Welcome to the Fastwire II On-line Reference Guide.  Much of the material in
this guide is already included in Fastwire's excellent context-sensitive
help facility.  If you want to jump right in and start using the program
now, feel free to do so.  This guide is a new feature with version 2.0, and
is provided for the following reasons:

    1) It organizes the material in the help screens into a single place so
    that you can browse through it in its entirety should you feel inclined.

    2) Since this guide is in an ASCII text file (guide.fw2), you can
    print it using the DOS "print" command if you so desire.

    3) Some additional material not found in the help screens is included
    for those who want a more in-depth understanding of Fastwire operation.

----------------------------- Contents -----------------------------------

This guide is organized into sections in the following order:

  * New features in version 2.0
  * Choosing between parallel or serial
  * Troubleshooting communication problems and using "fw2diag"
  * Split-screen mode
  * Form mode
  * Command mode
  * Configuration
  * Key functionality list
  * Slave program "sl"
  * Hidden, system and read-only files

-------------------- New features in version 2.0 -------------------------

The major improvements in version 2.0 center around speed and size.  The
program is much smaller now so it takes up less memory and loads faster from
disk.  The version 2.0 master program (fw2.exe) now requires approximately
170K of available memory, down considerably from previous versions.  The
new slave program (sl.exe) requires only about 70K, also a considerable
decrease.

The big advantage to using the new version is SPEED.  The new version
supports faster serial port transfers and adds an ultra-fast parallel port
transfer option.  Note that the software supports both types of transfer.
When you order the package you specify which type of cable you want.  If you
change your mind later, you may purchase the other type of cable separately.

                   *** turbo serial transfer ***

Version 2.0 comes with a special serial cable and a new turbo mode that
allows your serial port transfers to go faster than ever before.  Even using
the old cable you will notice a significant improvement in speed.  However,
to get the maximum benefit of the new version, you need to use the new cable
provided.  When Fastwire detects that you are using the special cable, you
will see a "+" after the baud rate, indicating that the data transfer rate
has increased.  The faster your machines, the more benefit you will get out
of using the new cable.  For example, between two Deskpro 386/20 machines,
the raw data transfer rate jumps from 115K baud to 210K baud using the new
cable.  Slower machines would yield a less dramatic increase, but the
transfer rate is always significantly faster than 115K.

                   *** turbo parallel transfer ***

Fastwire can now transfer data over a standard IBM parallel port at even
faster speeds than the turbo serial mode.  For example, between two
Deskpro 386/20 machines, the transfer rate hits 53,000 bytes per second
(530K baud).  The transfer rate on your machines will vary depending on
the speed of your machines.  Even on the slowest machines (i.e. 4.77 MHz
8088 based machines), the transfer rate is significantly faster than
3-wire or 7-wire serial transfer mode.  You can now order Fastwire with
a parallel cable which you can use to connect two machines via their
parallel ports.  If you have more than one parallel port on your machine,
you can use one to print while Fastwire uses the other to transfer data.
Fastwire will not interfere with the printing being done on the other
parallel port.

                 *** communications diagnostics ***

In order to help you more readily solve communications problems, Fastwire
now comes with its own diagnostics program.  The new program is called
"fw2diag".  It contains several tests to help pinpoint problems with both
serial and parallel communications.  The loop-back test, which in previous
versions was part of Fastwire itself, is now contained in the diagnostics
program.

-------------------- Choosing between parallel or serial -------------------

With the new parallel mode, you might be wondering whether you should use
parallel or serial.  Some things you might want to consider are:

                                Speed

The main difference between parallel and serial mode is speed.  Parallel
runs 25% to 4 times faster than serial mode, depending on the speed of the
computer.  You will see less improvement if you are running on standard
PC-type machines than if you are running on faster 80286 or 80386 based
machines.

                             Cable length

If you are planning to do transfers over cables greater than 15 feet long,
you may want to use serial transfer mode.  Parallel transfers under these
conditions sometimes get more transmission errors, and sometimes even fail
to communicate entirely.  7-wire serial cables have a similar problem with
length.  You may have to transfer in 3-wire mode if the 7-wire cable
is unshielded or excessively long.

