help: USR Sportster 14400

Somewhere, once upon a time, there was information about how to connect a subject with a Spectrum...
Does anyone have any left? To give - he gives, but does not want to receive.

Bye, All.
tigr...@mail.ru Tigrr/BW/XPJ http://www.brainwave.dax.ru

I also have this USR, everything worked fine, the only thing was that I had to install a
buffer with an rc circuit.

======= start of faq#1 =========================
Area : HARDWARE.ZX
From : Felix Knajzev (2:5030/529.13)
To : Michael Kondratyev - 2:5030/299.18@fidonet
Subj : modem installin'

Greetings, oh venerable Michael!

06-Aug-98 09:08 Michael Kondratyev sent a letter to World:

MK> after much thought and torment, finally attached his scorpion to
MK> an old snot with a slot. in the process
MK> one pattern was born, which I am going to report:
MK> if in the area of the modem data bus there is nothing similar to a
buffer and
MK> it works unstable (it may not work at all, it may
MK> output floating values from the ports, it may not always
MK> write what is needed - symptoms are different), then it makes sense
MK> to try to put your own buffer on the data.
MK> what kind of detail to use can also be a choice. in
MK> in my specific case, he refused 555ap6 and 580va86 -
MK> agreed only to 74ls245.

I don’t know how it is now, but there was a time when a lot of buggy _555_AP6 and _1533_AP6 were sold on the market. :( About two months ago I bought a Minskaya KP1533AP6 - it works well. I also installed a buffer on the SD for myself: Motorola74LS245 - works great!

MK> - and perhaps similar vagaries are possible with the address

There are (were) “whims”, but not quite similar, i.e. not related, IMHO, to SHA overload. (?) see below.

MK> I think it’s worth adding this thought to the connection diagram..

In general, for a long time (as soon as my modem was working more or less normally) I was going to write a small .FAQ in this echo about all the problems that “arose” when I connected
Hayes to the Spectrum. But because of my terrible laziness ;) -
I put everything off “for later.” I think that everything stated below can help those who are going to connect a modem.
I would like to note right away that my modem (MX-2496, 2400/NONE) was far from ideal, and perhaps for this reason I had
so many problems. I would like to note the active participation of Kirill Frolov
in resolving many controversial issues.

So, I’ll start in order:

Problem #1.
------------
Formed if the modem support program (your term
under iS-DOS) uses interrupts from it. (IRQ)

As I had when I first turned it on:

+---------------< IRQ4/B24 (IRQ from the modem)
| KP_1533_(!)LN1
|1+-+2
+-+1o-+
+-+ | KP_1533_(!)LL1
| 9+--+
+--+1 |8 ___
10| +--------> B23/NMI (_direct_ to the 17th legZ80)
from>------+ |
TM2 +--+

That is, as we see, everything is according to the standard connection diagram. By the way,
the MS series was not singled out by chance, this was precisely the problem!
So, with this inclusion, my modem “freezes” just terribly! :) In the terminal, a character _single_entered_ into the modem returned as an echo
without any problems. (if there was ATE1) That is We hold down some key and watch how the modem “duplicates” it with an echo. But as soon as the modem sent a stream (a bunch of bytes at once), then everything was a disaster! The modem
"froze": did not respond with an echo. At the same time, there was an
eternal log on pin B24 of the modem. 1 (!) This was observed if we gave the AT&V command (output of modem profiles) I.e. instead of displaying a bunch of text on the screen,
only the beginning of the first line was printed: B1 E1 L2 M1 To get the modem out of the "lockdown", only restarting the terminal helped.

What was done then:

+---------------< IRQ4/B24 (IRQ from the modem)
| KP_1533_(!)LN1
|1+-+2
+-+1o-+
+-+ |KP_1533_(!)LL1
| 9+--+ K_155_(!!!)LI1
+--+1 |8 1+--+
10| +-----+& |3 ___
from TM2>--+ | 2| +-----> B23/NMI (_directly_ to the 17th leg of the Z80)
___ +--+ +-+ |
NMI>-----------+ +--+
from TR-DOS ("MAGIC")

And it all worked! The modem stopped freezing! I don’t put K555LI1 instead of
K155LI1I tried it because... I simply didn’t have it.

