2245 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
2245 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
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The MPt Protocol v1.10
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User's Manual
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Copyright (c)1990 by Matthew Thomas
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All Rights Reserved
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
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__________________________________________________________________
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1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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Customer Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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2. Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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The Help Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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The Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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3. The MPt Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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Running MPt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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Program Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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A+/- Delete aborted downloads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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B+/- Beep upon completion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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CDSx Log to a CDS file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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D+/- Stamp with current date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Ex Effective baud rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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F+/- Enable 16550A FIFO buffers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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HF Handshake fast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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HD Handshake on disk writes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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HN No handshaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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HS Handshake slow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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Lx Log to a DSZ file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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N+/- monitor the carrier signal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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O+/- allow overwriting received files. . . . . . . . . . 9
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Px COM port number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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R+/- allow resumed transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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Sx UART baud rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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M+/- Hangup modem when finished. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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W+/- Wait for keystroke when finished. . . . . . . . . . 10
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X+/- Enable RLE compression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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Sender File Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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Receiver File Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Exit Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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4. The MPt Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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Screen Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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The Help Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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Batch Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Current File Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Throughput Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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UART. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
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Display Footer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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5. The Setup Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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Change Default Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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Adjust Screen Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
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Install Registration Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
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Quit and Save Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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6. Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Inside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Outside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Trademarks and Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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Appendices
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A. Log File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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Enhanced DSZ Log Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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CDS Log Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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B. MPt Auto-Start Receive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
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C. Suggested Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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D. Software Revisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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1 - I n t r o d u c t i o n
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__________________________________________________________________
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FEATURES
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The MPt Protocol is a powerful tool for getting your data from one
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place to another through a serial link. Whether downloading or
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uploading files to and from a bulletin board system, or moving
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files between PC compatible computers over a serial cable without
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a modem, you will find that MPt will do the job, and will do it
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quickly and accurately.
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MPt offers many advanced features:
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þ Full color screen display of transfer status.
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þ Standalone setup program for changing default options,
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configuring screen colors, and installing registration
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information.
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þ UART (serial port) baud rates up to 115200 bps.
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þ Auto-sensing of 8250, 16450, 16550, and 16550A UARTs. Full
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support for 16550A FIFO buffers.
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þ The ability to use COM ports 1 through 4, with each port's IRQ
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and base I/O address fully configurable.
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þ Call Data Standard (CDS) logging of file transfers.
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þ Enhanced DSZ compatible logging of file transfers.
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þ All screen operations use direct video memory access, or
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DESQview, TaskView, OmniView, TopView, Microsoft Windows, and
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IBM 3270 PC multi-tasking video buffers (MTVB), if present.
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þ Optional auto-start of the protocol receiver.
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þ Optional data compression on a block level using RLE
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techniques.
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þ Fast and reliable recovery from line and data errors.
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þ Dynamic block scaling for optimal data throughput.
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þ Up to 99 files transferred in a batch.
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þ and many more features...
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LICENSING
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The MPt Protocol and its accompanying documentation have been
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released as Shareware. This gives you the chance to experience
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the performance of the software for a 30 day evaluation period.
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If you continue to use this product beyond this period, you are
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required to register. Information on becoming a registered user
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can be found in the file LICENSE.TXT.
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The author specifically disclaims all warranties, expressed
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or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of
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merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and the
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program license granted herein in particular, and without limiting
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operation of the program license with respect to any particular
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application, use, or purpose. In no event shall the author be
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liable for any loss of profit, lost savings, commercial damage, or
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Page 1
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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other incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
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or inability to use the MPt Protocol even if the author, Matthew
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Thomas, or an authorized distributor of the product has been
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advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by
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any other party.
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This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the state of
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Wisconsin.
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CUSTOMER SUPPORT
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Product support is available through three channels. To contact
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the author with questions, suggestions, problems, or other
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comments,
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1) Call the Programmer's Guild BBS at (414) 639-8456 and send
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E-mail to Matt Thomas.
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or
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2) Call the Exec-PC BBS at (414) 789-4210, and send E-Mail to
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Matt Thomas.
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or
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3) Drop a note via US Mail to:
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MPt Software Company
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Matthew Thomas
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PO Box 4694
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Racine, WI 53404
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The author offers limited support to unregistered users of the MPt
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Protocol, in order to help them get the program installed for
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evaluation. If you have a problem installing or using the
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software, and you have read this entire User's Manual (please do
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read the manual before requesting help; many times problems can be
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cleared up by finding the answer in the manual), then feel free to
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request help through either of the channels mentioned above. We
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will make an attempt to answer all mail received, but please be
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aware that registered users have first priority for support.
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Page 2
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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2 - G e t t i n g S t a r t e d
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__________________________________________________________________
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For experienced users who wish to get a quick start using the MPt
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Protocol, this brief chapter has been included to help you along.
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For a complete explanation of how to use the protocol and the
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setup program, continue reading beyond this chapter.
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THE HELP SCREEN
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When you run MPt the first time, try executing MPT.EXE
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without parameters. You will see a screen full of information
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about command line options. This screen is your "quick reference"
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card, so to speak. It will help you to get the software running
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if you choose not to read the rest of the documentation right
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away.
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THE SETUP PROGRAM
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Also included with MPt is a file called MPTSET.EXE. This program
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allows you to change the software's default options and screen
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colors, and to enter registration information.
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In order for the setup program to operate, you must be logged to
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the drive and directory containing the MPT.EXE file (the MPt
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Protocol program). Type MPT, and press enter. If the setup
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program cannot read the MPT.EXE file in the current directory, or
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the file has been corrupted, you will be alerted.
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Much of the setup program is self-explanatory, but a few things
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might not be obvious without some explanation:
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þ When choosing a baud rate for the UART, the value of "Current"
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will cause the software to sense and use the current baud rate
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of the UART when MPT.EXE is executed.
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þ When choosing an "effective" baud rate, the value of "UART"
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will cause MPt to use the UART baud rate (whether specified or
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auto-sensed) as the "effective" baud rate.
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þ In the "Adjust screen colors" mode, pressing the M key will
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cause the color scheme to change to monochrome. If you use a
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monochrome monitor, you may wish to use this option
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immediately upon entering the color set screen. To return to
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the default color set, press the C key. Both of these keys
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destroy any changes made to the color set before saving!
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þ In the "Change default options" screen, the options that you
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choose will be written to the MPT.EXE file as defaults. When
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running MPt, you may override any of these defaults by using
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command line parameters, detailed in Chapter 3.
