8251 troubles

[Brent Hilpert]

dwight elvey wrote:
> 
>  Hi
>   The routines SETUP and COUT are ROM routines.
> SETUP passes the first byte to the clock generator and the
> remaining to the command port of the 8251. The command/status
> port is 1 while the data is 0.
>  COUT sends text to a video board.
> The second COUT never seems to get executed?? I give plenty
> of time between characters because I send then manually.
>  The board can do interrupt driven serial but that didn't seem to
> work so I went for the simpler polling method.
> 
>          DI
>           CALL SETUP
> ;         .DB    $01F  ; 9600
> ;         .DB    $01D  ; 4800
>           .DB    $01B  ; 2400
> ;         .DB    $019  ; 1200
>           .DB    $0AA  ; SYNC
>           .DB    $0AA  ; SYNC
>           .DB    $040  ; RESET
>           .DB    $0CE  ;  2STOP, NO PARITY, 8BIT , X16
>           .DB    $010  ; CLEAR ERRORS
>           .DB    0
> 
>           MVI    A,$027  ; RTD, DTR AND REC-EN TX-EN
>           OUT    1
> 
>           CALL   TIN
> 
>           CALL   COUT  ; This works
> 
>           CALL   TIN
> 
>           CALL   COUT ; never gets here
> ......................................
> 
> TIN:
>           IN     1
>           ANI    2
>           JZ     TIN
>           IN     0
>           RET

I have the datasheet for the 8251A but not the 8251 here, so just some guesses:

  - perhaps the 8251 (as opposed to the A) requires the receiver to be re-enabled
    (not a full reset) after receipt of each character (an 'explicit ack') (?).

  - .. check the error flags to see if a framing error is occurring?

  - .. try sending a stream of (best random) characters at full rate,
    as opposed to just 2 manually? This might get around some framing
    inconsistency or such to at least see if a subsequent character can be received.

  - (may be inconsequential, but in the init sequence the two sync characters
    are not preceded by a mode byte (perhaps SETUP does this internally?))