INP
===

Command
-------

**INP** [n filename]

Explaination
------------

Inputs a file via the serial port.

Examples
--------

INP can be used to load files in either Intel Hex format, with checksums
etc., or as 8-bit data but without any error checking. The second method
of loading is, however, faster than using Intel Hex.

Loading Intel Hex files
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Files to be loaded must be in Intel Hex format, see 
:doc:`../../appendix/hex-data-format`. If they are command files,
overlay files or data files etc., this is achieved with a standard
utility reproduced in 
:doc:`../../appendix/demonstration-programs/program-4-unload`.

Typing INP readies HUNTER to receive data, which is put into RAM page 0.
the data is not written directly to into a file. When completed the
number of 56 byte blocks loaded is displayed. It may be copied to a file
using the :doc:`save` command, or if it is a program, executed
with the :doc:`execute` command.

Loading 8-bit format
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Data is loaded directly into a specified file in blocks of 256 bytes.
The format of the command is:

INP n filename

For example a 14k overlay file:

::

   >INP 56 OVERLAY1.OVR

The communications must have parity set to 8-bit and SERIG (Serial
ignore character) set to off.

The number of blocks must be specified because there is no end of file
character. If too many blocks are expected, the screen will display
'waiting', and reception may be terminated with 'ESC'.

Remarks
-------

When HUNTER is loading data the following messages will appear on the
screen:

::

   >WAITING
   >LOADING
   >WAITING
   >LOADING
   .
   .
   .
   .

HUNTER responds to each pause in transmission with a 'WAITING' message
to indicate that data is not being received.

On completion of Hex loading the number of 256 byte blocks now in memory
is displayed.

The number of blocks, n, can be overspecified, for instance:

INP 100 filename

will load most files. Only the number of blocks actually required will
be used following termination by 'ESC'.

The number of blocks is calculated by:

1 block = 256 bytes

1K bytes = 4 blocks

.. Warning::

   Because INP clears the receive comms buffer to remove
   spurious data when it is invoked, it is important to ensure that the
   HUNTER is ready to receive before the transmitting device begins to
   SEND.