In this paper, we discuss telecommunications, involving our Timex-Sinclair 2068 and LarKen software. These results grew out of our attempts to CAPTURE textual information, while on-line with a caller to SOL BBS. Well, to make a long story short, we can make such a capture, but only by giving up the ability to return to BBS mode, and continue our on-line session. In other words, by changing to TALK mode, we are essentially in terminal mode and can do arbitrary text transfers. As you recall, we have broken LarKen’s MaxCom software out into two versions: Terminal and Bulletin Board. They differ only in the BASIC code, while using the same Z-80 CODE, called Maxbbs.C1, occupying bytes 57800 through 63219. With this software, when the caller to the BBS presses “t”; we go to TALK mode; and, if the caller intends to SEND ASCII; why, there is no ASCII file transfer protocol, and the ASCII file must be sent by XMODEM checksum 128. This creates problems, trying to read the text, sent by XMODEM, since all the control codes are sent too, and may conflict with our software for reading ASCII. That’s one of the good things about the Daisy word processor. The text created is just a string of ASCII, no control codes!
In order to effect an ASCII transfer, I exit TALK mode, by pressing STOP; display the RAMdisk Main Menu, by pressing “Q”, in order to quit the MaxCom Main Menu; and, LOAD TERMax, by pressing “5” at the RAMdisk Main Menu. This terminal software loads, and the line parameter is displayed as still “ON”, thereby indicating a good telephone connection. So, I open a capture buffer and proceed to TERM mode, where we capture the ASCII file, which the caller just PRINTs to his screen. Afterwards, I close the capture buffer, quit back to RAMdisk; and, reLOAD MaxCom, which comes up with the line still “ON”. Well, it’s easy to get back to TERM mode, by pressing “t” at the MaxCom Main Menu, but we cannot get back into BBS mode, in order to continue the on-line session, without breaking the telephone connection. For, the reLOAD of MaxCom, while leaving the line still “ON”, does not permit the BBS to be simply reentered, since the modem parameters are clobbered, somehow. BBS mode seems to be the problem, since it requires special handling, in order to answer the phone. But, should we only be in TERM mode, or only have TERMax LOADed, then there are some special procedures, which permit textual communication, as between two TTY100 terminals.
Just leave the setup in ANSWER mode, by ENTERing “atx1” and “ats0=1” in terminal mode. Then, whenever the phone rings (displaying RING,) the modem will answer, automatically.
From here, all kinds of ASCII transfers can be conducted; you can write on each other’s screens, according to whether duplex be FULL or HALF; and, BASIC programs can be LOADed and SAVEed, as long as that magic area from 57800 to 63219 be left alone.
I fear this is old hat to many of you, but it surely opened my eyes, and I felt it necessary to share this enlightenment with as many programmers as possible, the sooner the better!
Here is another one: We are going to discuss, accessing the Internet, cheaply, via our Timex-Sinclair 2068, armed with LarKen MaxCom software. Our results apply to any terminal, setup to emulate, or reproduce the capabilities of, a TTY100 terminal. This includes possibly spectrums and TS1000s, armed with suitable software like MTERM or SPECTERM. For practicality, we expect only textual access, rather than transfer and display of graphics. Graphical access is possible on the 2068, but takes too much time.
So, we need only a shell account at $20 per month. Ours is with the morning newspaper, which runs daily information in the paper on the latest web sites and world-wide links. The kind of access, we have in mind, is the availability of Email, world-wide-web, USENET (newsgroups), gopher-space, FTP, mailing lists, telnet, talk, irc, and muds. That, there, is a list of complementary and exciting information sources, where the only cost involved is the said $20 monthly for a shell account. So, what’s the catch? The shell account has to run on a machine, that speaks UNIX (all of them do), and you must learn a simple programming language, called UNIX very nice. Before our next get-together, let’s get you connected to the Internet, via a shell account that runs on a UNIX machine; let’s begin to absorb a little UNIX; and, let’s look at some of those Internet indices. As above, our system is based upon a TS2068 with MaxCom software, and the background knowledge has been picked up from “The UNIX Companion”, “The Internet Complete Reference,” and “The Internet yellow pages”. They are all by Harley Hahn and published by Osborne McGraw Hill. But, any comparable books will do. Of course, you can keep reading these pages to get the necessary information!