                             Port usage

In picking between serial and parallel, you should consider what ports are
most readily available on the machines you will be using.  For instance, if
you only have one parallel port and do a lot of printing with it, you may
want to choose serial transfer.  On the other hand, if you only have one
serial port and you have a mouse hooked up to it, using the parallel port
for data transfer might be easier.

Note that the Fastwire II package you purchased supports both parallel and
serial transmission.  If you want to switch modes, you simply need to get
the appropriate type of cable.  Additional cables of either type may be
purchased as a separate item from RUPP Brothers for $39.95.

------------------  Troubleshooting communication problems -----------------

If you are having trouble getting your machines to communicate properly, you
should make sure that:

    1.  Both parallel/serial ports are 100% IBM compatible.
    2.  "fw2" is running on one machine and "sl" on the other.
    3.  The cable is connected correctly.  If you are doing serial transfer,
        connect the two serial ports (male 9 or 25 pin) with a standard
        null-modem cable or the one provided with Fastwire.  If you are
        doing parallel transfer, connect two parallel ports (female 25 pin)
        with Fastwire's special parallel cable.  Sometimes machines have
        other ports that look like serial or parallel ports but are really
        not, so make sure you are connected to the right type of port.
        In default mode, Fastwire automatically determines which port to
        use.  If you have specifically selected a port instead of using
        auto-port select, make sure your cables are connected accordingly.
        (If you configured Fastwire to use COM1, make sure cable is not
        connected to COM2.)
    4.  Each serial device in your machine should be set to a different base
        address.  For instance, don't have 2 serial ports set to COM1.

                           Hardware limitations

    A small number of computers have hardware limitations that prevent
    them from using the top baud rate.  One such machine is the IBM PS/2
    Model 80, which can only run at 57600 baud.  Sometimes Fastwire's
    auto-baud will detect this and run successfully at the lower baud rate.
    You may have to set the baud rate manually, however.  See the
    configuration section for more information on how to do this. With
    Fastwire's special new cable, the actual transfer rate will be greater
    than the baud rate selected, but if speed is a big concern, you will
    probably want to consider using parallel mode.

    In order for Fastwire to get the tremendous speeds that it does, it
    disables interrupts for a while.  Some computers do not operate
    correctly if interrupts are disabled for too long.  If your computer has
    this limitation, then you should try running Fastwire in the normal
    operating speed mode.  If the problem persists, try the slow operating
    mode.  Note that this particular problem applies only to serial port
    transmissions.  See the section on configuration to find out how to set
    operating speed.

                      *** Fastwire II Diagnostics ***

If you still have not been able to establish communications, Fastwire
provides its own diagnostics program, "fw2diag".  This program provides
several tests that will help you find hardware problems that may be keeping
Fastwire from operating properly.  It also has a configuration menu
similar to Fastwire II that allows you to set options used by the
diagnostics.  The tests and configuration are described briefly here.

                         Serial port loop-back test

    This is the first test you should run if your serial communications are
    not working correctly.  This test runs a self-test on each serial port
    chip in your system and displays the results.  If you have a serial port
    at a non-standard address, you must specify this in the configuration
    menu.

    If a serial port in your system consistently fails the self-test, it
    probably needs to be replaced or serviced.  You can also expect this
    test to fail if the serial port chip is not IBM-compatible.

    Note that occasionally a serial port will pass the self-test and still
    not function properly.  If the self-test passes, but you are still
    unable to communicate using Fastwire II, try the serial character
    transmission test.

                     Serial character transmission test

    The serial transmission test sends a sentence across a serial port to
    another machine.  The characters being sent are displayed in one box,
    and the characters received are displayed in another box.  To run this
    test successfully, make sure that you connect the cable to the ports
    you are interested in testing, and specify the same baud rate on both
    machines.  You must run the character transmission test simultaneously
    on both machines for it to function properly.

    If are not receiving characters and are sure the cable is connected
    properly, try reducing the baud rate on both machines.

