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IBM Asyncronous Adaptor Connections

D

DFL

New Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
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4
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia
Hello,
I have an IBM 5150 with an async card (25 pin).
I would like to connect to a Gateway G6-450 via the com1 serial port (9 pin).
I will be attempting to backup all the 5150 disks to the Gateway.
The 5150 is running DOS 3.1 and the GateWay is Windows 98.
Has anyone ever tried something similar?

Thanks in advance
 
It should be pretty straightforeward with the right software and cable. LapLink comes to mind but there are others.

Don't both machines have parallel ports? I think parallel is easier and I know it's faster.
 
Stone said:
It should be pretty straightforeward with the right software and cable. LapLink comes to mind but there are others.

Don't both machines have parallel ports? I think parallel is easier and I know it's faster.
Click to expand...
Definitely faster, but the parallel cable is sometimes harder to find/make than a null-modem serial cable.

And of course you can't do a remote install over the parallel ports, i.e. you have to have a way to get the client on to the PC in the first place.

Was Interlink still a part of W98's DOS optional extras?
 
Thanks for all the info folks. I have a little more. Although I am not ruling out the parallel connection, I do have a LapLink cable on its way.
While I was testing the IBM pc async card (using diagnostics) it asked me if there was a IBM printer connected. My concern at this point is that there should be
sofware on this machine to interface with the other?

I have installed a copy of Putty on the Gateway in anticipation of the arrival of the cable. The Gateway G6-450
has what appears to be two serial ports (9pin) on the back of the unit but I only see com1 designated as a viable port in windows 98.
 
DFL said:
While I was testing the IBM pc async card (using diagnostics) it asked me if there was a IBM printer connected.
Click to expand...
If you answered in the affirmative, the diagnostics may have then attempted to print something on the printer. It is just a guess.
 
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Are you aware that on your IBM 5150, temporarily substituting the 360K drive with a 1.44M diskette drive should give you the ability the do transfers via 720K diskettes ?
I and others here on these forums have done that using our 5150s.
Details are [here].
 
DFL said:
My concern at this point is that there should be sofware on this machine to interface with the other?
Click to expand...
LapLink

You have DOS 3.1 running on the IBM 5150, and thus you should be in a position to run the MODE command of DOS on the 5150. If you do, then what you should be able to do with your serial LapLink cable, is run a DOS version of LapLink on your GateWay (after booting to DOS), and then use a feature in LapLink that pushes LapLink down the serial LapLink cable to your 5150.

You can see that process being utilised within the procedure [here], although note that that procedure is for a different situation (use of a 'modern PC').

By the way. That 'push-down-the-wire' feature will not work using a parallel LapLink cable. It has to be a serial LapLink cable.

Once LapLink is running at both ends, do the file transfers via LapLink. For faster transfers, upgrade from a serial LapLink cable to the parallel version (changing the configuration of Laplink at both ends accordingly).

A potential LapLink problem

If there is a significant difference between the 'speed' of each machine, then timeout errors usually occur. For example, if I connect my 6 MHz 5170 up to my 486DX-66 clone, they won't communicate until I use the turbo button to drop the 486DX-66 down to 8 MHz. Others on these forums see similar. So, you will probably need to use the turbo button on your GateWay to drop the GateWay's speed. Maybe the drop in speed will not be enough.
 
modem7 said:
If there is a significant difference between the 'speed' of each machine, then timeout errors usually occur. For example, if I connect my 6 MHz 5170 up to my 486DX-66 clone, they won't communicate until I use the turbo button to drop the 486DX-66 down to 8 MHz. Others on these forums see similar. So, you will probably need to use the turbo button on your GateWay to drop the GateWay's speed. Maybe the drop in speed will not be enough.
Click to expand...
I guess Stone and I didn't really give enough detail; thanks for expanding.

I much prefer InterLink and haven't used LapLink in years (just their nice cables ;-) ); I don't recall ever having a problem with Interlink running at pretty well any speed, certainly faster than 1GHz, but then the slowest client was usually at least 25MHz; could the issue be the 6MHz speed of the AT or is this just not an issue with Interlink (as opposed to Laplink)? Were you using a serial or a parallel cable, and was it a true LapLink cable?

I hope the OP is aware that a "LapLink cable" can be either a serial null-modem cable (blue and four-headed if it's the real article) or a parallel cable (yellow if it's genuine)...
 
