ST-Talk USER'S GUIDE Version 1.1

For the Atari 520ST

@atari

Published in

atari

· 30 Jan 2022

Installing ST-Talk

After powering-up your computer, go to the "Set RS-232 Config." Accessory on the DESK menu. Make sure you select Full Duplex, Parity None, Bits=8 and Strip bit Off then click the "OK" button. To make these changes permanent, go to the OPTIONS menu and click "Save DeskTop". Make sure you have your TOS system disk (preferably a back-up copy) in Drive A when saving the desktop. Make a back-up copy of your ST-Talk Master Disk. Follow the directions in your 520ST Owner's Manual on how to copy a disk.

To run ST-Talk, double-click on the Disk Icon with the left button of the mouse. In the directory window, double-click the program named STTALK.PRG to run ST-Talk.

Make sure your modem is connected correctly to the RS-232 port on the back of your 520ST. A standard RS-232 cable (IBM-PC type) will work with most modems.

Getting Started

ST-Talk's main screen has five areas: the top Status line, the Message and Prompt line (second from top), the Main window (21 lines), the Type-Ahead line (second from bottom) and the Help line. The Status line shows you the Time, Baud Rate, Printer status and Capture Status. The Message and Prompt line communicates between you and ST-Talk; The Main window is where you communicate through your modem; the Type-Ahead line lets you type a complete line before it is sent; and the Help line directs you to the function list and UNDO key.

Press the HELP key and look over the list of ST-Talk functions. The major commands are called by pressing one of the "F" keys above your keyboard. To get a copy of this screen, press <Alternate> and <HELP> at the same time (must have an EPSON compatible graphics printer to do this). When you are done viewing the HELP screen, select a function or hit the <RETURN> key to go back to the terminal mode.

Pressing the <UNDO> key will always bring you back to the GEM DeskTop. This does not hang-up your modem, so always hang-up before leaving ST-Talk. Also, you may want to look at files on your disk or do other Desk-Top features briefly while on-line in ST-Talk. Use the <UNDO> key then re-run ST-Talk when you are done with the DeskTop functions. Make sure you set the Baud rate and translation after re-running ST-Talk if they were changed earlier.

Capturing Information

To save information from an on-line session, press 'F1' before accessing the data. Enter a name for the file on your disk where you want the info to be saved. ST-Talk will save everything received onto your screen until you press 'F1' again. At that time, you may save the buffer permanently (answer yes) or temporarily turn the Capturing off (answer no). Answering NO will let you Use 'F1' again to continue capturing into the same file. The Status line at the top of your screen will always show if Capture is ON or OFF. If you leave ST-Talk (by pressing the UNDO key), your Capture will be saved if you accidentally left it ON.

Printing Information

To print information while on-line, use <ALT> plus 'P' to control the Printer Echo mode. The top status line shows if this features is ON or OFF. Make sure your printer is on-line before select Printer ON. Another way to get a print-out is to use Capture to disk then print the file later by selecting it on the desktop or loading it into a word-processor.

Uploading Text

The Text Upload feature lets you take a text file from your disk and type it to the computer you are calling. This is convenient for sending messages that were prepared off-line in a word-processor. Be sure that you prepare the remote computer, or service, to accept the text before beginning the Upload command. Then, press 'F2', enter the filename to send, and the Upload will begin. Press <Control> and X at the same time to abort the Upload.

Receiving with XMODEM File Transfer Protocol

Most microcomputers support a standard file transfer program called XMODEM. On a Bulletin Board or Info Service, you will most likely find a program or data file that you wish to transfer to your disk. To do this, give the download command to the remote computer for an XMODEM transfer. Then, wait for it to say it is ready to send the file (this will vary from system to system so read their help info before trying this!). When the remote system is waiting, press 'F3' in ST-Talk and enter the filename that you want to create on your disk. Hit <RETURN> and, assuming that you have room on your disk, the file will be received automatically. Remember that this operation takes longer for large files! During the transfer, the Message line will display the status of the Xmodem Receive. If something should go wrong, press <ctrl>X to abort the operation on the remote computer. Remember that some programs require more than one file to operate and may need to be called a specific name on your disk.

