$4.95 January 1990

EXPLORING THE POWER

OF

SINCLAIR COMPUTERS

m CAMBRIDGE Z88 Portable Power

HE SINCLAIR TIM TS-2068 Versatile Desk Topper

THE SINCLAIR QL 32 Bit Power House

In this issue. . .

* EXPLORING MS-DOS * LINKING (XMPOTERS * GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH EASEL * TS-2068 SPRITES * PASCAL * SLAVE PROCESSING * PLOTTING RADICALS * PRINTER SET OPS * REVIEWS- PC CONQUEROR - FLASH BACK * Z88 HINTS AND TIPS

PLUS- NEW ISSUE DISKS FOR BOffl IHE SINCLAIR QL ID IBE UPDATE MAGAZINE

1317 Stratford Ave. Panama City, FL 32404 904 871 3556

News and New Products

LKDOS SOFT-WARE

jiiimmnHHUi

LKDOS .

MAXCQM 300/1200 baud Ttrminal/BBS

This full ftatura modtm softwara Uls you tfftctlvly link tht modttn to tha disk, so you can upload or download flits larg«r than lOOK.Thls Itts you sand NMI savas and larga t«xt flits as wall as Basic or Coda flits, which od.tr modtm programs couldn't stnd btcaust of mtmory limitations. Also flits can bt stnt with or without a Information htadtr (Sptc-tsrm compatible) .

It also has a 64 column display and Is tht only 2068 modtm program that will run at full 1200 baud without missing characttrs. Qlhtr ftaturts of tha tarmlnal modi art IBM graphic charactars. auto-dlaltr. macro ktys, I10K disk bufftr for capturtd ttxt. auto rtptat ktya.

Iht BBS Is tht most tlahoratt nvallablt for tht 2068 and allows tha rtmott usar full acctss to tht disk drlvts similar to a CPM BBS. Ftaturts of tht BBS art - 300/1200 baud, optrallon with fast rtponct tvtn at 1200 baud. Passwords, priority Itvtls. Ust tlmt limits. Multlpla Mtssagt Basts. Uploads and Downloads art hot llmll.d by Mtmory. Dual Window Monitor scrttn. Inttrupt drlvtn tlmt out and Hangup prottcllon. Also Kttps a Usar log of callars Namts and Activity on disk so a prlntar Isnl nttdtd and Its taslly customlstd and txpandtd.

MAXCOM can bt ustd with tht 2050 modtm or with tha Z-SIO RS232 Intarfaca and a 300/1200 baud modtm. (a vtrslon for tht Atrco RS232 Is In tha works). PRICEi $24.95

LAftKEN DISK EDITOR

This program Itts you txamlnt or chahgt any bytt on a LKdos disk. It Is ustful In rtpairlng damagtd or glltchad disks, changing tht disk Nama or htad spttd ate. You can also txamlnt tht track map and disk Info

h*Th!rdocumtntatlon for tht disk tdltor also Includts Information on how to acctss LKdos from Machlnt Codt and Information on tbt structurt of tht disk catalog and data blocks. PniCE: $15.00

SEQUENTIAL/RANDOM Acctss FILES

This utility Is a ram rtsldtnt txttnslon to tht LKdos oparatlng systam and Itts you craata. rtad from, or wrlta to vary larga data flits ktpt on disk. It usas tha commands OPEN*. CLQSEll. PRINT*. INPUTl. and INKEYSjl to acctss tha flits from BASIC. Thtrt Is also a high spttd starch command for finding a ttxt string within tht data flit. Using tht TAB command, you can randomly acctss dlrtctly any racord In a flit.

Tht utility Is taslly usad within your basic programs and has a lot of usts. from storing larga data flits, crtatlng largt spall chtcktr dictionary* or tvtn converting you basic programs to an ascll ttxt Ola .

This utility Itts you takt tht limits off of tht data capacity of tht 2068 .Flits on disk can bt hug. I

A slmplt data bast program Is Includad on tht disk to dtmonslratt tht utility. PRICE« $ 15.00

Coming Soon from Larktn Elactronlcs

• • Tht Larkan Dtsk Top Publlshar Product high quality printing (Ilka this pagt ) with an tpson compatlbla prlnttr and LKdos. Tht tntlrt Hl-rts graphic paga Is ktpt on tht disk and scrolling though tht pagt Is as aasy as clicking tht joystick or moust on tht Icon typa manu. Taxt and Graphic tdltlng with multlpla slrtd fonts will also bt ftaturtd.

Sptll Chtcktr for Tasword and M-Scrlpt This utility program will Itt you havt your wordprocassor ttxt flits bt chtcktd by a 350K dictionary.

All Prlcas $US - Sptclfy typt of drlvt whtn ordtrlng. LARKEN ELECTRONICS F1RH2 NAVAN. QNTAniO CANADA. K4B-1H9 1 d,

(6131:835-2680

UPDATE WTCKZTW,

MOTIONS MM W QL EDITOR

1990 promises to be the best year yet for the QL. There are lots of new hardware and software products. Many serious QL users will buy hard disks. 24 pin printers are catching on. The Panasonic KXP-1124 (about $300) seems to be the most popular choice. The book QL Superbasic - The Definitive Handbook by Jan Jones is available again through QUANTA. I highly recommend it. On the software front there is a new PC Emulator, PC CDNQUERCR, by Digital Precision. We will be checking out in detail starting in this issue. Many QL users have already bought it and others are wondering if they should. The whole QL/PC connection is going to be covered extensively in UPDATE. TEXT87 continues to evolve as an alternative to Quill having many more extra features for those with 24 pin printers. I just released CHADS BUSTERS described elsewhere in this issue. There is a lot of interest in this utility software area. After all, this mess on our desks was created by the computer. We need the power of the computer to tackle it.

I just received the farewell issue of Quantum Levels. It hurts us to lose such a techically competent magazine. I'm impressed - that al 1 funds due the subscribers are being refunded. We certainly owe a lot to Tom Bent, Jeff Moore, and Basil Wentworth for their hard work and high standards. We hope that they will continue to play a role in Sinclair Computing with the QL. In the New World, Update seems to be the only magazine left reliably providing serious coverage of the QL. Since you are reading this you are probably a subscriber, but you can try getting other QL users to you know to subscribe. It is critical for us to feel a demand in the coming months to insure that UPDATE will continue to be published.. Also,' we each should support as many user groups as we can and become members of SNUG. If we fail to keep our main ccmnuni cations trunk alive we will all wither on the branches. Even with all its quirks the QL is a remarkably capable computer and it has many useful years ahead.

In this issue of Update we master PRINTING with QUILL. This is an area of immense confusion but Peter Hale guides us through how to configure the Quill software for printing. Next issue Bill Jones will explore the subject in more detail . Also in this issue I will explore plotting curves with EASEL, Bob Hartung will review PC CONQUEROR. He and Bill Jones will explore the concepts of Disk Operating Systems. Dave Youngquist reviews FLASHBACK and gives us a Superbasic program to put Directories in a file suitable for import to Flashback. Tim Stoddard provides the first part of a much needed User Guide for the Trump Card.

Next issue continues David McCall's series on Windows and another part of Tim's Trump Manual. I will begin reviewing PC verisons of the PSION suite with my Amstrad MS-DOS portable. 1990 should be a good year! Bill Cable.

SINCLAIR QL ISSUE DISKS (MDV)

The following new issue disks are offered for QL systems of all configurations. The programs are on either 80 track Diskette or MDV cartridge. If ordering for MDV send a formatted MDV cartridge. All prices are $22.00 (post paid) and are guaranteed to satisfy.

1. "HARTUNG COLLECTION" DISK

Address and QSO file managers, plus a raft of disk utilities. All in Superbasic. Lots of tricks and hints for the programmers . Requires some knowledge of Superbasic or a yen to learn.

2.. "FUG QLUTer" DISK

QLUTer - QL UTilities to un-cl utter your disks and tapes. COPY, DELETE, FORMAT, PRINT, VIEW functions. TURBO compiled for SPEED. Multi tasks and minimal key press. Also has-- SNAP SHOT - a directory column or condensed print out program. ALSO includes "VEGEMAT" - a CLONE making program.

3. "FfflG QLUSTer" DISK

QLUSTer - very similiar to QLUTer (above) but has extended functions using some SUPER TOOLKIT II features. You must have the Toolkit (TK2_EXT) for this program. SNAP SHOT and VEGEmat also included.

4. CABLE ARCHIVE DISK

ARCHIVE utilities and exensive doc file instruction manuals. Programs are: REFIEU), SCAN, SPLIT, JOIN, DIR, FILER, FREQ. For Beginner to Advanced user. These programs GREATLY EXTEND the capabilities of ARCHIVE and the manuals lead one to complete understanding of Archive and these extensions. U ondvOng ion. MDV -6<uid two mdv owOvLdge^- too many pnjogncuM to iXt into one. ccuvt.

5. "CABLE HELPER2" DISK

A very useful TOOLKIT program for managing both DISKS and MICRODRIVE. HELPER lets you copy from one medium to another, Read or Copy doc files to paper or screen, repeat format mdv carts or floppy. Uses screen windows to see two directories from and to, copies over existing files in disk mdv, copy selected files. Does not conflict with TK2.

Order to UPDATE Magazine, address on cover. Check or money order accepted.

3

UPDATE MBGAZINE

SUCLAIR TIMEX POBLISHHIG

January 1990

S1*TAX

The Boot Hill of Sinclair publishing has more stones than I thought until I began reminiscing. I subscribed to those listed from their first issue until their demise. These magaxines taught me how • to use the ZX8Q, 2X31 , TS100Q, TS2068, and the Sinclair QL. They also sponsored a sense of camaraderie and cooperation amongst Sinclair and Timer users and their supporters that has not been equaled. I think that the Olsen family who published SETO! likely can be credited with starting this traditional spirit of S-T users in Horth America. Fred Hachbaur, a Canadian who founded Sjncware Sews, also had a lot to do with building the spirit of this unorganised but cooperating group of users in two great Countries. We ignored boundaries in our quest for education and hobby- computing. Each successive publisher has contributed greatly to continue a communications link across the great distance from the Arctic to the semi-tropic and the Atlantic to the Pacific between Sinclair Timex users and their supporters. Most of us cut our "computer teeth" with these magaxines. He also owe them our thanks for providing the media to allow entrepreneur designers to reach us with needed software and devices that have enhanced our computing abilities.

This era of Sinclair Timex publishing is about to come to a close, Update seems to be the last survivor and the subscription support is insufficient to allow continuance beyond this subscription year. The issue year ends with the July issue, which will be the closing issue.

My own part in the publishing scene has been enjoyable, but a lot of hard work. Subscriptions never reached the level that would allow the hiring af even a typist, and the magaxine collating has been by hand. The writing part has been the

easiest. Copying and assembling 30,000 to 50,000 pages by hand (to save a buck) is not the way that most magaxines are published. I believe that you will understand when I say that I have reached the "burn out" stage. And I hope that this will also help ail understand why the publishers of SyncJfare Sews and Quantum Levels made their decision to close out.

SSOG M BE THE LAST DEFENDER OF T5E FORT

Last year 1 offered "Update magaxine on a platter" to SHUG, I am publicaliy renewing this offer to SHUG for them to take over publishing Opdate as the SHUG publication with the October 1SS0 issue. At last report SHUG had around 130 members most of whom are subscribers to Opdate. The result of SHUG taking Opdate and continuing would be a FOUR FOLD increase in SHUG membership and a better chance for them to succeed in accomplishing their goals. I would invision SHUG trimming Update to about 30 pages, which would provide a modest profit to help support some of their other goals. Once Update discontinues publication this chance will be lost forever. Also lost will be the communications link between most of the active Sinclair users and their supporting programmers and suppliers. Once this link is lost it will be practically impossible for SHUG to build itself into a viable group. In fact, it just wont

The two remaining issues of Update can be used by SHUG to announce their intentions and to encourage folks to re-subscribe. I believe that SHUG has the responsibility to accept # this offer and prevent publication support from expiring.

The most important need that SHUG can fulfill is the continuance of publication support. The alternative is obscurity. SHUG is a non-profit organisation operated by. volenteers. .Sinclair Magaxine publishing for the past five years* has also been non-profit, but accomplished by "single volenteers". If we could do it singly then SHUG can do it as a group organisation. It is now time for SHUG to progress from the talking stage to the doing stage and to fulfill their chartered obligations.

My view is that SHUG needs courage and vigor from their staff to gain volenteers and participation by the users. That, and SHUG's success, can only be achieved by continuous publicity and a steady "sell job" in their own publication. Sow is the time for SHUG members to write and give guidance to the SHUG staff about this important need. And, that is how it is for the future support of Sinclair Computing in Horth America (as I see it). Bill Jones

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

TS-lUt kthiitiU

How Goes It?

There are now three predominent Disk systems for the TS-2068. Their order of usage is: LKDOS, Oliger SAFE DOS, TOS, and Aerco FD-68. TOS DISK users hang in there with determination but receive little support. User activities during 1989 has been away from the Aerco FD-68, mostly toward LKDOS. Quite a number of FD-68 users have acquired the LKDOS system and have abandoned the un-completed Aerco system. The FD-68 was my first Disk System and I did a lot of programming with it. The first Disk version of my "Smart Text" sofware was produced for the FD-68. I became dis-enchanted with the FD-68 when its high power usage fried two of my computers. Dan Elliott has the solution to that problem, but the solution came after a lot of users had fried their computers and gone to a different computer. It appears that few FD-68 users remain except the "CP/M Hacks".

There still remains a nucleus of FD-68 users who are dedicated to CP/M usage, which is really the strongest asset of the FD-68. These CP/M users are very self sufficient and specialized. As to the DOS itself, Aerco never did finish the source code to enable the most useful extensions, such as the Numeric and Character Array SAVE/LOAD and other features that LKDOS and Oliger DOS have. In its incomplete state the FD-68 DOS is far inferior to both LKDOS and Oliger DOS, and it is no wonder that the users have become disenchanted, especially when AERCO is so slow and un- cooperative with user support.

There has been little participation in or call for ISSUE DISK support in the FD-68 area, so little that UPDATE will discontinue the issue disks for the FD-68. If a sufficient number of complaints about this action are received, which indicate a demand, this decision will be reversed. I have two of the FD-68 systems and will be glad to resume work with the FD-68 if there is a demand revealed. So, all are invited to COMPLAIN LOUDLY.

A good many Oliger DOS users have also moved into LKDOS, keeping their SAFE system and using BOTH systems together. Update began "heavy on SAFE", then during 1989 became "heavy on LKDOS". Of the two, SAFE DOS is faster. Both systems have good EXTRA BASIC functions but LKDOS has more functions, notably the screen window group and Sequential Files. Update will try to keep up the Issue Disk Program Library for both LKDOS and Oliger SAFE DOS. But user participation is needed to maintain Disk Software Support.

DOS SYSTEM SUPPORT

Quite a lot of NEW Software and Utilities for Disk Systems have been introduced during 1989. Most of the new programs have been generated by Update Magazine for the two systems, The Toronto TSUG for LKDOS, and Larry Kenny himself for LKDOS. Larry has _ an outstanding "Sequential Files Manager" on disk, and is about to release a Desk Top Publisher and a Spelling Dictionary. Jack Dohany has kinda made a career out of updating MSCRIPT. Now he is working on improving a British Word

Processor. TASWORD and MSCRIPT seem to continue as the "Most Used" word processors, with Smart Text being third. Update Magazine (Yours Truly) came in during 1989 with "Daisy. B6", a new concept in TS-2068 software. This Daisy program is a big expansion of the earlier Smart Text. The Daisy Software is about 80K in program length and uses MERGE extesively to boot in program utilities as needed. It can do so many things that it defies discription. Principally Daisy is a massive Data Base program, supported by its own Word Processor. Daisy has undergone the acid test. I use it for half or more of the publishing of Update Magazine because I can do such good formatting with it. Why would I do that when I have a Sinclair QL and its good Data Base and Word Processor? Well, that speaks for the Daisy software, doesn't it? And, I can create the data files to disk, many pages, and then order up the printing in one consecutive print run.

The Smart Text software does most of the above, but Daisy can handle much larger text bases in memory before a SAVE is required- about 20K or 5-8 pages. Both Daisy and Smart Text can use Mail Files to print letters to several hundred persons on a consecutive print run- all addressed and perfectly formatted- even to the signature line! And both have a Mail Merge annex to create their own mailing lists.

1988-89 also brought in other disk software, such as Bob Mitchell's View Calc for LKDOS. Bob's VC made me buy View Calc on cassette from RMG ($9.95). Imagine that! An up-scaled DOS user buying a cassette software! I did it to be legal using the View Calc Code. Once I loaded the code from cassette the trash can got the cassette. Actually I was already a bonafide owner of VC, but the program was purchased back in 1864 during the Civil War. The tape was so old that it broke when I tried to load it. That brought on a project of rumaging through about 250 old cassette programs, and you know what? I found that that mountain of Cassette programs was just so much junk! About the only programs that I kept was the "Hot Z" series. The trash can got the rest.

And there are some TS-2068 DOS users who are still trying to make do with their old cassette library! Anyone who spends 200 smackaroos for a Disk Interface, then 200 more skins for disk drives, and is willing to use cassette based software, is kinda wierd. Anyway- -

1988-1989 brought on other good DISK SOFTWARE. "Mail Merge", a RECORD data base software, was introduced by Update Magazine.

The Mail Merge software creates a group of records like Mailing Lists or inventory records, then prints them out to paper or to labels. Mail Merge also creates "Outlines" for that type of need. The Outline data base is flexible and can be set up for any number of topics and any number of sub- topics of each. Such records can be endless, as the software manages the files in and out of disk drive. Mail Merge also has a very flexible print out with either a full size printer or the TS-2040. Letter head stationary

5

UPDATE MRGaZIHE

/'1KGS

January 1990

is also a print product, as well as Labels or listings to paper.

Another outstanding set of DISK MANAGEMENT UTILITIES for the Oliger DOS was introduced by Update Magazine. Bob Hartung is the author. This "DOSDEX" utility disk manages Oliger DOS Disks to a perfection. A similiar set of utilites for LKDOS is available from the Toronto, Canada TSUG.

More good software and utilities will come this year. I'm working on ,fDbaselM, a huge update to the Mail Merge program. It appears that this program will be able to Sort by any line of the records- by first group or last group within the line. Also it will sort any number of files IN DISK. Then we'll have the capability to create and sort any size of a continuous file- say 10,000 Mailing List records, by last name or by Zip Code- or a similiar large inventory file sorted by stock number or part name or re-order level !

TS-2068 DOS users have it pretty lucky with so much NEW software and utilities available. It would be neat if more users would take advantage and buy some of the good stuff. That would encourage the programmers to keep on working. By the way, try doing a similiar print out as these two pages are formatted with your word processor. This is done with the Daisy. B6 software.

The Update TS-2068 Disk Library

The following Disk software and utilities are offered. The individual disk listings are given by TYPE of DOS that the disks are prepared for.

The disks are available on 5-1/4" Double Side Double Density Diskettes, either 40 Track (360K) or 80 Track (720K) disk drives. .If you have a -5-1/4 inch disk drive these disks will work in your system. Each disk has at least 300K of programs and utilities. The price is $22.00 per disk (postage paid) (add $1.00 to Canada). Checks or Money Order.

DAISY.B6 ; A Ccnplete TS-2068 Software System,

Data base management, Word Processing, Automatic formatting, Disk Management. Over 20 integrated programs, including a Mail Merge annex. For LKDOS Only. (Oliger DOS users order Smart Text.) An Update Magazine Software.

SMART W! : A versatile Data Base and Word

Processor software. Includes a Mail Merge annex to create mailing lists for automatic repeat letters. Label printing, Disk Management. By Update Magazine. For Oliger DOS Only.

DOSDEX : A set of DISK MANAGEMENT programs for

the OLIGER DOS. By Bob Hartung.

VIEW fflLC UPGRADE : The old PSION View Calc

program Expanded and Converted for LKDOS with Spread Sheet Printer. By Bob Mitchell. For LKDOS Only.

1988 UPDATE COLLECTION: The Hail Merge Software

plus the disk filled with utilities. For LKDOS or Oliger DOS

1989 UPDATE COLLECTION: Filled with all of the

utility programs published during 1989. LKDOS or Oliger DOS

SfflRT TEXT 64: (Caning) Smart Text software in

64 Column Screen for use with the Zebra OS-64 Cartridge. For OLIGER DOS ONLY. (Do not order until release is announced)

rl : (Coming) A new RECORD software. The

data base will be very flexible with applications for Mail Lists, Inventories, or just about any purpose one needs. Sort by any line, and by first or last group within the line. A "Sort Disk Files" feature will allow one to create and sort thousands of continuous records. (Do not order until release is announced. >

1990 UPDATE COLLECTION: All of the Utility

programs being published during this current year, (to be released in Oct.)

