OURNAL January/February 1995

\,!! OO muter The print forum for the MicroComputer professional and semi-professional OURNAL January/February 1995

n an o r With A Network Use YourPC As A Multiple Metering Device Video Monitors A Guided Tour An Alternative To DOS And Windo

03 0076'4138 9 502 FOR SDC GREG SELF 9501N AG T 9782 BR ANCROF U.S. $4.95CANADA $5PO BOX 274 T ROAD BANCR OF T MI 48414-0274 1111,11111,11,111,11,1,,Wwill,111,11,11,11111,1

10 I 0 /485108559 68HC11 Controller &Languages Program it inC $99 orAssembly orFORTH orBasic

Low Cost Development Package: Controller + Languages + Manualson disk included! Package Price Breakthrough! Caaaapoo oa0000000 0000000000000000 ocianarnoonaciaancoociooci000000000aa The NMIT-0020 Single Board Computer is perfect for dedicated 00000000000000000000000000000 0 0 0 controller with convenient interfaces for LCD displays and 000000000000000000000000000000000000 keypad. Intelligent LCD's up to 2 lines by 80 characters and 000000000000000000000000000000000000 matrix keypads up to 4x5 can be used. The processor is the 000000000000000000000000000000000000 popular F68HC11 with many features, including SCI and SPI L00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 serial channels, 8 -bit 8-ch. A/D, 20 available I/O lines, Watch 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Dog Timer, 1/2K EEPROM and Max -FORTH w/Floating Point 000000P00000000000000000000000000000 Package embedded in 12K internal ROM. SBC expands 000000000000000000000000000000000000 F68HC11 providing 3 28 -pin JEDEC sockets for 8-32K RAMs, 00000000000000 0 0 0 0 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, etc. RS -232 conversion supplied. 000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000001.400000000000000000000000000000000000 Requires external regulated supply: 5V at -30 mA. Based on 0U0000000000000000000000000000000000 NMIX-0020 board, so, many features may be added as desired ID00000000000000000000000000000000000..... by the user (or by factory -fully configured NMIX-0020 ,.. 0000 0000 _qj0-drjj-#73:11:116"1:awss'o0101 . 165F"I Ad -special available @ $145, call for details). ., (.,c,, c c, 0 6 o 016 c5---5 o /I .., ----- , - ca9- 1 il 1 N1 -, -- Languages supplied on accessory disk: Small C, Basic, and . 0 1 i I, . 1, ,..1?. I 10 Assembler. FORTH resident on chip (may be disabled). I 1 1, ";:7-0, _1. 1 1 10, i ca I li Languages come with manuals on disk. (Printed manuals extra.) R R 1 r1 p s e .Gmt i I ii I . AXE -. I I Communications utility, MAXTALK included to allow PC I .DC S 'E! -. I 1001 .... I I I . GNC clone to act as terminal for download and development. WIPE 4i) '1 . I 1 I RS1 utility included allows internal ROM, EEPROM, WDT to be I B I I, 1E1 I I 11-. ,4 0 enabled/disabled, and EEPROM to be erased. Manuals on disk: 1_117805I if I 1

UM -MAX Max -FORTH Users Manual, HM -20 NMIX-0020 I r. II e moo Hardware Manual, Small C manuals with examples, I Lc Mill

BASIC11E9 Manual. rr 1.

-_tea-- II , I I arc IMO 5* IN SBC and utility disk - $99. (Keypad and LCD not included. - 2 . MS IP* ----\-- O *91I -N.-_ *=.... MI--M- ---\_. I** Available separately.) Great value. Call today! New Micros, Inc. c I ...., IV ----\-- -5 I O oqs ----\___ .- Ia-N._ ---s.,_ . Tel: 214-339-2204, Fax: 214-339-1585. -N.----\---\-- ..= MI '.----\.._-_____. 1 I rm ..::1 . II ,._ , Mit a III -----k.E. ':-. MI . I I,

g It rte- *- re ----\_---\_. . NEW MICROS, INC. i 1 iv 's- . - 14 ---,.._to. li I g _rs ---\__-\--- . - i4 ---.----\ 1601 Chalk Hill Road I. -N._ , 013 I g _pus ---- to._ re . ._ Dallas, Texas 75212 1/4-) I, I g -oi .= Ili 5 Tel: (214)-339-2204 I e - 0-10 J4 ?IR 0 4 S 0tilta,AOCISSWOr...,1Z..10.09 Pe,2aQai CIRCLE NO. 80 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Customized 68HC11 Controllers: C, Assembly, FORTH, Basic,too.

These controllers have been quite a hit. Thousands have been sold, just as seen in the picture on the facing page. Did you know, these boards can be customized?

Whether it is adding a feature to the NMIT-0020 (target version) to make it closer to the NMIX-0020 (development version), or, a complete redesign to meet a specific form -factor and function, even a different CPU, you should take advantage of the customization New Micros offers.

From the biggest automotive giants, to the smallest one -man -shops, companies use New Micros to design, layout, program, and/or manufacture just the right controller, with just the right features. You should, too.

Some customers asked for A/D and D/A features on the basic NMIT-0020 design. A/D and D/A cards were already available for use with the NMIT-0020's Vertical Stacking Connector,b the customerswanteduta singleNMIT-0020 + 4 ch. 12 -bit A/D + 1 ch. 12 -bit D/A $199 boardsolution.No problem. We made the board to sell as a standard --3-z- - .t product, so, in this case, , ammis engineering charges were 1 1_s,,a 3 E3 ; i f waved. The customers got :;:is air'i what they wanted. Great! I 1 Z ,., g I i Ifilligli if I V. 1 i e Now, you can buy this . I e I- 1- I I It board too! All the features 7..jp'cl..N-, IV - : II, -I oNc/ of the NMIT-0020 with 4 -411111117a I , ch. of A/D, 1 ch. of D/A, 1 10.11&;10+ " I i 0 0 all 12 -bit, for just $199 ..... >

Or, if this doesn't fit your i r7C-111 el 8 ad I ":111.-0 lei se Di ...... --- C0° 0°1- I 1-61. needs, call New Micros. 1 !Se --\__ Ss j, 41 0- al Ow Ii More D/A? Just ask. More 1 se ----- Ili.-../,,./e lki a 1 se-----k...... --IS4 -f,s/e---...... -- Ws 111 :U:gr 1 I b il=--.--:\--.- Mu.--_,;411 \'.._-.-\-D4 A/D? Just ask. SSR's? L:34.0.- ;-.--N-- \ 1 se--N----- ISS-"ail =''''..N- --lei __./ 0 0-,,,,S.,),0--..,_,,,. Opto's? Steppers? 422? 1 I se -.-- ai .sa ,,,__les 414:(5-\--

Features 15 Build a PIC16Cxx Breadboarding System By Fred Eady Lets you prototype and experiment with PIC-based circuits.

24Enhancing Home Productivity With a Network By David F. Norman Setting up an inexpensive home local -area network with Arti soft' s Simply Lantastic.

28Make Your PC Operate as a Multiple Metering Device By Paul Bergsman A simple interface device connected to its parallel printer port lets your PC meter voltage, velocity, pressure, temperature or any physical property for which you can find a sensor-as many as eight of them simultaneously.

36 Fuzzy Logic By Hardin Brothers The dawn of a new age of reason.

41 Video Monitors: The Big Picture By TJ Byers The inside scoop on what makes video monitors tick and what to look for when you shop around for one.

50Serial Ports Inside and Out, Part 2 By Jan Axelson page 77 From the connector out. 59 A Multi -Tasking Development Platform For PC/Compatibles By Phil Hughes The Unix -like Linux operating system is your no -cost entry into an alternative to DOS and Windows.

72Internet Watch By Alexander W. Burawa

Product Reviews 64 Mathcad 5.0 By Tom Fox Is it a math program with sophisticated text -handling capabilities or a special-purpose word processor with sophisticated math capabilities?

70 LapLink V By Leslee Jo Sebastian page 41 Super PC -to -PC file transfer via serial ports.

2 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 73Installing SCSI Devices With Future Domain's PowerSCSI! By SF Sparrow Columns Breadboarc Srstem 77Multimedia By Tom Benford Great Products For Multimedia. 82Microcomputer Musings By Ted Needleman Making Paper Airplanes; Adding Emphasis to Any Windows -Based Application; Re -sizing and Re -sampling Image Files; Having Fun Manipulating Images. 87Computers On the Go By Joe Desposito PCMCIA is Headed for a Desktop Near You. 90GUI Guts By Yacco Losing It With File Manager. 96Microcomputer Q&A By TJ Byers Answers to readers questions about all aspects of personal computing. 100Industry Watch about this important element in your computer system. It will help you By John Hastings make an intelligent decision when it comes time to buy a new one. Jan Axelson is back with Part 2 of "Serial Ports Inside and Out" Departments (page 50), this time taking you on a tour from the connector out. Then, beginning on page 59, Phil Hughes offers you an alternative to DOS 4 Editorial and Windows with the Unix -like Linux multi -tasking development By Art Salsberg platform for PC/compatibles. You can download it for just the cost of Multimedia Ballyhoo a call to a BBS that has it. Beginning on page 64, we offer reviews of three products worthy of 6 What's Happening! serious consideration. We begin with Tom Fox's in-depth report on Latest PC News. the powerful Mathcad 5.0 software program. Next comes Leslee Jo Sebastian's review of the LapLink V program, which lets you effort- 8 What's New! lessly transfer files from one PC to another via their serial ports. By Joe Desposito Finally, SF Sparrow installs SCSI devices with Future Domain's A roundup of new computer products. PowerSCSI! hardware/software package. Tom Benford has some "Great Products For Multimedia" (page 77) 109Advertisers Index to which you might want to give serious consideration to round out your PC setup. Then Ted Needleman (page 82) has a trio of new pro- In This Issue grams that have you folding and flying paper airplanes, adding empha- Now that PIC microcontrollers have become almost mainstream on sis to any Windows -based application, re -sizing and resampling image the computing front, you'll want to check out Fred Eady's files and having fun manipulating images. Joe Desposito gives you the PIC16Cxx Breadboarding System, pictured on the cover of this low-down on adding a device to your desktop PC that will let you use issue. Described in the article beginning on page 15, it details how PCMCIA devices (page 87) and Yacco discusses some of Windows' to begin prototyping and experimenting with PIC-based circuits. It trials and tribulations and how to cure them (page 90). He then contin- has all you need to get you started in a convenient, efficient manner. ues his tour of the Internet information superhighway begun last issue. If you have more than one computer at home, another article you'll Rounding things out, TJ Byers solves more reader problems (page 96), certainly want to read closely is David F. Norman's "Enhancing and John Hastings gives you the latest news on the PC front and repre- Home Productivity With a Network. " Beginning on page 24, it sentative examples of prices for used computer equipment. shows how to set up your own inexpensive local LAN with Cover Photo By Larry Mulvehill Artisoft's Simply Lantastic. As you thumb further through this issue, Paul Bergsman illus- MicroComputer Journal on MCI Mail trates how to use your PC to measure a variety of physical parame- You can contact MicroComputer Journal on MCI Mail directly or ters (page 28), Hardin Brothers puts you on the inside track to the through an on-line service, such as CompuServe or the Internet. Any world of "Fuzzy Logic" (page 36) and TJ Byers' "Video Monitors: questions, article proposals, comments, etc., are welcome on this elec- The Big Picture" (page 41) gives you considerable information tronic mail box (MCI ID No. 456-3433) or just type: ComputerCraft.

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 3 ditorial By Art Salsberg EDITORIAL STAFF Art Salsberg Editor -in -Chief Alexander W. Burawa Multimedia Ballyhoo Managing Editor Dorothy Kehrwieder We've been exposed to an onslaught For only X amount of dollars more Production Manager of publicity about multimedia com- you get dah! dah! dah! Additionally, Emily Kreutz puters for the past few years. I re- installing a CD-ROM drive bought Assistant Production Manager member, too well, a similar advertis- separately isn't the easiest task Elizabeth Ryan ing and media blitz for four -channel around. It takes more than just plug- Art Director Barbara Terzo audio many years ago. The latter ging in a host adapter card. You've Associate Art Director didn't catch on for a few good rea- got software installation, selecting Susan Oliveri sons, among them, the location of SCSI ID numbers (if the drive is an Assistant Art Director more speakers that conflicted with a SCSI one), mechanical installation of Edmond Pesonen room's decor and "quadraphonic" au- the drive itself, address selection, Electronic Composition Manager dio equipment cost was much higher choosing the correct interrupt and Pat Le Blanc testing the system. It could be a Phototypographer than mere stereo. There's a big differ- Hal Keith ence between the two, though. Multi- nightmare! Illustrator media doesn't present space/location The Dataquest survey also indi- Larry Mulvehill problems. Nor do higher costs seem cates that almost 40% of multimedia Photographer to be deterring many people, as evi- computer buyers never even use their Jan Axelson, Tom Benford, Hardin denced by the fast rise of multimedia - built-in CD-ROM drives. Apparently, Brothers, TJ Byers, Joe Desposito, Ted Needleman, Wayne Yacco capable computer sales. more useful CD-ROM disk material Contributing Editors According to the Electronic Indus- is needed. But equally important is tries Association (EIA), for example, that many purchasers of multimedia BUSINESS STAFF 8% of U.S. households already have computers aren't up to the challenges Richard A. Ross a multimedia personal computer in of manipulating multiple elements, Publisher Art Salsberg them, which is identified as a PC that such as text, graphics, audio and video. Associate Publisher has speakers, sound card and a CD- Moreover, many so-called multi- John Dorr ROM drive. And a new study from media computers are painstakingly General Manager SIMBA Information, Inc., "Econom- slow in operation. A 3x- or 4x -speed Frank V. Fuzia ics of Multimedia Title Publishing," CD-ROM drive won't give you the Controller states that the number of multimedia - boost you wish if your CPU isn't suf- Simon Schatzmann capable PCs will rise by about 10 - ficiently powerful, if your bus is lim- Circulation Director Catherine Ross million, to more than 17 -million by ited or memory is inadequate-not if Circulation Manager the end of 1995. The study also pre- you wish to go beyond games or Melissa Nitschke dicts that Microsoft's Multimedia PC reading text to real-time audio and Operations Manager (MPV) platform will account for video compression and decompres- Carol Licata nearly two-thirds of all multimedia sion and imaging. Data Processing PCs, leaving Apple Macintosh with Keep in mind that even quad -speed Denise Pyne nearly another third. CD-ROM drives are much slower Customer Service The CD-ROM drive, at the heart of than hard -disk drives. They're more ADVERTISING MANAGER a multimedia system, is going great on a par with floppy -disk drives. So if Margaret Milanese guns. The EIA report notes that CD- you're really serious about utilizing (516) 681-2922 FAX: (516) 681-2926 ROM penetration has reached 18% of CD-ROM applications, you should Offices: 76 North Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801. Tele- phone:(516) 681-2922. FAX (516) 681-2926. Micro - PC households and could rise to 34% weigh the types of multimedia work Computer Journal is published bi-monthly by CQ Communi- cations, Inc. Subscription prices (payable in U.S. Dollars by the end of 1995! Interestingly, the you hope your machine will perform. only): Domestic-seven bi-monthly issues $29.70, fourteen survey, performed by The Verity Would you require a 64 -bit accelera- bi-monthly issues $59.40; Canada/ Mexico-seven bimonth- ly issues US $32.00, fourteen bi-monthly issues US $64.00; Group Inc., indicates that men are tor? Or perhaps a special software Foreign-seven bi-monthly issues US $34.00, fourteen bi- nearly twice as likely to use separate program designed expressly to great- monthly issues $68.00; Foreign Air Mail-seven hi -monthly issues US $87.00, fourteen bi-monthly issues US $173.00. stereo speakers with their PCs. Fur- ly speed up CD-ROM data searches? Printedin the United States of America. Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation thermore, a Dataquest survey indi- One of the latter, d-Time'°from Bal- October 24,1994, MicroComputer Journal,76 North cates that CD-ROM sales are expect- lard Synergy (tel.: 206-656-8070), Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801.Publication #10555072. Issued six times a year, subscription price $29.70 per year. ed to hit 50 -million in 1996. claims that its $70 program reduces Publisher: Richard A. Ross, Editor Arthur S. Salsberg, owned There's still plenty of confusion in CD-ROM database searches from 20 by CQ Communications, Inc. Stockholders: Richard A. Ross, Alan M. Dorhoffer, Thomas Kneitel, Arthur S. Salsberg. the marketplace about just what mul- minutes to one minute. Circulation (Average of 12 Preceding 12 Months): Net Press Run 60,746, Sales Through Dealers and News Agents 14,706, timedia is and what it offers the user, So tread warily when entering PC MailSubscriptions21,986,TotalPaid36,692,Free however. Dataquest observes that multimedia. It's still on the primitive Distribution 1,500, Total Distribution 38,492, Copies Not Distributed 1,000, Returns from News Agents 21,254, Total about 78% of CD-ROM drives sold side for truly serious work. 60,746. Circulation (Single issue nearest filing date): Net in 1994 were "bundled" with PCs. press Run 62,987, Sales through Dealers and News Agents 17,370, Mail Subscriptions 23,117, Total Paid 40,487, Free That is, the CD-ROM drives were al- Distribution 1,500,TotalDistribution41,987,Total Distribution 41,987, Copies Not Distributed 1,000, Returns ready built into the PCs. This makes from News Agents 20,000, Total 62,987./s/Richard A. Ross, for easier multimedia sales, of course. Publisher. Postmaster: Please send change of address notice to MicroComputer Journal, 76 North Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801.

