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====== File transfer between Windows PCs and X68000 machines using a null modem cable ======

The following tutorial is kind contribution by our forum member **Magic Knight**.

Last year I had a problem. I wanted to transfer files which I had downloaded from the Internet onto my Windows PC over to my X68000. I didn’t have a 5.25” drive on my PC, and even if I were to get one, I was running Windows XP so a program like xfloppy wasn’t going to work anyway. I do have a laptop, running Windows 98, but with no way to connect a 5.25” drive.

My main priority was to get a hold of SCSI drivers so that I could use a CD-ROM drive, and thereafter transfer files by simply writing CDs on my Windows machine.

I therefore contacted Makoto Kamada, whose website is here:

http://homepage2.nifty.com/m_kamada/

He suggested that I should try connecting the two machines (Window 98 laptop and X68000) using a null modem cable and then transfering the files that way. At the time he had not yet publicly released the BASIC program he wrote to start the process, but recently he did release it with details of how to use it on his website (in Japanese), along with the program itself.

http://homepage2.nifty.com/m_kamada/di200908.htm#D20090815_WIN68KTRANSFER

I will go through all of the steps necessary to carry out the transfer.

First, let’s look at the requirements:

  *Your Windows PC will probably have to be Windows 95/98 or similar, I haven’t tried it with other operating systems. You could try it and see if it works on your own system.
  *Your X68000 probably needs Human68k 3.02, it may well work with earlier versions, I really don’t know.
  *A null modem cable. Use the following diagram to construct the cable.

http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:rs232_null_modem_cable_with_partial_handshaking

Ensure that both machines are turned OFF when connecting the cable.

Now, the procedure:

====== 1.  Download and install Tera Term Pro ver. 2.3 for Windows on your PC ======

Download ttermp23.zip from:

http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA002416/teraterm.html

This is an older version of Tera Term Pro, which works fine on Windows 95/98. I don’t know if the newer versions work well or not.


====== 2.  Download ZM.X for X68000 ======

Download ZMX68K4.LZH from:

http://retropc.net/x68000/software/tools/zmodem/zm/

This is a ZMODEM transfer tool for the X68000.


====== 3.  Extract sxmr.zip onto the Windows PC ======

<del>http://homepage2.nifty.com/m_kamada/sxmr.lzh</del>  [[https://nfggames.com/X68000/PC_Tools/sxmr.lzh|Local Mirror]]

When extracted, you will see a simple text file, sxmr.bas. This is a simple XMODEM receiver tool written by Makoto. You use it only once, when transferring ZM.X from the Windows PC to the X68000.


====== 4.  Setup the serial port of the Windows PC ======

Start Tera Term Pro.

<code>Tera Term Pro
       -Setup
               -Serial port
                       Baud rate:      4800
                       Data:           8 bit
                       Parity:         none
                       Stop:           1 bit
                       Flow control:   hardware <---- Don't use Xon/Xoff
                       Transmit delay
                               0 msec/char     0 msec/line
               -Save setup</code>


====== 5.  Setup the RS-232C port of the X68000 ======

Using Human68k version 3.02:

You need to use RSDRV.SYS, so edit your CONFIG.SYS to include the following line:

<code>DEVICE    = \SYS\RSDRV.SYS</code>

Now reset the X68000 so that the driver loads while booting.

At the X68000 Command line type:

<code>A:\>SPEED 4800 b8 pn s1 rts</code>

The SPEED program will set up the communications port to use the following settings:

       Baud rate:      4800
       Data:           8 bit
       Parity:         none
       Stop:           1 bit
       Flow control:   hardware <---- Don't use Xon/Xoff

The SPEED command both sets up the port and clears the buffer, so you can re-enter this command if it seems that the buffer is corrupted in any way.


====== 6.  Transfer sxmr.bas from the Windows PC to the X68000 ======

At the X68000 Command line type:

<code>A:\>copy aux sxmr.bas</code>

<code>From Tera Term Pro
       -File
               -Send file
                       -File name: sxmr.bas
                       -Option Binary ON <---- Important.</code>

This is an easy method to transfer text files from Windows PC to X68000.

**CAUTION:**
  *The copy command of X68000 does not stop until 0x1a is received.
  *You might have to use the INTERRUPT switch or the RESET button to abort the copy command if you have a problem.

sxmr.bas already ends with 0x1a. You can easily add a 0x1a to the end of a file by the following command at the Windows Command Prompt.