Sending with XMODEM File Transfer Protocol

If you wish to send a program or file to a BBS or Info Service, check to see if they support XMODEM transfer. If so, give the command for XMODEM Upload on the remote system and wait until it tells you it is ready to receive the file. Then, press 'F4' in ST-Talk and give the name of the file you want to send from your disk and hit <RETURN>. If the transfer does not begin within 10 seconds, press <Control> and U at the same time to start the XMODEM Upload. If something should go wrong, press <ctrl>X to abort the operation. ( NOTE: since 8-bit Atari computers use a modified XMODEM protocol, the Atari/XE Mode in ST-Talk is compatible with that standard. )

Changing the Baud Rate

If your modem supports other baud rates besides 300 Baud, press 'F5' and answer the prompt for the Baud rate. The new speed will be indicated at the top-right of your screen. To set a default baud rate other than 300, read the next section on the dialing functions.

Dialing a number

To dial a phone number with a Smartmodem compatible modem, press 'F7' and you will see a menu of 26 selections, A thru Z. To dial a number, simply press the corresponding letter and ST-Talk will dial the modem using standard Hayes(tm) dialing commands. To add a number to the list, hold the <ALT> key and the desired letter key at the same time. Enter the name of the service, hit <RETURN>, then enter the complete phone number.

There are a few optional features for the phone number. Use a "+" (plus sign) in front of the number to make ST-Talk pre-dial long-distance access codes. ST-Talk will ask for these codes (such as MCI or SPRINT access info) when the phone directory is saved to disk. Remember to use a "," (comma) if you need a pause between numbers (this is a smartmodem command feature). If your modem has other dialing commands besides smartmodem commands, use a "!" (exclamation point) in front of the number followed by your modem's dialing command. The "@" (at symbol) followed by a digit (0 thru 9) will run the corresponding Macro Command in ST-Talk. This feature allows for auto-logon and customized menus (ST-Talk V1.2 or later).

ST-Talk will remember the baud rate for each phone number in your list and will set to that rate when ever you dial that number. The baud rate that was active when you entered a number will be set for that number. Selection 'A' on your list will be used as the default baud setting when ST-Talk is loaded.

Use 'F8' to set the dialing type before dialing a number. The default is Tone Dial but make sure your phone service has this type of dialing before using it. If your modem has manual dial, dial your phone manually and wait until the modem connects.

Selecting ASCII or ATARI translation

ASCII is the standard means of communicating for most computers, large or small. ST-Talk uses this standard and adds additional commands in this mode for systems that may require a VT-52 terminal. This standard allows for screen and cursor controls for remote applications. For additional compatibility, ST-Talk lets you select Line-Feeds ON or OFF by pressing the <ALT> key along with the 'L' Key. Also, some systems require a non-deleting backspace; use <ALT> plus 'B' to turn this ON or OFF.

Since many Bulletin Boards operate on low-cost Atari 8-bit computers, ST-Talk lets you access these systems in the optional Atari/XE mode. This mode gives you cursor controls, screen controls and inverse video characters for 8-bit Atari communications. Use the < ` > key (at the left of the backspace key) to switch back and forth between normal and inverse characters when talking to an Atari XE or older Atari computers. Press the 'F9' key to change modes from ASCII to ATARI translation. (Since some Atari BBS's want only Atari owners to call, this mode is the only way to access those systems!)

Selecting Full or Half Duplex

If you are talking to a computer that does not echo the characters you are typing (nothing shows on your screen when you type), press the <Alt> key and the D key at the same time. This will change to Half Duplex or back to Full if pressed again. Use <ALT> plus 'L' to turn on the Line-feeds if you need them.

Additional Features...

Type-ahead Window: Sometimes it is convenient to edit a complete line before sending it to the modem. Use <ALT> plus 'W' to enter or exit the Type-Ahead Window. In the Type-Ahead mode, the second line from the bottom of the screen is used for this purpose.

Fine Scrolling and Jump Scrolling: Use <ALT> plus 'S' to switch between Fine scrolling and Jump scrolling. In the Fine mode, the screen will gently scroll upward in order to make text easier to read. In the Jump mode, the screen will do a normal one-line scroll for faster access. ( NOTE: use Jump Scrolling while the Type-ahead Window is active for best results. )

Quick DOS Commands: Use <ALT> plus 'Q' to get a disk directory, Rename a file or Delete a file. Type 'A' or 'B' at the menu to see the files on drive A or B. Use 'P' to specify a certain Pathname for the directory such as B:\JUNK\*.PRG for all programs in a folder called JUNK on drive B.

Forced <BREAK> Signal: Some older computer systems need this special signal to get them going. Press the <CONTROL> and <CLR/HOME> keys at the same time to send a <BREAK> signal.

Info on ST-Talk and Updates

Press 'F10' to view the Info Screen. Here, you will find the revision number, the authors' names and where to send for updates to ST-Talk. The latest version is available by sending us your original disk and $2.00 to: