TerminalUSB with John Galt's changes

[Tom Lake]

I have lost the source code to TerminalUSB with John Galt's changes and can't find it on the forum. Can someone repost it?

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Which terminal?  For the Geoff Graham/Gary Kaufman ASCII VT-100 terminal, or something else?  

I have the PIC chip .HEX file for the  Geoff Graham/Gary Kaufman ASCII VT-100 terminal posted:  

http://www.brainless.org/Altair/Repository.html  

Just do a simple "Ctrl-F" search on the page for "terminal" and you'll find it.  

.

[Tom Lake]

Thanks. I already have that but I was looking for the C source so I can compile it myself. I found the original online without John Galt's changes and in a message I posted

I listed the changes to be made (both his and mine) so I'm all set now.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

I think you'd have to get the source from John.  I don't think he ever published the source code.  

.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Will the modified VGA32 be able to replace the Geoff Terminal for the VT-100 Escape code graphics with all the BASIC programs we have now and future?  

.

On Sunday, January 1, 2023 at 4:28:47 PM UTC-8 John Galt wrote:

i stopped messing with the Geoff Terminal because of the VGA32

i had different plans for the Geoff terminal and didn't want to load it up with tons of escape codes.

PSET is the same as setting a line to the same point so it was redundant and i planned a different use for addition codes.

but i abandoned the project since the VGA32 is even more powerful.

[Tom Lake]

But Geoff's ASCII Terminal is built into the AD Pro so I'm using that for now. I have a VGA32 but haven't really investigated it yet.

On Sunday, January 1, 2023 at 7:28:47 PM UTC-5 John Galt wrote:

i stopped messing with the Geoff Terminal because of the VGA32

i had different plans for the Geoff terminal and didn't want to load it up with tons of escape codes.

PSET is the same as setting a line to the same point so it was redundant and i planned a different use for addition codes.

but i abandoned the project since the VGA32 is even more powerful.

On Sunday, January 1, 2023 at 2:17:06 PM UTC-5 r4r...@gmail.com wrote:

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

That's the current problem with the VGA32 terminal.  I have mine tied to an Altair 8800c computer.  I have a KVM switch on order so I can switch between the Geoff Graham/Gary Kaufman ASCII VT-100 terminal and the FabGL VGA32 terminal as needed, but it would be nice to have a simple way to flip between the two terminals on an Altair-Duino too.  

Currently, I think the FabGL might be a candidate to make a new Altair-Duino I/O board ... maybe even one that can host both terminal emulators.  There's certainly plenty of room inside my Altair-Duino Pro for a much larger board, although I'd just want to get a new kit with a new I/O board so I can keep the two machines I have setup as they are (Altair-Duino Pro #1 is External I/O and DAZZLER setup and .  Altair-Duino Pro #2 is Processor Technology Sol-20 setup.)  

I'm still hoping to eventually get an Altair-Duino Pro "B" model too.  

. 

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

There is also an Altair 8800 emulation in the firmware you can load up already.  Perhaps with a board similar to this one, a new Altair-ESP32 could be built with the front panel switches and LEDs?  

https://www.tindie.com/products/fabgl/fabgl-esp32-board-16mb-flash-4-mb-psram-33v-io/#product-description

I have some blanks coming in the mail for this project:  

https://hackaday.io/project/181583-uterm2-s-a-multi-emulation-color-rs232-terminal

(The blanks should have been hear weeks ago, but somehow my address got messed up on the box and it was sent back to the factory, they told me about the problem just a couple of days ago and so it's back in the mail ... hopefully I'll have them soon.)  

Seems, it wouldn't take much more access to maybe five GPIO PINs that are multiplexed I/O to run the Status LEDs, Data LEDs, Address LEDs, Sense Switches and Control Switches ... 

Update the Altair 8080 firmware to use those GPIO PINs, add microSD card .DSK support for four drives (preferably 2.8MB or more capacities.)  I hate running out of space on my FDDs.  I've managed to find several MBs of MBASIC compatible programs, and as I learn to program in MBASIC I even need more space for my own programs.  

.

On Sunday, January 1, 2023 at 8:04:36 PM UTC-8 John Galt wrote:

the VGA32 has a built in SD connector so with work I'm sure it could be used as a Geoff replacement. all the source code is available if somebody wants to make a port. you can also install a 9 pin serial connector on the VGA32 board.

if you want to easily connect a VGA32 to the Altair Pro Due just install the TXL/RXL hack that is shown in the manual and David has spoken about on here. you will need 4 wires.

