Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!cca!ima!inmet!alpert From: alpert@inmet.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: TERMCAP wanted for C64 - (nf) Message-ID: <234@inmet.UUCP> Date: Fri, 29-Jul-83 18:44:53 EDT Article-I.D.: inmet.234 Posted: Fri Jul 29 18:44:53 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 1-Aug-83 06:44:24 EDT Lines: 64 #R:hou2a:-5900:inmet:5800006:000:2177 inmet!alpert Jul 28 09:19:00 1983 I use the Commodore 64 regularly as a dumb ASCII terminal to connect to Vax/Unix here at Intermetrics. I am using a Star acoustic (300 baud, of course) modem and a simple terminal program written in Basic which does all needed PETSCII/ASCII conversions throught he use of translation arrays. The C64 does not have a full ASCII keyboard, but it does have four function keys (with 8 functions) and a sizeable set of graphics characters available in lower case mode. I get around the keyboard's limitations by substituting function keys or graphics characters for the missing ASCII characters, such as: f1 escape f3 break english pound tilde left arrow backslash etc. These are easily implemented in the translation tables used by the terminal program. I have found that interpreted Basic is sufficient for maintaining communication at 300 baud as long as you don't expect to do a lot of processing of the incoming data. I'm presently working on an enhancement to the program which will use most of the Basic text area as a buffer to store data and permit it to be selectively dumped to disk or printer. Even in Basic, this gets a bit tricky as using the RS-232 port effectively shuts down the serial bus used for the disks and printer. Opening and closing the port clobbers Basic variables and subroutine linkage (The top 512 bytes of Basic's workspace is used for buffers by the C64's RS-232 software.) Maybe I'll break down and do the whole thing in assembly language (I have a pretty decent 6502/6510 macro assembler) but working with that crude little CPU directly can be a real pain in the nether regions. I am using the standard 40-column display, but hope in the near future to purchase an 80-column board. A termcaps entry would undoubtedly help lift some of the restrictions in using the C64 as a terminal, but frankly I'm new to Unix and am not knowledgeable in this area. Hope this info is helfpul to other C64/VIC/CBM users. I would like to see a C64 or CBM notesfile if there is is sufficient interest in starting one (I have not been able to locate same if it already exists). Bob Alpert Intermetrics, Inc. decvax!cca!ima!inmet!alpert