4 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 PC DIAGNOSTICS THAT GET DATA BACK RESOLVE ANY IRQ OR

1 1 I I 1° -al IA 1 -J 1 JJJ

The Troubleshooter"' is the wREaSCiplilEisDthaeData Recoveryoft- The Discovery Card"' is the most advanced PC diagnostic ware"' first tool to accurately resolve tD14.116,1 software available that really gE recoverlostpdatayogfrom any IRO or DMA conflict. 18

finds the bugs. The Trouble- crashed floppies & hard drives L.E.D. lights (11 for all shooter bypasses DOS & tests even when DOS can't read interrupts and 7 for all DMA) all major hardware components them! RESCUE recovers data immediately report actual directly for true accuracy while other recovery programs usage thus saving time when other programs often give cannot. RESCUE automatically configuring, upgrading or erroneous test results! Loaded recovers DOS & Windows files debugging PC's. Software w'th all the tests you'll need to accurately isolate the including data from compres- alone cannot detect DMA usage and is often wrong source of PC failures. Priced far below all competitors. sed drives. Be prepared for any problem. RESCUE is the when reporting IRO conflicts! Call now, save time Call now for full list of latest features! insurance and security you need to safeguard your valu- and end the frustration! able data. Call now! Don't wait until your data is lost!

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SkylightTM is the #1 rated Win- D iveProTM provides fast, pre- The Alert CardTM is the only dows diagnostic (PC Magazine) ArlveProi cise installation and mainten- add-on card that monitors and that tunes optimizes & trouble- ance for any hard drive. Over- diagnoses power and temperature changes in a PC or File shoots Windows for maximum i ride BIOS limitations for user - speed and performance. Edits definable drive types. DOS Server. L.E.D. lights and an all .INI files safely. Graphically 1 format any size hard drive in audible alarm alert you displays how Windows is using under 30 seconds. IDE drives whenever a system's power or memory, system resources, can be installed in less than 60 temperature goes out of a safe system metrics, G.D.I. heap seconds. Allows the use of IDE operating range. Ideal for usage plus much more with hundreds of reports! A drives with MFM/RLL or ESDI drives in the same system. roubleshooting hard to find intermittent failures in any must for all Windows users! Call now for full list of Retrieves the manufacturers' recommended specs from PC. A must for every file server to pinpoint problems features! the drive itself, plus much more! Call now for full list before they occur. Call now for complete specs! of features!

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LANDesigner m is the first The Technical Library on. Don't throw away expen- MICRO HOUSE network design software that muxuaznizmu. CD-ROMT* is compiled from sive motherboards, use makes creating and installing a over 50,000 pages of technical PocketPosfm to debug dead network easy, fast and inexpen- hardware manuals! Contains Pc's. Feature packed diagnostic sive! Exposes protocol viola- complete configurations, speci- add-on card displays B.I.O.S. tions. Issues warnings where fications, diagrams, settings, RO.S.T. codes and tests 9 designs lead to spec violations, 5 component locations and other critical bus & clock signals. installation problems or outstrip vital hardware technical informa- 300+ page manual has all the site power and cooling. Provides tion all at your fingertips on B.I.O.S. manufacturer codes reports for bill of materials, installation sequence, instal- CD-ROM. Includes main boards, network interface cards, you need to isolate the source of failures. Includes lation time estimates, tool requirements, spare parts hard drives, controller and I/O cards. A must for any detachable logic probe for optional component level inventory, site energy, HVAC infrastructure and much service department. Call today for special pricing! testing. Call today and start saving money! more! Call today for full specs! kap MihylijA Free Technical Support0 Next Day Shipping 0 Performance Guaranteed CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE NEWSLETTER (800) 053-4033

and learn how to resolve.._ EXPRESS" System Failures VISA Drive Crashes/Data Loss IRO/DMA Conflicts Intermittent Failures International: (813) 539-7283 Fax: (813) 531-0200 Overheating Power Problems...and more! 18820 U.S. Hwy. 19 N1,45/215, Clearwater, FL 34624 CC ©1994 AllMicro,Inc. Fix Any PC Fast, Rescue Data Recovery Software, The Discovery Card, The Troubleshooter, LANDesigner and The Alert Card are trademarks of AllMicro,Inc. All Rights Reserved. Other names are trademarks of their associated owners. Specifications subject to change without notice. CIRCLE NO. 97 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD What's Happening!

DELL TOUTS EXTENDED BATTERY LIFE. Dell Computer's new Latitude XP family of notebook computers includes new "smart" battery technology and advanced power -management features that's claimed to deliver 30% longer battery life than the current industry leader-nearly five hours of continuous run time and 17 hours of light -use operating time. Test results by Veritest, Inc., Santa Monica, CA, were performed on a Dell XP50 passive -matrix color notebook. The active -matrix Dell XP100 averaged close to 3.5 hours of continuous use, also said to be a record for active -matrix notebooks. In contrast, mono machines typically run just under three hours in continuous use, which represents intensive operation with most power management disabled, including screen and hard disk time-outs. The new battery packs are lithium -ion (LISB) types. They contain a built-in controller to monitor the battery's condition and provide accurate charge readings on a Windows -based pop-up battery gauge. The battery also has a five -step LED charge gauge on its body.

HIGHER -DENSITY DISKS. Fuji Photo Film reports it created a high -density recording medium that more than quadruples the storage capacity of 3.5" floppy disks from the current 21M to more than 100M! The industry standard 3.5" diskette stores only 2M of data. Moreover, Fuji claims a dramatic increase in data -transfer rate of more than 2M/second, which is on a par with a hard - disk drive. Epson introduces the industry's highest density hard -disk PCMCIA card, its Model EHDD170 credit -card -sized drive. It's a 1.8" 170M drive for use in any Type III PCMCIA slot. It lists for $629. For more information, call 1-800- 289-3776.

ROBOT CONTEST. The Connecticut Robotics Society is sponsoring its second international robot contest in April 1995. It's open to everyone and has different categories of age, ability and experience level. The challenge is to build a robotic device that can move through a model of a single floor of a house, look for fire (a lit candle) and then extinguish it. Contestants will be given the house's exact layout and official rules. The shortest time wins, of course. Robots must be less than one -foot on a side and can be tethered to a personal computer or controlled by an internal microprocessor. Entrants in last year's all -day contest ranged from MIT professors to fourth graders. For more information, contact Jake Mendelssohn at 203-233- 2379 or on Prodigy: KJRP71A or Internet: [email protected]

COMPUTER VIRUS GUIDE. A 20 -page booklet titled "How to Avoid Computer Virus- es" is packed with detailed questions and answers, tables and charts, about computer viruses. It contains information on coping with boot -sector and file -infecting viruses, understanding logic bombs, time bombs, Trojan horses and worms, how to ensure that new diskettes are virus -free, how virus behavior varies from PCs to Macs, and much more. The National Computer security Association and 3M have joined to offer the booklet for $2. Mail a check with your name and address on a 3" X 5" card to 3M Virus Brochure, PO Box 8031, Young -America, MN 55551-8031. It's also available on two on-line services without tables and charts: The Computer Security Forum on CompuServe (GONCSA) and on Delphi (access through Computing Menu). Also, there's a dedicated HELP desk provided by NCSA for tech support to users who think their computers may have been infected. The service costs $1.95 per minute, Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 pm Eastern time. Call 900-555-6272.

6 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February. 1995 Pow-R-Barim

Pow-R-Bar,i is an intelligent, user- configurable, six outlet power center which operates on RS -232 protocol with a computer's serial port to provide individual on/off control over each of the six outlets.

Pow -R -Bar-is the perfect solution for controlling to 156 outlets through a daisy chain of up to 1300 multiple AC outlets. WithPow -R -Bar-connected feet (virtually unlimited distance when using to a computer, each outlet is controllable through modems). With this system, considerable AC con- the computer's serial port using industry standard trol is available to a user at a computer's keyboard. RS -232 protocol. Each outlet can be turned on/off Stage productions can be computer controlled. from the computer, by typing in a simple command Homes or offices can be automated. Remote loca- or through custom programming. tion file servers can be rebooted. You can turn on an AC device from your keyboard with a few key- Up to 26 Pow-R -Barscan be daisy chained strokes. together providing up to 156 outlets individually controllable from a single computer. With the When used with our sensing devices, such as included demonstration software, eachPow-R- Temp -A -Chip- II, Pow -R -Bar-is part of a very BarTMcan be individually labeled, and each outlet extensive environmental monitoring system. The can be individually named. ThePow -R -Bar -sare sensors provide environmental condition input, individually plugged into a 110v AC outlet and programming in the computer reacts to the data and linked together by serial cable up to 50 feet apart. activates the outlets inPow -R -Bar-to turn on AC With up to 26Pow -R -Bar -sdaisy chained together, devices. Pow-R -Bar.is AC control made easy each as much as 50 feet apart, you cancontrol up enough for anyone to use. Specifications

Each unit has six individually controllable outlets on the Each outlet provides surge/spike protection: back with easy to read LEDs on the front indicating that Clamping voltage: 340v AC is on/off for each outlet. Current Peak: 2500 amps Response time: Less than 1 nanosecond All solid state design. Maximum Watt/Amp loads:

Each unit comes with DOS based and Microsoft 10 amps total per Pow -R -Bar. unit Windows based demonstration software. Patent Pending

155 West Tiverton Way IMEG Lexington, Kentucky 40503

International 800-COM-IMEG (800-266-2634) 111111kr Micro Electronics 606-271-0017 Group, Ltd. Fax: 606-245-1798 Innovative technology at home and around the world,,,

All specifications are subject to change without notice. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. CIRCLE NO. 66 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD WHAT'S NEW! By Joe Desposito

numbers and can automatically Hardware load contact information into popular PIMs, contact manag- PC Printer ers and databases. Battery Sharing back-up provides uninterrupt- ed use during power failures, a ParaShare H, a printer -sharing note pad feature allows for in- device from Belkin Compo- stant note taking, a built-in nents, services four printers speaker gives hands -free lis- using an exclusive six -wire ca- tening and a sort function pro- ble system. A Windows icon or vides organization of messages DOS hot -keys are used to se- by name, date and subject. lect the printer of your choice. Clearwave Communications, With ParaShare II, as many as Inc., 1330 Glen Haven, Ste. 40 users can share four parallel 300, Ft. Collins, CO 80526; printers. The device can be tel.: 303-223-3873; fax: 303- used with any parallel printer 223-0418. and supports transmission distances up to 1,200 feet. CIRCLE NO. 2 ON FREE CARD $74.99, Starter Kit. Belkin Components, 1303 Walnut Bubble -Jet scalable TrueType fonts and Park Way, Compton, CA Analog/Counter seven resident bit -mapped 90220; tel.: 310-898-1100; Printer fonts. A built-in automatic fax: 310-898-1111. Board Canon's new BJC-4000 Bub- sheet feeder handles up to 100 BSoft's ANA150 eight -bit ble Jet printer uses an inkjet sheets of paper or 15 enve- CIRCLE NO. I ON FREE CARD data -acquisition board for PC - printer to print monochrome lopes at a time. $549. Canon compatible computers features images at 720 x 360 dpi and Computer Systems, Inc., 2995 color at 360 x 360 dpi. The Redhill Ave., Costa Mesa, CA Telephone/ printer prints up to five pages 92626; tel.: 800-848- 4123. PC Link per minute and features 20 CIRCLE NO.5 ON FREE CARD Clearwave Communications' Intellect telephone/PC link fax modem combines a automatically organizes all Closed -Caption 14,400 -bps send/receive fax desktop communications. It and 14,400 -bps data modem combines a single piece of ex- Decoder with voice recognition. An ternal hardware with software The International Computers auto -detect capability distin- that integrates telephone, fax PC -compatible Closed Caption eight analog input channel~ guishes between incoming machine, modem, computer, Decoder add -in card is capable and three individual 16 -bit faxes and voice messages. The voice mail and answering ma- of acquiring closed captions counters. Each board comes 1442VF records, saves and chine into a communications from a television signal with a disk of programming plays back messages that can command center. All incoming plugged into it and displaying examples written in Quick - be accessed by one or two and outgoing communications the captions on a computer BASIC for controlling the users. $199. CalCom Products, are instantly organized for ANA150. PC -SCOPE, a PC - 181 W. Orangethorpe, Ste. A, easy retrieval and reference. based digital storage oscillo- Placentia, CA 92670; tel.: Intellect gives a single phone scope software program, is 714-961-1888. line multiple destinations and bundled with the board. $99. performs its functions, whether BSoft Software, Inc., 444 Col- CIRCLE NO. 7 ON FREE CARD or not the PC is turned on or ton Rd., Columbus, OH 43207; even connected. tel.: 614-491-0832; fax: 614- Using Caller ID, Intellect Quad -Speed 497-9971. captures such essential information as names and phone CIRCLE NO. 3 ON FREE CARD CD-ROM Drive screen. Captions can be saved Toshiba's XM-3501 quad - board, function generator, to a file or printed. $89. Inter- speed CD-ROM drive sports a Universal D/A and A/D converters, sev- national Computers, 12021 W. 120 -ms random seek rate and Computer eral fixed and programmable Bluemound Rd., Wauwatosa, 600K/s sustained transfer rate. clocks, a counter, input and WI 53226; tel.: 414-764-9000; The drive features a SCSI -2 Interface output ports, and audio ampli- fax: 414-281-3522. interface, synchronous data Micro -Lab from Fisher Instru- fier and speaker. Sample transfer at up to 4.2M/s sec- ments is a universal computer applications and graphics dri- CIRCLE NO. 6 ON FREE CARD ond, digital audio transfer and interface intended to be a de- vers are also provided. a 256K data buffer. $4701 sign aid for engineers, experi- $249.95. Fisher Instruments, $600, intemal/external. Toshi- menters and students. Micro - 20611-E Bothell -Everett Voice/Data/Fax ba America Information Sys- Lab functions with virtually Hwy., Ste. 232, Bothell, WA tems, Inc., Disk Products Div., any computer through the RS- 98012; tel.: 206-489- 9153. Modem 9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA 232 port. The package in- The CalCom Products 1442VF 92718; tel.: 714-457-0777. cludes a solderless bread- CIRCLE NO. 4 ON FREE CARD internal voice -interactive data/ CIRCLE NO. SON FREE CARD

8 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Print Server Base -T connector. The units are Flash ROM -based for easy The Lantronix MPS1 is a very software upgradeability. $399. small single -printer print serv- Lantronix, 15353 Barranca er compatible with five net- Pkwy., Irvine, CA 92718; tel.: work protocols: IPX, TCP/IP, 714-453-3990; fax: 714-453- 3995.

CIRCLE NO. 9 ON FREE CARD

Motion -Control QuickPhase control center, Sound Card/ Instep motion -control soft- CD-ROM System ware library, your choice of MicroKinetics' QuickPhase three stepper motors and all Controller Engineering Evaluation Pack- required cables. $495. Omni Labs' AudioMaster 32 age is a three -Axis motion - MicroKinetics Corp., 1220-J 16 -bit wavetable/FM sound control system. The package Kennestone Circle Marietta, card comes with a five -mode includes a QuickPhase GA 30066; tel.: 404-422- LAT, AppleTalk, and Net- CD-ROM controller. The card motion -control card, 7845; fax: 404-422-7854. BIOS/NetBUEI. The device features 2M of sound samples CIRCLE NO. 19 ON FREE CARD can service multiple print jobs stored in ROM for the General using any of these protocols. It MIDI wavetable synthesizer. also supports HP Bitronics A MIDI/joystick port can con- mode operation and is SNMP- trol up to two joysticks. Also quencing, sound mixing and compatible. provided are both an on -board other software are bundled 386SX/486SLC Two versions are available. stereo 4 -watt power amplifier with the product. $199. Omni SBC Both provide a single Centron- and a line -level audio output. Labs, 785 Market St., Ste. ics -compatible parallel printer The card supports a variety 1100, San Francisco, CA Teknor Microsystems' VIPer- port and plug directly into the of CD-ROM drives with con- 94103; tel.: 415-512-2638; 804 33 -MHz 386SX/486SLC printer. The MPS1-2 has a 10- nectors for Sony, Mitsumi, fax: 415-512- 2636. half-size PC/AT industrial sin- Base2 network connector, Matsushita, OmniLabs CDX- gle -board computer utilizes a while the MPS1-T has a 10 - 262 and IDE on one card. Se- CIRCLE NO. 10 ON FREE CARD PC/104 mezzanine bus and

GLraCpDhicro- Touch Cross Assemblers Complete 1/0 Panel in an easy to use module. Local Labels and Cross Reference Powerful Macro Subsitution Capability Machine Cycle Counting 32 Significant Character Labels and Symbols Unlimited Include File Capability Selectable Intel Hex or Motorola Hex Object File Simulators

Source View Symbolic Debugging Attach Keyboard, Screen or Data Files to Simulate I/O Machine Cycle Counting Ten User -definable Screens Unlimited Breakpoints, Memory and I/O Mapping Trace File to Record Simulator Session Enter the world of Touch Vision and connect your micro to Ability to Step Backward through Simulation a powerful, yet simple to use, graphic LCD / TP interface. 5 Volt single supply 8 bit parallel interface Disassemblers 16 bit micro on -board RS232 on TVM24128 Automatic Substitution of Defined Label Names for All Jumps and Multiple Fonts EL or LED backlight Branches Touch Panel Control 3x10 or 6x10 TP matrix Automatic Insertion of Supplied Comments and Expressions Draw vectors, boxes, bar graphs, strip charts and graphics. Application Source Libraries Automatic touch panel labeling and enabling. Interrupts 16 and 32 bit Integer Aritmetic and Numeric/String Conversion host on key closures. Perfect for menu driven designs! Ei Complete kits for PC development o cK MC PseudoCorp TVM2464BTC priced at $295.00. VISA 921 Country Club Road, Suite 200 PO (OAC) Eugene, OR 97401 C Sys Labs, Inc. (503) 683-9173 238 So. Hillview Dr., Milpitas, CA 95035 Phone (408) 946-4142 or FAX (408) 946-2920 FAX: (503) 683-9186 BBS: (503) 683-9076

CIRCLE NO. 85 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD January/February 1995 I MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 9 matrix TFT color screen, 8M of RAM, a 512K RAM cache, -r"--4210411cogorasw 1.44M floppy -disk drive, 420M hard drive, VL-bus hard -disk controller and video card, Toshiba CD-ROM drive, Media Vision Spectrum 16 sound card, powered stereo