    NOTE:  It is quite unlikely that the sentences will be transmitted and
    received in perfect synchronization.  If you see this condition, stop
    the test on one of the machines.  If the sentence is still being
    "received" on the other machine, then they are not properly connected
    (the machine is receiving an echo back from itself).

    If the serial character transmission test passes, but you are still
    unable to communicate using Fastwire II, try the Block transmission
    test.

                             Parallel wire test

    The parallel wire option tests the ability to send data across the
    parallel port.  It shows the current state (high or low) of the input
    and output bits used during parallel transfer.  Correct operation is
    indicated by one "HIGH" bit rotating through the set of bits (one for
    output, one for input).  Any other display (such as more than one bit
    high or a bit that does not go high at all) indicates some sort of error
    condition.  To run this test successfully, make sure you connect the
    parallel cable to the ports you are interested in and run the
    Parallel Wire Test on both machines.

    WARNING:  You may have problems transmitting with a cable over 15 feet
    long.  If this happens you may want to use a shorter cable (if possible)
    or try serial transmission.

    If the parallel wire test passes, but you are still unable to
    communicate using Fastwire II, try the Block transmission test.

                  Block transmission and auto port select test

    This option tests the ability of your machines to send large blocks of
    information.  It exchanges information using the same protocol that
    Fastwire II does, so if you have determined that the machines are able
    to communicate, but Fastwire II still does not work correctly, this test
    should tell you why.  The direction of transfer is from the machine
    running "fw2diag" to the machine running "sl".

    This test uses the timer chip in your PC to report very accurate timing
    results on the transmission test.  The machine running "fw2diag" must be
    100% IBM-compatible for this test to work.

    To run this test successfully, make sure you do the following:
    On one machine:

        1.  Connect the appropriate cable to a serial or parallel port.
        2.  Run the slave program "sl".

    On the other machine:

        1.  Connect the appropriate cable to a serial or parallel port.
            Just like Fastwire II, this test automatically selects the
            correct port and baud rate, so you don't need to worry about
            configuration.
        2.  Run the block transfer test in "fw2diag".

    You can also use this option to see how fast your machines can transfer
    data.  The figures shown include software overhead, but do not include
    disk overhead.

                          Diagnostics configuration

    The following items are available on the configuration menu:

    Color/monochrome output - allows you to override the default screen
        output and force monochrome output.
    Serial Port List - allows you to specify non-standard serial port
        addresses.

    Note:  any configurations set in the diagnostics program will not affect
    Fastwire II.

----------------------------- Split-screen mode ----------------------------

The split-screen mode is a beginner's interface which is popular with
all types of users because of its ease of use.  It shows you a directory
listing from each machine and allows you to move around with the arrow keys
and "point-and-shoot".

The left side of the screen will contain a listing of files on the local
machine, the right a listing of files on the remote machine.  You can mark
files you want to transfer using the F5 key and then transfer those files to
the other system by pressing the F3 key.  If you only want to send
one file, you can position the inverse bar over the file and press F3
without marking it first.  If no files are marked, the file under the
inverse bar is considered to be marked.  It is not considered marked if
other files have been explicitly marked.

Note that files marked on the local listing will be copied to the remote
system, whereas files marked on the remote listing will be copied to the
local system.

You can use the Shift-F5 key to do a wildcard mark.  Fastwire will prompt
you to enter a wildcard specification, and any files matching that
specification will be marked.

Similarly, you can use Shift-F7 to do a wildcard unmark.  Fastwire will
prompt you to enter a wildcard specification, and any files matching that
specification will be unmarked.

You can use the F7 key to cancel all marks on any file or directory.

To move to a different directory, position the inverse bar over the
directory you want to go to and press the Enter key, or use the Ins key to
enter a new drive and directory.  To switch the active directory listing,
use the Tab key, or the left/right arrow keys.  If the machines are not
communicating, Fastwire will try to re-establish communications when you try
to switch to the remote directory listing.

The split-screen mode contains some extra functions that help you to
maintain the files on your disk. You can delete, rename, or view a file
without having to leave the split-screen mode.  If you want to delete
or rename several files, you can mark them using the F5 key and then use the
"Del" or "End" key to perform the desired operation.

