Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekcae!kurtk
From: kurtk@tekcae.TEK.COM (Kurt Krueger)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: 4014 stuff
Message-ID: <1652@tekcae.TEK.COM>
Date: 25 Apr 88 17:31:12 GMT
References: <206300001@prism> <2007@rtech.UUCP>
Reply-To: kurtk@tekcae.UUCP (Kurt Krueger)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 33

>Does anybody know how to erase a point once plotted on a 
>tektronics 4014 machine? I am looking for a solution in C
 Tektronix  (I'm sensitive about our spelling)
         ^

Sorry, can't be done.  The 4014 employs a special screen phosphor that is a
storage element (the machine has no RAM, the RAM is the screen).  Actually it
is more like an EROM in that you have to erase the whole thing at once.

The 4014 is kind of old stuff now, but consider that the storage screen
technology was invented when memory was about a buck a bit.  The 4014 has
4096x3120 = 13million pixels (approx).  It still holds the record for
displayed resolution.  We've got a lot of folks around here that keep their
4014's next to their color 4207's because they don't want to give up that
super high resolution graphics, even if it's only monochrome.

Incidently, the 4014 has what is called a "write through" mode.  Graphics
displayed in write thru is not stored, but it is necessary for the host
machine to keep refreshing it.  You are severely limited in how much you
can refresh due to 9600 baud limitations.  If you've got the fancy interface,
you can go to 19200 baud (but you MUST use the hardware flagging because the
4014 cannot generate alpha characters at 19200 and (as stated before) it has
no RAM).

Later models had a refresh buffer option.  This used the write thru feature,
but the memory and refresh ciruitry was in the 4014.  Not too many of these
were sold, TEK went to raster scan shortly after this option came out.

Hope this is of some help.  I've traded my 4014 for a 4115 and no
longer have any manuals.


Note: Some follow up postings have referred to erasing points on 4014 emulators.
      The 4014 has no such capability.