Batboard

I've got a Saber II that I am able to download the existing programming info into RSS without any problems, but once I've changed the programming and try to load it back into the radio, I get the following error messages:

"Prompt Number 33
Press F2 to Continue"
"Which tuning values do you want programmed into the radio? (F2 - RPF Values or F6 - Radio Values)"
(Either choice results in): "A Serial Bus I/O error was detected. Check the connection between the radio and the computer, and make sure that the radio is ON. This is a FATAL ERROR, therefore, the current BUILD will be aborted."

I haven't used my RSS in a long time, and frankly, am using it via Windows-95, via a shortcut on the desktop. It seems strange to me that I can download the existing programming without any problem, but then when I try to send it back, suddently it cannot talk to the radio.

I have the Saber RSS program sitting in my C drive, in a "program files" folder. Seems to me there was a way to access this file via DOS,, but I don't remember how to do it thru DOS.

Any ideas as to what is happening, and/or, how can I circumvent this problem?

Thanks!

Bob

you need to boot to a real DOS prompt, not Windows anything. This is most likely the source of your problem. Sabers were made before Windows 95 was even a thought on Gates' mind...IIRC either F5 or F8 will allow you to boot to the root DOS kernel in Windows 95/98 when you are booting the machine, you want to select "SAFE MODE COMMAND PROMPT ONLY" and change to the directory where your Saber RSS is and run Saber.exe from the DOS prompt. Should be able to read/write without issue. Also, always select the tuning values stored in the radio unless you are equipped to do a full alignment on your Saber if you select the "field programmer values".

Thanks, that is what I thought.

Although, the problem now is that it's been so many years since I've actually had to use DOS anything, I've forgotten how to use it to get to the Saber.exe prompt, or what the actual step-by-step DOS command sequence should be...

Bob,

Your problem actually is classic and defines itself. The ability to read from but not write to a Saber 98% of the time tells all of us that your DOS application/setup isn't working right, which means that, as you said, you tried using the DOS that runs under Windows, which is not true DOS. If you boot from DOS 6.22 your problem will go away, I guarantee.

Regards,

I've been playing around with it in Command Prompt (safe mode) and am now able to negotiate my way to the actual saber.exe file that I want... however, I forget how to actually RUN the .exe file by using DOS commands. I'm close but not quite there yet.

Can anybody refresh my memory, by telling me what the path or actual DOS command(s) is/are, to make the .exe file run?

thanks!

Bob,

Assuming that you have list of DOS files on the screen, and you want to run the Saber RSS, and one of the files is saber.exe, all you have to do is to type SABER and then hit enter. That should open up the RSS screen.

Nope, that doesn't work... all I get is "Bad command or file name"...

I've been able to make my other applications run via DOS now, using the same DOS format as noted below...

However, the Saber application still refuses to run, as it is "not found" (even though I am now sure that the proper path is: "C:\MRSS\SABER\SABER.EXE")

All you can do is this:

change directory to the mrss/saber file
list the files (type dir/w)
be certain that saber.exe is one of the files
type saber.exe and the file should bring up the RSS opening screen
if it doesn't then it's probably corrupted
if it's corrupted, meaning the problem remains, remove
the entire file and reload it

Tom in D.C. wrote:Bob,

Your problem actually is classic and defines itself. The ability to read from but not write to a Saber 98% of the time tells all of us that your DOS application/setup isn't working right, which means that, as you said, you tried using the DOS that runs under Windows, which is not true DOS. If you boot from DOS 6.22 your problem will go away, I guarantee.

Regards,

The other 2% of the time, it's clock speed and/or caching-related. A 1.13GHz PIII IBM Thinkpad did the same thing to me even when booted straight into DOS 6.22. An older 1GHz machine with an identical configuration works fine.

I'll look into the suggestions that you two have offered here (thank you for that!)... and, if you think your machine is slow... mine is a 120-mhz Pentium-1 processor!

While programming in DOS, it has no problems reading the radio OK, but still fails when you try to WRITE the programming changes back to the radio. Here's what's happening:

After starting my Saber RSS program in DOS, I've now made my programming changes and then select the proper function-key command to write to the radio, and I get a screen that says "Prompt Number 33" ("Press F2 to Continue")

When you press F2, you then get:

"Which tuning values do you want programmed in the radio?"
"F2 selects the field programmer tuning values" ("F2 RPF Values")
"F6 selects the original tuning values stored in the radio" ("F6 Radio Values")

IF you press F2, the screen immediately changes, to read:

"A serial bus I/O error was detected. Check the connection between the radio and the computer, and make sure the radio is on. This is a FATAL ERROR, therefore, the current build will be aborted." "Press F2 to continue."

IF you press F6, the screen shows that it has started "extracting radio alignment data", and counts through the channels. As soon as it gets up to channel 32, the screen immediately reverts to the exact same I/O error message as noted above (when F2 was selected).

Ironically, I can use my HT1000 RSS in DOS the same way, without any problems.... but, when it comes to working on the Saber, there's nothing BUT problems!

Any ideas, as to how to proceed past these issues? And, what the heck does "Prompt Number 33" mean?

Thanks!

Two things:

1. Your present codeplug may be corrupted, so if you don't have the original one to reload try writing a new one.
2. 120 mHz is FAST and may be too fast by Saber standards. I run mine at 25 mHz and it does fine. It will also run at 60 mHz but I
don't do that just to be on the safe side.

Regards,

Further to what Tom said, what version is the RSS? Only the very latest is 'pentium compatible'...older versions will not work properly on faster computers. Even the latest is from 1993, and according to the pentium compatibility matrix (a sticky post in this forum):

"In many older RSS versions ('93 and earlier), additional compatibility problems were often caused if RAM caching was turned on. This is not a problem with newer versions."

So, if your BIOS has a setting to turn caching off, that may help you.

I'll have to see if there's a way to adjust the processor speed, such as in a power setting or something like that.

BTW, my RSS software version is R06.00.05, and it's dated 6/03/1993...

maybe your problem, Saber R07.01 released 09/01/1993 is the version that is "Pentium compatible"
keep in mind, when we say Pentium, we are talking Pentium 1 60 or 90MHz CPU, not dual core 3400's.
Sabers can be a pain, I still have an old true blue IBM PS/2 486 desktop for Saber, Syntor X9000 and Spectra analogs.

Perhaps you're right, in that I should search for an even older working machine, although I have no problem programming Spectras, Maxtracs, and HT-1000's with this Pentium-1 laptop.

Attempting to work on the Saber has been the only problem-child for me.

Thanks!

SpectraBob wrote:Perhaps you're right, in that I should search for an even older working machine, although I have no problem programming Spectras, Maxtracs, and HT-1000's with this Pentium-1 laptop.

Attempting to work on the Saber has been the only problem-child for me.

Thanks!

You likely have the 'pentium compatible' versions of the RSS for the others. Makes all the difference in the world with the older stuff.

I've had great success programming Sabers with a Toshiba Pentium-100 laptop, but only with R07.01