NIEINIEIEIIEMIEIIIIIIIIIIIIEMLOI drives up to four slots on ISA MINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMEI passive backplanes. An SMC smornreimelimen combination I/0 chip provides Mil! II /AIM IIIIIIIIIMIll a g PIM IDE, keyboard and floppy -disk Ia III controllers, and one parallel

and two serial ports. $795/ Hold down.,11 key to type Cursor & Editing keys $895, 486SX/486SLC. Teknor Microsystems, Inc., 616 Cure speakers, DOS 6.21 and Win- MIIIIMMIIIIIPERIEB111111MOS Boivin, Boisbriand, Quebec, dows 3.1. Standard ports are Mill111111111111ERI77111=1 Canada J7G 2A7; tel.: 514- one parallel and two serial, MIMI I I_ 437-56682; fax: 514-437-8053. plus a port for an external CR 1 !"14 IMI CIRCLE NO. 11 ON FREE CARD CRT. There are three expansion slots, two 16 -and one eight -bit bus slots and detach- Hold down A key to type Numeric Keypad. Embedded able keyboard. The system weighs about 20 lb. $5,699. Innovative hold down the F key Wth Mouse Micro Express, 1801 Carnegie your left hand, the letter keys ICS Electronics' PC/104 Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705; Keyboard under your right hand Mouse Board bus mouse board tel.: 714-852-1400; fax: 714- The Jefferson Computer become a numeric keypad. has on -board jumpers that let 852-1225. Products Starpoint-101 key- The keyboard also features you select IRQ levels 2 through CIRCLE NO. 13 ON FREE CARD board lets a typist perform all a new kind of pointing device 5. The board includes a nine - keyboard operations while for Windows users. With keeping both hands on the Menu Mouse, the spacebar n -Home LAN letter keys in the traditional can be used to open pull - TecSystem from U.S. Tech is down menus and select menu sr a touch-typing position. Yet it git a home wiring system that lets doesn't interfere with normal items. $129.95. Jefferson .0 ASSY-114012+_.og nil -1104H you network computers, secu- typing. When you hold down Computer Products, Inc., rity systems and other elec- the J key with your right 23454 25 Ave. S., Seattle, WA tronic products. Consisting of hand, the letter keys under 98198; tel.: 206-824-1111; a patented wall -plate, central your left hand become cursor fax: 206-824-0941. electronic server and special and editing keys. When you CIRCLE NO.15 ON FREE CARD networked cabling, it gives homeowners access to cable TV, telephone and electricity Wireless Modem from a single wall source. Tec- The Sierra Wireless PocketPlus System is CEBus-compatible pin mini -DIN connector for di- wireless modem features multi- and comes in multiple configu- ple data communications rect connection to a three -but- rations, including four, eight ton mouse. The PC/104 is options, including 19,200 -bps and 32 networked TecPlates. CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet shipped with a Logitech three - $500/$1,500, four/eight Tech - Data) and 14,400 -bps V.32bis button bus mouse and driver. Plates. U.S. Tec, 470 S. Pearl and V.17 fax over circuit $150. ICS Electronics Corp., St., Canandaigua, NY 14424; switched cellular and wired - 473 Los Coches St., Milpitas, tel.: 716-396-9860; fax: 716- wrist rest places the hand line PSTN (Public Switched CA 95035; tel.: 408-263- 5500. 394-7095. about 1/2" above the base of Telephone Network). It incor- CIRCLE NO. 12 ON FREE CARD the mouse. A removable tex- porates a cellular transceiver CIRCLE NO. 14 ON FREE CARD tured Lexan sheet provides a and rechargeable batteries into surface for mouse movements a palm -sized, serially -connect- IPortable Mouse Platform and lifts off to store messages, ed modem for Windows- and Pentium Ring King Visible's Easy notes and photographs beneath Macintosh -based portable com- Reach Mouse Platform is an its transparent surface. $19.95. puters. $1,195. Sierra Wireless, Ring King Visibles, Inc., 2210 Inc., #260, 13151 Vanier PL, Multimedia PC ergonomic device for mouse Second Ave., PO Box 599, Richmond, British Columbia, The Regal/Multimedia/P90 users designed to fit on top of Muscatine, IA 52761; tel.: 319- Canada, V6V 2J2; tel.: 604- from MicroExpress is a 90 - a standard box drawer. The de- 263-8144; fax: 319-262-0512. 231-1100; fax: 604- 231-1109. MHz Pentium -based portable vice positions the mouse next PC that features a 10" active - to the user's side. A removable CIRCLE NO. 16 ON FREE CARD CIRCLE NO. 17 ON FREE CARD

10 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 THE HARD DRIVE GOOD BOOK HARD DRIVE BIBLE THE DEFINITIVE COMPILATION OF EVERYTHING ABOUT HARD DISK DRIVES, OPTICAL DRIVES, TAPE DRIVES AND CONTROLLER CARDS! BACKGROUND AND TECHNICAL DETAILS ON HUNDREDS OF DEVICES, ALL IN ONE BOOK! The guys who wrote the book on hard drives now bring you years of experience and technical information in our all new Hard Drive Bible. Included are installation instructions, drive parameter tables, and setup information on hundreds of hard, optical, and tape drives. Be sure to check out the new SCSI Parameters chapter, one of many new features. Jumper settings and compatibility information on controller cards and driver software have all been revised and updated. Don't miss the benchmark chapter with performance and reliability test reports. This book and software are essential for all dealers and system integrators who install hard drives. tyvvivat 1411 Name Package Includes: VHS video tape with information on how Address drives work, installation, and troubleshooting tips. Huge listing of hard drive parameters City State Zip and SCSI commands. Jumper settings for common hard drives and controllers. Credit Card - MasterCard Visa Amex Discovery Tips on increasing drive performance through software. Number Expires Controller card information and performance ratings. Compatibility issues and solutions. Check/Money Order Enclosed Low level, partitioning, and high level format instructions. Installation hints for IDE, SCSI, MFM, Mail Orders to: CQ Communications, 76 North ESDI, and RLL interface drives. Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801 or FAX (516) 681-2926 Free copy of CSC's drive3 erformance test software and low level format programs. Free copy of Seagate's technical support inFREE the continental SNIPPING USA software. TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Advice thatcan save yourfamily thousands in medical bills...

With innovative software, doctors now say "turn on your computer and call me in the morning."

By Charles Anton

Li I i 1 II IAA- 1 I

Health care costs have doubled to more'you. If you choose 'fever' it will I j j I I I I I Iw.,,, . ' than $850 billion a year in the United list a dozen possible causes, ...MIMI...MIIIIII1- II States. One of the best answers to re- then ask you a series ofques- , , duce this drain on the average family pocket tions, and give you some idea TriL I I book is preventative med- ofwhat icine. What is computer Home Medical Advisor could be technology doing to make wrong. It will then suggest A wealth of knowledge. this possible? Symptom File:Analyze your problem a remedy or suggest you The Home Medical Ad visor was created by Dr. These doctors make using the question and answer format that visit a physician specialist. Stephen Schueler, emergency department di- generates over 600 color illustrations, The Home Medical Advi- rector at Holme Regional Medical Center, with house calls. making 450 different diagnoses. Now, with Dr. Schueler's sor also tells you about the the added expertise of 40 board -certified phy- Home Medical Advisor side effects of more than sician specialists. The program includes a 74 - you can enjoy the power 1,200 drugs and the treat- page manual with medical glossary, first aid of diagnostic medicine in- ment for ingestion of more information and easy instructions. stantly. You gain instant than 500 common house- Easy upgrade with new information. access to the latest infor- hold substances. Periodically you can update your Home Medi- mation on symptom anal- Cut medical costs. cal Advisor with the latest medical information ysis,diseases,injuries, Advisor users help their from diseases and nutrition to tips on staying poisons, medical tests and doctors make a diagnosis healthy. Plus you'll receive updated listings of faster, with less tests, by area specialists....for only a small fee. medications just by push- Disease File:Access detailed infor- ing buttons in answer to mation about the signs, symptoms, evalu- communicating more ef- Direct from the doctor to you. prompts from this ex- ation and treatment of over 450 diseases. fectively. This saves pa- A sophisticated medical software program like tremely thoughtful and tients time and money. this can retail for $250 or more. But through this unique program. Injury File:Explore over 130 different Physicians agree with the injuries - everything from a gunshot special promotional offer, this wealth of medi- Send your computer wound to scuba injuries. Advisor. It will help you cal knowledge can be yours for only $69 for the to medical school. help yourself, with impor- DOS version ($79 for the Windows 3.1 version.) In a very real sense you tant tips on diets, staying These prices are available for a limited time. will be sending your com- healthy, self -care, fitness, Risk -free money -back guarantee. and healthy life styles. puter to medical school. The Home Medical Advisor is backed -up by It's so simple. The com- The critic's choice. our "No Questions Asked" money -back guar- puter actually interacts There are other programs antee. If you're not completely satisfied, sim- with you. It asks for per- that contain medical infor- ply return it within 30 days for a full refund. sonal medical history so mation. But the critics of The Home Medical Advisor is available in both that you can take a more such software complain 3.5 and 5.25 disk format. Please indicate your choice active role in maintaining that they are hard to use. Poison File:Over 500 common of DOS or the Windows version when ordering. your own health. It would household substances and products, and Not so with the Home normally cost a fortune to what you should do if ingestion occurs. Medical Advisor. Longev- HMA for DOS $69 $4 S&H obtain the advice of 40 Drug Flle:Over 800 prescription and ity Magazine called it "The different physicians. But nonprescription drug indications, side best doc-in-the-box pro- HMA for windows 3.1 S79s4S&H with this program, which effects and drug interaction. gram around... it not only To receive this special pricing you must is now a best seller in its deluges you with medical field, you'll get just that. Test File:Over 125 of the most mention promotional code 101-CC1107 frequently performed medical tests. Find information but presents Medical knowledge like out how, when and why they are done, it in a manner that no For fastest service call toll -free 24 hours a day this will no longer cost you their risks and possible complications. book can duplicate." Busi- 800-992-2966 and your family thousands ness Week Magazine writes in medical bills. Referral File:A listing of the board "Home Medical Advisor VISA certified specialists in your state could The "Advisor" leads make choosing your doctor easy. helps you diagnose prob- To order by mail send check or money order for the you through. lems and decide whether total purchase or enclose your credit card number The program was design- a trip to the doctor is nec- and exp. date (VA residents add 4.5% sales tax). Send to: ed with the home user in mind. You can look essary..." Byte Magazine concludes "Once up diseases, injuries, poisons, drugs, health and you've consulted HMA, you'll know what to Cairn= diet. From the 70 -item symptom file, you pick expect when you seek treatment, and you'll be INDUSTRIES the one that most closely describes what ails better able to choose specialists." 2820 Waterford Lake Dr. Suite 106 Midlothian, VA 23113 .511V6LE BOARD bt 2925 COMPUTER

THAT'S RIGHT1 $129.95 FOR A FULL FEATURED SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER FROM THE COMPANY THATS BEEN BUILDING SBC'S SINCE 1985. THIS BOARD 1.08vp.v.81 Lila@ COMES READY TO USE tiolegi jmorartac, FEATURING THE NEW 3 AN 4.8193 li 80535 PROCESSOR WHICH IS 8051 CODE COMPATIBLE. ADD A KEYPAD AND AN LCD DISPLAY AND YOU HAVE Serial -Port MeterBOSS multiple -meter A STAND ALONE CONTROLLER WITH software. ANALOG AND DIGITAL I/O. OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: Expander PortMUX has five DB-9 UP TO 24 PROGRAMMABLE DIGITAL I/O LINES PortMUX from MicroMeters connectors, a cable to the PC 8 CHANNELS OF FAST 8/10 BIT A/D is an automatic serial -port and LED indication of ports in * UP TO 4, 16 BIT TIMER/COUNTERS WITH PWM expander/selector box that use. Enabling software identi- UP TO 3 RS232/485 SERIAL PORTS provides four extra serial fies which port is connected to BACKLIT CAPABLE LCD INTERFACE ports for use with any PC in which device. $199. Micro OPTIONAL 20 KEY KEYPAD & INTERFACE connecting smart meters, con- Meters, 4509 Runway St., Simi 160K OF MEMORY SPACE, 64K INCLUDED trollers, counters, sensors and Valley, CA 93063; tel.: 805- 8051 ASSEMBLER & ROM MONITOR INCLUDED transmitters. Intended as com- 522-0683; fax: 805- 522-1503. panion hardware for use with CIRCLE NO. 23 ON FREE CARD inc. Programmable has 12 resident scalable fonts, and its 150 -sheet input can 618-529-4525 Fax 457-0110BBS 529-5708 Power handle paper sizes up to 9" X P.O. BOX 2042, CARBONDALE, IL 62902 14.33", including envelopes, Management labels and transparency sheets. Anticipated street price is less CIRCLE NO. 62 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Composers PC -based power - than $350. Lexmark Interna- management system It's a tional, Inc., 740 New Circle programmable device for man- Rd. NW, Lexington, KY 40511; aging recurring operations, tel.: 800-358-5835. turning on and off power at preset times and performing a CIRCLE NO. 25 ON FREE CARD variety of unattended tasks. Its hardware consists of a controller, power supply, power outlet module and associated Software cables. Its software is a routine in either DOS or Windows and UART Expert the program launcher and off - UART Expert from Tall Tree is screen utilities. Other uses for a software test tool for diag- PowerBrain are for controlling nosing problems with asyn- lights, instruments, appliances chronous communications. It and printers. $175. Quantum provides access to all parame- Composers, 210 Cirque Dr., ters on the UART chip and di- Bozeman, Montana 59715; rect visibility of all characters tel.: 800-556-9686; fax: 4066- sent and received, including Our C -programmable miniature controllers are ideal as the 587-8828. control and extended charac- brains for control applications, data acquisition, and test CIRCLE NO. 24 ON FREE CARD ters. $150. Tall Tree Software, and measurement. Features include digital vo to 400 lines, PO Box 3501, Fullerton, CA 92634; tel.: 714-773- 0301. ADCS, DACS, relays, solenoid drivers, RS232/RS485, battery - Inkjet Printer backed RAM, clock, watchdog, LCDS, keypads, enclosures CIRCLE NO. 26 ON FREE CARD ExecJet IIc from Lexmark is and more. Use our simple, yet powerful, Dynamic CTM de- an entry-level color inkjet velopment system ($195 integrated editor, compiler and printer that features a print Windows speed of 2.5 to 7 minutes per debugger) for quick project completion! page in quality color mode and Calculators up to three pages per minute in CalcPac from System Essen- 24 -HourAutoFax 1724 Picasso Ave. 916.753.0618. Call black draft mode. The printer tials is a set of four calculator Davis, CA 95616 fromyourFAX. 916.757.3737 ZWORLDtN[./NCEHINi Request catalog 18. 916.753.5141 FAX

CIRCLE NO. 96 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /13 programs for Microsoft Win- consumers visually understand Multimedia ing of images, such as crop- dows. CalcPac Business oper- the financial effects of differ- ping and rotating, is also ates like the BA -II Executive ent load and financing alterna- Family Trees available. Business Analyst from Texas tives. The program runs under Family Tree Maker Deluxe The new version also in- Instruments. CalcPac Scien- Windows and calculates the CD-ROM Edition Version cludes 320M of archival tific operates like the TI -36X normal attributes of financing 2.0 from Banner Blue information on-line. A and has over 160 functions. alternatives and displays pay- FamilyFinder feature lists CalcPac Conversions is a ment patterns graphically. A Software features an electronic scrapbook in which the names of 100 -million straightforward conversions compare feature analyzes and you can store and organize deceased persons who calculator that can perform graphically shows which loan thousands of scanned appear in state and federal more than 2,000 conversions alternative is superior and by images, photos from Kodak records and tells you where from 23 categories. CalcPac how much. $59.95.20!20 Photo CDs and such OLE you can find information Tape Calculator is constructed Software, 8196 SW Hall Blvd., objects as home video and about each listed person. to operate like a standard desk- Ste. 200, Beaverton, OR audio clips. The Scrapbook $60. Banner Blue Software, top adding machine. 97005; tel.: 800-735-2020; can store up to 16,000 PO Box 7865, Fremont, CA The scientific and business fax: 503-520-9118. images per person, each item 94537; tel.: 510794-6850: calculators are programmable, with its own caption, date fax: 510-794-9152. have tapes and can generate CIRCLE NO. 29 ON FREE CARD and description. Basic edit- CIRCLE NO. 34 ON FREE CARD graphs of data sets and loan payments in multiple presenta- Windows tion styles. $59.95. System Es- clipart and others. It supports Additionally, 286 computers sentials, Inc., 14858 Grass - Debugger all major desktop -publishing, are supported for the low -end mere Ct., Chesterfield, MO Interface word-processing, and multi- installed base. $299. Helix 63017; tel.: 314-537-9537; media programs, Windows file Software, 4709 30 St., Long Systems and Software's Soft - fax: 314-536-2905. formats and the TWAIN scan- Island City, NY 11101; tel.: Probe 386EX/SIM for Win- ner interface. 718-392-3100; fax: 718- 392- CIRCLE NO. 27 ON FREE CARD dows is a graphically -oriented Digital Funhouse features 4212. debugger for embedded 386 include: 30 visual effects, such development. It's designed to as swirl, bulge, kaleidoscope, CIRCLE NO. 32 ON FREE CARD Software drive simulators, in -circuit em- pencil drawing, oil painting, ulators, ROM -based monitors Reference etc.; basic digital photoshop and real-time kernels. Features PhoneDisc capabilities, such as scanning, Library include: backward compatibili- tone adjustment, color correc- ty with existing SoftProbe Upgrade Great Bear Technology's Ref- tion, sharpen and blur; 24 -bit command files; source -level Digital Directory Assistance's erenZing is a Windows -based color and 256 -level grayscale and symbolic debugging for C PhoneDisc telephone directory dictionary, thesaurus and ency- printing and faxing; ability to and C++; extensive system - listings on CD-ROM provides clopedia that's accessible from alter full or partial images. level and peripheral views; instant access to more than 91 the toolbar in such popular $79.95. Symsoft Corp., PO built-in simulation of the Intel million people, businesses and word-processing applications Box 10005, Incline Village at 386EX CPU and all on -chip organizations. This latest ver- as WordPerfect, Microsoft Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, NV peripherals; simulation of ad- sion removes the limit on the Word and Ami Pro. You can 89450; tel.: 702-832-4300; search for words in six differ- ditional peripherals for PC - number of business listings fax: 702-832-4310. ent ways: partial word, ad- compatible system designs; that can be exported and mailed using PhoneDisc. This vanced search, rhymes, cross- and extensive facilities for us- CIRCLE NO. 31 ON FREE CARD words, anagrams and jumbles. er -defined peripheral models, offers users greater access to The program is based on the triggers and unlimited trace in- almost 10 -million up-to-date New American Library Desk cluding information about ins- Cloaking and accurate business directo- Reference set, which includes truction execution, register ry listings. $129. Digital Di- three comprehensive reference changes, and bus -level activi- Upgrade rectory Assistance, 6931 Ar- tools: The New American Han- ty. Systems and Software, Inc., Cloaking Version 2.0 from lington Rd., Ste. 405, Bethes- dy College Webster Diction- 18102 Cowan, Ste. 100, Irvine, Helix Software is a tool kit for da, MD 20814; tel.: 800-284- ary, Roget's College Thesaur- CA 92714; tel.: 714-833-1700; software developers to create 8353; (617) 639-2980. us, and The New American fax: 714-833-1900. drivers and memory -resident Desk Encyclopedia. $49.95. programs that use the Helix CIRCLE NO. 33 ON FREE CARD Great Bear Technology, Inc., CIRCLE NO. 30 ON FREE CARD Cloaking device driver and run 1100 Moraga Way, Ste. 200, entirely in extended memory VirusScan Moraga, CA 94556; tel.: 510- in 32 -bit protected mode. This 631-1600; fax: 510-631-6735. Digital Funhouse new version offers developers Upgrade Symsoft' s Digital Funhouse several new features, includ- McAffee's VirusScan 2.1 anti- CIRCLE NO. 28 ON FREE CARD for Windows is a photo -manip- ing: bridging of the develop- virus software for network ulation software tool that ment of TSRs and device driv- workstations and standalone Graphical quickly creates special photo- ers between DOS/Windows desktops maintains Virus - graphic effects. It accepts im- and Windows 95 environ- Scan's detection rates, while Loan Analysis ages from a wide variety of ments; a memory manager is significantly improving speed, PC -Loan is a 20/20 Software sources, such as scanners, digi- no longer required when using ease -of -use, management flex - personal finance program de- tal cameras, CD-ROMs, bul- Cloaking technology; and en- signed to help businesses and letin board systems, photo hanced development services. (Continued on page 108)

