Application Note 006

Set-ups for two popular PC terminal programs:

Program:

 Qmodem
Mustang Software
Revision: 4.5 (test drive)
Settings:
There are a multitude of settings for this program, those listed below are the bare minimum required. Other settings may need adjustment according to the user's taste and application:

SETUP PROGRAM (ALT-N from main program):

To program the FF-800, use the UPLOAD (Pgup) function and use DOWNLOAD (Pgdn) to read devices -- choose ASCII transfer mode for each. You should issue programming commands prior to the UPLOAD command, and issue read commands AFTER the DOWNLOAD command.

Be sure to verify read files against the device from which they are read before removing the device from the programmer. While Qmodem has exibited good reliability when configured as shown above, it is possible for the PC to lose a character during the file read. Persistant problems may be indicative of a setup problem or IRQ conflict. If you are consistently losing data during device reads, check your setup and make sure that there are no IRQ conflicts. If you examine the read file with a text editor, check the line lengths -- except for the last two data lines, they must all be the same length.

Check the upload file with an ASCII text editor before continuing. All lines except the last) should be the same length and all lines should start with an "S". If not, there is a problem. This is not a "bullit-proof" check, but it will allow you to catch 99% of the potential upload problems. Remember, if you download a file that is corrupted, the FF-800 will revert to the factory defaults -- if that file is the only upload you have (or if your others are similarly corrupted) you will not be able to recover your set-up (except to start over).

BE SURE YOU VISUALLY INSPECT YOUR UPLOADS UNTIL YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY WORK CONSISTANTLY. If there are any doubts, you may upload a file to FF Systems on our BBS and we would be happy to verify its integrity (or lack thereof).

Program:

 Procomm Plus
Mustang Software
Revision: (test drive)
Settings:
There are a multitude of settings for this program, those listed below are the bare minimum required to allow the FF-PGMR function. Other settings may need adjustment according to the user's taste and application: To program the FF-800, use the UPLOAD (Pgup) function and use DOWNLOAD (Pgdn) to read -- choose ASCII transfer mode for each. You should issue the "LOAD" + command prior to the (Pgup), and issue the "SAVE" + command AFTER the (Pgdn).

ALL PC PROGRAMS:

Some users have expressed difficulties in getting terminal programs to function properly with the FF-800. In general, Laptops seem to be OK, while desktops are more picky. The root cause seems to be in some of the RS-232 control lines (like DTR, DSR, etc...). The following connections should be attempted on the FF-800's DB-25 serial port connector:

Connect pins 8, 6, and 20
Connect pins 4 and 5
We hope that these options allow you to get your system funtioning via the serial port. If not, please contact us and we will make every effort to de-bug the problem.