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Page 3
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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3 - T h e M P t P r o g r a m
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__________________________________________________________________
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This chapter will familiarize you with the MPt Protocol, and its
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features and command line parameters.
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RUNNING MPT
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To load and run the MPt program, a command line must be given.
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This command line can come from the keyboard, at the MS-DOS
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prompt, from a batch file, or from a calling program, such as a
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BBS, which loads MPt directly without using the DOS command.com
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program.
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This command line has a specific syntax. Here are the three
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general formats for the MPt command line:
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MPT [options] s filespec [filespec] [filespec] [...]
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MPT [options] s @listfile
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MPT [options] r [path]
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Anything appearing in square brackets is optional, and may not
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need to be specified for proper operation of MPt.
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Note that MPt completely ignores the "case" of the command line,
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which means that upper and lowercase characters may be mixed in
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any combination.
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The word "MPT" at the beginning of each command line is required
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in all cases. This is what tells MS-DOS to load the MPT.EXE
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program file.
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The "options" are outlined below, in the "Program Options"
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section.
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The "s" and "r" letters, which follow the options, are required on
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the command line. The letter "s" tells MPt to send files to
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another computer, while "r" tells MPt to receive files from
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another computer.
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The "filespec", "@listfile", and "path" portions of the command
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lines are described below, in the sections entitled "Sender File
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Specifications" and "Receiver File Specifications".
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PROGRAM OPTIONS
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The MPt Protocol offers a number of features and settings. This
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section will explain each command line option, and how each
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affects MPt operation. Note that a plus (+) in the syntax enables
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an option, while a minus (-) disables it.
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Page 4
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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Following is a description of each option:
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A+ or A- (delete aborted downloads)
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If enabled (A+), this setting will cause MPt to delete the
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transferred portion of any files that were not fully received.
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If disabled (A-), this setting will cause the protocol to leave
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any partially received files on the disk. This gives the user the
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option of continuing the transfer later, by using the "Allow
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Resumed Transfers" option.
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Note: This parameter has no effect when used in the send mode.
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B+ or B- (beep upon completion)
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--------------------------------
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Enabling this setting causes MPt to emit a series of beeps to
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alert the user when a transfer is finished. The beeper will sound
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regardless of whether the transfer was a success.
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Disabling this setting causes the program to remain silent at all
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times.
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CDSx (log to a CDS file)
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This option allows the user to specify a log file where MPt will
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create a CDS log entry for each file transferred. You may replace
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"x" with any valid DOS drive:\path\file combination. If only
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"CDS" is specified, with no value for "x", a CDS log entry will
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not be written to any file. For example, the following command
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line will receive files, and each will be logged using CDS to the
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file "c:\logs\mptlog":
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MPT CDSc:\logs\mptlog r
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Whereas, the following receiver command line will not log the
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files in CDS format:
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MPT CDS r
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For information on the CDS log format, see Appendix A, "Log File
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Formats".
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Page 5
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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-----------------------------------
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D+ or D- (stamp with current date)
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-----------------------------------
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This setting, when enabled, will cause MPt to stamp each received
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file with the current time and date of the transfer.
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When this setting is disabled, MPt will stamp the file with the
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original time and date that are passed in a header packet at the
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beginning of each file transfer.
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This is a useful setting for BBS SysOps who wish to date-stamp
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their files according to when they were uploaded.
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Note: The D+/- option has no effect when used in the send mode.
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-------------------------
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Ex (effective baud rate)
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-------------------------
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When using this option, the "x" may be replaced by a numeric value
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between 0 and 115200, inclusive. A non-zero value will adjust the
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effective baud rate to the specified value. A value of zero will
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cause MPt to set the effective baud rate to the same value as the
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UART baud rate. See the section below entitled, "Sx (UART baud
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rate)" for information on UART baud rates.
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* * * * * * * * * * * Effective Baud Rates * * * * * * * * * * *
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Typically, the baud rate of the UART (serial port) is displayed
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and logged by communications programs as the baud rate used during
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the session. However, many modems communicate with the computer
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at one baud rate, while communicating over the phone line at a
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different baud rate.
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For example, the USRobotics Courier 14400 HST modem can
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communicate with another Courier HST modem at an effective baud
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rate of 14400 bits per second. However, the modem is actually
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communicating with the UART at 19200 bps.
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Because of this difference in UART baud rate and effective baud
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rate, MPt allows each to be specified separately. MPt will use
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the effective baud rate to calculate estimated transfer times and
|
|
efficiency percentages which are displayed during a transfer.
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
F+ or F- (enable 16550A FIFO buffers)
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
This option is only effective when the COM port in use has a
|
|
16550A or equivalent UART installed. When enabled, this setting
|
|
allows MPt to enable the FIFO buffers on the 16550A, and to use
|
|
them during the transfer. When this setting is disabled, the FIFO
|
|
buffers will be disabled during the transfer. MPt will always
|
|
return the UART to the state it was in when MPt began.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Page 6
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
In almost all cases, this setting should remain enabled. The
|
|
disable option is provided for users who wish to emulate the 16450
|
|
UART with a 16550A UART during MPt transfers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------
|
|
HF (handshake fast)
|
|
--------------------
|
|
This setting enables fast hardware handshaking during file
|
|
transfers.
|
|
|
|
If you are unsure whether to use hardware handshaking, it is a
|
|
good idea to consult your modem manual. Most 300, 1200, and 2400
|
|
baud modems do not use hardware handshaking. However, MNP modems
|
|
do, as do high-speed modems, such as the USR Courier 14400 HST,
|
|
and the USR HST/Dual Standard.
|
|
|
|
When using MPt to transfer files over a direct-connect link
|
|
between two computers, hardware handshaking may not be necessary,
|
|
but should be enabled in case one computer sends faster than the
|
|
other can receive.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * Hardware Handshaking * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
Hardware handshaking uses two pins on the serial port, called CTS
|
|
(an input), and RTS (an output) to arbitrate data flow to and from
|
|
the serial port.
|
|
|
|
The rules of CTS/RTS handshaking are fairly easy to understand:
|
|
|
|
1) Data may be sent to a serial port as long as the CTS line is
|
|
high. If the CTS line goes low, the sender must stop
|
|
transmitting data until CTS again goes high.
|
|
|
|
2) When ready to receive data, the receiver must raise the RTS
|
|
line. If, at some point, the receiver cannot receive data, it
|
|
must lower the RTS line until data can be received again.
