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Comm.System Documentation v1.8 May 12, 1991 Apple II Freeware Copyright 1990-91 by Jim Ferr May be distributed freely, but not sold for profit. What's New Version 1.8 includes new IIGS initialization and interrupt handling routines, which eliminate what one person described as the "cascade of zeroes bug". One small problem though: the new irq routines "eat" all interrupts, so they cannot co-exist with AppleTalk or other interrupt driven software. Amazingly, I managed to assemble the file correctly after having two NewCastle Brown ales and a wonderful strip loin steak from my barbeque... Older changes: Version 1.5 adds a check of the Control Panel for IIGS users. If the Control Panel settings are incorrect, the program will inform you. A minor change was made to the Xmodem error handler so that three different error messages were combined into "Path not found". I've been having problems getting Comm.System to run on a IIc; if you have one, try it and let me know what happens. I spent some time re-programming Comm.System to recognize any serial card that conforms with the Pascal 1.1 protocol for firmware; unfortunately, I found the firmware too slow to work without losing characters at 2400 baud, so this version still talks directly to hardware. Hardware Requirements Comm.System runs on the II Plus (64K), IIe, IIc, IIc Plus and IIgs, automatically determining the cpu type and activating any ProDOS-recognized 80 column card. It runs in 40 columns on the II Plus and IIe if no 80 column card is found. Serial Port or Interface Apple IIc and IIgs computers have built-in modem ports that Comm.System can use. All other systems require either the Apple Super Serial Card or compatible interface in slot 2, or the Applied Engineering DataLink 2400 in slot 2. Comm.System does NOT support any other interfaces. If you have a IIgs, it assumes you have an external modem connected to the modem port and will not support any other configuration, unlike Warp Six BBS. Comm.System always uses 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit to communicate, and works in full duplex (no echo), or half duplex (echo). Modem and Cable Comm.System's dial command expects a Hayes compatible modem on a touch tone phone line. I never got around to adding pulse dial, so if you have a pulse line, type in the dial command (ATDP) yourself. Comm.System's hangup command drops the Data Terminal Ready signal briefly and issues a Hayes escape code sequence and Hayes hangup command, just to be thorough, so it should work with just about any Hayes compatible modem. As Comm.System was originally written as a companion program to Warp Six BBS, if you have a Warp Six BBS compliant cable, Comm.System will let you know you are online by displaying "DCD" in the status line (not seen on 40 column screens) and will print out your connect time when DCD drops, ie., you disconnect. On the IIgs, DCD is monitored on the HSKi line (CTS), which is pin 2. If Comm.System is not running on a IIgs, it monitors DCD via the DSR input. (Refer to the Modem.Doc file included with Warp Six for full details on cable configurations.) Note: most internal messages from the program are prefixed with "CS: ", so you know that Comm.System, and not your host, is printing the message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please send me comments and suggestions either online or at my mail address: GEnie: J.FERR Jim Ferr 20-95 DeCarie Circle Etobicoke, ON M9B 3J5 Canada