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TELECOMMUNICATIONS

By Dorothy K. Dean
1121 E. Vienna
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414-278-5390 (300/1200 baud)
414-961-7315 (voice)
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     (EDITOR'S NOTE -- Dorothy Dean has a degree in
economics and is currently an elected member of the
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Board of Supervisors. She is
the system operator (sysop) of PSA-BBS, a part-time
instructor at Alverno College, and a self-described computer
fanatic.)

     Now that you own an Amiga, you are probably eagerly 
learning about its impressive capabilities. However,
though the manuals that came with the machine are detailed, 
there are subjects not covered in sufficient depth or not 
covered at all. The meaning of the mysterious "guru
meditation error" numbers, for example, is not mentioned
anywhere in the manuals provided by Commodore. No matter
how good the manuals are, the complexity of the computer
itself means that some aspects of its capabilities or its 
problems will only be uncovered through experimentation by 
users. How do new Amiga owners find out about these
interesting capabilties of their computer?
   Lots of users write their own software. Many
authors are willing to share their software with anyone who
needs or wants it. How does the new Amiga user find this
software?
   Your computer itself can be the answer. With your
Amiga, a modem and telecommunications software, you can 
acquire volumes of useful software and information. It is
as simple and easy as making a telephone call to a local 
computer bulletin board system.
   Actually, the name "computer bulletin board" is no 
longer accurate. The first computer bulletin board systems
were really just computerized versions of the workplace (or 
school) cork announcement boards. The simple posting of
messages was what one could expect from these early bulletin
boards. The caller could expect to find messages about 
software problems or announcements about items for sale.
   Computer bulletin board systems now are likely to be
much more sophisticated. With few exceptions, computer
bulletin boards still have a public message base for posting
announcements, requests for assistance, items for sale or 
just general chatting about the weather, politics, computers
or any other topic of interest to the callers. Like the
cork board messages, these messages can be read by all 
callers. Often boards will have private mail capability so
that a caller can leave private mail directed to a specific 
individual.
   Most boards also provide file transfer capability so
that programs and text files can be shared. With all this
valuable information and software available it is certainly
worthwhile to explore some of the many computer bulletin 
boards now in operation in North America. A current list of
boards that support the Amiga are listed in a separate
article in this issue.

THE MODEM AND THE SOFTWARE
   Selecting a good modem need not be confusing to the 
novice. "Modem" combines "modulator/demodulator".
It means a device that translates the computer signal into
one that can be transmitted over the telephone line and 
received by another computer at a remote location. Modems
are described by method of connection to the telephone line 
and by the speed of the data transfer.
   Older types of modems are the "accoustic couple" 
type, meaning that the connection with the telephone line is
made by placing the telephone handset into a pair of 
flexible cups. Data transfer then takes place through the
handset. This type of connection is more susceptible to
extraneous noise which can spoil the transfer of 
information. It does not work well at speeds higher than
300 baud.
   A newer kind of modem connection is the direct-
connect type. This sort of connection is more reliable for
data transfer and the user can get good results at speeds in
excess of 2400 baud. Direct connect modems are commonly
connected to the telephone line with the USOC RJ-11 
connection, otherwise known as a modular plug.
   In addition to your Amiga and a modem, you will need
appropriate telecommunications software. There are several
commercial telecommunications programs and a number of 
public domain programs available that work well and can 
unlock the secrets of computer bulletin boards for you. 
Your computer dealer may offer a package deal of a modem
with software. "Public domain" programs are those that are
made available by the author to be freely circulated among
computer users. Popular ones currently available are Aterm,
Starterm and Exterm and even a VT100 terminal emulator. 
These can be obtained through local Amiga users clubs or 
from other Amiga users.

