Simtel MSDOS 1992 June/SIMTEL_0692.cdr/msdos/filutl/format83.arc/READ.ME

Text File | 1987-11-24 | 2KB | 26 lines

    This program will read a binary file and output in Intel ASCII Hex
format to standard out. This is one of the most common translation formats
for transfer to emulators and PROM programmers. This format can also be read
directly by the debugger supplied with both MSDOS and CPM if the extension
is ".HEX". I.E. if you use "format83 filename.bin> filename.hex" and then
load filename.hex with the debugger, you will be looking at your original
binary file. If you modify the program, this is an excellent way to test
your modifications.
    This program was not written to be efficient, tricky, or elegant.
It was written to be easily understood, modified, and/or ported to any
system, including 8 bit systems with C compilers. Oh yeah, and it also
was written because it was usefull. It is free and I am releasing it to
the public domain. You can do whatever you want with it. If you can get
someone to pay you for it, you have my blessing.
    This program will not solve all your problems! One of the trickiest
parts about using the serial port of your garden variety PC is getting the
cabling and parameters right on the serial port. I have included a small
hex file (contents "hello world\n" :-) which I suggest you use to verify
your connection with. Until you can "copy test.hex com1:" without getting
errors, do not expect to be able to transfer anything meaningfull to your
programmer. This program *does* work, I use it exclusively for tranferring
binary files to the Data I/O programmers I use here, but it was written by
me personally for my own use and is not supported by Data I/O. If you do use
this with a Data I/O programmer, select transfer format 83 before starting.
If you don't rename this program, it will impossible for you to forget :-)