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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:AMIGA NOTES
Notice:Join us in the *NEW* conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:HYDRA::MOORE
Created:Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5378
Total number of notes:38326

59.0. "VAX-AMIGA Configuration?" by ENGINE::VERMA () Thu Jul 03 1986 13:12

!!!Help!!!!!!Help!!!!!!Help!!!
I want to download programs between MicroVax I and Amiga, and also use
my AMIGA as a terminal. What do I need? The configuration of both systems
is as follows:

	MicroVax I : 1 MB memory, RD52, console port, XMODEM.EXE (got it
		     from notes file, thanks). No terminal, currently using 
		     Pro 350 as a terminal want to replace by AMIGA.
		     No extra DZV11 lines.

	AMIGA	   : 512K of memory, 1080 color monitor. Extra Disk Drive.
		     Lattice C.

I am not a hardware person. I would appreciate if someone could recommend
what hardware (absolute minimum), pin connections and software do I need?

Thanks in advance.

-Virendra
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
59.1I've done it.CYBORG::LAMBERTThu Jul 03 1986 15:4716
    I had to load some stuff from a Vax down to my Amiga a while ago, and I
    used the printer port off a VT200 (set for ascii only) and printed the
    stuff out the port.  I used a standard printer cable, and changed the
    sex at the Amiga side.  (also, I checked and made sure that the pins on
    the amiga serial port which carry power were not going to be connected
    to the VT200 in any way.)  Then on the Amiga I wrote a program which
    opens up the serial port, and waits for characters to come across.  The
    program just echoed the stuff on the screen, and wrote it to a file
    (using printe #1...)  This worked very well, and accomplished the task
    with a minimum of software/work.
    
    If you would like a copy of the program you could send me a disk
    and I'll copy it for you.  (It's really not large at all, as this
    is a rather trivial task to accomplish.)
    
    brian 
59.2Cavalry arrivesCOIN::WARDThu Jul 17 1986 18:00110
Enclosed are three articles on RS232 interfacing.  Hopefully this will show
that wiring modems/printers/computers/terminals interfaces for Atari and
Commodore is possible.  Both the AtariST and Commodore use pins 2,3 and 7 
when dealing with Digitals' gear for serial port.

                          Company: Digital Equipment
                          Product: VT200 Printer port
                        Port:EIA     Pin configuration: (like VT100 T01)

Pin       Function                 Direction
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1         Protective ground PGND   To terminal chasis & third wire of plug
2         Transmitted Data TXD     From VT220, serial characters
3         Receive Data RXD         To VT220, receive serial characters
4         Request to Send RTS      From VT220
5         Data Terminal Ready DTR  From VT220
6         Data Set Ready DSR       To VT220
7         Signal Ground SGND       Common ground for interface voltages

Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Path: decwrl!decvax!bellcore!ulysses!allegra!princeton!caip!seismo!rochester!ritcv!cci632!rb
Subject: Re: Serial Port Communications
Posted: 14 Jul 86 17:21:48 GMT
Organization: CCI, Rochester Development, Rochester, NY
Summary: RS-232 configuration hints (again).
Posted: Mon Jul 14 13:21:48 1986
 
In article <148@umd-ua.UUCP> jwabik@umd-ua.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) writes:
>Here's a question for all you Amiga types.  I just got my machine about 
>a week ago, and since that time I've been trying to connect an old
>"dumb terminal" to the serial port -- just to dump things to and 
>play with..
>in preferences a set the correct baud rate, and I've made sure that
>my terminal works correctly, and I've made sure that the Amiga pins
>on the serial port that are "hot" are not connected to the terminal,
>and etc..
 Is there something obvious (or hidden)
>that I'm missing here ??  
>
 
It's amazing how many little quirks can mount up when trying to connect
an RS-232c terminal to another terminal.  Among the important things to
check for are CTS, RTS, DTR, and DCD requirements.

Also make sure you "Cross" your 2/3 wires, and bring pin 7 through.
If both machines support X-on/X-off, you can just jumper pins 4/5
and 8/20.

***Author - diagram follows


DEC            TERMINAL / COMPUTER RS-232 NULL-MODEM CABLE
        [full implementation of (A to B) & (B to A) for group 1 & group 2]
                     like DEC H312 Nukk Modem Card

Cable Type:    Belden 9504   4 Pair overall shielded
Outside Dia.:  0.265 inches  (6.75 millimeters)
Connnectors;   DB-25

  Computer      Terminal               Comments
    pins         pins
  -----------------------------------------------------------
     1  --------  1   Shield drain            ||
     2  ------->  3   white                   || same as AtariST
     3  <-------  2   red                     || same as AtariST
  ==============================================================
     4  --+---->  8   violet's blk  RTS       ||               ^
CTS  5  --'                                   ||               | 8/20 jumped
     6  <-+-----  20  green's blk             ||               | (Computer pins)
    22  --'                                   ||               v
  ==============================================================
     7  --------  7   white's blk & red's blk || same as AtariST
  ==============================================================
     8  <----+--  4   violet (Group 1 printer handshake)       ^
             `--  5   CTS                                      | 8/20 jumped
     20 -----+->  6   green  (Group 2 printer handshake)  DTR  | (Computer pins)
             `--  22                                           v
  ==============================================================