The first entry in the directory listings is "*".  This is not actually part
of the directory, but means "all files in the directory".  So if you
transfer this item, it will transfer all files in the current directory.  If
you mark this item, you will notice that all files in the directory are
marked also.

Files in the directory listing are sorted according to the specification
in the split-screen options menu.  As shipped, this setting sorts files
alphabetically.  You can change this setting so that the directory is sorted
by date, size, extension, or not sorted at all.  If you want to find a
particular file, you can also do so by typing the name of the file, and the
inverse bar will move to the first file that matches the characters you have
typed.  If no match is found, the program will beep.

There are several options that you can use to customize the split-screen
mode.  These options can be called up by pressing the F9 key.  The first
three options are automatically saved whenever you change them, and remain
in effect the next time you run the program.  These options are:

                           Date comparison

    You can choose to always copy files (default), or to have Fastwire
    compare the source and target file dates, transferring only files that
    are newer.

                            Directories

    There are three options for copying subdirectories.  The option to
    transfer subdirectories, creating new ones as needed, is like the "/S"
    option of command mode, or of the DOS "backup" or "xcopy" commands.  The
    option to not transfer subdirectories is similar to DOS "backup" or
    "xcopy" without the "/S".  The third options (like "/R" of command mode)
    is unique to Fastwire.  It allows you to transfer only subdirectories
    that already exist on the target computer.  Use of this option allows
    you to maintain a directory structure on one machine that is a subset of
    the directory structure on the other machine.  The default is to not
    transfer subdirectories.

                            Sort by

    This option allows you to choose the order in which files and
    directories will be displayed.  The different methods of sorting are:
        name        - sort by the name and then extension
        extension   - sort by the extension and then name
        size        - sort by size of the file
        date        - sort by date and then time of modification

    For each of these sorting options, you can sort forward or backward.
    For instance, you can sort by size with the smallest file first or
    the largest file first.  Directory names are sorted separately, and are
    displayed before the file names.  There is also an option not to sort,
    which shows files and directories in the order they occur on the disk.

The rest of the split screen options are temporary settings that remain in
effect only while you are running the program.  The next time you run the
program they will default back to their original settings.
These options are:

                            Prompt Mode

    This option allows you to tell Fastwire to prompt you (ask for
    confirmation) before it transfers each file.

                            Fake It Mode

    This option allows you to tell Fastwire to "fake" a transfer and report
    what files would have been sent (without actually sending them).

                            Exclude list

    Any files or directories that you specify in this list will NOT be
    shown in the directory listing, although they may exist on the machine.
    Wildcards are accepted.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  you must specify only the
    root portion of the files or directories that you want to exclude.
    Leading drive letter or path name prefixes are not allowed and will
    cause the exclude to fail if entered.

                            Date cutoff

    This option allows you to send only files modified after a specified
    date.  If you want to send files regardless of modification time, leave
    the cutoff date set to its default value of January 1, 1980, 12:00 am.
    Any files before the date cutoff will NOT be shown in the directory
    listing, although they may exist on the machine.


--------------------------------- Form mode --------------------------------

The form mode is an intermediate interface which allows you to create, edit
and execute customized command sequences called "forms".  This powerful mode
enables you to build your own list of frequently used transfer commands and
call them up quickly whenever you need them.  This can save you a lot of
time because you can quickly call up any form you have used before and
execute it again.

On the left of the screen is a list of forms that have already been created.
On the right side of the screen is a display indicating the contents of the
form that the inverse bar is currently on.  As you use the up and down
arrows to move through the list of forms, the currently highlighted one will
be displayed at the right.  You can modify an existing form by pressing the
Enter key.  You can add forms to the list using the Ins key, and delete
forms from the list using the Del key.  You can execute forms with the F3
key.

The forms are shown alphabetically.  If you want to find a particular form,
you can also do so by typing the name, and the inverse bar will move to the
first form that matches the characters you have typed.  If no match is
found, the program will beep.

