Communication Tools

There are many professional, "professional" and other hardware (cables) and software supporting data transmission between CASIO calculator and PC. Most of them are using some "strange" format, they convert data to some internal or text format, which may be useful for standard data operations. But I think for transmission files, which will be run as binary code (compiled assembler program) are they not so good. So I write very simple transmission programs, which uses no headers or special formats, received files contain just the same, what was in the editor of calculator. I think there is one advantage yet, these files are platform independent - you can receive file from cfx9850G and then load it in Algebra FX 2.0. This format is supported by my editor CEDIT and calculator emulator INTR.

For example very good software Xchange uses cas format, where files include heads from the cfx9850G specific communication. So while uploading these files to some older / newer type (for example fx9700GB or algebra FX2.0) these heads must be removed and new, different heads must be added.

I wrote 4 sets of programs, every set contain transmit and receive program. Transmitter has syntax: transmit.exe <filename.ext> <name in the calculator>, receiver has syntax: receive.exe <filename.ext>. Only files are supported (no pictures,variables, etc.), because I wrote it only for my own use while developing assembler support.It's written in Borland Pascal for DOS,source code is included (except tcasio.tpu, because I haven't source code available, it's written by one my friend), so you can make changes if you can. I will by happy if you send me bug updates or some enhanced versions.

This package contains 2 versions calculator specific and 2 version interface specific (2x2=4 ;-> ) 9850 directory is for cfx9850G calculator and compatible, the fx20 directory is for Algebra 2.0 and compatible.

The COM directory is for serial interface, you should probably edit the main programs, replace the "0" in the init command to the number of COM used (1 for COM1, 2for COM2 etc.). 0 is autodetect - it's working only with special interface built by my friend Petr Pfeifer. I didn't test with any other interface, so there is a (very low :->) possibility, that it will not work.

The LPT directory is for special interface, which should be connected to LPT1 (or you can change it in the init command in the main programs). This interface is THE SAME as the parallel homemade cable for TI calculators (or I can say this interface is the parallel homemade cable for TI calculators, see www.ticalc.org for details). Thanks TI users for developing it.

I think it's the cheapest and simplest interface on the world. But there are known problems using this interface (software emulates RS232 communication):

• Communicate only in clean DOS ("save mode command prompt only" on windoze 9x) , no parallel task should be running
• Do not press any keys during transmission  (during handling interrupt can be synchronisation lost, I didn't disable INTs,because before the main communication starts, it tests the speed of the port and if INTs disables, clock is not updated, and then INTs also cannot be disabled, because this would change the configuration)
• I tested it on notebook 486/75, only communication with cfx9850G worked (which is at 9600bps), during communication with Algebra FX2.0 failed synchronisation - it may work on  faster computer or software may not be tuned enough.