PUBLIC KMLH TOWS: Update, ki lUwMij

hundreds of public domain programs, likely as large a collection as exists. Most have bugs of one sort or another. In comparison with the above DISK SOFTWARE the PD programs are miniscule, but sane can be made into snappy "single purpose" utilities. If interest is expressed we may do some De-bugging and conversions of these PD programs and re- release them in groups of 5-10 programs for both Disk and Cassette. We haven't done anything with PD in deference to SNUG and some TSUGS who have PD Libraries. What do you think?

NOTE TO PROGRAMMERS: YOU can join in with the Issue Disk Program. All you need to do is to write a "Mini -Manual" for your software to be published, and supply the disk.

BACK ISSUES OF UPDATE MAGAZINE ^ are available in YEAR Groups for $18.00 per year (post paid) (add $1.00 to Canada) Each year group has over 200 pages of mostly useful programs and utilities as key- in projects and MANY Tutorials for Basic and MC programming. Available are:

1988 Year Group (All TS-2068 Supportive)

1989 Year Group (TS-2068 and Sinclair QL

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

TWO MAGAZINES DEPART WITH CLASS

to Editorial

The Final Issue of Quantum Levels - SyncWare News came in the Jan. 1990 mail. The publishing group held the two magazines together for the longest duration of any Sinclair Timex magazine. The principles are: Fred Nachbaur, Thomas Woods, Tern Bent, Jeff Moore, and Basil Wentworth. Update salutes the publishing group of these two fine magazines for their seven years of service to Sinclair Timex Users. Update, I believe, speaks for the entire S-T user group in expressing appreciation for their individual efforts. AND, the group went out with CLASS! Every subscriber is to receive pro-rata refund of un-filled subscription.

For those who have not been subscribers to SYN or QLs let me say that there is an exceptionally good Data Base of instructional articles in the issues of these two magazines. Syncware News covers the TS-2068 and TS-1000, and Quantum Levels the Sinclair QL. If you do not have the magazine issues that pertain to your computer NOW is your LAST CHANCE to enrich your library with valuable information about your computer and its programming.

Good books deserve to be used. Because of the value and in appreciation for past service, Update Magazine devotes the next three editorial pages to a listing of the SWN and QLs issues that are available to you on a - LAST CHANCE - Never to be Repeated - offer. These two magazine volumes are CLASSICS! They may be ordered by single issue or by any number of issues. Get your missing issues before it is too late.

Quantum fZZ ^_evels /

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR QL COMPUTERISTS

FINAL FAREWELL ISSUE!

Quantum_Levels and SyncWare News to close doors for good.

With this Issue, the l?80's Era of Computer Discovery co.ea to a close. Sad, but true. See 'Froi The Publisher's Desk...* inside for the complete details.

7

UPDATE MPJ3LZIME

SyncWare News and Quan-tum_Leve 1 s Back I s sue s

Most issues of SyncWare News and Quantum Levels are still available. The cost is $3.00 per issue except where otherwise indicated. The cost includes postage and handling. We will continue to fill orders for back issues until December 31, 1990 or until our supply is exhausted. Please include a second or third choice when ordering, as this saves us the cost of writing a check for a refund should we be out of the issue you want.

SyncWare News Back Issues . . .

Voluae 1 Everything you wanted to know about the TS1000 or ZX81 but were afraid to ask! Products, cassettes, LPRINT hints, hardware projects, in- cluding video, back-up batter- ies, and joysticks, T YD "BYTES, and Linear Simultaneous Equa- tions. 110 pgs. $5.00

sette Connection, 2063 Charac- ter Builder, FORTH, 2068 Bank Switching, Decoding the EPROM, Add RAM to the 2068, Basil's Coapendiua. 24 pgs.

SWN Voluae 2 Ho. 4 TS1000 Fast Screen Clear, REVIEW: TS1000 Plane Fraae, 2068 Word Iaages, Basil's Coapendiua, 2068 Art, Build your own EPROM prograa- aer. Part 1, TS1000 Banner, FAT Mscript. 24 pgs.

in a DATA stateaent, TS1000 Audio Frequency Counter, 2068 Database, Part 2. 24 pgs.

SWN Voluae 3 Mo. 2 Becoae a Sinclair Tycoon, One Chip Mods ... Decode Your Byte Back CTS1000), REVIEW: YS Megabas- ic, 2068 Curve Tracing, TS1000 REM Generator, Read a 2068 Header, T31000 Gaae - Fast Times At Clairaont High, Atoaic Fusion EPROM Eraser, Amazing 2068 PIX FIX. 24 pgs.

SWT Voluae 2 No. 1 Forum coluan begins~TS2068 BASIC, TS2068 ROJI cWs,^0RTH,

TRAJ«Lir)«fs, baSliiAs COMPEN- DIuTT^TsO M/cftirfe Code Tutor col*tan beginVr TS1000 Oliger Video Upgrade Part 1. 20 pgs.

SWN Voluae 2 So. 2 Deciaal to Hex and Back, SAVE/LOAD Utili- ty, MEMOTEXT in RAM, PEEK, POKE, and USR. . . , REVIEW: Tiaex Sinclair Intermediate Advanced Guide, TS1000 connects to out- side world, Relocatable MC, Oliger Video Upgrade, Part 2. 24 pgs.

SWH Voluae 1. No. 3 REVIEW: Spectrua Coapatibility & the 2068 ROMSWITCH. REVIEW: Sky- plot & Celestial BASIC. RE- VIEWS : Hali of the Things, Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, and Lunar Jetaan, 2068 Cas-

SWN Voluae 2 No. 5 Initial QL Review, More 2068 Cassette Connection, 1X81 MC in high memory, 2068 Quick Screen Display, EPROM Prograaaer, Part 2, Basil's Coapendiua, Off the Wall, REVIEW: Uploader 2000. REVIEW: Appointment Watch, Customize Your Mscript, TS1000 Move It, 2068 Print Command Compiler. 24 pgs.

SWN Voluae 2 No. 6 Adding on to the Gladstone 64K, TS1000 Universal Printer Driver, Building a 2068 Database, Part 1. Expanded 2068 INPUT prompts, REVIEWS: Astronoaical Software 1 and Planet Finder, QL SuperBasic, Basil '3 Coapen- diua. 24 pgs.

SWN Voluae 3 No. 1 Bug Alert, TS1000 L0-RES, 20fc3 64 coiuan 3ASIC, Put 20b3 Machine Code

3WN Voluae 3 No. 3 Off the

Wall, Tri-Base Arithaetic, 2068 Lotto, REVIEWS: Checkrec and Household Inventory 2000, GET: A TS1000 Input Routine, One Chip Mods: Recycle That 16K RaaPack!, Basil's Coapen- diua, Bug Alert, REVIEW : Hot- I/Zeus Comparison, Dice 1000, 2068 Screen Copy Routine, TS1500: More than meets the eye. 24 pgs.

SWN Voluae 3 No. 4 Basic Bank Switching, 2068 Buggy Soft- ware, 2X81/QL Regulator Bug, 20b8 Tower of Brahaa, 1000 Auto Analysis iAI on the TS1000), Upgrading MTERM, The Faae and the Glory-Contest Honor Roll, TS1500 Hi-Res, Send a 2068 Message. Special April Fool Issue. 24 pgs.

3

UPDATE MAGAZINE

VIEW: War In The East, REVIEW: Concept 3D. 16 pgs.

QL Vol 1 Ho. 2 Q_Tips: Solve those power problems, COMMAND POST: SIN, SQRT, and other coaaands, SuperBASIC Corner: Procedures and Functions, Investment Analysis - Abacus Application. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 1 No. 3 Q_Tips: SAVE & LOAD, ICE vs. DESK: A Con- parison, Sim^tinq, "VAL", Build aJ^ro Dri^l Storage Bo^Clptlorioo^liperBASIC - Maa**lbrot £L6t, Part 1, SuperBASIC Corner: LOOPS & BRANCHES. 24 pgs.

QL Voluae 1 No. 4 Condensed High Speed Graphics, Mandel- brot: Part 2, GPRINT: A BASIC Screen Dump, Star Cluster, SOFTWARE REVIEWS: Keydefine, Taskmaster, and TAXIQL. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 1 Ho. 5 Q_TIPS: A Battery Backed Clock, Explor- ing SuperBASIC, Overseas Soft- ware: Where To Get It?, Intro- duction To ARCHIVE, Part 1, SuperBASIC Corner: IF/ THEN /ELSE/ETC, DEF_TMP : What it is. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 1 Ho. 6 Q_Tips: Decode Your ROM, Three Game Reviews: Match Point, BJ in 3D Land, & Karate, Exploring SuperBASIC, Playing with Electricity, SUperBASIC Cor- ner: FILES, TURBO vs. LIBERA- TOR. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 2 Ho. 1 QL AutoDir: A Front End Loader, CP/M on the QL: A Review, Introduction to ARCHIVE, Part 2, How the QL Handles Strings: A Tutorial in String Comparison, XREF: A Review. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 2 Ho. 2 Q_TIPS: Enhancing your QL keyboard. Adventure Writing, Part 1, Paste Art Review, Q_TIPS: RGB output woes and fixes, Playing With Electricity, REVIEW: Ultrasoft's QKICK. 16 pgs.

SyncWare News Combines With Quantum!, eve 1 s

QL Voluae 2 Ho. 5 Eying The QL, The Solution: An IBM Emulator for the QL, Program- ming by Procedure, Playing With Electricity, TRA_BAS 1.1: RS-232 Translation, To MG or not To MG. THE SyncWare Pages: 2068 Custom Tape/Disk Directory, Fractions, TYD'BYTS . 24 pgs.

QL Voluae 2 Ho. 6 - The Final Issue. This is the issue you are currently holding in your hands. At the time this is being written, the only thing I know for sure it will in- clude is this list. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 2 Ho. 3 A First Look At Sinclair's New Z88, Q_TIPS: ROM Board Revisited, Adventure Writing, Part 2, Network Your QL's, ONE_LINERS, Prograaaing By Procedure, A Date Printing MC Routine. 16 pgs.

QL Voluae 2 Ho. 4 0NE_LINERS, Q_TIPS: Comaon QL problems and their fixes, SPEEDSCREEN vs. TURBOQUILL+, Playing With Electricity, Printing From Quill, Adventure Writing, Part 3. 16 pgs.

******************** ORDER FROM:

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SVH Voluae 3 Ho. S Build a 2068 Cartridge Board, 2068 RAM on Cartridge, T31000 Handel- Plot Art, Location for Machine Code, REVIEW: Stock Plot, T31000 Visible Sort, Sorting through the 2068 Sorts, Up- grading VU-Calc 1000, Custom Keyboard Tip, TS1500 Video Topics, 1000 2K Textwriter, 2068 PC Board Aid. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 3 Ho. 6 REVIEWS : Word Sync II. 5 and Wordfont, Put those Extra 2068 Banks to Work, Basil's Compendium, TS2068 Music Maker, Fun with HOT-Z II (T31000), TMS9918A Video Upgrade: A Follow-up, Use Logic, More About MScript, TS1000 Halt Right There. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 4 Ho. 1 TS1000 Error Reports, Redefine the 2068 Character Set, Basil's Compendium, One Chip Mod: A Built-in Non-Volatile Meaory for TS1000, VU-Calc and the Tasaan I/F, REVIEW: BBDOS-An AERC0 FD-ZX DOS, Ireg:T31000. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 4 Ho. 2 2068 Label Maker, TS1000 Advanced Calcu- lator Program, 2068 Windows, WRX16 HI-RES for TS1000, 2068 Variable Save Trick, Basil's Compendium, TS1000 Wordsearch, 2068 Word Wrap Utility. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 4 Ho. 3 REVIEW: Extensions To Pro/File, Run your Meaotech 64K on the 2068, ABC/123, Part 1, Hang-Mult 2068, Basil's Compendium, One Chip Mod: Kempsonize Your Joystick Port, Structured BASIC Tree Programs. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 4 Ho. 4 REVIEW: TIMACHIHE, Program Segmenta- tion. ABC/123, Part 2, REVIEW: Chroma Soft. 2068 Piano, Another Video Primer, Put MSCRIPT on EPROM, Basil's Compendium. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 4 Ho. 5 Put Your Inkjet in Plotter Mode, Quick Print Pro/File and Tasword Files, TS1000 Mystery Program, Yahtzee 2068, Upgrade to Hi- Res Chess (TS1000). 24 pgs.

SVH Volume 4 Ho. 6 M*5 - Programmer's contest winner, MULTSTEPS, Yet another ZX/TS Fix, ANIMAL3LLL, Basil's Compendium. PC8300: The ZX81 Clone, BBSing on the Unexpand- ed 2068, Dot Matrix Bit Graph- ics, Oliger DOS and the Pro/File Cartridge. 24 pgs.

SVH Volume 5 Ho. 1 2K-SDP: Serial Data Port, TS1000 Mystery Program II, Run MSCRIPT w/Oliger DOS, Custom- ize Your Sign Designer, TYD«BYTS, Basil's Compendium. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 5 Ho. 2 Dear Read- er, Using 2068 Report Codes, READ, RESTORE, & BUMP for the TS1000, 2068 VuFile & VuCalc Tape to Disk Conversions, "Quick" Mode for the TS1000/ TS1500, PC8300 Video Fix, A 2068 Spectrum Mode Printer Driver, REVIEV: Rock Crush, REVIEW : Beta BASIC, 2068 REM Generator, MScript/ Oliger Printer Port Compatibility. 24 pgs.

SVH Voluae 5 Ho. 3 Telecoam Update, A Sound Approach (2068), TYD-BYTS, Flagging Interest (2068), Communica-

tions in a Flash (2068), Geometry Plotter (1000), Multiplication Tutor (1000), Basil's Compendium, Bug Alert, Off the Wall. 24 pgs.

SVH Volume 5 Ho. 4 REVIEW: HI*RES 2068/VIC-20 Plotter, 2068 Random Numbers, Basil's Compendium, Meaotech CIF •COPY' Fix (TS1000), More on SNUG, REVIEW: Applied Sin- clair- Subroutines and Pro- grams for the Mathematically Minded, Cryptograms on the Computer, REVIEW: CATS Li- brary, ETAMITLU — Word Proces- sor, Stitches In Time, Time Bomb (TS1000 game), T31000 World Geography. 24 pgs.

SVH Volume 5 Ho. 5 Off the Wall, Instant Sorting (Z80 Machine Code), 2068 Window, Getting Looped (more Z80 MC) , A Challenge, Getting Started With Beta BASIC, Part 1, ADDITION - A 'TRAINing' Pro- gram (2068), Letter Scramble. 24 pgs.

SVH Volume 5 Ho. 6 TYD*BYTS, NVM and the 2068, Share- Ware— The T/S Lifeline?, Getting Started With Beta BASIC, Part 2, Basil's Compen- dium, The Old Gent '8 Flowchar- ter, The Dunnington Flowchar- ter, Nation Landmark Quiz. 24 pgs.

QUANTUM LEVELS BACK ISSUES. . .

QL Voluae 1 Ho. 1 The American QL: A Peek Inside, QL Circuit Board Layout and Parts List, Composite COLOR on the QL, Inside SuperBASIC: Tip Ho. 1, Stopping Black Screenitis, RE-

10

nFYmTT tliVii* *-" " ■ ~~ 3

January 1990

WOOD AND WIND COMPUTING

Bill Cable : BR 2 Box 92 : Cornish, NH 03745 : 603 675 2218 Cable Column

I was pleased to see that in the October & November issues of QL World they gave considerble space to ARCHIVE, the PSION database program we all have. Those of you who have followed this column know that I have high regard for ARCHIVE and have tried to promote it use by more US QL users. Its programing language is what I do most of my QL software development in. If you are not using a database or running database type programs you are missing out on a lot of what your QL can do for you.

Below we will examine the PSION program EASEL as it can be used for plotting mathematical curves. All QL users should be able to do the example even if the are using a TV as a monitor. If you have never used EASEL give it a try.

PLOTTING CORVES WIffi ERSEL (Business Graphics)

Easel is the most fun of the PSION programs to play with. EASEL is a very easy to use and powerful graphics program and the QL is a flexible graphics computer. In fact the QL version of EASEL has better graphics than PSION 's PC version of EASEL on a 286 with VGA graphics. Besides simple bar and pie graphs as described in the manual EASEL can be used to plot complex mathematical equations. Multiple curves can be plotted on the same graph to see if they intersect (have solutions). This easy graphical intepretation of equations enables one to solve equations in a couple of minutes that would othewise require fancy software. I realize that most readers don't need to solve equations but most of us have some interest in math. Its fun to doodle with formulas and watch the curves appear on the screen and its so easy to do with EASEL. Anyone taking a math course will find EASEL a real asset. Graphical interpretations in mathematics often gives insights that are hard to come by otherwise. No need to buy more software or write a SUPERBASIC program. Just follow the suggestions below and you will be plotting curves in no time.

In the examples below I use EASEL version 2.1 as it comes set up for microdrive. You can use your PSION config_bas program to configure EASEL for floppies if you have them and substitute flp references where I use mdv. First I will give a quick overview using EASEL for curve plotting and then a 2 step tutorial with key presses in bold face. Be sure to refer to the manual for more detailed descriptions of the comtnands and concepts.

Overview of EASEL

Easel-' works very much like the other PSION programs. There is the help box at the top giving us instructions and informing us of the various ccmrands avaiable. Pressing <F1> always gives us help. Pressing <F2> makes the upper description boxes go away or come back. There are 2 modes, data and formal a entry mode and command mode. Pressing <F3> puts us in command mode. Pressing <ESC> cancels commands or input and eventually puts us back in data entry mode. When in data entry mode if we type a number it is interpreted as raw data to go in the current cell and if we type alphabetic characters they are interpreted as a formula to be calculated for all cells. Trying to do a command when in data entry mode or trying to enter data or a formula when in command mode are easy mistakes to make. Just look at the lower left of the screen where the input line is. When in data and formula entry mode you will see and when in command mode you will see 'COMMAND> Use <ESC> to cancel mistakes or switch to data input mode and <F3> to switch to command mode.

Easel is always working with a set of data each of which consists of a location (cell; an tne horizontal axis (x axis) and a corresponding numeric value up the vertical axis (y axis). EASEL can work with more than one set of data and so each set needs a name. When you first start up a set called 'figures' is defined. If you define a new set of data 'x' and type in the formula y=sin(x), EASEL uses the name on the left side of the equal sign,y, to be the name of a set of data to be calculated from what is on the right hand side of the equal sign, sin(x). Easel would create the new set of data, y, where each y would equal sin(x) for each x. If the set of data, y, had already existed then each would be recalculated by the formula. Even if more than one

21

UPDATE MRGaZIHE

carve (set of data) is on the screen at once there is just one active one. You can tell which one it is by seeing what follows the 'Current Name' label at bottom of screen.

The horizontal axis is divided into cells. When you first start up there are 12 cells for the months of the year. You can move- around the cells with <TAB> and <SHIFT-TAB> and if you move beyond either end EASEL will rescale and add more cells. For simple bar graph applications labels are important for cell identification on the horizontal axis but for mathematical applications the cells will correspond to numbers on our horizontal axis (x axis) and we don't need labels. In fact we rescale the horizontal axis to have so many cells that there is no room for cell labels.

EASEL provides two special terms to use in formulas that allow us to scale the horizontal axis to our needs. They are cellmax (equals the value of the total number of cells in our current scaling) and cell (ranges from I for left most cell to cellmax for right most cell). If we scaled our graph so it had 100 cells then cellmax=100 and cell ranges from 1 to 100. If we define a set of data,ref, by the formula ref=(cell-l)/(cellmax-l) then ref always ranges between 0 and 1 no matter what our cell scale is because cell ranges between 1 and cellmax. Then if we wanted to plot a sine curve in the range -2 to 2 we can set our independent variable x as x - -2 + 4*ref . So x ranges between -2 and 2 as ref ranges between 0 and 1. Then plotting y=sin(x) will give us our sine curve in the range -2 to 2. Note that if you have a mistake in a formula you will get the message 'formula gave no values'. You can then use the arrow keys to edit the formula.

