MICROLAN file transfer program for microprocessors

Abstract

The age of automation has established its foothold in today's society. Computerization now affects almost everyone's job, and sharing of information is vital to successful job performance. Manual transfer of information is inefficient and prone to error, so another means is needed. One option is computer networking. Both Local Area Networks and long-haul networks presently exist, but they are either very expensive or hardware dependent. It would normally require a long lead time and high costs for the military to acquire an information transfer system. To provide a readily available, low-cost file transfer system, the authors developed an assembly language program named MICROLAN, which is written to work with three of the main microcomputer operating systems (CP/M-80, CP/M-86, and IIS. DOS) and to take advantage of RS232 technology. MICROLAN was tested successfully for file transfer at up to 4800 baud, and suggestions have been included as to possible uses for MICROLAN in the military environment. Additionally, possible methods for upgrading MICROLAN are also included.