---Serial Port Transmission problems---

program: ASPAN, TASK

There are two different ways to send part-programs directly
to the NC from ASPAN/TASK. They are switched automatically.
- ASPAN/TASK internal Kermit protocol.
- Columbia University Kermit.exe (DOS version).
If ASPAN finds kermit.exe program in C:\ASPAN4 (or
if TASK  finds kermit.exe program in C:\TASK3) the
Columbia University Kermit.exe is Run, elsewhere
the internal Kermit is Run.
Starting from Aspan 4.62 the Kermit95 program can be used
too.
You can identify which is the protocol (AutoSoftware or
Columbia University) looking at the screen:
- if the ASPAN/TASK internal Kermit protocol is used you will
  see a color "DOS style window";
- if the Columbia University Kermit protocol is used you will
  see a typical black&white DOS screen.

Transmission of Lists:
TASK can not send Lists. ASPAN can be used to send lists:
From the supervisor Machine -> Utility -> RTX.

If you experience problems while transmitting part programs
to Tria N.C., please verify the following steps:

1) You need a serial cable with connections as follows:
   //
   // Cable: PC <-> Tria (null-modem, 
   //                     3 wires,
   //                     PC side shorted)
   //

  PC side (female connector)            TRIA (ESA) side 
/---------------------------------------------------------\
| DB9 |  DB25 |  name  |     link   |  name  | DB25 | DB9 | 
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|  3  |   2   |  TxD   |    <---->  |   RxD  |  3   |  2  |
|  2  |   3   |  RxD   |    <---->  |   TxD  |  2   |  3  |
|  7  |   4   |  RTS   |      <-|   |        |      |     |
|  8  |   5   |  CTS   |      <-|   |        |      |     |
|  6  |   6   |  DSR   |      <-|   |        |      |     |
|  4  |   20  |  DTR   |      <-|   |        |      |     |
|  5  |   7   |  GND   |    <---->  |   GND  |  7   |  5  |
\---------------------------------------------------------/
Wiring note at PC side:

   //
   // Summary (for DB25 <-> DB25):
   // - Between the two connectors: 2-3, 3-2, 7-7
   // - Shorts for the PC-side connector: 4-5, 6-20

   Important note:
   for best results the cable should be shielded with
   "low reactive capacitance" (i.e. a good quality shielded
   cable). You should use a three wires + shield cable.
   The three wires (Rx, Tx and GND) must be connected to
   the indicated connector pins. The cable shield should be
   connected to the serial connector shield (casing earth)
   of the two connectors (DB25 and/or DB9).
   Please note that shielded cables are not cheap and they
   can not be used for long cables due to their "reactive
   capacitance" that loads the RS232 drivers. Shielded cables
   are of great help in noisy environments (from the
   electrical point of view) if limiting the cable length
   to 10..20 meters/yards.

2) Use a small baud rate (I suggest 1200 baud) and a short
   cable (less then 10 yards/meters) until you get
   successful.
   In any case we recommend to keep the cable as short as
   possible and the baud-rate as low as possible.
   Please note that transmitting at 2400 without errors
   is quicker than transmitting at 9600 with errors.

3) Verify that PC/TRIA communication parameters match.
   3.1) From ASPAN/TASK side you will find them in
        Machine->Utility->Serial Port
        A typical configuration is:
        Port        COM2     (or the port available on your
                              PC)
        Baud Rate   4800     (we do not suggest a higher
                              speed)
        Parity      NONE
        Data Bit    8
        Stop Bit    1
        HandShake   Xon/Xoff
        Protocol    Kermit
        Transmitter internal
        Pressing OK the file mskermit.ini will be written;
        see section 3.2) for more details about this file or
        skip to section 3.3) for TRIA settings.