If the graph is bar graph we can change it to a line with the Change (line) command. We can pick which of our currently defined sets of data we want to see with the View command. We can edit the text on our graph with the Edit command. If there is an area of the graph of interest to us we can use the cross hairs (controlled by arrow keys when in data entry mode) to read the values off the vertical axis. Getting values off the horizontal axis is not directly possible since the values for x are not labeled. The best way I have found is to display the curves of interest plus x (our independent variable) with the view command. Then use the Files (export) command to export the data to a file. The file can then be viewed, printed or imported to ABACUS so the actual values can be read directly.

USING EASEL

Dig out your EASEL (Business Graphics) cartridge and have a another formatted cartridge ready to hold your data. Have all cartridges removed from your QL. Reset your QL and put your copy of EASEL in mdvl_ and your data cartridge in mdv2_ and press <F1> (or <F2>). Easel will load and you will see a graph with the months of the year along the horizontal axis. If you type in numbers then they will be put in the corresponding months.

STEP 1 : Making a master graph for curve plotting

You need do this step only once because we will save the result to a file called 'curves _grf. Anytime you want to plot curves you just load ' curves_grf ' and start at step 2. First lets remove the months from the horizontal labels. We will use the edit command.

switch to cumand mode

e

edit command

I

edit labels

<F4>

delete labels

(do <F4> 12 times to delete Jan through Dec)

(note after Dec was deleted the graph rescaled its horizontal axis) Now let us make 100 cells on our horizontal axis <ESO exit edit command

12

UPDATE MftGftZINE

January 1990

<ESC> exit comnand mode to data entry mode

<TflB> move toward end of graph

(do many, many <TflB>s until graph rescaJes 4 times)

We should have 5 total rescales (1 in edit mode, 4 in data entry mode). This makes 100 cells. If you go too far then <F3>v<ENTER><ENTER> and <TAB> through 5 rescales. The examples do not depend on the how many cells we have scaled but up to a point the more cells the better the plot resolution.

Now let us edit the graph title

<F3>et connand mode. edit con-rand, edit text (move the ^rcvus hairs (with

arrow kevs) to the *T' in Title)

<ENTER>

(Delete 'Title1 with <CTRL> up arrow and enter : ) Plotting Curves <ENTER>

(move new title where you want it with arrow Jcevs)

<HVTER> exit edit text

Now let us change the graph paper to remove all those vertical lines

cq5<ETVTER> change graph paper to format 5

Now let us define our 'ref set of data that we will always use to define the range of our independent variable x. Ref ranges from 0 to 1.

<ESO return to data entry mode

ref=CcelJ-l)/rcellnax-l)<EryTER> formula to define ref

<F3>cL2 change ref to line style 2

Remove the initial set of data 'figures' as we won't use them

<F3>Jc kill comand

£igmes<MTM> kill the 'figures1 data set

Now save our master graph

s save connand

curves<EMTER> put on mdvl and call curves

STEP 2 : Plotting 2 curves

Let us plot 2 curves to see if they cross (a solution y=w):

y - x*x*sin(x) + x -1 x between -5 and 5

w = x*x - 4*x -1

First lets load our curve plotting master graph. You saved it right?

<F3>L load connand

curves <ETrrER> load curves crrf from mdv2

It

UPDATE MasaziHE

January 1990

Set up x scale. We have already defined ref

<ESC>x=-5+10*ref<ENTER> define x so it goes from -5 to 5

<F3>cL2<ENTER> change x to a line graph style 2

Now plot y and w

<ESC>y=x*x*sin f x ) +x-KENTER> enter formula y

<F3>cL0<ENTER> change to line style 0

<ESOw=x*x-4*x-l enter formula for w

<F3>cLKENTER> change to line style 1

Now see how they look together

<F3>w , w<ENTER><ENTER> view y and w data together

We see that there are 2 points where they intersect and there may be more. We can rescale x to a bigger interval and enter the y and w formulas again if we want to check for other intersections. Return to the data entry mode with a few <ESC>s and move the horizontal wire with the up or down arrow key to each intersection. You will see that y or w equal about -1 and -2.5 at the intersections. You know that x goes from -5 and 5 on the horizontal axis so you can very roughly estimate it to be about 0 and 3 at the intersections. More exact values can be found by exporting. Typing : <F3>vx , y , w<ENTER><ENTER>f evalues<ENTER> will create an export file values_exp. It contains the data names in the first line and each following line has the cell label (null),x value, y value, w value. You can import it to ABACUS it or copy it to your screen or printer to inspect it.

You can print your curves also

<F3>vy . w<gfEER><£MTER>PP view and print

A screen dump of the 2 curves as plotted by EASEL.

MORE fi)N WITH EASEL

I have only just touched on EASEL and curve plotting. I hope you are inspired to explore further. I A&cammnd reading Ukvuuzn. F^Lchjz.'^ zxxxJLtent cuvtLctz6 on cuswo, plotting and poti/njomlaJU f under the TS-2068 programming section) in the last 2 UPDATE issues (Jul 89, 20-21, Oct 89, 24-26). You can use EASEL to plot the curves he describes and you don't need to program. Be sure to use repeated multiplication for powers (x*x*x for x cubed, etc) in the formulas. Also the curves he shows have the axes rescaled for better resolution. Your graphs will have slightly different shapes but if you check the details you will see they are indeed the same Curves-:

14

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

Wire Frame Sprites with Magnification - By Larry Kenny

Using pattern tables to draw wireframe type characters is used a lot with the Apple II computers since they dont have sprites. This program uses letters stored in a string variable to draw graphics characters with a magnification parameter. The letters shown in figure 1 direct the drawing in 8 directions.

An upper case letter will move the pixel position and plot it eg. If A$="RDLU" - a box would be drawn (right down left up). The LPRINT command preceeded by RAND USR 50000: is used to pass the parameters to the machine code routine. The syntax is: RAND USR 50000: LPRINT x$, magnification, x coord, y coord.

-x$= (or any string var) holds the pattern string.

-Magnify= 0 to 9 (10 to 19 will un-plot the same pattern).

-X coord= starting X coordinate.

-Y coord= starting Y coordinate.

- all parameters can be fixed numbers, formulae, or expressions. You can also have more than one character drawn in one LPPRINT statement by separating sets of parameters by semi colons .

Enter the assembly language programs using an assembler such as the ZEUS assembler ( available from RMG Enterprises ) and save ths source code file before typing in the Basic program. All numbers are decimal unless preceeded by #.

This program also demonstrates how to link BASIC lines and formulas to you own machine language programs. Using the ROM calls with TS-2068 programming really simplify using formulas and finding variables.

The Basic Listing is an example of using the wire graphics. Keys 5-6-7-8 move the character about on screen. Keys 1 and 2 reduce or magnify the character size.

A large variable size character set could also be made using this approach. If the character is to be moved about the screen, you can increase the speed by moving more than one pixel at a time.

u

X Y

V z D

Figure 1

00001 00005 00010 00020 00030 00040 00050 00060 00070 00080 00090 00100 00110 00120 00130 00140

ORIGIN 50000 ; Assemble code at 50000

;Wire Graphics by LARRY KENNY - LARKEN ELECTRON I CS- Chadd EQU 23645 ; Current Char in BASIC being Interp. Start RST 32 ; Move Chadd to LPRINT token in BASIC .

RST 32 ; Move Chadd to point to string variable.

Again

LD HL, (Chadd)

INC HL

LD A, 36

CP (HL)

JR Z, String

RST 8

DEFB 2 String CALL #2C70

JR NCVfound

RST 8

Check to see if the variable is a string variable by comparing the character after the variable with a '$' .

Continue if its a '$'.

If not, stop with Subscipt-

wrong Error.

Rom call to search for Variable. Continue if the variable is found. If not found, stop with error

15

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

DEFB 1 ; Variable not found.

00150 Vfound LD (Strad) ,HL

00160 RST 32

00170 CALL EVALU

00180 LD A,C

00190 CP 21

00200 JP NCInterr

00210 LD (Magni),A

00220 RST 32

00230 CALL EVALU

00240 LD A,C

00250 LD (Coord) ,A

00260 RST 32

00270 CALL EVALU

00280 LD A..C

00290 CP 176

00300 JP NC,Interr

00310 ADD A, 16

00320 LD (Coord +1) ,

00330 LD HL, (Strad)

00340 INC HL

00350 LD C,(HL)

00360 INC HL

00370 LD B, (HL)

00380 INC HL

00390 LD (Strad), HL

00400 LD A, (Magni)

00410 CP 10

00420 JR NCSetpix

00430 LD A, 255

00440 LD (mask)

Store address of string variable.

Move 'Chadd* past the first comma.

Evaluate the Magnify parameter.

See if the magnify

parameter is out of range

if larger than 20 then Int error.

Store Magnify parameter.

Move Chadd past next comma.

Get the X coordinate.

Store the

X coordinate.

Move Chadd past last comma. Get the Y coordinate. Check to see if it is in the range of 176

Jump to Integer out of Range Err. Adjust it for bottom 2 lines.

; Store the Y coordinate. Get the Address of the String. Load the BC register with the length of of the String.

Move the String pointer to the

start of the data in the String.

See if the Magnify

parameter is to erase or draw.

Go to set pixel setup

Set the mask to

,A ; draw .

00450

JR Draw

00460

Setpix

SUB 10

00470

LD (Magni), A

00480

XOR A

00490

LD (mask), A

00500

Draw

LD A, B

00510

OR C

00520

JP Z,EXIT

00530

DEC BC

00540

LD DE, (Strad)

00550

LD A, (DE)

00560

INC DE

00570

LD (Strad), DE

00580

LD (Char),A

00590

LD A, (Magni )

00600

LD D , A

00610

INC D

00620

INC D

00630

Nextpx

DEC D

00640

JR Z.Draw

00650

LD A, (Char)

00660

LD HL, (Coord)

00670

RES 5, A

00680

CP 85

00690

JR Z,UP

00700

CP 68

00710

JR Z,DN

00720

CP 90

00730

JR Z , RTDN

00740

CP 86

00750

JR Z,L

Go to Main routine

Bring Magnify back into range

of 0 to 9 and store

Set the

mask to erase.

Main draw loop.

See if we are at the end

of the String.

Reduce lenth counter.

Load the current Letter

into the accumulater.

Point to next char in the string.

Store the String address.

Store the current Letter.

Load the Magnify parameter

into the D register for

a loop counter.

Preset the counter.

Reduce the loop counter.

Get next letter if counter zero.

Get the current Letter.

Get the screen coordinates.

Force letter to Upper case.

If its a 'U'

then go to UP

If its a *D'

then go to down.

If its a 'Z'

then go to Right-Down.

If its a 'V

then go to Left-Down.

00760

00770

00780

00790

00800 RT

00810

00820

CP 88 JR Z,LFUP CP 89 JR Z,RTUP CP 82 JR NZ , LF INC L

If its a 'X'

then go to Left-Up.

If its a ' Y*

then go to Right-Up.

If its not a 'R'

then go to Left.

If * R ' then Inc

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

00830

JR Plot

; XI o it.

00840

LF

CP 7 6

; If no ' L' then goto

00850

JR NZ , Badchr

; Invalid Aroument error.

00860

DEC L

; Dec X coord.

00870

JR Plot

; Plot it.

rtrtOOft

OUooU

RTDN

INC L

■ Inc X coord and

00890

JR DN

and Dec Y coord.

00 900

LFDN

DEC L

Dec X coord and

00910

JR DN

dec Y coord.

00920

LFUP

DEC L

Dec X coord

00 930

JR UP

and inc Y coord.

00 940

RTUP

INC L

Inc X coord and

00950

UP

INC H

Inc Y coord.

00960

LD A,H

See if the Y coord is

00 970

CP 192

within range.

uuyau

JR NZ,Plot ,

If ok then plot it.

00 990

LD H , 0

If past the top, then

01000

JR Plot

3tdL I. xu ciu Uilc JJU u LUH1 dy cx J. 11 .

01010

DN

DEC H \

Dec the Y coord.

01020

LD A , H

See if the Y coord is past the

01030

CP 2 55

bottom of the screen.

01040

JR NZ,Plot

If ok then pi ot it .

01050

LD H,191 ;

If so the start at the top again

01060

Plot

LD (Coord), HL ;

Save the newly adjusted coords.

LD A, (Char)

01080 BIT 5, A

01090 JR NZ,Nextpx

01100 PUSH BC

OHIO CALL PIXEL

01120 POP BC

01130 JR Nextpx

01140 Badchr RST 8 01150 DEFB 9

01160 EXIT LD HL,(Chadd) 01170 LD A, (HL)

01180 CP 59

01190 JP Z, Again

01200 RET

01210 EVALU CALL #1BE5 ; 01220 CALL #1F23 ;

01230 LD A , B

01240 CP 0

01250 RET Z

01260 Interr RST 8 01270 DEFB 10

01280 PIXEL LD BC,(Co'ord) 01290 LD A, 191

01300 SUB B

01310 RET C

01320 LD B , A

01330 AND #C0

01340 RRA 01350 RRA 01360 RRA 013

If the current Letter is lower

case the dont plot to the screen. Go back to next command. Save the String length. Plot or Unplot the Pixel Get the length back. Go back and do next command. Invalid Argument Error if the letter isn't recognised. Load the Chadd pointer into HL . Repeat the complete Sprite routine ; if a ' ;' is* the next character. ; Go back to the beginning. ; if not return to BASIC. Rom call to evaluate the expression Rom call to put result in the BC reg. If the number is less than 256 then return with out an error

Interger out of Range Error .

This routine was in the 2068 technical manual, (page 122) It calculates the address of the coordinates and the pixel position.

LD H , A 01380 01390 01400 01410 01420 01430 01440 01450 01460 01470 01480 01490 01500 01510 01520 01530

LD A,B AND 7 OR H OR #40 LD H , A LD A,C RLCA RLCA RLCA AND #C7 LD L , A LD A , B AND #38 OR L RLCA RLCA

17

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

01540

LD L , A

01550

LD A,C

01560

AND 7

01570

LD B , A

01580

LD A, (mask)

01590

LD C,A

01600

LD A,l

01610

INC B

01620

Rotat

RRCA

01630

DJNZ Rotat

01640

BIT 0,C

01650

JR Z, Reset

01660

OR (HL)

01670

LD (HL ) , A

01680

RET

01690

Reset

CPL

01700

AND (HL)

01710

LD (HL) , A

01720

RET

This routine creates a mask that will point to the pixel in the display file (byte.

See if pixel is to be set or reset

Set pixel in the display file by ORing it with result mask.

Reset the pixel by inverting and ANDing the result mask.

01730 Magni DEFB 00 ; Declare some room for Variables.

01740 Char DEFB 00 01750 Strad DEFW 0000 01760 Coord DEFW 0000 ; 01770 mask DEFW 00

1 REM > SPRITE GRAPHIC DEMO <

5 PRINT "Use curser Keys '5678* to move"

6 PRINT "Use Keys 1 and 2 magnify" 10 LET p$="RRRVZZZVXXXVUUU"

20 LET x=100: LET y=100: LET m=5: LET oldx=x: LET oldy=y

30 RANDOMIZE USR 50000: LPRINT p$ ,m+10 , oldx , oldy

35 LET m=m-(INKEY$="l" AND m>0 ) +( INKEY$="2" AND m<9)

40 RANDOMIZE USR 50000: LPRINT p$,m,X,y

50 LET oldx=x: LET oldy=y

60 LET x=x-(((INKEY$="5")*4) AND x>0 ) + ( ( ( INKEY$="8" ) *4 ) AND x< 250)

70 LET y=y-(((INKEY$="6")*4) AND y>0)+( ( ( INKEY$="7")*4) AND y< 165)

100 GO TO 30

500 RANDOMIZE USR 100: LOAD "Sprite . Cl"CODE 50000: RUN

PASCAL for the TS-2068 and Sinclair QL

This little note from the Editor is to provolk thought. Quite seme time ago David Solly, of the Ottawa Group, sent in a masterful large article about PASCAL. I was afraid to publish it because "I couldn t cope with its advanced programing. Now we have in a following article a short and sweet program (done by David for Larry Kenny). This article may whet the appetite of Tony for PASCAL TUTORIALS . The article also ties in well with the next

SUbie°believe that we should start at the foundation level with PASCAL. It is a very powerful language that we should learn. To David and other PASCAL prc^™s: Lets gcTwith sane beginner tutorials and lead into the power and speed of PASCAL. Most colleges teach Pascal but few have the time and opportunity to enroll.

Developing Periphreals for IN COT Job Control

Have you seen ads offering simple "Z80 Development Boards" for around $150? These boards are "less than the equilivant" of a TS-1000 circuit board and are usS for designers to access the Z80 CPU for dedicated tasks Many of us have from one to a dozen TS-1000 computers or ^r^tf^r^n^1C!nm^1?^ to use as "Slave Processors". Larry Kenny is doing it to control a milling machine. The principles are discussed broadly in the article Slave Processing", and is applicable to any HOST Computer.

18

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

SPEED CCM^.P I SON PFTNEEM _ Mtr ,

7CoQ PASCAL =>nd COMPILED BASIC < T t MEMACH I ME .» bv Larry M enn y

P-»renHv i ^•■•e been working on using my 20*3 to control a 3 a* Is dr lling/ routimi machfne using stepper motors. To make the machine move? in arcs and circles i needed ho use the sine and cosine f.irv-Vion* in the 2068 row. After trying some basic dnd mScNVin* ianauaae (using th« fp i nterpr eter J routines if ound tha' the program coul dnt run nearly fast enough to keep the

"r^i^D^id'soVlv ShTii a long time Hi -Soft Pascal user to J-i p J a tw<: p-o.jr.in. usina its sine/ cosine functions so i could test fi against .7066 Basic and compiled basic (Time Machine compiler from Novel Soft). , . mMas u^r-a =r-D fho

The test program pints around a circle loo times. Here are the resul ts .

i,,,r.ir interpreter.) }g? seconds

Compile! Basic (Time Machine) 12| *««"gs

HI -SOFT PASCAL 18 secon°5

Wow ' The pascal really flies eyen when doing floating do int math. H tviu all its own math routines built i n and do esnt do •.Si V-nm rails. Thrtt al «o means that the compiled -ode; can be Snt into sn eprLfl, and run on a ZSO based cpu without the time*

rThercnjipiled Basic i, only slightly fa ster that regular basic „hpn fh* floating point routines are used. Even eg ^"9™ FP routines *rom machine code doesnt make difference.

If you are writing a program that does a lot of calculations such as a spread sheet, 3d graphics, or Cad etc, pascci wi xi tar cutpin'f orui Basic.

Anyone int^-ested in 2068 parcel can 1 save a mesaaup *n J-he- nt f jwa " T3 BB*3 a^ (613) 745-BB30 . If you have a LKDOS di sk 2UtSS i°have converted pascals interna) fil^ routines for disk instead of tapr . There are also numerous pascal source **J«s. on thS BBS. The BBS runs 24 hours a day on a 2u*Q using Larken Ha;: com.

2068 BASIC Circle Listing

«5 i npEM # (Needed for Time-Machine only)

10 LET RAD ~ 50

■ §? Kft^ FagVER A i 80 ♦ RAD . COS A

np:<t a j ,

so print "end of program

HIoOFT Paocal circle listing

5 PROGRAM CIRCLE;

10 PROCEDURE CJRC; U CONST RAO ~50:

13 WR A s REAL) ON : BOOLEAN;

» 4 BEGIN wiir.

tr. A 0; ON : s TRUE;

j - REPEPL0T (80 + RAD * SIN (A) .

Jiq (80 + RAD * COS^A) ) ;

19 A A + 0.5;

->0 UNTIL A > 628;

2t EMOj

22 PFRTN CMAIM PROE'RAHi

73 C fRC

WRITELN ('El- IP DP PR0HRAM 1 ) ;

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

- SLAVE CPU PROCESSING - ApplMk to M Ho^ Couptw

by: Bill Jones

Consider a shopping list of 50 items that you make up before going to the shopping mall. Ten items are filled at the first store, and you prepare to depart. The store manager sez, "Friend, give me half of the items left on the list and I'll send out to get them while you're finding the other items". If we do that we are "multitasking" the shopping list.