14 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 By Fred Eady BuildaPIC16Cxx Breadboarding System Lets you prototype and experiment with PIC-based circuits

So far in this series on PICs, I've covered basic theory, including hardware descriptions and implementation data on the 12 -bit PIC- 16C5X family, 14 -bit PIC16C71 and EEPROM-based PIC16C84. Tally in two super -low-cost PIC programmer kits, one for the PIC16C5X parts identified as the PIC16C54/55/ 56/57 at $69.95 and another designed for the 14 -bit PIC16CXX family identified as the PIC16C64/74/71/84 at $49.95. The circuitry and software featured in the May/June issue supplied working real -world PIC coding examples, while I provided in the March/April issue a basic data logger application for the analog -to -digital -converter- equipped PIC16C71. Last time, I covered the Intel HEX file layout and provided serial communication theory and a hobby servo application for the EEPROM-based PIC16C84. This time out, I describe a low-cost, highly functional PIC16CXX breadboard I called the PIC-PERF, which you can build. With it, you can prototype and experiment with the PIC- 16C54/55/56/57, PIC16C71 and PIC- 16C84. The breadboard has accom- modations for an HD44780-controller-based LCD display, DL -1414 al- based electronic module or electrical acters within the source text. phanumeric LED module, user -de- circuit of your own design. The major I find that most of my "program- fined serial/parallel interface, 512 - difference here is that some of the ming" involves moving and changing byte Microchip 93LC66 serial EE- components on the PIC-PERF bread- the text in source files. The editor PROM and a readily available 2" X 3" board are "smart." Therefore, let's with which you work should be able experimenter socket. Fleshing things look at how you can "enlighten" the to produce an ASCII file without re- out are some code snippets, theory PICs and other intelligent devices sorting to use of special ASCII codes and schematics to help you get started found on the PIC-PERF. and characters that may be misinter- on your own PIC projects. In my experience, the most -impor- preted by the assembler. tant tool for programming PICs is a The editors included in off -the -shelf Source Code good ASCII text editor. Most bells DOS are examples of good basic and whistles aren't necessary, but be source -code editors and, in fact, can In this project, the idea is to intercon- sure the editor you use can at least be used to do just this. At ED Techni- nect wires between the desired com- search and replace characters and cal Publications, I use Borland's ponents and effect a working PIC- copy and move text blocks and char- BRIEF because it's rich in features,

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 15 Vcc Vss +5V

ADDRESS MEMORY U1 U2 ARRAY DECODER 10 VCC DB0 11 -GND VCC MCLR DB1 12 3 DB2 VD 4 13 4 DB3 RS GND 14 DB4 R/W ADDRESS Cl 15 E COUNTER MCC DB5 16 GND DB6 DBO D87 DB I 10 10 'DB2 OUTPUT RCO DB3 DATA REGISTER CO 19 11 BUFFER RC1 DB4 2 DB5 RC2 L'"" 3 D-. D86 RC3 4 RC4 DB7 MODE RC524 DECODE RC6 2 LOGIC RC7

CLOCK RS GENERATOR E XTAL1 R/W 27 9 OSC1 RA3 6 Fig.1.Block diagram of Microchip OSC2 93CLxx series CMOS serialEPROM. 4MHz PIC16C55 LCD (Courtesy Microchip Technology Inc.) GND +5V- >-- vo highly functional and easy to use. It CERAMIC OSCILLATOR PIN 2 IS CENTER PIN .R1 allows me to assemble PIC source cw ccw code modules without leaving the edi- 5K tor shell. CONTRAS. A very good way to learn the ropes GND of laying out your source code is to study source code written by other Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of LCD driver using PIC16C55 microcontroller. people. The Microchip Embedded Control Handbook contains a wealth TOP VIEW of PIC code. There are also plenty of working PIC source -code examples on the EDTP BBS (tel.: 407-454-3198 24 hours a day). Once you've written your program, assemble it to produce an executable module. In the case of the PIC, the ex- N ecutable module is output as an Intel HEX file that's translated into binary 1 2 34 5 6 equivalent by the PIC programmer or PIC programmer software you're using. With EDTP PIC programmers, # this function is carried out in C -based Product Identification software running on the PC. This re- Markings On Front Surface sults in the PIC programmer being presented with a binary representation Pin Function Pin Function

of the assembled code. 1 D5 Data Input 7 Ground Most problems you encounter when 2 D4 Data Input 8 DO Data Input (LSB) assembling source code will result 3 WR Write 9 D1 Data Input from a misunderstanding of exactly 4 Al Digit Select 10 D2 Data Input how to enter the assembly command. 5 AO Digit Select 11 D3 Data Input The following is a valid command - 6 Vcc 12 D6 Data Input (MSB) line sequence for the Microchip MPASM assembler and can be used to Fig. 3. Pinout details forlitronix DL -1414alphanumeric intelligent display chip. assemble a source -code file for the (Courtesy litronix) PIC16C54: Microchip assembler in eight -bit Intel called"FILENAME.HEX," which is MPASM /aINHX8M /PIC16C54 HEX format (/aINHX8M) for the PIC- technically termed an objectmodule filename.xxx 16C54 (/PIC16C64) using"filename- and is the file you want to send to the .xxx" as the input source -codefile. If programmer and, ultimately, into your This command simply invokes the all goes well, you end up with a file targetPIC.

16 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Listing 1. EEPROM Example Code For 931066.

;E D TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1993-1994

;93LC66 EEPROM EXAMPLE CODE

:PIC16C54 BASED

;MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL

INCLUDE STATEMENT FOR PREDEFINED EQUATES

INCLUDE "PICREG.EQU"

PORT B EEPROM BIT EQUATES bo EQU OH DI EQU 1H ICLK EQU 2H CS1 EQU 3H

PIC16C54 REGISTER EQUATES

EEPROM EQU 6H

Data RAM Assignments ****** -**********-

READCMD EQU 081-I WRITECMD EQU 09H

SCRATCH1 EQU OAH SCRATCH2 EQU OBH

ADDRESS EQU OCH _DATA EQU ODH

EEPROM COMMAND BYTE AND ADDRESS REGISTER LAYOUT

:BIT 17 16 15 14 13 2 0

I I 1 I I

I I I I 1

IMSB I I ILSB IMSB ;COMMAND IOPCODE IOPCODE IOPCODE IOPCODE (ADDRESS

I I II I 1

I I I I I I 1

I I I I I I 1 ;ADDRESS IA7 IA6 IA5 1A4 IA3 IA2 IA1 AO

MAIN CODE

ORG 0 BEGIN SETUP PORTS A AND B

MOVLW UO0000001' ;SET UP I/O FOR PORT B TRIS Port _B ;DO IT BCF EEPROM,CS1 ;MAKE SURE CHIP SELECT IS LOW

BCF EEPROM,ICLK ;MAKE SURE EEPROM CLOCK LINE IS LOW BCF EEPROM,DI ;MAKE SURE EEPROM DI LINE IS LOW

MOVLW B'10000000' ;INITIALIZE THE READ COMMAND REG MOVWF READCMD

MOVLW B'01000000' ;INIT WRITE COMMAND REG MOVWF WRITECMD

MOVLW 0 MOVWF ADDRESS ;SET ADDRESS TO 0

;* ***** *- WRITE DATA TO 93LC66 EEPROM

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /17 Now it's time to load the program MOVLW 55H ;WRITE A 55 TO ADDRESS 0 into the PIC's EPROM or EEPROM MOVWF _DATA if you're targeting the PIC16C84. If you're lost at this point, simply type CALL EWEN ;ENABLE EEPROM FOR WRITE inPICPROGand press Enter if you're BSF EEPROM,CS1 ;SELECT EEPROM BSF EEPROM,DI ;START BIT using the EDTP PIC16C5X program- NOP ;KILL SOME TIME mer, and you'll see: BSF EEPROM,ICLK ;PRODUCE A CLOCK PULSE NOP PIC16C5X PROGRAMMER VERSION X.X BCF EEPROM,ICLK ;CLOCK OUT START BIT E D TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS MOVLW 2H ;LOAD SCRATCH REGISTER WITH 2 DECIMAL MOVWF SCRATCH1 ;OPCODE IS 2 BITS LONG onyour PC's video screen. You entered the following parameters: MOVF WRITECMD,W MOVWF SCRATCH2 ;LOAD SCRATCH2 WITH WRITE COMMAND BYTE PICPROG TRANSMIT WRITE OPCODE TO EEPROM (01) Correct command syntax is: COMMAND_OUT BCF EEPROM,DI ASSUME FIRST BIT MAY BE 0 PICPROG B(lank Check) BTFSC STATUS,C ;CHECK CARRY BSF EEPROM,DI ;IF DATA BIT IS 1, SET DI PICPROG R(ead) NOP ;KILL SOME TIME PICPROG V(erify) BSF EEPROM,ICLK ;CLOCK BIT OUT TO EEPROM NOP BCF EEPROM,ICLK PICPROG P(rogram) DECFSZ SCRATCH1,Same ;DECREMENT BIT COUNTER GOTO COMMAND_OUT ;GO SEND NEXT COMMAND BIT

PICPROG P(rogram) RLF SCRATCH2,Same RLF SCRATCH2,Same ;ROTATE PAST 2 UNUSED OPCODE BITS (FUSE OPTIONS IN FILE) ****** TRANSMIT MSB ADDRESSBIT TO EEPROM

For example, PICPROG P SAM- BCF EEPROM,DI ;ASSUME FIRST BIT IS 0 ;ROTATE MSB ADDRESS BIT INTO CARRY PLE.OBJ 54 1 RC D U RLF SCRATCH2,Same loads and pro- BTFSC STATUS,C ;CHECK CARRY grams the fileSAMPLE.OBJ intoa PIC16C54 using an RC oscillator BSF EEPROM,DI ;SET DI BIT IS CARRY IS SET with watchdog timer and Code Pro- NOP tect disabled using COM1. Valid oscil- BSF EEPROM,ICLK ;PULSE THE EEPROM CLOCK LINE NOP lator types areLF, RC,XT and HS; BCF EEPROM,ICLK valid PIC types are (16C)54, (16C)55, (16C)56 and (16C)57, and valid ports MOVLW 8H ;SEND 8 BITS OUT..ADDRESS 0-7 MOVWF SCRATCH1 ;LOAD SCRATCH1 WITH COUNT OF 8 are COM1 andCOM2. Notice that"FILENAME.OBJ" is MOVF ADDRESS,W ;LOAD ADDRESS VALUE INTO W "FILENAME.HEX"in your assembler MOVWF SCRATCH2 ;LOAD SCRATCH2 WITH ADDRESS VALUE command -line example and that the ;*******"*** TRANSMIT REMAINING ADDRESS BITS TO EEPROM (8 BITS) correct syntax to invoke the PICPROG functions is: ADDRESS_OUT BCF EEPROM,DI ;ASSUME FIRST BIT MAY BE 0 RLF SCRATCH2,Same ;ROTATE MSB DATA BIT INTO CARRY PICPROG P FILENAME.HEX 54 1 RC D U BTFSC STATUS,C ;CHECK CARRY This command line invokes the PC BSF EEPROM,DI ;IF DATA BIT IS 1, SET DI NOP program PICPROG and requests a program operation using "FILENAME BSF EEPROM,ICLK ;PULSE EEPROM CLOCK LINE NOP .HEX" as the input object file for a BCF EEPROM,ICLK PIC16C54. The EDTP PIC program- DECFSZ SCRATCH1,Same ;DECREMENT THE ADDRESS BIT COUNT mer is attached to COM1, and the tar- GOTO ADDRESS_OUT ;GO SEND NEXT ADDRESS BIT get PIC will be programmed to use the RC oscillator option with watch- TRANSMIT DATA TO EEPROM (8 BITS) dog timer and code protection disabled. If you're using the PIC16CXX pro- MOVLW 8H ;SEND 8 BITS OUT..DATA 0-7 grammer, which programs the 14 -bit MOVWF SCRATCH1 ;LOAD SCRATCH1 WITH 8 devices, the screens you obtain are DATA_OUT similar, but you invoke the program BCF EEPROM,DI ;ASSUME FIRST BIT MAY BE 0

18 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 using PICXX, where "XX" is 71, 64 or RLF _DATA,Same ;ROTATE MSB DATA BIT INTO CARRY BTFSC STATUS,C ;CHECK CARRY 84, depending upon the PIC type you're programming. The user inter- BSF EEPROM,DI ;IF DATA BIT IS 1, SET DI NOP face for each of the 12- and 14 -bit PIC terminal programs is identical. BSF EEPROM,ICLK ;PULSE EEPROM CLOCK LINE NOP I suggest that you look over the ex- BCF EEPROM,ICLK tensive documentation file that comes with the Microchip assembler for DECFSZ SCRATCH1,Same ;DECREMENT THE DATA BIT COUNT GOTO DATA_OUT more details on additional MPASM functions. Also, download the PIC- BCF EEPROM,CS1 ;DESELECT EEPROM BCF EEPROM,DI ;MAKE SURE DI IS LOW GOING OUT 16C5X and PIC16CXX programmer text files and source code from the E BSF EEPROM,CS1 ;SELECT EEPROM D Technical Publications BBS for BUSYHI BTFSC EEPROM,DO ;STAY HERE WHILE DO IS HIGH further study. GOTO BUSYHI To access Microchip's BBS follow REALBUSY these steps: BTFSS EEPROM,DO ;REAL BUSY OCCURS HERE (1) Set your modem to 7E1 and dial GOTO REALBUSY 800-848-8980. BCF EEPROM,CS1 ;DESELECT EEPROM (2) Follow the directions on your video monitor's screen to locate a CALL EWDS ;DISABLE EEPROM WRITE CompuServe telephone number clos- GOTO ;LOOP HERE FOREVER est to you.