   3.2) This section contains detailed information about the
        file mskermit.ini (the configuration file for
        communication);
        it is located in the machine configuration directory:
        - i.e. if ASPAN is installed in C:\ASPAN4 and your
          machine configuration is AUT504:
          C:\ASPAN4\p2cfg\AUT504\mskermit.ini
        - i.e. if TASK is installed in C:\TASK3 and your
          machine configuration is TECH90S:
          C:\TASK3\p2cfg\TECH90S\mskermit.ini
        The file mskermit.ini is an ASCII file, but normally
        you don't need to edit it.
        This file is typically as follows:
        ;*
        ;* Written by TASK 3.52 p1
        ;*
        ;* Warning: be sure that the following parameters
        ;*          are the same in the N.C. machine.
        ;*
        Set Port COM2
        set terminal VT102
        Set Baud 9600
        Set Parity NONE
        set block-check-type 1
        set warning on
        set incomplete discard
        set send timeout 1
        set send packet-length 90
        Set send padding 0
        Set send padchar 0
        Set send start-of-packet 1
        set end-of-line 13
        set receive timeout 1
        set receive packet-length 90
        Set receive padding 0
        Set receive padchar 0
        Set receive start-of-packet 1
        Set flow-control Xon/Xoff
        Set send end-of-packet 13
        Set receive end-of-packet 13
        cd D:\TASK.352\P2PART\TECH90S
        This file is created or updated by ASPAN/TASK, please
        see section 3.1).

   3.3) From the TRIA side the communication parameters MUST
        be the same as ASPAN/TASK.
        There are two menus that have to be modified. Where
        the menu are located depends on the TRIA version.
        Some examples:
        TRIA 3.10 =>
        - Services->Serial Line->Communication Setup
          (kermset.dat)
        - Services->Enter Password: (normally MORBI),
          Services->Setup Menu->Port Setup
          (setport.dat)
        TRIA 2.61 =>
        - Archives->Serial Line->Communication Setup
          (kermset.dat)
        - Services->Enter Password: (normally MORBI),
          Services->Setup Menu->Port Setup
          (setport.dat)

        NOTE: you MUST set the proper speed and Parity
              settings in both menus, or the
              communication will not work!.
        Typical configuration for SETPORT:
        /-----------------------\
        |       SETPORT:        |
        |-----------------------|
        |  Device:    COM1      |
        | Baud Rate:       4800 |
        | Parity:          NONE |
        | Character length:   8 |
        | Stop bits:          1 |
        | Control bit:     DISA |
        \-----------------------/

   Typical configuration for KERMSET.DAT:
   /-----------------------------------------------------------\
   |                       KERMSET.DAT                         |
   |-----------------------------------------------------------|
   |Baud rate:             4800    Parity:                 NONE|
   |TX Timeout:               1    RX Timeout:               1 |
   |N. of TX PADDING chars:   0    N. of RX PADDING chars:   0 |
   |Rx block length:         60    Tx block length:         60 |
   |BLOCK CHECK type:         1    8-bits char prefix:      33 |
   |Char repetition prefix: 126    Convert existing names:   0 |
   |Save incomplete files:    0    Serial line:           COM1 |
   |TX PADDING character:   127    RX PADDING character:   127 |
   |TX START character:       0    RX START character:       0 |
   |TX END character:        13    RX END character:        13 |
   |Host:                     1                                |
   \-----------------------------------------------------------/

4) Now that the communication parameters are set, you can
   choose to use the ASPAN/TASK internal Kermit protocol,
   the Columbia University kermit.exe program or the Kermit95
   program (Kermit95 is available starting from
   ASPAN 4.62/TASK 3.52).
   If ASPAN/TASK finds the kermit.exe program in C:\ASPAN4
   (or if TASK in C:\TASK3, or where ASPAN/TASK has been
   installed) the Columbia University Kermit.exe is Run,
   elsewhere the internal Kermit is Run.
   For ASPAN 4.62/TASK 3.52: if you selected "Transmitter:
   external" and then "Kermit95", the Kermit95 will be used.
   The Columbia University Kermit 95 must be installed
   on the PC.

5) Transmission without kermit.exe.
   Close any "Windows DOS prompt" before trying to
   communicate.
   This is required to free the Serial Communication Port.
   5.1) Send the part program from inside ASPAN/TASK: you
        will get into the ASPAN/TASK transmission window.
        If you get P1310 error it means that a generic
        transmission error has occurred, so this message
        won't help for trouble-shooting.