BAUD RATES
   The speed of data transmission is especially 
important for the bulletin board user who is interested in 
file transfers. The speed of data transfer is expressed as
a "baud rate" of 300, 1200 or 2400, which are the rates 
generally available to the personal computer user. 300 baud
translates to about 300 bits per second or about 30 
characters per second. The faster the baud rate the faster
the transfer of text files or programs. This is especially 
important when using a bulletin board system that charges 
for the time used or one that requires a long-distance 
telephone call.
   It is now possible to obtain a reliable modem that
operates at up to 1200 baud for as little as $100. Nearly
all bulletin boards can be accessed at 300 baud. Many are
now also able to operate at 1200 baud. A small but
increasing number are capable of operating at 2400 baud.

MAKING THE CABLE CONNECTION
   In order to connect the modem to the Amiga it is 
necessary to use a 25 pin (DB 25) connector. Some modem
manufacturers supply such a cable; many do not. In the
absence of a manufacturer-supplied cable, the user can 
simple purchase a 25-pin connector. It is important,
however, that not all 25 pins be connected. The Amiga
requires only that pins 1 through 8 and pin 20 be connected.
   Some of the other pins are used by the Amiga to 
power external equipment. Damage to the computer or to
the modem could result from connecting any pins other than
those required. Since this configuration is a standard
one, it should not be difficult to obtain a cable with the
correct pins connected.

COMMUNICATIONS PARAMTERS
   In order for one computer to "talk" with another, 
there are standard communications protocols. Many computer
bulletin boards adjust to the parameters of the callers. 
However, for some bulletin board systems it is important to 
be able to change the data transfer parameters. Workbench
1.2 provides a way through Preferences to change the parity 
setting. The usual configuration for data transfer is "8N1"
which means 8 bits, No parity, 1 stop bit. If data from the
other computer appears unintelligable ("garbage") then it 
might be the parity setting that requires changing. The
next most common setting is 7 bits, Even parity, 1 stop bit 
(7E1). Consult your software documentation and your modem
manual to determine how to change the parity setting, if 
necessary. If that fails to fix the problem, then contact
the system operator to try to determine what the cause of 
the difficulty is.
   One other parameter that may cause difficulty is the
duplex setting. Full duplex means that the computer on the
other end echoes the characters it receives from you. So
what you type is what you see. In half duplex mode, the
characters you type must be echoed locally. If you have the
wrong duplex setting you will either see double of each 
character you type or you will see none of the characters 
you type. If either condition exists then change the duplex
setting. The communications software should allow toggling
between full and half duplex.

THE BULLETIN BOARD
   Now that the modem is connected to the computer and 
to the telephone line, the communications software is 
running, and the telephone company has been notified about 
the new equipment on the line, the last ingredient is the 
telephone number of a local computer bulletin board. A
computer store or a computer club (any club, not 
necessarily an Amiga club) are sources for phone numbers of
bulletin boards. Some clubs even run their own boards for
members to trade information and programs. Once having
made connection with one computer bulletin board, it is 
easy to find the numbers of many more local and long 
distance boards.
   The range of subjects covered on a bulletin board is
as varied as the indivuduals who use it. Some bulletin
boards are used strictly for sharing information about 
computers and electronics. Callers may engage in political
discussion or comments on an interesting movie. Other
boards are used for casual socializing. Computer Bulletin
boards may be set up for special purposes. For example,
there is a board operated by a Milwakee County Parks 
Department employee as a specialized data base about orchids
that can be used by horticulturalists throughout the 
Midwest.
   Boards are used for playing adventure games.
Participants may never actually see each other, leaving 
descriptions of their moves in weekly messages.
   Bulletin Boards can be a good means for getting help
with hardware or software problems. Typically, there are
callers who have had experience with a variety of computers 
and who can answer any questions you might have about your 
Amiga, peripherals or software.
   Some boards specialize in a particular computer
type. There are boards for users of CP/M systems,
Commodore-64, Apple, IBM, Atari, Amiga, and some boards 
that function as message systems only, of interest to any 
computer user. Because a system specializes in one type of
computer does not mean that users of other systems should 
not call but that you are more likely to find answers to 
system-specific problems on a board that specializes in 
the Amiga.
   With the avaiability of hard disk drives and the 
massive storage capacity then available, are computer 
bulletin boards that have a variety of sub-boards. The
size of the system allows for the equivalent of multiple 
boards that make it possible to "support" more than one 
interest or one computer type. Along with the message base
will usually be a files section with programs and text 
files that can be downloaded.
   The variety of material that you can find on a 
bulletin board is staggering. There will be utility
programs, games, business and home productivity software and
text files containing a wealth of information. 

