Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    You, of all people...
    
    I thought that you were the one with answers for things like this.
    
    Sorry I can't offer any help.  Good Luck.
    
    Randy
    

    First, make sure you do not have Pins 14, 21, and 23 in use. Snip
    those
    pins off your cable if you do.
    
    Next, make sure your terminal program is set for the correct baud
    rate and and word length/parity. Your terminal should be set to
    either 7 bits with even parity or 8 bits with no parity. Do not
    attempt to alter the word length on your modem. However, you must
    set the parity on your modem to match your terminal. Bottom line
    with the modem settings is you need only change baud rate and parity
    on the Scholar -- nothing else!
    
    It might help to know what you are using for a terminal program
    too.
    
    Paul
    

re:	.0

Just so you know... I've been using nothing but a DF224 for several
months and talk to many BBS's and work with no problems at all. A few
of (possibly) useful items:

	1)	Baud rate, parity and word length MUST match exactly or you
		get nothing. Note that the version of VT100 I distribute is
		set up for the default Scholar factory settings.

	2)	There is no need to change the Scholar switch settings.
		If you talk to the DF224 at 2400 baud and dial a BBS (or
		work) it will say Attached 1200baud (at which point you select
		1200 baud off of the COMM menu on the terminal program) and
		you're off and running.

	3)	I concurr with the previous suggestion... make sure you use
		as few connections as possible (transmit, receive, ground...)

	4)	I found it useful to throw the switch inside that forces DTR
		that way you can leave the terminal emulator and do
		other things without dropping the telephone line
		(maybe I mean carrier detect?)

	5)	DO YOU HAVE AN ECO'd DF224????? If you have one of the early
		ones (before update #1)... forget it... it will never work
		correctly. (Anyone else remember the designation on the ECO?)

	6)	Does the right hand light come on for a few seconds (and then
		turn off) when you plug the unit in? (That's the self-check).

	7)	Do you get a READY after a ^B ? (you won't unless parity is
		close and baud is right).

	8)	Does the second button from the right turn red when you tell
		it to dial a number? (means the thing actually picked up the
		line and started dialing)

	9)	What do you get when it fails:

			Attached
			Busy
			No Answer
			??????

Sorry... this got longer than it should have...
regards,
dave

       Thanks for the input so far - anyone else out there who has any
       suggestions, please don't let my interjection at this time stop
       you from posting them!  (Randy, I'm pretty good at "reverse
       engineering" something that works.  If its broke, I'm useless.)
       
       I am using V2.3 of THE ONLY VT100 emulator, that being Dave's
       (running under V1.1 of WB and KS).  The only changes made to the
       defaults, through my VT100.INIT file, are setting the baud rate to
       1200, and loading up with a Workbench window vs Interlace.
       Parity, etc. are the same.  Note that the Scholar didn't work
       under V2.2 either.
       
       I'm a bit confused about cabling.  Dave you say use as few pins as
       possible and Paul, I believe (I'm reading between the lines of a
       number of notes) that you have all 25 pins connected, with the
       exception of the AMIGA power pins.  I'm somewhere in the middle
       with the following configuration.
       
               
                      amiga  modem
                        1-----1
                        2-----2
                        3-----3
                        5-----5
                        6-----6
                        7-----7
                        8-----8
                       20----20

       
       The other variable that I forgot to mention is that we don't have
       direct dial-in to the Plant - you have to ask the switchboard
       operator to connect you to one of the dial-in extensions.  When
       hitting the BBS's I am autodialing, although I have manually
       dialed and made the connection.
       
       Again, thanks for you support.  I will check out the suggestions I
       have received so far and keep you posted.
       
       
       
       Art
       

       Well, we are getting closer to solving this problem (perhaps there
       is a basis for a new adventure game in all this??!!).
       
       Based on the input received so far, I did the following:
       
       1. reset the Scholar switches back to the factory default.
       2. reduced the number of pins I had connected to 4.
       3. reset the "soft menu" items back to the factory default.
       4. renamed my VT100.init file so that the VT100 emulator would
          load up in its' "vanilla" form.
       
       When I autodialed one of the local BBS's (note that I did get
       "Ready" after the ctrl-b) I got:
       
                        Attached
       
                     <a short pause>
       
                        Speed:1200
       
       At that point, I selected 1200 baud from the comm menu and I was
       connected - success!!
       
