Transfer files to/from N* CPM image?

[Steven Hirsch]

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010, allison wrote:

> Steven Hirsch wrote:
>> On Mon, 19 Apr 2010, Dave Dunfield wrote:
>> 
>>> You can transfer files via serial port, using PIP, XMODEM etc.
>>> At the most basic level, you can transfer a index hex file load and save
>>> it.
>>> 
>>> You can also use my simulator to transfer files into and out of images,
>>> and then use NST to transfer those images to the real system. This may
>>> be easier than hooking up serial lines etc.
>>> 
>>> You can "mount" files for input/output over the virtual serial port. This
>>> means you can mount a file then receive from it into CP/M just like you
>>> would have done with an external PC and TTY emulator (but without the
>>> syncronization problems).
>> 
>> Maybe I'm just being dense, but I cannot seem to get this working.  I hit 
>> F3 to stop, then F7 whereupon I mount the input file.  Then I 'g' back to 
>> CP/M and try:
>> 
>> A>PIP B:TEST.HEX=RDR:
>> 
>> At this point it just hangs and will not respond to Ctrl-C.  If I reboot 
>> the emulator I find an empty TEXT.$$$ file on the target disk.
>> 
>> In the debugger, it is simply looping on the UART status register but 
>> apparently never seeing anything.
>> 
>> I'm not using a config file, which I believe makes the default 'file'.
>> 
>> What am I doing wrong?
>> 
>> Steve
>> 
>> 
> Is anything actually hooked up to the reader??   This is both a software 
> question and hardware.

There's nothing in the help or docs that really explains where the AUX 
port input and output appear under CP/M, so I just assumed (probably 
incorrectly) that the input became RDR:.  I know under N*DOS I can print 
to 1 (from memory) and have it spool to the file, so things on the 
emulator side work fine - at least in that direction.

> Generally the only port I trust is console. and I can easily transfer files 
> to any system that uses
> a serial console because of that.

I'm not quite understanding that statement.  How can I use console if I 
need to interact with the keyboard and see output?  Wouldn't that prevent 
interaction with the emulated machine?  How would I tell the emulator that 
console is the file input?  There's just not quite enough in the docs for 
me to form a coherent picture of how things fit together.  The sample 
config files look like they connect the emulator serial ports to real 
serial hardware on the PC, but I see no explanation for how files get 
assocated with the emulated UART - only that it's the default to have 
files connect to N* AUX (and, as mentioned, I'm only guessing that the AUX 
port I/O associates with CP/M PUN: and RDR:).

Yes, I'm very confused :-)

Steve


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