Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site tekred.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekred!ronbe From: ronbe@tekred.UUCP (Little Guy) Newsgroups: net.micro.trs-80 Subject: New, improved TERM program Message-ID: <342@tekred.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-May-85 14:24:21 EDT Article-I.D.: tekred.342 Posted: Mon May 20 14:24:21 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 22-May-85 02:04:42 EDT Organization: The Hollow Tree Lines: 55 The TERM program I announced about a month and a half ago has been improved. The program will now work at baud rates above 300 (1200, maybe more, I haven't tried). If I mailed you the program, and you want the new version, let me know. Also, I've still got available the TRANSLAT program which converts Intel Hex to and from TRS-80 executable /CMD format. Unless you want source, I will mail the programs in Intel Hex format. Of course, I will have to send the source for TRANSLAT. Also available: DISASM disassembles memory or object files; DBUG improved debugger with built-in disassembly; and various other utilities for the Z-80 programmer. More about TERM: Running at 1200 baud, characters coming in were getting lost. I figured this was because the (slow) 2.5 MHz Z-80 in my Model III couldn't scroll the screen and handle other video control stuff fast enough to poll the RS-232 as often as it had to. The program has a much-thought-out printer spooler involved, and so I copied that algorithm and created a smaller circular buffer for characters received from the RS-232. Making some small patches into the system RAM, I created my own interrupt handler for receive character available, and buffered them in the circular buffer in real time. Once I had that going, I was disappointed to find that I was still losing characters. After digging into my disassembled ROM listing, I found that interrupts are disabled while doing screen handling. The perfect excuse to write my own screen handler! Mine does carriage return and line feed in the traditional manner without a kludge, as I had done before. Also, BELL (ascii 7) is sent to the printer since the Model III doesn't make noise. I also made tabs work without the previous kludge. All this, and much faster, too. No gobbledy gook contortions that the ROM routines go through. The bottom line is that no more characters are lost, even with the print spooler running and entering and exiting the command menu (automatic X-on/X-off). I can now dump a 50,000 character document to my printer at 1200 baud, be finished receiving it while the printer is still on page 3, end the connection, and let the printer finish the spooling off line without losing a character. The program also features upload and download capability in any ascii format. You want it? You got it. I'm giving it to anyone interested. In keeping with my own modesty, I've got to admit it's the best terminal program I've seen for the TRS-80. I've also got a termcap to make it work for UNIX (yes, that's a tradmark). Send me e-mail or a disk in USnail and I'll get copies off to anyone interested. These are copyrighted, meaning no money shall be made by anyone but me, but I'm not interested in making money. If you're into Z-80 I'm also willing to send sources for hacking. Ron Bemis 659 SW 29th St Redmond, OR 97756 -- New dictionary entries: recursion: see recursive recursive: see recursion ...tektronix!tekred!ronbe (Ron Bemis)