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- Θ]ÇD-SCOPE V 1.00 (C) COPYRIGHT 1986 by H. UHL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ##
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- L I N E M O N I T O R S O F T W A R E F O R T H E I B M P C
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- (C) COPYRIGHT 1986 H. UHL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE
- D'SCOPE MAIN MENU
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- A -- CONFIGURE AND RUN K -- NOTES & WARNINGS
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- B -- INTRODUCTION L -- BAUD, PARITY, DATA & STOP BITS
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- C -- SETUP M -- WHAT'S TO COME
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- D -- CABLE REQUIREMENTS N -- ABOUT HARRISON UHL & CO.
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- E -- LIMITATIONS
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- F -- BACKGROUND
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- G -- LICENSE
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- H -- TECHNICAL SUPPORT
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- I -- FOR SALE
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- J -- HOW TO ORDER
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- Choose a selection by entering the letter to its left, use ESC to return to DOS
- INTRODUCTION
-
- Welcome to D'SCOPE, user supported software, which turns an ordinary IBM PC
- (with two IBM compatable ASYNC COM ports, a color or monohcrome adapter, and
- 128k) into a DATA SCOPE (or LINE MONITOR).
-
- A data scope provides a window on the data being transfered over a data
- communications line. D'SCOPE provides a way to look at the data flowing back
- and forth over an RS-232 line. This can be useful both in the development of
- communications software and in the day-to-day maintenance of existing
- communication links.
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- D'SCOPE supports a range of baud rates upto 19,200, seven or eight data bits,
- and one or two stop bits.
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- SETUP D'SCOPE provides a window into the dialogue going on over an
- RS-232 line. An RS-232 communications line typically runs
- between a DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) and a DCE (Data Communications
- Equipment) port. The DTE is typically either a terminal, a computer or a
- computer acting like a terminal. The DCE is typically a modem. A DTE port may
- be directly connected to another DTE by use of a special cable called a null
- modem. To use D'SCOPE, an RS-232 communications cable that ordinarily connects
- a DTE to a DCE is rerouted to one of the communications ports of the PC that
- will be running D'SCOPE. A second cable is connect to the other
- communications port (of the D'SCOPE PC), and to where the first cable
- originally terminated.
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- DTE ------------------------------------------------ DCE BEFORE
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- null modem cable PC running D'SCOPE
- DTE --------------------- COM1 COM2 ------- DCE AFTER
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- When D'SCOPE is running, it echos all the data coming in port 1, out port 2
- and visa versa, meanwhile displaying the data on the screen of the PC. Thus,
- if you are debugging a program that talks to a modem, you can see exactly
- what the program under test is saying and and how the modem responds.
- Note: the null modem cable is used to connect the Data Terminal Equipment
- (probably another PC) to the PC running D'SCOPE.
- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- CABLE REQUIREMENTS
-
- The standard IBM serial asynchronous communications adapter port, when used in
- RS-232 mode (versus current loop), utilizes only nine pins. These are:
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- Pin 2 Transmit Data Pin 3 Receive Data
- 4 Request To Send 5 Clear To Send
- 6 Data Set Ready 7 Signal Ground
- 8 Carrier Detect 20 Data Terminal Ready
- 22 Ring Indicator
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- Transmit Data, Receive Data, and Signal Ground are all that D'SCOPE supports.
- However, many modems and communications programs require that some or all of
- the rest of the above nine be connected. By using a straight through cable
- between the items under test, and detouring the Transmit Data and Receive Data
- to the PC running D'SCOPE, connecting all Signal Grounds together, all can be
- accommodated. In routing the Transmit Data and Receive Data lines, one side
- will be sent straight through and the other side will have the Transmit Data
- and Receive Data lines swapped at one end. This forms a NULL MODEM on this
- latter side. See SETUP.
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- A special cable doing all of the above is available, see FOR SALE.