Normally, the TS-2068 operates in "one

store at a time". The shelves in the store may contain a disk drive, a monitor, a printer, a modem; and the CPU of the TS-2068 uses one of the items at a time. The other items are just sitting there waiting. Really, it would be convenient and time saving to be able to use the printer while focusing upon another job to be accomplished. Cr , we could perhaps be communicating with Compu Serve while printing a document. All we need to do in order to SHARE or use other periphreal devices is to have another CPU in operation, and a "messenger" to send a flag signal to the other CPU to get started doing something. The "Slave" CPU could be one of our TS-1000 computers that are collecting dust, or available • at a hock shop for $9.95.

The slave TS-1000 could be programmed

to do as much and as many tasks as our trusty TS-2068 normally does. But, it would wait until a messenger told it to do something.

The "Messenger" would be a small

plug-on circuit board, or an interface. Then anytime we pulled up a menu and punched "S for Slave" , the TS-1000 would wake up and return a question, "Whata you want done, Boss?", and would present a menu of things that it is programmed to do. Once we put it to work, we continue doing things with the Master TS-2068.

In a multitasking system there is

usually an interface that acts as the messenger between the two CPU's. This interface is called a "Temporary Master Access Control Circuit" (TMAC) . The TMAC controls INPUT and OUTPUT devices such as printers, modems, etc, and which CPU has control. The TMAC therefore prevents more than one CPU from accessing the same device

20

at the same time.

There are several ways of avoiding

this type of system clash. Two of the more common methods are to use a INTERRUPT DRIVEN System (IDS), or to use TEMPORARY MASTER ACCESS (TMA) .

In a ids system, an INTERRUPT is

initiated by the Slave processor to the Master Processor when it requests the use of a system resource. The slave processor is programmed within its own ROM or RAM to do functions operating under self control. When the Slave CPU needs a periphreal, it interrups the Master CPU to tell it to disconnect from that periphreal. Depending upon the PRIORITY, the Master CPU may disconnect or it may send a WAIT signal back. Eventually, when the Slave is given control, it uses the periphreal, BUT is still subject to being INTERRUTED by the main CPU for more important tasks. Eventually, when the Slave CPU is finished with its task, it cancels its request for control of the periphreal. In the meantime, the Master CPU continues other tasks that are not concerned with the use of the periphreal that is being used by the Slave processor.

---The difference in a TMA system is that

the' TMAC (interface) is the resources manager instead of the Host CPU "once the host CPU has released control via priority evaluation" .

All of the above and more are discussed in detail in a book "Interfacing to S-100/IEEE 696 Microcomputers" by Sol Libes and Mark Garatz. Anyone intending to interface a TS-1000 to the TS-2068 for Slave operation should obtain this book.

The Sinclair Z88

Considerations for Periphreals Design

Since the Z88 uses the Z-80 CPU, some of our better interfaces for the TS-2068 offer the prospects for easy adaptation to the Z88 by BUSS connector changes and re-work of chip addressing. Generally, the engineering has been accomplished for the Z-80 CPU and its 8 bit capability. One seemingly fruitful area is the Disk Drive controllers for the TS-2068.

Exploiting the Z80 CPU Family

With a 2 pound computer having the small foot print of the Sinclair Z88, its interfacing and control of periphreal

UPDATE MPjGAZEIE

January 1990

devices must be from the outside. This isn't anything new, as even the IBM computer has its BIG BOX sitting behind the keyboard. The Z88 is a "Lap Top" computer designed well for complete portability. Take it on a fishing trip, and if the fish isn't biting, do some computer work! Or, take it on a business trip to enter sales information. But at home, it can be made into a complete system including disk drive, printer, big monitor, modem, and the works .

Sooner or later there will be a Z88

"Big System Box" designed to interface it to all periphreals needed to become a Big System. Lets explore the possibilitie.

— The Z80 DART Dual Asynchronous Receive ; Transmitter. j —The Z80 DMA Direct Memory Access j Controller j —The Z-UPC/U Universal Periphreal \ Gontr oiler j —The Z-CIO Counter/Timer and Parallel I/O Unit.

—The Z-FIO FIFO Input/Output Interface ! Unit

The latter offers solutions to interfacing between the Z80 bus and any other j asynchornous CPU, or between CPU and j periphreal circuits. It can also interconnect components or sub systems that I are operating at different clock speeds. j

The main point in all of this is to

call attention to the existing full range of capabilities of the Zilog Z80 family of microprocessors. They are there to be exploited, and the price is right for building the Big System Box that turns the Z88 into a full fledged desk top system to complement its outstanding portable capabilities. And., the users will be eager to upgrade.

- CO-Processing The SINCLAIR QL -

Yes, we already have multitasking capability with the QL. But we do not have the tremendous potential that slave CPU processing offers. The Sinclair QL is already equipped with good Serial IN CUT via the two serial ports, which makes slave CPU processing just a matter of developing the outside processor board. Many have found that "internal multitasking" with the QL is quite slow because the QL is sharing its

clock with more than one program in operation. "Co-processing" with a separate CPU is much faster because each CPU is operating at its own clock speed. The only times when either would pause is when time sharing of a single periphreal would be needed, or to cross-talk needed information between the two systems.

- Co-Processing The TS-2068 -

Already we have a number of Parallel and Serial interfaces for the TS-2068 that can serve as IN OUT devices to interconnect a slave CPU. Each Z80 slave can control as much memory, and in the same manner, as does the Host TS-2068. A slave CPU could, for example, control another DOS with four more disk drives. But lets not get carried away! A typical BIG System is Larry Kenny's "Computer Controlled Shop", which I hope that he will eventually share with us some of its concepts .

MORE and still MORE!

Bill Pederson's next article "Sinclair Talks" contributes greatly to the general thesis of "Taking it to the Limit". Here we are, a group of Sinclair Users who could be using stock IBMs to do our computing. Instead we use computers that never did catch the imagination of the World's majority of people. We are unique (if not eccentric). Did you know that 99% of IBM and other Computer users spend all of their time learning to use "Commerical Software"? They do not even THINK in terms of programming, interfacing, upgrading capability, or the concepts discussed in this article- or for that matter, the general subject matter given in most of the Update Magazine articles. If you think that you and we other Sinclar users are "behind the times" with our equipment, then Think Again! Our computer usage is far ABOVE the level of 99% of the Computer users in the World. We may not ever reach the zenith, but we are definitely in the stratosphere in comparison with the general herd.

Same say "I-t carwj&t be, done," while others go about doing it. And, some have more VISION than do others. Bill Pederson has been busy expanding the TS-2068 since it first appeared in the American market. Some of his approaches are unique and deserve study. His article adds insight into the ways of interfacing between computers and the lack of standards used by various computers for their CPU Buss. Despite mis-matching buss connectors all Computers can be interfaced to each other. If there is a will there is a way

7— The Zilog Z80 "Periphreal Controllers" \

offer a broad range of System Integration j with the Z80 CPU. This group makes up the "Z80 CPU Family". They are listed briefly; —The Z80 PIO: Parallel INPUT/OUTPUT Controller.

— The Z80 CTC Counter Aimer. — The Z80 SIO Serial Input/Output. j —The Z80 SIO/9 Serial Input /Output . j

21

SINCLAIR TALKS TO PC/XT

Yes! You CAS use PC/XT parallel printer parts far ISPUT as well as OUTPUT. The source can be your Sinclair printer driver interface such as TASXAS, A4J, AERCO, 0LIG2R, or a special unit.

Do you nave TS1000, Spectrum or TS2068 files on which you might want to use a word processor? Do you have BASIC programs you want to translate and run on the PC? You might want to transfer purely binary data. This might be graphic images, ZSO code, or instructions to a printer-plotter. A simple adaptor and BASIC program makes all this possible.

Because parallel synchronous transmission uses the strobe signal as a clock instead of CESTROSICS format, ABRCO and OLIGBB interfaces present a minor complication. Because they automatically generate strobe signals, only half a byte can be transferred at a time.

Figure 1 shows the standard printer (LPTn: ) ports to be found in IBX and clone adaptor cards. Under XSDOS these parts are initialized and used only to drive compatible printers. A small BASIC program can be used instead of MSDOS to initialize and use these ports for ISPUT.

The synchronous input adaptor is easily made using widely available IDC type connectors and ribbon cable. Ho soldering is required, but make sure that short stubs of cable are used to engage all unused pins.

It attaches to the end of any CESTROSICS printer cable. It provides nine OUTPUT lines to the PC and ane ISPUT. The ninth OUTPUT line is the clock. The IIPUT line is the BUSY signal. The remaining eight OUTPUT lines is an eight bit data bus.

When control of the strobe signal is automatic, D4 is reassigned to be the clock signal and D5-D8 are used for data nibbles. It takes two transfers per byte of data.

In either mode, bytes are transferred raw. This lets you send any kind of data.

A BASIC program is used in each computer. Xachine code routines could easily be written to da the same thing, but the average user need not be concerned. Execution is rather slow, but it works quite well.

SINCLAIR PRINTER INTERFACE ADAPTORS

£1

£2

A*J AERCO/OLIGER

DATA Port

123

123

66

127

STATUS Port

251

191

65

127

BUSY Bit Value

1

1

4

15

STROBE Port

251

251

65

Auto

STROBE Bit Value

3

8

4

aaae

ST 3 OS

247

247

4

Write Data

stb'off

255

255

0

Read Status

There is some confusion about identification of TASXAS interface types. According to TASXAS documentation, #1 is type A, #2 is type B. USA has an ambiguous documentation in the literature.

2,2

Sot all existing commercial interfaces are listed; but if you have the porting data, merely substitute that in one of the routines listed. Sate that ASJ STROBE part inverts the signal. This might also be true for interfaces not listed.

TS2 Q68/SPECTRUM Transfer Routines

1000 REX TASXAS #1 CALL with 3 = Data Byte

1010 LET BB=IIP 251: LET X=I5T(BB/2>: LET X=8B-X-X

1020 I? X THES GOTO 1020: REX BUSY

1030 OUT 123, B: OUT 251,247: REX Data out, Strobe 01

1040 LET BB=IBP 251: LET X=I3T(BB/2): LET X-BB-X-I

1050 IF HOT X THE! GOTO 1050: REX Wait for ACK

1060 OUT 251,255: RETURS: REX Strobe OFF

1000 REX TASXAS #2 CALL with B = Data Byte

1010 LET BB=ISP 191: LET X=IBTCBB/2): LET X=BB-X-X

1020 IF X THES GOTO 1010: REX BUSY

1030 OUT 123, B: OUT 251, 247: REX Data out, Strobe OS

1040 LET BB=ISP 191: LET X=IST(BB/2>: LET X=BB-X-X

1050 IF SOT X THES GOTO 1040: REX Vait for ACK

1060 OUT 251,255: RETURS: REX Strobe OFF

1000 REX A&J CALL with B = Byte to Transfer 1010 LET BB= ISP 65: LET X=IST(BB/64) : LET X=BB- 64*X

1020 IF X>3 THES GOTO 1010: REX BUSY

1030 OUT 66, B: OUT 65,4: REX Data out, Strobe OS

1040 LET BB= ISP 65: LET X=IST(BB/64) : LET X=BB-

64*X

1050 IF X<4 THES GOTO 1040: REX Vait for ACX 1060 OUT 65,0: RETURS: REX Strobe OFF

1000 REX AERCO/OLIGER CALL with B = Data Byte 1010 LET H=IST(B/16>: LET L=B-16*H: REX Xake Sibbles

1020 LET BB= IBP 127: LET I=IBTCBB/16> : LET X=BB- 16*X

1030 IF X>15 THES GOTO 1020: REX BUSY

1040 OUT 127,16*H+8: REX Xsn out, CLOCX HI

1050 LET BB= ISP 127: LET I=IST<BB/16) : LET X=BB-

16*X

1060 IF X<16 THES GOTO 1050: REX Vait for ACK

1070 OUT 127.16XH: REX Xsn kept, CLOCK LO

1080 LET BB= ISP 127: LET I=IJT<BB/16> : LET X=BB-

16*X

1090 IF X>15 THES GOTO 1080.: REX BUSY

1100 OUT 127,16*L+8: REX Lsn Out, CLOCK HI

1110 LET BB= ISP 127: LET 1= IIT<BB/16) : LET X=BB-

16*X

1120 IF X<16 THES GOTO 1110: REX Vait for ACX 1130 OUT 127,16*L: RETURS': REX Lsn kept, CLOCK LO

PC/XT Transfer Routines

100 CLS: PRIST: PRIST: PRIST" DATA TRASSFER FROX SISCLAIR TO PC/XT*

L10 PHIST: ISP'JT "HOW XASY BYTES? " ; CQUBT

120 PRIST: ISPUT " F I LESAXE? "iFILES

130 PRIST: PR I ST" BASE = 956 FOR DISPLAY ADAPTER

PRISTER PORT

140 PR I ST" BASE = 388 FOR PRIXARY PARALLEL PRISTER PCRT

150 PR I ST" BASE = 832 FOR MODIFIED PARALLEL PRISTER PCRT

1(50 ISPUT" ESTER BASE ADDRESS: " ; PDA? A

170 IF PDATA=0 THES LET PDATA=388: PR I HP' DEFAULT

BASE = 338"

130 LET PSTATUS=PDATA+1: LET PC0STR0L=PDATA+2

UPDATE MaG&ZIUE

January 1990

190 OUT PDATA, 1: OUT PCGNTROL , 4 : REX BUSY, Initialize CONTROL Port for INPUT 200 DEF SEG 16386: REM Assign buffer in memory (640K assumed)

210 PRINT" Connect Printer Cable w/ Adaptor, then COST I HUE (F5).":STOP 220 FOR 5=0 TO COUNT- 1 230 OUT PDATA, 0: REM READY

235 REM For TASMAN/A&J, full byte transfer

240 L=INP(PCQNTROL):STB=L AID 1: IF STB=1 THEN GOTO

190

250 OUT PDATA 1: REM BUSY

260 L=(L/2) AND 7 IOR 5; H=INP<PSTATUS) AID 247 XOR 128

270 BYTE=H OR L:POKE N, BYTE: REM Assemble 4 Store BYTE

280 LOCATE 21,0:PRINT U, BYTE, : REM Verification 290 STB=INP(PCONTROL) AID 1: IF STB=0 THEN GOTO 230: REM Wait for ACK 300 NEXT N:BSAVE F I LE$ , 0 , COUNT- 1 : STOP

235 REM For AERCO/OLIGER, nibble transfer

240 H=INP(FSTATUS):STB=H AND 8: IF STB=8 THEN GOTO

240

250 OUT PDATA 1: REM BUSY 260 H=H AND 240 XOR 128

270 STB=INP(PSTATUS) AID 8: IF STB=0 THEN GOTO

270: REM Wait for ACK

280 OUT PDATA, 0: REM READY

290 L=INP(PSTATUS):STB=L AND 8: IF STB=8 THEN GOTO 290

300 OUT PDATA 1: REM BUSY

310 L=(L AND 240 XOR 128) /16

320 STB=INP(PSTATUS) AND 8: IF STB=0 THEN GOTO

320: REM Vait for ACK

330 BYTE=H+L: POKE N, BYTE

340 LOCATE 21,0:PRINT J, BYTE, : REM Verification 350 NEXT N: BS AVE FILES, 0, COUIT- 1: STOP

<C)1989 Villiam J. Pedersen

I EEE-488 for SINCLAIR USE RS

In the pages of LIST there have appeared designs for decent interfaces using Z80 PI0 chips and dip switch settable addressing. There have also been some very convenient specialized versions which do only one thing well.

The lack of a decent source far general purpose interfaces has kept most people from taking full advantage of the features of full size printers, plotters, and other non-TIMEX/sinclair products.

John McMichael has come out with a driver for the COMMODORE printer/ platter and color printer. My personal congratulations to him.

It is not widely known that the COMMODORE serial port is a simple form of the IBEE-488 GPIB with serial data transfer in place of parallel. It holds no mysterious secrets. Vhat is needed to do the same with a TS2068, SPECTRUM, or QL is a half way decent interface.

Half way decent means that the interface must be program configurable so all the pins on the device to be run (printer or otherwise) are made available as input or output - not just one unique device, but for whatever you want to attach. A single PIO will usually fill the bill.

23'

HORRORS! How can a PIO be used for serial communications? Doesn' t it take a UART or an SI0?

It depends on how fast you want to transfer data. A UART or SIO is very handy if you want your CPU to handle bytes of data. The overhead for testing UART status makes that slower than you might expect.

If you settle for bits instead of bytes, all the papular data transmission protocols became available to you. Vhen you consider that includes Local Area Networking and Mainframe access, you might ask why nobody ever marketed a half way decent I/O interface.

My guess is that people were so disgruntled with the limitations of the TS2068 that they didn't feel like trying. A few diehards have stayed with it, however. Even so, their efforts have not been exactly welcomed with opened arms so they could make a fair return for their honest sweat.

The answer to this dilemma is to make a series of small, but effective improvements which will not have to be redone later, and not so specialized they don't allow other uses. A half way decent interface is one of these.

Those who have read some of my previous articles should know that I think the TS2068 is inherently one of the mast powerful and fast computers around, even at triple the price. It suffers because of barriers in ROM and had documentation which have people snowed into believing it was a comedy of errors and mismanagement .

Don't you believe it.'

Replace that accursed ROM and you have a jewel of a machine. SCLD video modes are highly advanced; even better than CGA cards. How come nobody has written any software which takes advantage of it? All I have seen is a couple of pieces of artwork.

A serious suggestion is to get rid of that special connector arrangement in favor of one that is commonly available. Vhy make everything depend on stacking up device after device that won't fit anything else? I have suggested that the IBM connector is perfectly suitable, economical, and has the possibility of accepting clone cards. That would make it easier far our favorite computer to stretch its wings. One of those cheap clone cards happens to BE a half way decent parallel port. Vhy pay more?

The COMMODORE information shows how six 1/0 pins from a PIO (or even the joystick port!) can be used to run their disk drives, printer/plotter and graphic printer with your "obsolete" computer. Xy reason for supplying this information is to get you users out there to get off your duffs and begin to demand (and get) better things made for you. Support your suppliers by being willing to pay what the products are worth - and they VI LL be worth it. SOUND OFF! The TS2068 is still in production legally and otherwise around the world. That should tell you something. Everywhere but here? Vhy?

Shaw a little support and wonders can happen. Your computer is not just an obsolete toy. Slay those software TROLLS with your support.

Did you catch that reference to the joystick

UPDATE MAGAZINE

January 1990

part? Whether yau missed it or not, look far

"*DR. STHA3GBQUARK' S SUPER- DUPER JOY GEIEEATOR*" , coming soon to your local newsletter.

*DR. STRASGEQU ARK'S SUPER- DUPHR JOY GEIERATOR*

Have you been barking up trees like a hound dawg with its tail between his legs futilely hunting for some **WAY« for your **TS2068** to *SFEAK* to a ##XEIGHB0R##?.

Is that what's *BUGGIXG* you Bunky?

Veil, ##FRIEND##, a ! i XARVELQUS CURE I ! far your **DISSATISFACTIOX** is 5iF0ETHC0XI3GSS. Tune in your **AUDIT0RY SESSQR DEVICES** 4 i'LISTEJ!!

GET THAT IDIOT OUT OF HERE! !

That's better. Sigh

So -- what IS this all about?

When TIXEX released the TS2068, they did a logical thing — for them, but not for us.

In order to prevent using the joystick port (I0A) for OUTPUT to devices that TIXEX didn't make and others DID, they left off the G2FD connection.

This barrier is easily bypassed, but first you need to know it was put there on purpose. If you don't, it is just another example of something that doesn't work. You've been faked out.

When used for joysticks, the port is in the INPUT mode. Signals are pulled down to near GSD level by a transistor through pin 6 left, or 6 right. There is no need for a GXD pin, which was supposed to be pin 9 both right and left. Diodes prevent one Joystick from interfering with the other.

AIT device which can pull signal lines low can be used for IJPUT. It need not be a joystick.

When it comas to OUTPUT, the situation is a bit different. Joystick pins can be driven high, but because of the diodes, cannot be driven low. Low I OA port signals cannot get through.

Unless the joystick pins are pulled low by resistors to G2TD, they cannot be used far OUTPUT, low where is that GXD pin? It figures

Can it really be that simple? Yes. It CAS be and IS.

First, cut a joystick extension cord in half. If you like to be neat, uses a small hunk of perf board to tie down the cut ends and make room for five 15k 1/4W resistors. Jumper all the wires as if they had not been cut. Then wire one end of each resistor to wires from pins 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 Q. Wire all the other ends to the wire from pin 9 and another L6" iantt wire far Dickin* up GID from any other convenient location. Vrap this mess in insulating tape and you nearly have it.

