This file is for each of you who bought a Commodore 1660 modem (also known as the MODEM/300) with the intention of downloading programs from Compuserve. Included with that modem is a nice terminal program called Higgyterm. When I first got my modem, I sat down and tried to download some programs. What I didn't know is that that version of Higgyterm (there are others) is not capable of downloading. Fortunately, thanks to CHRISDOS, the head honcho of the CB Special Interest Group, it is possible for you to use a simple BASIC program to download "CBTERM", a first class full featured terminal program with downloading capabilities. Now to drop the other shoe. Because the 1660 modem operates differently from most modems, the program outlined in BXD.TXT won't work for you as written. This file will tell you how to modify AUTODIAL VICTERM (a program on the disk included with the 1660) to download "CBTERM", by adding a modified version of BXD.BAS to it. Be sure you also get CBTP1.DOC and CBTP2.DOC, the instructions for using CBTERM. You can do this with Higgyterm by opening the buffer, (R)eading the file into it, and then saving the file to disk. Don't try to get both files in the buffer at the same time. This documentation printed out at 17 pages for me, and CBTERM has so many features that you will need these files to take advantage of it. While I'm at it, I'll give you some information that it took me a while to figure out when I first got on COMPUSERVE. eThe files you will be looking at will usually be followed by a period and a three letter code. The most common are .BIN, .IMG, .TXT, and .DOC. .BIN and IMG. files are programs, and require an XMODEM or other terminal program to download. They are slightly different, but if you use CBTERM you don't have to worry about that. .TXT and .DOC files are TEXT and DOCUMENT files. These are simply files of written information, and the easiest way to get them is to open your buffer and (R)ead them at the prompt. You'll find that files often come in pairs, with PRGRM.DOC being the instructions for using PRGRM.BIN or PRGRM.IMG But now back to the subject at hand. In order to download CBTERM, first LOAD VICTERM AUTODIAL from disk, but don't RUN it. Enter the following lines (and you, too will be a programmer): 1190 OH=56577:HI=32:LO=255-32 2000 REM 1660 BOOTSTRAP DOWNLOADER 2010 PRINT"BOOTSTRAP XMODEM DOWNLOADER" 2011 PRINT"(C) 1985 BY CHRISDOS" 2020 DIM I%(132) 2030 ACK$=CHR$(6):NAK$=CHR$(21):EOT$=CHR$(4) 2040 OPEN8,8,8,"CBTERM,W,P" 2050 FORX=1TO25:GET#5,A$:NEXTX:PRINT#5,NAK$; 2060 GOSUB2100 2070 IFCK%<>I%(132)THENPRINT"CHECK SUM BAD":GOTO2050 2080 FORX=4TO131:PRINT#8,CHR$(I%(X));:NEXTX:GET#5,A$ 2090 B=B+1:PRINT"BLOCK OK":PRINT#5,ACK$;:GOTO2060 2100 N=FRE(0):FORX=1TO132 2110 IFPEEK(667)=PEEK(668)GOTO2110 2120 GET#5,A$:I%(X)=ASC(A$+CHR$(0)):PRINT"."; 2130 IFX=1ANDA$=EOT$THENCLOSE8:PRINT"DONE":PRINT#5,ACK$:STOP 2140 NEXTX:PRINT"HAVE BLOCK "B 2150 CK%=0:FORX=1TO131 2160 CK%=(CK%+I%(X))AND255:NEXTX:RETURN Check your work carefully, and SAVE this to disk with the name MUTTERM. Actually you can call it anything you want, but MUTTERM describes this mongreliZed program nicely. If you decide to run the program to test it, it will create a program title called "CBTERM" on your disk. Don't be fooled. There is no program there. It's just a title. Make sure you scratch this program title before you actually try to download the CBTERM program (or the download won't work). When the magic moment comes to get CBTERM, LOAD and RUN "MUTTERM". Put a disk in your drive that does not have "CBTERM" listed in its directory, and has at least 49 blocks free. Follow the instructions in the 1660 User's Manual for VICTERM READ to get onto COMPUSERVE. Having done that, follow the menu prompts to CBIG and then to Data Library 2 (DL2 - CB Technology). Maneuver to CBT45.BIN and tell COMPUSERVE you want to DOWnload that program. At the following prompt, choose the XMODEM protocol. You will next see the following prompt: Starting XMODEM download. Enter a carriage return when transfer is complete. When you see this, hit RUN/STOP (unshifted!). Then enter GOTO 2000 and hit RETURN. This will begin a conversation between your computer and COMPUSERVE's that will result in "CBTERM" being SAVEd directly on your disk. You should immediately see a series of dots appearing across your screen, indicating that data is being transferred. If you don't see anything for a minute, enter GOTO 2050 <RETURN>. Wait a minute and then repeat this cycle a few times in hopes that you get some results. If you don't, well, bad luck. You don't have the terminal program but you are no worse off than you were before. If things are going OK you will get progress reports from your computer as the download continues. About every 20-30 seconds you should see "HAVE BLOCK" followed by the number of blocks of information that your computer has received. The screen will then display either "BLOCK OK" OR "CHECK SUM BAD", depending on whether the block was accurately received. If it was not recieved properly, the computer will try to get that block again. Again, if the program seems to stop running for one minute, hit RUN/STOP and enter GOTO 2050 to try to get things going again. The whole process of downloading CBTERM involves transferring 95 blocks of information and will take 15 to 20 minutes if you have no problems. If the download is succesful, the following prompt will appear: DONE. BREAK IN 2130 Enter GOTO 200 to resume using AUTODIAL VICTERM and then enter the <RETURN> that COMPUSERVE asked you for at the beginning of the download. You can then continue your visit to CBIG and COMPUSERVE, or you can log off and begin taking advantage of your new terminal program. Just in case you are like me, and you can't wait to try out a new program, here are some things you should know about CBTERM and the 1660. Load the program with LOAD "CBTERM",8, and then RUN it. When the prompt "BAUD" comes up, enter 3 (for 300). When the first screen comes up, hit the COMMODORE key and the 5 key at the same time. This will set you up for Negative Dialing. Next, hit the COMMODORE key and H (for help) at the same time to see a list of most of the commands to CBTERM. If you are adventurous, you will then have enough information to use CBTERM to get back online and grab some other programs. If you are less impetuous, check out the documentation files first. Just some further information. After using CBTERM for a while, I downloaded some other terminal programs from the CBM programming SIG. Some of them may be excellent for other applications, but I haven't found any program that is better suited to working with COMPUSERVE than CBTERM, and you can get it here for free, courtesy of CHRISDOS. BXD.BAS is (c) Chris Dunn, AKA CHRISDOS, and is quoted here by permission. Geoff Sjostrom 72207,2026
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