Welcome!
Welcome to the EazyLink2 Client User Guide, which is displayed in your browser, when you have clicked the Help > User Guide menu item from the desktop application. Hopefully these pages also makes sense, should you have arrived here through our project wiki navigation system.
This user guide is written common for all desktop versions of the EazyLink Client. When necessary, specific details of desktop operating system features will be mentioned by displaying an icon identifying the OS.
This user guide is being written at the moment, while we work on the Beta releases. We anticipate to have this work completed when EazyLink has reached final release of V1.0 .
Feedback is most welcome, to help us improve EazyLink
Installation Client
To install the Eazylink2 to your client computer, download the application and run it from our software repository. Currently there are three versions available; for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. The installers are quite self explanatory, behaving similarly on all three platforms.
On Windows however, the end-user will have a system warning screen about the software not being an officially signed application by Microsoft; this can be ignored (we don't do viruses and our software-installer is built on Linux or Mac OS X).
Installation Z88
The Z88 Eazylink Popdown is available on Flash cards from Rakewell. This saves the hassle of doing it yourself. Users do have a choice. To do it yourself you will need to
Download the software link required
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- Transfer the software to the Z88 using EazyLink2 Imp/Export mode
- Run the software on the Z88 to blow the image into an EPROM or Flash card.
Connecting up the Z88 to the Client
The Z88 EazyLink2 uses a female 9 way 'D' RS-232 connector to connect to the client. The connections are not the standard PC type as the Z88 was around before that standard was adopted. The recommended way to connect it is to use the PC to Z88 cable. The PC end of this cable can be used with a Serial to USB converter should the Client computer not have a serial port. When purchasing the Serial to USB converter make sure that it supports 'hardware handshaking' and that the drivers are available for the Operating System you are using.
It is hoped that as more uses use this program a list of known Serial to USB convertors can be listed here so that users may have a more informed choice.
Before running the program, you need to know the device name the operating system has allocated to the serial port you are using to connect to the Z88. This is either a physical number that is on the computer e,g, COM.1 COM.2 (device names on Windows). If you are using a Serial to USB converter the driver will automatically allocate a new serial port device name, please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for details how to find out that name (COM port number on Windows).
EazyLink2
Using the Program
There are two ways that this program may be used in. These are:-
- Imp/Export mode
- EazyLink2 mode
Imp/Export is a standard communication application that is standard on all Z88. It is included here on the Client's side to enable users to connect to a Z88 without any additional applications. It requires the user to use both the Client's and Z88's keyboard.
Eazylink2 on the other hand needs an additional application on the Z88 and is operated on the Client. The EazyLink popdown is available on Application cards. If the user wishes to make their own copy, they can use the Imp/Exp to upload the application and blow the image on an EPROM pack or Flash card.
Imp/Export
You should skip this section if you already have a copy of the Z88 Eazylink Popdown for the Z88.
On the desktop computer
Start Eazylink2.
On the top menu bar, Select Settings
- Select Serial Port. Change the 'Default Serial Port:' to the device name the Z88 is connected to.
- Select General, untick all EazyLink functions and click OK.
- Select Translations, untick all EazyLink functions and click OK.
On the top menu bar, Select Z88
- Select - Send files to Z88 Imp/Export popdown
You will now get a series of help screens with instructions on how to use the Z88. 1.
Start Z88
To make sure that we are both starting from the same point, the first time you run this, it is recommended that we start by giving the Z88 a HARD RESET.. If you have any important data, make sure that it is saved on either an EPROM or Flash card.
Select Panel []S
Change Default device :RAM.1 - You will need extra RAM in your Z88 for the file and it needs to be in slot 1. 
Remember to PRESS ENTER TO UPDATE otherwise these settings will not change.
Note that the Transmit and Receive rates Parity and Xon/Xoff settings are the correct value as given in the EazyLink Imp-Export Help. Click OK to move to the next screen. 2.
Select Imp/Export []X
EazyLink Imp-Export Help. Click OK to move to the next screen. 3.
EazyLink Imp-Export Help. Click OK to move to the next screen.
4) On the Desktop, select files to Send to the Z88..
If you get a communication error, make a note of the messages on the Z88 screen and try again.
If you get continuous communication errors or nothing happens, go to Solving Communication Errors (see below).
Eazylink2 prerequisites
- Install the software on the Client
- Install EazyLink popdown on the Z88
- Connect the Z88 to the client
On the Z88 Select []L to start Eazylink
Which version are you running?
If you are running the 'stand-alone' version of the Eazylink application the version number is on the main HELP page.
If you are running Eazylink in OZ the version number isn't on the Eazylink HELP page. As part of OZ V4.3, EazyLink V5.1 features were integrated. Latest version, V5.2 were integrated into OZ V4.3.1, which has been released in July 2012.
It is shown in grey in the bottom left-hand corner of the display. All versions of the Z88 Eazylink popdown will work with EazyLink2, the functions available will depend on the version used. You are advised to use the latest version.
On the desktop computer start Eazylink2.
Select Settings and select the serial port device name the Z88 is connected to.
If you get a communication error, make a note of the messages on the Z88 screen and try again.
If you get continuous communication errors, go to Solving Communication Errors (see below).
Solving Communication Errors.
Test the Z88 Serial Port
If the Z88's serial port has never been used, it may have never worked.
To test it, you can use a 9 way 'D' plug with pins 2-3 4-5 and 8-9 connected, or you can use a paperclip cut into three to make these three connections.
On the Z88
- Make the connections as described above.
- Select the Terminal []V
- Type some characters on the keyboard like "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
- Check that these characters appear on the screen
- Remove the connections
- Type some more characters, they should not appear on the screen.
If that all works, the Z88 Serial Port is working.
Is the correct cable being used?
If you are using a standard PC Cable, it will not work. Get the correct cable from Rakewell.
Using a Serial to USB convertor?
have you
- Downloaded a copy of the latest drivers for your Operating System?
- Checked that it supports hardware handshaking?
Test the Client's Serial Port
If you are unable to get it working, try downloading a Free Terminal Emulation program for your Client's Operating System and do a similar excercise as described in the "Test the Z88 Serial Port" section.
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