DOCUMENTATION
FOR
SUPERKERMIT
ON
THE
DPS-6
This document describes the idiosyncrancies of SUPERKERMIT
Ver. 2.00 for the DPS-6, further information should be obtained
from the included Kermit Users's Manual. These brief notes are
to allow novice personnel to start using SUPERKERMIT for the
Honeywell DPS-6 mini-computer. This Kermit was written using the
Honeywell 'C' optimizing compiler to generate executable code.
This software was developed in response to the need for several
facilities that are lacking in the VIP-3 terminal emulation and
file-transfer package. A few, but certainly not all, of the
shortcomings of VIP-3 are:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Will not operate at 19,200 bps and above. (Independent tests at
9600 bps have shown Superkermit to be 3 times faster on binary
file transfers and two times faster on ASCII file transfers than
VIP-3 at 9600 ! You can nearly double these figures at 19.2 kbps.)
No wild-card, batch or time-activated transfers (e.g. transferring files in unattended mode at midnight).
No data-compression...VIP-3 transfers data 'as-is' including
white-space, repeated-strings, etc..
VIP-3 is not a 'well-behaved' application as it usurps the
MSDOS screen and keyboard interrupts.
VIP-3 always creates a MOD400 sequential file for incoming
data regardless of its true type (e.g. binary or 'save' format).
Superkermit does NOT have to run in a swappool under the Honeywell
4.0 operating system as VIP3.1 does.
Superkermit has many new advanced server features - see HD6KER.BWR.
Basically SUPERKERMIT on the DPS-6 allows one to perform
telecommunications using a slightly modified MSKermit (Version
3.01) on the PC microcomputer with all of its attendant
scripting, batch, LAN and data mangement utilities. This
modified MSKermit is still 100% compatible with ANY other
computer and files can thus be transferred from the DPS-6 to the
Defense Data Network, IBM mainframes, the Novelli network, etc.
without using any other telecommunications package.
Superkermit Capabilities At A Glance:
Local operation:
Remote operation:
Transfers text files:
Transfers binary files:
Wildcard send:
File transfer interruption:
Filename collision avoidance:
Can time out:
8th-bit prefixing:
Repeat count compression:
Alternate block check types:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Terminal emulation:
Communication settings:
Transmit BREAK:
IBM mainframe communication:
Transaction logging:
Session logging (raw download):
Raw upload:
Act as server:
Talk to server:
Advanced server functions:
Advanced commands for servers:
Local file management:
Command/init files:
Command macros:
Extended-length packets:
Local area networks:
MS-Windows compatibility:
Attribute packets:
Sliding windows:
None
None
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes (Honeywell/Bridge Ethernet)
N/A
Yes
No
Although the PC Kermit is a 'full-blown' Kermit,
SUPERKERMIT for the DPS-6 can only send files, receive files and
act as a server. There is no 'connect' facility. Also, the DPS-6
has certain communication parameters that do not change and
MSKermit on the microcomputer must be set for them as follows:
SET PARITY EVEN <cr>
SET FLOW-CONTROL NONE <cr>
SET HANDSHAKE NONE <cr>
SET SEND START-OF-PACKET 01 <cr>
SET RECEIVE START-OF-PACKET 01 <cr>
If using MSKermit 3.02 ALSO perform the following two commands:
SET TERMINAL HONEY <cr>
SET RECEIVE IGNORE 10 <cr>
for 3.1 operating system while using MSKermit 3.02:
SET SEND DOUBLE 92 <cr>
The speed at which MSKermit can send packets to the DPS-6
(since hardware/software handshaking is not available) can actually
EXCEED the turn-around capabilities of the ATD line driver and
produce (^G) BEL characters as a packet response. Therefore the
best way to use Kermit is to put a slight delay between packets
and use the largest packet size, e.g.
SET SEND PACKET-SIZE 2000 <cr>
SET RECEIVE PACKET-SIZE 2000 <cr>
SET SEND PAUSE 20 <cr>
This delay can be tuned for greatest throughput at different
baud rates etc..