       Following the same process, but manually dialing, to get into the
       VAX at work (again as we have to go through the switchboard
       operator) I got:
       
                        Attached
       
       Thats where it ended - no Speed:XXXX message, no nothing!  I tried
       this process about 8 times, sending breaks, nulls, etc., but could
       never seem to raise the DF224 on this end.
              
       
       I have brought the unit in and will be giving it to one of my
       folks to try from home with a real VT100.  Maybe the problem is
       the setup we have at this, the Plant, end.
       
       
       I'll keep you posted.
       
       
       Art  
       

       (I MADE A MISTAKE IN 198.5 - WE HAVE A BELL 212 AT THE PLANT END
        NOT A DF224.)
       
       =================================================================
       
       Well, I didn't have to wait for someone to try the test from home
       using a VT100.  We simply hooked up the Scholar to a VT100 here at
       work and dialed out and back into the Plant via the switchboard -
       same process I follow from home.  Guess what - everything worked
       as it should.  Got the "Attached" message, the "Speed:1200"
       message, we changed the VT100 to 1200 baud and were connected.  (I
       was praying it would fail!)
       
       Now I'm really stumped!  Starting to look more and more like an
       AMIGA - Scholar - Work incompatibility problem.  REMEMBER, THE
       DF112 WORKS FINE.
       
       The following is a schematic of the network I'm working with.  If
       anyone can see any potential for conflict, let me know.
       
       
            HOME                        WORK
       ---------------+         +-----------------------------------
                      |  phone  |
         +---------+  |_____    |                  +---------+       
         | Scholar |->|    /___\|  +--------+      | GANDALF |  
         +---------+  |        /|->|BELL 212|----->| TERMINAL|
                      |  line   |  +--------+      |   PORT  |
       ---------------+         |                  +---------+
                                |                    \     /
                                |                     \   /
                                |                      \ /
                                |                       X  cross-connect
                                |                      / \
                                |                     /   \
                                |                    /     \
                                |                  +---------+
                                |                  | GANDALF |
                                |                  |  HOST   |
                                |                  |  PORT   |
                                |                  +---------+
                                |                       |
                                |                       |
                                |                       |
                                |                       V
                                |                  +---------+
                                |                  |  VAX    |
                                |                  +---------+
                                |
                                +------------------------------------
       
       
       Note as well that the pins I left connected are 2,3,7 and 20 (same
       as Randy Meyers, who indicated he is using a Scholar.  Ref 159.5.)
       
       
       Thanks again.
        
      
       Art
       

    I haven't got my DF224 to work properly either. I did find out
    from the modem notes files that manual dial operation has got some
    bugs. I can get it to work once in a while, but it seems very random.
    I use the connections 1-8 plus 20 (shield TP on Transmitt and Receive).
    
    I can't get autodial to work though. I'm pretty sure all my connections
    are OK because I can talk to the modem and have verify that I'm using
    factory settings. I'm using VT100 2.1. My VT100.INIT file contains a F1
    key for "^B P number !". When I hit the shift F1 key the modem dials.
    In 3-5 seconds I get an "attached" message and the Carrier Detect light
    goes on( ie 2 lights on).  This amount of time is not enough to make it
    through my telephone exchange, so I'm sure no connection was made. I use
    a the same process (with another string) for the DF03. Every once in a
    while I get similar results. But most of the time the DF03 autodial
    works. Manual always works with the DF03. I believe that the settings
    for parity and size are OK for the DF224 because on the rare occasion
    that I do get in manually, every thing works. 
    
    Now what this with an ECO. How do I check for that.
    
    ... Rich   ( who's_still_using_a_DF03 )
    

    Try setting the DF224 to work as a DF03. It has a built-in
    DF03 emulator.
    
    If you are using factory settings on the DF224 then it is running
    at 2400 baud. If you are using TSN or Tymnet into your work system,
    you'll have problems since they do not support 2400 baud. Although
    the modem might autswitch to 1200 baud, your terminal program won't.
    Try setting the modem to 1200 baud and make sure the parity of the
    modem matches the parity of the terminal. Remember NEVER alter the
    word size on the DF224, ONLY alter the parity. If you change the
    parity on your terminal, make sure you set the word size to the
    proper length on the terminal.
    
    Paul
    count on the modem to switch t

Art, I just reread all of the replies of this note, and I realized that
your problem may be similar to a problem I had about two years ago.

