[Coco] NitrOS9 with Deluxe RS232 Pak

[Gene Heskett]

On Wednesday 17 June 2015 17:04:34 Ron wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I'm just just getting started with NitrOS9, but being familiar with
> Linux has help considerably to navigate around the OS.
>
> I have a Coco 3 with a MultiPak.  Slot 4 has an SDC controller and
> I've mounted the NitrOS9 SDC version
> (nos96809l2v030300coco3_cocosdc.dsk
> <http://www.nitros9.org/latest/nos96809l2v030300coco3_cocosdc.dsk>).
> Slot 1 has a Deluxe RS232 Pak.  I've connected this pak to my PC with
> a NULL modem cable.  RS232 pak seems to work fine with my PC (tested
> it at 9600 baud) using the RS built-in term program from DECB.
>
> I am, however, unable to connect to the Coco (running NitrOS9) from my
> PC.  Information is a bit spotty online, so I apologize in advance if
> this is well documented and I just missed it.
>
> I run the following command to initiate a shell:
>
> shell i=/t2&

This is correct.

> I believe this telling NitrOS9 to use the Deluxe RS232 Pak and not the
> bit-banger port.  I'm unfamiliar with how to verify the proper driver
> is being loaded for /t2 and unable to get the correct syntax for the
> xmode command to verify what the default term settings are. I'm also
> thinking there may be a way to communicate faster than 9600 baud using
> the Deluxe RS232 Pak (from within NitrOS9) as well.

There is, but in the long run when the coco is on the receiving end of 
that data, it cannot go faster than about 5500 baud if overruns are to 
be avoided.  Particularly if using an error correcting transfer protocol 
such as rzsz.

> I must say, I'm thoroughly impressed by the power of the Coco running
> NitrOS9.  It was so far ahead of it's time.

There is also a time limit that I have not discovered the cause of, that 
says if I don't start, or have already running, a copy of minicom, there 
comes a time when the /t2 port is no longer responsive to the incoming 
login from minicom.  10 minutes late, and the coco will need rebooted.

As for the xmode command bear in mind it only works on an unopened path, 
so for playing with /t2's params live, you use tmode .0 or .1, or 
even .2, where 0 is stdin, 1 is stdout, and 2 is stderr.  Permanent 
changes to /t2.dd need to be done using xmode, and then generating a new 
bootfile useing the modified /t2.dd.  Or you can transfer the changes to 
the in memory copy, and then save it for use in a new bootfile. We 
actually have several methods of skinning that cat. ;-)

> Thank you!
>
> -Ron

Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
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