The cable end is the wrong sex to fit the joystick port of another TS2068. Tau can either use a sex change adapter, or make your cable from two extension cords. The latter is probaoia the cheaper and better approach.

Xy preference far picking up the G5D is to

strip some insulation from the EAR cable and use a small alligator clip an the 16" wire. You can use any method you wish.

*HARK* to this *AST0USDI3GL7* ! ! GOOD SEWS! !

Oh, SHADDUP!

The good news is that yau now have a fully functional part which can be used far any jab which does not require more than five signal pins.

This includes driving the C0XX0DQRE daisy chained serial synchronous interface, far one.

The TS2068 SOUXD instruction can be used to drive this interface, or machine code routines can be used. The variety of applications passible is so great that I will leave it up to you eager programmers to have a go at it. One that comes immediately to mind is nibble transfer from one TS2068 to another with handshaking.

Dr. Strangequark

Summary; A 'JesuzsisLc Compute*, has not yet been offered to the public and may not ever be. A generic ccnputer would provide the standardization needed for direct hook up between computers of the same type or between different kinds to provide additive capability. Two or more computers can be operated as an integrated system by proper interfacing.

The concept runs counter to the special interests of each manufacturer of computers who would like for their product to be exclusive. Because of non-standard buss construction Interfaces must be specially designed.

The big money is in selling whole computers and their needed periphreals. Software Sales for specific types _ of computers comes next in market potential . Manufacturers are not even slightly interested in developing their products to be capable of co-processing with another brand of computer. The market potential for devices and software to support "two brands of computers" working in an integrated environment is not strong. Thus there are few who will spend the time to work toward interfacing computers.

Many Sinclair users have two or more computers, seme as many as a half dozen. We Sinclair users have much to gain by interfacing to gain co-processing capability. Doing that with the QL is the easiest. Interfacing between two different computers is more difficult, but is practical and inexpensive to accomplish.

The following names are mentioned as leaders in the Sinclair User Group who are active in interfacing projects: Larry Kenny (Larken Electroncis) . Bill Pederscn (WIDJUP), John McMichael, John Oliger, Larmour Crawford, Charles Bothner. I suspect that these entrepreneurs couid develop a super capable genvUc PC compute*. if we could lock them up together in a garage shop. _3J-

2.4

5B25S

CENTRONICS SYNCHRONOUS PRINTER INPUT OUTPUT ADAPTOR DB25P

3

53

8

5?

7

28

S

55

5

D4

4

53

3

52

2

51

2

13

13

29

21

22

GN5

23

24

25

BUSY

11

13

ACE

18

12

PE

12

13

SEL

13

15

eH

15

17

selin

17

16

INIT

16

14

ML

14

1

STB

1

zm — >-

-< — >-

DATA — <_

<ALT CLE) (Nibble Node)

5ATA -

4 r

CLE

11

GN5

BUSY

READY

57 56 55

54

53 52 5i_ STB

(Extends standard cable)

Operation

. test

Initialize BASE+2 xxxBilBB for Printer Output (default) xxx88188 for Synchronous input L=IN (BASE+2) : Shift right to STROBE and allign bits 8 - 2 L=L AN5 88888111 XOR 88888181 H=IN (BASE+1)

H=H AN5 11111888 XOR 18888888 5ATA=H OR L

23

TS2068 BACK-PLANE EXPANSION SYSTEM STANDARD

DC TAKE-OFFS

GMD ERR R7R □7 NC SLOT DO Oi

06 05 03 04 INT NM I HRLT MREQ IORQ RQ

VP

BUSRCK WRIT SUSREQ RESET Ml RF5H EXROM RQ5C3 BE I0R5 SOUND GMD

-0 23 - 013 18 -017 016 -315 -014 -h D 13 -012 -Oil 010 — 0 9 -08 -0 7 -Ob -0 5 -0 4 —0 3 -02 -01

\

01

0—

2ND

+ 15V +5V NC SLOT GND GND

(MB

O-4 RQ Ri 0-j RE R3 R15 0-j H14 R13 R1E Rli R1Q R9 RS R7 <H Rb RS R4

NC

R

(V

G

0

B

0

NC

o

VIDEO

GND

PC/XT POWER SUPPLY

+5U-t

Q©-£ -12U — + 12U-1 -

EVEREX EV-1885 EXPANSION SLOTS

1 L J L J L J L J I J I J J

TS2068 BUS TO EVEREX EV-1085

2068

CMC!

BUSRE4

Ml

MM

IORQ

RD

ROSCS

HALT

RfSH

INT

RST DV

DRQ2

[-12U3

CD SEL

I+12U1

[■GND1

MEMW

HEMR

I OR

DACK3

DACK1

DR&l

CLGCE

iRae

IRQ5

IRQ4

IRQ3

DA CM

[NC3

ALE

I+5M1

I/O EDGE

Bl

B4

B5

B18

Bil

B12

B13

B15

B16

B2i

B22

B23

A 14

A IB

A 17

ft 13

A24

A25

A26

A27

A28

A29

57

51

CH RD? WAIT

A EH

A 13

A 18

A 16

A 15

A 13

All

A 18

A3

A2

2068

D3

BUSACK

*A17*

A 15

A 14

A12

A?

A5

A3

A2

U = EVEREX WIRED CONNECTION.

PRIMARY ADAPTER

TS2968 REAR CONNECTOR

H *-

RGB

T I s

2 !

4 i 8 8

^8 48 o

m^r io

I TAEE-OFFS 0

[0 o

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S/T

+15

+5

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EXTENDER

CABLE ASSEMBLY

IDC DIPS

CLIP TWO WIRES

1

IDE5B or IDS58

BUS DRIVER CARD

Cartridge

DAISY Q

EUEREX

R

I

Used if

I

) 1NL

NOTES :

L Card has saw general layout for all applications.

2. Table shows connections used when IBM cowpatibilitg is not ittplewented.

3_. New Cartridge slot mist Le used if hank_switching is i»ple«ented. (BE conflict)

_4_. DAISY is for advanced WIDJUP autoconfiguring use.

5_. User cards can have two edges, one for each sgste».

2,6

n* DR, STRANGEHU ARK'S SUPER-SUPER JQ¥ GENERATOR * *

5 4 3 2

JOVSTICX \0 O O POST \ O Q <

o o/

9 8

*~1 15kil

15k At"

See

note

Add &B9F to BB3F Sex Change Adapter if required for your application.

NOTE: IGA5 is available at the TS2568 rear connector, and on the WI5JUP standard adaptor. If this signal is brought in and connected to Pin 5, there are enough signal lines for full bidirectional handshake when transferring nibbles.

CENTRONICS to IBM PC/XT ADAPTOR

CENTRONICS CABLE END DDK36S

(TYPICAL)

Uffl

ASS¥.

l4

I ! ! i ! . /////

Hi 1(1

i irk i /////

///

hi A\

5B25S

Trim after Assewbly. ~

FILLER PIECE

IBM PC/XT END

Carefully prepare 36 conductor ribbon cable as shown above. The MESH includes allowance for strain relief, the FILLER PIECE is needed to assure proper spacing.

When asseabling, Make sure to correctly watch up Pin 1. A snail vise can be used to wake assembly easier.

2,7,

1 J1C t-

sel eeti

OPEN puts no.

NUMBER JEW ICE

R °r 5 GRAPHIC PRINTER

Pin

i 3

4

5

Description SERIAL srq IN

GnD

SERIAL ATN IM/OUT SERIAL CLE IN/OUT

10

LQ L0 LO

Device needs service.

COMMAND identifier CoMPuter / SPIB etc i|| strobe Handshake DATA bits, LSB first

j< Bytes sent under A1N to devices

(O igse

(Primary and optional secondary addr.)

CLOCK

MIA

-LISTENED READy-FOR-DATA

Isl

' ' LISTENER DA I A ACCEPTED-,'

inrjLHjTjinjL!

|-MM VALID J F J LSB MSB

— TALKER READV-TO-SEND

LISTENER READV-FGR-DATA

LISTENER DATA ACCEPTED-,

njifuuuui/L ]

DATA VALID

BB H NE

JND-OR- I DENT I FV (POLL tor IDENTIFY) j-IALKER READV-TO-SEND

UTJiTLJinjirin_c

TALKER SENDING ' '

LSB USB

LISTENER READS-FOR DATA EOI-TINEDUT HANDSHAKE LISTENER READV-FOR-DAIA

SVSTEM LINE RELEASE

Make DEVICE a TALKER and LISTEN ATN

r- ACX IS NOW TALKER I -r TALKER READy-TO-SEND

, _ + r-i»**tx xiHi/x-iu-SEND

MTaEETi

BECOMES LISTENER -

CiAiHEj !Fj

JliJLiJLiJliJllJliJliJllJL ^-READ¥ FOR DATA

NOTES;

1. "Device not presenfif > mx.

2. E0I response required if > ttax.

3. Frane error if > nax.

4. V and PR 68 uSEC nin for TALKER,

5. rimng of TK, DC and DA depends on how long it takes for the XLISTENER to recognize the

wrong polarity of DATA, the KTALKER to recognize the "wrong- polarity of CLOCK, and adjust states accordingly,

Synbol

AT H NE

S V F R

BB

VI

IT

RV

PR

DC

DA

Description

SERIAL BUS TIMING (uSEC)

'nse(R^uired)

ATN Res. , 4«.

Ji^gj^ Hold-Of,

DATA Valid FRAME Handshake

B?tLM?Ere °f m £01 Response

TALKER Response Linit cVJE Acknowledge

nnrvH5I?JLP„b? TALKER CLOCK Held LO by XLIS'R

Note

Min

( T*ip / Mav

i

i

1088

INF

2

48

288

4

20

70

28

28

3

0 20

28

1888

280

258

60

8

38

68

4

5

28

38

5

P L OTT It IG E 9 UAT 1 0 f-j 5 U.»i th PAD ICAL3

by: Ukwuzn FsUcfae,

B e f 0 r e w € get deeply in ■-• 0 1. *•• e d in this t u t oriat . I e t s h a v e a brief r e v i ew 0 f r a d i c a t 5 . Ue mill restrict r. y r disc u s = i 0 n 1 0 that wh i c h we n e e d 1 0 r n ow t o Plot equations containing them. A radical is the r 0 0 1 o f a n um - be r . or a number e x p r e s s i 0 n , called a radicand. Ue are in- v o I v e d h e r e i n 0 n I y w i t h t hose

0 f the s e c 0 n d 0 r d e r . wh i c h are u s u a I l y k n 0 iu n a s s q u a re r 0 0 1 s . There are only two things for

us to remember. ONE The

s q u are r 0 o t 0 f a n e g a t i v e n urn - be r is imaginary. For us. and the computer, i t d 0 e s n ' t e x i s t . TUG.... flit square roots have Uuo s o l u lion s , apt u s one and a m i n u s one. To i I l u s t rate, there

1 s n 0 real r 0 o t f o r the s q u a r e

r 0 0 t of -4 , but the s q u are r o 0 t of +4 can be either 42 or -2.

Another thing to remember is that p owe r s . 1 1 K e the s q u are o r cube of a number on the f 52056 . a s 0 n ma n y 0 1 h e r c omp u t e r s . are evaluated by the use of an a l g 0 r i t hm emp 1 0 y i n q 1 0 q a r i t hms . As there are no 1 0 aari t hms- 0 f n e g a t i v e n u m b e r s . w e m u s t re- sort to an alternate method of e x pre s s ion. For e x a m pie. the c 0 mp 1.1 1 e r w i I l n 0 t ujo r R w i t h 1-2) t3, the cube or third power of -2 (ansme r =-5) . but it will accept (-2) * <-fi) * (-2) , which is the same thing.

So when we have an equation containing a radical or a power

1 0 p lot . we mu st t a R e steps t o consider the computer's short - comi rigs . If we don ' t , we ' 1 1 be plagued by "invalid argument", error reports, and a hung-up program.

In each of the folio w i n q pro- grams line 140 is devised" to looR at the radicand to see if its value is positive or n e q a - t i v e . if it has- a value less than 0, it must be negative and its root is imaginary. Thus a

1 1 ne s u c h as 150 s R i ps over it. If the radicand is positive and acceptable, lines such as 153 and 170 initialize the value of the equation for each + or - . value of its radical.

Ue are not yet "0 u t 0 f the woods". As in the previous tu- torial on the graphing of poly- nomials, we must test the magni- tude of y 1 , y2 , etc.. at each point along the X-axis, before attempting to plot a pixel. If the absolute value of the ordin- ate is too great, the c omp u t e r will try to plot beyond the con- fines of the screen. 5o these values must be s Ripped to avoid getting an "out of range" error report, and another h u n q up pro- gram. Lines such as 130 and 200 do this for us. no

After each equation or its +/- counterpart is so tested and found to be acceptable, its Pixels are Plotted by lines such as 190 , 200 , etc. Notice- that there is only one FnuP - NEXT loop. All c omp u ted v a 1 n «=• are Plotted in a s i n q t e p a « * thru this loop. Ue c o u id ha e plotted the equations sequen- tially, repeating the loop, but a single loop is a t a d qui c k e r .

Th e r e is one other probl em wc call again to your attention. 1 1 w a s mentioned in an earlier tutorial called, "Circles on the T52063". The vertical scale and the horizontal s c a 1 <= of the Timex screen is rmt 11. The vertical scale i s s t r * t r h e d so that a circle looks I i k e an ellipse with ma.ior axis verti- cal. This can be very nearly o f is e t by using 4. vertical pi * - els to 5 horizontal p i x e l s in a required 1 to 1 relationship. Hence, in the selection of t h * scale factors v and H, we used 30 vertical pi x e 1 s 1 0 r <= p r * « e n t 10 units and 100 horizontal" pix- els to represent 10 units. Eighty to one -hundred is a 4 to 5 ratio. Shapes w i I I n 0 w s u f - f e r very little distortion.

Program G-13 plots two equa- tion s s i mu 1 1 a n e 0 u sly

y t2+4y +x t2-4x -56=0 (2-y ) x.12-l5=0

Th e s e two we re r ew r i 1 1 e n tn e x p r «s o y a s a f un c t i 0 n of x . res u King in

y =--»>o r - ( -x t2 +4x +60 ) t . 5 y =2-16 /xt 2

Students of math among us may recognize these equations right off as a circle and hyperbola. Also, they may rightfully con- tend that both curves can easi- ly be roughed in by determining the center and radius of the circle, and the as symp totes and void areas of the hyperbola. But not all curves are as easily analyzed and plotted. The TS computer, however, can handle equations that are not readily analyzed, just as easily as the two in these ex amp les .

Program G-14 considers the equations of a parabola and an other hyperbola. They are

y 1-2=4 (8-x) iy-1) 12 (x-i) =1

Uhen we rewrite these to ex- press y in terms of x. we get..

y=+ or -2(3-x)t.5 y =1+ or -(x-i)t(-.s)

Note that to plot a complete curve where y is ex preyed in terms of x and a radical, there will be upper ( + j and lower parts of the curve. These sep- arate parts are identified by yl, y2 . ys, and -u.

5 REM 4* "G-13" . 7-22-89 , UF 10 REM 4* PLOTTING EQUATIONS

LUi th a RADICAL 20 PLOT 0,35: DRAW 0,-85: DRflU 255.0: DRflU 0,35: DRflU -255,0: DRflU 0 , 39 : DRflU 255 , 0 : DRflU 0 ■ -3 9: PLOT 130,0: DRflU 0,175

40 FOR n =5 TO 155 STEP 20: PLO T 129. n: PLOT 131.n: NEXT n

50 FOR n =30 TO 230 STEP 20: PL OT n/37: PLOT n , 85 : NEXT n _ 60 PRINT AT 1 , 15; "Y" .; AT 12 ,30;

A70HfflaHi6,l7;',+5";flT 16,17

\"z S^_:_ RjE»_**_5 !- fl L E , Y - A X 15

7 , " + 10" : REM SCALE ■ X-AXIS

100n9'J =3 : ||" xM^ = 10 120BSBx=-3 TO +11 STEP .1 130 REM ■** FIRST CURUE !40SE3rad i ca I = -x *x +4*x + 60 150 IF radical ;0 THEN GO TO 220 150SS3^ 1 =-2 + r a d i c a l t . s 1 70H^5aty 2 = -2 - r a d i c a 1 1 . 5

180 IF ABS yl*U>35 THEN GO TO 2

00

190 PLOT X+H+130 , y l*U+35

200 IF ABS y2*U>35 THEN GO TO 2 20

210 PLOT X*H+130,y2*U+35

220 REM SECOND CURUE

240 IF ABS y 3 *U i 86 THEN GO TO 2 50

250 PLOT x*H+130,y3*U+86 260 NEXT X

300 PRINT AT 3,4; "'-11 = -2+ (-Xt 2+4 X+60) t .5"

310 PRINT AT 4, 1 ; "y2=-2- ( -xt2+4 x+60) t .5"

320 PRINT AT 12 , 1.; "y3=2-16/Xt2"

Y

y l=-2+ ( - x t 2 + y 2 =-2- ( -x t2+4x +

-10 T"^-,

1

ix +50) t . 5 50) t .5

>

r+'i0

y3=2-15/xt2 \

\

i H •

There are simp tier ways of Plot tin a these curves., but the- me thod used here a I lotus us to suggest a means of solving these equations simultaneously, using the computer to do the heavy, tiring computations. It involves computina the common x and y values at their points of intersection. This will be the subject of some future tutorial. HartQ in there .....

5 REM ** "G-14" , 7-22-39. ..:

10 REM ** PLOTTING EQUATIONS With TUO RADICALS

20 PLOT 0,85: DRflU 0.-85: DRflU 255,0: DRflU 0,36: DRflU -255.0: DRflU 0,39: DRflU 255.0: DRflU 0.-3 9: PLOT 130,0: DRflU 0.175

40 FOR n=6 TO 166 STEP 20: PLO T 129, n: PLOT 131. n: NEXT n

50 FOR n =30 TO 230 STEP 20: PL OT n.37: PLOT n.35: NEXT n

60 PRINT AT 1,15; "Y" ; AT 10.30; "X"

7Pfcaffl*Ul -IT: " +10 " ; RT 20,1 7; "-10" ; REM ** SCALE, Y-AXIS

80KaEEBBE9ti3 .2; "-10" ; at 12.2

7; " + 10" : REM »* SCALE , X-AXIS

i00g»j=3 ■ - 3 0

120KHX =-2 TO +10 STEP .1 130 REM ** FIRST CURUE

150 IF radical-; 0 THEN GO TO 220 l60*g=H§y l = +2*r ad i c a 1 1 . 5 i70BHwy2=-2*r ad i ca it . 5

130 IF ABS yl*U>36 THEN GO TO 2

00

190 PLOT x*H+130 , Ul*U+35 200 IF ABS y2*U>86 THEN GO TO 2 20

210 PLOT X4H + I30 . y2*U+36 220 REM ** SECOND CURUE

2 30Bdr a d i c a 1 =x - 1 240 IFradi ca I <0 THEN GO TO 295 250ffB»-t 3 = 1 + r a d i c a 1 t - . 5 250Hawty 4 = 1 - r a d i ca It - .5

270 IF ABS y3*U>S6 THEN GO TO 2 35

230 PLOT x*H+I30 .U3*U+S6

285 IF ABS y4*U>36 THEN GO TO 2 95

290 PLOT X*H+130,U4*U+S6

295 NEXT X

(300 PRINT AT 3, 1; "yl=+2 (S-X) t .5

t310 PRINT AT 5/1; "y 2=-2 (S-X ) t .5

320 PRINT AT 13 . 1 ; "y3=l+ (X -1) t - .5"

330 PRINT AT 15 . 1 : "y 4=1- (X -1) t - .5"

yl=+2 (3-x) t .5%

y2=-2 (3-x ) t . 5 J-

\

\

-10 _ /

+ 10

.

y 3=1+ i x - 1 ) t - . 5 y4 = i- (x -1) t- . 5-

\ / +10 1 \

-10

3.0

Uarr&n Fricfce

UPDATE MBOZINE

January 1990

Flashback David Youngquist

Before I begin talking about Flashback I need to say a little bit about Archive. After all, why buy another database program when you get one free with your computer?

