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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Firmware Wish List
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stuarts Senior Member  Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 199 |
Mik, I'd second that Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. |
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donmck Guru  Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1313 |
So what we are saying is if VGA screen locates were extended via USB to the PC terminal emulator software, using standard vt100 or ANSI escape codes, then we would see the nice little graphics display on the PC screen, that we had running on the VGA monitor last night. Is that what you doodes are on about? So the Wish question goes something like this: Wish 22: vt100 escape codes for screen locates, sent to the PC screen. Did I pass? And that is why I was confused over the CLS command, that we discussed yesterday. Cheers Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
In fact, if I type PRINT CHR$(27);"[2J" into the terminal programme connected to the Maximite via USB, it does indeed clear the screen. I'm using TeraTerm. On the VGA monitor, it prints [2J. I think we'd need either of two things: send ANSI escape codes *only* to the USB port, or make the ANSI escape codes system wide. I'm in favour of the latter. regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
Not quite... Graphics (pixel on/off) wont happen with putty but text can be located around the screen correctly... Maybe... It is possible that some smart bloke (or Shiela) out there can write a `front end' terminal that could be supported in a future firmware release that outputs pixel information but I am sure that is way down the development track But your wish list is right. Mik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
ANSI s probably more appropriate and fairly wide spread in the PC community.. I would go with that. Mik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
For those unfamiliar with the ANSI screen codes, check this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code Regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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| donmck Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1313 |
Just beat me to it Mick, I have to agree with Bob. Wish 22: ANSI escape codes system wide. (O/P to VGA & PC Screen) I did a little note for newbies there. http://www.themaximitecomputer.com/wish-list-priority-level- poll/ Up there now. That should suit you also Stuart? Cheers Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
Gee!! 4 votes in 8 minutes might make it the leading WISH.. mik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
Even though many of the ANSI codes are colour related, there's still enough other codes to be very useful for creating fancy screens. Regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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| BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
If we're going to have the ANSI escape codes, then it would be useful to have the extended character set which includes various icon-type characters as well as lines, double lines, corners etc. These are usually in the upper 256 bytes of the character map. I know Geoff was talking about implementing a FONT command. I don't know how he would do that, but perhaps load the font, use some characters from it, then revert back to the built-in one? Regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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| BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
Interesting discovery: While on the subject of screen codes, I typed the following line into the Maximite using its attached PS/2 keyboard: FOR X=32 to 255: PRINT CHR$(X);:NEXT X On the VGA monitor, I get one line starting with the space, and ending with the ~ character. On the PC screen (using TeraTerm) I get two lines, the second has the extended codes such as line drawing, accents and the like. Strange behaviour. Why the discrepancy, I wonder? Regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
Bob, I think you will find the VGA does 2 lines but all of the chrs from 127 to 255 are BLANK and not defined... Tera Term presumably has standard IBM codes for those Chars. Mik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| donmck Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1313 |
Geez, this is really trying me out. The XT-AT Handbook: For Engineers, Programmers, and other Serious PC/XT and PC/AT Users. 1991 Edition 3. By Annabooks. Page 71. ASCII control codes. Hex, Dec, and Control key. Page 72. screen codes. Page 76. Line drawing chr codes. This was my little bible 20 years ago. Who needed Google? I was also selling it. Was a good seller. Mick, Stuart, you remember this book? http://www.annabooks.com/ Crikey, they are still in business. I now have at my fingertips a nice little handbook with all the data I need for now. Shows me what characters to use for boxes, squares etc. We went crazy in the DOS days with this stuff. Cheers Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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| BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
Mik, No, the VGA monitor only prints one line, no blanks, just no output at all. here's a screen shot: 
Regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Yeah thats normal. The Maximite doesn't know how to draw the characters after 126 (~), so you see blanks. They are there, you just dont see them, cause they are blank. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| BobDevries Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266 |
Sorry to tell you you're wrong, Glen. If I add the command PRINT"hello" directly after the for next loop, the word "hello" is printed directly after the tilde (~) character. No evidence of any blanks. Regards, Bob Devries Dalby, QLD, Australia |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
In that basis I would suggest that they just print "NULL" which would not print anything or take up any space....so they print 128 NULLS . Cu. Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
Yep! I think it was I who put you onto it... in anycase I think I have a version 5 lying around here somewhere. Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| stuarts Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 199 |
Mik and co, ANSI suits me fine. As long as we all settle on the same thing. The extended characters would be nice. Stuart Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. |
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Jimbo Newbie  Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 8 |
In the interest of TRS-80 / System 80 basic compatability, I implemented the TRS-80 graphics character set. This extended graphics set divided each character into six, giving 2^6 or 64 graphics characters ranging from blank chr$(128) to full white block chr$(191). (See the screen shot attached) These chunky graphics can set the video memory faster than pixel, by pixel, but can be mixed with the pixel/pset/preset commands. Just like in the good old TRS-80/System-80 days. 
Just as a side not, in extending the character set, I found that the source code for the stock firmware doesn't output characters greater than ~ ASCI(126) to the VGA buffer at all. Since they have no font defined for them it skips them. Hope this helps Jimbo |
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