                          Company: Atari, Inc.
                          Product: Atari 400/800
     Port:Port 4 on 850 Interface module     Pin configuration: C08

Pin  C01  Function                 Direction
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1    5    Data Terminal Ready DTR  From Atari
3    2    Transmitted Data TXD     From Atari, serial characters
4    3    Receive Data RXD         To Atari, receive serial characters
5    7    Signal Ground SGND       Common ground for interface voltages
7    4    Request to Send RTS      From Atari


   Wire diagram G01                          Linkline from Antic Magazine
                                              DB-9 pin converted to RS232
Computer      Peripheral           
  pin           pin                            520 ST        Atari 850
                                                 pin          C01 pin
1 -------------- 1
2 -------------> 3                             2 -------------> 3
3 <------------- 2                             3 <------------- 2
4 -------------> 8
5<-+------------ 19 *+
6<-'                 |
7 -------------- 7   |                         7 -------------- 7
8 <----------+-- 4   |
             `-> 5 <-+
20 ------------> 6 <-'

* - Wire 19 seems to act as a switch for 8/20 jump [What do you think?]
    Wire 22 is Ring indicator [Not shown since not a modem - What do you think?]
59.3Is there a problem with VAX XMODEM?DDMAIL::ANDREWSJust living a life of illusionMon Jul 20 1987 22:1415
    RE: Sending files to/from VAX to Amiga.
    
    Is there a problem with xmodem on the VAX?
    
    The reason I ask is:
    
    I send files from the vax to my amiga and then try to unarc them.
    I then get eleventy-billion errors in the arc'ed file.  Now, if
    I  use kermit on the same files, no problems.
    
    I suppose the best solution is to use kermit, but, could some one
    satisfy my curiosity?
    
    				Rob
    
59.4128 byte blocks (or packets)NEXUS::MORGANMike Morgan -- DTN 522-5765Mon Jul 20 1987 23:204
    It could be that blocks under VMS are not equal to blocks onder
    the Amiga's OPS. The same happens to the ST. X-modem wants a 128
    byte block. We solved that by writing a little basic program to
    rewrite our files out into 128 byte blocks on the VAX side.
59.5LEDS::ACCIARDITue Jul 21 1987 02:2112
    I thing VAX Xmodem is a bit schizophrenic.  About half the time,
    I successfully transfer ARC files.  The other half fail.  Kermit
    always works for me.
    
    By the way, I find that the success rate is much higher when using
    Comm/Xmodem then VT100/Xmodem.  Don't know why this is.
    
    Re: .3
    
    The Amiga also wants to see 512 byte blocks.  As mentioned above,
    the transfer seems to be more a function of the phase of the moon
    than anything else.
59.6Once more with feeling...COOKIE::WECKERDave (Cum Grano Salis) WeckerTue Jul 21 1987 16:1230
OK... for the ump de umpth time let me try to explain...

	1. ARC files on the VAX are usually stored in FIX length 510 byte
	   record format (which makes KERMIT happy in SET FILE TYPE BINARY
	   mode).

	2. XMODEM and ARC on VMS can ONLY handle stream binary files.

This is why CVTARC.EXE exists. If you have a file that is in "KERMIT" format,
do:

	$ CVTARC U inp.arc out.arc

This will take INP.ARC (in 510 byte format) and convert it into OUT.ARC in
STREAM format. Now you can XMODEM it down to the AMIGA with no problem. This
is also the required format for using ARC.EXE on VMS. If you want to transfer
the arc file under KERMIT, you can do:

	$ CVTARC V out.arc out2.arc

Which will take the STREAM file (out.arc) and make it into a FIXED file
(out2.arc) which kermit will accept.

I do this ALL the time, it works fine and I use both KERMIT and XMODEM on VMS,
ULTRIX and the AMIGA.

All of the programs mentioned are in COOKIE::DISK$GZ_2:[WECKER.AMIGA]

dave

59.7new CVTARC availableMPGS::BAEDERWed Sep 30 1987 21:0712
    Well being a curious sort of fellow, and finding some minor annoyances
    in cvtarc, I set out to track down the source (thanks dbw for the
    pointer) get the source (thanks brad ), and make some small (very
    small) improvements.
    
    1. Some file names would cause an RMS error in the file spec...FIXED
    2. second file spec is now correctly optional...in V mode, used
    to give error...
    
    new version available in   MPGS::USER3:[BAEDER.WECKER.TOOLS]CVTARC.EXE
    
    enjoy....scott.