ASYNCHRONUS DATA-LINK

PROTOCOLS
Asynchronous data-link protocols - are relatively
simple, character-oriented protocols generally
used on two-point networks using asynchronous
data and asynchronous modems. Asynchronous
protocols, such as XMODEM and YMODEM, are
commonly used to facilitate communications
between two personal computers over the
public switched telephone network.
XMODEM

In 1979, a man named Ward Christiensen

developed the first file transfer protocol designed to
facilitate transferring data between two personal
computers (PCs) over the public switched
telephone network. Christiansen’s protocol is now
called XMODEM. XMODEM is a relatively simple
data-link protocol intended for low-speed
applications. Although XMODEM was designed to
provide communications between two PCs, it can
also be used between a PC and a mainframe or
host computer.
XMODEM specifies a half-duplex stop-and-wait
protocol using a data frame comprised of four
fields. The frame format for XMODEM contains four
fields as shown in Figure 4. The four fields for
XMODEM are the SOH field, header field, data field,
and error-detection field.
The first field of an XMODEM frame is simply a one-
byte start of heading (SOH) field. SOH is a data-link
control character that is used to indicate the
beginning of a header. Headers are used for
conveying system information, such as the message
number. SOH simply indicates that the next byte is
the first byte of the header. The second field is a
two-byte sequence that is the actual header for the
frame.
The first header byte is called the sequence number,
as it contains the number of the current frame being
transmitted. The second header byte is simply the 2-
s complement of the first byte, which is used to verify
the validity of the first header byte (this is sometimes
called complementary redundancy). The next field
is the information field, which contains the actual
user data. The information field has a maximum
capacity of 128 bytes (e.g., 128 ASCII characters).
The last field of the frame is an eight-bit CRC frame
check sequence, which is used for error detection.
Data transmission and control are quite simple with
the XMODEM protocol—too simple for most modern-
day data communications networks. The process of
transferring data begins when the destination
station sends a NAK character to the source station.
Although NAK is the acronym for a negative
acknowledgment, when transmitted by the
destination station at the beginning of an XMODEM
data transfer, it simply indicates that the destination
station is ready to receive data.
After the source station receives the initial NAK
character, it sends the first data frame and then
waits for an acknowledgment from the destination
station. If the data are received without errors, the
destination station responds with an ACK character
(positive acknowledgment).
If the data is received with errors, the destination
station responds with a NAK character, which calls
for a retransmission of the data. After the originate
station receives the NAK character, it retransmits the
same frame. Each Data-Link Protocols and Data
Communications Networks 221 time the destination
station receives a frame, it responds with either a
NAK or an ACK, depending on whether a
transmission error has occurred.
If the source station does not receive an ACK or
NAK after a predetermined length of time, it
retransmits the last frame. A timeout is treated the
same as a NAK. When the destination station wishes
to prematurely terminate a transmission, it inserts a
cancel (CAN) character.
YMODEM

YMODEM is a file transfer protocol used

between microcomputers connected
together using modems. YMODEM was
developed by Chuck Forsberg as the
successor to XMODEM and MODEM7, and
was first implemented in his CP/M YAM
program. It was formally given the name
"YMODEM" in 1985 by Ward Christensen.
YMODEM is a protocol similar to XMODEM
except with the following exceptions:
1. The information field has a maximum
capacity of 1024 bytes.

2. Two CAN characters are required to

abort a transmission.
3. ITU-T-CRC 16 is used to calculate the
frame check sequence.

4. Multiple frames can be sent in succession

and then acknowledged with a single ACK
or NAK character