2 wires connected to the DUE after removing the TXL/RXL LEDS then a ground and 5V power taken from some DUE pins. you can then install a Serial convertor and enable the TXL/RXL in the firmware.

this gives you another true 9 pin serial port which you can have installed on the rear of the case for easy access.

then just connect the VGA32 via serial and remap it as your primary display, its a clean install. this is how my Altair Pro is setup i still have the Geoff terminal installed and i use it for the SD and Port B 9 pin.

the primary display is now remapped to the VGA32 and i have a ps/2 mouse and keyboard installed in the given ports on the VGA32.

you can easily switch back and forth between the Geoff and VGA32 but you will need a VGA switch and a serial port switch. you will then have to reconfigure the Configure menu each time you want to go back and forth.

keep in mind there is no official software for the Geoff all current programs for the Geoff can easily be switched to the VGA32 as mostly you have a few math plotting formula programing using it.

having the VGA32 installed as i do does not take away from the number of current ports you have in fact your adding a new serial port, its a glorious upgrade in fact.

as far as emulating the Geoff its pointless you have more functionality with the VGA32 and correct VT-100 support. you can easily plot in the same mono color or have full 64 color access to use as you want.

this is why i stopped developing Geoff changes as this is much better. you will never go back to the Geoff once you see what the VGA32 can do and the mouse and cursor key support makes wordstar amazing.

in the old days i would have a massive 5 way switch that allowed vga, serial keyboard and mouse switching between computers you can buy one of those but its a waste of desktop space.

you  can follow my progress messing with the VGA32 graphics in:

https://groups.google.com/g/altair-duino/c/ajHnHReFGg4

due to how serial escape codes work you can't render a huge picture very quickly, however the VGA32 supports a slew of primitives' and sprites. allowing for game and application creation.

you can do more with the Dazzler but at 128x128 resolution you can't get much out of it and mostly you would use 64x64 mode.

Tom once you go to the VGA32 you won't want to go back to the Geoff terminal :-)

[fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com]

I use CP/NET ... my server has a terabyte of available space (that is a LOT of MBASIC). About the only thing that does NOT work on CP/NET is dBase ][ -- that one objects... everything else appears fine with CP/NET. Except the reduced TPA.  As to terminal emulation... I still prefer XTERM with ReGIS (or 4010) . The ReGIS (VK100) was released in 1982, so is "period correct".  The 4010 is 1972, and so is even more "period correct". When I get time (and that is very precious for me now) I will try some MBASIC examples for 4010 or ReGIS.

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

I got ten blank boards in the mail today ... 

https://hackaday.io/project/181583-uterm2-s-a-multi-emulation-color-rs232-terminal

IF you're interested in one, I have at least five spares.  

.

[fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com]

I can post an "unload" utility that I use with CP/NET 1.2. As to drive... CP/NET server is at BDOS level, not BIOS so a terabyte drive works perfectly well. You can put ALL drives in the server, and that effectively (no BDOS or local BIOS) can give you a much larger TPA. Never did that...

On Monday, January 2, 2023 at 2:55:16 PM UTC-5 John Galt wrote:

I used CP/NET for a little while. The reduced TPA really became an issue for me. How did you map a terabyte of space for CP/NET? as i thought you were limited to the preset drive limits with the largest being a single 512meg drive?

Wordstar 4 will not work under CP/NET either, TPA too small.

[fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com]

John: here is the hex file for CPNETUNL.COM (do LOAD CPNETUNL). Then, use CPNETUNL to unload CP/NET 1.2 (this is the version I have tried). This never existed in source form... directly entered with DDT. Only tested with CP/M 2.2 and CP/NET 1.2

So... You can switch back and forth between networked and local CP/M. Yes, diskless configurations were also supported with CP/NET, and these should result in the largest TPA! The idea is that the entire BDOS request is sent to the server, so the local system only has terminal and network driver... no BDOS or BIOS. The CCP used is the relocatable one supplied by CP/NET. And, yes, this is possible.  I haven't done it.

I like having local disks and using CPNETUNL to unload networking for larger TPA needs (HiTech C for example).

:100100002A06002E00E51128021936C9E111FD0169
:1001100019CD1701C30000E9000000000000000035
:1001200000000000000000000000000000000000CF
:1001300000000000000000000000000000000000BF
:1001400000000000000000000000000000000000AF
:10015000000000000000000000000000000000009F
:10016000000000000000000000000000000000008F
:10017000000000000000000000000000000000007F
:00000001FF