jeffm@mmintl.UUCP (Jeffrey Miller) (01/03/88)
*
Here's an interesting question with a brief introduction.
I just got the new Masm 5.0 update. It comes with a batch file
enhancement program called WHAT.ASM. I saw the .EXE on the
distribution disk and ran it immediately on my 6300. It spit out a
list of options. One had to do with video and although it was not
written as "what /v", that's what I typed. Immedately the screen
went into a new and uncharted (for me) mode of 160x50! The
characters were crystal clear and well shaped, just half the height
and what appeared to be half width. But the characters did not
correspond to the keys pressed. Each time I typed a letter I got 2
vertical by 1 horizontal characters in 1/2 the width of a normal
80x25 character. I could get the screen to return to normal by
typing "mode co80."
I was unable to pfix what.exe because from within pfix what's error
handling worked properly and detected the illegal option of "/v." So
I couldn't find out what was going on. So I used pfix, since it uses
a different video page, to find the video mode the screen was being
put into with
code segment
org 100h
assume cs:code
getmode proc
mov ah,15
int 10h
( mov ah,4ch ;not used while pfixing
int 21h
)
getmode endp
code ends
end
After the int 10h ah returns the number of columns, al = the mode,
and bh = the active display page. Lo and behold the video mode was
46h. Changing the above code to ah = 0 and loading al with the
desired mode, I found that this type of display comes up after
setting the mode to anything above and including 41h and at least up
to 60h.
I ran MultiMate and exited to DOS from the main menu, set the mode to
46h, and returned to MultiMate. There were now 4 greeked MultiMate
main menus on my screen, each displaying in miniature the proper
screen.
The effect does not require ANSI.SYS. But I had it loaded so I
played with Norton's SA.COM. It seems that the background is a bit
map of the attribute set by SA. That is, setting the attribute to
blue (attr = 01h) gives a single thin vertical line down each
column. Setting it to blue on blue (11h) gives two thin lines.
Setting it to white on blue (17h) gives a thin line followed by a
thick line. Setting it to bright white on blue (1fh) gives a thin
line followed by a thicker line. Setting it to blue on white (71h)
gives a thick line followed by a thin line. And setting it to blink
bright white on white (ffh) made the whole screen white.
What's going on here? Is this automatically contained in ANSI.SYS
for the Xerox 6065, which I hear can display 50 lines? How can this
be used? What is the Xerox ANSI.SYS doing? Are there any
applications that can use 50 lines on the 6300?
Jeff
* Jeff Miller *
* Ashton-Tate *
* 52 Oakland Avenue, East Hartford, CT 06108-9911 *
* (203) 522-2116 x257 UUCP: ...!seismo!utah-cs!utah-gr!pwa-b!mmintl!jeffm *
or ...!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!jeffm
--
* Jeff Miller *
* Multimate International, an Ashton-Tate Co. *
* 52 Oakland Avenue, East Hartford, CT 06108-9911 *
* (203) 522-2116 x257 UUCP: ...!seismo!utah-cs!utah-gr!pwa-b!mmintl!jeffm *dragon@olivej.olivetti.com (Give me a quarter or I'll touch you) (01/09/88)
in article <2634@mmintl.UUCP>, jeffm@mmintl.UUCP (Jeffrey Miller) says: > be used? What is the Xerox ANSI.SYS doing? Are there any > applications that can use 50 lines on the 6300? > Jeff Borland's REFLEX uses a mode which can display around 48 lines on a screen, *if* you tell it you are using an AT&T machine (it works fine out of the box in CGA mode). It looks OK. I've also seen something floating around that will display more lines on the screen under DOS... > -- > * Jeff Miller * > * Multimate International, an Ashton-Tate Co. * > * 52 Oakland Avenue, East Hartford, CT 06108-9911 * > * (203) 522-2116 x257 UUCP: ...!seismo!utah-cs!utah-gr!pwa-b!mmintl!jeffm * ---- Dean Brunette {ucbvax,etc.}!hplabs!oliveb!olivej!dragon {ucbvax,etc.}!oliveb!olivej!{dragon-oatc,lobster}!dean Olivetti Advanced Technology Center _____ _____ __|__ _____ 20300 Stevens Creek Blvd. | | _____| | | Cupertino, CA 95014 |_____| |_____| |__ |_____ 'Dancing, screaming, itching, squealing, fevered feeling hot Hot HOT!'
