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Apple IIgs serial port <-> PC interface

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pszBob

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May 13, 2003, 10:28:00 PM5/13/03
to
I have a bare Apple IIgs. No manual, no hard drive, no cards (except a
memory expander). I have a 5.25" and a 3.5" floppy drive, but no Mac to
write the disks. I know the gs has a builtin serial port, though. How do I
make a connecion between the serial port and a PC serial/parallel port and
use something like ADT to transfer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
pszBob

PS-Don't flame me, I just rescued a GS from my school's dumpster and I just
want to get it working. Email me @
infinity <[at]> san [<dot>] rr <[dot]> com


Stephen Hartz

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May 14, 2003, 7:02:59 PM5/14/03
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Check out the enclosed attachment and the following URL:
http://www.syndicomm.com/~a2.ryan/The_Lamp/Text/2003/TLMP0301.Txt
If you need someone to do the actual transfer, I'd be glad to if you send me
the disks.... From personal experience, the Zip 250 drive or a 1 GB Jaz
drive would be easiest, but you need an SCSI card on the GS and a Belkin USB
to SCSI adapter cable on the PC.....

.----- Original Message -----

"pszBob" <pszBob@[DONTSENDSPAM]hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:QQhwa.4642$6P6....@twister.socal.rr.com...

Laine Houghton

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May 14, 2003, 11:00:49 PM5/14/03
to
Stephen,
bob may well take you up on the offer to create a disk.

My initial thought to him was to hold the '8' key down while he powered up
the //gs .
That would give him a //e. He could then follow the instructions for the ADT
dump stuff.
If memory serves that requires a DOS 3.3 formatted disk and I suspect that
will be a problem for him.

My thought was to create a dump init. A good thought but reserved for
another person.

I took to 3.3 with great understanding and fought ProDos for a long time.
Somewhere that switched and 3.3 is a struggle.


The sad truth, not my problem, nor my ability to easily solve.

pszBob

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May 14, 2003, 11:29:31 PM5/14/03
to
I have no expansion cards for the gs, nor do I have the money/resources to
get them. I DO have a bunch of disks with educational software on them.
Thanks for the reply, though!

"Stephen Hartz" <SHa...@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:DWzwa.32414$BA.12...@twister.columbus.rr.com...

Rubywand

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May 15, 2003, 12:31:44 AM5/15/03
to
pszBob writes ...

>
> I have a bare Apple IIgs. No manual, no hard drive, no cards (except a
> memory expander). I have a 5.25" and a 3.5" floppy drive, but no Mac to
> write the disks. I know the gs has a builtin serial port, though. How do I
> make a connecion between the serial port and a PC serial/parallel port and
> use something like ADT to transfer?
>
....

>
> PS-Don't flame me, I just rescued a GS from my school's dumpster and I just
> want to get it working. Email me @
> infinity <[at]> san [<dot>] rr <[dot]> com


Rescuing a GS from a dumpster is heroic stuff!

You can transfer all kinds of great software once you get a connection
going.

NULL Modem connection

In a NULL modem connection, the computers are connected by a serial cable
and a telecom program on the Apple II talks to a telecom program on the PC.
Good IIgs telecom programs include Spectrum, Proterm 3.x, and Modem MGR.
Usually, Hyperterm is the PC telecom program.

For info about setting up a NULL modem connection, see
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html#004 .

There are several places to get a cable. See
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html#025

If you get a IIgs or Mac modem cable, you will need to get a NULL modem adaptor
to flip around signal lines.

If you get the Mac Imagewriter I cable (Mac MD8 Male to DB25 Male Imagewriter
I: Radio Shack cable 950-0107, Pacific Custom Cable AM4-6, MC Price Breakers
C06-IM1GS-MAC, ...), the lines are flipped around in the cable and you do not
need a NULL modem adaptor.

You may need an adaptor or cable to go from the cable plug (usually Dsub-25
male) to the Dsub-25 or 9 female COM-1 or COM-2 socket on the PC.

Basically, you look at the cable (plus NULL modem adaptor, if any) coming from
the IIgs and get a cable to go from there to the PC.

DOS 3.3

If you really have _no_ software, the first thing to transfer is DOS 3.3. For
info on this, see http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Sel/dos33dmp.htm .

Note: 5.25" diskettes used on an Apple II computer must be DD (Double Density)
type diskettes (sometimes called "360k"). Normal PC HD diskettes will not work.

For info on DOS 3.3, see http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2DOSMM.html .

ADTgs

Next, you get ADTgs going. This is program for transferring 5.25" disk images
(.dsk files) from PC to diskettes on your IIgs.

Note: ADT transfers whole 5.25" disks. The target diskette (on the IIgs) must
be formatted. Booting DOS 3.3 and INITing the diskettes you want to use for
transfers is a good way to format the disks.

See http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/gswv/ADTWin.html and
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html#003 and
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html#012 .

Utilities and ProDOS

Being able to transfer 5.25" disk images (.dsk files) to diskette on your IIgs
will open the way to getting huge quantities of software including important
utilities like Copy II Plus, ShrinkIt, and several telecom programs. You will
also be able to boot and use ProDOS.

A good collection of utility disks is available from Ground and GSWV. See
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2FLUTILS.html#disks and
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html#012 .

Standard Telecom

Getting a standard telecom program going on your IIgs lets you transfer all
kinds of files: ShrinkIt compressed 5.25" and 3.5" disks, all sorts of disk
images, ShrinkIt file collections, games and other programs on ShrinkIt 5.25"
and 3.5" whole-disk archives, individual files, ... . You can find a
description of some popular telecom programs at
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html#011.

Modem MGR supports convenient Z-modem transfers and is probably your best
freeware choice. ZLink is okay, too.

When you have a standard telecom link going, you can transfer and unshrink the
System 6.0.1 system disks you download from GSWV or Asimov.

As mentioned above, you will also be able to transfer IIgs games on 3.5" disk
files.

Places to Get Software

Once you have transfers going well, there are several places on the net which
offer Apple II games and other software you can download. For links, see ...

http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs4MAJORSITES.html
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs7GAMESITES.html


Rubywand

pszBob

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May 15, 2003, 3:37:04 AM5/15/03
to
THANK YOU RUBYWAND! WHEEEE!

Used my serial link to dump DOS 3.3 to a disk, IT WORKS!
Formatted some more disks, gonna get some comm software later (It's 12:32AM
now, and I have school tomorrow!)
Thanks for all the replies!

PS- I have a Z80 Expansion card too...how can I put it to good use? (how do
I get PC/M running?)


"Rubywand" <ruby...@swbell.net> wrote in message
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