QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

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Outsoft
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QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Outsoft »

From HERMES manual:

"Serial input requires signals from the QL when its character receive
buffer is full (ser1 CTS - Clear to send and ser2 DTR - Data terminal
ready). This could easily not be activated in time by the 8049, due to
badly designed code. It results in, at best, the loss of incoming
characters. Even worse, erroneous code in the 8049 could result in a
"serial overrun". This is a familiar occurence to people using modems,
and has the strange effect that the 8049 seems to "hoard" a number of
characters, doling them out only when a new serial character arrives.
When this happens, in practical terms, serial input is no longer usable
without a full QL power down.

Well also If I have a Hermes and or without Super Gold Card connected with QTPI or QLTERM after some minutes...hours...I got this "serial overrun" with TCP/SER connection on my PC.

See tests ad different speed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg_byyCg6vY

With a Trump Card.

And here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAG_AzW5FJA

With a Super Gold Card connected.

19200 baud works in all 2 cases but the serial bug comes nearly after some minutes.

The Cable works perfectly in all 2 directions tested with many terminal programs (QL and PC too), I don't know If is the 2 bit stop the problem...or is the Handshake flow.

But all seems work for minutes, sometimes hours but...not forever.

I start thinking that my ROM MGI (I'm using an Italian QL) have problems with the HERMES...I've to test the serial with SMSQ/E: waiting that Giorgio kindly prepare me a 720kb boot disk.

I really don't know How to do for fix this problem.

I've changed also 3 USB/SERIAL adapter but all works with my Speccy 128k at 115kbaud!!!

So why not at 19200/9600 on QL? And why QL always Send strings to PC as a Ferrari?

Also Z88 works perfectly with my adapters...

Please help me.

Thanks a lot.


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Outsoft
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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Outsoft »

Someone suggest to put the Buffer of the Hermes to 0 because It doesn't need it.

Or to check QL TODAY articles:

QL Serial Ports - Volume 1, Issue #4

QL Serial Ports - Volume 5, Issue #6

The Serial QL - Volume 7, Issue #1

If someone solved this problem please advice me.

Kindly regards.


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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi Simon,

I have found a Baud rate of 19200 too high for reliable data connection with Hermes, even though the manual and designer said so.

The Hermes chip is a debugged 8049 compatiable replacement, but I used to have problems when I ran a BBS on a QL with Hermes. Super Hermes cured all this.

I think you need to lower your DTE speed to Baud rate in steps till reliable data connection is achieved.

With connection with QTPI, you have to set the Baud rate as 0 in the QTPI connection preferences and set the baud rate for the serial port at 9600 Baud or maybe 115200 Baud, but the higher rates are a little suspect.

I usually connect QPC2 to Q60, with SerNET at 115200 Baud, but introduction of a QL lowers the SerNET Baud rate to 9600, anything above this causes problems with the data connection.


Regards,

Derek
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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Ranma_Simon wrote:Someone suggest to put the Buffer of the Hermes to 0 because It doesn't need it.
Or to check QL TODAY articles:
QL Serial Ports - Volume 1, Issue #4
QL Serial Ports - Volume 5, Issue #6
The Serial QL - Volume 7, Issue #1
If someone solved this problem please advice me.
Kindly regards.
This is not a buffer setting, it is to set the Modem Baud rate to higher connection speeds. It was a work around to allow modem data connections at 33600 Baud or V32bis and above.


Regards,

Derek
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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Outsoft »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi Simon,

I have found a Baud rate of 19200 too high for reliable data connection with Hermes, even though the manual and designer said so.

The Hermes chip is a debugged 8049 compatiable replacement, but I used to have problems when I ran a BBS on a QL with Hermes. Super Hermes cured all this.

I think you need to lower your DTE speed to Baud rate in steps till reliable data connection is achieved.

With connection with QTPI, you have to set the Baud rate as 0 in the QTPI connection preferences and set the baud rate for the serial port at 9600 Baud or maybe 115200 Baud, but the higher rates are a little suspect.

at 115200 Baud, but introduction of a QL lowers the SerNET Baud rate to 9600, anything above this causes problems with the data connection.
Ok I will try but sure that I've to put 0 in QTPI preferences?

Just test in the last week at EVERY baud rate the problem is always the same...

I've just tested at 2400, 4800, 9600...the SER2 always goes in FERRARI OUTPUT MODE...


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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi Simon,

The Baud Rate = 0 in the QTPI was supposed to overide the built in maximum of 9600 Baud. Setting the QTPI Baud Rate to 0 allowed higher Baud Rates set from Superbasic / Sbasic than 9600 Baud. As QTPI only allowed the standard QL Baud Rate of 9600 Baud Max.

The higher DTE Baud rate allowed the modem to reach V32bis (33600), X2 rates etc...

I think Jonathan Hudson, was going to alter QTPI but from memory this was never done. If you read the QTPI documentation, it does expain this.

This is over 20 years ago now, so if I have got this wrong, I am sorry.


Regards,

Derek
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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Outsoft »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi Simon,

The Baud Rate = 0 in the QTPI was supposed to overide the built in maximum of 9600 Baud. Setting the QTPI Baud Rate to 0 allowed higher Baud Rates set from Superbasic / Sbasic than 9600 Baud. As QTPI only allowed the standard QL Baud Rate of 9600 Baud Max.

The higher DTE Baud rate allowed the modem to reach V32bis (33600), X2 rates etc...

I think Jonathan Hudson, was going to alter QTPI but from memory this was never done. If you read the QTPI documentation, it does expain this.

This is over 20 years ago now, so if I have got this wrong, I am sorry.
I've read all but I think that for put it at a different baud needs to be setted at 19200, or other value, not 0.

I've tried also QLTERM and I got the same problem: at every BAUD RATE the SER2 start a MEGAFLOW of bytes in the direction of the PC randomly when he want.

Also when I power off che QL most of the times I see that the FLOW start immediatly after QTPI open the Serial port.

This evening I will try with 0 but I think It can't solve the problem: seems a BUG of the HERMES too.

Thanks for all.


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Re: QL SER2 PROBLEMS (HERMES)

Post by Outsoft »

No way...also tested with SMSQ/E as prior SO but...always...the FLOW goes out like a river...


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