MikeS said:
I much prefer InterLink and haven't used LapLink in years (just their nice cables ;-) ); I don't recall ever having a problem with Interlink running at pretty well any speed, certainly faster than 1GHz, but then the slowest client was usually at least 25MHz; could the issue be the 6MHz speed of the AT or is this just not an issue with Interlink (as opposed to Laplink)? Were you using a serial or a parallel cable, and was it a true LapLink cable?
Click to expand...
My 5170 example was only one of many. I knew of the issue in the eighties. Authentic cables, then and now, not potentially incorrectly wired hand made ones. It happens in serial mode. I can't remember what the story is with parallel mode. Others are aware of the issue. DOS versions of Laplink have other issues as well. Eg. inability to work cross-version, eg. version 3 to 4, 4 to 7.5.

If the OP does not use 720K diskettes per post #7, and is intent on using cable, then the OP will need some way of getting communication software onto their IBM 5150 via cable.
Laplink is just one way.
At post #7 of the thread [here], is a procedure for pushing DRDOS 7's FILELINK down a serial cable.
I think I've used Interlink only once or twice in my lifetime. Can it do the same? I'm not trolling. I simply have no idea.
 
Interlink, LapLink.... You guys should really try FastLynx 2 (which also comes with Interlink style functions if needed - FXSVR).

Friendly interface, fast, has CRC error checking, small file size (only fx.exe is needed which is something like 140KB) as well as remote upload etc.
I use it on Pentium laptops (Windows 98 command prompt) to transfer data to many of my machines, including the 5150 and 5160 machines. On a Pentium / 5160 combo I did get a timeout warning box but it never actually ever timed out - transfer kept going. Don't even need to tell it what port to connect to, it scans the ports automatically.

Works with parallel cables, null modem cables (3 or 7 wire), and even Netware IPX.
Little bit harder to find on the internet than LL3 but worth it I reckon. I've been using it since the 90's.
 
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I said FastLynx 2 :p
It is completely DOS based, easy to use, and has remote upload. The original FastLynx had remote upload too, can't remember if FastWire did.

3.3 is brilliant, but they left out remote upload, which was a real pain in the ass (and it's so easy to do, I've written my own in C#, can't believe they culled it)

If you want a copy of version 2 to review / for the site, send me a PM. It's a case of 'abandonware' unfortunately - really wish they still sold it alongside the new version.
 
I think I tried most of the available packages like this back in the day and really saw no compelling reason to pay for what DOS included for free. Also, IIRC most of these were just file copy/transfer packages whereas InterLink is really more of a 'network' with remapped drives and printers that let you run programs and print remotely on the 'server' computer, use remote files in batch files, etc. etc.
 
SpidersWeb said:
I said FastLynx 2 :p
Click to expand...
Sorry. I did not pick up on that.

SpidersWeb said:
If you want a copy of version 2 to review / for the site, send me a PM. It's a case of 'abandonware' unfortunately
Click to expand...
Not according to the owner. At the owner's web site (specifically page http://sewelldirect.com/fastLynx.aspx) is the text, "To support that configuration, we continue to sell FastLynx version 2.01"

SpidersWeb said:
- really wish they still sold it alongside the new version.
Click to expand...
They do. On the same page is the text, "Also, a FastLynx 2.01 license is included with FastLynx 3.3" and "To download it, open FastLynx, click on 'File' and click on 'Download FastLynx 2.01"

SpidersWeb said:
3.3 is brilliant, but they left out remote upload, which was a real pain in the ass (and it's so easy to do, I've written my own in C#, can't believe they culled it)
Click to expand...
Yes, it doesn't make sense, because surely it would have been trivial to implement.

I own a licence for version 3.3
I should download 2.01 just out of curiosity, to see what the DOS version looks like (and play with the 'remote upload' option).
 
bah, I didn't know that you could still get a 2 license.
Going to go buy a FastLynx 3.3 license right now that I know that. I found 3.3 to work very well with USB adaptors too.

Here is a quick video of me demonstrating FastLynx 2.0 doing a remote upload (standard null modem cable) from a Pentium MMX laptop to a 5160 and copying over leisure suit larry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDW7z3yCUxs
 
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I double checked the jumpers on the async (already in rs232)
Fastlynx needs to be called in DOS mode on the Gateway.
I had a little trouble at first so I reduced the speed in config.
All the files from the IBM are now on the Gateway.
Thanks for the help guys.
 
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