. 5) After you log off, enter BASIC and type LFILES D I ran into one minor difference and one major problem. The minor difference occurred when I typed in ":filename. There was a slight delay as the file was opened on the disk. If you are slightly paranoid like I am, you'll think the program has locked up. The major problem occurred when I first ran the program in Bank #3 of my extra RAM. It appears that the LFILES C command messes up the programs error trapping routines. I made a mistake and ended up with NR, RW and CN errors as I tried various things but the only way out was a cold start. I loaded XMODEM 2.6 into Bank #1 (The one that came with my M100 new out of the box) and started again. This time I caused another error with the same NR etc. errors but I was able to get out of the program and back to the main menu using the reset button. CAUTION : If you have extra RAM banks, make sure you are NOT in one of them when downloading to the TDD. THE ARTICLE Disk-Based TELCOM by ACROATIX Perhaps the most common questions we hear are about accessing the disk while in TELCOM. POWR-DISK had no features related to TELCOM, but POWR-DOS has a few special commands related to TELCOM. Part of the problem with disk-based TELCOM is the relationship between the COM port (where the disk connects) and the modem. Both use the same chip (called a UART), which complicates software to use them together. By itself, it is not an insurmountable problem, but there is an additional difficulty: the internal modem "hangs up" the telephone whenever the UART accesses the disk drive. This behavior comes from the hardware, not the software, so nothing can be done. There are two ways around the problem. If you use acoustic cups, you can access the disk and keep the phone "off hook;" we are investigating a special cable to use the direct connecting modem. If you are interested in such a cable, let us know, since it will give us the incentive to complete the project. Incidentally, the Model 200 does not seem to have this problem at all. There are two basic ways to access your disk while in TELCOM. Both involve extra utilities. First, you can use a utility available on CompuServe called DIRACC. (To find out more about DIRACC, access Data Library 1 on the Model 100 SIG and give the command BRO DIRACC.*) This utility allows you to move from TERM mode in TELCOM directly to BASIC. Once you do this, you can load and save files using POWR-DOS commands. REMEMBER: with the Model 100, you must use a special cable or acoustic cups, or you will lose your phone connection. When you are done, give the following command: LFILES D Then return to TELCOM using DIRACC. You should be able to resume normal operation. The second method of disk-based TELCOM involves using a special program. There are two we know of: the XMODEM program by Rick Perry, available in Data Library 1 of CompuServe's Model 100 SIG, and X-TEL from SIGEA systems. Both programs support XMODEM as well as "normal" uploading and downloading of files. Using these programs, you can upload and download directly to and from disk files. The command that makes these programs work is a special POWR-DOS command: LFILES C Once you have given this command, POWR-DOS will automatically reset the COM setting after each disk access when using OPEN, PRINT#, INPUT#, etc. (Special POWR-DOS commands, like LFILES, still leave the COM to 98N1D or 88N1D. You must use LFILES C after them to restore the COM settings). This sounds complicated, but it means that programs like XMODEM and X-TEL can access the disk and the modem at the same time. The one disadvantage of LFILES C is that it really slows down file access. Unless you are using XMODEM, X-TEL, or something else, you will want to deactivate the "automatic reset" feature. Use either the LFILES D command or LFILES MENU." End of Article COMMENTS Since the LFILES C command enables XMODEM programs to download to disk it should be possible to write a program that would enable no protocol ascii downloads to disk thus saving the extra time ($'s) needed for XMODEM. DIRACC and various XMODEM programs are now in LIB 3. A. Alan Pound 75715,1077 10-25-88