dcall@dadla.UUCP (Dale Call) (10/30/85)
Thanks to everyone who replied. After MANY hours of tinkering, I have
finally found a solution!
Hardware side:
There was one MAJOR hardware problem: NO WHERE IN THE ACCESS II
DOCUMENTATION DOES IT MENTION THAT YOU MUST ENABLE INTERUPTS ON YOUR
APPLE SUPER SERIAL CARD! I view this as a consequence of Apple's idea
of documentation. After enabling interrupts, my Apple no longer lost
characters (real improvement!).
Software Side:
Using Apple Access II, I modified my vt52 termcap by adding delays to
three commands: 200ms delay to the cm (cursor movement) command, 200ms
to the sr (scroll reverse) command, and 10ms to the ce (clear to end of
line sequence) command. It may be that 200ms is overkill on the
delays, but I haven't had time to tinker with exactly how much delay is
required. I still have a problem with vt100 emulation, but I'm sure
this can be solved with a few delays added to that termcap. I set up
the Access II terminal characteristics to use vt52 mode, 8 bits per
character (not sure this makes a difference), no LF after a CR, and NO
wraparound (makes a difference with vi), all other settings were left
at defaults.
Another solution that works (but not quite as well) was to use Ascii
Express Pro in Soroc emulation mode (a slightly enhanced ADM-3A).
Unfortunately AE Pro does not do reverse scrolling on the Apple screen
(which Access II does). Once again, you must enable interrupts on your
serial card. A real plus to AE Pro is its ability to work with a large
variety of serial cards - Access II ONLY works with the Apple Super
Serial Card (but thats Apple for you). AE Pro is also easier to use
with respect to setting up auto-logon command files - Access II
requires a separate text editor ("Just use Appleworks" they say
@#%$!!!). However, Access II is certainly easier to use right out of
the box - if everything is configured of course! AE Pro comes in DOS 3.3
and Prodos versions. AE Pro works with all Apple II machines. With the
Apple IIe, max baud rate is 4800 (possibly a problem).
If you really NEED vt100 emulation, the best solution is Softerm 2 from
a company called Softronics. It is expensive ($195) but it includes an
external keypad, GUARANTEES 100% vt100 emulation (30 day money back
guarantee), and according to a response from someone at Tek, it WORKS!
I haven't tried it, but that guarantee makes it tempting. The phone #
is 901-683-6850. It appears to be available for all Apple II machines.
Max baud rate is 9600 baud.
Note that Apple Access II does NOT work with Apple II's or Apple II+'s.
It also runs only under Prodos. It claims a max baud rate of 9600, not
tested however.
Thanks again!
Dale Call
work ph# 503-629-1118
tektronix!dadla!dcall
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The following is a summary of the responses I received with fixes.
Note that responses from ARPANET machines cannot be replied to from sites
that are not part of ARPANET (i.e. most USENET sites)
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From: decvax!ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcc13!09876955
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 85 15:08:37 PDT
Message-Id: <8510202208.AA22293@sdcc13.ARPA>
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Terminal Illness Department.
There are many fixes. I'm running 80 columns on an Apple ][ (CIRCA
1978) I'm using a program I wrote myself. It will soon be running on
the Apple //e. It does a COMPLETE VT100 Emulation with ANSI line
editing built in. I'm really strapped for time, grades come first.
I will post an announcement to the net when I get the screen driver
for the //e running.
P.S. In the regular "BBS" dumb terminal mode, It DOESN'T DROP A
SINGLE CHARATER.
- Jim Hayes
UC San Diego
EE/CS Department -
UUCP: {decvax,ihnp4,hplabs,scrdcf}!sdcsvax!sdcc13!33500911
^^^^^^^^<- A MUST!
BELL: (619) 450-9316
WM (Word of mouth network): Hey Jim!
Snail: P.O. Box 7378 La Jolla CA 92037
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From: uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxm!houxf!dma
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 85 09:00:09 edt
Message-Id: <8510211300.AA12746@vax135.UUCP>
Dale,
I am using Softerm 2 with a //e and the 128K 80 column card to send
this reply. The software is emulating an HP 2622A, it is running on
a 9600 baud link (it actually seems to be running at about half that
rate). No bits are dropped, everything works fine. I'd suggest you
look at Softerm 2.
Doug Anderson
AT&T Bell Laboratories
houxf!dma
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From: uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!mgnetp!mgwess!gek
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 85 08:11:39 edt
Message-Id: <8510221211.AA04274@vax135.UUCP>
I am using Access II with a //e, Super Serial Card at 1200 baud. I have never
had any problem with losing characters. VI doesn't work as well as I would like
but I am not having the same problem as you. Sorry I can't help you any more.
