Introduction
		A range of computer, links are available so that the Z88 can transfer data using its RS-232 Serial Port. Communication and file conversion software are needed as well as the cable.
		The cable that the Z88 uses is electrically different to ordinary PC cables that look the same. We can supply just the cable and an adapter for those users who want to use different programs!
The cable that links the Z88 to a PC is not standard.

Mac & PC Link Applications

Here are some Mac & PC - Z88 Link programs. This listed Eazylink has now been upgraded to Eazylink2 - it does everything, it is easy to use and it works. BUT people think that I am only saying that because we sell it. That's no longer true, its FREE. So here is your chance to try other programs (Free Link) if you want. Please read details about the Z88 - PC Cable. Click on the link to jump to the application details or the download site for the program.		We only support programs that you buy (not the Free ones). If you are having any problems, take a look at our FAQ Page. This page only lists Free Links that I used to be able to run to run on my XP machine. Dennis Gröning has listed some more on his site. See Z88 Internet Links. The PC-Z88 Cable used is the one we supply. There is also a free program that runs on RISC-DOS.

Cable 3 = 3 wire F = Full handshaking	F	F	F	F	F	F
Notes
Needs ROM in Z88 | Import/Export	E	P	X	P
USB Support | NO USB
Any COM Port | COM.1 only
12.3 | DOS 8.3 Filenames
Windows | MS-DOS Filenames			X
Save files | In one directory
Translates files | Raw data only

OZ 4.3 and above or Eazylink 5.1 Upgrade
These updates attract an extra cost. Users may return their Flash cards with their remittance and postage (currently £36 inc VAT). NOTE: Files on an INTEL Flash Card can only be written to when the card is in slot 3. OZ 4.2 or 3 only runs in Slot 1. If the card is used in slot 1 or 2, the files will be 'read-only.'		Save or Fetch files directly to the Flash card with this Eazylink upgrade. Avoid using RAM space just as a bridge between the two. The file areas look like RAM and are labeled :EPR.1, :EPR.2 and :EPR.3 depending which slot is used. The software on the PC remains unaltered.
View in Eazylink
PC		The PC display will just show the Flash File Area as :EPR.x
When using these updates the view in Eazylink will display any formatted file areas and their contents on the Flash card.		By marking the files, they can be transferred to the PC just as if they were in  RAM.
Z88		If Eazylink displays its version number in the left-hand bottom corner, it can read / write to the flash file area directly.
PipeDream Help added		Click here to see a small movie of the HELP added.

USB - RS-232 Adapters for Computers with no serial port

Getting the right adapter and how do you find out?

Here is the correspondance with Bob Calvert (19/12/2004) about this issue.

The only potential problem is how to connect the Z88 to the laptop - there doesn't appear to be a serial connector in sight!, but there are lots of USB ports. I have checked with several shops here and it is possible to get a serial to USB adaptor. So...could I ask if you have come across this problem already? Will a serial to USB adaptor work? I'm inclined to try it and see but would appreciate your advice.

Reply - USB Serial Adapter should work, but I have not received any first-hand reports. As long as Windows thinks it is a serial port you should be OK. You will have to try it and see. Let me know the result.

Just a quick email to let you know the Z88 to PC transfer works via the serial to USB adaptor. The trick is to ensure you know which coms port the PC decides to allocate! We are very pleased we can continue to use our Z88! Thanks for your help. 

PL-2303 Software and Drivers Click here
Drivers supplied on the disk (zipped) 2M! Click here

Eazylink

I have got to say it's really easy to use and very fast. It's the full file transfer and backup solution I have been looking for but never found. Everything else is really inferior. A few clicks and your files are transferred between the PC and Z88 in a whiz. Best tool I ever brought for the Z88. I really do wonder how I lived without!

Best Regards,
Steven Pannell - 04 June 2004
Technical Project Manager
zooplus AG

Note for Window 7/8 Users Eazylink (on the PC end) is currently being rewritten so that it runs on Windows 7/8 32/64 bit Mac & Linux machines Catch up with its progress here. In the meantime, this version needs two requirements:- It is running on Windows 7 Professional under its Windows xp mode. I have not received any user with the Home version getting this to work yet, perhaps it doesn’t do the job well enough. USB to Serial converter Most PCs now do not have a hardware serial port. On Windows xp a converter that supports hardware handshaking on the serial port works well. If this converter is moved to a Windows 7 computer the drivers must be Windows 7 compatible and be able to control the hardware handshaking.
	upgrade from PC Link II
Run EazyLink on Linux with
Run EazyLink on Mac with

Eazylink is a file transfer program that can send files to and from the Z88 and a PC that is running Windows NT, 2000, 98, ME, XP or Windows 7 Pro with real serial ports (although there may have been an issue with the USB Adapter being used beforehand). It is fast, easy to use and copes with multiple files.