aptr@ur-tut.UUCP (The Wumpus) (01/10/88)
In article <12465@oliveb.olivetti.com> dragon@olivej.olivetti.com (Give me a quarter or I'll touch you) writes: >in article <2634@mmintl.UUCP>, jeffm@mmintl.UUCP (Jeffrey Miller) says: > > > be used? What is the Xerox ANSI.SYS doing? Are there any > > applications that can use 50 lines on the 6300? > > > Jeff > >Borland's REFLEX uses a mode which can display around 48 lines on a screen, >*if* you tell it you are using an AT&T machine (it works fine out of the >box in CGA mode). It looks OK. I've also seen something floating around >that will display more lines on the screen under DOS... > The Xerox ANSI.SYS has nothing to do with the mode. It is all done by the Olivetti graphics card. The mode is set simply by calling int 10 for SetMode and Clear Screen (ah=00) with (al=72). This comes straight out of the Xerox 6060 Family Technical Reference Manual. The mode is 80x50 and it is done by using a 8x8 bitmap for each character instead of an 8x16 bitmap. When going into the 80x50 mode, it is often dangerous to your sanity to have ansi.sys installed. Ansi.Sys does not know about 80x50 resolution and tries to do everything on an 80x25 section of the screen. This causes the problem that the 25th line is written over itself and the screen does not scroll. If you start the system without ansi.sys, the display hardware takes care of the proper scrolling and the system works fine. I actually have a copy of a pair of programs to set and unset 80x50 mode. If anyone wants a copy, please e-mail me. I will post it if there is enough interest. If there is not, I will just mail it to the poeple who want it. -- The Wumpus UUCP: {cmcl2!decvax}!rochester!ur-tut!aptr BITNET: aptrccss@uorvm Internet: aptr@tut.cc.rochester.edu Disclaimer: "Who? When? Me? It was the Booze!" - M. Binkley
ninja@bradley.UUCP (01/10/88)
Lotus 1-2-3 2.01 comes with a driver that lets you get 40 lines on the 6300. I think you've found something similar to what they use. In addition, it only works on AT&T's, can't use that mode on IBM's. Frank McGee Microcomputer Support Specialist Bradley University Peoria, Ill. 61625
gnome@oliveb.olivetti.com (Gary) (01/13/88)
> I actually have a copy of a pair of programs to set and unset 80x50 > mode. If anyone wants a copy, please e-mail me. I will post it if > there is enough interest. If there is not, I will just mail it to the > poeple who want it. > The Wumpus UUCP: {cmcl2!decvax}!rochester!ur-tut!aptr Please post these programs, or mail them to me directly. Thanks! (the mail path to you bounced -- sorry for the posting) Gary (hplabs,allegra,ihnp4,sun,glacier)oliveb!oliven!gnome
wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (01/13/88)
Actually, the Lotus 2.01 AT&T 6300 driver gives you 50 lines. Turbo Reflex also knows about the AT&T high resolution mode. Anyway, according to the Xerox 606x Operator's Guide, if you have ansi.sys installed, the following escape sequence will switch to 50 line mode (see appendix J, page 12): SM - Set Mode ------------- Esc [ = Ps h or Esc [ = h or Esc [ = 0 h or Esc [ = ? 7 h The SM escape sequence changes the screen width or type to one of the following: Parameter Function --------- -------- 0 40 * 25 black & white 1 40 * 25 color 2 80 * 25 black & white 3 80 * 25 color 4 320 * 200 color graphic 5 320 * 200 black & white graphic 6 640 * 200 black & white graphic 7 wrap at end of line 64 set 640 * 400 graphic mode with 80 * 25 character set 72 set 640 * 400 graphic mode with 80 * 50 character set In the definition, Ps is a metacharacter for the ascii value(s) for the paramers in the list above. For 50 lines, you'd send ascii "7" and ascii "2" to the console driver. Use the following GWBASIC program to make a text file that you can TYPE to the console to set the mode: 10 OPEN "SETMODE.50" FOR OUTPUT AS #1 20 PRINT #1, CHR$(27)"[=72h"; 30 CLOSE Remember, you need to include the line "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS" in your CONFIG.SYS file on your boot disk. Obviously, a copy of ANSI.SYS also needs to be on your boot disk. I tried the above on the Xerox 6065, which is the same hardware and virtually the same software expect for Xerox's screen mate (gak!) as the PC6300. I would have tried it on my own PC6300, but I am using an EGA card in place of the indigenous video board. Several of the P/D or shareware replacements for ANSI.SYS (Fansi Console for instance) offer support for AT&T 50 line mode. Unfortunately, getting applications software to realize you have more than 25 lines isn't so easy... Last of all, the 50 line mode is ONLY black & white, unless you have one of the elusive DEB boards.
stox@ttrde.UUCP (Kenneth P. Stox) (01/16/88)
In article <12735@oliveb.olivetti.com>, gnome@oliveb.olivetti.com (Gary) writes: > > Please post these programs, or mail them to me directly. Thanks! > (the mail path to you bounced -- sorry for the posting) The 50 line screen is supported in later versions of the BIOS ( ie. 1.21 + ), a simple way to do it is as follows: The 6300 You C> debug - a XXXX:0100 mov ax, 0048 XXXX:0102 int 10 XXXX:0105 [ just hit return ] - g 105 - [ you are now in 50 line mode ] - q C> and to get out.... C> debug - a XXXX:0100 mov ax, 0002 XXXX:0103 int 10 XXXX:0105 [ just hit return ] - g 105 - [ back to 25 line mode ] - q C> BTW, you can write small .com programs this way. name the file, add the lines to the code to call the exit interrupt, load the cx register with the number of bytes in the files, and write it. Nothing like a 10 byte .com program, and it's a hell of a lot faster and easier than using masm. Ken Stox 630 Development Group AT&T Research and Development Skokie, Illinois