
USING THE SIO-2-PC INTERFACE SOFTWARE

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ****

SIO2PC is a hobby for me and a service to Atari users, not a 
money making project.  Therefore I can't accept any liability 
from use or construction of the program or interface.  If you 
have given me any money and don't want to accept responsiblity 
for use of the system, I will refund your money.  Don't use 
SIO2PC on computers used for commercial purposes or for 
critical applications. Always back up important files.

This is a brief description of the current release. The software is 
menu driven, and I hope, fairly self-explanatory. If you specify a 
command by mistake, ESC will usually return you to a higher 
level of the menu. Here is a run-down of the commands:

CREATE DISK: Reserves ram area for a ramdisk, single or 
double density.  Prompts for size. Reports when memory isn't 
available, and creates the file as a "file access" disk instead of as 
a ramdisk.   After creating a disk, you must  format it with your 
Atari. The disk's status is shown on the appropriate disk status 
line. The size and density are shown.  Also, a single letter field 
shows an 'N' if you haven't written to the ramdisk, 'W' if you 
have. amd 'F' for file access disks.  These fields are also color 
coded, white, red, and green.  You can assign disk # 1 through 
8.

LOAD DISK IMAGE FROM FILE: This command prompts 
for disk # and filespec.  Various DOS errors will be reported if 
there is anything wrong with the file you specified.  The file 
information specified is appended to the disk status line. If there 
isn't enough ram for a ramdisk, file access will be used.  (To 
force file access, follow the filename with "/P", no space.)

WRITE DISK IMAGE TO FILE: This is essentially the 
inverse of the above with a few exceptions. You have the choice 
of writing back to the file you read from (if any), or you can 
specify a new filename for the disk image storage.  This option 
doesn't apply to file access disks, which are continually updated.  
(Exit SIO2PC normally to close files - use option ''Q'.)

INSTALL PC FILE AS ATARI DISK:  This command lets 
you install any PC file as an Atari disk image.  It creates a 
simulated Atari disk image containing only the loaded PC file.  
The file can only be read sequentially, no random access, and is 
read only.  The file can be a data file or an Atari executable file.  
You can also install a PC file which is an Atari BOOT file.  Use 
/B after the file name.

JUMP TO ULTRA SPEED: This command toggles between 
SpartaDos' high speed mode and the normal speed.  Normally, 
this is automatic, but if you get out of sync, this command can 
help.

SET COM PORT NUMBER: This command lets you choose 
which port you are going to plug the interface into, assuming 
you have more than one. The screen will show the # of the port 
you have specified. Note that the program begins with the port # 
query. So, if you didn't enter it in the batch file, or on the 
command line, you must now enter it before proceeding.
 
TOGGLE STATUS LINE: The program status line gives 
information about what the system is doing, if anything. The 
program writes directly to screen memory for this function (for 
speed). Because this may cause noise on the screen of a CGA 
computer display, you have the option of turning it off.

EXCHANGE DISK I.D. NUMBERS: The purpose of this 
command is to allow you to change the number of the default, 
or bootable disk. You could for instance, boot up with a physical 
drive as drive #1 and copy files into ramdisk #2, then turn off 
the drive and change #2 to #1. Note that you can swap a defined 
ramdisk with one which doesn't yet exist, which is the same as 
renumbering a disk.  No problem.  D1 thru D8 are legal.

PRINT_THRU: Tells SIO2PC to intercept your Atari's printer 
bound data. You can choose to send this data to your PC's 
printer, screen, or disk file. You can also choose to translate 
Atari EOLs to PC CR's or CR/LFs, Atascii tabs to ASCII tabs,  
and/or clear the high data bit.  A field in the menu tells the 
current status of your PRINT-THRU choices.

LOCK DATA LINE: Usually, leave in Auto. One user needed 
this to cure a bug. See README.DOC for more info.  This is 
N/A for the one chip version I have built for the past several 
years - doesnt use tri-state logic.

ENTER PORT ADDRESS: Allows you to specify the port 
address in hex. Usually, the defaults are OK and you don't need 
this.  If you have a 10 year old, highly incompatible clone, it 
might be needed.

UNINSTALL DISK: Removes a disk and frees its memory 
and position for others.  Warns you if the (ram) disk hasn't been 
saved.

