!ArcLink5 Frequently Asked Questions

Read the !Help file for full instructions

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  1. How do I transfer the Psion opo program to the Psion in the first place?
  2. When I transfer the ArcLink5.opo program to the Psion and run it I get the message
  3. When cataloguing the Psion, filenames are corrupted, often becoming numbers or symbols.
  4. When loading ArcLink5 I get the error "Bad time string".
  5. Even though I've registered my copy of ArcLink5 I can't change the baud rate to anything other than the default speed.
  6. When loading ArcLink5 I get a number of "Serial frame" errors and a series of bleeps coming from the Psion 5.
  7. I've transferred some text files from the Acorn to the Psion 5 but when viewed on the Psion 5 they appear with a 'question mark' icon and won't load.
Q: How do I transfer the Psion opo program to the Psion in the first place?

A: If you have access to Windows95:
Transfer the file using PsiWin following the instructions given with PsiWin.

If you don't have access to Windows95:
You may use a communications package on the Acorn (such as Hearsay II, ArcTerm7 or the excellent Freeware package, !Connector) in order to 'talk' to the 'Comms' program on the Psion. These instructions assume that you are using !Connector.

To proceed,
  1. Load the communications program on the Acorn.
  2. Load Extras.Comms on the Psion 5.
  3. In Comms (on the Psion click on the 'Set up' icon (top ot toolbar) and make sure that 'Use comms port' is set to 'Serial port 0', Baud rate is 19200, Data bits is 8, Stop bits is 1 and parity is None. Then click 'OK'.
  4. Make sure !Connector has the same settings. These can be changed by clicking on the relevant icons at the bottom of the display window. (They are the default settings so shouldn't need changing unless you have reconfigured your copy of !Connector).
  5. Set YModem on the Acorn end by clicking on the 'X/Y/ZModem' option at the bottom of the main window.
  6. On !Connector press 'MENU' over the main window and go down to 'File Transfer'. Move right to the submenu and click on send file. This will open a small 'send file' window. This is where you need to drag the Psion ArcLink5 (opo) program (found inside !ArcLink5.Extras), but first you need to prepare the Psion to receive it.
  7. On the Psion Comms program press 'Menu' and select the 'Transfer' option. From this, click 'Receive file...'.
  8. Set the 'Receive file...' protocol to 'YModem (batch)' by clicking on its selection bar.
  9. Set which folder you wish to copy ArcLink5 into (not the System one).
  10. Click 'OK'. The Psion will now be waiting for the file to be send from the Acorn.
  11. You can now drag the Psion ArcLink5 file (inside !ArcLink5.Extras) onto the !Connector 'send file' window (opened in step 6) in order to physically send the file to the Psion.
  12. Once the file has transferred successfully you can 'Quit' from !Connector and exit from Comms on the Psion (by typing CTRL-E)
  13. Lastly you need to rename the Psion file to ArcLink5.opo
    You can do this by finding the folder in which you saved it on the Psion (by using the Psion System screen), highlighting it and then typing CTRL-R and entering the new name.
The software is now ready to use. To setup the Psion link, simply double-tap on ArcLink5.opo
The rest is controlled from the Acorn end. You can now load !ArcLink5 on the Acorn, by double-clicking on it's icon.




Q: When I transfer the ArcLink5.opo program to the Psion and run it I get the message
Error in ARCLINK5\GETCOMMAND
Access denied

and the program exits.


A: This means the Psion cannot access the serial port because it is already in use by another application.
  1. Make sure the remote link is turned off by typing CTRL-L and setting the Link to 'Off'.
  2. Make sure the Psion 'Comms' program is not running. If it is, exit it by typing CTRL-E.




Q: When cataloguing the Psion, filenames are corrupted, often becoming numbers or symbols. A: This sounds like corruption of the serial port. It could be that SerialDev is not working correctly, or something else has left the Serial port in a dodgy state, such as previously run internet software, comms software or the PC card software. Try re-booting the machine and if you get the same problems, contact me and I will try to help.



Q: When loading ArcLink5 I get the error "Bad time string".
A: Check that you have ArcLink5 v0.10 or above. If not, ensure that you don't any any additional modules such as "SensibleTime" installed on your machine.



Q: Even though I've registered my copy of ArcLink5 I can't change the baud rate to anything other than the default speed.
A: When you change baud rate, ArcLink5 sends a message to the Psion in order to remotely change the Psion baud rate as well. If ArcLink5 cannot talk to the Psion (perhaps you haven't run the ArcLink5.opo file?) correctly, then any baud rate changes will be ignored.
If the problem persists, try displaying the Psion directory listing (by clicking on the ArcLink5 icon) and then changing baud rate again.

Please feel free to inform me of any more questions you think should be added to this file and I will try to make it as simple to use as possible.



Q: When loading ArcLink5 I get a number of "Serial frame" errors and a series of bleeps coming from the Psion 5.
A: This usually signifies that the Acorn is trying to communicate at a different baud rate to the Psion 5. It was also a minor bug in versions 0.10 and v0.11 which failed to reset the baud rate correctly if you saved it as part of the default choices and then reloaded ArcLink5 on a subsequent occasion.
v0.12 is more stable in this respect - and also displays the baud rate set at the Psion 5 end.



Q: I've transferred some text files from the Acorn to the Psion 5 but when viewed on the Psion 5 they appear with a 'question mark' icon and won't load.
A: This generally means that the Psion hasn't recognised them as a text file.
From version 0.13 upwards ArcLink5 will allow you to convert text files into Word documents. If using an earlier version, or a non-registered version, you should rename the file to have a .txt suffix. For example, if you've transferred a file called "document", rename it to "document.txt". This will tell the Psion to load it into Word as a plain text document.
N.B. If using an older version of ArcLink5 it is recommended that you upgrade to the latest version. This is always on my web site.


©1998 Paul Vigay
Again, please feel free to keep suggestions coming in.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any ideas for additional features.

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