Key points

• It works with a USB to Serial Converter – so even if your PC does not have a serial port, you just need one of those.
• It retains the 12 character filenames that the Z88 uses
• It is faster than PC Link II
• It runs on Windows xp and Windows 7 in an xp environment
  
• v5.1 can Save and Fetch files directly from the Flash file area. - NOTE this is available at extra cost *.

How to use files with Eazylink

The package comes with

• a serial cable to link the Z88 to the PC computer (9/25 pin adapter supplied),
• the Eazylink ROM to plug into the Z88
• and PC program CD disk.

Overview

	Z88		Backup	PC
Eazylink copies files to
You can - Delete, Rename, Send and Receive files, Create and Remove directories in those devices.
Send and Receive Files (Z88 to PC)			Backup Device (Z88 to BD to PC)
You can select the following to backup your Z88 (using Wild cards if required): Select RAM Device (Multiple RAM devices are selected one at a time). Select Directories at a defined path Select Files at a defined path Select a File (or several Files)			Eazylink stores all the Z88 files on the PC in a simple database Two windows are displayed. One is the Source and the other is the Destination Device. A mirror image of your Z88's file and directory structure is created allowing files to fetched from the database when required.
Translating Files			Additional mirror images may be copied, by using different database filenames, allowing different backup versions or backups from different Z88s to be retained. Restoring of files from the Backup Device re-installs original Z88 Date stamps on up-loaded files. Directories are automatically created by the EazyLink ROM on the Z88 in the RAM filing system. 12 character file names are now supported (unlike PC Link II which only supported the DOS format of 8.3). Reorganising Files in the Backup Device Using the Commands with the Source and Destination windows, files may be reorganised into different directories within the Backup Device itself. This powerful facility allows the Z88 user to organise files without using the Z88 for the first time. Combined with the Viewer, old files may be deleted or moved to different directories, clearing more space for new files to be created.
There are a number of ways that Eazylink can translate files whilst the file is being transferred from the Z88. These are:- Auto CR to CR/LF for DOS and Windows ISO LATIN 1 and IBM codepage 865 (Scandinavian) with a User defined Translation Table
Viewer
A text file viewer is included to enable a quick look at files from the Backup Device. Also included is the ability to view PipeDream files in "PipeView," a shareware Windows program from Dennis Gröning and a utility which loads or view files straight into the PC PipeDream DOS program.
In any of these devices, all devices and directories are displayed and managed using the familiar File Explorer Interface of Windows. EazyLink has been provided with comprehensive on-line help (both as functional reference and context-sensitive help topics).

PC Link II to Eazylink upgrade

If you already have PC Link II consisting of the following items you can purchase the Eazylink upgrade to save duplicating the hardware required.

• Serial cable from the PC to the Z88 (make sure you have correct connector on the cable for your computer. It is either a 9 or 25 way male on the computer.)
• PC Link ROM/EPROM (Please retun for upgrade)
• and PC Link II software. (Supplied in PC Link II but not really needed for Eazylink)
  

Other Features

COM Ports		Clock		Battery LOW		File Transfer Log
Use any free serial COM port that Windows can see, unlike PC Link which can only use COM.1.		Eazylink sets the time and date on the Z88 to the same as the PC.		Eazylink will stop sending files to and from the Z88 when the battery on the Z88 is low.		EazyLink also contains a file transfer log facility which remembers every file transfered.

Report of Files

A report can be requested that lists all the files in the Backup Device. The report may be sorted in ascending/descending order choosing one of the sorting criteria;

filename,
file size,
date transferred
and the Z88 file date stamp.

This report can then be printed and used as a hardcopy record of what files have been backed up for future reference.

An added bonus is that you also get the:-

PC Link II Software

with its own file translation programs.

These are

• WordStar to PipeDream and
• Lotus 1-2-3 to PipeDream,

so you can keep your page layouts. Even if you want to use Desk-Top Publishing programs, layouts can still be retained by importing a WordStar file into the program you use.

EazyLink ROM

The EazyLink ROM emulates 100% and performs 25% faster than the original PC Link ROM. Further, with the PC-LINK II emulation, you get transparent linefeed conversion and ISO LATIN I/DOS codepage translation during transfer!

In other words, you're still able to run the old PC-LINK II DOS program and PC PipeDream when using the EazyLink ROM in the Z88.

Existing users of PC Link II can upgrade to EazyLink cost effectively.

MAC Users and EazyLink

Although the Eazylink program does not run on the MAC, MAC users can enjoy the

• faster transfer speed and the
• automatic creation of directories

when files are transferred to the Z88. All you need is to upgrade your MAC Link ROM to EazyLink V5.0.4.

FAQ

MSJet35.dll

Recently I had to reinstall Windows (and of course everything else) ... and now EazyLink will install but won't run, complaining that it has an "incorrect" version of MSJet35.dll.