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
HD (handshake on disk writes)
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
This setting enables fast hardware handshaking and disk write
|
|
handshaking.
|
|
|
|
Disk write handshaking causes the protocol to lower the RTS line
|
|
whenever data is being written to disk.
|
|
|
|
This setting is useful for computers that have BIOS or DOS disk
|
|
drivers that cause hardware interrupts to be disabled for extended
|
|
periods of time. MPt can not read data from the UART while
|
|
interrupts are disabled. As a result, it is not uncommon at baud
|
|
rates of 9600 or more, to get "overrun errors". If the disk
|
|
drivers are the cause of this problem, then this setting will very
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 7
|
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|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
likely solve the problem. If overrun errors are continually
|
|
occurring, you may need to use the HS parameter (detailed below).
|
|
|
|
Note: The HD parameter is typically used by the receiver (where
|
|
disk writes occur). However, the sender may use this
|
|
setting to force the receiver (on the other end) to use
|
|
disk write handshaking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------
|
|
HN (no handshaking)
|
|
--------------------
|
|
This option completely disables CTS/RTS handshaking.
|
|
|
|
--------------------
|
|
HS (handshake slow)
|
|
--------------------
|
|
This setting enables slow hardware handshaking and disk write
|
|
handshaking.
|
|
|
|
Slow handshaking is useful for receiving files on a computer that
|
|
is too slow to process received characters at the UART baud rate.
|
|
In this situation, the RTS line is toggled to pace the sender to a
|
|
speed suitable for the slow machine to process the data.
|
|
|
|
If you are experiencing overrun errors while receiving files with
|
|
MPt, try using the HD parameter (detailed above), or the HS
|
|
parameter. If the errors continue, another possible solution is
|
|
to install a 16550A UART in your serial port or internal modem.
|
|
MPt supports the 16550A UART's provisions for buffering received
|
|
data, which takes part of the load off of the CPU.
|
|
|
|
Note: The HS parameter is typically used by the receiver.
|
|
However, the sender may use this setting to force the
|
|
receiver (on the other end) to use slow handshaking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
-----------------------
|
|
Lx (log to a DSZ file)
|
|
-----------------------
|
|
This option allows the user to specify a log file where MPt will
|
|
create a DSZ log entry for each file transferred. You may replace
|
|
"x" with any valid DOS drive:\path\file combination. If only "L"
|
|
is specified, with no value for "x", a DSZ log entry will not be
|
|
written to any file. For example, the following command line will
|
|
receive files, and each will be logged to the file "c:\logs\log":
|
|
|
|
MPT Lc:\logs\mptlog r
|
|
|
|
Whereas, the following receiver command will not write a log file:
|
|
|
|
MPT L r
|
|
|
|
For information on the DSZ log format, see Appendix A.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 8
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
N+ or N- (monitor the carrier signal)
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
This setting, when enabled, will cause MPt to end if the DCD
|
|
signal (carrier) is lost during a transfer.
|
|
|
|
When this setting is disabled, MPt will ignore the state of the
|
|
DCD signal.
|
|
|
|
Note: BBS SysOps should enable this setting, so if a user drops
|
|
carrier during a transfer, MPt will end, and control will
|
|
be immediately restored to the BBS software.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------
|
|
O+ or O- (allow overwriting received files)
|
|
--------------------------------------------
|
|
This setting, when enabled, allows MPt to overwrite existing
|
|
files. For example, if a file header is received for "foo.bar",
|
|
and a file of the same name already exists in the receive path,
|
|
MPt will delete the old file and write the new one under the same
|
|
name.
|
|
|
|
If this setting is disabled, MPt will not allow a received file to
|
|
overwrite another file.
|
|
|
|
|
|
---------------------
|
|
Px (COM port number)
|
|
---------------------
|
|
This setting tells MPt which COM port to use. The "x" may be
|
|
replaced by a value between 1 and 4, inclusive. If the specified
|
|
COM port is not installed, MPt will not attempt to use it. For
|
|
information on COM port configurations, see Chapter 5, "The MPt
|
|
Setup Program".
|
|
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------
|
|
R+ or R- (allow resumed transfers)
|
|
-----------------------------------
|
|
This setting, when enabled, allows the MPt receiver to request a
|
|
resumed transfer. For example, if a file header is received for
|
|
"foo.bar", and a file of the same name already exists in the
|
|
receive path, MPt will check to see if it is shorter than the
|
|
expected length. If it is, a resume request will be sent, which
|
|
will cause the transmitter to only send the remaining portion of
|
|
the file. This feature is useful for recovering from a lost
|
|
carrier signal, or an abnormal amount of line noise.
|
|
|
|
When this setting is disabled, MPt will not attempt to resume any
|
|
transfers. In this case, if a header for an existing file is
|
|
received, MPt will check the "allow overwriting received files"
|
|
setting before writing the new file to disk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------
|
|
Sx (UART baud rate)
|
|
--------------------
|
|
When using this option, the "x" may be replaced by a numeric value
|
|
between 0 and 115200, inclusive. A non-zero value will adjust the
|
|
UART baud rate to the specified value. A value of zero will cause
|
|
MPt to auto-detect and use the current UART baud rate when the
|
|
MPt program is executed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * UART Baud Rates * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
The UART is an integrated circuit that resides in a serial adaptor
|
|
card, internal modem, or sometimes on the motherboard of your
|
|
computer. UART is an acronym for Universal Asynchronous Receiver-
|
|
Transmitter. This is a complicated way of saying "serial port".
|
|
The serial port can communicate with external devices at various
|
|
speeds, or baud rates. The UART baud rate setting of MPt adjusts
|
|
this speed. If you're unsure about which value to use for the
|
|
UART baud rate, try using the auto-detect value (0). You may wish
|
|
to consult your modem manual for more information about which baud
|
|
rates can be used to communicate with your modem.