I've always liked databases, and I like

Archive, but Bill Cable's columns have

shown me that I certainly haven't learned everything about Archive. I've never even had a data file lock me out from forgetting to close it. Though I have fallen asleep waiting for a search thru a 150K data file on disk. That perhaps is Archive's biggest weakness; it keeps the bulk of its data on your microdrive cartridge or disk. Searches are terribly slow while it looks at each bit of data on the drive to see if it is the one needed. The nice thing about this is it allows standard 128K machines to keep data files much larger than they could handle in RAM. When one expands their QL with extra RAM this plus turns into a liability. [ Editor's note : if you have enough free RAM, once an ARCHIVE database or any file has been totally read once the QL keeps a copy in RAM and eliminates unnecessary device accesses. With archive a simple way to get a database into RAM is to Search for something that won't be found. If you are altering or inserting there will be lots of device accesses in any case. Also if you order your ARCHIVE database and use the Locate command you can have near instantaneous searches no matter how big the database is . ]

Flashback keeps its data file in RAM. In fact it will multi-task, by itself, with another program without needing Taskmaster or QRAM. I have a setup with just Quill and Flashback that I find very useful . From another program pressing the 'ALT' and 'V together (or another defined pair) will bring up Flashback. It also works fine with Taskmaster .

Flashback has records and fields in the records like Archive. However a record or a field can be one character long or 10s of thousands of characters long. A record can have only one field or up to 60 fields. The number of fields or the field length can be different for each record. A field marker can be deleted joining two fields or sub- field markers added. A single record can also be split into two records at any point.

Flashback has the standard database commands (NEXT, BACK, FIRST, LAST, etc.) and some interesting new ones. Using the MERGE command picks up ASCII text from most any source. Capturing a Quill file or SuperBASIC listing is easy. There is a utility to convert Archive files to Flashback. One can pop out of Flashback with a record and place it into Quill, SuperBASIC or whatever. Use Flashback to capture a series of standard SuperBASIC procedures and file them. When you are writing a program in SuperBASIC call up Flashback and do a search to find the one wanted and bring it back to SuperBASIC.

Searches are advertised to be 100 times faster than Archive. My experience is that they have been as near to instant as I can tell. If anything is done to change the file then it needs to be SAVEd. This is much more safe than having the file OPEN during the changes.

The worst thing about databases is having to type in all that data! Here is a way to have your QL make a very useful database for you. Take a look at the SuperBASIC listing I call 'Directory'. This sends the information from Toolkit II 's WSTAT (like DIR but more data) of a number of disks or microdrive cartridges to a RAM disk file. I then capture it with Flashback's MERGE command and have a smart library guide to all my software medium.

Those without Toolkit II will need to delete line 100 and change the WSTAT in lines 160 and 230 to DIR. Those without RAM disks can change their reference in lines 160, 220 and 240 to a device they are not using. This means if you are using microdrive 1 to scan directories then keep your catalog of directory information on microdrive 2.

Run Flashback with an empty database and Directory in SuperBASIC. The program asks how may files, and this means how many cartridges or disks you wish to scan. When all the disks or microdrive cartridges are scanned for their directories then go into Flashback and CREATE a new record. Then use the MERGE command to 'MERGE_ram3_file#l' and the directory inforatian is now in your record. You may add field markers at your leisure. The file name "filetl" is also arbitrary and easily changed. Next CREATE a new record again and MERGE. Use the cursor control to go to the end of the prompt and change it to 'MERGELram3_file#2' . And so on until all the directories are now records.

.1;

UPDATE MBGaZIHE

January 1990

I purchased Flashback frcm Sharps for $40 and feel it is a good value.

Directory . A SOPEBERSIC Program to use with Flashback

10 REMark Directory Record Maker for Flashback

20 By- David Youngquist

30 REMark unwitting help by Mike Lloyd in

5/89 QL World

100 TK2JSXT

110 CLS:CLS#2:CLS#0

120 INFUT"Don't forget the '"W'Device? ";d$

130 INFOTV How many files? 1 ;n

140 FOR Z=i TO n

145 n$=,file#,&z

147 AT#0, 0, 48 :PRINT#0\' Insert

disk/ cart rige' :wait

150 scan

160 CLS#0:CLS#2:PRINT#2/ Directory list in RAM3 ' \ :WSTAT#2 , ram3_ 170 END FOR z

175 AT#0 ,1,48:PRINT#0, "All done" 180 :

190 DEFine PROCedure scan 210 CLS

220 0PEN_NEW#3 , ' ram3_* &n$ 230 WSTAT#3, d$: CL0SFJ3 240 OPEN_IN#3 , * ram3_' &n$

250 INFUT#3, line$:PRINT "CATALOG: "\;line$

260 REPeat loop

270 FOR x = 1 TO 18

280 INPUT#3 , 1 ine$ : PRINT line$

290 IF EOF(#3): EXIT loop

300 IF KEYRCW(l) = 8: EXIT loop

310 END FOR X

320 PRINT "More >": PAUSE

330 AT 2,0:CLS 3:CLS 2

340 END REPeat loop

350 CLOSE#3

360 wait

370 END DEFine scan

380 :

390 DEFine PROCedure wait

400 AT#0,2,48:FRINT#0," Touch any key

": PAUSE :CLS#0

410 END DEFine wait

420 :

32

QLSOPIWME

offered by:

Wood and Wind Computing RR-2 Box 92 Cornish, NH 03745

Call if you want mora information: 603 675 2218

OfflDS BUSTERS : Just released frcm Wood and Wind Computing.

If you have ever wasted time trying to find a file in your pile of disks and microdrives you need the help of CHAOS BUSTERS . Consisting of :

■ - Displays and prints your media directory in column, format, natural or alphabetic order, screen paging for long directories. It has a search function for locating and displaying file names containing a specified string. Saves your eyes in spotting a file. You can search across many disks making only 2 key presses for each disk you insert.

FILEX - This program will make an export file of your directory and WSTAT information for import to ARCHIVE. This gives you an instant file/media database. File extension is made a field (doc, aba). If available file creation date and size are in the database. Dates are yy/mm/dd format for sensible selecting and ordering. You can build your database at a rate of over 1000 files an hour (faster than a 747). The next program makes any knowledge of ARCHIVE unnec essay in using your database.

DBEasy

- This is a database manager that works as a front end or shell for ARCHIVE. It runs within ARCHIVE but you work frcm menus and need know nothing about ARCHIVE commands. Most of ARCHIVE'S awesome power is at your finger tips. DBEasy creates and manages databases for many different applications. It keeps a log file of all your databases and allows you to swtich between them. Your FILEX file database can be just one of many databases you might want. Databases for addresses, expenses, income , tapes , stamps , books , or whatever can easily be created and managed. You can insert, alter, delete, select, order, find, search, locate, display 3ingle or multiple records, print records, partial records, mailing labels to a file or printer, do simple suns, export to ABACUS for more serious calculations. As a stand alone program DBEasy sells for $21.95.

This trio is ready to bust your chaos for $29.95 on 5 1/4 or 3 i/2 DSDD or $33.95 an 2 microdrives (specify if your QL is expanded) . Order from:

Wood and Wind Computing : Sill Cable : RR 3 Box 92 : Cornish, SH 03745

UPDATE MRGaZIHE

RELEASING PRINTER POWER EROM A QL

Peter Hale, P.O. Box 8763, Boston, MA 02114

Many with a QL do not know how to get the most out of their printers. This is particularly true of those using QUILL who would like fancier doc- uments, but feel they are limited to the enhance- ments (highlights) provided in QUILL (High & Low Scipt, Bold and Underlined).

This article describes (in possibly excessive detail) how to get the most out of a printer from within a QUILL document. The road to delight may seem a little untidy, but the printer power re- leased from within your QL will be more than you could get from all but the most powerful and complicated word processors on other computers.

As illustration we will refer to the QL printer, partly because so many people have this printer, but also because it uses Epson printer codes and therefore has direct application to any Epson compatible printer.

If you understand QUILL documents, printer codes and the use of install_bas, go immediately to TABLE I and the section USING PRINTER CODES.

THE QUILL DOCUMENT

As viewed on the monitor screen the QUILL file shows the effect of embedded (invisible) codes in representing text. For example, pressing F4 then B changes subsequent text to a different color that represents a bold face to the text to be printed. Pressing F4 then B again releases the color and returns it to the original. But no one sees any specific character on the screen.

The code for bold is QUILL-specific. It is not visible on-screen but is in the _doc. Actually there are two different codes: one to turn on the bold highlight, the other to turn it off.

When printing a QUILL _doc, you have noticed that drive 1 on your setup will whirr. This is QUILL searching for a file called printerjat which has data to change (translate) QUILL's own codes into codes that can be understood by the printer.

Thus, printing a document from within QUILL is a three-part exercise (as it is with any other,

lesser wordprocessing program):

1) The typist prepares the QUILL jioc by invisibly embedding codes in the document through judicious use of the F4 key and its parameters.

2) The printer jiat file (otherwise called the printer driver) translates embedded codes into ones understood by the printer. The values in a given printer_dat file filter the QUILL _doc file on its way to the serial port, changing QUILL codes to printer codes.

3) When the printer receives codes in a "lan- guage" it understands, it changes the printer font or enhancement that will apply to printing subsequent text.

OK. Got that? If not, try re-reading it because it is important to understanding what follows.

PRINTER CODES

We will use the QL printer manual for specific references. Some will cite it as one of the more obfuscating documents in computerdom. Those who accept this canard have lived a sheltered life, unexposed to other printer manuals, all of which were written by summa cum laude graduates of the IBM school of technical writing.

As imperfect as the QL printer manual is, it is really very good. Like other manuals it lists the different codes (often called commands in other manuals) and what each does. In the QL printer manual there is a table on pages 67 and 68.

All codes are expressed in one of three ways: Symbolic (character representation in a format left over from teletype days), Hex or Decimal. The three are interchangeable. [Some printers, such as the older Mannesman-Tallys, have unique codes, but we are talking here about Epson compatible printers.]

The codes themselves are generally non-printing characters or start with a non-printing charac- ter. They can be represented symbolically or by decimal or hex digits through installjas. For examples see pages 4 and 6 of the Information section of the QL manual itself.

The table in the printer's manual lists commands,

33

briefly describes each command's function, and refers to the page in the manual where you may or may not learn more about its use.

Most printer codes are preceeded by ESC (in dec- imal: 27, in hex: IB). Some, such as condensed, double-wide and form feed have single codes.

Printer command codes with ESC are followed by a letter or other non-numeric character, and possibly a third and fourth numeric character.

When a string of characters arrives at the printer and one of the codes is present, the printer reads the codes. If the code is ESC, it knows to pay attention to the characters that follow until they no longer make sense as printer commands. Then the printer treats subsequent code as characters to be printed in the commanded way until another command arrives telling it to do something else.

If we could place other codes within a QUILL document, we could release the power of the printer, so pay attention to what follows.

USING IN ST AL L_JB AS

The SuperBASIC program install_bas that came with QUILL enables us to insert codes in a QUILL doc- ument to access features built into the printer.

The codes will be visible on the QUILL screen as characters from the QL character set, but will not be sent to the printer head. Before arriving at the printer, through the magic of translation, the character will be translated into printer commands (control codes).

Thus we will choose characters that are not norm- ally part of English text. These are characters accessed by holding the CTRL and SHIFT keys simultaneously and pressing one of the alphabetic characters. The characters resulting tend to be Greek or Scandanavian ones rarely needed.

The reason for install J>as is to modify the file install jiat (a collection of data about codes for a number of printers) and to create printer jiat, the working data file for your specific printer.

Load and run install_bas in the usual way. It must be on drive 1 on a medium with installjiat,

printer jiat and a working copy of QUILL.

It takes time to load, then you must specify the drive on which installation and driver data are kept. This is usually drive 1 since QUILL defaults to drive 1 for printer jiat.

Next, the prompt asks if you are using a standard serial port (serl or ser2) to the printer. This is the choice even if you have a parallel printer but are using a parallel interface cable. The option for a non-standard serial port or a parallel port only applies if there is a special port for PAR such as is found on a Super QBOARD disc controller.

It takes a few minutes for the QL to organize data from the install jiat and printer jiat files, then the screen presents a list of printers and notes the most recently installed driver.

We won't repeat instructions for installing printer drivers that are so ablely presented on pages 3 to 7 in that section of the QL manual called Information - there isn't space here.

Instead., we will briefly step through the process of modifying an EPSON FX-80 driver. On page 6 of the Information section the right-hand column of the table is a close approximation of the FX-80 driver, except that the port is serl and the preamble code should spell ESC in upper case characters if it is to work.

Move the cursor over EPSON FX-80 with the down cursor key and press Fl to copy it. Then move the cursor to the copy and press F2 to edit it.

The cursor will be over the driver name. Press a right or left cursor key to change it, then type a printer name (up to 14 characters) and press ENTER.

The other lines are translates even if they don't admit it. The ones from PORT to SUPERSCRIPT OFF are dedicated and handled differently from those specifically called TRANSLATE.

The PREAMBLE CODE shown is ESC,@,ESC,R,NUL. On an FX-80 printer this resets the printer to a default state and selects the USA character set. ESC,Q is the common reset code for almost all printers, but the QL printer has no optional

3A

USING PRINTER CODES in QUILL

Using the power is simple. Whenever you wish to use an enhancement not found within QUILL, use one of the Translate codes we have devised by inserting it as a text character when a change in printer function is desired.

Functions can be concatenated (chained) to achieve a desired effect. Thus double-wide, con- densed, elite is theoretically possible simply by preceeding the text that you desire in that format with OfiO. When you wish to terminate that effect, simply type 8 (Control -Shift N) to return to normal (pica, 10 pitch) width.

Some functions are not explicitly provided in the TRANSLATE codes developed here. You can construct your own with the « (Control-Shift X) command. A very useful one is «xl, which turns on the NLQ or LQ mode of any Epson compatible printer. Use «x0 to return to draft mode.

If you prefer Double-strike to NLQ, try «G («H turns it off). For real quality, albeit at a slow pace, combine NLQ and Double-strike.

You are on your own from here as to what features you want to explore, but there are some WARNINGS !

First, when inserting these new control codes within QUILL text, QUILL thinks they are print- able characters. Thus if the code is the first character in a paragraph, QUILL performs word wrap and justification as if the code were printable. It's not, so the output on that line shifts one or more characters to the left, giving a ragged right edge to the paragraph.

The common solution is to insert the codes in what is otherwise a blank line between paragraphs or only at the end of a paragraph in the blank spaces remaining. Termination codes are less often a problem since they generally come at the end of a paragraph where there are no more characters to print.

Second, inserting codes within a line so that one or more words are in a contrasting highlight, as is done when using italics to indicate a foreign word is tricky. Changing pitch within a line or anywhere is even trickier, n'est-ce pas? Sn'est- ce pas?i

QUILL does not know that pitch has changed when it formats text. For that you would need text17.

The solution to that is to treat lines that have custom enhancements as separate paragraphs with wider right margins. When changing pitch within a line or a document, some trial and error with sample print outs may be necessary.

Third, proportional spacing is a simple way to increase the text on a given page by about 10 percent. Characters such as i and 1 take less linear space than m or n. It is not recommended with right justification since there will be a ragged right edge. To take advantage of the extra word count extend the right margin 10 percent.

Finally, none of these tricks will work unless a copy of the printer jiat file is in drive 1 when QUILL begins to print. You learn the meaning of frustration if, after all this work, the document ends up with a batch of garbage instead of the expected enhancements.

**************

Those . who find that using installjjas is harder than they like can get custom copies made for their printer from EMSoft. The charge is $5.00.

With the five dollars send a disk or micro- cartridge with a working copy of QUILL (or QLWP), installjjas, install jiat and printer jiat. Include a photocopy of the pages in your printer's manual with the printer codes in summary form.

On the returned disk, you will receive a _doc file demonstrating the printer's power.

As another service to disk drive users, EMSoft will convert your PSION suite to default to flp_ rather than to mdv_. Send a disk with a direct copy of each of your four PSION programs and install_bas and $5.00. A special datesetting boot with the ability to select any of the PSION suite will be added.

Get both services together for just $8.00.

Send to:

EMSoft, P.O. Box 8763, Boston, MA 02114

2.5

character sets. On a QL printer, change the PREAMBLE CODE to ESC,@ so that it resets whenever a new document is printed. Type ESC,"@ then ENTER. It should look like ESC,@ with no \

Why the " before the 8? Symbolic codes may be entered directly in CAPITAL letters. The next part of the command is separated by a comma. The @ is preceeded by " since it is not symbolic code but is needed as part of the command.

You could enter @ in decimal code (64) or even do both parts in decimal by typing 27,64. When you press ENTER, it looks like ESC,@.

Also change the POSTAMBLE CODE to be FF, if your printer does not automatically Form Feed after printing. (For fun, put in FF,BEL so the printer signals when finished printing.)

Now move the cursor to the Translate lines. If you have a QL printer, use the right cursor key to remove the TRANSLATE!, and press ENTER. All other Epson compatible printers require this line so that the £ sign prints correctly.

In the next 8 TRANSLATE lines insert codes that

will permit access to virtually all the printer's power. First add the capacity to send the ESCape code to the printer. With it we can manufacture most other control codes. Then add single keys that will allow use of condensed, double-wide, elite, italic and proportional printing.

[Note that older EPSON compatible printers may not be able to do proportional or italic printing - check your manual.]

In TRANSLATE2 press the right arrow then type "«,ESC. (the character « is found with Control- Shift X, a mnemonic for "Xscape"]. Press ENTER. The value for TRANSLATE2 should be «,ESC.

Henceforth, whenever you insert « in a Quill document, it will be translated on its way to the printer as the ESCape code (decimal 27), and the character immediately following it will be per- ceived as an instruction to the printer. More on this below in USING PRINTER CODES in QUILL.

See TABLE I for what to put in each of the other 7 TRANSLATES. We have left TRANSLATED free for you to design your own specific code.

-table: i

Translate What you. type Control Function

Code Shift Key

2 "«,ESC X=« Send ESCape to printer

3 "$,SO D=$ Start double-wide pitch (5/in)

4 "£,Si C=£ Start condensed pitch (17/in)

5 "0,ESC,"M E=0 Start elite pitch (12 char/in)

6 "R,ESC,"4 l=fl Turn on italic feature

7 "u,ESC,"p,SOH P=u Start proportional pitch (11/Hn)

8 "e,DC4,ESC,"W,"0,DC2,ESC,"P N=8 return to Normal pitch (10/in)

9 "4>,ESC,"p,"0,ESC,"5 R=<i> Release italic and proportional

Note that the choice of Control-Shift key has mnemonic value - i.e. Control-Shift P starts proportional pitch and Control-Shift R releases it. Having just one "Release" key would be nice, but install_bas only allows 10 codes per translate.

Further, Control-Shift N returns the printer to Normal pitch indiscriminately of which pitches were set. Thus if a section of the document were set for double-wide, condensed and you wished to change to condensed, it would be necessary to release both then reinstate the condensed. Piggy-backing the release codes is a function of the limit of 10 translates in the standard install_bas.

See the text on Using Printer Codes in QUILL_docs.

3.6

**** I, S, D, 0, S, **** FOR !HE SIMMS QL

- f£KJf5/ Let us see if we can better understand the ambiguities so that we can use our systems to better advantage.

'OS', in computer talk, means 'QpvuUing Sj/4tun". Preceed "OS" with "D", and "DOS" means "Disk Operating System". "MS-DOS" means Microsoft Disk Operating System.

The DOS consists of a group of programming utilities (or tools) used to interact between the Operator, The Computer, and a MASS STORAGE DEVICE- a disk drive. "MS-DOS" was created by The MICRO SOFT Corporation for IBM Computers. "QDOS" is the system used for the Sinclair Computer, and LKDOS is the Disk Operating system created by Larken Electronics for the TS-2063. EMziUitLlly , M oi ike. DOS pitjo-vn the. 4cune, 4imUioruf though some perform more elegantly.

The original MS-DOS, created by Microsoft for the early IBM computers, was programmed for a computer that had a maximum of 128K of internal memory, and some of that was reserved for internal computer "OS" (operating system). Through the years computers were designed to address (use) more memory, and other versions of MS-DOS were released that would take advantage of more memory capacity. The first MS-DOS was quite limited, because each of the programming utilities took up memory space when the utilitys were loaded into the computer's awn memory.

The Sinclair QL engineers reserved a portion of the QL's internal memory to store the DOS utilities. Then Cottage industry developed Disk Drive interfaces and stored the Floppy utilities in ROM additions. In some respects Sinclair computers' DOS are more efficient than MS-DOS because their DOS utility programming is stored "IN PERMANENT MEMORY", and thus is faster in operation than MS-DOS which requires the DOS utility to be "fetched from disk to Computer Memory".