<code>> copy OLDFILE+nul NEWFILE</code>


====== 7.  Transfer ZM.X from Windows PC to X68000 ======

  *If you already have an LZH extractor on your X68000, transfer the file ZMX68K4.LZH.
  *Otherwise, transfer ZM.X extracted from ZMX68K4.LZH by using your favourite tool.

At the X68000 Command line type:

<code>A:\>basic sxmr.bas</code>

X-BASIC starts.

<code>Filename=? ZMX68K4.LZH or ZM.X</code>

<code>From Tera Term Pro
      -File
               -Transfer
                       -XMODEM
                               -Send
                                       -Filename: ZMX68K4.LZH or ZM.X
                                       -Option Checksum ON <---- Important</code>

Hit any key on X68000 to start transferring.

When the transfer is finished, use "SYSTEM" command to return to the command line.

Now you can use higher speed of 19200 bps with ZM.X

At the X68000 Command line type:

<code>A:\>SPEED 19200 b8 pn s1 rts</code>

The SPEED program will set up the communications port to use the following settings:

       Baud rate:      19200
       Data:           8 bit
       Parity:         none
       Stop:           1 bit
       Flow control:   hardware <---- Don't use Xon/Xoff


====== 8.  Transfer any files from Windows PC to X68000 ======

At the X68000 Command line type:

<code>A:\> zm -r</code>

<code>From Tera Term Pro
       -File
               -Transfer
                       -ZMODEM
                               -Send
                                       -Filename: any file</code>

If you had transferred not ZMX68K4.LZH but ZM.X, you should transfer a LZH extractor, e.g. lx.r, and ZMX68K4.LZH first and replace ZM.X.

lx.r is here:

http://retropc.net/x68000/software/tools/archiver/lx/


====== 9.  Transfer any files from X68000 to Windows PC ======

<code>From Tera Term Pro
       -File
               -Transfer
                       -ZMODEM
                               -Receive</code>

At the X68000 Command line type:

<code>A:\> zm -s FILENAME</code>


Note that the baud rate when transferring initially is 4800, this is probably the highest speed possible when transfering using the BASIC program, due to the speed of the BASIC interpreter. When using ZM.X, you can probably go higher, I transfer files at 9600 baud when using ZM.X.


====== 10.  Transfer files at 38400 bps speed ======

It is possible to achieve even higher speeds with MuTerm.

Get it here:
http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/ONLINE/MUTERM/MUTERM.LZH

Transfer it to X68000, extract the files from archive, open muterm.cnf in text editor and change the following lines

From:

<code>
PMODE = 0
*SPEED  = 9600
XFLOW = 1
</code>

To:

<code>
PMODE = 1
SPEED = 38400
XFLOW = 0
</code>

Start Tera Term Pro.

<code>Tera Term Pro
       -Setup
               -Serial port
                       Baud rate:      38400
                       Data:           8 bit
                       Parity:         none
                       Stop:           1 bit
                       Flow control:   hardware <---- Don't use Xon/Xoff
                       Transmit delay
                               0 msec/char     0 msec/line
               -Save setup</code>

On X68000 side launch MuTerm and use the following keys:

<code>
F4 - Send
F5 - Receive
BREAK - Interrupt data transfer
SHIFT+BREAK - Exit to HumanOS
</code>

Please note that there is no need to use the SPEED command because MuTerm sets RS232 port speed and parameters automatically.

====== 11.  Transfer any files at 38400 bps from Windows PC to X68000 ======

<code>From Tera Term Pro
       -File
               -Transfer
                       -XMODEM
                               -Send
                                       -Filename: any file
                                       --Option CRC ON <---- Important</code>  

At X68000 in MuTerm press F5, type any name for the incoming file and press Enter.


====== 12.  Transfer any files at 38400 bps from X68000 to Windows PC ======

<code>From Tera Term Pro
       -File
               -Transfer
                       -XMODEM
                               -Receive
                               -Option 1K ON <---- This will make file transfer slightly faster
                               -Option Binary ON <---- Otherwise you will get a corrupted file
                               -Type any name for the incoming file and click Open</code>

At X68000 in MuTerm press F4, then hit Enter and select the file you want to transfer.

Please note that it is recommended to use 1K option only when transferring from X68000 to PC. When transferring data from PC to X680000, CRC option gave better performance.