Updated May 18, 1997
ZTERM Multiplex allows multiple ZTERM for Windows connections to an AMOS system via one serial port. It does not require any networking software or hardware on the AMOS machine, yet is able to support four concurrent connections and one printer.
ZTERM Mutliplex runs on AMOS 1.3x, AMOS 1.4x and AMOS 2.x. It's very simple to install and configure and with a serial port running at 57,600 baud, the performance even with four connections is surprisingly fast! An of course, unlike MULTI, ZTERM Multiplex doesn't place a great overhead on your AMOS machine.
If you use MULTI or just want multiple connections to AMOS from a single PC, download an evaluation version of ZTERM Multiplex today. ZTERM Multiplex is currently in development, but when released will cost the same as ZTERM for Windows, $30. For a total of $60 per PC, you can enjoy high speed, 32-bit AMOS to Window connectivity with multiple sessions!
Currently, ZTERM Multiplex must be installed by hand. Here's how to do it:
Required components:
Installation steps:
Changing your INI file:
If you feel uncomfortable about editing your AMOSL.INI or AMOS32.INI file, get in-touch with someone who knows what they're doing! Additionally, don't modify AMOSL.INI or AMOS32.INI directly. If you mess things up and you edited these files directly, you could be looking around for a boot tape!
Defining a port on AMOS requires three major components: the TRMDEF for the serial port, JOBALC for the job and SETJOB to assign memory to the job. For example:
TRMDEF TRM2,AM355=1:57600,AM62C,100,100,100,EDITOR=10 ... ... JOBALC JOB2 ... ... SETJOB JOB2,TRM2,100K,VER
Change this structure to a structure that looks like:
TRMDEF TRM2,AM355=1:57600,ZTMTDV,2,2,2 TRMDEF TRM2A,ZTMIDV,AM62C,100,100,100,EDITOR=10 TRMDEF TRM2B,ZTMIDV,AM62C,100,100,100,EDITOR=10 TRMDEF TRM2C,ZTMIDV,AM62C,100,100,100,EDITOR=10 ... ... JOBALC JOB2A,JOB2B,JOB2C ... ... SETJOB JOB2A,TRM2A,100K,VER SETJOB JOB2B,TRM2B,100K,VER SETJOB JOB2C,TRM2C,100K,VER
Checking it out
After you've changed the INI file, re-boot AMOS with a MONTST. Next, edit ZTERMMUX.INI on the PC. Change the line that reads:
COMPort=2
to reflect the COM port on the PC you used to connect to AMOS. Now launch ZTERMMUX. If you see any error messages it's probably because either you specified an incorrect COM port, the COM port is in use or TCP/IP isn't installed on the PC.
Now minimize ZTERMUX and launch ZTERM for Windows. Go to the configuration menu and make sure the Port is set to "Telnet". Next, open a connection and set the options to match:
If everything is setup correctly, you should be greeted with "Welcome to ZTERM Multiplex". Hit ENTER and you should see the AMOS prompt! Launch a couple more copies of ZTERM for Windows and each of these will also connect to AMOS. Cool eh?
ZTERM Multiplex is still under development. Therefore it's performance and reliability isn't that great yet. Please keep the following in mind when using this version of ZTERM Multiplex:
Because this is an evaluation version that you are free to use without cost, ZTERM Multiplex closes the connection after about ten minutes (depending on usage). When this happens, just tell ZTERM for Windows to re-connect.
Please be sure to provide us with feedback about your experiences with this product. I personally think it's one of those products that we will all become used to having and I want to ensure it meets your expectations. Our email address is [email protected].