User Guide

38400 baud rate settings

for optimum performance.

This selection only sets

the rate of communication

between the computer and

the modem if a modem is

being used. Even though

many modems do not sup-

port actual baud rates

higher than 14400, it is still better to choose a 38400 baud rate if your UART

will support it. This lets the program spend less time communicating with

the modem, thus improving the frame rate. If you’re unsure of the type of

UART your machine has, you can try selecting the 38400 baud rate option;

the program will tell you if it does not detect a 16550 UART.

Descent requires a modem that is capable of at least 9600 baud with an

error correction protocol (v.42 bis is preferable). Data compression is also

helpful, and should be enabled in the modem. The modem should respond to

a drop in the DTR control line by hanging up the modem. Fortunately, most

modern modems have these settings as their factory defaults.

If you receive good performance at 9600 baud or above when using your

modem for things like online services, no special initialization string should

be necessary to run Descent (ATZ should work). If your modem is something

more exotic, you may want to use the initialization string AT&F1 to reset the

modem to factory defaults; this setting should work great with Descent.

INTERPLAY