When executing or deleting multiple forms, you can mark the forms you want
and then execute or delete them all at once.  You can do this using the '+'
and '-' keys, which mark and unmark items, or you can use the F5 key, which
toggles the marked state for the current item.

Once you have selected a form to edit, your arrow keys will move you through
the fields containing the form information.  Modifying or creating a form is
simply a matter of filling in information in these fields.  Use the up and
down arrow keys to highlight the field you want to change, and then press the
Enter key to edit the field.  You should see a cursor appear in the field
after it has been selected.  Use the up arrow, down arrow, or Enter keys to
move out of a field that you have edited and save the changes.  To get out
of a selected field and cancel any changes to the field, use the Esc key.
After you have edited all desired fields, use the Esc key to get out of the
form, and then select the "Save and Exit" option if you want to save the
changes you made.  Note that pressing Esc while a field is selected exits
you from that field.  Pressing Esc when no field is selected exits you from
the entire form.

Form mode now has an F9 options key which allows you to change two
temporary settings.  These options are:

                            Prompt Mode

    This option allows you to tell Fastwire to prompt you (ask for
    confirmation) before it transfers each file.

                            Fake It Mode

    This option allows you to tell Fastwire to "fake" a transfer and report
    what files would have been sent (without actually sending them).

There are several transfer options that you can use to customize the forms.
These options are:

                           Send/Receive

    Choose to have the files sent to or received from the remote (other)
    machine.

                           Local drive

    Specify a drive and/or directory name which will be used as the default
    local drive and directory for file names which do not specify a drive or
    directory.  If not specified, Fastwire will use the current drive and
    directory on the local system.  Does not affect file names that contain
    a complete path name.

                          Remote drive

    Specify a drive and/or directory name which will be used as the default
    remote drive and directory for file names which do not specify a drive
    or directory.  If not specified, Fastwire will use the current drive and
    directory on the remote system.  Does not affect file names that contain
    a complete path name.

                          Select list

    This is a list of files to be transferred.  Any combination of drive,
    directory, and file name (including wildcards) is accepted.  Specifying
    a directory name selects all files in the directory.

                          Exclude list

    Any files or directories that you specify in this list will NOT be
    transferred.  Wildcards are accepted.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  you must
    specify only the root portion of the files or directories that you want
    to exclude.  Leading drive letter or path name prefixes are not allowed
    and will cause the exclude to fail if entered.

                          Directories

    There are three options for copying subdirectories.  The option to
    transfer subdirectories, creating new ones as needed, is like the "/S"
    option of command mode, or of the DOS "backup" or "xcopy" commands.  The
    option to not transfer subdirectories is similar to DOS "backup" or
    "xcopy" without the "/S".  The third options (like "/R" of command mode)
    is unique to Fastwire.  It allows you to transfer only subdirectories
    that already exist on the target computer.  Use of this option allows
    you to maintain a directory structure on one machine that is a subset of
    the directory structure on the other machine.

                        Date comparison

    You can choose to copy all selected files or to have Fastwire
    compare the source and target file dates, transferring only files that
    are newer.

                         Date cutoff

    This option allows you to send only files modified after a specified
    date.  If you want to send files regardless of modification time, leave
    the cutoff date set to its default value of January 1, 1980, 12:00 am.
    Any files before the date cutoff will NOT be transferred.

In addition to transfer options, each form has a place for comments (so you
can remember what the form is supposed to do) and also keeps track of the
last time that you ran the form (run date and time).

You can run Fastwire forms directly from DOS, so you can set up batch files
to do routine transfers.  Simply remember to precede the form name with
"fw2".

------------------------------- Command mode -------------------------------

This mode is an advanced command-driven interface which allows you to type
in commands directly.  You can use build-in Fastwire commands to send or
receive files.  You can also execute forms created in form mode, or execute
DOS commands or programs.

