EazyLink protocol
- Gunther Strube
EazyLink Protocol Header
The second protocol header for the improved byte stream protocol is similar to the PC-LINK II header, but uses byte values <1> and <2> instead:
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Client Server Action
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<1><1><2> -> waiting EazyLink Protocol header
waiting <- <1><1><2> Acknowledge protocol header
Awaiting EazyLink command...
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Once this synchronisation has taken place, EazyLink awaits a command in EAZYLINK protocol stream.
EazyLink byte stream protocol
When the protocol header has been acknowledged by the Client, the byte stream transmission can begin. This protocol is controlled by the underlying hardware byte flow - in other words, the request commands and their implicit logical construction are the byte stream protocol.
The PC-LINK II protocol (see above) uses the two-way check byte for each byte sent; this is a way to implement a system of sending bytes between two computers that do not have a hardware handshake. However, the total information sent between both computers are doubled with the penalty of an even slower transmission. The EazyLink avoids this by using the hardware handshaking of today's high speed serial ports and the Z88.
With the Eazy'er protocol, information is transmitted as fast as the 9600 Baud rate speed can perform between the two computers.