UPDWN.DOC (UP-DATED 11-26-87 & 12-18-87) This is the DOCumentation for the UPLD.BAT & DWNLD.BAT ( and now CRLF.BAS) files. These are "user-friendly" DOS .BATch files to be run in the IBM- compatible PC to effect ASCII Text File transfers to/from the Radio Shack 100 series notebook portables. Both (all three) files can be read or down- loaded to the M100 and transferred to the PC [use manually-entered MODE & COPY comds as per the UPLD.BAT file], or down-loaded to the PC from UPDWN.ARC, and unpack via ARCE.COM or ARC510.EXE. UPLD.BAT operates at 9600 baud, DWNLD.BAT at 1200 (perhaps there's room for improvement with different MODE COM... parameters, my M/S DOS manual is weak in this area, & DWNLD @9600 missed some charactors on the TANDY 102 side). The MODE.EXE (or .COM) file must reside in the default directory or be availible via your "PATH." Read the individual files and/or invoke either with no following parameters for complete step-by-step instructions. These programs were developed using a TANDY 102 and a PCs Limited 286-8 running "generic" M/S DOS 3.2. They should be useable as is, with any of the M100 series machines (100, 102, 200, 300, 600) and any IBM-compatible running either PC or M/S DOS version 3.1 and later (See below for more on this). The TEXT SAVE TO function is not limited by BASIC's 255 byte string limit. It also adds the linefeed byte [CHR$(10)] after each carriage return [CHR$(13)] and sends CTRL-Z [CHR$(26)] at the end of the SAVE (TELCOM UP will do neither automatically). The files recieved are Normal ASCII text with CR/LF pairs at the end of each paragraph and Crtl-Z end-of-file markers. Most word processor application programs will accept these files. Re-form the paragraphs and you're ready to go. BASIC, EDLIN (in the default /a mode), LOTUS 123 /File Import Text, and some others, will have trouble with those paragraphs longer than 239 or so charactors. Shorten the paragraphs TEXT mode before sending to the PC or reformat with your PC Word-Processor program before feeding the files to these applications. The use of the "/a" parameter in UPLD.BAT's COPY command adds the CTRL-z end-of-file marker to the recieved PC file. The "/b" parameter in DWNLD.BAT's COPY command sends the CTRL-z end-of-file marker to signal the end of transmission. If no CTRL-z exists in the file sent, the "TEXT Load from:.." command will wait for one, requiring you to manually interupt it with the shift-break combination. If more than one Ctrl-z exists in the file sent, "Load from:.." will probably quit listening when the first is sent. UPLD.BAT & DWNLD.BAT both display complete documentation of the cabling requirements and step-by-step instructions (half a screen) on every use. PC serial ports configured as DTE and a null-modem adapter are assumed. Some PC serial port cards can be configured as DCE and then the null-modem adapter is not required (check your serial card manual, open the box, and set the dip-swithces or jumpers). ATs and compatibles often have COM1: as a DB9; a "pig-tail" DB9/DB25 adapter cable would be required to use it. If you don't know the address of that spare DB25 on your PC, just keep trying DWNLD FILE X (for X=1,2,3 or 4) until your TEXT file comes across. IBM PC DOS 2.1 and some of the special compatible PC harware Mfgr.s versions of M/S DOS will not work properly with UPLD.BAT. Apparantly some "bugs" have been squashed in the more recent versions of DOS. These "buggy" DOS versions need to recieve a 2nd Ctrl-z byte before the the target file is closed. Also, the carriage-return byte of the CR/LF pair is not passed to the target file. The first problem is cured by inserting a CHR$(154) or GRPH-l byte on a line by itself at the end of the TANDY's TEXT file (looks like -> ). 7-bit transmission (11-26 update) truncates this to CHR$(26) or Ctrl-z. The second problem may not be a problem, depending on what you're feeding the file to. Some printers and word processors treat the LF alone the same as the CR/LF pair that is expected in plain ASCII text files. CRLF.BAS (included in this .ARC update of 11-26-87) is a "filter" program that reads a file without any .EXT and writes a .PRN file with completed CR/LF pairs. Whichever ONE of the two is missing, is added. CRLF.BAS is straight ASCII source text for compatibility with both BASICA and GWBASIC in the IBM/compatible. It is not intended for use in the M100 series machines and no checksum is provided. It does include some LONG lines of "crunched" code for better performance in the interpreted operating mode. If you own a compiler (I don't), you may want to compile it. TELCOM UP apparently only sends the CRs and thus might be unusable with the "buggy" versions of DOS and UPLD.BAT. I suspect the inclusion of "buffers=20" (or some other number larger than the default 2, 99 is the maximum) in your "boot" DOS disk's root directory CONFIG.SYS file may help in avoiding overflows with longer files. I have so far been unsuccessful (in a couple quick tries) in using UPLD.BAT with a friend's LEADING EDGE running "LEADING EDGE" M/S DOS 3.2 and who knows what serial card. My PCs LIMITED 286 works very nicely with UPLD.BAT under any of: IBM PC DOS 2.1 (with the "bugs") or (all the rest w/o the "bugs") 3.1 or "GENERIC" M/S DOS 3.2 or 3.21. Perhaps a lower baud rate may cure problems with other clones & DOS versions and serial port cards. All DOS versions prior to IBM PC DOS 3.3 will give an error message if you attempt to reference COM3: or COM4:. The batch files will accept reference to 3 or 4, it's the earlier DOS that will give that error message as only 1 and 2 are supported. Some COMPATIBLE PC special M/S DOS versions refer to the two serial ports as COM: and AUX: and may not even include a MODE command in the DOS (use Ctrl- Setup on a RAINBOW instead). Modify the BATch files as appropriate.