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
M+ or M- (hangup modem when finished)
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
When this setting is enabled, MPt will lower the RTS and DTR
|
|
signals at the end of the session. Most modems can be configured
|
|
to "hang up" when the DTR signal is lowered.
|
|
|
|
When this setting is disabled, MPt will end with the RTS and DTR
|
|
signals set high.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------
|
|
W+ or W- (wait for keystroke when finished)
|
|
--------------------------------------------
|
|
This setting, when enabled, causes MPt to wait for a keystroke at
|
|
the end of a transfer before returning to DOS. If this setting is
|
|
disabled, MPt will return control to DOS immediately after the
|
|
session ends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------
|
|
X+ or X- (enable RLE compression)
|
|
----------------------------------
|
|
This setting, when enabled, allows MPt to use RLE compression
|
|
where possible when transferring data.
|
|
|
|
If either end of the MPt connection (sender or receiver) disables
|
|
this parameter, RLE compression will not be used.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * RLE Compression * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
MPt uses RLE compression techniques in an attempt to shorten
|
|
blocks of data before they are transferred. MPt will never
|
|
transmit a compressed block of data unless the compressed block is
|
|
shorter than the original block.
|
|
|
|
The compression routines in MPt are written in Turbo Assembler,
|
|
and are quite efficient. However, at very high baud rates, when
|
|
transferring pre-compressed files (such as those created by PKZIP)
|
|
the overhead that is caused by MPt analyzing each block for
|
|
compressibility can slow throughput slightly (especially on slower
|
|
machines). Therefore, RLE compression can be disabled to allow
|
|
for the greatest possible throughput on compressed files at high
|
|
baud rates. Note that disabling RLE compression is typically only
|
|
beneficial at baud rates above 9600 baud. Even most slow machines
|
|
are fast enough to analyze and output data with compression
|
|
enabled at baud rates up to 9600 baud very efficiently.
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
|
|
SENDER FILE SPECIFICATIONS
|
|
|
|
This version of the MPt Protocol is capable of sending
|
|
up to 99 individual files in a single batch. Each file which is
|
|
transmitted by MPt is preceded by a header packet which contains
|
|
the name of the file, its length, the original time and date
|
|
stamp, and other control information. The receiver reads these
|
|
header packets to determine what the sender is transmitting.
|
|
|
|
When invoking the sender command line, there are two distinct
|
|
syntaxes for specifying files to transmit:
|
|
|
|
MPT [options] s filespec [filespec] [filespec] [...]
|
|
MPT [options] s @listfile
|
|
|
|
In the first syntax, at least one file specification must be
|
|
placed on the command line. Additional file specifications may be
|
|
placed after the first. These file specifications may be actual
|
|
filenames, including drive letter, and sub-directories, or may
|
|
include wildcard characters (ie. *.*). MPt will parse each
|
|
wildcard specification into individual file names. If more than
|
|
99 files are specified, MPt will send the first 99 files found.
|
|
|
|
In the second syntax, a single absolute file specification (no
|
|
wildcards) is specified on the MPt command line, immediately
|
|
preceded by the @ symbol. MPt will read this file, expecting to
|
|
find that it contains a list of file specifications (which may
|
|
contain wildcard characters) each separated by CR/LF characters.
|
|
For example, for the command line,
|
|
|
|
MPT s @c:\file.lst
|
|
|
|
A file named "file.lst" must be placed in the root directory of
|
|
drive C, which contains a list of file specifications to send.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RECEIVER FILE SPECIFICATIONS
|
|
|
|
When receiving files with MPt, the syntax for the command line is
|
|
as follows:
|
|
|
|
MPT [options] r [path]
|
|
|
|
The "path" portion is optional, and may be any single
|
|
drive:\path\filename combination.
|
|
|
|
The purpose of the "path" is to tell MPt where to place all the
|
|
files it receives. If a file name is specified in the "path"
|
|
parameter, the file name portion will be ignored, because MPt
|
|
determines file names from the information packet it receives for
|
|
each file from the sender. Therefore, when specifying only a path
|
|
(no filename), this parameter MUST end with a backslash character
|
|
(\). For example, both of the following command lines are valid,
|
|
and will cause the same result:
|
|
|
|
MPT r c:\download\myfile.ext
|
|
MPT r c:\download\
|
|
|
|
Because the first command line has no terminating backslash on the
|
|
path parameter, the "myfile.ext" portion will be ignored, and all
|
|
received files will be placed in the "c:\download\" directory.
|
|
|
|
MPt allows a file name to be specified only because certain
|
|
calling programs insist on passing it along with the receive path.
|
|
|
|
If more than one path specification appears on the MPt command
|
|
line in receive mode, the first one following the "r" parameter
|
|
will be used. The remainder of the command line will be ignored.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXIT CODES
|
|
|
|
When the MPt Protocol returns control to DOS at the end of a
|
|
transfer, it will return a DOS exit code to the calling program.
|
|
The following codes are returned by MPt:
|
|
|
|
0 Transfer was completed successfully
|
|
1 Transfer began, but ended without completing
|
|
2 Session ended before transfer began
|
|
3 MPt detected invalid registration information
|
|
4 MPt was invoked without any command line parameters
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXAMPLES
|
|
|
|
Following are some examples of command line syntaxes:
|
|
|
|
MPT s c:\file1.txt (send a file using default options)
|
|
|
|
MPT hf s p1.exe p2.exe (send two files, use fast handshaking)
|
|
|
|
MPT s d:\*.* (send all files in root dir of d:)
|
|
|
|
MPT x+ s *.txt (send text files, allow compression)
|
|
|
|
MPT x- s *.zip (send ZIP files, don't try to compress)
|
|
|
|
MPT n- s @files.lst (send files in a list, ignore carrier)
|
|
|
|
MPT s9600 e2400 s *.* (send at 9600 bps, effective 2400 bps)
|
|
|
|
MPT p3 cdsmpt.log r (receive files from COM3, log with CDS)
|
|
|
|
MPT r c:\files\ (receive into "c:\files\" directory)
|
|
|
|
MPT r \ (receive into root of current drive)
|
|
|
|
MPT a+ r (receive files, delete aborted downloads)
|
|
|
|
MPT ldsz.log r (receive with DSZ logging)
|
|
|
|
MPT r+ o+ r (receive, allow resume and overwriting)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 - T h e M P t D i s p l a y
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
This chapter will familiarize you with the MPt display, and the
|
|
meaning of each item shown during a MPt session.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCREEN ACCESS
|
|
|
|
When MPt is executed, the first thing it does is to put up a full
|
|
screen display. If MPt is run under normal DOS conditions, all
|
|
accesses to the screen will use direct memory access. In other
|
|
words, MPt will put updated screen information directly into the
|
|
memory on board the resident display adaptor, bypassing the slow
|
|
BIOS and DOS routines that are the alternatives to this technique.
