Atari Smeghead Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Hello, I am having no luck in getting my Portfolio to link up with my PC for a file transfer. I've spent a bit of time scanning the Internet, and finding almost no information on this topic. Obviously, I have none of the original documentation; that's what ya get when ya buy from eBay, I reckon. I have the Parallel interface and a cable I bought from B & C (a modified printer cable, I'm guessing). I have the disk that came with the Portfolio, so I have the FT.COM file on my PC. I run FT.COM and I boot up the Portfolio. I have tried initiating the send first, the receive first and have tried the "Server" option on both sides. All I get is "waiting for connection..." on both ends, and sometimes, my PC will give me the "LPT1 not responding" dialog box with Retry or Quit as my options. My PC seems to think I'm trying to print, I guess. Any suggestions? I'm missing something basic and simple, I'm sure of it. Even if you know of a website for me to find the info myself, any help would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krupkaj Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Did you try the communication application which is burned into Portfolio ROM? It is for parallel interface abd it works pretty good for me (I am using it with ST but there must be software for PC too). It has only one dissadvantage that it is not possible transfer files longer than 32 KB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted May 27, 2003 Author Share Posted May 27, 2003 Well, I'm not sure if I know what you mean. Under "Applications" off the Setup menu, it lists: Clipboard Save, Undelete Save, Language and Keyboard. None of these seem to help any. The only other commands that seem promising are under the "RS-232 Port" and "File Transfer" headers, but I'm not getting any communications to establish. Maybe you could point me in the right direction? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krupkaj Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 Well, I'm not sure if I know what you mean. Under "Applications" The only other commands that seem promising are under the "RS-232 Port" and "File Transfer" headers, but I'm not getting any communications to establish. Actually I mean "File Transfer" it works with parallel port not with serial one. In any case you need ft program for second side (pc in this case) I can look into my archive if I have something, but as I said I am using Atari ST so I am not sure I have it. Anyway you can look here: www.atari-portfolio.co.uk/tx-index.html or www.volny.cz/portfolio (section software or download) These are great archives of Portfolio programs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted May 28, 2003 Author Share Posted May 28, 2003 Thanks for your reply. I had found the UK website previously, but it wasn't much help in this instance. The "Volny" site is in a language I do not understand. Well, the good news is that I found the Parallel Interface owner's manual, so I know what steps I am supposed to follow. Problem is, I tried it, but it didn't work. I ran the Ft.COM program on the PC, set the Portfolio to Server Mode, then set the PC to receive and the Portfolio to send. ...Waiting for Communication... that's all I get. It was then that I read this rather disturbing passage in the manual: "You will need the following equipment for file transfer..." "A Parallel interface card installed on the PC." I was under the impression that the parallel interface didn't need a card installed in the PC. That's why I picked it up. Unless that just means the PC needs a parallel (printer) port. I have an ST in the closet, so I could always dig it out if I had to. Any idea if I'd use the same 25 pin "printer" cable and the same parallel Interface? What program do you use on the ST to receive Portfolio files? Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 Make sure your PC's parallel port is set to bi-directional. Also, if you are using Windows 2000 or XP then you might have problems. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krupkaj Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 It was then that I read this rather disturbing passage in the manual: "You will need the following equipment for file transfer..." "A Parallel interface card installed on the PC." I was under the impression that the parallel interface didn't need a card installed in the PC. That's why I picked it up. Unless that just means the PC needs a parallel (printer) port. You have forgotten, that the Portfolio is more than ten years old. At these days PC has not parallel integrated. I have an ST in the closet, so I could always dig it out if I had to. Any idea if I'd use the same 25 pin "printer" cable and the same parallel Interface? What program do you use on the ST to receive Portfolio files? Poor ST! dig it out! I am using Portlink2 It works nice on Falcon too, but with Falcon you must switch off CPU caches. Problem is, I tried it, but it didn't work. I ran the Ft.COM program on the PC, set the Portfolio to Server Mode, then set the PC to receive and the Portfolio to send. ...Waiting for Communication... that's all I get. Maybe Mitch has right that under windows might be problems. I am not use windows at all, so I cannot tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted May 29, 2003 Author Share Posted May 29, 2003 Make sure your PC's parallel port is set to bi-directional. Also, if you are using Windows 2000 or XP then you might have problems. Mitch Mitch, thanks for the reply! I hate to ask this, but how do I set the parallel port to bi-directional? I looked at the LPT port through the Device Manager, but I saw no mention of bi-directionality. I am using Win 98SE, so I *think* I still have enough DOS left to do the job. When I use the FT.COM program, it opens up a DOS shell, but I don't believe that it's really DOS. But is it DOS enough, that's the question. Is it possible that the parallel port is completely controlled through Windows these days? Through Win drivers? If so, am I screwed? I may have to face facts and admit that I can't link a "modern" PC (circa 1998 PII 300) to my Portfolio. We have an old DOS IBM at work, but it's reliability is dubious at best. The last time I tried to use it, I had to "rotate" the case until the hard drive started spinning again. I would rather use my PC than attempt that again. I have a couple of stories that I really want to transfer. Plus, I'm going to be off my feet for a while starting Friday (knee surgery) and I wanted to put the time to good use. You have forgotten, that the Portfolio is more than ten years old. At these days PC has not parallel integrated. Poor ST! dig it out! I am using Portlink2 It works nice on Falcon too, but with Falcon you must switch off CPU caches. That's what I was guessing, that the Parallel Port may not have been standard in those days. At least I don't need a card! As for my ST... Yeah, I agree with ya. It deserves better. I wish I lived in a bigger house, but I just simply don't have the room. I was proud of that beast. I installed an IBM XT keyboard, upgraded it to 4 meg, ran a BBS with it, played some great games, wrote some stories... oh, the memories! Thanks for the help, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 how do I set the parallel port to bi-directional? I looked at the LPT port through the Device Manager, but I saw no mention of bi-directionality. You have to go into the BIOS settings. When you first start your computer you should see something like "Press F10 to enter setup" but it's not always F10. Depending on your computer it could be Del or something else. