[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

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

1356.0. "Modem Help Needed" by GLIVET::YANCO () Wed Apr 20 1988 14:52

    I have a 2400 baud scholar modem which I would like to use with
    my Amiga 2000.
    
    1.	 What communication packages (public domain or others) can I use
    	 to access and download from a BBS. 
    2.   What settings should the modem be set to. 
    3. 	 Which port (I think the serial port is correct).
    4.	 Which cable (RS232?).
    
              
    Thank you
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1356.1DICKNS::MACDONALDWA1OMM Listening 52.525Wed Apr 20 1988 16:1118
    1.  Any comm package will doue that supports XMODEM or KERMIT. Nearly
        all BBS's use at least one of these fiel transfer protocols.
    2.  The DF224 settings should be fine as it comes from the factory.
        The ONLY setting you should have to diddle with on the modem's
        setup menu is PARITY. For example, if you are logging into a
        system via Tymnet or TSN, you should set the PARITY of the modem
        to EVEN (and your terminal software too). Otherwise, screen
        prompts will appear as garbage characters. The default baud
        rate from the factory of the DF224 is 2400. If you connect to
        a system running 1200 baud, the DF224 automatically switches
        to 1200 baud. All you need do in such circumstances is change
        the terminal baud rate to 1200 after connecting.
    3.  Modem connect to the serial port. READ THE MANUAL for pin-outs.
        If I recall correctly, the Amiga's have voltage on one pin that
        can damage your modem is you connect it. Never use the full
        RS232 line complement to connect from the serial port.
    
Paul
1356.2special cable requiredAIKITS::WISNERWed Apr 20 1988 16:2225
    1. Communications packages:
    
    		VT100.ARC or VT200.ARC in PAULY"AMIGA":: are great
                programs, they have KERMIT and XMODEM built in.  
    
    		REMEMBER: vt200 for use by DEC employees only.

        To get this software you might ask someone in this conference
    to mail it to you on a disk.  Or go to a computer dealer with a
    library of PD software and get a copy from a FISH disk or something.
    (Contents of FISH disks are listed in this conference).
        
    2.  Default VT100/VT200 settings work for me.
    
    3.  Serial Port
    
    4.  MODIFIED RS232 cable.  Do not plug in an ordinary RS232 cable,
    	it can do nasty things to your Amiga.  See a previous note
        in this conference for instructions on how to modify a RS232
        cable for the Amiga. 

        try DIR/TITLE=MODEM
    
            NOTE:  Some dealers are not aware that a special cable is
                   required (like the guy who sold me mine!).
1356.3AIKITS::WISNERWed Apr 20 1988 16:281
    See note 159 for details on how to modify your modem cable.
1356.4Pretend you bought a bad computerTLE::RMEYERSRandy MeyersWed Apr 20 1988 23:435
Re: .0

If you have an Amiga 500 or 2000, you can simply drop by a store and
buy a "modem cable for an IBM computer."  These cables will come with
the right sex and the minimum communications pins connected.
1356.5Cable sanity checkSTAR::ROBINSONFri Apr 22 1988 15:4214
     Since it seems important to get the right cable, can I get a sanity
     check here?  Do I interpret these notes correctly to say:
     
     Get a RS232-like cable that is designed to connect an IBM to a
     modem, but not a "generic" RS232 cable? I asked one dealer about
     the cost for an Amiga-to-modem cable and he pointed to a generic
     cable. If the generic cable fits, but does "nasties" to the Amiga,
     I suspect there must be quite a few nastified Amigas around. 
     
     Can I assume the cable that I connect from my home dec terminal
     to the dec modem is wrong?
                                 
     Thanks,
     Dave
1356.6Don't use a DEC cable!TLE::RMEYERSRandy MeyersFri Apr 22 1988 20:569
Re: .5

The generic cables usually have only the modem control cables wired
though.  (I cannot remember off hand if that is nine or ten pins
wired through.)

Unfortunately, almost every DEC RS-232 cable I've seen has lots of
extra pins wired through.  I strongly recommend against using a
DEC supplied cable.
1356.7NO problems with 25 pin straight thruTEACH::BOBBob Juranek EKO/339-4312Sat Apr 23 1988 00:1410
    I've used a 25 pin straight thru cable on several modems without
    any ill effects to either the A1000 or the modem.  The modems used:
    Novation Smart Cat (ugh!), U.S. Robotics and even the Scholar. 
    The only problem I noted with the Scholar was an annoying whine
    feeding thru to my audio circuits.  This I attribute to the fact
    that the Scholar can be used synchronously and the wine was the
    modem clock feeding through the extra pins.  This was fixed by using
    the DEC cable.  I've been using this configuration for 5 months
    now with no ill effects.
    
1356.8BAGELS::BRANNONDave BrannonSat Apr 23 1988 01:0511
    the problem is the CBM put power on some of those 25 pins.  It
    depends on if those "unused" pins are connected to anything
    important in your modem.  Expensive to find out you guessed wrong.
    In the 500/2000, CBM current limited the power pins so that it
    wouldn't fry things.  Nice of them, but I still disconnected the
    wires in my 25 pin cable (I use the same cable for the 2000 and
    the 1000, they have different power pins but all are "unused" by
    RS232).
    
    -dave