Jerry Krantz
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From: decvax!ucbvax!ucbzooey.Berkeley.EDU!c160-3ay
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 85 00:16:36 PDT
Message-Id: <8510210716.AA29459@ucbzooey.ARPA>
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
I use Ascii Express on my apple II+ with an ordinary 80 col. card.
I was experiencing a similar problem: whenever vi cleared the screen,
I would lose the next 20 characters. Instead of trying to change my
hardware, I finally figured out how to change the TERMCAP to fix the
problem.
Look in the documentation for TERMCAP for how to insert delays after
clear-screen, return, and line-feed. This will slow down your
throughput a bit, but it's worth it to fix the problems without
throwing away your //e 80 column card.
Actually, the command to insert a return/linefeed delay is in tset.
This means that ALL cr/lf sent by unix, not just those programs that
use TERMCAP, will have a delay. This is probably what you want.
Look in the tset, or maybe it's stty, docs. Yes, maybe stty. (sorry
I'm not absolutely sure about anything!)
To do the clear screen delay, you will need to modify your termcap
by inserting the number of milliseconds of delay you need before the
screen clear character sequence (the sequence :cl=^L: should become
:cl=300^L:) - I used 300 which seemed to be about the minimum.
Modifying the termcap is more complex than you might expect. You
need to first copy the termcap info for vt52 or vt100 into a file
(using, for example, printenv TERMCAP > tcfile ... or
grep vt52 </etc/termcap >tcfile) Once you have that file, set the
environment variable TERMCAP to point to that file: for example,
setenv TERMCAP ~/tcfile. You can modify the file tcfile to include
the screen clear delay.
I hope this somewhat twisted advice helps! Good luck...
Oh, a possible hardware solution: get a modem or serial card that supports
interrupts. I can give you information on how to modify your card for
interrupts, if it's one of the ones in the Ascii Express manual. Oh,
Ascii Express is the only software that supports interrupts, as far as
I know.
.......ranjit bhatnagar
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From: decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc6!ix469
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 85 19:28:59 PDT
Message-Id: <8510220228.AA14438@sdcc6.ARPA>
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Am currently writing this letter, via my Apple //e, at 1200 baud,
with Apple Access II, with no problems. Try using an 'ansi' tset.
Apple Access does not do an exact VT100, it implements the ANSI
terminal commands, of which the VT100 set is a superset. What can I
say? It works for me.
==================
David L. Smith
UC Sandy Eggo
{ucbvax, ihnp4}!sdcsvax!sdcc6!ix469
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From: ihnp4!dicomed!meccts!ahby
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 85 14:45:01 cdt
Message-Id: <8510261945.AA26251@dicomed.UUCP>
Organization: MECC Technical Services, St.Paul, MN
In article <475@dadla.UUCP> you write: (deleted for brevity by Dale)
Dale,
you can use your super serial card at 1200 baud quite
effectively using Ascii Express. All you have to do is turn ON switch
6 of block 2. This will enable interrupts. Ascii Express will
recognise this, and no longer lose any characters. Also, Ascii
Express will work fine in 80 column mode in this configuration with
the regular APple 80 column card in your //e. I am not familiar with
Apple Access II, but I don't think it can use interrupts - at least
if its anything like Apple Access III.
Anyway, I hope this helps!
--
Shane P. McCarron
Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation - Technical Services
UUCP ihnp4!dicomed!meccts!ahby
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From: tekred!mikec
Date: Tuesday, 22 Oct 85 16:30:07 PDT
On the Apple //e, the 80 column card supports interrupts, and does not lose
any characters at higher baud rates. I am currently using ASCII Pro on
a //e, emulating a Soroc 120, running at 4800 baud.
However, I have on order Softerm2, which will emulate a vt100 and other
(hopefully more capable) terminals.
..mac
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From: tekred!mikec
To: tektronix!dadla!dcall
Date: Monday, 28 Oct 85 11:48:53 PST
Sorry for the delay in replying, just got my Softerm up and running today,
did not want to respond prematurely.
Got this from my local dealer, who had to order directly from Softronics.
Softronics
3639 New Getwell, Suite 10
Memphis, TN 38118
901/683-6850
Am emulating a VT100, can go up to 9600 baud. It really is as good as I
expected. Reads and writes CP/M, DOS, and Pascal files, too. Be sure to
get Softerm2, 128K Apple //e version. There is apparently a 64K version
that does not do as much.
..mac
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From: decvax!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!unm-la!unmvax!nmtvax!kenyon
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 85 22:50:08 mdt
Message-Id: <8510270450.AA04654@nmtvax>
Organization: New Mexico Tech (You call that an Organization?)
My housemate's //e runs as a vt52 fine under ascii express. All you need to
do is make sure that you tell AE that you are using a //e. If you let AE
figure it out, the apples scrolling routines will be used. As far as I know
versions <= 4.20 have this feature.
Rob Kenyon
...ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!kenyon
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