The following built-in commands are recognized by Fastwire:
        xm      (sends files to remote computer)
        rq      (requests files from remote computer)
        do      (executes commands on remote computer)

"xm" and "rq" have identical syntax.  The only difference is that "xm" sends
files to the remote computer and "rq" receives files from the remote
computer.  The syntax is as follows:

        [xm or rq] [options ...] <file specifications>

                    Command mode file specifications

    Multiple file and directory names may be included in the same command.
    A file name may include a drive and/or directory name and may also
    include wildcards.  If a directory name is specified, all files in
    that directory are transferred, as long as the directory exists on the
    receiving machine, or the "/S" option was used. If a filename is
    specified, only files matching that name are transferred.

                          Command mode options

    /C  Do not create files which do not already exist on target system.
    /D  Transfer files whose date is same or later than specified date:
        /D:mm-dd-yy[,hh:mm]
    /E  Exclude specified files or directories (wildcards OK):
        /E:filename1,filename2,dirname1[,...]
    /F  Force file transfer even if source date is same or older than
        target.
    /L  Specify default drive and/or directory for local system.
        /L:pathname
    /N  Fake transfer and report what would have been transferred.
    /O  Specify default drive and/or directory for remote (other) system.
        /O:pathname
    /P  Prompt before transferring each file.
    /R  Transfer files in subdirectories, but DO NOT create new directories.
    /S  Transfer files in subdirectories, creating subdirectories as needed.

    These options can also be specified with '-' instead of '/'.  For
    instance, "-S" means the same as "/S".

The "do" command will send whatever command you type after "do" to the
remote machine, and execute it just as if you had typed it at the DOS
prompt.  For instance, "do cd \" would change the remote system to the root
directory.

If the command you type is not recognized as one of the above built-in
Fastwire commands, but matches the name of a form you have created (in
form mode), the form will be executed. Any other command will be passed
on to DOS.  When the DOS command is done, control will return to Fastwire.

Any command that can be run from command mode can also be executed directly
from DOS, so you can set up batch files to do routine transfers.  Simply
remember to precede the command with "fw2".

------------------------------- Configuration ------------------------------

The configuration menu allows you to change Fastwire's default settings.
The configuration menu can be reached from the main menu, or with F10 from
any of the three modes.

Once you are inside the configuration menu, arrow keys will move you
through the fields containing the default information.  Use the up and
down arrow keys to highlight the field you want to change, and then press the
Enter key to edit the field.  You should see a cursor appear in the field
after it has been selected.  Use the up arrow, down arrow, or Enter keys to
move out of a field that you have edited and save the changes.  To get out
of a selected field and cancel any changes to the field, use the Esc key.
After you have edited all desired fields, use the Esc key to get out,
and then select the "Save and Exit" option if you want to save the
changes you made.  Note that pressing Esc while a field is selected exits
you from that field.  Pressing Esc when no field is selected exits you from
the entire configuration menu.

When you save the changes to the configuration, they are automatically
remembered for the next time you call up the program, both in Fastwire II
and the slave program "sl" on the local machine.  The serial port list and
baud rate selection are the only two options that affect the slave program.
When the configuration is saved, it updates "fw2.exe" and "sl.exe" on
the same machine.  It does NOT update the slave program on the machine you
are communicating with.  To do this, you must run Fastwire II on the other
machine and change the configuration there.

If Fastwire is unable to update either program, it will give you an error
message and then continue with normal execution.  Usually the only reason
for this type of problem is if there is a disk error or if you have removed
the disk containing "fw2.exe" and/or "sl.exe".  If this error occurs, the
configuration options will still remain in effect for Fastwire until
you exit the program, but they will not be saved permanently.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Fastwire II supports both parallel and serial transfer.
There is no configuration option to tell Fastwire whether to operate in
parallel or serial transfer mode.  Fastwire will figure that out
automatically after you have plugged in the appropriate cable.

The following options are available in the configuration screen:

                       Screen Output Configuration

    By default, Fastwire will automatically decide whether to use
    color or monochrome output for its screen displays.  You can,
    however, override the default and force Fastwire to use
    monochrome output.  If the screen is difficult to read, try
    configuring Fastwire to use monochrome output.  Some computers
    have a color graphics adapter connected to a monochrome
    display, which can cause Fastwire to attempt to use colors when
    it really shouldn't.