I have noticed that you haven't tried one combination: you haven't used
your scholar at home to dial into work using a real VT100.  You may find
it doesn't work.

I had a very similar situation a couple of years ago.  I bought one
of the small lap top computers from Radio Shack (a Model-100, for those
interested).  The M100 comes with a built in 300 baud modem.  One of the
first things I did with the machine was try and call work.  It didn't
work, I would get lots of garbage and a disconnect.  I could call Compuserve
or Telenet and have no problems, however.

"Ha," I said, "the modem must be flaky, and its still under warranty."
So I took it back.  At the Radio Shack, I attempted to reproduce the
problem for the salesperson.  No luck, it worked perfectly.  I sneaked
away, tail between my legs (sound familiar?).

In fact, the M100 worked everywhere but my house.  In fact, my house had
two phone lines--a line for people and a line just for the VT100 and Vadic
modem from work--and the M100 would work 90% of the time from the data
line, but never from the people line.  (I had only been trying using the
M100 from the people phone line before I took it back to the Radio Shack.)

Note that the Vadic modem worked just fine from either phone line of
my house, even if I operated it at 300 baud, just like the M100.  And,
the M100 had no trouble with accessing pay computer networks.

I knew that my phone lines were a little bit noisy; I decided that the
problem was with my phone service, not my computer.  After the phone company
installed electronic switching my my area, I tried using the M100 again
from my home out of curiosity.  It worked without any problems.

My suggestion: Borrow a VT100 (or any real terminal) for your home for
a day.  See if the scholar works with a real VT100 under *real* field
conditions (your house) before you blame the Amiga.

    I don't blame the Amiga. It's probably my phone lines. We have a
    very old system (rotary relays and such). We still can dial 4 digit
    to call in town. I think the problem is the timing to get out of
    the town. With my DF03 some numbers work some don't. On 3 or 4 'clicks'
    the Detect light is on and then it's all over. I don't here clicks
    for pulse in the DF224. Maybe the DF224 pulses are not compatible
    with the antiquated phone system in my town.
    
    I believe the setup on the 224 is OK for communication because when
    I get really attached using manual dial everything works. I've
    tried the DF03 mode and get the same results during a dial.
    
    ... Rich (Just_waiting_for_a_new_phone_system_in_town)

    Does anyone know if the Scholar can handle pulse dailing rates?
    In other words, can the modem be slowed down when it auto-dials?
    That may be the problem.  It may just be auto-dialing too quickly.
    
    -jim

    You can put delays between dialed digits with the letter 'w' 
    ( 5 sec wait).  You can't change the duration of the pulse.
    for dial. 
    
    ... Rich

Here's my Amiga-Scholar quirk discovered today:
I borrowed my roommate's Scholar and when powered up, (connected
to my Amniga) the SI light is on.  The modem causes two notes
which are one octave apart to come through the monitor speaker!
I can't seem to get it to stop, so for the time being, I have just
turned off the sound.  I must have too many pins connected or something..
Since I'm borrowing the modem, I'll just live with it for now.

Does anyone else have "modem music"?

-dave

    That is exactly what is happening (I did the same thing).
    
    Clip off pins 14, 21, and 23 on your cable. Then read the 
    Reference section of your Introduction to Amiga book before you
    really do some damage!
    
    Paul

If .14 is in reply to .13,
I have clipped the three power pins, and one or two more which were
already missing on the cable.
So modem-music must be from another pin, not the power pins.

(I have no desire to owe DEC a 2400 baud modem.)

-Dave Tenny

       Thanks for all the input on this one.  I just got back from a bit
       of time off so that's why you haven't heard from me.

       I ended up taking a VT100 home and like Rich (198.10), it would
       appear that I have something wrong with my phone lines as it
       didn't work either.

       So I'm back to the DF112 which I'm glad to say works 100% of the
       time.  I don't know of any plans to upgrade the phone system in
       our area, so I guess I'm stuck for the time being.

       Thanks again for all the assistance.


       Art

       P.S. To all of you, all the best over the holiday season and lets
            hope for bigger and better things for the AMIGA in 1987!

       Just to close the loop on this one, I thought I'd let those who
       provided guidance and encouragement during my hours of trouble,
       that I have finally been successful in getting the Scholar to work
       with my AMIGA - I had to move however to make that happen.
       
       I guess it was the exchange that I was on previously that was
       causing the problems.
       
       Jeez, 2400 baud is great!
       
       Art