Problem #2:
------------
Some symbols echoed back not just once, as expected, but a lot (some even filled several lines).
The symbols especially “rattled”: i, y, h,_ (only in this register!)
“Treated” for a very long time. :( At the same time, the modem completely refused to accept files with XModem, although everything was OK with the transfer. When working with the BBS, approximately like this:
"...Thyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..." :) That's how it "worked" at first!

How to "treat":
------------
a) We put a buffer between the data bus and the modem. (I agree with
you that imported 74LS245 work better than our 555AP6)

So, how to connect the buffer: +5Bo
K555AP6 +-------++
__ +---------+Scorpion (74LS245) |8R x 10K| modem
B18/RD LL1 |13+--+11 |+--+---+ +--+--+--+ +++++++++ +---+--+
>-------------o--+1 +- ||D0|b6 +->-2+A0|BF|B0+18-o+++++++-->|a9 |D0|
____ 12| | ||D1|b7 +->-3+A1| |B1+17--o++++++-->|a8 |D1|
B17/IORQ 1+--+3 +-+ | ||D2|b8 +->-4+A2| |B2+16---o+++++-->|a7 |D2|
>--------+1 | | +--+ ||D3|b11+->-5+A3||B3+15----o++++-->|a6 |D3|
A24/A4 2| +-------o-------+||D4|b12+->-6+A4| |B4+14-----o+++-->|a5 |D4|
>--------+ | |4+--+6 |||D5|b10+->-7+A5| |B5+13------o++-->|a4 |D5|
__ +--+ +-+1 +- |||D6|b9 +->-8+A6| |B6+12-------o+-->|a3 |D6|
B19/WR LL1 5| | |||D7|b3 +->-9+A7| |B7+11--------o-->|a2 |D7|
>----------------+ | ||+--+---+ +--+ +--+ +---+--+
LL1 +--+ |+-----------1+T | |+U+20-o+5B
| +--+ +--+
+-----------19oOE| |0V+10-+
+--+--+--+ ---

I used resistors to “pull up” the +5V bus after the buffer, because
I have it (the buffer) still “swinging” the TR-DOS controller (I don’t have
Scorpion) and sometimes without “pulling up” when _reading_ from VG93 unreliable data was getting in.

b) If even after this upgrade the symbols “rattle” a little more,
then we do this: (“We “delay” the addresses going to the modem: we install
_another_ chip KP_1533_(!)LL1 )

1+--+
A8>-----+1 |3 +
Z80 2| +--> A31|
+--+ | |
| +--+ |
| 4+--+ |
A9>--+--+1 |6 |
Z80 | 5| +--> A30 > To modem
o--+ | |
| +--+|
| 9+--+ |
A10>--+--+1 |8 |
Z80 |10| +--> A29|
o--+ | +
| +--+
---

It is advisable to install KP1533, because You need to “delay” just a little bit (for me, the “blinking” disappeared _completely_ if
I “hung” a 10pF capacitor (!) between (for example) contact A29
of the modem and the common wire.
So, after all these “perversions”, from which, on the first
look “smacks” of shamanism :) - the modem worked (almost)!

And one more thing. Now about the loss of bytes :) ("knocking out" characters) from the modem. As it has already turned out, the problem is that the modem does not understand when it is “told” RTS=0. It seems to me (and not only) that _all_ fax modems of the MX-2496 (2400/NONE) brand "suffer" from this glitch.
:( The bytes began to disappear 50% less after the next (how many
how can you do!? :) modifications:

Using jumpers or jumpers on the modem we set work on
_COM2_(!). Then we disconnect contact A23 of the modem (see connection diagram) from +5V (or from the resistor with which it (the contact) was “pulled up” to +5V. We supply the A4 address from Z80 to contact A23 of the modem.

Wow! That seems to be it!
===================== end of faq#1 =========================

====================== start of faq#2 ===========
Area:HARDWARE.ZX
From : Felix Knajzev
To : All
Subj : Once again about ZX+Hayes

Greetings, oh venerable All!

