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-
- CompuServe Quick 'B' Protocol
- External Driver
-
- by
- Scott Swaine
-
-
- This is a quick and dirty hack to a program called SIMCOM (a simple comm
- program with Quick 'B' protocol) which was originally included in a file
- called QUICKB.ARC (Turbo Pascal include files to support CIS Quick 'B'
- protocol) in CompuServe's IBMCOM forum, Data Library 10. I turned it into an
- external driver which exits after the file transfer is complete.
-
- I made this because I needed an external driver for the new Quick 'B'
- protocol that CompuServe just came out with recently. It can be used by
- shelling to DOS from any communications program with that ability. Included
- is a batch file to make using it easier.
-
- The command sysntax for it is:
-
- QB-EXT c b d p s
-
- Where:
- c - comm port (1 or 2)
- b - baud rate (300, 1200 or 2400)
- d - data bits (7 or 8)
- p - parity (even, odd or none)
- s - stop bits (1 or 2)
-
- There is one thing I think I should mention, however. Due to the
- exceedingly long timeout period (the time between CompuServe's attempts to
- start the file transfer), I fixed the program so that the first thing it does
- is send a carriage return to the host (I'm rather impatient and time is
- money!) So when you go to answer CompuServe's prompt "File name for your
- computer:", just type the name you want the file downloaded as WITHOUT
- PRESSING <ENTER>. I'm sure you'll find this much more to your liking than
- waiting an eternity for CompuServe to 'try again'.
-
- According to my calculations, Quick 'B' protocol is almost 50% faster
- than the original 'B' protocol. At 1200 baud, I've calculated an average
- trasfer rate of about 112 cps for Quick 'B' (using a hard drive). At 2400
- baud it's about double. As for regular 'B', I've calculated only about 80 cps
- at 1200 baud, and 2400 baud isn't much different because with regular 'B' you
- have a delay between blocks which will be about the same at ANY baud. Quick
- 'B' sends a continuous stream of data.
-
- If you have any problems or questions, you may reach me by any of the
- means listed below.
-
-
- Scott Swaine, Sysop
- CONSOLE COMMAND BBS
- (805) 968-5094
- 300/1200/2400 baud, 8-N-1
- Hours: 8AM-8PM
-
- CompuServe ID: 72057,1542
-