Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site tellab1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!tellab1!stuart From: stuart@tellab1.UUCP (Rick Stuart) Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm Subject: Re: "80 column" Message-ID: <857@tellab1.UUCP> Date: Fri, 21-Mar-86 18:54:56 EST Article-I.D.: tellab1.857 Posted: Fri Mar 21 18:54:56 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 24-Mar-86 00:37:14 EST References: <440@excalibur.UUCP> Reply-To: stuart@tellab1.UUCP (Rick Stuart) Distribution: net Organization: Tellabs, Inc., Lisle, IL Lines: 47 Keywords: 80 column C64 (TO: Simon Francis E) Fran... You can find a listing of an 80 column program in the September 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette. The article is on page 48 and the program starts on page 158. The program is 3660 bytes long and is all in machine code (so start typing now!). As you might know, the characters on a commodore 64 are displaied in a 8x8 grid pattern. In order to double the horz density of displaied characters, you need to use a 4x8 character format. This, howev- er, looks like latin on the best of monitors, and is how most software 80 column programs (like the one in Compute!'s Gazette) works. The alternative is to get a hardware fix. I really haven't priced 80 column hardware adapters, but I would think they would run about $70 to $120. Of course you need a monitor that can handle the increased band-width. Band-width roughly represents the number of dots displayable during a given amount of time. Color TV's have a band-width of about 3.5 MHz, B&W's are around 4.0 MHz and good monitors run about 12.0 MHz. A lit- tle math and you will find you need about 11.3 MHz worth of band-width to display 80 columns. 15720x80x6x(3/2) = 11.3 MHz where: 15720 - Horz Freq 80 - column 6 - dots/char (3/2) - total scan/displayed scan So in the end you need the hardware fix (about $100) and at least a 11.3 MHz monitor (about $100 for black & white or $400 for color). All together that's $200 for the B&W system and $500 for the color. One other point, I'm not certain but I think that most of these hardware 80 column adapters aren't in color anyway so save your money and get the B&W monitor. Have fun and good luck... Rick Stuart Tellabs Lisle, IL