ADJUST BUS TIMINGS: Again for the one user with a 
cantankerous system. See README.DOC for more.  This 
submenu also has some other functions.  For instance, you can 
toggle the COMMAND LINE sense logic between the two 
modes required for my early and latest hardware versions.  The 
default I sent you should be correct for your hardware.  An 'i' 
after the revision number on top of the screen indicates the 
newer hardware.  A new sub-menu under this menu is for the 
1050-2-PC functions, which allows direct access to Atari disk 
drives from the PC.  Separate hardware is required for this 
feature, which is still being expanded as of this writing.  See 
separate TXT file on 1050-2-PC.

QUIT PROGRAM: Returns the PC to DOS. Warns you to 
save changed ramdisks. 
 
DIRECTORY SEARCH Allows you to look at a PC directory 
without leaving SIO2PC. You can use the usual PC path 
specifiers and wildcards.  Also, you can look into the directories 
of your Atari disk image files. Filename with extensions ending 
in "S" are treated as SPARTADOS files for directory extraction.

REDRAW SCREEN  Hit "R" or ESCAPE to restore the 
proper screen if PRINT-THRU or some other event has 
changed it.

DOS SHELL  The "H" command leaves SIO2PC and runs 
COMMAND.COM.  You can then run DOS commands, 
programs, etc.  Type EXIT to return to SIO2PC.  Notes:  
COMMAND.COM must be in the C:\ directory.  Don't install 
TSRs using this shell.  Install them before starting SIO2PC.

BLANK SCREEN  Press "B", ESCAPE to restore.  This 
command isn't on the menu.  I hope to make it automatic in the 
future.

USING COMMAND TAILS: The SIO2PC software allows 
you to simplify configuration of the program through the use of 
the command tail feature of DOS. The command tail consists of 
text found on the command line after the program name. An 
example will illustrate:

If you start the program by the command SIO2PC 2 C22 
L1A:\DOS.ATR R, it tells the PC to: Run SIO2PC, use Port 2, 
create a ramdisk as disk #2, size 92K, Load a disk image into 
ramdisk #1 from file A:\DOS.ATR. Always make the port # 
come first. Use /V to skip automatic virus checking.

USING BATCH FILES: The real advantage of command tails 
is in using them from batch files. If the above text (SIO2PC 2 
C22 L1A:\DOS.ATR R) is stored as a batch file, you can set up 
your Atari ramdisks for a computing session just by typing the 
name of the batch file. You could have different batch files 
called GAMES.BAT, PROGBAS.BAT, PROGASSY.BAT 
etc., automating set-up and making things much easier for you 
than remembering a bunch of commands and file names. You 
should put a space after the last command of the batch file. You 
may have noticed that there's no S before the PORT # in the 
batch file. That's because SIO2PC starts up expecting a PORT # 
entry. 

Other Included Programs: There are a few utility programs 
included on your disk, in addition to SIO2PC:

REMOTE.OBJ:  This program is an Atari program found on 
the ramdisk file ATARI.ATR on your disk. It allows you to 
control the SIO2PC program by remote control, from the Atari. 
Get into DOS on your Atari. Load the program and then enter 
SIO2PC commands as though you were entering them from the 
PC's keyboard! You have to anticipate the prompts and include 
the answers in your command string. (A few complex 
commands don't work from command tails or from REMOTE.)

FILE2PC.OBJ: This is another Atari program found on your 
ATARI.ATR disk file. It allows you to send your Atari files to 
the PC as PC files instead of as Atari disk images. See the 
README.DOC file on the diskette file for more information.

MAKADISK.EXE This is a PC program which takes a PC file 
and converts it to an Atari disk image which you can then load 
with SIO2PC and read with your Atari.  More or less made 
obsolete by the Install PC File as Disk Image menu function.

GETTING STARTED First, you should make a copy of the 
distribution disk for safekeeping. Now, plug SIO2PC into the 
PC and the Atari's daisy chain. Start SIO2PC by typing SIO2PC 
# [ENTER], where # is the number of the COM port you are 
using. Load up the supplied Atari disk image with the 
commands: "L", then "1", then A:\ATARI.ATR (This assumes 
the floppy is in drive "A.")  Now, the status line for ramdisk #1 
on the PC should show that this ramdisk is resident. Turn on 
your Atari and try to boot from the PC. You should see some 
action on the status line: Command: usually "R"; DEVID: 31 
(for disk 1); COM: "H", flashing to "L" intermittently. Now, ask 
for a directory of D1. If all is well, you should see that the 
ramdisk has REMOTE.OBJ and FILE2PC.OBJ (described 
elsewhere), TANK.OBJ (a game written by my brother) and 
KEYER.OBJ (A ham radio program I did) on it. 
