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