|
|
|
|
Since protocol programs are often used in multitasking
|
|
environments, where direct video access can cause conflicts on a
|
|
"shared" monitor, MPt offers an alternative. When MPt is
|
|
executed, the program checks for the presence of one of the
|
|
following multitasking sub-systems:
|
|
|
|
DESQview TaskView OmniView TopView
|
|
Microsoft Windows IBM 3270 PC
|
|
|
|
If one of these systems is active, and the Multitasking Video
|
|
Buffers (MTVB) are enabled for the current process, MPt will
|
|
direct all video access to the corresponding MTVB, instead of the
|
|
physical memory on the display adaptor. This technique allows for
|
|
complete display compatibility with the above list of multitasking
|
|
sub-systems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
COLORS
|
|
|
|
The color scheme of the MPt display can be easily customized for
|
|
color or monochrome displays by using the MPt Setup program. See
|
|
Chapter 5, "The Setup Program", for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE HELP SCREEN
|
|
|
|
The help screen will appear when MPt is executed without any
|
|
command line parameters. It is always available for quick
|
|
reference to command line syntaxes. For detailed information
|
|
about the options shown on the help screen, see Chapter 3, "The
|
|
MPt Program".
|
|
|
|
* * *
|
|
|
|
When MPt is executed with command line parameters, a status
|
|
display will appear, filling the screen with information
|
|
concerning the status of each transfer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The next few sections will explain the contents of each area of
|
|
the display.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BATCH STATUS
|
|
|
|
This display area contains information on the entire batch
|
|
transfer at hand. On the left side of the Batch status window are
|
|
totals for the batch, and an estimated time of transfer. This is,
|
|
as are all other estimates, based on the "effective baud rate",
|
|
not the "UART baud rate". See Chapter 3, "The MPt Program", for
|
|
more information on baud rates.
|
|
|
|
On the right side of the window are current values for the
|
|
progress of the batch. The Batch progress meter at the bottom
|
|
reflects the percentage of completion for the entire batch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CURRENT FILE STATUS
|
|
|
|
This display window contains information on the file which is
|
|
currently being transferred. Of particular interest in this
|
|
window is the "Last message" item. This is where all verbal
|
|
messages are shown regarding MPt status. Message descriptions are
|
|
discussed below, in the section entitled, "Messages".
|
|
|
|
|
|
THROUGHPUT EFFICIENCY
|
|
|
|
This window shows information concerning the estimated efficiency
|
|
of the file transfer in progress. The "Compression" item shows
|
|
"RLE" if the current block of data is compressed, or "none" if it
|
|
is a normal block of data. This item may also show "disabled" if
|
|
either end of the connection has specified the "X-" option on the
|
|
command line, or disabled RLE compression using the setup program.
|
|
|
|
The "Block size" meter reflects the length of the current block,
|
|
from 64 bytes to 1024 (1K) bytes.
|
|
|
|
Also shown in this window are average speed in characters per
|
|
second, and an estimated efficiency in percentage of theoretical
|
|
"maximum" efficiency.
|
|
|
|
|
|
UART
|
|
|
|
The UART status, or "modem light" display, gives the status of the
|
|
signals that MPt uses on the serial port.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Page 15
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At the top of the UART window is shown the type of UART that is
|
|
installed in the COM port that MPt is using. The recognized UARTs
|
|
are:
|
|
|
|
8250B (INS8250 or INS8250-B)
|
|
16450 (NS16450, NS16C450, NS8250A, or INS82C50A)
|
|
16550 (NS16550)
|
|
16550A (NS16550A, NS16550AF)
|
|
|
|
MPt will optionally use FIFO buffers, if the "enable 16550A FIFO
|
|
buffers" option is enabled, and the UART type is 16550A.
|
|
See Chapter 3, "The MPt Program", for more information on using
|
|
the FIFO buffers.
|
|
|
|
The remainder of the UART display shows the status of the transmit
|
|
line (TXD), the receive line (RXD), the carrier detect line (DCD),
|
|
the clear to send line (CTS), and the request to send line (RTS).
|
|
The indicator next to each item will light when the corresponding
|
|
signal is high or active.
|
|
|
|
|
|
STATS
|
|
|
|
The stats window shows some miscellaneous information about
|
|
options. The indicator beside each item will normally be lit if
|
|
the item is enabled, unless otherwise noted. Following is a brief
|
|
description of each item:
|
|
|
|
Beep - status of the "beep upon completion (B+/-)" option.
|
|
|
|
Date - status of the "stamp with current date (D+/-)" option.
|
|
|
|
DCD - status of the "monitor the carrier signal (N+/-)" option.
|
|
|
|
Dele - status of the "delete aborted downloads (A+/-)" option.
|
|
|
|
Hang - status of the "hangup modem when finished (M+/-)" option.
|
|
|
|
FIFO - this indicator will be lit when FIFO buffers are used.
|
|
|
|
Over - this indicator will be lit when the "allow overwriting
|
|
received files (O+/-)" option is enabled. If the MPt
|
|
receiver actually overwrites a file, this indicator will
|
|
blink for the remainder of the transfer of that particular
|
|
file.
|
|
|
|
Resu - this indicator will be lit when the "allow resumed
|
|
transfers (R+/-)" option is enabled. If the MPt receiver
|
|
actually resumes a file, this indicator will blink for the
|
|
remainder of the transfer of that particular file.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
Page 16
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|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Virt - this indicator will be lit if MPt is using an MTVB (virtual
|
|
screen) for display access. For more information on this
|
|
item, see the section entitled, "Screen Access" near the
|
|
beginning of this chapter.
|
|
|
|
Wait - status of the "wait for keystroke when finished
|
|
(W+/-)" option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
DISPLAY FOOTER
|
|
|
|
The footer line of the MPt display indicates miscellaneous items
|
|
of interest. We'll cover them from left to right, as displayed on
|
|
the MPt screen:
|
|
|
|
The far left section will contain "S" or "R", to indicate send or
|
|
receive mode.
|
|
|
|
Next is the COM port which MPt is using.
|
|
|
|
The following two items are UART baud rate, labeled Ubps, and
|
|
effective baud rate, labeled Ebps. These values are shown in bits
|
|
per second.
|
|
|
|
Next is the handshaking indicator. This will show the type of
|
|
handshaking in use:
|
|
|
|
N = None
|
|
S = handshake slow
|
|
D = handshake disk
|
|
F = handshake fast
|
|
|
|
Finally, on the far right, is the version number and User ID of
|
|
the remote MPt Protocol driver. This item will show "unknown"
|
|
until synchronization has been established with the remote
|
|
protocol.