6) Transmission with kermit.exe.
   If you continue having problems with the AutoSoftware
   internal kermit, please get a Columbia University
   Kermit.exe DOS version: it's freely available; we
   currently use version 3.10.
   It is sometimes included in TRIA-PC software.
   Please copy kermit.exe to C:\ASPAN4 for ASPAN (or where
   ASPAN is installed) or to C:\TASK3 for TASK (or where
   TASK is installed).
   - Download it
   - copy in the ASPAN/TASK directory: typically
     C:\Aspan4 for Aspan or C:\Task3 for Task
   Close any "Windows DOS prompt" before trying to
   communicate.
   This is required to free the Serial Communication Port.
   6.1) Send the part program from inside ASPAN/TASK, you
        will get into the kermit prompt.
        Please verify that the Kermit communication
        parameters match with the TRIA ones.
        To do this please act as follows (I will include
        commands within double-quotes "", you don't need
        to type them).
        - Type "status" to see kermit parameters.
        - Set serial port COM1: (or COM2: depending on
                                 your hardware):
          "set port com1" or "set port com2".
          If you get the message "this port will be operated
          through the Bios as BIOS1" the port is not
          available.
        - If you need to change the Baud-Rate,
          i.e. 1200 baud:
          "set speed 1200"
        - "set handshake none"
        - "set parity none"
        - "set flow xon/xoff"
        - Please verify that:
          Start-Of-packet-Char S: ^A  R: ^A
        - Please verify that:
          End-Of-packet-Char   S: ^M  R: ^M
        - Please verify that TRIA has the same parameters.
        - Set TRIA in server mode.
        - Send the part program (i.e. TEST.PGM):
          "Send test.pgm"
        - "quit" to quit Kermit.

7) Transmission with kermit95.exe.
   From the supervisor di ASPAN/TASK select:
   Machine->Utility->Serial Port
   Select Transmitter: External and push the "Set" button.
   Type of external transmitter: Kermit 95
   Set the correct path for the Kermit 95 K95.exe program.
   Leave the Parameters to be passed on the command line
   clear. Confirm.
   You can check the communication parameters as follows
   7.1) Send the part program from inside ASPAN/TASK, you
        will get into the kermit prompt.
        Please verify that Kermit communication parameters
        match with the TRIA ones.
        To do this please act as follows (I will include
        commands within double-quotes "", you don't need
        to type them).
        - Type "show communications" to see kermit
          parameters.
        - Set serial port COM1: (or COM2: depending on your
                                 hardware):
        - "set mskermit keycode"
        - "Set port com1"
        - "set speed 1200"
        - "set handshake none"
        - "set parity none"
        - "set flow-control xon/xoff"
        - Please verify that:
          Start-Of-packet-Char S: ^A  R: ^A
        - Please verify that:
          End-Of-packet-Char   S: ^M  R: ^M
        - Please verify that TRIA has the same parameters.
        - Set TRIA in server mode.
        - Send the part program (i.e. TEST.PGM):
          "Send test.pgm"
        - "quit" to quit Kermit.

---Serial Port still doesn't work---

program: ASPAN, TASK

After having tried everything in section Serial Port Transmission problems and the serial port communication still doesn't work, you can try to substitute the TRIA NC with a second PC in order to establish what's wrong.
There are two level of tests that we suggest.
test  #1

- connect the PC that the customer whishes to use for serial
  transmission not to the TRIA but to another PC (let's call
  it PC2), using the same cable that is normally connected
  to the NC.
- Load the Columbia University kermit.exe and mskermit.ini
  in PC2, run it, check that the communication parameters
  match using the command:
    show comm
  if they do not match, change using the commands
    set port com1 (or com2)
    set speed 2400
    set parity none
  set the kermit in server mode: type the command:
  server
- Now PC2 is emulating the NC.
- Try to use the other PC and send some files.
- If this works, there is something wrong in the NC.

- If this doesn't work, you can try to use a different
  program:
  the terminal emulator that is shipped in Windows 3.1,
  Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT.
  In Windows 95 and 98 the terminal Emulator program
  is called "HyperTerminal".

test  #2

- Using the two PCs as before, connected with the same cable,
  run the terminal emulator program in both the PCs.
  Set the communication parameters to 2400 baud, 8 bits,
  no parity and 1 stop bit.
  If you type a character in one PC, the character should be
  seen in the other PC and vice versa.
- This test MUST work. If not it means that there is
  something wrong in either the first PC, the cable or the
  second PC.