Baud rates, packet-size, block-checks are all configurable
as discussed below. It should be noted that the Honeywell sends
an identification string to its VIP type terminals anytime the
system been rebooted, an inactivity timeout occurs or an
UNPLUG/REPLUG command has been executed. The string basically
asks 1) What type of terminal are you? and 2) Do you have a
printer attached?. A user terminal MUST respond to these
inquiries before a login banner will appear. The supplied files starting with a '!' char illustrate the proper PC response to these questions
when in batch mode. MSKermit 3.02 has been modified to automatically
answer this escape string when in terminal emulation via a
'connect' command (HONEY mode). In addition, the supplied file
MSKERMIT.INI contains many useful macros and settings for DPS-6
file transfer and is automatically executed when MSKermit is
invoked. The settings for the PC that vary for a particular
Kermit environment are as follows:
SET
SET
SET
SET
SET
PORT 1/2 <cr>
(use
SPEED 2400/9600/etc. <cr>
(set
SEN PACKET-SIZE 94/2000/etc. <cr>
(set
REC PACKET-SIZE 94/2000/etc. <cr>
BLOCK-CHECK 1/2/3 <cr>
(set the
COM1 or COM2 on PC)
comm line speed)
size of transmission packets)
error-checking type)
The DPS-6 Kermit, the 'remote' Kermit, can be invoked in
several ways depending on the type of file being transferred and
the intervening electronic pathway (e.g. LANs or multiplexors).
Several examples are given below:
To send/receive an ASCII file:
SUPERKERM |R| [filename] <cr>
|S|
To send/receive a binary Honeywell file:
SUPERKERM |R|B [filename] <cr>
|S|
To send/receive an executable MSDOS file:
SUPERKERM |R|F [filename] <cr>
|S|
To place SUPERKERMIT in binary, ASCII or FOREIGN server mode:
SUPERKERM V|A| <cr>
|B|
|F|
( This method is highly recommended and has been
extensively tested in send and receive modes.
Extended packets will be negotiated automatically
if your PC Kermit requests them.)
There are also many permutations of the above examples that
will work. Typing SUPERKERM H <cr> on the DPS-6 will list all of
the available command arguments. Also if you type SET ATTRIB ON
<cr> on the PC Kermit will show the percentage of the incoming
file that has been received during file transfers. This only
works for fixed-relative files (bound-units) as variable-length
record files sizes can only be determined by reading the entire
file. More importantly if file attributes are used when
uploading bound-units, the proper size DPS-6 file will be precreated instead of growing all over the disk in the default
growth size of 32 Control Intervals per file extent. If you MUST
know the percentage transferred of incoming variable-length
record files (e.g. ASCII text), SAVE them into a pre-created
fixed-relative MOD400 save file and download them in binary mode.
Attributes MUST be set on for MSDOS executable file transfers.
*********************
*
N - O - T - E
*
*********************
If you have any trouble at all with the 'enhanced' features
of Kermit, stick to 'classic' Kermit with 94-byte packets,
attributes turned off, ASCII mode only, etc.. Also, if an ASCII
file pre-exists on the DPS-6, Superkermit will APPEND incoming
data to the file if the concatenate option 'C' is used on the
command line! Binary transfers automatically overwrite any
existing files by the same name.
Once you have logged into the DPS-6 you may use the supplied
PC BAT files, GET and PUT, to transfer files from/to the DPS-6;
just type GET or PUT without any arguments and they will print
help information. The bound unit 'SUPERKERM' must be in your
DPS-6 search path. SUPERKERMIT also requires the Honeywell
Scientific Instruction Processor or an equivalent simulator (SIPSIM).
Questions
and
Answers
about
Superkermit
Q.
Can I send/receive ASCII files using 'binary' or 'FOREIGN' mode?
A.
Yes, but the output will be garbled as Superkermit will not
handle line feed, carriage returns combinations properly.
Q.
Can I operate the PC Kermit in 'server' mode and initiate transfers
from the DPS-6?
A. Yes, connect the PC Kermit into the DPS-6 and then put it into
'server'
mode. File transfers can then be started at a DPS-6 user terminal
thus:
SG KM 2 !KVxxx -OUT !KVxxx -EFN SUPERKERM -ARG S/R [filename] <CR>
Q.
Can I operate Superkermit 'host-to-host' directly from one DPS-6 to
another?
A.
Not at this time, this feature was not incorporated as the Honeywell
LAN allows file transfers quite easily via the PC Kermit.
Q.
Can any Kermit on the PC work with the DPS-6 Superkermit
(e.g. PROCOMM, QMODEM)?
