Filink usage

As I keep forgetting how to use the FILINK program I assembled the knowledge after the latest rediscovery.

Connect with Epson cable #724 (straight cable) and a null modem / loop-back converter of type:

25p.       25p.(9p.)
 2 -------  3  (2)   TxD - RxD
 3 -------  2  (3)   RxD - TxD
 4 -+   +-  4  (7)   RTS
    |   |      
 5 -+   +-  5  (8)   CTS
               
 6 -+   +-  6  (6)   DSR
    |   |      
 8 -+   +-  8  (1)   DCD
    |   |      
20 -+   +- 20  (4)   DTR

 7 -------  7  (5)   S.GND

A custom cable (loop-back build in) would be connected as:

8p.        25p.(9p.)
 2 -------  3  (2)   TxD - RxD
 3 -------  2  (3)   RxD - TxD
 4 -+   +-  4  (7)   RTS
    |   |      
 5 -+   +-  5  (8)   CTS
               
 6 -+   +-  6  (6)   DSR
    |   |      
 8 -+   +-  8  (1)   DCD
    |   |      
 7 -+   +- 20  (4)   DTR

 1 -------  7  (5)   S.GND

Configure the PC serial port with "mode com1: baud=4800 parity=n data=8 stop=2" (default RS-232C settings PX-8). Filink will only use COM1: and only with DOS and Win9x.

The FILINK archive contains an MSDOS executable, a CP/M assembly and a unix sysV c source file.

The filename at the receiving end is optional.

If there is some configuration of connection error, the FILINK.EXE (PC) will hang. FILINK.COM (PX-8) can be aborted with CTRL-STOP.

Example sending a file with filink on Linux: ./filink > /dev/ttyUSB0 < /dev/ttyUSB0 CARDBOX.COM

You might want to set the serial port configuration on both sides the same. The PX-8/4 uses 4800 Bd, 8 bits, two stop bits.

On Linux this can be set with: stty -F /dev/ttyUSB0 cs8 -cstopb speed 4800

On the receiving side the filename is optional, as long as it is suitable for CP/M.

fjkraan, 2023-11-26