[Coco] Problems with Drivewire 4

Tue Apr 17 23:48:23 EDT 2012

On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 10:56 PM, Paulo Lindoso <paulo.lindoso at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Update on my drivewire problems...
>
> I had an "old" Pentium 4, 3GHz, 512MB RAM with a standard RS232 port buried
> where I couldn't remember...  I set it up, got a basic Windows XP installed
> on it and ran Drivewire 4.
>
> It successfully detected my CoCo3 (so I guess my problem is with my
> USB-to-RS232 adapter after all), but now I can't read any DSK images...
>
> Enabling ALL logs in DW4 reads the following:
> Timed out reading from CoCo in OP_READEX
> OP_READEX took 531ms.  Server loaded on low on ram?

The key here is "Timed out reading from CoCo in OP_READEX".   The
"Server loaded or low on ram?" is a misleading message, that is not
the problem here at all.  The most common reason for an operation to
take too long is a problem in the software or on the server computer
like out of memory, but in your case the reason is simply that the
CoCo isn't responding when it should be.

Every DW transaction that goes on between coco and drivewire server
has a timeout of 200ms, if the expected response from either side
doesn't occur within that window, the operation is considered a
failure.  It is very unusual to see the CoCo fail to respond, I
suspect it may still be a communications problem rather than anything
really happening on the coco or the drivewire software.

Are you seeing any other errors in the logs at all?  If the coco was
responding, but too late, we'd see some messages about that.  OTOH if
any data bytes were being missed or corrupted we should see some tell
tales there too.

If you'd like, start up DW4, try to do a DIR or anything that causes
the error, and then use the help menu to submit a bug report with all
options checked.  That will send me a great deal of useful
information, happy to see if I can find anything more.

-Aaron

>
> Problem is: this machine is clean... nothing but standard WinXP and DW4
> running...
>
> >From the CoCo perspective, I am running DECB/HDBDOS with DW3 ROM, and all I
> get from a basic "DIR" is "?IO ERROR".
>
> HDB-DOS translation is enabled.
>
> This is sooo frustrating...! :(
>
> Any hints?
>
> Thanks a lot for all the help so far!
>
> Cheers,
> Paulo.
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 10:56 PM, Paulo Lindoso <paulo.lindoso at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Actually, the setup wizard does not detect the reset signal CoCo is
>> supposed to send once it is turned on or reset.  At first, I thought this
>> might be due to some issue when converting to RS232 to USB, but that idea
>> was quickly dismissed as no communication happens whatsoever.
>>
>> My currently problem is that I don't have any other serial device (apart
>> from my LCD TV service port, which uses a female plug, same as my
>> USB-to-RS232 adapter) to fiddle with.
>>
>> What I did try (unsuccessfully though) was to bring up a "dumb terminal"
>> in my MAC and see if an "LLIST" or "PRINT#-2" command would work, but that
>> didn't function either...  Question is: am I doing it right...?   I
>> downloaded "CoolTerm" and set it up to 600baud/8/N/1, which, if ECB manual
>> is correct, is the default serial config...  Would it work?
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 5:34 AM, Aaron Wolfe <aawolfe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> FWIW, an adapter with the pl2303 chipset is what I use for primary
>>> development of Drivewire 4.  It performs excellently on Windows 7 (my
>>> main dev box) and I've never seen any trouble with it under linux or
>>> on a mac, though my testing on box is much more limited than under
>>> Windows.  I guess I am saying that this would not be my first guess at
>>> where the trouble lies.
>>>
>>> Most likely imho is the cabling between mac and coco.  If you have a
>>> way to test continuity, check that your wiring matches the
>>> specification.  You can use the com port setup wizard to verify basic
>>> communication, but it is possible to have trouble that this test
>>> doesn't reveal (it does not test communication from server to coco at
>>> all, only from coco to server).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 1:21 AM, Paulo Lindoso <paulo.lindoso at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > Hello All,
>>> >
>>> > I am having problems connecting my Mac to my Coco using Drivewire4...
>>>  it
>>> > simply does not respond.
>>> >
>>> > CONFIG:
>>> > 1) Macbook Pro running Lion
>>> > 2) DW 4.0.6
>>> > 3) USB to RS232 adapter using PL2303 chipset;
>>> > 4) Coco equipped with Cloud9's SuperIDE and HDBDOS 1.1D, DW3
>>> >
>>> > I've read in past entries that the PL2303 chipset is buggy... Does that
>>> > confirm?   Drivewire4 setup wizard seems to find the interface just fine
>>> > and my CoCo3 is running in double speed...
>>> >
>>> > Hints anyone?
>>> >
>>> > Thanks!
>>> > PAulo.
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > -------------------------------------------------------------
>>> > Paulo Lindoso
>>> > paulo.lindoso at gmail.com
>>> > http://about.me/pbal<
>>> http://email.about.me/wf/click?c=e86tqVWFYsEogZdu8cwmbpAZwRtFkPjZS8Z3nwSDfjU%3D&rp=TDQggGXPgxMn1%2FQoMR%2F7Bsr00fO9wne%2B4zDSBQ93vWI1BH%2FOlrnU7zrQ0H0iAWgQyYyB6YfryJhLcifwbBLZ98yd6yex7cp06Yzq3Q1SplHrq%2FIu7OFPSwv8LqPdUbWL&u=njPbVRRXSvmg3PMz9cXBSg%2Fh0
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
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>>>
>>> --
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>> Paulo Lindoso
>> paulo.lindoso at gmail.com
>> http://about.me/pbal<http://email.about.me/wf/click?c=e86tqVWFYsEogZdu8cwmbpAZwRtFkPjZS8Z3nwSDfjU%3D&rp=TDQggGXPgxMn1%2FQoMR%2F7Bsr00fO9wne%2B4zDSBQ93vWI1BH%2FOlrnU7zrQ0H0iAWgQyYyB6YfryJhLcifwbBLZ98yd6yex7cp06Yzq3Q1SplHrq%2FIu7OFPSwv8LqPdUbWL&u=njPbVRRXSvmg3PMz9cXBSg%2Fh0>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Paulo Lindoso
> paulo.lindoso at gmail.com
> http://about.me/pbal<http://email.about.me/wf/click?c=e86tqVWFYsEogZdu8cwmbpAZwRtFkPjZS8Z3nwSDfjU%3D&rp=TDQggGXPgxMn1%2FQoMR%2F7Bsr00fO9wne%2B4zDSBQ93vWI1BH%2FOlrnU7zrQ0H0iAWgQyYyB6YfryJhLcifwbBLZ98yd6yex7cp06Yzq3Q1SplHrq%2FIu7OFPSwv8LqPdUbWL&u=njPbVRRXSvmg3PMz9cXBSg%2Fh0>
>
> --
> Coco mailing list
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