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Chapter 3
X/YMODEM Protocol Reference 10-27-87 9
4. XMODEM PROTOCOL ENHANCEMENTS
This chapter discusses the protocol extensions to Ward Christensen's 1982
XMODEM protocol description document.
The original document recommends the user be asked whether to continue
trying or abort after 10 retries. Most programs no longer ask the
operator whether he wishes to keep retrying. Virtually all correctable
errors are corrected within the first few retransmissions. If the line is
so bad that ten attempts are insufficient, there is a significant danger
of undetected errors. If the connection is that bad, it's better to
redial for a better connection, or mail a floppy disk.
4.1 Graceful Abort
The YAM and Professional-YAM X/YMODEM routines recognize a sequence of two
consecutive CAN (Hex 18) characters without modem errors (overrun,
framing, etc.) as a transfer abort command. This sequence is recognized
when is waiting for the beginning of a block or for an acknowledgement to
a block that has been sent. The check for two consecutive CAN characters
reduces the number of transfers aborted by line hits. YAM sends eight CAN
characters when it aborts an XMODEM, YMODEM, or ZMODEM protocol file
transfer. Pro-YAM then sends eight backspaces to delete the CAN
characters from the remote's keyboard input buffer, in case the remote had
already aborted the transfer and was awaiting a keyboarded command.
4.2 CRC-16 Option
The XMODEM protocol uses an optional two character CRC-16 instead of the
one character arithmetic checksum used by the original protocol and by
most commercial implementations. CRC-16 guarantees detection of all
single and double bit errors, all errors with an odd number of error
bits, all burst errors of length 16 or less, 99.9969% of all 17-bit error
bursts, and 99.9984 per cent of all possible longer error bursts. By
contrast, a double bit error, or a burst error of 9 bits or more can sneak
past the XMODEM protocol arithmetic checksum.
The XMODEM/CRC protocol is similar to the XMODEM protocol, except that the
receiver specifies CRC-16 by sending C (Hex 43) instead of NAK when
requesting the FIRST block. A two byte CRC is sent in place of the one
byte arithmetic checksum.
YAM's c option to the r command enables CRC-16 in single file reception,
corresponding to the original implementation in the MODEM7 series
programs. This remains the default because many commercial communications
programs and bulletin board systems still do not support CRC-16,
especially those written in Basic or Pascal.
XMODEM protocol with CRC is accurate provided both sender and receiver
Chapter 4 XMODEM Protocol Enhancements
X/YMODEM Protocol Reference 10-27-87 10