Here, I want to share more information that appeared in
in connection with the subject.
As I already wrote, I have a buffer for the modem (74LS245) also “rocks” the TR-DOS controller board. There is a place on it (the board) for the AP6 buffer (socket), but I had jumpers there, because the AP6 switching circuit in the controller was made unsuccessfully, :(
and with the buffer the board was terribly glitchy! When all the experiments with the buffer to the modem were completed (i.e. in the “draft” wiring everything worked fine) I decided to use this empty socket
for a buffer for both the controller and the modem. So, the result was the following
scheme:

+5Bo
K555AP6 +-------++ On the modem
__ +---------+ SD ZX (74LS245) |8R x 11K| + TR-DOS
B18/RD 1533ЛЛ1 |13+--+11 |+--+ +--+--+--+ ++++++++++ +--+
>-------------o--+1 +- ||D0+->-2+A0|BF|B0+18-o++++++++-->|D0|
____ 1533Л1 12| ||D1+->-3+A1| |B1+17--o++++++-->|D1|
B17/IORQ 1+--+1 | ||D3+->-5+A3| |B3+15----o++++-->|D3|
A24/A4 2|||D4+->-6+A4| |B4+14-----o+++-->|D4|
>--------+ | |4+--+6 ||D5+->-7+A5| |B5+13------o++-->|D5|
__ +--+ o-+1 +- ||D6+->-8+A6| |B6+12-------o+-->|D6|
B19/WR |5| | ||D7+->-9+A7| |B7+11--------o-->|D7|
>--------------+-+ | |+--+ +--+ +--+ +--+
555LL1+----+ +--+ +-------1+T | |+U+20-o+5B
|1+--+3 1+--+3 4+--+6 +--+ +--+
1533ЛН1+-+1 +---+& +---+& +-19oOE| |0V+10-+
/M1 1+-+22| | 2| | 5| | +--+--+--+ ---
>------+1o--+ |+--+ | ++ |
/DOS_PORT+-+ +--+| +--+ |+--+
>---------------+12+--+11| 155LI1
>------------------+& +--+(all three elements)
/CS_DOS_ROM(27128) 13| |
>------------------+ |
/DOS_7FFD +--+

It was not by chance that I singled out the MS series, because A lot depends on this! Of course, it was possible to install everything from one series (1533, for example), but they installed “what was”, and also used free elements left over from other upgrades.
That is. The diagram shows that all /CSs from the elements that need a bus “flock” onto the /CS buffer. Just for fun, I installed
/M1 on the modem port, although this is not at all necessary! Signals: /DOS_PORT, /CS_DOS_ROM, /DOS_7FFD - these are internal signals of the TR-DOS controller.By the way, with such buffer management, the TR-DOS controller began to work perfectly! And the computer itself is even
more “glitch-free” ;) (the load on the SD
Z80 has significantly decreased!)

I used resistors to “pull up” the +5V bus after the buffer, otherwise
without “pull-up” when _reading_ from the VG93, sometimes unreliable
data would come through. (especially if there was a lot of #FF in the file when _reading)

With this switched on, the modem worked for me for quite a long time. And I must say - he worked well! (Melon_v1.79a, Me-
lon_v1.80s, MK iS-DOS terminal [/NMI used, XModem only])

And so I got DALLAS (Real-time CMOS-chip) “for free”. :) I decided to connect it a la Scorpion. (#FFF9, #FF79, TR-DOS's
ports place)
I connected the clock data bus _after_ the buffer (i.e. +another
load, without loading the SD Z80), having finalized the circuit for forming
/CS-s for it:

555LL1 155LI1 155ЛН1
|1+--+3 1+--+3 4+--+6
1533ЛН1+-+1 +---+& +---+& +-> On the 19th leg of the buffer.
/M1 1+-+22| | 2| | 5| |
>------+1o--+ |+--+ | ++ |
/DOS_PORT+-+ +--+| +--+ |+--+
>---------------+ 3+--+6 |
>---+& +--+
/CS_DOS_ROM(27128) 4| |
>-----------------+ |
/DOS_7FFD 5| |
>-----------------+ |
/CS_DALLAS+--+
555LI3

