Help - programming Motorola Intrac2000 modules - pc too fast

[Stressed_Eric]

Hiya all,

I have a problem, and it's a big un .....

I am in the radio/telemetry field and frequently configure Motorola Intrac modules.

My old pc - a P1 - 133Mhz, using Win98SE worked fine, programmed the units perfectly with no issues. The software used to program the units is DOS based and utilises the serial com port (RS232), and runs in pure DOS (not through a prompt within windows) - it worked perfectly as I said - until it died a very sudden death and was unable to be repaired .....

I have now been issued a nice shiney new HP P4 2.4Ghz, which, in itself, is fantastic for showing off/playing games/etc - only thing it doesn't do though, is what it is supposed to do - program and configure the Intrac modules .....

What I have identified as possibilities are - processor speed too fast, or, serial port speed too fast.....

I started with the processor speed, I found a freeware utility called "moslow" which effectively 'slows down' the clock - no change, units still would not program at all .......

I then started with the serial port speed using the "mode" cmdline and configured the port to 9600,N,8,1,P - which is what I expect standard settings (my equipment talks at 9600) - and this didn't work well - it looks as if the data is getting from PC to equip, but when the equip tries to send a verification/parity check/something? the PC does not recognise the data burst and the download fails .... The PC can download from the equip. - but it really flies, and often corrupts!

Does anyone know whether the "mode" cmdline configures only the PC tx data (data speed out)- and relies on the remote equipment to control the speed of RxD (data speed in) ????????

If the above is correct, how can I configure the RxD serial speed?

I am almost at wits end - and I really don't want to have to trade the nice shiney new PC in on a second-hand unit so any help/ideas will be seriously welcome ...............

Thanx,

Stressed .....

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

What OS does your new machine run?. Any of the NT based OS's tend to have problems accessing ports, and XP isn't supposed to be based on top of DOS (although it still is really!).

Also, have you tried getting in touch with the program author, there may be an updated program available. Failing that, is there any other program which would do the job.

Or, I could swap you an old crappy machine for your new one :lol:

 

[Stressed_Eric]

Same stuff

Hiya,

All the same - same o/s - win98se, same app, etc

The software for programming the units is the latest - and that was released in mid-to-early '90s, ummmm, yes, I am in deepest, darkest Africa and that's what is available .............

Another idea I am playing around with is to create an external circuit using a max232/etc, using it primarily as a buffer, but configuring the speed to be locked at the 9600 that I need? - Anyone been down this winding road before?

Cya,

Stressed .....

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Re: Same stuff

Another idea I am playing around with is to create an external circuit using a max232/etc, using it primarily as a buffer, but configuring the speed to be locked at the 9600 that I need? - Anyone been down this winding road before?

I don't see how that could make any difference, the DOS application should be setting the serial port to the speed it requires, that speed is set by the PC UART hardware and is completely independent of the processor speed.

The problem is most likely that the compiler used can't cope with the speed of new machines. Certainly Borland Pascal and C compilers had problems as faster machines developed, the later versions cured them for a while - but then as machines got even faster the code started to fail again. I don't recall Borland ever releasing any more updates (they had dropped DOS products by that time), but a number of people released patch programmes which patch the actual executable files.

I should try looking through your program file with a HEX editor, and see if you can see a Borland copyright notice. If so, applying the patch might cure your problems.

You can download the Borland patch, which works for Turbo Pascal, and should work for Turbo C, from my website at:
**broken link removed**

Obviously make a copy of the original file first!, the patch "shouldn't" try and alter a program which doesn't require it - but you never know!.