*** ****** END OF EXAMPLE CODE (3) Once you have the CompuServe number, set your modem to 8N1 and dial the local CompuServe number. **** **"** 93LC66 EEPROM ERASE/WRITE DISABLE SUBROUTINE (4) Pressing the Enter key causes garbage to appear on your monitor's EWDS MOVLW 8'10000000' ;START BIT PLUS WRITE DISABLE COMMAND screen. MOVWF SCRATCH2 ;SAVE COMMAND TO SCRATCH MEMORY (5) Hit + and press Enter. Host GOTO EW ;BYPASS WRITE ENABLE SETUP Name: should appear. ********* 93LC66 EEPROM ERASE/WRITE ENABLE SUBROUTINE (6) Type MCHPBBS and press Enter to connect to the Microchip BBS. EWEN MOVLW 6'10011000' ;START BIT PLUS WRITE ENABLE COMMAND MOVWF SCRATCH2 ;SAVE COMMAND IN SCRATCH MEMORY The Hardware EW As far as hardware is concerned, sim- MOVLW OCH ;LOAD SCRATCH REGISTER WITH 12 DECIMAL ply interconnect the components on MOVWF SCRATCH1 ;WRITE ENABLE COMMAND IS 12 BITS LONG the PIC-PERF breadboard using ma- BCF EEPROM,ICLK chined -pin and experimenter -block BCF EEPROM,DI ;MAKE SURE DI IS LOW...NO START BIT interfaces and 22 -gauge or smaller in- BCF EEPROM,CS1 ;MAKE SURE EEPROM IS DESELECTED sulated solid hookup wire to obtain BSF EEPROM,CS1 ;SELECT EEPROM the desired results. Each pin for every EWOUT BCF EEPROM,DI ASSUME FIRST BIT IS 0 active component is brought out to a RLF SCRATCH2,Same ;ROTATE MSB INTO CARRY row of female machined -pin headers BTFSC STATUS,C ;CHECK CARRY and identified to aid in faster proto- BSF EEPROM,DI ;SET DI IS CARRY IS SET typing of PIC circuits. NOP The machined pins I used in the en- BSF EEPROM,ICLK ;PULSE THE EEPROM CLOCK gineering prototype were Digi-Key NOP Part No. 208 that tightly accommo- BCF EEPROM,ICLK date 22 -gauge wire. The pins you use DECFSZ SCRATCH1,Same ;DECREMENT THE COMMAND BIT COUNT may require a different gauge of wire. Note that either ceramic oscillators or GOTO EWOUT ;GO SEND NEXT COMMAND BIT crystals, the latter with accompanying BCF EEPROM,CS1 ;DESELECT EEPROM capacitors, can be used to clock either BCF EEPROM,DI ;MAKE SURE DI IS LOW GOING OUT PIC. If you're using a ceramic oscilla- RETLW 0 ;RETURN FROM SUBROUTINE tor, be sure to omit the capacitors. When using a crystal, mount a set of DATA "08-09-94" 27-pF capacitors. 93LC66 CMOS Serial EEPROM. This DATA "93LC66 EXAMPLE" Microchip device is a 4K -bit low - ORG PIC54 voltage serial EEPROM. Instructions, GOTO BEGIN ;PIC16C54 RESET VECTOR END addresses and write -data are clocked

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /19 into the DI pin on the rising edge of Listing 2. Read EEPROM Data Code Snippet for 93LC66. the clock, which is normally supplied by a firmware routine running on one ;E D TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1993-1994 of the PIC devices housed on the PIC- PERF breadboard. ,READ 93LC66 EEPROM DATA CODE SNIPPET The serial clock is used to synchronize communication between the PIC RIC16C54 BASED and the 93LC66. Opcode, address and ,MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL data bits are clocked in and out on the positive edge of CLK. Dl (Data In) READ DATA and DO (Data Out) pass data to and MOVLW 8H ,8 BITS IN..DATA 0-7 from the PIC. DO is also used to pro- MOVWF SCRATCH1 ;LOAD SCRATCH1 WITH 8 vide an erase- or write -complete indication to the requesting PIC. DATA_IN The 93LC66 requires no fancy tim- BCF STATUS,C ,CLEAR CARRY ing cycles for reading and writing be- BSF EEPROM,ICLK :START EEPROM CLOCK PULSE cause it incorporates built-in timers NOP ;KILL SOME TIME for performing erase and write opera- BTFSC EEPROM,DO ;GET DATA BIT FROM DO tions. The device is nonvolatile and BSF STATUS,C ;IF DO = 1..SET CARRY provides instructions to disable and RLF DATAIN,Same ;ROTATE CARRY BIT INTO HOLDING REGISTER ;END EEPROM CLOCK PULSE enable write operations. Data is auto- BCF EEPROM,ICLK matically protected when power sup- DECFSZ SCRATCH1,Same ,DECREMENT THE DATA BIT COUNTER plied falls less than 1.4 volts dc. A GOTO DATA IN ;GO GET NEXT DATA BIT million erase/write cycles can be expected before data integrity is com- promised, and static data retention is rated at in excess of 40 years. The 93LC66 reverts to standby mode until selected. Selection occurs ROM when CS is brought high. In our instance, the PIC is responsible for se- DISPLAY OSC/ lecting the EEPROM and does so by DIGIT R171 lViAr7.1 F7.171 COUNTER/ 1/N GN controlling the CS line. Standby mode DECODER consumes about 5 amperes, while H111 I 3 2 I 0 active mode needs about 1 mA of current. A block diagram of the 93LC66 RAM is shown in Fig. 1. The 93LC66 EEPROM Example WRITE Code given in Listing 1 details the ADDRESS steps necessary to write data into the DECODER 6.4.4:64.a 93LC66. Follow the code as I de- cooaao0 0 o o00 0 scribe the EEPROM write algorithm. O. a a A hidden feature of PIC assembler code is that, when properly comment- DL -1414 Block Diagram ed, you can relate the equates to actual pins on the PIC device. For instance, under the heading "Port B I EEPROM Bit Equates" you'll find four definitions, or equates, assigned '''SliiiiiiiiiegialialiMilaiallalle' us to four bits of PIC16C54 I/O Port B. Vi't Two examples are Bit 0, designated am - DO, and Bit 3, assigned to CSI. This Orai It AT can also be read as Bit 0, or pin 6 or RBOis equivalent to DO (Data Out). The same can be said for Bit 1, or pin 7 or RB 1 as DI (Data In). For this example, you can simply read the code and actually build up the meat of the TYPICAL INTERCONNECTION EEPROM circuitry without having to FOR 32 DIGITS reference a schematic! You also know that the four EE - Fig. 4. Block diagram (upper) and typical interconnections for 32 digits ;lower) for PROM connections emanate from DL -1414. (Courtesy litronix)

20 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Table 1. LCD Command Set for HD44780 Chip - Instruction RS RNV DB7 DB6 DB5 DB4 D133 DB2 DB1 DBO 1 Execution Time* ReturnClear Display Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 1 0 1 S 624s-1.54ms/1201.1s-4.940ps-1.6ms/1201.L.s-4.8ms ms DisplayEntry Mode On/Off Set Control 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 D0 C I/D B 401.1s/1201.Ls40ps/120p.s FunctionCursor & SetDisplay Shift 0 0 0 0 10 1 S/CDL R/L N F 40µs/120ps40µs/1201.1s Set DDCG RAM Address 0 0 1 0 1 Alpo ACG 4011s/1204,1s4011S/1201/S WriteRead Data Busy to CGFlag or & DD Address RAM 0 1 0 1 BF Write Data Ac 404s/120p.s 1).1..s/1µs CD Read Data to CG or DD RAM I/D = 1: 1 Increment (+1)1/0 = 0: Decrement (-1) Read Data Execution changes when 40tts/120pis R/LS/CS = 0:1: = 1: AccompaniesShiftsDisplay to LeftRight ShiftDisplay Shift S/C = 0: Cursor Move WhenExample:frequency fosc changes. is 270 kHz: tri BFFNDLBF = 1: = 0: =1:= 1: TwoCanInternallyEight Lines5 XAccept Bits 10 N Operating Dots= Instruction0: One Line DL = 0: Four Bits F = 0: 5 X 7 Dots 401.1s X 250/270 = 37 us CD ro'0 fosc = 250 kHz (applied to models driven by 1/8 or 1/11 duty cycle)/160 kHz (applied to models driven by 1/16 duty cycle). rritri oa"0. EntryReturnClear ModeDisplay Home Set ClearsduringSetsposition.Returns display cursor data cursorDD writeand-move RAM to returnsand home contentsdirection read. cursorposition remainand to specifies(Address home unchanged. position or 0) not and to(Address returns shift display. display 0). These being operations shifted to originalperformed C- n iz-F9. 5 co"ta.I.r:1 CursorDisplay & On/Off Display Control Shift MovesSets on/off cursor of alland display shifts display(D), cursor without on/off changing (C) and DDblink RAM of cursor contents. position character (B). crci O0_=0 Q'P=., P'-. o- a ro .-.O.$ - o cs> ,54 ...r ReadSet DDCG Busy RAM Flag Address & Address SetsReads CGMinterface Busy RAM data flag address. length(BF), indicatingCGM(DL), RAMnumber internal data of isdisplay operation sent and lines isreceived (L)being and performed, aftercharacter this setting. fontand (F).reads address F4 nt7171 0- 0 CD cep ^ " Write Data to CG or DD RAM Writescounter data contents. into CG RAM or DD rpCDB, 4 ctr° tzl 10 '70cn CD .., .-.00105 C7' l'.) 01LA DDRead RAM Data to CG or DD RAM DisplayReads data Data from RAM. CG RAM or DD RAM. .0 cnKaOCD ,-h" 0 Cm 0' ,.< .Fri 5-,' AD 0 .1 & .- ADOAcoCG RAM DOCGCharacter RAM Address. Generator Corresponds RAM. to cursor address. O p0 . 5.1 1.. Address counter used for both DO and CG RAM addresses. pCD"-. p> w 0 k ,-; 5"-'0. Ac ed. For instance, a READ instruction consists of a START bit (one bit), an CHARACTER SET OPCODE (two bits) and an ADDRESS H H H I H 00 I. I l (nine bits). The READ instruction re- \ DI l I. H H I L H H H H H sults in eight data bits from DO. Add- D2 1 l 1. l H D60S D4 1)3 ing up the bits, you come up with 20

J bits of information and, thus, 20 cy- l MIL 1 II _I _I CC 01 / _Li /1_1 U [3 cles to complete the READ operation. Now that you have the picture, con- LHI.14 / \ W I / tinue to trace through the example \ / ?Ic T fi -- . / code until the WRITE operation is fin- il C C ished. It's helpful to have the 93LC66 11.1Ht. I J -1.. U 1 LI I I I 1 i J U data sheet handy for answering questions related to the 93LC66 if you LHHH i_ i 6 ..1 - / _ aren't familiar with the device's pin - outs and instruction set. Since the HILL --i C --I T) r T) C- C- 1- 93LC66's READ task is very similar CU I I -CI l_ .1) 1.... I 13 to its WRITE task, I've included only ISLIP./ I -I -I- i I_i I nn n 1 11 the read snippet of the READ code in I-1 i. u I\ 1._ IIivLi Listing 2 instead of duplicating most of the code common to both the 1---1 1-1 c- -risI/is H I. HI ii I-- L3 I- _D I u v vm READ and WRITE programs. LCD Display Using the HD44780. The vv -7 r \ -I H I. H H LCD display/HD44780 LSI IC com- / Z_ i \ j/\ / bination comprises a dot-matrix con- All Other Input Codes Olaplay '81ank' troller/driver system that displays alphanumeric characters and symbols. The dot-matrix liquid -crystal display LOADING DATA STATE TABLE can be driven by almost any eight- or DIGIT four -bit microcontroller. All functions

Wit Al AO DB 05 D4 D1 D2Dl00 3 2 1 0 required for dot-matrix liquid -crystal display drive are internally provided H PREVIOUSLY LOADED DISPLAY GREY on a single chip located on the rear of L I L L H HL LHL GREE the LCD display module's printed -cir- H L L HLHLHL H GRUE cuit board. A representative PIC-to- L H l HI. L H H L L GLUE LCD interface circuit is shown in Fig. 2. L H H B L U E HLLILHL Like the 93LC66, the HD44780 LSI L L H HL L I. H L H B L E E L L L HLHL H H H BLEW IC has its own set of instructions that L X X SEE CHARACTER CODE SEE CHARACTER permit display and movement of char- SET acters on the LCD screen. To facili- X DON'T CARE tate your use of this component, the code for the LCD display driver application is included in Listing 3, along with the HD44780 LCD command set Fig. 5. Character set (upper) and loading data state table (lower) for DL -1414. in Table 1. DL -1414 Intelligent Alphanumeric (Courtesy Won's) Display. This four -digit display con- "EEPROM COMMAND BYTE AND dress 0. The basic structure of writing tains 16 bar segments per digit plus a ADDRESS REGISTER LAYOUT" de- to the 93LC66 is: (1) initiate a START decimal segment and a built-in fines the bit positions of the commandcondition and (2) clock an instruction CMOS IC. The chip contains memo- opcode. The address register layout is into the EEPROM ry, ASCII character generator and also specified there. Notice, too, that A START condition occurs when CS LED multiplexing and drive circuitry. since the address is nine bits in length, and DI are both high with respect to Each digit is 0.112" high. To load the most -significant address bit (MSB the positive edge of CLK for the first data to the DL -1414, you simply sup- ADDRESS) is contained in the com- time. Since the EEPROM is selected ply the desired data code to the DO mand register. A READ command op - and DI is set, a START bit is presented through D6 data inputs, select a digit code is 10, and a WRITE opcode is 01. to the EEPROM when CLK is initially address via inputs to the AO and Al These two bits reside in Bit locations taken low to high. address lines and execute a write cy- 7 and 6, respectively, within the com- Following a successful START con- cle. Shown in Fig. 3 are the pinout mand register. Opcode Bits 4 and 5 dition, the correct amount of address details for the DL -1414. Figures 4 aren't used in this application. and data bits must follow before the and 5 provide the block diagram and Our example will write 55h to ad- clocked -in instruction can be execut- character -set logic for the LD-1414.

22 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 WHY DESIGN CIRCUITS Listing 3. Driver Routine For LCD Display. TILE HARD WAY?

NMI t

. -- eh . :LCD DISPLAY DRIVER rffitwirailn.6:'F11-11 ..:... [i ..... 1.4,l1.2r!z...- ;EDTP 1994 Fr..,..r.-_._,......

;PROGRAM THE PIC16C55 WITH XT OSCILLATOR, WATCHDOG TIMER ;DISABLED, NO CODE PROTECT For MS Windows', ;THIS ROUTINE IS BASED ON 4 -MHz CLOCK Macintosh', and Power Mac' B' LOGIC $219 PLD Simulation Over 100 components available INCLUDE "PICREG.EQU" Customize device properties EDIF File Format Subcircuit Probing ********* PORT EQUATES

B2SPICE$149 Simulation: DATALINES EQU 6 ;PORT B IS DATA BUS Transient, DC Operating Point, DC CONTROL EQU 5 ;PORT A IS CONTROL PORT sweep and AC sweep Library: MOSFETs, BJTs, JFETS, Op -Amps ;*********"* BIT EQUATES Circuit analysis based on Berkeley SPICE Device and Model Property Editing Customized graphs and tables E EQU 1 ;LCD ENABLE BIT RS EQU 0 ;INSTRUCTION/DATA INPUT BIT Beige Bag Software 2000 Hogback Road Suite 2 ;*********** REGISTER EQUATES Ann Arbor Michigan 48105 Phone 313. 971..4227 LOOPY EQU 8 ;LOOP REGISTER Fax313. 971. 3632 OFFSET EQU 9 ;OFFSET INTO MESSAGE TABLE E [email protected] SPEED EQU OAH ;SPEED OF SCROLL REGISTER

CIRCLE NO. 57 ON FREE INEORNIATION CARD ;PORT B LAYOUT Analog and Digital I/O from :RBO DBO Your PC/Clone Printer Port ;RB1 DB1 Can becabled together ;RB2 DB2 for additional I/O. ;RB3 DB3 Easily programmed in ;RB4 DB4 BASIC or C. Disk with ;RB5 DB5 examples included. ;RB6 DB6 M2801 (shown above) (4) 0-5V 8 bit analog inputs ;RB7 DB7 (1) 0-5V analog output $99Qc ;PORT A LAYOUT 24 bits digital I/O 2 sq. in proto area $134.95 w/cabinet RAO RS Requires 5V at 50mA & cable ;RA1 E Terminal strip for easy connection ;RA2 FtNV M2802 (not shown) ;******************************Irk Ir*********.r..************* 8 5A SPDT relays $99.95 Relay "on" LEDs $134.95 w/cabinet Terminal strip for & cable ORG 0 easy connection Requires 5V at 800mA (all relays on) BEGIN MOVLW 0 ;SET PORT A FOR OUTPUT 80C52 -BASIC Microcontroller TRIS CONTROL BASIC interpreter TRIS DATALINES ;SET PORT B FOR OUTPUT 32K RAM 8K/16K EPROM RS232 terminal & printer ;*****"***** INITIALIZE TO 8 -BIT MODE 1 -LINE DISPLAY interface. Save BASIC programs to EPROM with on MOVLW 0 board programmer. 40 pin expansion MOVWF CONTROL ;SET RS,R/VV AND E LOW connector. Piggy back to perf board with BSF CONTROL,E ;TAKE E HIGH user circuits. Bare board $22.95 MOVLW 30H ;FUNCTION SET BYTE IS 30H Assembled and tested $104.95 MOVWF DATALINES ;PRESENT FUNCTION SET COMMAND MD residents include sales tax Check, MO, company PO no = (Continued on page 102) Prologic Designs P.O. Box 19026 Baltimore, MD 21204 410-661-5950

CIRCLE NO. 84 ON FREE INFORMATIONCARD January/February 1995 1MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 23 By David F. Norman Enhancing Home Productivity with a Network Setting up an inexpensive home local -area network with Artisoft's Simply Lantastic

According to a recent editorial in MicroComputer Journal, an astounding 37% of U.S. households have personal computers. What the report didn't mention was how many of these households have more than one computer in them. I'd hazard a guess that a fair percentage have more than one computer, each operating on its own, with no sharing of resources. This is inefficient and wasteful. Whenever a site-whether business or home-has more than one computer, it should be set up with a local -area network, or LAN. Usually, when LAN is mentioned, the reference is to the business environment. Today, even very small businesses routinely use LANs to cut down on redundant data entry and permit sharing of computer resources. The day of the home network isn't far Fig. 1. Simply Lantastic is ideal for home office or multi-user personal computer behind, thanks in no small part to fair- systems. ly inexpensive hardware and software. With so many of us working at home, and almost as many of us using print on the "good" printer, mom and computers in some form of telecom - reality is somewhat more complex, dad aren't keen on the idea, either. muting, there's should be no reason someone else has done the hard part How is this for a solution? Plug a why any household with more than for you. Here's how it works. network card into Junior's machine one computer isn't using a LAN to Let's assume that mom or dad or and another in dad's computer. Inter- share resources. Even the cost factor both have a totally up-to-date comput- connect the computers via the cards shouldn't be a deterrent when you con- er system that includes a CD-ROM with a thin wire. Then install some sider the advantages obtained because drive for reference purposes, a laser simple software on both machines, a small, full -featured network costs printer, a VGA monitor and a large - and set it up so that Junior has his less than $200 per node, including capacity and fast hard disk for file own subdirectory on dad's computer hardware and software. Comparing storage. Junior, on the other hand, has into which he can store files and pro- this to the cost of another laser, ink -jet an old XT clone that has two floppy - grams. To Junior's machine, this sub - or letter -quality dot-matrix printer, disk drives, no hard disk and a cranky directory looks just like it has its own you'll agree that the cost of setting up dot-matrix printer. If he has to share it hard disk. a LAN in the home is minimal with younger siblings, he probably isn't happy about the situation. Keep- Having done the foregoing, Junior ing "his" disks apart from "their" or dad can install the programs he Networking Basics disks and trying to print a report on uses in another subdirectory in his Networks are very simple in concept. the slow old printer isn't conducive to subdirectory. Remember that With them, you can share disk drives, efficient production. When he brings C:\JUNIOR on dad's machine looks printers and CD-ROM drives with a disk of questionable origin to like C:\ to Junior. Accessing the CD- other nearby computers. Though the mom's or dad's "good" computer to ROM to research a paper requires