And here the glitches began! :( And _only_ the modem was buggy!
TR-DOS and DALLAS worked perfectly! The modem in _command_ mode
worked perfectly: in Melon the letters did not “knock out” and they did not “jerk”, in iS-DOS, in the terminal with /NMI - also OK (!) That is, even the characters in it _almost_ were not "knocked out"! The same situation happened when working with BBS: while all sorts of menus were popping up on the screen, everything started to glitch as soon as it came to _receiving_ the file(s) No matter what protocol In Melon. ZMo-dem, sometimes, right during the reception, the message appeared: “Loss of
synchronization” :( Data from the buffer was dumped onto the disk and EVERYTHING was stuck! :( You have to “until you’re blue in the face” :) press Ctrl-X to interrupt the transfer on the other side. Before installing DALLAS _this_didn't happen_!

The glitches disappeared completely if _removed_ DALLAS from the panel.
Forced transfer of DALLAS to "Z" (13th leg at +5B) - also
didn't_give anything_(!)

Why did I write all this? It just turns out that? Hayes is extremely sensitive to even a small mismatch (phase) of signals on its bus! After all, DALLAS, connected after the buffer, represented only an additional capacitive load!(IMHO) But why couldn’t the buffer installed in the modem (74F245)
pump up this _frail_ additional load?!

I decided to leave DALLAS and put my own separate buffer on the modem. Those. another 74LS245. (Actually, this is how it was turned on for me during the initial experiments ;)

But, damn it, as soon as I connected it, the bytes in the
_iS-DOS_terminal_ were blown out - just terrible! :( And also a _small_ rattling of symbols appeared, which I had been getting rid of for so long. :( Only_ symbols were rattling: "I" (code #EF), "o" (code
#6F), "(c)" (copyright icon, code #7F), "_" (code #5F). Echo of the modem returned not one character, but _at most_ two, and then this happened
extremely_rarely. But I seem to have found the reason for the “knocking out” (hardware) So, how it’s done _now_ for me:

__ +---------+ SD ZX 74LS245 On the modem
B18/RD 1533ЛЛ1 |13+--+11 |+--+ +--+--+--+ +--+
>------------o--+1 +- ||D0+->-2+A0|BF|B0+18---->|D0|
____ 1533ЛЛ1 12 | ||D1+->-3+A1| |B1+17----|D1|
B17/IORQ 1+--+3 +-+ ||D2+->-4+A2| |B2+16---->|D2|
>--------+ ||D3+->-5+A3| +--o1533ЛЛ1 ||D4+->-6+A4| |B4+14---->|D4|
>--------+ |4+--+6||D5+->-7+A5| |B5+13---->|D5|
__ +--+ o-+1 +- ||D6+->-8+A6| |B6+12---->|D6|
B19/WR |5| | ||D7+->-9+A7| |B7+11---->|D7|
>--------------+-+ | |+--+ +--+ +--+ +--+
+----+ +--+ +-------1+T | |+U+20-o+5B
|1+--+3 +--+R1* +--+ +--+
1533ЛН1+-+1 +---+//+---o----19oOE| |0V+10-+
__ 1+-+22| | +--+ |C1* +--+--+--+ ---
M1>------+1o--+ | 100 -+-240pF
+-+ +--+ -+-
555LL1 |
---
How to configure R1/C1:

Load the iS-DOS terminal. In command mode, we begin to display something “big” on the screen, for example, AT&V. Instead of R1 we install a tuning resistor. (Rmax=150-300 Ohm) Turn R1,
at the same time outputting a dump, and monitoring the “knocking out” of characters. There will definitely be a moment when the bytes stop disappearing, or almost stop.
The iS-DOS terminal knocks out more characters than Melon,
that’s why it was chosen as “for setting”. In Melon, however, my symbols
do not disappear at all!
Unfortunately, this circuit _almost_ does not affect the “blinking” of the symbols.