A.
No! Although the PC MS-Kermit 3.01 provided will work with ANY other
host Kermit..it has been modified to detect and take special action
during DPS-6 file transfers. However, under the Honeywell 4.0
operating system ONLY, Superkermit will communciate correctly with
the VIP-3 PC Terminal Emulation package. The VIP3 software must be
configured for the '7-bit other host' Kermit file transfer protocol.
It can perform binary transfers in this fashion without the need to
precreate a 'fixed relative' file on the DPS-6. The speed will be
greatly reduced as VIP-3 only supports 94-byte packets in this mode.
Q.
Can I send any DPS-6 file types back and forth to the PC
(e.g. indexed, IDS_II, relative,etc.) ?
A.
Absolutely, you must first create a fixed-relative file (e.g.
CR myfile -F_REL) on the DPS-6 and then use the 'SAVE'
command to store the desired files into the pre-created file
(e.g. SAVE mydirectory myfile) then as long as transfers are
performed in 'binary' mode and the results rebuilt using the
DPS-6 'RESTORE' command any type file can be transferred.
(NOTE: EOF must be set to No CTL-Z in MSKermit on the PC.)
Q.
Can PC executable files (.EXE and .COM) files be sent to the
DPS-6 and back ?
A.
Yes, version 2.00 of Superkermit has introduced a new file type
called 'FOREIGN'. UNIX and/or MSDOS files can be uploaded and
downloaded and not only will they retain their 'executability';
they will also retain their host system creation date, user access
rights, etc.. See HD6KER.BWR for more details.
Q.
Is Superkermit smart about Honeywell directory structures ?
A. Yes. To send a file to a specific directory issue the PC Kermit
command:
SEND myfile >mydir>myfile <cr>
To receive a file from a specific directory use the GET command
thusly:
GET <cr>
Remote Source File: >mydir>myfile <cr>
Local Destination File: myfile <cr>
NOTE: Superkermit will accept the 'remote cwd' command from
MSKermit;
this allows one to change directories on the DPS-6 without
terminating
Superkermit ( e.g. remote cwd \udd\mydir <c/r> ). Due to an
MSKermit
bug you must use the '/' (forward slash) character to replace the
'>'
symbol in remote cwd DPS-6 attempts. See HD6KER.BWR for details.
Q.
What Honeywell operating systems does Superkermit work with ?
A.
It works with both the 3.1 and 4.0 operating systems. It is highly
recommended that you use MSKermit 3.02 or higher with Superkermit.
See the HD6KER.BWR file for details.
Incidentally, the Superkermit server can perform MANY advanced
Kermit server functions such as typing a host file (in your
Honeywell WORKING directory only!) to your PC screen or executing
host commands for you and sending results to your PC screen:
'remote type START_UP.EC (c/r)'
'remote host STS -ALL (c/r)'
See HD6KER.BWR for details.
Q.
Will sliding windows be implemented in a future Superkermit ?
A.
It is doubtful...with the use of MSKermit 3.10 a file transfer can
use up to 2000-byte packets. Although sliding windows provide some
advantages over large extended packets, this is offset by the fact
that extended packets allow the data compression algorithm to be
more
efficient and the packet overhead/data ratio is much smaller.
Q.
Can I perform 'wildcard' transfers using Superkermit ?
A.
Yes, Version 2.00 fully implements wildcard transfers. You can
perform Superkermit 'send' commands using wildcards or do wildcard
'get' commands on the PC while Superkermit is running in server
mode.
The only restriction is that only files matching the wildcard name
AND having the Honeywell file type specified on the Superkermit
command line will be transferred. For example, if you perform the
following server command on the Honeywell: Superkerm VA <c/r>, then
escape back to MSKermit and execute a 'get *.C' command, you will
only receive sequential (ASCII) files having a filename extension
of 'C'. NOTE: If you want ALL Honeywell files of a specific type
the correct wildcard string for the DPS-6 is '**' NOT '*.*' !!!
Frank Dreano (Code 431)
2403 Tarkington Ct.
Chesapeake, Va. 23322
(804) 421-3785
END
OF
or
Navy Management System Support Office
1441 Crossways Boulevard
Chesapeake, Va. 23320
(804) 523-8190
HD6KER.DOC FILE
09/19/90