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MODULAR SMART SWITCH 8.4 General Hints and Tips
1. Always use the control software when using file-transfer software:
Many packages such as Laplink Pro will not operate without the
control software installed.
2. File transfer requires a protocol of 8 bits per character, 1 stop bit, no
parity, and hardware handshaking. When using RS-232 with hardware
handshaking, make sure that pins 4 and 5 are connected on the Modular
Smart Switch end of your computer cable. XON/XOFF handshaking may
also be used, but overall performance is reduced.
3. When using PC-to-PC file transfer, use similar baud rates on both PCs.
For example, combinations of 57600 baud and 38400 baud will be
reliable, whereas combinations of 57600 and 9600 are likely to be
unreliable. If in doubt, use the same baud rate on both PCs. (Similar
baud rates are required because most file-transfer programs do not
support handshaking—they do not allow the rate of data flow to be
controlled.)
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MODULAR SMART SWITCH
REM The next line activates ADMENU
HOTKEY
REM The next line activates the file-transfer software
KERMIT
8.2 Using the Control Software with File-Transfer Software
The control software supplied with your Modular Smart Switch should be
used together with file transfer software. The control software allows you
to increase the baud rate for all normal printing and plotting operations,
so you can use the higher baud rates that are supported on many file transfer
programs without having to reconfigure the ports on your Modular Smart
Switch. Using higher baud rates will considerably reduce the time taken
to transfer files. For more details on the use of the control software,
see Chapter 7.
8.3 Transferring Data Between PCs Not Compatible with IBM
To transfer files between computers not compatible with IBM, you will need
to send a software command from each computer to make sure that the data
is routed correctly. For maximum compatibility, you are advised to send a
software command with the format shown below (“port” is a port number
from 1 to 12):
<PM CONNECT port SOFTWARE:SLEEP TIMEOUT:2>
The SOFTWARE:SLEEP and TIMEOUT:2 parts of this command are
not strictly necessary for certain types of file transfer. For many file-transfer
programs such as Kermit, it is adequate to send a single connection command
from one of the computers to establish a bidirectional link. For example,
when using Kermit to exchange files between a PC and a Macintosh, sending
the following command from the PC would establish a suitable bidirectional
link.
<PM CONNECT port TIMEOUT:OFF>