RESULTS:
------

I have been successfully downloading mail with ZModem in Melon for three days now.
The message “Loss”synchronization" never appeared! :))) XMo-
dem in iS-DOS works "with a bang." :)))
_Very_rarely_ the symbols I listed above rattle, but
this does not interfere with the normal reception of files! Receiver ZModem by MK
under iS-DOS (new) haven't checked it yet, but I think it won't work again... :(((((

===================== end of faq#2 =============

WBW, COMbin8OR/PHT

IT> No one has a chance left? He gives, he gives, but
IT> doesn’t want to accept.
It seems like everything is written in Oberon#4...

E-mail: zs...@nm.ru ~/ <~ http://www.zx.ru/zs/
ZXNet: 500:8462/1 /_ _> ftp://zx-museum.org.ru/zs/

How is this possible? In my spec since 97-98 there has been a USR Sportster 14400/Fax
precisely from the 95th year of manufacture, so I can responsibly declare that everything is OK ;)
It differs from earlier releases in the presence of _optional_ PnP, but I
of course have COM1/IRQ4 jumpers. (there, if you remove all the jumpers, then
you will get PnP)
It works all this time with a bang, so don’t scare people ;)

WBW, COMbin8OR/PHT

YV> I also have this USR, everything worked fine, the only thing was that I had to install a
YV> buffer with an rc-chain.
I had a sprat somehow pass by - it didn’t register, and now a person has the same
problem. Thank you, we'll sort it out.
I wonder why there are so many problems with sportsters? I have a Bullet on 14400 - without
any perversions, without buffers, only irq4 is updated with a summary - it doesn’t glitch anywhere...

Bye, Yuri.
tigr...@mail.ru Tigrr/BW/XPJ http://www.brainwave.dax.ru

27 Apr 01 15:48, Sergey Zotov -> Igor Turashev:

IT>> Somewhere there was once information about how to make friends
IT>> subject with the spectrum...

SZ> If it was made in 1995, then no way. :(

You are wrong! There is a precedent. Zhenya, are you here?

Stanislav

SU> You're wrong! There is a precedent. Zhenya, are you here?

Uh-huh. A USR Sportster 14400 worked for me, even two copies. ’95, 24 MHz,
PnP but with jumpers.

Worked at port lock speed 57600, stable, cps was with good connection
more than 1500 in Melon. But there were many problems; he was very sensitive to interference on the bus. AP6 of different series and analogues did not change anything, in general, it worked when I
AP6 straightened its legs and soldered one side to the Z80, and the other to the slot for the modem
(as a result, the modem hung in the air). The modem also sometimes freezes when dialing a number,
but I couldn’t solve this problem.

Specifically, I gave one of those modems /2065.462 (on a PC) - you can ask
him ati7i0i1.

Sincerely, Evgeniy.

26 Apr 01 07:55, Igor Turashev -> All:

IT> Somewhere, once upon a time, there was information about how to connect a subject with
IT> Spectrum... Does anyone have any left? Give - give, but
IT> does not want to accept.

Problems on the bus, shorten the wires, install another AP6 (I had the best
result with the 555 series)

Sincerely, Evgeniy.

SZ> If it was made in 1995, then no way. :(

Never mind. They work, and for many people.

WBR, Jason.

[Team Obituary][Team Friday 13th][Team Evil Maniacs][Team Huge Axes]

SU> You're wrong! There is a precedent. Zhenya, are you here?
Here... I have a 1995 Sportster - buffered on AP6, plus some other little things. It’s a little glitchy - to be honest, I thought it would be worse.. Are there any diagrams?
Should I throw it here or not?

SAYO:NARA, DO:ZE O-GENKI-DE, Evgeny Poddubny.

EP> Here... I have a 1995 Sportster - buffered on AP6, plus some
EP> little things. It's a little buggy - to be honest, I thought it would be worse... There are
EP> circuits. Should I throw it here or not?
Well, if no one minds, then it will be useful to everyone. And if it’s against, then no soap -
I will definitely be useful.

