|
|
Post by Ian Colquhoun on Jul 7, 2006 23:26:33 GMT -5
I'm getting frustrated trying to get my 64 to talk to my PC through a serial connection. I'm using a Supra Peak Modem interface from the 64 to a cable I built to the specs in the tcpser readme. I checked my cable with an ohmmeter and it checks out ok, so I don't think it's the problem. If I plug my old modem into the Peak, that checks out okay too.
The problem is talking to tcpser or tcpser4j (under Linux). I can see what I type on the 64 arrive at tcpser, however, everything it sends back never makes it to the 64 end in CCGMS.
Can anybody think of something obvious I may be overlooking?
Thanks....
(This is all in an effort to resurrect my old Darkstar board in case anyone around here was interested in seeing one.)
|
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Jul 8, 2006 1:20:55 GMT -5
(This is all in an effort to resurrect my old Darkstar board in case anyone around here was interested in seeing one.) Which Darkstar board did you run? I was involved with the running of Creator 'the Board' which was a very large (storage-wise) multi-line BBS running Darkstar. Coincidentally, it 'lived' in Mississauga (right near the Erin Mills Town Centre). Small world.  |
|
|
|
Post by Jeff Ledger on Jul 8, 2006 8:20:32 GMT -5
TCPSER can be a little temperamental on some systems.. Have you tested the connection using a could terminal programs? Set both for same settings with HALF DUPLEX and see if you get communication. It should rule out the cable.
Jeff
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian Colquhoun on Jul 8, 2006 16:32:20 GMT -5
Golan,
I ran the Realms of Mystery. It opened fairly late C64 bbs-wise in July 1989 and went down in October 1993. It started out on Darkstar 3.1 and later to Darkstar '88, however I ended up going back to 3.1 for reasons I don't entirely remember and sold my '88 disks unfortunately. I don't remember Creator, however, it is a small world - I live about 5 mins from Erin Mills T.C.
Jeff,
I've tried with 2 terminal progs as well and basically get the same result - stuff typed on the 64 shows up on the PC, but nothing the other way. To rule out my potentially shoddy cable-building skills I threw another cable together out of a known working null-modem cable, a 25->9 pin adapter and a gender bender or two and oddly got the same result. I'm going to try under Windows on a laptop I've got at work when I get a chance to see if maybe my serial ports on the Dell (my Linux box) are buggered.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jeff Ledger on Jul 8, 2006 17:02:05 GMT -5
To get the basic communication working, you should have TX/RX and SIGNAL ground (typically 2,3, & 7) If you basic cable setup looks like this:
2 -- 3
3 -- 2
7 -- 7
Then you should be able to send characters back and forth.
(If course you will need the additional signal lines for BBS hosting later)
Jeff
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian Colquhoun on Jul 8, 2006 20:37:18 GMT -5
Well... I'm making some progress. I forgot I had another machine lying here I could test with (runs my Asterisk PBX so I hardly ever touch it) so I connected to it, fired up minicom and low and behold - 2-way communication with the 64! Great right? Nope... gave both tcpser and tcpser4j a try and back to the same issue - stuff goes C64->PC, tcpser sees it, logs say it responded with an OK, but nothing on the 64... Shrug... I'm somewhat baffled now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Jul 8, 2006 21:10:16 GMT -5
My focus shifted from the 64 to the Amiga in 1985 and by 1988 or so I was pretty much out of the 8bit scene. As for Creator, it was a major pirate BBS that was famous (infamous perhaps) because it had about 10MB of storage and two lines. Anyway, it would be wonderful to see a Darkstar BBS up and running to show off the technology although I have no idea where we're going to find a copy of Darkterm...
|
|
hideki
Junior Member
If you can't see the above image, Risingnet (my host) suck.
Posts: 86
|
Post by hideki on Jul 8, 2006 21:13:20 GMT -5
Hihi
If anyone has an applecat modem lying around, let me know ;p
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian Colquhoun on Jul 10, 2006 9:02:28 GMT -5
I have an Amiga as well, but I didn't get one until fairly late on - an A600 of all things too! I never quite got into the Amiga scene as deep as I was into 64-land.
Ya... I'd really like to get Darkstar up and running again. Darkterm won't be a problem - I have working copies of Darkterm 4.B, 4.C and '88 that I can make available somewhere.
|
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Jul 10, 2006 13:55:51 GMT -5
Do you have access to a PC running Windows? Perhaps there might be some merit in trying out the cable with BBS Server to see if it works. I've never heard of anyone using the Supra Peak Modem interface which makes me wonder if it is doing something differently. I noticed on your webpage that you have a VIC-1011a interface, have you conisdered trying it? I know of a few people that are using them successfully to run telnet board. On a completely unrelated note, I think I know (or at least know of) some of the same people you know. Andrew Gurudata and Stephen Christian were, and still are (AFAIK) customers of my ISP (although I sold out years ago). What's funny is that back in the mid 90's I intended to start the Toronto Retro Computing Club and I didn't get very far because I was working upwards of 100 hours per week. Had I done so, I suspect you and I would be well acquainted by now. Maybe it's not too late to correct a mistake.... |
|
|
|
Post by Ian Colquhoun on Jul 10, 2006 23:28:16 GMT -5
The saga continues... I tried out BBS Server under a Windows laptop I have and basically get the same result... That Supra interface must be doing something odd that I'm not aware of. Curious... what web page did you look at? I've never owned a VIC 1011a - as far as I know! haha I'm also not familiar with those names - however, the more I bang away at this stuff, the more the 8-bit bug sinks it's teeth in! I've been lurking around the retro stuff for years now but just recently found some space to throw some stuff together again. I was actually at the World of Commodore show back in 2004 for a bit - again, just lurking! Somebody gave me a C128 and a 1571 at work a couple of weeks ago and I tried them out tonight and they work so that at least made me a bit happy amongst the frustration. Alright... so, in light of all this - who's got an RS-232 interface for me that works? haha |
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Jul 11, 2006 0:55:51 GMT -5
Curious... what web page did you look at? I've never owned a VIC 1011a - as far as I know! haha I'm also not familiar with those names My mistake. Sorry about that. I was searching for information on the "Supra Peak Modem Interface" and I came across "Ian's Hardware and Cartridge List" hosted at a Toronto area ISP and for some reason, I thought it was you (I failed to notice that you and the other Ian have different last names.) Major brain cramp. He's the one with the VIC-1011a. Anywho, I best mosy off and take my brain tonic.  |
|