But there are disadvantages of "fixed Operating Systems". One major disadvantage is that each subsequent "version" of the DOS requires hardware change- a new EPROM to be installed. And, a fixed

memory chip poses problems to the independant programmers who would like to offer improvements to the DOS. But to make such improvements would require the programming of EPROMS to install in the DOS hardware circuit boards.

OSES LEARNING

Each DOS is designed for User Interface between the person, the computer, and the disk drive. Most of the disk operating systems are actually simple to use, if one will study the available manuals. The first step is to try to understand the objectives of the DOS programmers, principle of which is to transfer information between the computer and a mass storage device, the disk drive. The user is furnished with a repertoire of BASIC commands to cause planned actions to take place. When one learns these simple Basic commands, the "Human Interface" becomes efficient. Infrequent use of the DOS makes the operation seem to be complex because each simple task requires the operator to refer to a manual before entering the basic command. Imagine how difficult it would be to drive an automobile if one had to study the manual in order to find where the brake pedal is located! When one drives behind a "Driver's Ed" vechicle, the need for operator PRACTICE is evident. Practice promotes efficiency.

Some of us become accustomed to one DOS and are reluctant to change to another because of the seeming complexity of a strange new set of Basic Commands. Actually our old ana familiar group of DOS commands may be more complex than the new DOS that is being avoided. An example of this is my own reluctance to tackle MS-DOS, which I later found to be less complex than my favorite TS-2063 LKDOS. The adage, "Old dogs wont learn new tricks" applies. Actually this old dog is learning new tricks and finding the process to be enjoyable. But the process requires a reference book, some study, and most important, PRACTICE and ERROR CORRECTION. Practice is needed for the DOS commands to be remembered for proficiency of operation. Progressing from Micro Drive commands to DOS (or MS-DOS) commands is a small step for QL users.

MS-DOS, and the SINCLAIR QL

I find QDOS, augumented with the Trump Card

57

UPD2VTS

January 1990

Tools (TK2JXT), to be more efficient than MS-DOS. But there are many advantages to be gained by learning and using MS-DOS. Generally, programming support for the QL is declining in England. The picture in the USA and Canada is improving with such new programming as is being done by EMSOFT, Hood and Hind Computing, and a few others. But the market potential for QL and TS-2068 software is on the decline.

The largest library of computer software is the MS-DOS market, where new titles are constantly appearing and there is a huge hoard of useful public domain libraries. Also, programming for MS-DOS seems to be where the most opportunity exists for qualified programmers. Software support for the QL and TS-2068 is definitely on the decline.

Even so, my large inventory of TS-2Q68 and QL software is so valuable and productive that it would be foolish of me to discard either of these fine computer systems. Eventually though, one can reach a saturation paint with computers and the space sharing with other members of a family.

The answer may be in acquiring a portable MS-DOS computer to use in conjunction with my Sinclairs. Then programs and data files can be shared with the QL, and Data Files shared with the TS-2068 and Z88.

Tw MS-DOS Emulator Softwares

Last issue Update presented a nice review of "THE SOLUTIONS", by Dick Wagner. This first "Imulator": software for the QL marked the beginning of the QL's use of software that is designed for MS-DOS operation. I recently acquired a new QL software called "PC CONQUEROR". Both Solutions and PC Conqueror are MS-DOS emulator softwares produced by Digital Precisions Ltd., of England. PC Conqueror is their latest release. I have both titles and am greatly impressed with PC Conqueror. It comes with a disk having MS-DCS version 4.1 which has some modifications designed especially for operation with the QL. Both the disks having the PC Conqueror software and the one having MS-DOS 4.1 are in 80 track 720K format, which relieves one problem with the earlier Solutions software which was in 40 track 360K format.

I have used PC Conqueror and find it to be fairly easy to operate. Once PC Conqueror (or The Solutions) Software does the initial job of

reconfiguring the QL to operate as a MS-DOS system, the task is turned over to the operator who must use MS-DOS 3asic Commands to load and operate MS-DOS software. While the use of MS-DOS "Operator Basic Commands" is required, they are no more difficult to master than are the DOS commands for the QL or the TS-2Q68. One just needs to learn the MS-DOS commands and pjucti&z to gain familiarity.

m mm

MS-DOS consists of a group of program utilities that are stored in disk. When one needs to perform disk functions, such as FORMAT a Disk, or Copy Files, or LOAD a Data file, etc., an MS-DOS Basic command is used. The operator's use of the DOS Commands results in the appropriate MS-DOS utility program loading to the Computer's memory and the function being performed.

Compatibility of Software

One needs to understand that all LSM CompcUadlu vu, not tomplUzty zomp&tiiblz wMi ulcK othu. Compatability depends upon several factors and are mostly involved with the programming of a software for the various IBM systems. There are several Monitor Systems for IBM systems (Monochrome, EGA, CGA, etc.). Generally, software that is designed for high resolution screen dumps to paper will cause incompatability problems bttutzti IBM 4{f4tm4 as well as with the Sinclair QL. So, a QL user cannot expect that ail MS-DOS softwares will operate with either of the two Emulators. But many MS-DOS softwares are programmed to operate with "the lowest configuration system" and should work with the Emulated QL.

QL DISK DRIVE CONFIGURATION FOR MS-DOS .

MS-DCS is capable of operating in IBM systems having single disk drive, two disk drives, or from 1-4 disk drives and a Hard Drive. The configuration of the disk drives and their format depend upon the IBM Disk Controller card in use. There at least seven disk configurations used with IBM and IBM compatabie systems. Only turo o4 tkuz zoniiguA&tiofU uiU u/o*Ji utith SJacMlU iofxpattu. So, it is important far QL users to select the type of disk drives that will work with the QL.

The two Digital Precisions softwares mentioned

38

UPDATE MBG3VZINE

January 1990

Mi INTROTCTION TO PC-CQpffiffi

By: Bob Howtung, 2416 N. Co. Line, Road., Hbuvt&Uoujn, IN

This MS-DOS EnuiatoA. prvognam is by Digital Precision LTD and is my first hands on experience in the MS-DOS environment . So, this cannot be an in-depth review of MS-DOS. The sheer mass of books written about MS-DOS and its application softwares show the emmensity of the subject. However, my impressions as a rank beginner may give some indicators, if not benchmarks, to those who may be considering buying PC CONQUEROR or to those who are trying to learn PC-C and MS-DOS.

I'm sure that those who acquire PC-C just for the learning experience in another computer environment will find it as fascinating as I have in the short time that I've been exploring it. Those who use the IBM system in their work place should be able to create files with their QL that will run happily on an IBM or compatable. PC-C also includes a program called "XOVER" which can transfer files from MS-DOS disks to QDOS disks or to RAM DISK and vice versa— without loading the PC Conqueror program. Also XOVER will rename and delete files and do text conversion between MS DOS and QDOS disks.

Speaking of books, David Lien's MS-DOS ADVANCED APPLICATIONS is available at Radio Shack, and is a good source of info about MS-DOS. Lien's book is written for the 3.20 version of MS-DOS. Another source is Microsoft Press "Quick Reference Guide To MS-DOS Ccmrands", which include those new commands found in version 4.0. (PC Conqueror is designed around version 4.0 and includes a MS-DOS version (4.1) modified for the Sinclair QL. Another good reference is "GW BASIC FOR BEGINNERS" by Abacus publishers. The PC Conqueror disk contains an 80K version of GW BASIC which is initialized by entering the comrand <GWBASIC>. You break out of GW Basic by CTRL ESC. Return to MS-DOS is via entering the ccnrnand <SYSTEM>. These ccnrnands are not covered in the manual, but are covered in the GW BASIC reference mentioned.

The PC Conqueror Manual is 85 pages. It begins with a discussion of what the emulator is and does and then states that even with the hefty cost of the complete PCC package, the cost is but a fraction of buying a PC Clone. And, those who already have a PC or Clone, or one available at work, can use their MS-DOS system disk, thus saving the extra cost of the 4.1 version that is supplied with the PCC package .

What PC-C does is to mimic as nearly as possible in a QL the responses and capabilities of a PC or other computer running in the MS-DOS environment. The concept of MS-DOS itself is is an approach toward having one system oE comuni cat ions, file handling,

and device control , that is compatable with all other computers that are designed to work under this same environment. There are hardware differences and subtle changes in the ROMs of CLONE systems made to avoid patent and copyright infringement. Thus some software written for a "compatable-clone" may not work in an IBM PC, XT, AT, and vice versa. The QL with PC Conqueror is no exception.

SPEED: Considerable loss of speed of software operation is inevitable when an emulator or intermediate intrepeter is needed to translate the native language of one computer system to that of another. The Manual recomnends that LIGHTNING SPECIAL EDITION, be installed with PC Conqueror. This will speed up screen file handling and number crunching operations. Such increased speed may not be apparent for operations not involving those two functions. In particular, I found no noticable increase in speed in the display of listing entries in the GW-BASIC mode, which is VERY SLOW. This is likely because the keyboard scan must first be intrepeted for GW Basic, then MS-DOS must intrepet GW-Basic, then finally, PC Conqueror must intrepet and translate MS-DOS to QL Dos equilivant instructions. The MS-DOS Graphics functions, which are sindliar to LOGO or Turtle Graphics, also responds quite slowly, although the screen resolution is excellent.

The PC-C Manual strongly recommends that the MS DOS Shell and ANSI not be used because they slow down the processing even more. Most interactive game programs run far too slow to be much of a challenge except for those of us having geriatic reflexes. Also, thee MS-DOS system disk must be accessed for many ccmrands to load in the appropriate routine which further adds to the lag time.

Overall however, since a keyboard buffer is provided, the operational speed of MS-DOS programs should be fairly acceptable with applications such as spreadsheets that require mostly KBD input, and even with word processors and data base programs- if you can remember that you may be typing well ahead of what is currently on screen.

It is simple to follow the easy instructions for back up and work copies of PC Conqueror and MS-DOS Systems disks. Then if you have an 80 track 720K DSDD system the manual says "It is simple as 1-2-3 to get PC-C and an application MS-DOS program running. With my dual 80 track drives I did not need to make any changes to load PC-C and the MS DOS systems disk supplied. (Alternate 360K disks may be supplied for both if you have 360K drives.) Customised work copies of PC-C and MS-Dos disks may be made by using the "Configure" program in the PC-C disk. Such customized copies would be for non-standard configurations or changes in the drive defaults, KBD scanning, printer allocation,

59

will work with the QL System that has either one or two disk drives, and format capability of either 40 track 360K or 80 track 72QK capacity. The disk drive can he either 5 1/4 inch or 3 1/2 inch. The key is the FORMAT capability. All Sinclair Computers are designed to use "SHUGHERT" type disk drives that conform to a standard format called "Shughert". IBM controller cards use this standard for their 360K and 720K drives, but different format standards for their 1.2 mgbt and 1.44 mgbt format.

There may be a capability of using Hard Disk with the QL, but I am un-aware of such detail at this time.

WARNING: It you need to buy a disk drive for your QL, consult with your Sinclair Support Dealer. Our Sinclair dealers know the type drives that are compatable with our computers. Also, the cable fittings for IBM and QL computers are different and the correct fittings are 'known by our QL suppliers.

It is most likely that your existing disk drives will be satisfactory for operating MS-DOS software with the two Emulator softwares mentioned. Solutions sets up the QL to read, Format, and operate in the 360K format mJJi thz QL ill tiadt cUivu, on. with thz QL and 40 txadi <Ubiu [Utkw. S 1/4" ok 3 1/2'}. Conqiuio* 4iU up thz QL to tU& the. QL'4 id tiack 71UK ionmt in the. MS-DOS wvixonmwt.

Single side drives: There are some disk drives in use that read and write to only one side of the diskette at the time. While the two Emulator softwares can be copied to these single side diskettes/ the operation of MS-DOS softwares usually requires more "continuous" read and write capability than the I80K capability of these single side drives. Single side drives should most likely be replaced with 30 track DS-DD 720K drives for the best results.

QUESTIONS To Be ANSWERED :

1. Hill the speed of operation of most MS-DOS software with the QL be satisfactory?

2. Will the success of Imulation of MS-DOS software be widespread and include most of the MS-DOS software titles?

Update Magazine's next issue will bring a detailed review of this new software, PC Conqueror. It will be interesting to learn if PC Conqueror bridges the gap between MS-DOS and the Sinclair QL

sufficiently that it will not be necessary to actually own another computer that is designed for MS-DOS operation. My impression is that it will serve that purpose. But, I will postpone my decision about buying an MS-DOS portable until the results are in about the effectiveness of the PC Conqueror Imulator Software.

For myself there will be a certain amount of "pride in doing it" if the $140 software will give me about 70% or more MS-DOS compatability without having to buy a MS-DOS portable.

The decision whether to depend upon QL Emulator software or to buy an MS-DOS portable involves two important results: The effect on one's budget, and the amount of SPACE required for dual computer systems. PC Conqueror costs about $140.00 while a new MS-DOS portable runs between $650.00 and $7000.00.

If one adds another computer, even a portable, the Computer desk will need 'stretching' to accommodate another computer system. (My seven foot desk may need to be nine feet). Then there are the raft of new Computer manuals to add to the library to study.

So, the results of a comprehensive review of PC Conqueror can be quite valuable and have quite an impact upon one's future computing plans if one is determined to start operating in the MS-DOS environment. Watch with me for the coming review in Update.

2L, M, AND TS-2068 DATA TRANSFER

It is not possible to operate MS-DOS software with the TS-2068 or Z88 computers, but there is capability to interchange data files between these computers. Both the TS-2068, the QL, and the Z88 can be used in coordination with each other and with MS-DOS computers to 4/taxe. data, pJiodu&U.

A comprehensive article in the next Update issue will detail the transfer of data files between computers of all kinds.

Most TS-2068 Basic programs can easily be edited and run in the QL by converting the program lines to ASCII, transfering the file to the QL to be run with the <MRUN> command.

It really is quite simple to transfer data files between computers that are in close vicinity, as "on the same desk or in the same house". A simple two wire hook up with Short IN-OUT basic programming does it. The next issue of Update will have a detailed article about Cross Using data files between computers of all kinds. -3J_

AO

UPDATE MaGaZIHE

fjSSgB«gjBBW| -I

January 1990

TRUMP CARD USER'S GUIDE by

Tim Stoddard INTRODUCTION

I have been using three TRUMP cards now for about a year and a half now, and I have noticed that there is no real 'USER GUIDE ' available. The very small manual that comes with the TRUMP card outlines the syntax ( sometimes incorrectly ) but gives very few examples. These series of articles will bring to light some of the very powerful features of the TRUMP CARD and TOOLKIT II via real usable examples. The articles may be assembled into a user guide at some future time, if enough interest is shown.

I welcome all critiques and suggestions. I want this user guide as accurate as possible. Feel free to write via UPDATE MAGAZINE or my home. If you wish an answer please include S.A.S.E. envelope.

Tim Stoddard 85-48 66th Road Rego Park, NY 11374-5212

You can also reach me via CompuServe ( 73127,2664 ) or Genie ( xtx53888 ).

NETWORKING

Perhaps one of the most useful and powerful feature of the QL is the built-in networking facility. The QL's ROM however contains many bugs that .make using the network difficult, at best. Qjump's TOOLKIT II ( refered to as TK2 hence ) corrects the bugs and makes the QL's network very useful .

First I should describe my set-up, which is in use daily. A total of three QLs are networked over about 75 feet

of bell wire.

QL station #1, where I do most of my work, consists of a 768K TRUMP, 2400 baud modem, dual TEAC FD235 3 1/2" drives, Tandy CGP-220 color ink jet printer, and a QL Vision monitor.

QL station #2, located in my shop is used to isolate printer noise ( my wife hates the noise of those dot matrix printers ), consists of a 768K Trump, TEAC FD135 3 1/2* & TEAC FD-55F 5 1/4" drives, EPSON LQ500 on serl , EPSON FX286e with a scanner attachment on ser2, Magnavox 80 monitor.

QL station #3, also located in my shop, is an

'open-frame' QL where I do hardware experiments and new

product evaluations, consists of just a 128K QL, TOOLKIT II ROM, and a QL Vision monitor.

After a reset the QL will be set to a default station assignment of 1. This is fine for my work station but the two shop stations must be set to different station numbers to avoid conflicts. This is done with the command:

net (station number)

Once the station number has been assigned you can allow access to your station's resources ( serial ports, drives, Hi even RAM ) by other stations witii the command:

f serve

January 1990

For instance my shop QL ( station #2 ) is set-up in the boot file with the following commands:

TK2_ext ( enables TOOLKIT II )

net 2 ( sets it as station #2 )

fserve ( allows resource access by stations

1 and 3.)

PRINTERS

In order to use these remote resources, just proceed the desired device with the station number it is attached to. For instance, on my system, to use the LQ500 from the main QL I would send the output to n2=_ser1 . Page 2 of the TRUMP user manual touches on this incorrectly! It states that instead of using the 'default' printer option within QUILL you should key in 'n1_ser1' or, in my case, to print to the LQ500 I should key in 'n2_ser1'. If you try this ( go ahead and try it now ) you will end up with the file 'n2__ser1' on the default data drive! So what do we key in? The Psion programs look for the underscore character as the first character and then assumes a device name follows. So the proper device name that the Psion programs look for Is:

__n2_ser1

*** MANUAL CHANGE ***

PAGE 2, 4th paragraph, second to last sentence change N1_SER1 to _N1_8ER1 .

*** NOTE ***

It appears that only the PSION programs look for this begining underscore. All other programs accept the N1_8ER1 format.

The entire squence for printing to the LQ500 from Quill would be:

<F3> <P>

< ENTER > < -ENTER >

_ r»*_s®r 1

If you wish to always use that deetl nation (as I do), you can change the driver with the install program. After you start the program it will ask you if the device is a serial device ( Press < ENTER > ) or the device 1s a parallel or non-standard serial port ( Press <SPACE>). PRE88 the <8PACE> bar. Select your printer driver with the arrow keys and press the <F2> key to edit. Use the down arrow to select the port option and press the right arrow key to change. Now key in the station number with the device name in the same format as we did previously. Don't forget this is a PSION printer driver so use that leading underscore! Key 1n:

command mode

print

default current do-f Mhelft document overide the driver default and send output to station #2 sen device.

_n2_ser1 for my set-up.

DYNAMIC PRINTER BUFFER

This facility works very nice but does have some limitations not described in the manual.

PRT USE like the other 'USE' commands in TK2 will match a 'device string' to a 'usage string* for any device calle. The syntax of this command is PRT_USE [usage] , [device] . The

42

UPDATE M?J2AZIHE

January 1990

default at TK2 initialization is PRT_USE PRTfSER. TK2 will substitute any device names containing ' PRT ' with ' SER ' before giving the device name to QDOS. So if you were in QUILL and wanted to send output to your printer on SER1 buffered, you would key in the sequence:

<F3> <P>

< ENTER > < ENTER > _PRT1

TK2 would see the 'PRT' and substitute it with 'SER' and open the SER1 port to take output from the print buffer where it has stored the document. The end result the user sees is that the cursor has returned much sooner and you are able to continue work while the printer is printing away.

TK2 uses a text 'trap' facility in it's USE commands ( PRT_USE5 PR0G_USE, ETC ). ANY device name used in the TK2 environment will be checked against all of the 'USE' variables. Note that this is strictly a text; match and does not have to be a real device! This is why sending output from QUILL to ' PRT1 ' works. You could use almost any name. For instance:

PRT_USE buffered fser

will allow you to be descriptive from QUILL:

<F3> <P>

< ENTER > < ENTER >

.buffered 1 ( or _buffered2 )

will send output VIA the printer buffer to SER1 ( or SER2 ). These names will, of course, also work in the printer driver itself since TK2 will trap ALL device names before they go to QDOS. Try it now! Re-install your QUILL printer and use _buffered1 as the 'port' name in the driver.

*** THE LIMITATION ***

PRT_USE will not accept network names!! For instance:

It's too bad too! It would be a nice command. There is a way around this. On my set-up I use the following command in the boot file for station #2:

PRT_USE SER, SER

This will buffer any device calls for SER1 or SER2 transparently since it substitutes 'SER' for 'SER'." This includes device calls VIA the network! Since my device driver on station #1 is set-up to send output to _n2_eer1 and station #2 buffers any device calls to SER1 , all output from QUILL on station #1 is sent through the network to station #2 where it is buffered and then sent to SER1 ! All invisible to the user. I get my cursor back at station #1 fairly quickly while station #2 prints out my document in another room where printer noise is not a problem.