|
|
|
|
|
|
MESSAGES
|
|
|
|
There are a number of messages which may be conveyed to the user
|
|
by the MPt Protocol. This section gives the most important
|
|
messages and their meanings:
|
|
|
|
SYNCHRONIZING
|
|
MPt is attempting to communicate control information with the
|
|
connecting protocol. This occurs at the beginning of each file
|
|
being transferred.
|
|
|
|
SYNCHRONIZATION FAILED
|
|
MPt was unable to synchronize with the connecting protocol.
|
|
|
|
SENDING/RECEIVING FILE
|
|
MPt is synchronized and has begun the file transfer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 17
|
|
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|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
filename.ext DONE
|
|
Transfer of "filename.ext" has completed successfully.
|
|
|
|
filename.ext DELETED
|
|
The partially received file, "filename.ext" has been deleted.
|
|
This will only occur if the "delete aborted downloads" option is
|
|
enabled.
|
|
|
|
ERROR WRITING CDS/DSZ LOG FILE
|
|
MPt had problems writing to a log file.
|
|
|
|
ERROR AT BYTE xxxx: errortype
|
|
This message indicates that MPt is attempting to recover from
|
|
some type of line error. The value of xxxx shows the byte
|
|
position in the current file where the error occurred. The
|
|
errortype indicates what caused the error. There are seven
|
|
causes for line errors:
|
|
|
|
CRC - MPt detected an error when comparing CRCs. This
|
|
is usually causes by line noise on a bad
|
|
connection.
|
|
|
|
Long - The MPt receiver received a block longer than 1K
|
|
in length. This is typically a result of line
|
|
noise "adding" spurious garbage characters into
|
|
the bit stream.
|
|
|
|
Short - The MPt receiver got a partial block, which was
|
|
not complete.
|
|
|
|
Duplicate - The MPt receiver received a block of data that had
|
|
already been received successfully.
|
|
|
|
Waiting - The MPt receiver is waiting for the next logical
|
|
block in the sequence.
|
|
|
|
Timeout - The receiver has not received a block of data
|
|
within a reasonable time frame.
|
|
|
|
Overrun - The MPt receiver has experienced a UART buffer
|
|
overrun error. This is usually caused by slow
|
|
receiver CPU's at high baud rates, slow disk BIOS
|
|
or drivers, or multitasking receiving computers
|
|
without a 16550A UART. For information on
|
|
correcting this problem, see Chapter 3.
|
|
|
|
ERROR READING FILE: filename.ext
|
|
The MPt sender could not read the current file from disk.
|
|
|
|
CANCELLED BY SENDER/RECEIVER
|
|
The transfer was cancelled by the other end of the connection.
|
|
|
|
CANCELLED
|
|
The transfer has been cancelled locally by pressing the ESC key.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 18
|
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CARRIER LOST
|
|
The DCD signal was lowered during the transfer. This will only
|
|
be reported if the "monitor the carrier signal" option is
|
|
enabled.
|
|
|
|
FATAL TIMEOUT
|
|
The sender received no response from the receiver within a
|
|
reasonable amount of time.
|
|
|
|
TOO MANY ERRORS
|
|
More than twenty consecutive line errors occurred during the
|
|
transfer.
|
|
|
|
NOT ALLOWED TO OVERWRITE FILE
|
|
The receiver got a file header for an existing file, and the
|
|
"allow overwriting received files" option is disabled.
|
|
|
|
CAN'T CREATE FILE
|
|
The receiver can't create the file to be received.
|
|
|
|
CAN'T WRITE TO DISK
|
|
The receiver can't write received information to the disk file.
|
|
|
|
* * *
|
|
|
|
The following messages can occur only before the transfer begins,
|
|
and will cause an ERRORLEVEL 2 to be returned to DOS.
|
|
|
|
INVALID REGISTRATION INFORMATION
|
|
The MPT.EXE file contains an invalid UserID/Serial number
|
|
combination.
|
|
|
|
INVALID PARAMETER: xx
|
|
An invalid parameter (xx) has been given on the command line.
|
|
|
|
INVALID SPEED: xxxxx
|
|
An invalid speed (baud rate) has been specified.
|
|
|
|
INVALID HANDSHAKING
|
|
An invalid handshaking option has been specified.
|
|
|
|
INVALID PORT: x
|
|
An invalid COM port has been specified. This will occur if MPt
|
|
cannot identify an active UART in the specified port.
|
|
|
|
SEND/RECEIVE NOT SPECIFIED
|
|
The "s" or "r" parameter was not given on the command line.
|
|
|
|
ERROR READING LIST FILE
|
|
The MPt sender could not read the specified list file
|
|
(@listfile).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FILE NOT FOUND: filename.ext
|
|
MPt could not locate the file filename.ext as specified in a
|
|
list file, or on the command line.
|
|
|
|
NO FILES SPECIFIED
|
|
The MPt sender found no file specifications on the command line
|
|
or in a list file.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 20
|
|
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|
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|
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|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 - T h e S e t u p P r o g r a m
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accompanying the MPt Protocol program is a setup program called
|
|
MPTSET.EXE, which allows the user to customize MPt. The setup
|
|
program accomplishes this by reading the MPT.EXE file, which must
|
|
reside in the default directory, and updating it with the custom
|
|
setup information.
|
|
|
|
Using the MPTSET program is easy. First, log to the directory
|
|
where the MPT.EXE file resides. This can be done in DOS by using
|
|
the "chdir" or "cd" command.
|
|
|
|
Next, execute the MPTSET.EXE program. This program can reside
|
|
anywhere on your hard disk, or on a floppy disk.
|
|
|
|
The setup program will first attempt to read the MPT.EXE file. If
|
|
it is not present in the current directory, or is somehow
|
|
corrupted, you will be alerted.
|
|
|
|
When the MPT.EXE file has been found and read successfully, you
|
|
will be presented with the setup program's main menu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
MAIN MENU
|
|
|
|
The main menu contains the following information:
|
|
|
|
-> Change default options
|
|
Adjust screen colors
|
|
Install registration information
|
|
Quit and save settings
|
|
|
|
From here, you have four options from which to choose. You may
|
|
select an option by moving the arrow that is shown on the screen
|
|
to point at the option you wish to select. The up and down arrow
|
|
keys move the arrow. Press Enter to choose the selected item.