24 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Artisoft has a neat little product called Simply Lantastic (Fig. 1). This SIROylANt Net ()idioticHell) is a scaled -down version of and is compatible with the company's main product, Lantastic. The software

Ldit comes bundled with network hardware (a small half -slot card) and runs Add Drive or Printer on any IBM/compatible computer, Shared Drive even one that has no hard -disk drive. Shared Piffle, Unfortunately, the documentation for ,1,1,1 Simply Lantastic doesn't cover no - hard -disk installation. The following should remedy this oversight. Each machine or node requires a separate software and hardware package. The program disks are serialized and come standard in both 31/2" and o. DC HIVE Drive oa Server 51/4" high -density disk formats. (If C: needed, low -density disks can be special ordered, but for our installation they won't be needed, even if Junior's computer has only a pair of 360K drives.) For most systems, Simply Lantastic Fig. 2.From Windows or DOS, adding or deleting network connections is avery cards are plug -and -play. However, it simple process. may be necessary to add an "x" parameter to the EMM386 line in dad's CONFIG.SYS file. The modified file only that the proper CD be in the user can be installed on only one ma- will look something like: DEVICE= drive's slot. If there are others who chine at a time. Without additional li- EMM386 x=D000-DFFF. This parame- share his computer, the process can be censes, it's almost always illegal to ter simply reserves a specific area of duplicated for each user. Reports from share one copy of a software package. high memory for the network card. If Junior's machine are printed on the This doesn't mean that Junior's legal you're running Windows on dad's laser printer. single -user copy of Teen Avenger computer, a similar line is needed in As long as access is limited by priv- can't be installed on a server for Jun- the SYSTEM.INI file in the C:\WIN- ileges granted through the network, ior to use on his machine. Such use is DOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory. This is the worst that can happen is that Jun- usually legal. What it does mean is about as complicated as it gets. All of ior's "hard disk" gets huge. An easy that dad can't also play it on his ma- this is fairly well spelled out in the way to remedy runaway disk cram- chine. Policies vary from one soft- documentation that comes with ming is to partition one large disk into ware company to another and should Simply Lantastic. logical drives and assign Junior only be verified if any doubt exists. Install network cards in both SERV- so much room. The network software Operational problems take many ER and JUNIOR computers and inter- will cost Junior some free memory, forms. Some programs will adapt to connect them with cabling, as provid- which is no problem if he has 640K almost any type of video monitor and ed or specified by the documentation. when he starts. disk drive. Others require certain Start with the computer, which I'll The cost to dad's computer in terms types of monitors, and some will run call SERVER, that will share its re- of memory is nil, assuming that his from or install to only a certain drive. sources with other computers. Take a machine is powered by a 386 or 486 Read the software documentation or moment to decide exactly what you processor. Network software can easi- check with the manufacturer. Some want to make available. Each package ly be loaded into the high -memory conflicts can be resolved easily, while of Simply Lantastic has a planning area (HMA) between 640K and 1M others can't. sheet included in it. Use it now to using EMM386 or another memory avoid confusion later. manager. Dad will never notice a Before starting the installation, cre- thing, other than the light blinking on Up and Running ate a C :\JUNIOR subdirectory on the his hard -disk drive. Networking household computers hard disk you wish to share with the Does this mean Junior can run any permits sharing of disk drives and workstation, which I'll call JUNIOR. program on dad's computer? Probably peripherals, with increased productiv- This is the only area Junior can use as not. There are two considerations ity for all involved. If you're currently his own. If you're adding more work- involved when running software over hand -carrying files from one comput- stations to the network, simply repeat a network. One is legal, the other er to another for storage and printing, the process for each one. Simply Lan- operational. you're already using a form of net- tastic has no password protection, but Most software licensed for a single working called "SneakerNet." you can limit access as you choose.

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 25 One final step. Edit the AUTOEX- Volume in drive A has no label EC.BAT file by placing a REM state- Volume Serial Number is 137A -19F1 ment at the beginning of the line that Directory of A:\ would call STARTNET.BAT. This keeps the network from loading for COMMAND COM 54,645 05-31-94 6:22a your next step. AUTOEXEC BAT 123 08-26-94 6:47p Re -boot SERVER without starting CONFIG SYS 83 08-26-94 6:44p the network. It's time to build Jun- SHARE EXE 10,912 05-31-94 6:22a ior's network disk, and you don't REDIR EXE 54,231 08-26-94 6:09p need anything in our way. NET MNU 89,413 11-24-93 5:10a One last mention of Windows. The installation procedure discussed here NET HLP 51,992 11-24-93 5110a has been made under DOS. Simply AILANBIO EXE 20,81 11-24-93 5:10a Lantastic is fully Windows -compati- SETNET BAT 321 08-26-94 6:31p ble (Fig. 2), and the steps described STARTNET BAT 1,135 08-26-94 6:18p are basically the same for a Windows WD8003 EXE 9,701 03-01-94 6:00a installation. CONNECT BAT 276 08-26-94 6:54p Place the network disk for Junior's NET EXE 18,609 11-24-93 5:10a system in the floppy drive in dad's computer (I'm assuming that Junior's 13 file(s) 312,258 bytes computer has no hard disk). Be sure 819,200 bytes free to use a different disk from the one you used for SERVER. Each disk is Fig. 3. Directory of JUNIOR boot disk showing minimum files necessary for Sim-serialized and will work for only one plyLantasticworkstation. NET.HLP, .MNU and .HLP files can be deleted after con- machine on a network. Basically, this figuration is complete, but this isn't advisable. Note that this particular system uses second-and any subsequent-instal- WD8003.EXE as the hardware driver instead of NR.EXE. Almost any network card lation is the same as before, with a can be used withSimply Lantastic,as long as the driver is present and loadedfew notable exceptions. Junior's com- before REDIR.EXE. puter will use SERVER's resources, but not the other way around. If Jun- Place the installation disk in a flop- This will show you where the networkior's computer has a printer that py drive and log onto this drive. Then software is loaded. If the network SERVER wants to share, JUNIOR typeINSTALLand hit Enter. This is a software loaded high, great! If it load- would be installed as a server. Here, fairly smart installation program, but ed into conventional memory, edit the however, I'll assume that JUNIOR will you'll experience several intervals STARTNET.BAT file located in the be configured as a workstation only. during which you'll wonder if any- LANTASTI subdirectory. Simply de- Accept the defaults until the pro- thing is going on at all. Don't worry, leting such parameters as "L:1..." on gram asks where you want to install it's working just fine. At this time, the the line that loads the hardware driver the software. Give the program a program will ask you several ques- ("NR" in a default installation) and in name that's different from C:\LAN- tions. In most cases, accept the de- the lines loading AILANBIO, REDIR TASTI, perhaps something like faults. When it asks you if you want and SERVER will do the trick. When C:\LAN. When it asks for permanent to make permanent connections, you sharing a CD-ROM drive,MSCDEX. connections make SERVER J:\ avail- can either follow the prompts or wait EXEwith parameters must come after able as JUNIOR's C:\ and SERVER until later. For now, just install the REDIR and before SERVER. Modify @PRINTER as JUNIOR's LPT2. This software and make connections later. STARTNET.BAT accordingly, and de- permits Junior to use the attached dot- When installation is complete, re- lete theMSCDEX.EXEline from your matrix printer as LPT I. Don't worry if booting the computer loads the net- AUTOEXEC.BAT file. this doesn't all work perfectly the first work software. On 386 and 486 ma- If you're proficient withMEMMAK- time. Using SETNET after the pro- chines, the default is to load the net- ER or another memory -shuffling program is installed allows you to get work software into HMA. You may gram, use it after everything is work- everything perfect. have to go back and modify the ing okay. For now, re -boot the Once the program is installed, place STARTNET.BAT file with an editor of computer and make certain that the a floppy disk that will work in JUN- your choice. Simply Lantastic installs network software has loaded high. If IOR and boot. Remove all files other an LED.EXE editor when it places the everything is okay, move on to the than COMMAND.COM and the two other software on your hard disk. This next step. If not, go back over the hidden system files. When boot -up is easy -to -use line editor is undocument- STARTNET.BAT file and see what you complete run a DIR command in the ed and presumably installed for tech- missed. subdirectory in which you installed nical -support purposes. Use it if you Now typeNETand hit Enter. Choose the software for Junior. If JUNIOR like, or delete it when you clean up the resources you wish to share. Makewill read only a 360K disk, you must after installation. the printer available and set up omit a few files. Check for available system memory CA.JUNIORas another drive perhaps J:\ For operation as a workstation, using the commandMEM/CIMORE. on SERVER. Just follow the prompts. JUNIOR needs only STARTNET.BAT,

26 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 SETNET.BAT, CONNECT.BAT (if it If a CD-ROM drive is also shared, In Closing exists), hardware driver NR.EXE, RE- it goes almost without saying that the DIR.EXE, AILANBIO.EXE and NET.* proper CD must be in place before it If your initial experiment with a home files. Delete C:\LAN, C:\LAN.NET and can be used by anyone. After a brief network is as successful as it should C:\TMP using DELTREE only after shakedown, priorities won't be a be, you might want to consider adding JUNIOR is up and running. Copy the problem. The main thing is that JUN- other computers. There are a lot of in- necessary files onto JUNIOR's boot IOR is no longer a "stepchild." It's expensive used computers sitting out disk. Add SHARE.EXE to the boot now a machine that's capable of seri- there looking for homes. Even in this disk. ous computing chores. age of 486- and Pentium -powered After the files are copied, edit If memory on SERVER permits, an machines, you can do a lot of serious STARTNET.BAT to change any refer- easy way of further enhancing JUN- computing with a 286, which you can ence to C:\LAN or C:\DOS to A:\. Re- IOR would be to make a large RAM - buy complete with hard disk and peat the process with SETNET.BAT DISK available on SERVER for JUN- VGA monitor for $200 to $300. and CONNECT.BAT. This is a good IOR's exclusive use. Many programs For home-office/personal use, small time to build AUTOEXEC.BAT and can take advantage of a RAM drive inexpensive networks like Simply Lan- CONFIG.SYS files for JUNIOR, if for temporary or sort files. Bear in tastic have come of age as a produc- desired. mind, however, that programs running tivity tool. The savings realized by be- Place the disk in JUNIOR' s floppy on JUNIOR can operate no faster then ing able to share expensive peripher- drive and boot up. At this point, you JUNIOR's processor will permit, no als will easily justify the cost of net-

merely want to be sure the software matter how fast SERVER might be. working. loads and recognizes the network card. Until SERVER is running, JUN- IOR won't be able to connect. If all's well, go back to SERVER and remove the REM statement from the AUTO- EXEC.BAT file and re -boot to start the network. If a problem with JUNIOR crops up, retrace the steps until you resolve it. When the network installs, re -boot JUNIOR and you should be in business. Run SETNET again on JUNIOR IEEE 488.2 / GPIB / HP-IB and get everything up to date. When you exit the program, a file called CONTROLLERS for PCs CONNECT.BAT is written or updated. CONNECT.BAT sets network connec- Turn any PC into a GPIB Controller with tions when the network starts. Re- member that SERVER must be run- Plug-in Card for Desktop PCs ning and the network installed before Parallel Port Module for Portable PCs JUNIOR can access the drives and printers. Put a few common-sense rules on a sheet of paper to keep peace in the family. Before sending a print job to the printer, JUNIOR's operator should V. check that the proper paper is installed. Most programs will reset the printer when they're through with it, but some older programs don't and 488-PC2 Card New 4818 Parallel Port - can cause the next print job to be a for desktop PCs -to-GPIB Controller mess. One thing that won't be a concern is mixing jobs. A print queue on - Controls all GPIB, IEEE 488.2 and SCPI devices. SERVER will keep them in order. One - Easy to use command libraries/driver for: possible exception might be a big BASIC, Quick Basic, Visual Basic, C/C++, Pascal, print job coming from a very slow and a DLL for GPIB control from Windows programs. computer. If the print queue thinks the Includes an Interactive Keyboard Program and example programs. computer is through sending data, it will time out and go on with its busi- ICS ness. Time-outs are adjustable if this 453* ELECTRONICS is a problem. Mostly, things will CORPORATION CALL 800-952-4499 move across the network flawlessly Fax: 408-263-5896 and transparently to all concerned. CIRCLE NO. 65 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 27 By Paul Bergsman Make Your PC Operateas aMultiple Metering Device A simple interface device connected to its parallel printer port lets your PC meter voltage, velocity, pressure, temperature or any other physical property for which you can find a sensoras many as eight of them simultaneously

you may not realize it, but your reference, generates a descriptive bi- pares the input voltage to each subdi- computer's parallel printer nary number and outputs the resulting vision. Thus, it takes eight consecu- port can input as well as out- number to your computer. tive compare operations to determine put data. All IBM and compatible par- Manufacturers have started ship- the input's value. Though the process allel printer ports have eight lines on ping laptops with bidirectional paral- is slow, if you want to take a periodic which data is transmitted to a printer. lel printer ports. This practice isn't voltage, temperature, frequency or Also, all such printer ports have nine standard and pertains to only laptops. pressure reading, the ADC0804 may lines for feeding data into the comput-However, the material presented here offer a realistic solution for your de- er. One of the more -interesting things will work with any IBM/compatible sign needs. As long as your input's you can do with this printer port is to printer port, including those bidirec- value changes slowly over time, the use a circuit that inputs eight -bit data. tional ones in laptops. ADC0804 is a cost-effective solution. Such a circuit can convert a voltage to No matter how you look at it, a binary number and input this value though, the technology utilized in the to your computer via the parallel Two Ways to Do It ADC0804 is dated by modern stan- printer port. The ADC0804, which sells for about dards. In this article, I describe a Several years ago, such conversion $3.95 from Digi-Key, is a tried-and- more -modern eight -bit A/D converter. circuitry would have required a lot of true A/D converter. It reads a voltage The MAX150 from Maxim has an components, a week to design and an- and converts it to an eight -bit binary internal voltage reference and an on- other week to build and debug. In this number. (Complete circuit details and board clock and can complete a con- article, I'll describe how to connect software to interface the ADC0804 to version in 3.6 vs! By adding only two inexpensive single- and eight -channel a parallel printer port are provided in capacitors, you can build a quality analog -to -digital (A/D) converters to my book, Control the World With high-speed data -logging A/D convert- your computer. Your PC, from HighText Publishers.) er. Fast -changing frequency, voltage An A/D converter is your window The ADC0804 isn't without draw- and pressure readings are now possi- to the world of analog devices. By uti-backs, of course. Its major limitation ble with this handy device. With a lizing a handful of inexpensive com- is speed. Using an .EXE file compiled rate of 300,000 samples per second ponents, you can turn your computer from Borland's Turbo Pascal, I was possible, you can make digital -audio into a metering device for measuring able to read a maximum of only 2,000 recordings or analyze fast -changing any physical parameter for which you samples per second. Of course, this transient voltages. can locate a sensor, as described here. number can be boosted by using as- Some on -board ultramodern high- I'll describe how you can build a cir- sembly language. But no matter what tech circuitry is what makes the cuit that meters a single parameter clever tricks you use, the ADC0804 MAX150 fast. First, it grabs a sample and another that meters up to eight will remain a slow A/D converter. It of the input with a track -and -hold parameters simultaneously. was designed as an inexpensive gen- (T/H) circuit. Then it uses two four -bit Many sensors output an analog eral-purpose device and, as such, is flash A/D converters to make eight voltage that's proportional to temper- more than adequate for many less - simultaneous comparisons. Finally, ature, resistance, pressure or frequen- demanding applications. the component count of a design is cy. The sensor's output becomes the The ADC0804 divides an external minimized by Maxim equipping the A/D converter's input. The converter reference voltage into eight binary - MAX150 with an internal reference "reads" the voltage, compares it to a proportional divisions. It then com- voltage and internal clock.

28 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Fig.1.A MAX150 interfaced to an IBM - type parallel printer port.

PARTS LIST

For MAX150.SCH Eight -Bit Single -Channel Interface 0 Semiconductors U 1-MAX 1 50BCPP eight -bit A/D con- NJVr ONOHd verter ($16.92 each, Maxim Integrated zr Products; tel.: 1-800-998-8800) U2-74LS541 octal buffer 0 O Capacitors CI,C3-0.1-pf, 15 -volt C2 -10 -NF, 15 -volt Resistors R I ,R2-4,700 ohms, 1/s -watt NN 1 0 Miscellaneous Z + J I-Right-angle pc -mount female sub- > C. 0 0 IUl a miniature D -shell connector (Digi-Key > Cat. No. 625F -ND) 2 0 ..- J2-Phono jack, BNC connector or 00 0 C", AL't 0 equivalent N lO Za Printed -circuit board (see Note below); Note: Available from author (see below): MAX150-BOARD. An assembled and tested circuit -board assembly with on -board regu- AL:1, ,)11--M/\/ lated 5 -volt dc power supply, 9 -volt battery connector and sample software for IBM/ compatible computers (requires 6 -to -12 -volt battery supply). $45 post paid.