Can you send graphics through the network and then through the printer buffer? YES. I send output from several graphic programs including: EYE_Q, THE PAINTER, PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHER, PAGE DESIGNER 2, and TK2 ' s built-in screen dump facility SDUMP. Transfer through the network is about the , _ same speed as saving the file to microdrive which 1s *t J considerably faster than waiting for your cursor while printing a screen dump or Desk Top page locally!

PRT_USE PRT,N2_SER

WILL NOT WORK

UPDATE JffiGaZIKE

HBUBBBBBSfeSm* 1 1 11

ni-iiw"'M M-i ti

January 1990

Finally, the command PRT_ABT works as the manual states: it cancels the currently printing file. The command does force a form-feed thus allowing any subsequently queued files to start on a new page.

FILES SYSTEM

File system handling via the network is quite straight forward, however, the example given in the User Manual is misleading.

Access to any other QL's ( running FSERVE ) directory devices is quite easy. You simply preceed the path name with the station number. For example to get a directory of station #2's disk:

dir n2_f1p1=

Simple! To copy a file from station #3 to station #1:

copy n3_flp1_f llename.f lp2_f ilename

for a lot of f i les:

wcopy n3_flp1_ to f1p2_

There is a command available in TK2 to simplify nameing conventions, especially for end-users in a large network having no knowledge of QDOS or TK2: NFS_USE. It is similar to the other 'USE' commands in that it substitues r~ physical device names for a logical name. It 1s different in that it allows a 1 ist of up to 8 "physical device names to1, be substituted for the logical name and a trailing number of 1 to 8.

The example from the manual was: NFS_USE mdv,n2_f Ip1_,n2_f 1p2_

TK2 will now 'trap' all device calls containing 'mdv' and substitue the logical name. For instance:

dlr mdv1_ (after executing the above NFS_USE)

will give you the directory of n2_flp1_.

d1r mdv2_

will give you the directory of n2_flp2_!

Nice, but you'll now notice that you no longer have access to your microdrives! Substituting 'flp' for 'mdv' has the same

affect you have lost accees to your station's disk

drives. There is a use for this, of course! For stations that have no drives or a number of stations that you want to limit access to only one set of drives, this is ideal.

The manual implies that 'USE' name must be a physical

device not so! The boot file for station #1 in my

set-up contains:

NFS_USE LAN , n2_f 1 p1_, n2_f lp2_, n2_mdv1_, n2_ram1_, n3_f 1 p 1 _ , n3_f 1 p2_ , n3_mdv 1 _ , n3_mdv2_

To access flp2 on station #3:

dir LAN6_

UPDATE

I DEB3BB a*^^ 1 1 11

Iflrriwr*" im ■ i I tl

January 1990

TK2 traps 'LAN' and substitutes the physical device from the list matching the number following 'LAN* giving us a directory from the physical device n3_flp2_.

wcopy LAN8_ to LAN4_

is the same as:

wcopy n3_jndY2_ to n2_ram1_

but easier to understand and fastsr to type in from a user's point of view.

Although the manual states that only directory devices should be used, other devices will work. For instance:

NFS_USE LAN,n2_f1p1_,n2_ser1

does work and printing from QUILL substituting the last option 'printer* with '_LAN2_* results in sending the output to n2_ser1_!

EditoA.'^ note,: I am -6uajl that the. KeadojU, appnjeciate. thU jinst pant o4 Tim'* TAump Manual and ute. -took. ionmand to the, next episode.. My impna**ion oj the. Tnump cue*. manual ^applied by Minacle. System* is that It is "good ion, as ion. a* it goo*" . Aiten. "bloating up" the. page* exactly ioun, time* thein oniginal *ize. the. page* ana, 8 1/2 X 11", njeadable, and cannie* a wealth o4 inionrnxtion that is given, in. venjy bnie4 4 own.

We. nave, alsaxjy* needed an. -in-depth expansion, oi the. Tnump manual to betten. leann and take, advantage, oi the. outstanding tools and pnjoceaunes o4 the. Tnwnp cand System. I highly njejcomnend that ALL tnump Cand ounen* take, thein UttlU manual to a copy *hop and have. the. page* enlarged to iuU *ize. page*. Then it and Tim'* "Advanced Tnump Guide." utill become, a complete, neienjwce..

Update, utill continue. Tim'* anticle* until he. is iinAshed utith the. expanded manual. The. page* utill be, annanaed *o that thene. one. no continuation* an. othen. anJJjcle* mixed in. ThU uay you. can. take, the. page* to a. copy *hop and build yoan manual a* it i* p>ve*ented. La*t page* *uch a* thi* one, can be masked oU and the. blank *pace. used ion, note*. This *enie* promise* to be. one. oi the. mo*t valuable. n*4eAances ion, Sinclair QL LUens.

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45

UPDATE MAGAZINE l^gySviJ-J January 1990

EVERY MONTH DOMINO CUBES WILL GIVE UPDATE READERS HINTS AND TIPS ABOUT THE REMARKABLE Z-88 COMPUTER.

THE BEGINNER'S MANUAL BY MIKE FINK WHICH IS SUPPLIED FREE TO HIS Z-88 CUSTOMERS, WOULD BE OF LITTLE VALUE REPRINTED HERE IF YOU DO NOT YET OWN A Z-88. IF YOU ALREADY OWN THE Z-88, THE ADVANCED MANUAL OFFERS USEFUL HINTS AND TIPS AND EXCERPTS FROM THAT MANUAL WILL BE PRINTED HERE BEGINNING THIS MONTH.

I WILL BEGIN BY TELLING YOU SOME OF THE THINGS THE Z-88 CAN DO THAT ARE NOT COVERED IN THE CAMBRIDGE MANUAL

1. YOU CAN PRINT DOUBLE WIDTH, ELITE, DOUBLE STRIKE, PROPORTIONAL, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE ALONG WITH THE ONES THEY DO MENTION.

2. THE PIPEDREAM SCREEN SHOWS 6, 12 CHARACTER COLUMNS A-F. YOU CAN ADD COLUMS, DELETE COLUMNS, CHOOSE THE WIDTH OF ANY OR ALL OF THE COLUMNS. YOU CAN ADD UP TO 6?6 COLUMNS! !!!!!!!!

3. YOU CAN INSTANTLY MAKE NEWSPAPER TYPE COLUMNS BY TABS.

4. YOU CAN DO MATHEMATICS INSTANTLY ON THE PIPEDREAM SCREEN WITHOUT MAKING A SPREADSHEET, OR GOING TO BASIC. THE NO. 676 IS THE RESULT OF 26x26. I DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER BUT AS I WAS TYPING THIS, I NEEDED THAT ANSWER, SO I INSTANTLY FOUND A BLANK SLOT OR LINE, AND PRESSED ♦ X, WHICH HI-LIT THE SLOT MY CURSOR WAS IN. I THEN PRESSED 26, WHICH MADE ITSELF VISIBLE ABOVE COLUMN C. THIS WORKING AREA ALLOWS ME TO WRITE THE INFINITE NO. OF MATHEMATICAL PATHS I DESIRE BEFORE I PRESS ENTER. AFTER ENTER, THE MATH CALCULATIONS OCCUR AND THE RESULT IS SHOWN IN THE SLOT YOU HAD THE CURSOR. I CHOSE TO WRITE 26x26 AS 26^2. 26x26 MUST BE 26*_26 TO WORK. 26^2 MEANS 26 RAISED TO THE SECOND POWER, OR 26 SQUARED, OR 26 TIMES ITSELF; IN ANY CASE IT GAVE ME THE ANSWER I NEEDED IN LESS THAN 7 SECONDS, WITHOUT MY LEAVING THE SCREEN OR THE DOCUMENT I WAS WORKING ON.

5. I CHOSE TO CHANGE THE 72 CHARACTER WIDE SCREEN, TO A 61 CHARACTER SCREEN. I PRESSED ■ AND- THE LEFT ARROW UNTIL THE VERTICAL ARROW IN THE COLUMNS CAME TO REST AT 61, ONE PAST E. I COULD HAVE CHANGED COLUMN A TO WIDTH 61 ALSO, BUT THE WORDS WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY WRAP AROUND UNLESS THERE WAS A PRINTED SCREEN CHARACTER IN THE NEXT SLOT, OR THE ARROW WAS MOVED TO THE RIGHT SPOT. SEE INSERT ON HRAP-OPTIONS PAGE ♦ O

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MONTHLY COLUMN IS TO HELP THOSE WHO OWN THE Z-88 AND TO ENTICE THOSE THAT DON'T* INTO BUYING IT. OF COURSE I HOPE YOU CHOOSE DOM I MO CUBES WHEN YOU DECIDE TO BUY THIS WONDERFUL MACHINE.

mmmm

FORMATTING FORMATTING FORMATTING FORMATT I NG

DCMINO CUBES 355 West 39th St. NY, NY 10018-1401 Tel: 212 971 5638 President . .Mike Fink

* * * ♦ * ^ V ♦ * * V

JUSTIFY SHOULD ONLY BE USED WHEN TYPING FONT CODES THAT DO NOT CHANGE THE WIDTH OF THE WORD ! JUSTIFY WORKS ONLY ON THE TEXT TYPED AFTER YOU SELECT

IT FROM THE OPTIONS PAGE #0. IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DIFFERENT

SPACING OF THE WORDS THAT HAVE CODES THAT CHANGE THE SPACE THEY USE. THE ONLY CODES THAT ARE USABLE BY JUSTIFY, ARE THOSE WHOSE SPACE REQUIREMENTS DO NOT CHANGE WHEN THE CODE IS APPLIED? IE; BOLD, ITALICS, SUPER AMD SUBSCRIPTS.

ALL OTHER CODES, INCLUDING PROPORTIONAL, REQUIRE MANUAL ADJUSTMENT. I HAVE FOUND, THAT FOR ME, IT IS EASIER TO NOT USE THE JUSTIFY, IF I AM USING CODES THAT CHANGE THE WORD WIDTH. PROPORTIONAL KILLS JUSTIFY.

THE MAXIMUM NO. OF CHARACTER WIDTHS FOR ONE PRINTER EDITOR IS 7. THEY ARE SHOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PAGE. TO DO THIS, USE THE ELITE. PE, WHICH IS DESCRIBED IN MY ADVANCED MANUAL, MANUAL B. ALL OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS APPLY

hb

SPECIFICALLY TO MY SQUARE-DOT, C-130, 80 COLUMN PR INTER J ALTHOUGH THEY PROBABLY APPLY TO MOST ALL OF THE OTHER DOT-MATRIX PRINTERS AS WELL!!

THE FIRST STEP IS TO CHOOSE WHICH CHARACTER WIDTH YOU WISH TO USE FOR MOST OF YOUR DOCUMENT. THEN CHOOSE A TOTAL COLUMN WIDTH EQUAL TO THE TOTAL NO. OF CHARACTERS THAT WIDTH CAN PRINT ON AN 80 COLUMN PAGE, LESS 2 MARGINS. THE LEFT MARGIN YOU CHOOSE FROM ♦ AND THE RIGHT MARGIN BY MOVING THE VERTICAL

ARROW, (TO THE LEFT OF COLUMN R ) , TO THE NEEDED POSITION, WITH >, OR

■<-- . THE SCREEN STARTS YOU OFF WITH SIX 12 CHARACTER COLUMNS, ASSUMING YOU WISH A 4 CHARACTER MARGIN LEFT AND RIGHT, WHICH WOULD ADD UP TO 80 IF YOU USE NORMAL PICA WIDTH CHARACTERS. IF YOU USE NARROWER CHARACTERS, YOU CAN FIT MORE OF THEM IN THE SAME SPACE, BUT THE PRINTER WILL ONLY PRINT THE 72 SHOWN ON YOUR SCREEN ! IF YOU WISH TO PRINT ON PAPER THE EXTRA CHARACTERS, YOU MUST INCREASE 72 TO WHAT YOU NEED. YOU CAN EITHER, INCREASE THE WIDTH OF ONE OR

MORE COLUMNS, OR ADD MORE COLUMNS. IN BOTH CASES THE PAGE MAP WILL NOT LET YOU SEE THESE ADDITIONS, UNLESS YOU NARROW THE PAGE MAP. YOU CAN GO TO «S AND

CHANGE HAP SIZE ACCORDINGLY.

IF YOU WISH TO SEE 7 LINES OF TYPING ON THE SCREEN, INSTEAD OF 6, YOU CAN CHANGE BORDERS ON THE OPTIONS PAGE FROM Y_ TO N_.

YOU CAN USE ITALICS AND BOLD AT THE SAME TIME ON A WORD AND STILL USE JUSTIFY. BOLD DOES NOT WORK ON ELITE NOR CONDENSED.

MORE NEXT MONTH!

200 REM

220 PRINT"SET SCREEN WIDTH TO- -80 WHILE TYPING PROGRAM! I"

260 PRINT-THE LEFT AND RIGHT APOSTROPHES ARE NOT SYMMETRICAL ON THE 1501 YOU SHOULD USE THE 8 INGLE AP08TR0PE FOR BOTH. ON THE C-130, THE LEFT APOSTROPHE IS REACHED BY DIAMOND THEN APOBTROPHE. "

280 PRINT-THI8 PROGRAM WILL PRINT THE Z-B8 CHARACTER SET IF YOU U8E THE CLI-PE."

300 PRINT

320 PRINT-IF S-B3-UNDERLINEI 66-BOLDi BB-EXT.SEQ.l 73-ITALICBl 76-BU BSCRIPTl B2-8UPERSCRIPTI 63-C0NDENSEDI AND 69-DOUBLE WIDTH" 340 PRINT

360 PRINT-TURN OFF SQUARE + P, TYPE GOTO (NEXT LINE NO), CHOOSE S, T URN ON SQUARE + P"

3B0 STOP

400 INPUT" INPUT 8 - "I 8

420 PRINT

440 P-OPENOUT"«PRT.0"

460 PRINT4P, CHR« <3> +CHR* <9 1 ) /-v , , 1<1JOO vA s.)KJ\^.

480 PRINT#P,CHR«<3)+CHR«<8) © JO«S ^ hM**-

300 WIDTH < 70)

320 F0RX-32T0126

340 PRINTXf" - "|CHR»X|

360 NEXT

3B0 FORY-160 TO 163 8TEP3 600 PRINTYI" - "|CHR«Y| 620 NEXT

640 PRINT»P,CHR*<5)+CHR»<S) 660 PRINT#P,CHR«<5)+CHR«<93)

INPUT 8 -

7

B

B

32 -

33

!

34

35

36

37 -

38

fc

39

40

<

41

42 -

*

43

+

44

i

45

46

47 -

/

48

0

49

1

50

2

51

92 -

4

53

5

54

6

55

7

56

37 ■

9

58

I

3*

1

60

<

61

62 -

>

63

7

64

8

65

A

66

67 -

C

68

D

69

E

70

F

71

72 -

H

73

I

74

J

75

K

76

77 -

M

78

N

79

0

80

P

81

82 -

R

83

8

84

T

85

U

86

87 -

W

B8

X

89

Y

90

z

91

92 -

\

93

3

94

95

96 101

97 -

•

98

b

99

c

100

d

102 -

f

103

9

104

h

105

i

106

107 -

k

108

1

109

n

110

n

111

112 -

P

113

q

114

r

113

B

116

117 -

u

118

V

119

M

120

X

121

122 -

Z

123

<

124

1

125

>

126

160 -

163

£

S.M.U.G. Presents Th. 1990 SINCLAIR COMPUTER Exposition

MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN

June 2 & 3 /Banquet Friday Night June 1 SEMINARS, DOOR PRIZES, SWAP SHOP, SOFTWARE, PERIPHERALS, HARDWARE, AND LOTS OF OTHER STUFF

Location

WAUKESHA HOLIDAY INN (4 1 4) 786-0460 Hwy 18 & 194 Waukesha, WI 53186 There will be a SNUG meeting Saturday Night June 2, 1990

One day : $ 4.00 $ 5.00

Both days : $7.00 $9.00

Banquet : $16.00 $16.00 Limited seating

Table : $25.00 (incld. 2 day badge} $25.00 Limited table space

Tables are 6 feet by 30 Inches

For MORE INFORMATION coiilnet Bill Heberlein Neal Schultz

5052 N. 91st Street or call 7 - 10pm

Milwaukee. WI 53225 (414) 353-4522

for RESERVATIONS mail to: Expo Reservations

P.O. Box 101 Butler. WI 53007

Bultiply by three the enjoyoent that can com froi your S.H.U.S. Video Digitizer I TS206B with thii new software!

VIDEOTEX i Capture a video ieaoe froe a VCR, video caiera, etc., I view it in thirteen greyscale leveli!

VIDEO 3-D: Creates a 3-D representation of a

video itage captured by V1DE0TEI in either noroal 3-D or inverted 3-D. (See ad title for an exaaple of the 3-D effect.) Four different Z-axis 'depthf* aay be selected.

VIDEOCOPY: Only for owners of an OK I BATE 20 color printer with IBB parallel Plug 'n Print cartridge. Alio*! a video iaaqe captured by V1DE0TEI to be hardcopied in 13-level b/w greyscale or in color. Very colorful hi-res 'aodern art" depictioni of the original b/w video iaaqe are autoaatically produced froa a video data flit. A color editor is available for custoa 'colorizing'.

This software is priced at I9.?5 post-paid each, and coies with coaplete user notes k video digitizing suggestions. Send LSASE for additional inforaation and order fori toi JOHN BcBlCHAEL. 1710 PALBER DR.. LARABIE, XT B2070

Wanted Timex 2068 Portuguese computer,

WAFERS A&J-20 OR COMPATIBLE. ZX COMPUTING

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CO. 1.8. maintain* a gratia exchange of , nawal etter a with approKlmataly 30 Uaara Broupa acroaa tha U.B. and Canada.

NEW9I E C1ER

Membarshipa coat *1B par yaar , ara good for 12 monthe, and include all prlvllegee < accaaa to librariea, group buye, ate). A nawalettar only aubacrlption ia aval labia for paraona living outalda tha Waahington Metro Area end la *I2.00 par yaar.

CATS

C.A.T.S. BBS

<301) 308-0579. 8-N-l. 300 baud only. Nawa and general information. 21 hours a day.

C.A.T.B. PUBLIC DOMAIN LIBRARY < 206B-BPEC7RUM ONLY)

C.A. r.B. maintaina a tapa library of approximately 130 programa on

b audio tapaa. A few of the programa may not run, however, the batch

ia atill worth tha price.

PRICES f APE LIBRARY

MEMBERBi *1.25 par tape <*7.SO for complete library > plua *1.«0 poataga.

NON-MEMBERBi *3.00 per tape ( *lB.OO for complete library > plua ♦1.40 poataga.

TO PLACE AN ORDER i Bant your requeat and check ( made out to .A.1.B > 10 JOE WAYNE MILLER 1704 DAYTON RD. HYATT9VILLE, MD.

20783 -

*9

SYSTEMS

3.5" Drive Systems

Dual 3.5" Ml tsubishi 4 0 0 K-

Thli great little system includes 2-3.5" Mitsubishi SSQD drives, case w/ps, cable w/cnds and interface. Complete package! READY TO PLUG AND GO!

ORDER RHGitP 1 03 $ 325 ♦ $ 0 PI!

Dual 3.5* Teac BOOK System- includes 2 Teac FD135 DSQD drives, case w/ps, cable k Interface. HUGE CAPACITY!

ORDER RH6IFII9 $ 4 2 5 ♦ $ 0 Pll

Many mora packages available! Just call or write with what you want.

Prices start at only $17?. 75 plus PH.

Individual components also available.

5.25" Drive System

Dual 5.25' BOOK System-

This system comes complete with the disk Interface, dual 5.25" DSQD drives, cable

and case with power supply. This gives you a mass storage area of 1, MM 0 r 000 bytes of data and programming. We set up

and test EVERY drive set that we sell!

niternate Interfaces-

If you want expanded memory with your OL disk system, we can supply TRUMP CARDS starting as low as 1250 (236K). Other sizes available upon request.

WRITE FOR INFO OR CATALOG <*3>

m mm - ixws - mdm - mum - mrats nmtas - mar mm - a mob - Bmrnm m mm m m smiair gt m m mm

For ALL of your computer needs, CALL-

NTERJPRK

1419 1/2 7th Street Oregon City, OR 97045

503/655-7484 Noon-IOPM Pacific Tue-Sat

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