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 I am using Win 98SE, so I *think* I still have enough DOS left to do the job. When I use the FT.COM program, it opens up a DOS shell, but I don't believe that it's really DOS. But is it DOS enough, that's the question. Is it possible that the parallel port is completely controlled through Windows these days? Through Win drivers? If so, am I screwed? No, you're not screwed. Make sure you set your parallel port to Bi-directional in the BIOS, like what was previously stated. Once you've done that, boot into DOS mode (command prompt only) in order to get full "DOS functionality" of the parallel port. Windows uses different drivers for the parallel port, and due to the hardware abstraction layer, won't let DOS programs communicate directly with it. Let us know if you're successful with that. I just got a Portfolio myself, and would like to know if I'll be able to use it to communicate with my PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Harlow Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 There used to be a guy in the UK who ran the Atari Portfolio Users Club and I now he was buying and selling a little while ago... I will chase down his email if you wish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 I think we need a good resource for the Portfolio again. Seems like every Portfolio website that was out there has disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Harlow Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 I will look into that... I have plenty of space and used to provide Tech support for them a long time ago... Now where that address Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted June 5, 2003 Author Share Posted June 5, 2003 No, you're not screwed. Make sure you set your parallel port to Bi-directional in the BIOS, like what was previously stated. Once you've done that, boot into DOS mode (command prompt only) in order to get full "DOS functionality" of the parallel port. Windows uses different drivers for the parallel port, and due to the hardware abstraction layer, won't let DOS programs communicate directly with it. Let us know if you're successful with that. I just got a Portfolio myself, and would like to know if I'll be able to use it to communicate with my PC. It worked! It worked!!! Actually, I didn't need to mess with the BIOS settings, which was great, since the options I was given weren't helping me any. The "Parallel Port Mode" was set to "SPP" but could be changed to EPP, ECP or ECP + EPP. Huh? But again, I didn't have to change it! Once I went into Command Prompt Mode, everything worked flawlessly. A 23000 byte story transferred in, oh, 30-45 seconds. Best of all, it's perfectly readable in Word. I figured it would be, but I was afraid that I'd have Carriage Return problems like I did transferring (back in the day) from my 8 bit to my ST. But nope, tho it shows in Word at 40 columns, which is funny to see. Reminds me of the 8 bit days again. So thank you all, very very much! I much appreciate the input you all gave me! And yes, we really do need a Portfolio help file or site again. I would contribute anything I can! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Harlow Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 I promise I will start work on it after next week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted June 6, 2003 Author Share Posted June 6, 2003 For the record, this is what it says in the Portfolio Smart Parallel Interface owner's manual... "Note - Although file transfer uses the parallel port, files are transmtted serially (synchronous) for compatiblility with all PC parallel Cards. Therefore, you do not need the parallel card on the PC to be bi-directional." ------------- Once you get your site up, would you like me to see if I can scan the manual and get it to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcropper Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 For the record, this is what it says in the Portfolio Smart Parallel Interface owner's manual... "Note - Although file transfer uses the parallel port, files are transmtted serially (synchronous) for compatiblility with all PC parallel Cards. Therefore, you do not need the parallel card on the PC to be bi-directional." ------------- Once you get your site up, would you like me to see if I can scan the manual and get it to you? I just saw this old post and I was hoping to get a manual scan for my Portfolio as well. Does anyone have an original Portfolio manual scan out there? Many Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puppetmark Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 (edited) I agree, a Portfolio site or even a sub forum here would be great. Sometimes Portfolio stuff gets posted under St and sometimes 8-bit, so it's kind of all over the place. ANyway, I have done a few mods on my Portfolio, including the german made CFL strip back light (NOT for the faint of heart) and I would be happy to contribute what I know. Also, this was a pretty good thread about file transfers to / from PC. I currently use my "jump drive" solution, but there are still a few options for Windows. http://www.atariage....atari-portfolio Edited October 25, 2010 by puppetmark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Laird Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Should ask Albert about putting a Portfolio sub-forum in this one. The Falcon should have its own sub-forum really too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ripdubski Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Sub-Forum would be great. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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