Altair not communicating with Terminals?

[Retired Doc]

Hi All,

Have been using Altair for quite a while without problems.  I built it about a year ago.  I have had it hooked up to MAX via USB converter to TeraTerm.  It would come on when I turned the on switch populate the screen with switch positions, and then I would set up what I wanted to do.  

Yesterday it stopped working.  I tried a different USB converter.  The lights come on on the MAX3232 when I turn the on switch on, but the screen is not populated with switch configuration like usual.  I checked the COM port and that it is at 9600 baud, and was OK.  I tried Putty...same result.  I plugged in the Arduino cable but also did not get any output to Putty?

I checked the manual for trouble shooting guide, and tried "kill the bit" which is working on the lights.  I tried the second test by setting all data switches to on, and hitting the examine button and they all turned on.  so the board appears to be working.

I checked the forum and there was a not about turning on see if the protect light will come on, and it does.  I think it said that I needed to reload the program?  Not sure what that was referring to.

Being very newbie understanding computers (and since it has been working so well I have not gotten much practice), I wonder if there is something else I can troubeshoot to see why I am not able to communicate with the terminal, before I tear into the box?

If there is a troubleshooting guide that I missed on the website, I apologies.

Thanks, Kent.

[Frank P.]

Do you have an SD card installed? I ask because perhaps the SD card has gone bad or come loose and you are not loading the configuration you thought you were when you power up (i.e.: if firmware can't read STORAGE.DAT).

You could try the default serial port (USB Programming Port) to see if the message "[Running Kill-the-Bit]" comes up there when you start kill the bit. If it does, you can get into the configuration menu and use 'M' to see if your configurations are still there or 'F' to try to get a directory of the SD card.

[Retired Doc]

Hi Frank,

Yes, I do have the SD card installed.  I ran the "kill-the-bit" both with the defaut serial port and the MAX3232 and did ot see anything on the terminal.  That probably suggests that I need to pull the SD card and re-flash?

Thanks, Kent.

[Chris Davis]

If Kill-the-Bit is working, you should not have to reload the software on the Arduino.

Are you able to connect to the Altairduino using the USB serial connection (not through the MAX2323 DB9)?

The default baud rate on the USB serial connection is 115200, try that just in case your personal settings were lost.

[Frank P.]

I wouldn't do that yet because if there is anything of value on STORAGE.DAT (or perhaps a disk you may have written to over the past year), it would be lost.

There are only two other serial terminal possibilities, which you should try although the second requires you swap a cable on the Arduine. Those are the Bluetooth serial terminal and the USB Native Port usb terminal. I would try those first to see if you see any text on either of those. It's got to be going somewhere.

You can also try powering up with the RESET switch held up (select truly default configuration), and then try to connect TeraTerm to the USB Programming Port's com port (but hold RESET switch up again while the terminal connects, it always seems to reset the firmware on connection to that port). Perhaps then you'll get the "Running xxx" messages out when you press AUX 1 down (though you may not get the panel because it may not be enabled in the default configuration.)

[Retired Doc]

Hi  Chris,

OK, I tried am able to connect with the USB serial connection programming port and I did try the 115200, but still did not get any readout into either Putty or TeraTerm, when I used the USB comport for that connection.  It makes sense that the software is OK, if I can get Kill-the-Bit" to run and all the Address switches work.  Not sure what the problem is.  It was working fine.

I went back to January, and I was having the same trouble back then, but got it working with a Tripp-lite KeySpan and TeraTerm.  so I hooked up that combination and got the following garbage...I know this indicates a problem, but I can not remember what it is?  So with this MAX3232 and USB converter on TeraTerm it is at least kind of working.  

Terminal is VT-100

Frustrating...

Kent.

[Chris Davis]

I've seen that before.  It's either baud rate or it could be the wrong parity or stop bits.

Try resetting the device on power-up: hold up RESET when powering on, and keep it held up until you connect your terminal software (either Putty or TeraTerm) at 115200 baud 8N1.

That should force the Altairduino to reset to defaults (but it will not actually save it as the default, you have to do that.)

[Retired Doc]

OK, Chris,

I did as you suggested.  I set TeraTerm to the Arduino Programming Port (COM17) set to 115200 baud, and then unplugged the USB connection and then plugged it in while holding the Reset switch, and got some characters on the screen.  With all data switches down, I pused Aux 1 down and got the following data.  So, there is an issue with the terminal but I am getting data.   The terminal setup is 80x24; VT100 ; Coding UTF-8.  Receive CR and Transmit CR.  I am not sure it those make any difference?

I am going to see what the problem is, but looks like the Terminal is talking or at least listening to the Arduino???

Kent

Kent.

[Retired Doc]

Well it looks like I got it back up and running.  I think I need to change some of the LF setting, because I am getting spaces between lines.  I think the difference is VT-102?  I was able to get to the configuration page.  I exited out of that, b/c I need to read up on how to configure this thing again, but then was able to load up MITS Extended Basic and am running Isprime.  I will unplug and turn on again, when I have read up on Configuration in case I have to start at square one.  Not sure what happened, but will try to take this opportunity to learn more about the Altair.  Thanks.  I am sure I will be back with more Qs...

Kent.

[jcad...@gmail.com]

Hi Kent,

VT-100 should work, at least it is working with me. Besides VT-100 here are the differences between your settings and mine:

Terminal Size: 80x24

New-line Receive: CR

New-line Transmit: CR

Jean-Claude

[Retired Doc]

Hi Jean-Claude.  That is very interesting.  I had Rcv =CR/Tx=CR before, when I was using VT100 and got the garbage out.  Very, very strange.  Thanks for the info.  Kent

[jcad...@gmail.com]

One time I got the same garbage but in a different way as you and only once:

The AD comes with a disk containing Wordstar. This version of Wordstar can be configured for various terminals, none of which I have been able to use with the various terminal emulations available in TeraTerm and Putty.

On Peter Schorn there is a disk of Wordstar configured for VT-100 terminals. I "exported" these files and "imported" then on a new AD Disk and was able to run Wordstar displaying everything properly. This disk also contains SpellStar which I tried to run. The way to run SpeelStar is a little strange: when starting Wordstar a banner appears, while this banner is on the screen you have to press S to start SpellStar, it is not run from the Wordstar menu and I think it has its own terminal emulation because when it displays lines it send only LF, and no CR. I could not really figure out how SpellStar works but at one point I typed something and the screen became garbled like yours. Not knowing how to get out of SpeelStar I pressed ^C to go back to the CP/M prompt but the screen was still garbled and I had to restart the AD to go back to normal (I don't remember if I had to power off).

I have to try it again to see if it was SpellStar or something else which caused the garbage but first I have to figure out how SpellStar works.

I really have to do it as I want to become a worldwide known writer.:-)

Jean-Claude