-
- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- LIMITATIONS
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- ASYNC communications were designed to overlook minor differences between the
- speed of the sender and the receiver. This same holds true for D'SCOPE,
- except when long uninterrupted blocks of bytes are being sent. If the sender
- is sending just a shade fast, or the PC running D'SCOPE is a shade slow,
- then eventually the buffers in D'SCOPE might overflow. This is analogous to
- a sink that is filling faster than it is draining. Either the inflow must slow
- down (or stop briefly), or the outflow must increase, or the sink will
- (eventually) overflow. The buffers in this first version are rather small
- (256 bytes each way). This will be upgraded in the first version of D'SCOPE
- sent to registered users.
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- D'SCOPE takes over both communication ports' interrupt vectors, and at present
- does not forward (to the old interrupt services) any requests not for D'SCOPE.
- When D'SCOPE is finished, it restores all vectors, and shuts down the
- communication ports. This can cause problems with some older models of
- Tallgrass disk systems. Tallgrass suggests changing the interrupt vector for
- the hard disk if this is a problem. Alternatively, a power down reboot will
- clear everything. The problem causes error messages or beeps from the
- Tallgrass software. (Crosstalk also causes the same difficulities.)
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- BACKGROUND
-
- D'SCOPE was written as a capabilities demonstration, showing the IBM PC's
- ability to process communications data on a real time basis. After this basic
- demonstration was written, various possible enhancements were noted. In short
- order, the list grew to the point where a commercial product seemed
- appropriate. However, the long list of possible enhancements imply a
- substantial commitment of extra resources, which in turn suggested the
- appropriateness of a market test. Lacking the substantial funds needed to
- properly launch a product announcement and test, it was decided to distribute
- D'SCOPE as user supported software.
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- User supported software provides a way to try software before deciding to buy.
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- If you find D'SCOPE useful, your contributions will help assure ongoing support
- and development. See FOR SALE.
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- LICENSE
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- Now for the lawyer's two bits:
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- D'SCOPE is licensed to you, the user, on an as is basis, and it is up to you
- to determine its appropriateness and fitness for your intended use, before
- you offer any consideration in exchange. You may copy D'SCOPE without
- restriction. You are encouraged to give copies of D'SCOPE to others, but not
- on a for-profit basis. (This does not preclude a nominal handling charge such
- as those requested by public domain libraries or computer clubs.)
- However, you are not permitted to distribute modified versions of D'SCOPE.
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- The source code of D'SCOPE is (C) copyright 1986 by H. Uhl as an unpublished
- work, all rights reserved, and contains proprietary trade secrets. The runtime
- image of D'SCOPE, and all of the screen displays are (C) copyright 1986 by
- H. Uhl, all rights reserved, and contain proprietary trade secrets. These
- trade secrets are the property of H. Uhl, and are not disclosed to you, the
- licensee, and if you become aware of the contents of these trade secrets, you
- are not permitted to disclose them to anyone else.
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- TECHNICAL SUPPORT
-
- Technical support, updates, and a user forum are available on a bulletin board
- at (609) 987-2488. Please feel free to call the bulletin board at any time.
- Non-registered users will have some limits on bulletin board privileges.
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- Correspondence can be addressed to:
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- D'SCOPE
- 4277 Port Mercer Rd.
- Princeton, N.J. 08540
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- Additional support and customization is available on a time-and-materials
- basis.
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- FOR SALE
-
- Please use and distribute D'SCOPE freely, and send in any and all comments. If
- you find D'SCOPE to be of value, please send money! For thirty dollars ($30)
- you will become a registered user, and will receive: 1) a copy of the latest
- version of D'SCOPE, 2) registered user privileges on the bulletin board, 3) a
- subscription to the D'SCOPE Newsletter, and 4) pre-publication special offers
- on all upgrades.
