Kermit?

General discussions related to the Altair 8800 Clone

Re: Kermit?

Postby smp » March 22nd, 2014, 4:15 pm

Hi all,

I have just received my Altair Clone, and I am having a great time with it.

I am using CP/M and I have loaded Kermit.DSK into drive B.

In CP/M, I can go onto disk B: and I can get Kermit running. When I do a SET PORT ? command, Kermit offers CRT, PTR, TTY, UC1, UR1, and UR2.

I am using Hyper-Terminal on a laptop PC as my console device, and I want to transfer a file right from there.

I have tried all the possible ports with the set port command, but none of them seem to be connecting to the console. I thought that either CRT or TTY should work for me, but they aren't. What am I missing here?

Thanks, in advance, for your patience and attention.

smp
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Re: Kermit?

Postby smp » March 22nd, 2014, 8:15 pm

As a follow-up to my previous post, I am successfully using PCGET to transfer files into my Altair Clone.
I am simply interested in seeing Kermit run on this baby, too!

smp
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Re: Kermit?

Postby AltairClone » March 23rd, 2014, 9:22 am

Kermit requires a couple of things in order to transfer files. You can read through the "ReadMe" file at http://altairclone.com/downloads/cpm/CP ... ReadMe.pdf for details.

First, Kermit requires the IOBYTE feature of CP/M in order to transfer files. The original Altair CP/M 2.2 does not implement the IOBYTE feature. I updated the BIOS to support the IOBYTE and have released it as Altair CP/M version 2.2a. The Kermit disk image has version 2.2a on it, so you'll need to boot from the Kermit disk image in order to actually be running version 2.2a. (You can update any CP/M disk to version 2.2a by running MOVCPMA -- see http://altairclone.com/downloads/cpm/CP ... PM%202.2A/)

Next, you'll need to use two serial ports to transfer files. One serial port is the normal CP/M console, the second serial port is used for the actual file transfer. This means starting two instances of HyperTerm: One for the console and a second for performing the actual file transfer. Upon starting Kermit, you'll need to tell it what port is being used for file transfer. If your 2nd serial port is the second port on the 2SIO at I/O address 22/23, type "SET PORT UR2" in Kermit. If your second serial port is the SIO port from the ACR at I/O address 6/7, type "SET PORT UR1" in Kermit. Kermit uses the CP/M RDR device, so reference the RDR device IOBYTE options in the Kermit ReadMe file linked above for details.

Mike
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Re: Kermit?

Postby smp » March 23rd, 2014, 11:10 am

Hi Mike,

Thanks a million for your explanation!

I was seeing the words that were telling me I needed two ports, but I was determined to find the way to do it all from the console, like with PCGET.

Thanks for setting me straight with this. Since PCGET is working for me right now, I'll probably just stick with that.

smp
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Re: Kermit?

Postby ccobs » June 2nd, 2014, 10:42 am

Yikes!

A real blast from the past for me, this chain.

I thought that Kermit had well and truly died, but you would not believe how delighted I am that, in particular, CP/M-80 Kermit Lives!

I was for a time the co-ordinator for it, the one that split the .ASM modules into several parts, taking it on from V3.05 (I think) to V4.09.

There was some truly terrible code in there :(

Happy days!

Good luck

Bertil.
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Re: Kermit?

Postby jibanes » July 10th, 2014, 11:53 pm

Help.

First issue: I can't seem to be able to upgrade the firmware to 1.6:
I can't seem to be able to figure out how; although I did follow the documentation accordingly... I did try to upload the firmware at 9600 in x-modem (I use 115200 to upload floppies, but same cable/port and floppies upload work fine).
===== Serial Port Settings =====
Port Type I/O Rate Other
---- ---- ------- ---- --------
1 2SIO 020,021 9600
2 2SIO 022,023 9600
3 SIO 006,007 300 8N1
Please confirm that the firmware is uploaded on the "console" port.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Second issue: I am unable to send/receive files using kerm411.com: (from kermit.dsk)
All this is done with firmware 1.5 (see above why)
I have a kermit server running at 9600, ASCII transfers, Parity None, Checksum type 3, I have tested it with my hp calculator and I'm able to send/receive files accordingly.
Back to the Altair(clone), I run kerm411, then "SET PORT UR2", but I can't send or receive any file, do you know what could go wrong? I'm using the bottom "corner right" connector, when facing the clone from the back.
More interesting, when I type "GET FILE.TXT" the kermit server acknowledges something is happening, but the altair is unable to retrieve the file, meaning, perhaps that the connection is in the "wrong mode" but the cabling is right. Same with "SEND FILE.TXT".
Maybe the wrong speed is set?
I'm running "63K CP/M Version 2.2a MITS (2/23/14)"

Let me know what you think I could have done wrong, thanks.
Jerome
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Re: Kermit?

Postby AltairClone » July 11th, 2014, 12:05 pm

The firmware update is sent from the PC to the Clone using simple file transfer at 9600 baud, not XMODEM (e.g., File-->Send file... in TeraTerm). Simple file transfer is used for all uploads other than floppy disk transfers (e.g., load hex file, load bin file, load PROM content, firmware update). If the monitor's "send file" prompt does not explicitly specify "XMODEM," then you can assume a simple file transfer. It's a bit confusing!

That being said, firmware update 1.6 is not required to support Kermit transfers. The requirement for Kermit support is actually a version of Altair CP/M that supports the IOBYTE function. The original Burcon CP/M for the Altair does not provide IOBYTE support. I updated the CP/M BIOS to support IOBYTE redirection and it appears that is what you are running based on the cold start message display by CP/M (Version 2.2a).

I'm not much of a Kermit expert and haven't used it with a Kermit server running on the PC. I do know it will work in "manual" mode where on the Altair you type the "receive" command in Kermit and then manually start a "send" operation on the PC, or in reverse, manually start a "receive" on the PC end and then type the "send" command on the Altair.

Mike
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Re: Kermit?

Postby jibanes » July 11th, 2014, 12:27 pm

Thank you Mike, I will try to upgrade the firmware, although I do it from Linux, but I imagine I can cat the bin file to the serial device.

I'm confused about one thing regarding your build of kermit (on the provided .dsk), "show" doesn't show the port speed, while on the built I had attempted, the speed could be set using a "set speed"-command. On your built I can't even display the set speed, could you tell me what is the default speed?

Jerome
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Re: Kermit?

Postby AltairClone » July 11th, 2014, 1:18 pm

Don't forget you're working on an Altair! :) Software has no control over baud rates. In the day, you had to pull out the serial board and change soldered jumpers to change the baud rate. In the Clone, it's a bit easier of course, you change the fixed rate baud rate of the serial board in the Serial Port menu of the Configuration Monitor.

Based on your previous post, you're running at 9600 baud.

Mike
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Re: Kermit?

Postby AltairClone » July 11th, 2014, 1:27 pm

jibanes wrote:Thank you Mike, I will try to upgrade the firmware, although I do it from Linux, but I imagine I can cat the bin file to the serial device.


Be sure the cat operation allows full 8 bit transfers and does not filter/translate any characters before you attempt the upgrade. Otherwise, you may temporarily "brick" your Clone until you can find a way to transfer a file as 8 bit without any filtering.

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