6 Nov
2007
6 Nov
'07
7 a.m.
Subject: Re: modern serial terminal
From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com>
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:17:38 -0800 (PST)
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
You have an odd taxonomy here. The Amigas and Atari (STs and otherwise)
computers were not marketed strictly as game machines (or else you should
include the C64 in that category). And they are most definitely bitmapped.
The C64 has sprite graphics, but it definitely has a bitmapped graphics
mode. It's somewhat more inconvenient to work in because of its cell-
oriented arrangement, but it's bitmapped.
So, I'm not sure where you're drawing the line here, but all of the machines
you mention have bitmapped graphics and were home computers, except perhaps
the Lisa, but only due to cost.
Comentary:
The problem as initially launched was small inexpensive terminal "box"
of insignificant size that used PC display and keyboard. Paraphrased
more or less.
One, most applications that use "terminals" are non graphic or if they do
it's low res and minimal. If that were not true my Vt125 and VT340 would
see more action as they are both graphic and support color.
With that most terminals are text, 80x24 or 80x25 and some can do 132x20.
The "terminal" is expected to comply with ANSI escapes, VT52 or ADM1/3
typically to be most useful. This is often important to editors and
many other applications that do screen handling.
With that anything with more than an 8051, character cell display is
likely over kill and under utilization. The simplest home brewed
terminal I'd seen was a computime SBC880 (z80,1k ram, 2k rom, 1 serial
IO and a parallel IO) and a PT VDM1 (yes it's 64x16lines) though a 80x24
card could be used. The whole mess was wrapped in a minibox with PS
measureing 12x7x4 inches making it smaller than the monitor and
serial keyboard used. It did a fair (limited to 64x16) VT52 emulation
with soft scroll and no flashing and could support 19.2kbaud serial
rates. The guy that bilt it spent $200 for the boards, 2 S100 connectors
and power supply, aluminum box and even a 9" B&W monitor back in 1982.
I'd think with current parts [one of the 8051 clones or eZ80 and a CPLD]
a 80x25 terminal could be put on a 4x5" card with minimal effort. The
output should drive a standard PC tube/LCD with one selectable color
and use a PC keyboard power would come from a wall wart.
Personally a VT320 with a mono LCD rather than a CRT would be ideal
and much more compact at 2 peices total (display and keyboard).
Allison
You're going to have to 'splain that one to me, Lucy. There were
plenty of bitmapped graphics machines for the home market.
Name is not lucy. The LISA and MAC I consider BITMAPPED.
C64's and others had sprite graphics. Amiga and Atari(sp)
were maketed as games machines. The APPLE II split screen
I liked for text on the bottom (FAST) , graphics on the top
slow. Only the development of fast 2D graphics cards even
make modern software usable. --
------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com
-- BOND THEME NOW PLAYING: "All-Time High" from "Octopussy"
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