0 N0, CO tNi - J General Description 111 0M Show in Fig. 1is a schematic diagram I- of a MAX150 interfaced to an IBM - type parallel printer port. Since the O chip is designed to operate from a sin- U) gle 5 -volt supply, pins 20 and 10 are connected to +5 volts and ground, respectively. The analog signal is input 0 O between Vm at pin 1 and ground. The analog input can vary between 0 and +5 volts. Chip -Select (CS) line pin 10 ties to 0 ground. With this line always low, the tal0. N te1.4 WI MAX150 is always active and oper- 000 0 0 00N 0 ates according to the logic levels of 1\0000000000000a. 01-1-1-1-1-1-1 the Read (RD) and Write (WR) lines at \ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 pins 8 and 6, respectively. -._ 0 . .1 N- O m CO ,400,1. Though explaining how to do it is N14,N ,. a a beyond the scope of this article, you

0 O C.) La .1 a la. could multiplex several MAX150s to 0 a single parallel printer port by adding hardware. For example, a 74LS139 one -of -four decoder lets you multiplex four devices. Similarly, a 74LS- 538 lets you multiplex eight devices. The four low -nibble data bits at INTERNAL REFERANCE VOLTAGE, CLOCK, AND TRACK & HOLD printer port pins 1, 14, 16 and 17 re- 74LS541 IS ADDED TO BOOST WEAK TTL SIGNALS MAX150 WIRED quire a relatively large amount of FOR "WR-RD MODE, PIPELINED" OPERATION power to assure proper operation. Even when the manufacturer of

January/February /995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 29 7 DB-25 7 ..\ IBM PRINTER PORT

13 <--SELECT D4, BASE + 1, BIT 5 GND 25 0 0 12 <--PAPER_END 05, BASE + 1, BIT 6 GND 24 0 0 11 <--BUSY D7, BASE + 1, BIT 8 GND 23 00- 0 10 <--ACK D6, BASE + 1,BIT 7 GND 22 0 07, BASE ADDRESS, BIT8 0 9 D7 -> GND 21 0 D6, BASE ADDRESS, BIT7 ' 0 8 D6 -> GND 20 0 D5, BASE ADDRESS, BIT6 0 7 05-> GND 19 0 D4, BASE ADDRESS, BIT5 0 6 D4 -> GND 18 0 0 5D3 -> D3, BASE ADDRESS, BIT4 D3, BASE+ 2, BIT 4 <-SEL_INPUT-> 17 0 -a0 4 D2 -> 02. BASE ADDRESS, BIT3 D2, BASE+ 2, BIT 3 <-INIT-> 16 0 0 3 01 -> D1, BASE ADDRESS, BIT2 D3, BASE+ 1, BIT-4 ERROR--> 15 0 -a0 2 DO -> DO, BASE ADDRESS, BIT 1 D1, BASE+ 2,BIT2 <-AUTO_FEED-> 14 0 DO, BASE + 2,BIT 1 -00,..,Q11 <-STROBE-> .'--,,,...°---

NOTES: 7 I <-- IS AN INPUT BIT 7 -> IS AN OUTPUT BIT <---> BIT CAN INPUT AND OUTPUT

956,3BChex,=MBACARD'sPRINTER PORT BASE ADDRESS 888,378hex,=CGACARD'SPRINTER PORT BASE ADDRESS 632.278hex,=3edPRINTERPORT BASE ADDRESS

Fig.2.Printer -port pins and their related computer memory addresses.

CMOS chips states that the outputs The READ and WRITE lines con- ed with an inverting buffer. The BUSY are low-level TTL-compatible, they nect to common control line DO at pin line at pin 11 is internally inverted, may not have enough power to drive 2. The control line is kept high until and note that the ACKnowledged line these pins. To obviate this problem, I you want to take a reading. When the at pin 10 is not hardware inverted! added a 74LS541 noninverting buffer control line is brought low, a new Port addresses are provided inside to the circuit. conversion is started, and the last con- the dashed lines. Each IBM/compati- Even if your computer doesn't re- version is placed in the tri-state outputble printer is capable of controlling quire the extra buffering, including it buffer. In other words, while the chip three parallel printer cards The three lets you run longer interconnecting is completing a conversion, you can port base addresses are documented at cables between your project and the read the previous conversion. the bottom of the chart in Fig. 2. printer port. Usable cable length can If you have trouble matching up Using Fig. 2, you can see that DO at also be stretched by adding 4,700 - printer -port pins with computer mem- pin 2 is an output. It's controlled from ohm pull-up resistors to every printer - ory addresses, the information given Bit 1 of the port's base address. I used port input and output pin. in Fig. 2 should help. It shows each this pin to strobe high the MAX150's Data sheets for the MAX150 de- pin by name on an IBM/compatible READ and WRITE lines with the scribe several methods of control. The parallel printer port and data direction BASIC statement OUT BaseAddress%, simplest method for interfacing the for it. A small circle at the input RD% and low, with the BASIC state- chip to a parallel printer port is to means the pin is hard -wired on the ment OUT BaseAddress%, 0. hard -wire the chip for Write -Read printer card with an inverting buffer. Again referring to Fig. 2, you see mode Pipelined operations, as ex- A line over a pin's name simply that the port's ERROR line at pin 15 is plained on page 1-48 in the MAX150 means that software dedicated to an input. You can use this pin to see if manual. You tell the chip to use this printer -port operation looks for inac- a conversion is in progress by moni- mode by tying high the Mode -Select tive high signals at that pin. The over - toring the MAX150's INT line at pin line at pin 7. line doesn't mean the line is associat- 9. Or you could monitor the MAX -

30 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Celebratingour12th YearOfService

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We Carry A Complete Line Of Electronic Components We will be closed December 21st - ,, Unicorn Electronics ,a101111111toh. January 2. Happy holidays from all of 1, J rIJJ 10000 Canoga Avenue, Unit C-2 us at Unicorn Electronics ! NApy Chatsworth, CA 91311 CIRCLE NO. 105 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD +5V DIFFERENTIAL4-CHANNEL INPUTS swt +5V n IBM PRINTER PORT J1 CND SINGLE-ENDED8-CHANNEL U1 11- EACH LOW SEQUENTIALLY OUTPUTS CONVERSION STROBE DO 2 1 614 AUTO FEED CAN BE HARD WIRED, OR SOFTWARE CONFIGURED INPUTS 5 MAX155 VOD 2 vo D2 DI 543 ,;15 16 SELNTERROR INPUT +5V 03 --A4 3 MO MODE - R5 D8 8 TAKES 8 SAMPLES ON FALLING EDGE OCTAL BUFFER 74L5541 U2 0504 76 0 20 GND19 GNEICND ---A A_1822 Ni1 - VW w 13 RISING EDGE STARTS 8 CONVERSIONS 20 VCC 0706 9 2221 GND ONO +5V 28 -A 183 A 1N4 - 06 12 7 13 BUSY -_11 AN- 10 23 GND VCC 2627 A_IN6A - - INS D4D507 1615 8 12 PAPER END SELECT 1.3 12 24 GND25 CND GND U) 14 25 11- A_IN7 OD32 1817 32 17 a GND 7 O 8 OUTPUT 21 CLK DOD1 20IS 54 15 8 5 MHz 23 2 A_GNDREF _IN_OUT Le_i_sy .10 7 +5V ti 10 CND GND GAO C2 1 4.7uf m VSS D_GND CS , 1 GND -7. L HIGH DURING CONVERSION CNDI GNUI CND GND C 2N390401 0 - 2.5 VOLT UNIPOLAR INPUTS TO UAX155's A_GND, -2.5 TO +2.5 VOLT BIPOLAR SW2 CAN BE HARD WIRED, ORAT SOFTWARE PIN 23 CONFIGURED -5V INPUTS Fig. 3.This circuit illustrates the simplicity of interfacing a MAXI 55 to a par- Listing 1. Quick Basic Sample Progra Inputs Eight -Bit A/D allel printer port. Conversions to a Computer via itsarallel Printer Port.

For MAX155.SCH Eight -Bit, REM MAX150, 8 -BIT A/D CONVERTER, INPUT THROUGH PARALLELPRINTER Eight -Channel Interface PORT Semiconductors REM programed by Paul Bergsman in QBASIC. Q1 -2N3904 npn transistor REM REM (c) 1994, by Paul Bergsman, all rights reserved U1-MAX155BCPI, eight -channel, REM eight - REM RD and WR lines are tied together. When WR line goes from from an bit A/D converter ($18.79 from Maxim REMinactive high to an active low, a conversion is started. While the RD Integrated Products; tel.: 1-800-998- REMline is at active low, the tri-state output buffer places the last 8800) REMconversion result on the data output lines. By tying both RD and WR U2-74LS541 octal buffer/line driver REMlines together, you start a new conversion while reading the last (Digi-Key Cat. No. 74LS541, 74F5341 REMconversion. Maxim calls this RD-WR Mode, "Stand -Alone -Operation". or equivalent) XI -5 -MHz crystal oscillator (Digi-Key RD% = &H1: REM DO, AT BASE ADDRESS, USED TO CONTROL ADC0804'S READ Cat. No. X109) LINE Capacitors CLS C1-4.7-uF, 15 -volt WHILE INKEY$ = "" C2,C4 0.1-11F BaseAddress% = 632: REM = 3ed IBM/compatiblePRINTERPORT C3 -47-µF, 15 -volt REM USE 956 FOR MGA CARD'S PRINTER PORT, & 888 FOR CGA CARD'S Resistors PRINTER PORT R I ,R2-4,700 ohms, '/4 -watt Miscellaneous REM input data -byte from ND via parallel printer port Jl -Subminiature D -shell connector OUT BaseAddress%, 0: REM bring RD and WR lines LOW HighNibble% = INP(BaseAddress% + 1) AND &HFO SW1,SW2-Spdt switch (included for HighNibble% = HighNibble% XOR &H80 circuit clarity; hard wire MODE and V, OUT (BaseAddress% + 2), &H4Quick Basic sample program that inputs eight -bit ND pins as needed) conversions to your computer via an IBM/compatible parallel printer port. Printed -circuit board (see Note below; LowNibble% = INP(BaseAddress% + 2) AND &HF LowNibble% = LowNibble% XOR &HB Note: Available from author: MAX155- BinDisplay% = HighNibble% OR LowNibble% BOARD. An assembled and tested circuit board with on -board regulated 5 -volt power REM DISPLAY READING supply, 9 -volt battery connector and sample software for IBM/compatible computers. volts# = (5 * Bin Display%) / 255 Requires 6 -to -12 -volt battery supply, $60 volts# = INT(volts# * 100) / 100 postpaid. LOCATE 5, 5 PRINT "RAW BINARY VALUE = "; BinDisplay%; "; Paul Bergsman PRINT "EQUIVALENT VOLTS = "; volts#; "" 521 E. Wynnewood Rd. Merion Station, PA 19066-1345 OUT BaseAddress%, RD%: REM return RD and WR lines to inactive HIGH Tel.: 610-667-2449 WEND END Digi-Key Corp. Tel.: 1-800-344-4539

150's, OFL overflow line at pin 18, MAX150 is as simple as it gets. How- Illustrated in the schematic diagram which goes low if the analog input is ever, at some point, you may have a shown in Fig. 3 is the simplicity of greater than 5 volts. project that requires you to simultane- interfacing a MAX155 to a parallel Listing 1 is a Quick Basic sample ously monitor several analog devices. printer port. Switches SW] and SW2 program that inputs eight -bit A/D Instead of designing your own multi- connected to the MAX155 are shown conversions to your computer via an plexing circuit, you can purchase off - here only for clarity. You can hard- IBM/compatible parallel printer port. the -shelf multi -channel A/D converters. wire MODE and Vss pins 5 and 8, I personally prefer Pascal, and I know The MAX155 contains eight track - respectively, to their appropriate many of you have a passion for C. and -hold circuits that simultaneously power sources. Together, the two However, you need a compiler for sample eight analog inputs. It contains switches determine the kind of analog these languages. Also, the QB listing an on -board reference and can be soft- inputs you'll use. is clear enough that programmers can ware- or hardware -controlled to ac- Most A/D converters require you to easily convert this code to C or Pas- cept single -ended or differential ana- build conditioning circuits to place in cal. It would be difficult for a novice log inputs and accept unipolar or bi- front of the converter's analog input. to convert a Pascal or C listing to polar input ranges. It can digest This can become quite a chore. You BASIC. 250,000 samples per second. For must find matched components and A good rule for circuit design is to many applications, it will operate then design, build and test the design. keep it simple. The circuit for the from a single 5 -volt dc supply. The MAX155 saves you time, money

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 33 volts. In bipolar operation, the input Listing 2. Quick Basic Program Input Data Readings and Displays signal varies above and below ground. Results on Your PC's Video Screen. In the case of the MAX155, input signals can vary between +2.5 and -2.5 10 REM 8 -Channel, 8 -bit ND using a MAX155 ND converter volts. REM MAX155 HARD WIRED FOR 8 -CHANNEL, UNIPOLOR, INPUTS REM Switch SW1 selects between SIN- REM WRITTEN IN Quick Basic by Paul Bergsman GLE -ENDED and DIFFERENTIAL REM (C) 1994, by Paul Bergsman, ALL RIGHTS RESURVED mode. In SINGLE -ENDED mode, one 20 RD% = &H2: REM DO, AT BASE ADDRESS, USED TO CONTROL MAX155'S READ LINE side of each input signal is tied to WR% = &H1: REM D1, AT BASE ADDRESS, USED TO CONTROL MAX155'S WRITE LINE ground, making available eight input busy% = &H8: REM D3, AT BASE + 1, MONITORS MAX155'S BUSY LINE channels. In DIFFERENTIAL mode, BaseAddrese/0 = 888: REM = CGA PARALLEL PRINTER PORTS BASE ADDRESS REM USE 956 FOR MGA CARD, & 632 FOR THIRD PRINTER PORT each end of the input signal is connected to an analog input. Therefore, 90 REM display header four input signals require eight analog CLS input channels. PRINT "-=[ MAX155 8 -CHANNEL, 8 -BIT ND CONVERTER OUTPUTS ]=-" PRINT Differential inputs offer a very high PRINT "CHANNEL NUMBER", "BINARY VALUE", "VOLTAGE" degree of amplification, often greater PRINT than 100 dB. The differential inputs 100 REM Input data -byte from ND via parallel printer port aren't connected to ground. Instead, they're allowed to float. Differential 110 REM Initilize printer port amplifiers are also used as instrumen- OUT BaseAddress%, WR% + RD%: REM 00000011 tation amplifiers and can be used to 120 REM TELL MAX155 TO TAKE EIGHT TRACK & HOLD SAMPLES monitor balanced low -impedance mi- OUT BaseAddress%, WR%: REM 00000010 crophones, telephone lines and strain 125 REM WAIT UNTIL ALL 8 CONVERSIONS ARE COMPLETE gauges. Temp% = INP(BaseAddress% + 1) If you select the differential input of IF (Temp% AND Busy%) = Busy% THEN GOTO 125 the MAX155, be aware that it's a pseudo -differential input. The chip 130 REM DO 8 CONVERSIONS FORM 8 TRACK AND HOLD SAMPLES OUT BaseAddress%, (WW/0+ RD%): REM 00000011 creates a negative mirror -image signal that changes very slowly. Maximum 150 REM READ AND DISPLAY 8 CONVERSIONS negative movement of the input signal FOR CT = 0 TO 7 must be less than one LSB (least REM PUT CONVERSION IN MAX155'S TRI-STATE OUTPUT BUFFER nificant bit) per reading. OUT BaseAddress%, RD%: REM 00000001 Examples of each type of input are REM READ 8 -BIT VALUE INTO COMPUTER shown in Fig. 4. The circuit is from REM input high nibble the MAX155 data sheet. 151 HighNibble/0 = INP(BaseAddress% + 1) AND &HFO Although telling you how to do it is 152 HighNibble% = HighNibble% XOR &H80 beyond the scope of this article, you REM set (base address +2) open collector ouputs HIGH can leave floating the MODE and Vss OUT (BaseAddress% + 2), &H4 lines at pins 5 and 6, respectively, and select a front-end configuration from REM input low nibble 153 LowNibble% = INP(BaseAddress% + 2) AND &HF software. 154 LowNibble% = LowNibble% XOR &HB Since the output lines of the MAX - 155 are bidirectional, your computer REM COMBINE NIBBLES INTO DATA BYTE 155 DataBytek. = HighNibble% OR LowNibble% can send the MAX155 a control word OUT BaseAddress%, (WR% + RD%): REM 00000011 that tells it which input you want to use and the kind of signal it's reading. 156 REM DISPLAY DATA LOCATE ((CT * 2) + 6), 1 In other words, different types of in- Volts# = (2.5 " DataByte%) / 255 put signals can be read at the same Volts# = INT(Volts# * 1000) / 1000 time, selected by your software. This PRINT " "; CT; ")",DataByte%,Volts#; " volts;"; IF INKEY$ <> "" THEN STOP chip is a gem! The 74LS541 buffer amplifies the 160 NEXT CT weak MAX155 output signals. Tran- GOTO 100 sistor Q1 amplifies the chip's BUSY 200 END signal. If the connecting cable is short, you may not need U2 or Q2. and frustration. All front-end condi- lar and bipolar operation. Both unipo- Because of high operating speeds, tioning circuitry is inside the chip it- lar and bipolar signals are referenced the MAX155 requires an external self. You can select a front-end from to ground. In unipolar operation, the crystal oscillator. An RC network like software or by hard -wiring the control signal always varies above ground. In the one used on the ADC0804 just pins. the case of the MAX155, the input won't cut it here. You must supply the Switch SW2 selects between unipo- signal can vary between 0 and +2.5 oscillator, which is a small inconve-

34 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 nience, considering all the other pack- +5V aged goodies.