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- For seventy-five dollars ($75), you receive all of the above, plus a special
- cable that passes the nine RS-232 lines straight through between the units
- under test, except that the transmit and receive lines make a detour through
- the PC running D'SCOPE. The cable has four DB-25 connectors, with the two that
- connect to the back of the PC seperated by six feet from the two that intercept
- the circuit under test. This cable is by no means required, but is quite
- useful. (Note: this cable does not support current loop operation.) Other
- special cables will be offered directly to registered users.
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- See HOW TO ORDER.
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- Or check the bulletin board for the latest ...
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- HOW TO ORDER
-
- Please make check or money order payable to H. UHL & CO., and send to:
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- D'SCOPE
- 4277 Port Mercer Rd.
- Princeton, N.J. 08540
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- Please add $4.00 shipping and handling.
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- New Jersey residents please add sales tax, $1.80 for the software alone,
- $4.50 for software and cable. (Numbers based on current state sales tax of six
- percent, please adjust if this changes.)
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- NOTES & WARNINGS
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- When a character comes in from one direction, and the other direction is quiet,
- a diamond is displayed on the quiet side. This is the character displayed by a
- control D. The first version of D'SCOPE sent to registered users will allow
- the user to choose what character will be displayed in these circumstances.
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- The IBM serial ports do a good job of making sense of the characters coming in,
- even when the parity, stop, and data bits are mismatched. But when D'SCOPE
- sends these characters back out, they are converted to whatever the ports are
- configured for. Thus, D'SCOPE can transform the characters so that the
- eventual receiver no longer recognizes them. Properly matching the
- configuration will eliminate this problem.
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- This present version of D'SCOPE does not recognize or echo a BREAK. When a
- BREAK is sent, a couple characters of garble may be passed along by D'SCOPE.
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- BAUD, PARITY, DATA & STOP BITS
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- BAUD rate is a measure of the speed of a communications line. Generally, for
- PC communications, baud rate is synonomous with bits per second.
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- PARITY is a rudimentary test to verify that the bits received match those sent.
- Parity works by counting the number of bits set to one in a given byte, then
- depending on the number of bits set, and the parity setting (ODD or EVEN) an
- extra bit is set to either one or zero. Thus, if one bit got garbled, the
- number of bits set would change, and the parity bit generated at the receiving
- end would no longer match the one sent. Parity is sometimes turned off (i.e.
- no bit is generated or tested), or sometimes the parity bit is always on (MARK)
- or always off (SPACE).
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- DATA BITS is a count of the number of bits (of data) sent for each byte.
- D'SCOPE supports seven or eight data bits.
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- STOP BITS come after the data bits. D'SCOPE supports one or two stop bits.
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- All of the above parameters must match those of the circuit under test.
- See NOTES & WARNINGS.
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- WHAT'S TO COME
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- After (hopefully) fixing whatever bugs turn up, there is a long list of
- enhancements that can bring D'SCOPE up to the performance level of dedicated
- units costing thousands of dollars. Which of these improvements comes first?
- That depends on the feedback from the users of D'SCOPE, so please send in your
- comments and suggestions (or post them on the bulletin board at
- (609) 987-2488).
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up and Pg Dn)
- ABOUT HARRISON UHL & CO.
-
- Harrison Uhl & Co. is a contract developer of custom, real time software on the
- IBM PC, specilizing in systems for brokers and traders. The following areas
- are supported:
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- COMMUNICATIONS
- REAL TIME PROCESS & CONTROL
- GRAPHICS
- CUSTOM HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT AND/OR SUPPORT
- LARGE DATA BASE SYSTEMS
- TRANSACTION PROCESSING
- FAULT TOLERANT AND FAIL SAFE SYSTEMS
- DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS
-
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- You may contact Harrison Uhl & Co. at (609) 924-0214, or at:
-
- Harrison Uhl & Co.
- 4277 Port Mercer Rd.
- Princeton, N.J. 08540
-
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- Press any key to continue... (or use Pg Up)
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