                      Serial Port List Configuration

    The serial port list applies only to serial port transfers.

    In most cases you will want to leave the serial port list set to
    AUTO.  This tells Fastwire to automatically select which serial
    port to use.  Fastwire does this by looking to see what ports you
    have in your system and then experimentally determining which
    port is connected to a system running the "sl" Fastwire program.
    There are two cases where you may want to supply information
    in the serial port list field.

    The first case is if you have an active device such as an on-line
    printer connected to one of your serial ports, you may want to
    tell Fastwire specifically which port to use so that it does not
    send test characters to the device.  To tell Fastwire to use
    a specific serial port, simply enter "COM1" or "COM2" in the
    serial port list as appropriate.

    Another case where you will want to enter information in the serial
    port list is if you are using a serial port with a base address other
    than the standard COM1 or COM2 addresses.  This situation normally
    occurs when you have three or more serial ports in the machine.  To
    tell Fastwire to use the additional ports, simply fill in the base
    address of the port you want to use as a hex number.  If you want
    Fastwire to automatically select between up to 4 different ports,
    simply enter the port addresses (or "COM1", "COM2" for the standard
    ports), separated by commas.

    For example, suppose you add a Rupp Brothers "L'il Shotgun" dual
    serial port card to a machine that already has two standard serial
    ports.  Suppose you set the port addresses on the card to 300 and 308.
    If you want Fastwire to automatically select between any of the four
    ports, you would enter the following in the serial port list:

        "COM1,COM2,300,308"

                         Baud Rate Configuration

    The baud rate option applies only to serial port transfers.

    There are several baud rate choices, ranging from 9600 to 115200.
    Fastwire also has a special AUTO baud option.  Choosing AUTO
    (the default) is normally the easiest way to select a baud rate.
    This allows Fastwire to experimentally determine the fastest
    possible baud rate.  Normally this will be 115200+ baud.

    You may also tell Fastwire to operate at a specific baud rate.
    However, if one of the serial port chips cannot operate at that
    high of a baud rate, Fastwire will not be able to establish
    communication.  If you choose a specific baud rate and want to
    use 7-wire mode, select a baud rate with a '+' after it.  If you are
    having problems with 7-wire mode (possibly due to a long cable), select
    a baud rate without a '+' after it to force Fastwire to use 3-wire
    mode.

                         Error Checking Configuration

    Fastwire II has two basic methods of detecting errors:  checksum or
    CRC.  The CRC method is much better at detecting transmission errors.
    The checksum method, though not nearly as good at detecting errors
    as a CRC, is generally considered adequate for a direct line
    connection (since error rates are so low).  It is also much faster.
    Several of our competitors offer only this method (or some variant
    thereof).

    Fastwire offers three error detection modes using the above 2 methods:

        1)  Auto - use checksum until an error is detected, then use CRC.
        2)  Use checksum only.
        3)  Use CRC only.

    The "CRC only" mode is the safest possible way to transfer your files.
    The default "auto" mode is recommended for users who want more speed
    and rarely experience transmission errors.  The "checksum only" mode
    is not recommended, but is provided for users who insist on the fastest
    possible speed.

                     Operating Speed Configuration

    There are three operating speeds for Fastwire II:  slow, normal and
    turbo.  The default "slow" operating speed is the safest (and slowest)
    way to transfer files, because Fastwire sends information in very small
    blocks.  The "normal" and "turbo" speeds use progressively larger block
    sizes to speed the transfer.  Most systems can handle the larger block
    sizes without any problems, but some cannot.  If speed is a concern, we
    recommend that you experiment with "normal" and then "turbo" mode.  If
    you experience excessive transmission errors or other problems, drop
    back to a lower speed setting.

                     Help Screen Location Configuration

    Fastwire II can be configured to leave its help screens on disk
    or load them into memory when the program starts.

    Loading the help screens into memory allows you to have them accessible
    on a floppy disk system without having the Fastwire diskette inserted.
    Program startup time is a little longer, and the help screens use up
    some main memory space (equal to the size of the "fw2.hlp" file).

