jeff@hpuplca.nsr.hp.com ( Jeff Gruszynski ) (05/07/91)
I'm trying to find information on how to write a GDOS device driver from scratch. I've tried to find this in the Devel Kit but either I missing something obvious or it's not described. I've gotten my hands on an obscure, off-brand bed plotter that I'd like to hack. Jeff The joy is in the doing! jeff@hpuplca.hp.nsr.com Jeff Gruszynski
ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET (Julian F. Reschke) (05/07/91)
In article <12400001@hpuplca.nsr.hp.com>, jeff@hpuplca.nsr.hp.com ( Jeff Gruszynski ) says: > > I'm trying to find information on how to write a GDOS device > driver from scratch. I've tried to find this in the Devel Kit > but either I missing something obvious or it's not described. > I've gotten my hands on an obscure, off-brand bed plotter that > I'd like to hack. > > Jeff > > The joy is in the doing! > > >jeff@hpuplca.hp.nsr.com >Jeff Gruszynski Basically, you have to rewrite a whole new vdi. If you are familiar with assembler, you should take a look at the trap dispatcher at the beginning of META.SYS ___________________________ cut here _____________________________________ Julian F. Reschke, Hensenstr. 142, D-4400 Muenster, Phone: ++49 251 861241 fast eMail: ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET, slow: jr@ms.maus.de (++49 251 77216) ____________________ correct me if I'm wrong _____________________________
jan@janhh.hanse.de (Jan Willamowius) (05/09/91)
Julian F. Reschke writes: > Jeff Gruszynski says: >> >> I'm trying to find information on how to write a GDOS device >> driver from scratch. > > Basically, you have to rewrite a whole new vdi. If you are familiar with > assembler, you should take a look at the trap dispatcher at the beginning > of META.SYS I don't quite agree. What you need is a trap dispatcher. True. Meta.Sys is a good example for that. Secondly, you need the code for all the functions to set and inquire parameters. That code is basically the same for all devide drivers. (From what I understand Atari supplies it with the GDOS Drivers Kit, which costs about $300.) If you're not rich take a look into some device driver. It's all in there. (BTW: The *old* versions have a symbol table!) What you have to write yourself is the code for the actual output. A dot matrix printer has to buffer te output for a whole page. It draws on a bitmap and then prints it. A plotter probalby is able to do the drawing right when it gets the command. Good luck, Jan -- Jan Willamowius, Nienredder 6, 2000 Hamburg 54, Germany E-Mail: jan@janhh.hanse.de
ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET (Julian F. Reschke) (05/13/91)
In article <1334.05.91@janhh.hanse.de>, jan@janhh.hanse.de (Jan Willamowius) says: > >> Basically, you have to rewrite a whole new vdi. If you are familiar with >> assembler, you should take a look at the trap dispatcher at the beginning >> of META.SYS > >I don't quite agree. What you need is a trap dispatcher. True. >Meta.Sys is a good example for that. > >Secondly, you need the code for all the functions to set and inquire >parameters. That code is basically the same for all devide drivers. >(From what I understand Atari supplies it with the GDOS Drivers Kit, >which costs about $300.) If you're not rich take a look into some device >driver. It's all in there. >(BTW: The *old* versions have a symbol table!) > >What you have to write yourself is the code for the actual output. >A dot matrix printer has to buffer te output for a whole page. >It draws on a bitmap and then prints it. A plotter probalby is able to >do the drawing right when it gets the command. > >Good luck, > Jan All true, BUT: if you have written all this stuff, you HAVE written a new VDI. ___________________________ cut here _____________________________________ Julian F. Reschke, Hensenstr. 142, D-4400 Muenster, Phone: ++49 251 861241 fast eMail: ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET, slow: jr@ms.maus.de (++49 251 77216) ____________________ correct me if I'm wrong _____________________________
jan@janhh.hanse.de (Jan Willamowius) (05/15/91)
Julian F. Reschke writes: > Jan Willamowius says: >> >>> Basically, you have to rewrite a whole new vdi. [...] >> >>I don't quite agree. [...] >> >>Secondly, you need the code for all the functions to set and inquire >>parameters. That code is basically the same for all device drivers. > > All true, BUT: if you have written all this stuff, you HAVE written a > new VDI. Well, my main point was that you don't have to write everything _yourself_. One can use quite a bit of existing drivers. Is somebody out there already working on a device driver of his own ? - Jan -- Jan Willamowius, Nienredder 6, 2000 Hamburg 54, Germany E-Mail: jan@janhh.hanse.de