|
|
From the main menu, you may also press the ESC key. The results
|
|
of this action are the same as selecting the "Quit and save
|
|
settings" option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHANGE DEFAULT OPTIONS
|
|
|
|
After selecting this item, you will be presented with a screen
|
|
showing a number of options and their current defaults, as they
|
|
are currently set in the MPT.EXE file.
|
|
|
|
An explanation of each of these options is detailed in Chapter 3,
|
|
so we won't repeat ourselves in this section.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A few things to note about setting options:
|
|
|
|
The UART baud rate - When choosing a UART baud rate, the setting
|
|
"Current" will cause MPt to use the baud rate at which the UART
|
|
is operating when the program is executed.
|
|
|
|
The Effective baud rate - The setting "UART" will cause MPt to
|
|
match the effective baud rate to the UART baud rate when MPt is
|
|
executed.
|
|
|
|
IRQs and Base addresses - The IRQ settings adjust the hardware
|
|
interrupt for each COM port. The base address settings adjust
|
|
the base I/O address where the UART is mapped for each COM port.
|
|
Base addresses must be entered in hex format. These settings
|
|
allow customization of non-standard COM ports. See your
|
|
internal modem or serial port manual for more information on
|
|
IRQs and Base address settings.
|
|
|
|
The CDS and DSZ log files - These settings allow default log
|
|
files to be specified.
|
|
|
|
All default settings except for COM port base addresses and IRQs
|
|
can be overrided by using command line parameters when executing
|
|
MPt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
ADJUST SCREEN COLORS
|
|
|
|
Selecting this item causes a portion of the MPt Status screen to
|
|
be shown, along with a menu of items that can be colorized. Using
|
|
the up and down arrow keys, you can position the arrow to point to
|
|
an item to be adjusted. The following keys affect the "selected"
|
|
item:
|
|
|
|
Enter - changes the foreground color
|
|
Space - changes the background color
|
|
ESC - return to main menu
|
|
|
|
The following two keys affect the entire display:
|
|
|
|
C - select default color scheme
|
|
M - select monochrome scheme
|
|
|
|
|
|
INSTALL REGISTRATION INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
This item allows registered MPt users to install their User ID and
|
|
serial number. For information on registering, please read the
|
|
file, LICENSE.TXT.
|
|
|
|
A note to registered MPt (or Puma) users:
|
|
|
|
When you receive your User ID and serial number in the mail, you
|
|
can use the "Install registration information" option to install
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 22
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the information into MPT.EXE.
|
|
|
|
When typing the UserID, you may use mixed upper and lower case
|
|
letters, all CAPS, or all lower case, whichever you desire.
|
|
|
|
Enter the serial number EXACTLY as it is shown on your
|
|
registration certificate. MPt will not run with improper User ID
|
|
or serial number information. If you receive the message,
|
|
"Invalid registration information" when running MPt, double check
|
|
the ID and serial number on your certificate with the information
|
|
entered into MPTSET.EXE.
|
|
|
|
Registered Lynx Users:
|
|
|
|
You may use the LYNX_MPT.EXE program to extract the registration
|
|
information from LYNX.EXE for use with The MPt Protocol.
|
|
|
|
You must first place your REGISTERED LYNX.EXE file into the
|
|
current directory, and then execute the LYNX_MPT.EXE program.
|
|
Follow screen instructions for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUIT AND SAVE SETTINGS
|
|
|
|
This option causes MPTSET to prompt you for a response:
|
|
|
|
Save new settings in MPT.EXE <Y or N> ?
|
|
|
|
Responding with "N" will cause MPTSET to end without updating
|
|
MPT.EXE.
|
|
|
|
Responding with "Y" will cause MPTSET to end after writing the new
|
|
setup information into the MPT.EXE file.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* * *
|
|
|
|
|
|
When running MPt after using MPTSET, note that the "Stats" window
|
|
will reflect the default settings that you have specified. These
|
|
defaults can be overrided by command line parameters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 23
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 - A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
This chapter is dedicated to the people who made the MPt project
|
|
possible, including all the users who registered as Lynx Protocol
|
|
users, all those who helped test Lynx and MPt, and those who
|
|
contributed in other ways. . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
INSIDE
|
|
|
|
A large percentage of the development time on MPt was spent coding
|
|
and tuning the UART interface routines using Turbo Assembler 1.0.
|
|
Repeated tests have revealed that MPt operates quite reliably on a
|
|
115200 baud direct link between an 8 Mhz 80286 and a 12 Mhz 80286,
|
|
even with a 16450 UART. Hats off to Borland International for a
|
|
fine assembler!
|
|
|
|
The remainder of the project was coded in Turbo Pascal 5.5,
|
|
Borland's award-worthy compiler and development system.
|
|
|
|
The speed of the display in MPt is attributed to the QWIK toolbox
|
|
from Eagle Performance Software - QWIK is an irreplaceable kit
|
|
full of goodies that makes programming without the CRT unit a
|
|
genuine pleasure. Good work, Eagle!
|
|
|
|
TheDraw from TheSoft Programming Services was used to develop
|
|
everything visual in the MPt software package. TheDraw proved to
|
|
be an invaluable tool for designing the user displays. Kudos to
|
|
Mr. Ian Davis for his quality screen design software!
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol is distributed in ZIPPED format, a technology
|
|
made possible by the wonderful PKZIP shareware product from
|
|
PKWARE, Inc. Thanks to Mr. Phil Katz for a top-notch shareware
|
|
product!
|
|
|
|
OUTSIDE
|
|
|
|
MPt has made it to the Shareware marketplace only after very
|
|
extensive testing by the author, and by these fine people, who
|
|
kindly volunteered their testing services:
|
|
|
|
Nick Anis Kevin Bass Mike Callahan
|
|
Chuck Dennis Charles Edstrom Ken Flower
|
|
Shawn Johnson Scott Kuntzelman Al Maynard
|
|
Lee Pollard Bob Rapp John Schuit
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks, folks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 24
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TRADEMARKS AND PRODUCTS
|
|
|
|
The Courier HST and HST/Dual Standard are products of USRobotics
|
|
|
|
DESQview is a product of Quarterdeck Office Systems
|
|
|
|
DSZ is a product of Omen Technology, Inc.
|
|
|
|
IBM 3270 PC and Topview are trademarks of International Business
|
|
Machines
|
|
|
|
MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows are registered trademarks of
|
|
Microsoft Corporation
|
|
|
|
PKZIP is a registered trademark of PKWARE, Inc.
|
|
|
|
QWIK is a product of Eagle Performance Software
|
|
|
|
Taskview is a product of Sunny Hill Software
|
|
|
|
TheDraw is a trademark of TheSoft Programming Services
|
|
|
|
The MPt Protocol is a trademark of Matthew Thomas
|
|
|
|
Turbo Assembler and Turbo Pascal are registered trademarks of
|
|
Borland International, Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Page 25
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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Appendix A - L o g F i l e F o r m a t s
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__________________________________________________________________
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ENHANCED DSZ LOG FORMAT
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The Enhanced DSZ logging that MPt uses is provided for some
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compatibility with programs that recognize this type of logging.
