Anyone have a GOOD $5 printer-port link program (windows or dos)
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Anyone have a GOOD $5 printer-port link program (windows or dos)
I was wondering if anyone has tried making a WORKING program for
Windows or DOS that transfers and receives bakup and programs, and gets screen
dumps (that's all you really need). What would be ideal is a little
program made for windows for all the TI-82, 83, 85, 86, 92. This program
would become probably the most used program other than Texas Instruments's
software. It would also be great for the people who made the $5 link.
Also if anyone wants me to test their program, I have all of the TI's and
the $5 link so... email me. I know a lot about most of the programming in
pascal and C, but I can never find a good compiler to make the program work.
Also one last thing, I wondered if anyone could take the time to write a
short paragraph on how information is transfered through the printer port
link through the red, white, and copper wires by bits and bytes and words
and use a program to show the commands to do this? I am starting a page
deticated to the printer port link. If you want to know why... I stumbled
across the LINKTEST program on an FTP site. I had a TI-85, read the help file
and found LINK85XP. Using the LINKTEST program, I tried every combination of
the three wires in the printer port, and after 100's of hours, found that the
copper wire (the ground) went into pin 22. The white and red wires were
a mystery and I was stuck for weeks, but concluded that both wires must send
receive. I tried EVERY combination of the two and it DID NOT WORK (the values
in LINKTEST didn't match). After slamming my head on the wall for an hour,
I figured that the bytes going through probably got mixed up with other bytes
and messed everything up (either that or the LINKTEST program was a hoax
which I convinced myself it couldn't be after the work I put into it). So
I used a diode (of course) to filter the information, stuck with the idea
of both wires sending and receiving information simultaneously and presto.
If you think that was easy to figure out, try converting the 5 volts
to a different voltage or make a link for the joystick port. Oh, each
wire was connected to a diode and the reason for them both sending and
receiving at the same time is so that the calculator and receive information
while it sends back information stating it actually RECEIVED the information
and vice versa. And if you understand THAT, email me and we'll talk. Even
worse, I thought I was the ONLY person that had a printer port link untill...
a few weeks later I found that first DUTCH posting of a printer port link,
same pins as mine- 22, 2-12, 3-13. ANd if the guy is reading this HOW LONG
DID IT TAKE YOU TO DO THAT!!!! It took me literally 100's of hours and tons
of planning and logic. But I'm actually glad that someone posted the link
or just think, zshell, fargo, oshell, and all those neat programs might never
have been made!!! Well, I know this is a long note, but it's long due, so if
you have ANYTHING to add to this, discuss, ask, WHATEVER, email me (ESPECIALLY
the person who POSTED the FIRST PRINTER PORT LINK). Thanks for reading this
:).