I have however now solved my problem, by downloading Microsoft's Jet Service Pack 3 from their website, which upgraded my copy of MSJet35 to version 3.51.3328.0 - and for some reason EazyLink is now happy.

Making a Z88 to PC Lead When Cambridge advertised their Z88 - PC Link we all thought it was a lot of money to pay for the cable. I made up a cable and discovered it was not as easy as I first thought. Even now, people are still making the same mistake as I did back then. I invite you to not to buy a standard 9 way to 9 way cable. It may physically fit, but the wire connections are different. It will not work, or not burn your fingers with a soldering iron or can't fit the plug into the Z88 after fitting the cover or use the wrong circuit diagram to wire up the lead. There are several of them shown on different web sites. PLEASE save yourself all this hassle - buy the cable. The following conversation was taken off a Z88 site. I have transferred various files types on my z88 to a PC. The other day, I wanted to do the inverse process for the first time.		I wasn't able. I tried the Z88XPort program and the MS DOS command, without good results. The z88 complains about "Poor data received". Have you checked serial settings? Reset turns Xon/Xoff back on, make sure it's turned off. Yes the problem is that I am able to send a file from the z88 to the PC, but not in the inverse direction. As Vic points out it is likely a cable problem. So, is it possible to have a cable allowing transferring to the PC but failing when transferring to the z88 ? I'm using a Compaq PC Laptop with Windows98. Z88-Xport needs a working hardware flow control. Z88 RTS needs to be connected to PC CTS. See Help, Cable for the full pin out. Xon/Xoff is ignored so doesn't matter. The cable I am using is a self-made one. I have followed the wirings given in the z88 book: Thank you everybody. I've re-wired my link cable, so everything works now. It's a shame I saw that wiring scheme before yours. :-D

Z88 to PC Lead & 9/25 adapter The Z88 to PC Lead consists of the moulded 9 way plug that fits into the Z88 correctly and has a 25 way female connector for the PC's COM port (which was the standard connector when the Z88 came out). Most computers now have a 9 way plug for the COM.1 serial port. An adapter lead (9-25 way) is also suplied. This is used on the PC end. If the cable you have has a 25 way male connector - it is the serial printer cable, you cannot use it for the PC,		Some users have been tempted to 'build their own' only to find that the cover that fits over the plug stops the plug from fitting into the Z88 correctly. If you really want to do it yourself make sure you use a moulded plug with the locking screws removed to fit into the Z88 and have the correct connections (it is not a standard cable) - or better still just buy this correct cable.
No Serial Port on PC?		USB Serial Adapter should work, as long as Windows sees it as a serial port you should be OK. The trick is to look up which com port the PC has allocated it to and let the program you are using know which com port it has used! Available on the web. Click here to search on Google.

Z88 Computer Links & OZ 4.3 upgrade *

Description	Price	VAT	Total
Amiga Link (Sector Software)	�25.00	�5.00	�30.00
Archimedes Link (Lindis)	�25.00	�5.00	�30.00
Arc Link inc. Z88, WP2/3 & NC100 (S & S)	�40.83	�8.17	�49.00
Archimedes Link PipeDream (Colton)	�34.00	�6.80	�40.80
Atari ST Link -Use Z-TERM, PC AT Cable and Terminal software on Atari
BBC-Link (Cambridge)	�8.95	�1.79	�10.74
Mac-Link (Cambridge)	�25.00	�5.00	�30.00
USB Serial Adapter for MAC with Mac-Link (Cambridge) FREE	�69.00	�13.80	�82.80
Mac Link inc.. Z88, WP2/3 & NC100 (S&S)	�39.00	�7.80	�46.80
PC AT 9/25 way Serial Cable	�12.50	�2.50	�15.00
PC AT 9 way extension Serial Cable	�9.00	�1.80	�10.80
PC-Link 2 (Cambridge)	�29.17	�5.83	�35.00
RangerLink 2 (Ranger)	�29.17	�5.83	�35.00
PC L 2 /EazyLink	�50.00	�10.00	�60.00
PC Link 2 to EazyLink upgrade	�29.17	�5.83	�35.00
* EazyLink or OZ 4.3 upgrade	�25.00	�5.00	�30.00
PC Link 2 to EazyLink upgrade (ROM only for MAC users)	�8.33	�1.67	�10.00
MAC Link or PC-Link 2 ROM only (Cambridge)	�20.00	�4.00	�24.00
QL Link (Sector Software)	�25.00	�5.00	�30.00
Z88 to Z88 Link Cable	�12.50	�2.50	�15.00
zTape Cassette Tape Backup & lead	�50.00	�10.00	�60.00
z-TERM Software (Wordmongers)	�41.67	�8.33	�50.00

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