LOG-ON SEQUENCE
   Check your software documentation for the proper
procedure to use to call the bulletin board of your choice.
When you've got a connection with a bulletin board, the
system operator usually provides a brief message with
important system information including the name of the 
board, special instructions for the use of the board, and
the hours of operation. 
   The first piece of information requested of the
caller is his or her name. When the system requests
information from you, pay particular attention to how it is
asked. Sometimes you may be requested to enter your entire
name on one line, pressing <Return> only after you have
entered your entire name. Other systems may request
first name <Return> last name <Return>. Often a system
will request the location from which you are calling. 
   A good bulletin board is organized logically and is
easy to explore through well-constructed menus. A good menu
will include a selection for "help" and general system 
information. Some of the menu items call additional menus.
For example, in the sample menu below, pressing the 
appropriate letter on the keyboard the user can select 
"H","C" and "D" all of which call other menus offering more
choices for information. The menu is a powerful tool
allowing the caller to pick and use those parts of the 
board that are of most interest.
   In this example, "W" selects a single file that
contains a daily weather report. "P" selects a questionaire
that changes on a regular basis. The results of the
previous questionnaire are posted in section "K". The other
functions are typical of the kinds of choices that most 
boards allow. 

-------- MAIN MENU ------------
   
H: Read Me First and HELP!
C: Computer Clubs/BBS/Amiga info
D: * *  THINGS TO DO  * *
W: Daily Weather Forecast
P: Poll
K: See Previous Poll Results

M: Message Section
F: Files Section
L: Leave a private Comment for SYSOP
T: Time used this call
U: System Utilities (change password, etc.)
X: Expert on/off
Q: Quit (log off)

   Each bulletin board develops a unique "character"
partly because of the personality of the system operator
(sysop) and partly through the regular users. Some boards
may be designed specifically to give teens a place to 
"talk" while others may be oriented to the user who is 
interested in systematically exploring software development
techniques.
   In order to get an idea of what the "character" of
the board is, read through the system bulletins that 
explain board policies. The next place to explore is the
message base. Reading through the conversations there will
give you a good idea of how callers use the particular 
board. Join in the conversations that interest you. You
may make some new friends and obtain useful information 
that way.
 
FILE TRANSFERS
   The first computer bulletin boards were strictly 
message systems. As the users got more sophisticated and
developed better telecommunications software, bulletin board
capabilities were expanded. File (program or text file)
transfers have become an important part of computer 
bulletin boards. It is the rare board now that does not
have upload/download capability.
   "Upload" means to transfer a text file or a program 
to another computer. "Download" means the transfer of a
program or text file from another computer to the caller's 
computer. In order to successfully transfer files from one
computer to another, it is necessary to have software that 
supports one or more of the common transfer protocols. The
common transfer protocols are ASCII and XMODEM. Kermit, a
newer protocol generally used when "talking" with main frame
computers, is being written for microcomputers and is 
gaining in popularity. There are some protocols that are
specific to a particular computer. "Punter" protocol is an
example of a machine-specific protocol.
   The protocol is a standardized way of transferring 
information from one computer to another. Because of the
standardization, different kinds of computers can accurately
"talk" to each other. You can call a BBS running on an IBM,
an Apple, a Commodore or a Tandy computer, for example, 
with an Amiga. Standardized protocols for uploading and
downloading may also make it possible for you to find Amiga
files on computer bulletin boards running on other types of
computers.
   A good computer bulletin board will contain 
information about how to successfully upload or download 
files. Read through any "help" files on the system
carefully. Once you know how to upload and download files
you have opened the door to hundreds, perhaps thousands of 
useful programs and text files for use with your Amiga.

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