    Leaving the help screens on disk means that Fastwire will access the
    disk every time it needs to get a help screen.  Displaying help proceeds
    a little slower due to the disk accesses, and you are required to leave
    the Fastwire diskette in the drive on  floppy system.  However,
    the program will load a little faster and not use as much main memory.

                        Default Mode Configuration

    Fastwire II operates in one of three different modes:   Split Screen,
    Form or Command.  By default, Fastwire starts out at the main menu,
    and you can move to the three basic modes from there.  You can
    configure Fastwire so that it bypasses the main menu and starts
    out immediately in any of the three modes.

---------------------- Key functionality list ------------------------------

The following is a definition of all keys used by Fastwire II:

Press:          When you want:
--------------  ------------------------------------------------------------
F1              General help information
F2              To enter SPLIT SCREEN MODE from either the FORM or COMMAND
                MODE
F3              To transfer files(s) or execute form(s)
F4              To enter FORM MODE from either the COMMAND or SPLIT SCREEN
                MODE
F5              To mark or unmark the file(s) to be transferred while in
                SPLIT SCREEN MODE or form(s) to be executed in FORM MODE
                (toggles current state).
Shift-F5        To select files using wildcards in SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
F6              To enter COMMAND MODE of operation from either the FORM or
                SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
F7              To unselect all files in SPLIT SCREEN MODE or all forms
                in FORM MODE.
Shift-F7        To unselect files using wildcards in SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
F9              To call up the options screen in SPLIT SCREEN or FORM MODE.
F10             To enter the CONFIGURATION menu to change default settings.
Esc             To return to previous menu.
                To exit slave on remote computer.
Ins             Change drives/or subdirectories while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
                Add a new form in FORM MODE.
End             Rename a file or directory in SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
Del             Delete a file or empty directory in SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
                Delete a form in FORM MODE.
Tab             To move cursor between local/remote drive listings in the
                SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
Left/Rt arrows  To move cursor between local/remote drive listings in the
                SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
Home            To view a file while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE.
'+'             To select the file(s) to be transferred while in SPLIT
                SCREEN MODE or form(s) to be executed in FORM MODE.
'-'             To unselect the file(s) to be transferred while in SPLIT
                SCREEN MODE or form(s) to be executed in FORM MODE.
Enter           Change to directory or re-read directory in SPLIT SCREEN
                MODE.  Select an item to be edited or modified in FORM MODE
                and configuration menu.
PgUp, PgDn      Move the cursor up/down a page at a time.

------------------------- Slave program "sl" -------------------------------

The slave is the companion program to Fastwire II.  It doesn't do any
fancy screen output, just reports files sent and received.  It is
considerably smaller than Fastwire II (only 70K), so if one of your machines
doesn't have much RAM (Random Access Memory), you will probably want to run
the slave on that one.

                          Exiting "sl"

To exit the slave program, simply press Esc or Ctrl-C.  If the slave is in
the process of sending or receiving files, pressing Esc will abort the
transfer, but not take you all the way out of the program.  To exit the
program entirely, press Esc one more time.

                      Specifying port and baud rate

The slave program defaults to the same port and baud configuration that
the Fastwire II program on the same machine has.  When you change the serial
port list or the baud rate with Fastwire II and save the configuration,
Fastwire will make sure that the slave program on the same machine is
updated with the same information.  It does NOT update the slave program on
the machine you are communicating with.  To do this, you must run Fastwire
II on the other machine and change the configuration there.  If the slave
is using a baud rate or serial port list other than AUTO, it will inform you
of this when you first start it up.  For more information on setting the
port and baud rate, see the Configuration section.

------------------- Read-only, hidden and system files ---------------------

Fastwire can transfer files and directories that are read-only, hidden or
system.  Because these are special files, Fastwire handles them a bit
differently than normal files and directories.  A read-only, hidden or
system file will only be transferred if it doesn't exist on the target
machine.  This is to prevent unwanted over-writing or moving of these
type of files.  Fastwire will also delete system, hidden and read-only
files and directories, but will ask for additional verification to make
sure you really want to delete them.
