Date: 26 Oct 1985 2242-EDT
From: LCG.KERMIT@DEC-MARLBORO
Subject: msxhpx problems

Took the new version of MSXHPX.ASM last night.  Unfortunately, in being
compatible with both the 110 and the PLUS, it develops several problems on
the plus.  In particular:

1. PORT 2 is set to AUX.  On the plus, this is not the INTERNAL MODEM
necessarily, but is the default modem set in the system configurator.  To
insure that the internal modem is used, the PORT selection logic should
select COM3, not AUX.

2. All character output is being sent to the punch via MSDOS PUNOUT call.
This is slow, and, worse, will direct output to AUX even if the serial port
is in use.

3. Minor points: the program starts with even parity and 7 bit words.  This
causes chaos in every situation we tried.

Changes are shown below by giving at least one line before and after each 
change.  Would appreciate your forwarding to appropriate authority.

Also, leaving DTR on on the PLUS is not just a nuisance, it is deadly, since
you also leave on the MODEM or SERIAL interface, which eats the battery at
incredible rates.  I have attached to the end of this a short program to
turn those off.  I run KERMIT on the plus from a command file KERMIT.BAT
which contains the following:

	MSXHPX 1%
	MODEMOFF

This guarantees modem/serial port doesn't run down battery.

Mike Mellinger  800-325-0888

Modified MSXHPX follows:

instat	equ	6
wrdev	equ	40H	;  mjm
rddev	equ	3fH


par_str	db	'P'			; string used to set parity
par_x	db	4,';'
brk_on	db	'B1;'			; start sending breaks

	db	'SS0;'			; 1 Stop Bit
	Db	'SW0;'			; 8 Bit Length
setktab	db	0

com1	db	'COM1',0
com2	db	'COM3',0
blank	db	esc,'H',esc,'J$'

	db	04H,'COM1$'
	dw	01H
 	db	04H,'COM3$'
	dw	00H

;outch3:	mov	dl,ah
;	mov	ah,punout		; Output char in DL to comm port.
;	int	dos
outch3:	mov	byte ptr temp,ah
	mov	bx,prthnd
	mov	ah,wrdev
	mov	cx,1
	mov	dx,offset temp
	int	dos
; end DRA
	pop	bx


*******************************

MODEMOFF.ASM (make it into COM file...)

;
MAIN	SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC 'MAIN'
	ASSUME CS:MAIN,DS:MAIN,SS:MAIN,ES:NOTHING
;
	ORG	100H

START	PROC	FAR
	MOV	DX,OFFSET CHANNEL
	MOV	AX,3D01H
	INT	21H
	MOV	BX,AX
	MOV	AX,4403H
	MOV	DX,OFFSET OFFCOM
	MOV	CX,6
	INT	21H
	MOV	AX,4C00H
	INT	21H
OFFCOM	DB	'M3;M5;'
CHANNEL DB	'AUX',0

START	ENDP
MAIN	ENDS
	END	START

*************************

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 28 Oct 85 23:08:28 mst
From: dwf%b@LANL.ARPA (Dave Forslund)
To: SY.FDC@CU20B

In response to the problems with MSXHPX on the Portable Plus:

1. We felt the choice of the AUX port was an advantage because one could also
choose the HP-IL loop RS-232 interface from the PAM without having to add an
additional port in kermit itself.  It is true to use the modem with Kermit one
must have selected it in the PAM.  However, if it is selected then port 1 is
the serial port and port 2 is the modem (or HP-IL RS-232).  Choosing COM3 for
the Portable makes the code incompatible with the HP-110.

2. We used this call as it was in the generic Kermit.  We will try this 
suggested fix.

3. Our choice of even parity and 7 bit words is what works on our network
here at Los Alamos and avoided us having to have a .ini file to modify the
defaults.  If other like other defaults, so be it.

4. Thanks for the modemoff file.  It will be a big help.

By the way, for this code to work properly on the internal modem in the
HP110 still requires some work, as the modem does not respond
conversationally but requires special ioctl commands to dial, etc.  We have
not pursued this any further.

Dave (dwf@lanl.arpa)

------------------------------