Some users of the MBC-1, have experienced a compatibility problem while trying to connect to the MBC-1 using the HyperTerminal program. The issue usually occurs when the HyperTerminal communications settings are set incorrectly. Specifically, the 3-wire serial cable described in the documentation requires that “flow control” is set to either “none” or “software”, preferably none. The 3-wire serial cable does not provide the signals needed for hardware flow control.
The COM ports on some computers compensate for this and will work no matter what setting is used for flow control. Others will not work at all. When the later occurs, the only known solution is to use software other than HyperTerminal.
There are several freeware terminal emulation software programs available. A search of your favorite download site should turn up at least a few options. Tera Term Pro is a no-frills software terminal that supports direct serial connections. It is easy to install and the default settings work fine to connect with the MBC-1.
If you use Tera Term Pro, the only program adjustment necessary is to select the "Serial" option and the COM Port that is appropriate for your computer on the "New connection" window that opens after Tera Term loads.
If you need a non-Windows, Tiny Term is an extremely small DOS based terminal. This piece of software is definately from another time but it is amazing in its own little way. The entire program is a 36K DOS executable. The ZIP file is all of 44K. Just unzip it and run. Use the command Alt-C to configure the terminal options.