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The log file consists of a single line of text for each file
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transferred. Following is a sample entry:
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S 217837 57600 bps 5050 cps 0 errors 0 1024 MPT110.ZIP MPt
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The format of each field in this entry is as follows, beginning
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with the leftmost field:
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- 'S' for send, 'R' for receive, 'E' for aborted transfer, or
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'L' for lost carrier.
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- The length of the file, in bytes.
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- The effective baud rate. MPt follows the DSZ format of using
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'65535' to represent an actual baud rate of 115200.
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- The average transfer rate, in characters per second.
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- The total number of errors which occurred during transmission.
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- The number of flow control restrictions, as specified in the
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DSZ documentation. MPt does not record this value, so this
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field will always contain a zero.
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- The length of the last block transferred in the file.
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- The name of the file which was transferred.
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-*The name of the protocol used.
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-*The last field is either empty, or contains '(resumed)' to
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signify that the file was resumed.
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* These fields are not part of the original DSZ specification.
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CDS LOG FORMAT
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CDS logging is a standard of recording online activities of all
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types. It was developed in an attempt to standardize the
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interface between various communication utilities, such as
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terminal emulators, BBS software, external protocols (such as
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MPt), and phone bill analyzers.
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Page 26
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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By supporting CDS logging, MPt's activities can be tracked by any
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utility that will read a CDS file.
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Following is an example of a CDS log entry made by MPt:
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90-01-04 00:46:11 020 MPt
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COM port 1
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Comm parameters 2400 8 N 1
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Sent file AUTOEXEC.BAT
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File size 142
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Protocol MPt
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Ended 90-01-04 00:46:11 (call ended abruptly)
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Transfer Errors 1
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Efficiency 0.0 %
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Average CPS 0
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The first line is the record header, which gives the date and time
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the transfer began, the record number (020), which identifies the
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record as a file transfer entry, and 'MPt', the name of the
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program that created the entry.
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Following the header are single-line entries describing the
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transfer:
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COM port N
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The communications port used for the transfer. N will have a
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value from 1 to 4.
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Comm parameters 2400 8 N 1
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Designates the effective baud rate, data bits, parity check, and
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stop bits during a transfer. Each parameter is separated by a
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space. MPt always uses '8 N 1' for data type.
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Sent file FILENAME
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Rcvd file FILENAME
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The name of the transferred file.
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File size NNN
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The size of the transferred file. NNN is the size in bytes (not
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kilobytes).
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Protocol MPt
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The file transfer protocol used.
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Page 27
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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Ended YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
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Ended YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (aborted by sender)
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Ended YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (aborted by receiver)
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Ended YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (call ended abruptly)
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Tells when the transfer terminated, and shows if the sender or
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receiver aborted the transfer, or if the carrier signal was
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lost (call ended abruptly).
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Transfer Errors NNN
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Provides the total number of errors encountered during the
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transfer. If the entry is missing, no errors occurred during
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the transfer.
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Efficiency NNN %
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Provides the efficiency of the file transfer. "NNN" is the
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efficiency as a percentage ("96.2 %" for example).
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Average CPS NNNN
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Provides the average characters transmitted per second for the
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file. "NNNN" is the CPS average as a whole number, "239" for
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example.
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Page 28
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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Appendix B - M P t A u t o - S t a r t R e c e i v e
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
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MPt has a feature that allows the sending protocol to alert the
|
|
receiver to start download synchronization. This can decrease the
|
|
number of required keystrokes to start a download.
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At this time, none of the terminal programs that were evaluated by
|
|
the author directly support any type of auto-receive mode for
|
|
external protocols, other than Zmodem.
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It may be possible for some terminals to support MPt auto-receive
|
|
by using their built-in script language to wait for the MPt auto-
|
|
packet, and then beginning the external MPt receiver protocol.
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|
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Following is the format of the MPt auto-packet, which the MPt
|
|
sender transmits at one-second intervals at the beginning of a
|
|
batch transfer:
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|
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Turbo Pascal format:
|
|
#24#8#24#8#24'MPt '#24#8#24#8#24
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|
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When this string of characters is received during a terminal
|
|
session, the MPt receive protocol should be initiated.
|
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|
|
Perhaps we will see this type of feature supported in future
|
|
releases of the popular terminal programs. But for now, it has to
|
|
be done using scripts.
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Page 29
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
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|
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Appendix C - S u g g e s t e d R e a d i n g
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
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|
|
For in-depth information on all aspects of computer
|
|
telecommunications, the author recommends the following book:
|
|
|
|
"Dvorak's Guide to PC Telecommunications"
|
|
By John C. Dvorak and Nick Anis
|
|
Published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1989
|
|
|
|
This book has over 1000 pages, and contains two 5.25" floppy
|
|
disks. Included on the first disk is "Telix SE", a complete and
|
|
powerful communication package, along with a Modem Tutor Program.
|
|
The second disk is packed (zipped, actually) with a number of very
|
|
useful shareware programs.
|
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|
|
Suggested retail price is $49.95. Check your local computer or
|
|
book store for this excellent source of information!
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Page 30
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The MPt Protocol v1.10 User's Manual
|
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|
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Appendix D - S o f t w a r e R e v i s i o n s
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
The following revisions have been made to the MPt Protocol
|
|
Software package:
|
|
|
|
v1.00 (01-15-90)
|
|
|
|
This was the initial release of the protocol. The name of the
|
|
software was "Puma" in its first release.
|
|
|
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|
|
v1.10 (08-07-90)
|
|
|
|
This release was made only to change the name of the protocol to
|
|
"The MPt Protocol", due to a trademark problem with the previous
|
|
name.
|
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Page 31
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