Using a special ISIS version of the Kermit transfer program,
it's possible to transfer files from a Windows PC to the Intel Intellec MDS computer.
This gives the MDS computer owner access to a wide range of programs, files and tools
that are archived around the internet.
My MDS runs OSIRIS which is a variation of the ISIS/ISIS-II operating system from Intel.
I believe these instructions will work for both of those systems.
Thanks to Mark, Bill, Jack, Herb, Eric, Jon, John, Randy and others on the informal Intel MDS mail group.
PC to MDS cable PC SIDE MDS SIDE DE9 Female DB25 Male 2 <------------ 3 data 3 ------------> 2 data 5 ------------- 7 groundSetup your MDS for 300 baud. This takes changing a hardware jumper on the Monitor card. See the MDS docs, which are WRONG! :) You'll have to experiment. Set TeraTerm to the same parameters 300-N-8-1 and you should be able to use the PC as a terminal to the MDS. In the Keyboard Setup menu, click 'Backspace' in the DEL box to make backspace work with ISIS. Don't go further until you have this working.
COPY :CI: TO :F1:KERM1 (then press ENTER)Now start sending the file by selecting SEND from TeraTerm's FILE menu and selecting the KERM1 file. When it's done, type CTRL-Z to mark End of File. You'll hear the floppy disk clunk and the file will be written.
COPY :F1:KERM1, :F1:KERM2 TO :F1:KERMIT.HEXMemory note: This works on my system with 64K RAM. If your MDS has less memory, you might have to split up Kermit into 4 pieces. Do that with a text editor and make sure each file ends at the end of a line followed by one CR.
HEXOBJ :F1:KERMIT.HEX TO :F1:KERMITThe HEXOBJ program is a common tool on MDS machines. If there are no error messages, you likely have a good conversion. Scream WOOHOO because you have now opened your MDS system up to the world.
:F1:KERMITYou'll get a blob of random characters because this version of Kermit changes the MDS's serial port baud rate divider to /4 instead of /16. In TeraTerm, change the baud rate to 38k which is 4x what the MDS WAS set at. You should get a '-' prompt after hitting Enter.
SHOWSet the default drive to :F1:
SET DISK 1See Help instructions:
HELPNow begin receiving a file:
RECEIVEKermit is ready to receive a file, so go to TeraTerm's FILE menu and select TRANSFER, then KERMIT, then SEND, then select a file. You'll get a progress box and the file is on its way. It's very slow but it's very reliable and is checking each packet. I got a total of about 15 characters a second, regardless of the baud rate. In the file selector dialog box, you can select multiple files then go to dinner. EXIT gets you back to ISIS.