Mike if you're looking to retirement to have time for these projects; I've been retired for three years; just now trying to make a little time to pursue things like this!
Sent from my iPhone > On May 20, 2015, at 11:57 AM, Mike Stein <[email protected]> wrote: > > Swamped with work at the moment, but retirement's just around the corner so > hope to have some time to get back to this soon; I'll be in touch if/when. > > Thanks! > > m > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Gmail > To: Model 100 Discussion > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 2:52 PM > Subject: Re: [M100] TDock > > Hey Mike, > > I don't know that I have "magic pointers" so much, but I do have working > assembly code that redirects it to the printer port. > > Ken > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On May 20, 2015, at 10:44 AM, MikeS <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi Ken, >> >> Regarding the display speed, I guess we'd have to try it but most of the >> old-time terminals generally ran pretty well at 9600bd or less (a Linux tty >> would be equivalent); the M100's local display routines aren't the speediest >> anyway (especially scrolling). >> >> FWIW 8x40 works quite well displayed with a terminal program at 19200 >> (either VT100 or Heath emulations were the closest IIRC), and scrolling >> would/should presumably be local in the remote 'display controller' and not >> involve the BT link. >> >> The "(internal)" BT was meant as a fairly trivial optional mod for tinkerers >> to make for a neater package, but the P&P BlueM or equivalent would do just >> fine. >> >> Yes, to display the M100 on an external display I just redirect the >> appropriate RST 7 hook to the com port with a simple poke, but couldn't find >> any built-in way to correctly handle 80x25 (especially the 25) mode and its >> various related cursor and screen control codes; I was hoping you had some >> magic pointers to fully implement SCREEN 1 (?) mode but redirectable to COM: >> instead of sending it out over the bus. Might have to revisit this some day. >> >> Of course the only real downside to using the serial port for the BT link to >> 'everything' is that it ties up the port so you couldn't use the M100 as an >> 80 column terminal, for example, but possibly you could make the >> data/display connections within the remote device; guess at this point we're >> reinventing John's tablet/smartphone solution... >> >> Maybe a $40.00 tablet with some software is the answer after all... ;-) >> >> m >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Ken Pettit >> To: Model 100 Discussion >> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 12:49 PM >> Subject: Re: [M100] TDock >> >> Hey Mike, >> >> I suppose you could use serial port + Bluetooth to drive an 80x25 character >> display. But I wonder how slow it would be to do scrolling, etc. I was >> already worried about how slow a parallel port implementation would be >> relative to a true system bus connection. And I think the tricky part about >> what you said is the word "internal" as it relates to Bluetooth. Most >> people don't want to take their machines apart and take a soldering iron to >> them, myself included and I even have the skills to do it (or at least I >> tell myself I do ;) >> >> As far as the how, the SysROM has multiple RST 7 hooks for sending >> characters to the LCD. And it uses RAM variables to record the current >> screen dimensions (which are initialized to 40x8). Redirecting to anything >> other than the internal LCD (i.e. DVI system bus, parallel port, serial >> port, etc.) requires installing a relatively small .CO program and RST7 >> hooks to intercept the data going to the LCD. And BASIC has a WIDTH command >> for setting the width to either 40 or 80. But the WIDTH command will fail >> unless you have actually installed a RST7 hook to handle it. >> >> Ken >> >>> On Wed, May 20, 2015 at 9:09 AM, MikeS <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: Gmail >>> To: Model 100 Discussion >>> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 11:22 AM >>> Subject: Re: [M100] TDock >>> >>> Ken, >>> >>> Tell me more! >>> >>> Pretty well everything that's being discussed is already available today; >>> connect to an old laptop via Bluetooth and you've got your display >>> interface, USB/SD/HD storage, WiFi etc. If that $9.00 SBC becomes a reality >>> it should be able to do the same thing, sort of a wireless super-NADSbox.. >>> >>> That's the way I'd go, a separately powered portable standalone device >>> linked to the ModelT via (internal) Bluetooth. >>> >>> When I put the M100's display up on the big screen TV it was usually for >>> playing M100 format text games and puzzles while reclining on the couch so >>> 80 column mode wasn't really an issue for me, but I did investigate the 80 >>> column screen mode a bit way back when with no success. >>> >>> I then assumed it was part of the DVI DOS but I gather it's actually >>> included in the basic BASIC; any hints about how to get at it, preferably >>> redirecting out the serial port? >>> >>> And of course then there's the issue of drawing graphics on an 80x25 >>> equivalent display... ;-) >>> >>> m >>> >>> ---------------- >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Hi Bob, >>> >>> >>> Actually no ROM changes are needed. The existing ROM already supports >>> 80x25 text mode displays (though not for the MENU program). >>> >>> >>> Ken >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On May 20, 2015, at 7:18 AM, Bob Pigford <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >>> I agree with Van and others: TDOCK needs to be a Dock (not portable) and >>> may be powered with a wall wart. For me, an 80 X 25 display would be the >>> ultimate goal, not just duplicating the ModelT screen on a larger display. >>> For instance, I think one might already be able to run VirtualT on a >>> Raspberry Pi and have a virtual ModelT on a larger screen, but what is the >>> point in that. >>> >>> I want to have the great ModelT keyboard, serial & parallel ports, etc, on >>> my desk while looking at a full screen of characters. The hardest part of >>> that might be the changes to the ROM. I will point out that Steve鈥檚 REX >>> can be operated in ROM replacement mode such that a custom modified 鈥渟oft鈥� >>> ROM (adjusted for 80 X 25 display) can be used without actually creating or >>> requiring a new physical ROM. >>> >>> SD card storage in TDOCK would also be terrific freeing the serial port for >>> BlueM. >>> >>> I think that HDMI may be the best video solution for TDOCK, and there are >>> many small HDMI screen choices available. For example, see >>> http://www.adafruit.com/category/63 >>> If you only have a VGA screen, then an HDMI to VGA adapter could be used. >>> I am doing this now with a RPi and a VGA screen. >>> >>> I think that Wifi and internet connectivity delivered directly from TDOCK >>> might be way down the road, but Ken鈥檚 initial design could allow design >>> 鈥渟pace鈥� for that later enhancement. >>> >>> As to Ken鈥檚 question about I/O capability (like A/D and digital pins), that >>> would be nice but not necessary. If you want to touch the real world of >>> sensors, motors, and the like, a serial connection to an Arduino will >>> suffice (cheap hardware and easier programming on the ModelT end). Of >>> course, if a Raspberry Pi were to be used as the engine under the TDOCK >>> hood, I/O pins and HDMI are already there, as well as USB ports for add-ons >>> like Wifi. >>> >>> >>> \
