A guest from abroad

The intent of this forum is to discuss my DOS TSR programs (available at http://bretjohnson.us), how they work and don't work, new/missing features, status of updates, and anything else related to them that may need to be discussed.

A guest from abroad

Postby KerimF » Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:21 am

Soon, I will be 70. I am from Aleppo city, Syria. After graduation, I started a small private business (about 45 years ago and with a capital of $100); as a designer and producer of various electronic controllers that the local market/consumers might need.
But, unlike most engineers in the world, I wasn’t allowed, since early 80’s, by new international rules and for being born and living in Syria, to get or access (for free or not) many technical services that are available worldwide (mainly related to programming). The last package I was able to buy is BorlandC 3.1.
So, anytime I need a specific function to be run on my user's new PCs, I had to write a suitable C program for DOS only; though it could be run on Windows. For instance, my laptop OS is Window 7, Home Basic 32bit.
On the other hand, I had to write the CPU (as Z80) and MCU (as of C51 or AVR family) code, for each controller I designed, in assembly and without a software simulator and/or hardware emulator.
But a few years ago, the helpful team/direction of ATMEL (sadly, their company had to be sold to a material girl... sorry company :D ) gave me the chance to download and install their professional Atmel Studio 6.2 (but their AS 7 became out of my reach now by its new owners). So now I have an assembler supported by an IDE, debugger and a simulator; a huge jump indeed :roll:

I heard of this group while searching if it is possible for me to transfer data via a USB port by using the old BorlandC I have (exe for DOS).
A few years ago, I thought that by reading the rather huge manual of USB protocols (it was about USB2.0), I could communicate via USB port as I did with the previous parallel and serial ports. But this long reading convinced me, once for all, that USB is made to be a proprietary black box unless someone can access special services/tools, made available by its creators, to ease its use as an ordinary, though very advanced, port... by engineers and programmers living on earth; hence, not by me... because I live on Mars :)

Although the USB port was my reason to join the group, talking to intellectual people, new friends perhaps, is a better reason for me to be around here whenever is possible. But, please note; due to various crises in my region, our local internet server may go out of service, or become very slow (ADSL, a few KB/sec!), anytime and for non-determined time.

That’s all for the moment :D

Kerim

Note:
Please feel free to ask me anything you see important to you to know, even personal questions. As you will see, I am an open book; as an open source ;)
The greatest gift that a person can give another is his 'sincerity'.
Therefore, only a real free independent person can offer this priceless gift; otherwise he would be unfaithful towards some others, if not himself too.
KerimF
 
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2018 2:40 am
Location: Aleppo city - Syria

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