Bye, Evgeny.
tigr...@mail.ru Tigrr/BW/XPJ http://www.brainwave.dax.ru

Somehow Sunday April 29, 2001 at 15:33:12 lil
Igor Turashev to Evgeny Poddubny on the topic help: USR Sportster 14400

SU> You're wrong! There is a precedent. Zhenya, are you here?
I, in fact, repeated what they told me. The author of such a statement was EM. So... I’m not a hardware guy at all, and I don’t understand much about hardware. :/

ZXNet: 500:8462/1 ~/ <~ http://www.zx.ru/zs/
Fido: 2:5057/21.93 /_ _> ftp://zx-museum.org.ru/zs/

YV> How can this be? In my spec since 97-98 there has been a USR
YV> Sportster 14400/Fax
YV> from the 95th year of production, so I can responsibly
YV> say - everything is OK ;)
YV> It differs from earlier releases by the presence of _optional_
YV> PnP, but I
YV> is obviously set by jumpers COM1/IRQ4. (there, if all
YV> jumpers are removed, then
YV> you will get PnP)
YV> It’s been working great all this time, so don’t scare
YV> people ;)
Well, sorry, people! I sincerely believed in what I wrote, since this information came from fairly reliable sources and I saw no reason not to believe them. :(

EP> Yep. A USR Sportster 14400 worked for me, even two copies. '95,
EP> 24 MHz, PnP but with jumpers.

EP> Worked at port speed 57600, stable, cps was with good
EP> connection more than 1500 in Melon. But there were a lot of problems, he was very sensitive to noise on the bus. AP6 of different series and analogues did not change anything, in general, it
EP> worked when I straightened the AP6 legs and soldered one side to the Z80, and
EP> the other to the slot under the modem (as a result, the modem hung in the air). The
EP> modem also sometimes freezes when dialing a number, but I could not solve this problem.

This problem, unfortunately, cannot be solved. :( I myself have the subject vis on Speck, and
then on the offtopic.

======== here we will start the file "Tmszavis.Faq" ======================
From : Andy Fedotov 2:5020/732
Subj : Vis Sportestera-33600(TMS based)
───────────────────────────────── ───────────────────── ───────────────────

Q: Already seven times in two days there has been a “dead” freeze of the modem
USR Sportster 33600

> A: no cure !!!!

=== But here are the explanations from USRobotics ===

> In all models based on TMS (w/o i80186/i80188 as Models Sportster 14.4
> P'n'P, Sportster 33.6 P'n'P, Sportster Voice P'n'P) there is a problem.
> If user tries to terminatedialing by lowering DTR, modem hangs and
> cannot be reset until you cold boot the computer. By sending other
> symbol to the data port dialing can be terminated and modem will be OK,
> but QuickLink II that comes with Sportster and majority of the software
> programs on the market utilises first method (lowering DTR) and this
> seems to be a problem.

This is indeed a problem. However, we don't think that the majority of
software uses DTR to abort dialing. We will look into fixing this though.

=== Here is a short translation of this ===

> In all models assembled on TMS (without i80186/i80188 processor)
> such as:
> Sportster 14.4 P'n'P, Sportster 33.6 P'n'P, Sportster Voice P'n'P -
> there is a problem. (error, bug, glitch)
> If the user tries to interrupt dialing by removing the DTR signal,
> then the modem will hang up and hang tightly (only PowerOff
> computer helps). By sending any character while dialing a number, you can interrupt dialing without
> problems, and everything will be fine with the modem.
> Unfortunately, QuickLink II and most other programs use
> the first method (removing DTR) - which leads to the modem freezing.

I repeat once again: There is no cure!
Just be careful, do not interrupt the modem while dialing!
Orexplain to the program that pulling DTR is not good :)

(Solution from Yuri Nikitin)
For example, T-mail can be explained, you need to set:

Dial_Terminate ~+++~~|
Onhook ~~~ATH0|
====================== here we will finish the file "Tmszavis.Faq" ======================

With Best regards, Felix.

[I ZX]

SZ> Actually, I repeated what I was told. The author of a similar
SZ> statement was EM. So... I'm not a hardware guy at all, and I don't understand much
SZ> about hardware. :/

When did he say that?

With respect, Alex Noman.