Referring back to Fig. 3, I shorted 24 the MAX155'sMODEline at pin 5 to 10.1µF AIN VDD 47µF (-) 3 ground and Vas line at pin 6 toA-GND (1) at pin 23 so that the chip is hard -wired DIFFERENTIAL (+) 4 BIPOLAR for eight -channel unipolar operation. (0) 21 An assembled and tested circuit REFOUT 22 board, detailed in the Parts List, uses REFIN space -efficient jumpers to set the ana- 1p.F I log input parameters. (2) UNIPOLAR The following discussion is relevant for only eight -channel unipolar hard- MAXIM TT4v wired operation, withMODEpin 5 MAX155 shorted to ground and Vss shorted to A-GNDpin 23. This is by far the sim- (3) BIPOLAR plest method of interfacing the MAX - 155 to a parallel printer port. 8 11 For test purposes, I used eight 10 - (4) BIPOLAR CLK CLOCK turn potentiometers to straddle a 2.5 - 5 volt power supply. The wiper of each MODE CS pot connects to the corresponding an- 8 7 (5) UNIPOLAR RD alog input pin (pins 1 through 4 and SENSOR 9 25 through 28) of the MAX155. WR 1 10 Taking a reading is almost too easy. BUSY TheRDline at pin 8 andWRline at 20 15, 13, 12 pin 9 do all the work, as follows: (+) 26 () DO D7 DATA I/O LINES (1) Both lines are brought to logic DIFFERENTIAL (-) 25 UNIPOLAR 2.5V high. ( ) (2) TheWRline is brought low, which tells the MAX155 to simultane- AGND DGND Vss ously sample all eight inputs with its -1.75V 23 \ /14 6 eight internal track -and -hold circuits. -5V (3) TheWRline is brought high to 4.7µF tell the MAX155 to perform eight conversions of the eight T/H samples. +I The BUSY line at pin 10 remains low while conversions are in progress. Re- sults of all the conversions are auto- Fig.4. Shown here are examples of each type of input that can be applied to a matically stored in the MAX155's MAX155 8/4 -channel ADC. (Courtesy Maxim Integrated Products) memory. (4) The program must now wait about 26 ps so that the MAX155 can above. Input data is digested and dis- In line 151, the logicalANDopera- complete eight conversions. You could played on your PC's video screen. tor isolates the (base address + 1) high code a software -driven delay loop, or The printer port uses some bits nibble, and the low nibble from (base you could monitor the MAX155's from (base address + 1) and still other address + 2). In line 152, the logical BUSY line at pin 10. The BUSY line's bits from (base address + 2). The MAX - XORoperator re -invents the low -nib- output is low during conversions. 155 and MAX150 connect to the ble inverted bits. Line 153 again uses (5) TheRDline at pin 8 is brought printer port so that the high conver- the logicalANDoperator to isolate the low and, in response, the MAX155 sion nibble bits are read from (base low nibble bits, and line 154 again places the contents of a memory loca- address + 1) and the low nibble con- uses the logicalXORoperator to re - tion in the tri-state output buffer. version bits are read from (base address invert the low nibble's inverted input (6) The computer reads the value in + 2). Some software logic operations logic. the tri-state buffer via its parallel sort out everything. Line 155 uses the logicalORopera- printer port. Since the parallel printer port's in- tor to combine the high and low nib- (7) Steps (5) and (6) repeat eight put lines were designed to keep track bles into a useful data byte, labeled times. of printer operations, some of the DataByte%. (8) Steps (5) and (6) repeat seven port's pins are hard -wired with invert- In an upcoming issue, I'll give you more times to input the remaining er buffers for inactive high logic oper- a look at 12 -bit single -channel and seven A/D conversions. ations. Listing 2 not only reads in the 12 -bit multi -channel A/D converters The Quick Basic Program given in raw data, it re -invents the inverted that can efficiently interface to a par-

Listing 2 performs all the steps listed logic bits. allel printer port.

January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 35 By Hardin. Brothers Fuzzy Logic The dawn of a new age of reason

To hear some people tell it, the problem all started with Aris- 100% tall totle nearly 2,400 years ago, 1 when he defined and developed the forms of logic that have been with us ever since. Aristotelian logic is the basis for our digital computers, most aot tall of our sciences and mathematics and 0 almost all of modem machines and appliances. But if you listen to some 5 Feet 6 Feet 7 Feet researchers nowadays, Aristotle got it 4 Feet all wrong! Instead, they say, we should concentrate on a different kind Fig. 1. A sample fuzzy -logic mapping graph. of logic, one that more -closely resem- bles the way we think and use words. This new "fuzzy logic," as it's called, cat, a light bulb can't be both on and tween classic and fuzzy logic. Follow- has the potential to change almost off. The Law of the Excluded Middle ing the Law of the Excluded Middle, everything in our lives, from our auto- is similar. It states that A must be ei- classic logic assigns a true or false mobiles and appliances to our com- ther B or not -B. A computer bit must value (1 or 0) to every assertion. Fuz- puters and even to the way in which be either 1 or 0, an animal must be ei- zy logic, on the other hand, assigns we understand our world and our in- ther a cat or a non -cat, a light bulb values of 1, 0 or any real number be- terpersonal relations. must be either on or off. tween these two extremes. If you haven't heard very much yet Together, these two laws define the To assign a value, fuzzy logic often about fuzzy logic, fuzzy sets, fuzzy bivalent logic that nearly everyone uses a mapping function that can be controllers, fuzzy neural networks, learns in school, either formally or in- represented numerically or graphical- and fuzzy cognitive maps, you soon formally. The problem is that bivalent ly (see Fig. 1). Then any new data can will. The fuzzy revolution has already logic and natural language rarely co- be assigned inclusion values simply hit Japan and seems poised to be a incide. Take, for example, the state- by applying the mapping function. major engineering and marketing ment "Helen is tall." In classic logic, Logical Operations force in the U.S. as well. Fuzzy logic this statement has meaning only if has been discussed in both popular "tall" is precisely defined. So give Of course, logic is concerned with and technical publications. However, "tall" a specific definition, perhaps more than simply making and testing articles in the popular press tend to be 5'10" or taller. If Helen is 5'10.1" tall, assertions. Its real power comes from overblown and those in the technical she certainly fits the definition. But the operations that can be performed press are often more filled with how about Judy, who is 5'9.9" tall. on these assertions. Both classic and obscure math than solid information. She misses formal inclusion in the fuzzy logic use the same operations: "tall -woman" class by 1/10 inch. NOT, AND, OR,etc. Helen and Judy's heights differ by Although some disagreement in the Foundation of Fuzzy less than 1/4", and yet one is "tall" and fuzzy research community exists re- Classic logic is based on the writings the other is "not tall." To a classic garding exactly how to implement of Aristotle and his contemporaries. logician, this makes perfect sense, but these logical operators,NOT A(ifA is While there were arguments about its to most of us, it doesn't. an inclusion value) is usually defined axioms during Aristotle's time, they The contribution of fuzzy logic is toas 1.0 - A. If Helen's inclusion in "tall really weren't challenged until about measure the degree of membership in women" is 0.70, her inclusion in"NOT a century ago. a class instead of splitting hairs over tall women" is 0.30.ANDof a pair of Two fundamental axioms of Aris- inclusion or exclusion. Helen's inclu- fuzzy values is normally calculated as totle's formal logic seem so self-evi- sion in the "tall -woman" class might the minimum andORas the maximum dent that they defied examination. be represented by 0.70 and Judy's by of these values. For example, if Bob's The Law of Contradiction states, in 0.68, for example. A woman who is inclusion in "smart men" is 0.9 and his symbolic form, that A cannot be both 4'8" tall might have an inclusion value inclusion in "tall men" is 0.8, his B and not -B at the same time. A com- of 0.0 and one who is 6'10" tall would inclusion in the set of "smartANDtall puter bit cannot be both 0 and 1, an probably be assigned a value of 1.0. men" is 0.8 and his inclusion in the set animal can't be both a cat and a non - This is the principal difference be- of "smart OR tall men" is 0.9.

36 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 Some researchers have argued that fuzzy logic is the same as probability. But there's a difference between stat- ing that "the probability that Bob is tall is 0.9" and "Bob is very tall" (if an inclusion value of 0.9 is assumed to represent "very"). Also, probability calculates AND and OR in ways that are counter -intuitive for fuzzy operations. For independent events, AND is calculated as multiplication (the odds that Bob is "smart and tall" is 0.9*0.8 = 0.72) and OR is calculated as A+B- A*B (the odds that Bob is "smart OR Fig. 2. A simple fuzzy cognitive map, adapted from "Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Model tall" is 0.98). SocialSystems" by Rod Taber in Al Expertmagazine, July 1994. It's important to understand that fuzzy logic is a rigorous logic of fuz- sor at U.C. Berkeley, in 1964, it was, ting on the thermostat. The sensor is zy values. Once a membership or in- at first, simply an intellectual curiosi- the built-in thermometer, and the ac- clusion value has been assigned, all ofty. Zadeh initially suggested that fuz- tuator is the furnace or fan switch that fuzzy -logic's operations are precise zy logic would be most useful in psy- the thermostat controller can turn on mathematical steps. What distinguish- chology, philosophy and the human- and off. The controller uses the sen- es fuzzy logic from classical logic is oriented sciences, in part because it sors and internal "knowledge" about its ability to work with the "fuzzy" can represent the meanings of every- the system to manipulate the actuators. shades between complete truth (1.0) day speech. Later, however, he Traditionally, engineers use formu- and complete falsehood (0.0). showed how fuzzy logic could be las and PID (proportional -integral -de- used to control complex systems. rivative) controllers for complex sys- Fuzzy Control System control is based on sensors tems. Whether a controller can be de- Fuzzy logic is a multi -valued exten- or input devices, actuators or output veloped for a system depends on sion of classic logic. When it was in- devices and a target. For example, the whether the necessary formulas can vented by Lotfi Zadeh, now a profes- target of a heating system is the set- be found. For some tasks, the formula

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CIRCLE NO. 74 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD CIRCLE NO. 86 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 37 is simple and PIDs work well. For The collection of rules, or rule base, ovens, cameras and camcorders and other tasks, it may be so difficult to works like a committee. Each membereven automobile transmissions. derive the necessary formulas that of the committee is given a vote of a If you have a fuzzy washing ma- process control isn't feasible. specific weight that depends on how chine, you simply drop in the clothes Zadeh suggested that a series of well the input data fits the rule. The and push the START button. The fuz- fuzzy IF -THEN rules could be substi- votes are then added up to decide how zy microcontroller in the washing ma- tuted for the complex control formu- the controller will act. The mathemat- chine adjusts the wash cycle to fit the las. For example, the rules for a heat- ics of giving a weight to each rule and clothes and the amount and kind of ing system could look like this: adding up the votes is the subject of dirt that's on them. The fuzzy con- IF temperature is a little low, THEN debate among fuzzy theorists. troller gets information about the kind increase it slightly. The appeal of fuzzy control is that of fabric and the size of the load, IF temperature is moderately low, the rules are often easy to generate. In about the amount of dirt in the wash THEN increase it greatly. many cases, they're simply the com- water, the water level and the deter- IF temperature is very low, THEN mon-sense knowledge that a human gent level. It uses 30 or 40 rules to increase it very greatly. operator develops from experience. adjust the water and detergent levels, A system based on fuzzy control And, unlike the PID formulas that to set the length of each cycle and to would read its sensors (in this case, a may take months or years to develop, determine whether it should repeat a thermometer of some sort) and send a set of fuzzy rules can usually be cycle. Because of their sensor and the input value to every rule. Each generated and fine-tuned very quickly. rule base, fuzzy washing machines rule then determines to what extent A number of pioneering fuzzy con- cause less damage to clothes and rare- the input fits into the fuzzy set in the trol applications appeared in the early ly under- or over -wash them. They IF clauses. To what extent is the cur- 1970s. In general, they outperformed also tend to use less water, detergent rent temperature "a little low," for ex- human operators and were slightly and electricity than conventional ample. The rule combines the inclu- better than conventional controllers. washing machines. sion value (which is between 0 and 1) The first commercial fuzzy system, times its output (for example, 0.8- which appeared in the late 1970s, ran "increase it slightly") and sends the a cement kiln in Denmark. Today, Fuzzy and Neural result to the controller. The controller fuzzy control is used commercially The one real difficulty in developing combines the information from each for the subway system in Sendai, Ja- a fuzzy system is creating and tuning rule to determine how it should adjust pan and for a flock of such appliances the rules. For some systems, the pro- the actuator. as washing machines, microwave grammer's intuitions may be suffi-

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CIRCLE NO. 67 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD CIRCLE NO. 79 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD 38 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Bad Weather Always Usually

Some Freeway Congestion Auto Accidents Often Little Little

Own Risk Always Patrol Aversion Frequency Very Much

Some

Own Driving Speed

Fig. 3.A more -complex fuzzy cognitive map, adapted from Fuzzy Thinkingby Bart Kosko (Hyperion, 1993).

cient to at least create a set of rules tern -recognition problems, but the and fuzzy system work together to from which to start. The rules and care needed to create the necessary create a finely -tuned rule set. fuzzy values can then be tuned by training materials often outweighs the In most cases, what the neural net- trial and error during testing of the advantages of using a neural network work "learns" is used to create a controller. But for other systems, it for a particular task. fuzzy rule set. Often, the neural net- may not be possible to even guess Their ability to learn patterns, how- work is discarded when the fuzzy what form the rules should take. ever, makes neural networks particu- controller and rule set are embedded As an example of the above, if you larly useful for creating and tuning in an application, appliance or com- want to create a control system to fuzzy rules. In fact, coupling neural plex controller. back a truck and trailer into a parking networks and fuzzy systems leads to space, how would you define the rules systems that often have more power Fuzzy Maps that are necessary to accomplish this than either one by itself. For control One of the most -interesting applica- task? At what points in the process applications, a neural network is usual- tions of fuzzy logic is in a tool called would you turn the wheel and by how ly set up to watch a human expert per- a fuzzy cognitive map, or FCM. By much? When would you pull forward form a task. The network learns from creating an FCM and examining its to get a better angle for backing up? the human expert and translates what it behavior, researches can study com- Yet, such tasks are important for finds into rules for the fuzzy system. plex feedback systems. many robotic applications. If the fuzzy system's goals can be To start with a simple example, One of the promising computer simulated clearly enough, a neural suppose an expert predicts that: technologies of the late 1980s was network can also be used in a feed- (1) Drug prices lead to increased neural networks, which are sets of back loop. The network can watch the health costs; hardware or software "neurons" that success and failure of the rules it cre- (2) Health costs lead to health care can learn during a training process. ates. The neural network or the pro- reform; There was a great deal of discussion grammer guesses at some preliminary (3) Reform leads to an increased about neural networks, but by them- rules and then watches the success or bureaucracy; selves they proved to be too limited failure of those rules when they're (4) Bureaucracy leads to increased and awkward to find many applica- used by the fuzzy system. In time, and drug costs. tions. They're often suggested for pat- often very quickly, the neural network Figure 2 shows an FCM that repre-

January/February 1995I MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 39 sents these relationships. To examine Using Fuzzy Systems about Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Expert this simplified version of health re- Systems, or fuzzy FAQ (Frequently form, set an initial condition (perhaps Until recently, Japanese companies Asked Questions), which is updated with reform on and the other concepts have been far ahead of their Americanmonthly and posted to the comp.ai.- off) and follow the activities of the counterparts in studying fuzzy logic fuzzy news group on USENET. You map. The FCM will either enter an os-and how it can be used in consumer can download the latest copy of this cillation of fixed length or reach a sta-products. In Japan, many consumer FAQ by anonymous FTP from rtfm.- ble fixed state. This particular FCM products proudly proclaim "Fuzzy!" mit.edu from the /pub/usenet /news.- will show a constant spiral of in- in their advertising. Fuzzy logic is answers/fuzzy-logic/ directory. If creased reform, bureaucracy, drug used in everything from palm -top you'd like to receive a copy of the costs and health costs. computer handwriting recognition to FAQ by e-mail, send a message to The health-care FCM is much too health management and stock trading [email protected] with the words simple and is useful for only demon- software, rice cookers and even a "Send fuzzy FAQ" in the message body (omit the quotation marks). stration purposes. The freeway traffic shower system that adjusts automati- You can also find a limited number FCM shown in Fig. 3 is more realistic cally to suppress variations in water and slightly more complex. It or a of fuzzy tools and demonstration pro- temperature. similar FCM could be used to study grams on information services like To support use of fuzzy logic in the effect of increased patrols on traf- CompuServe. One interesting program consumer products, several Japanese fic speed during both good and bad you might want to experiment with is weather. This FCM uses fuzzy terms companies-including Fujitsu, called FuzzGen from Alston Software ("always," "usually," "a little," etc.) OMRON and Togai-supply special- Labs (1320 Standford Ave #242, to express the strength of each causal ized fuzzy controller chips that are Modesto, CA, 95350, tel.: 209-522- relationship. optimized to perform the calculations 8666 voice and FAX). FuzzGen is a By putting an FCM in motion and that are normally used in fuzzy sys- Windows program that creates fuzzy - studying the results, you can learn a tems. Also, several companies sell logic code to insert into your own C, lot about how different policies will fuzzy development tools and libraries Pascal or BASIC programs after you affect a complex system. The beauty that are geared to C and C++ develop- define the rule set and fuzzy values. of an FCM is that it can be set up and ment and to inclusion in microcon- You can find a demonstration ver- studied much more easily than stan- trollers. sion of FuzzGen on CompuServe in dard, formal mathematical models. Several companies offer demonstra- the IBM Programmer's forum and on For this reason, FCMs are becoming tion fuzzy programs you can down- many bulletin boards. You can also increasingly popular in the social sci- load, especially if you have access to find a number of fuzzy -based pro- ences, virtual -reality experiments, and the Internet. The best place to start a grams that play games or perform other areas that deal with complex search for fuzzy products is a docu- mundane operations like searching feedback systems. ment called Answers to Questions files for text strings. There are only a few non -technical books about fuzzy logic. The easiest to find is Fuzzy Thinking, The New Science of Fuzzy Logic by Brian Kos- ko (Hyperion, 1993). Kosko is one of the leading proponents of fuzzy logic in the United States, and his book is INTELLIGENT DIGITAL INTERFACE about equal parts of information and self-congratulation. A second book, OP100 Intelligent Digital Interface for OPT022 style Fuzzy Logic by Daniel McNeill and I/O racks. Fully programmable with drivers and interface code for MS C/C++ and VX86 Kemal. The OP100 will Paul Freiberger (Touchstone, 1993), is interupt the PC on input or output and provide pulsed a good history of the development of inputs and outputs. fuzzy logic and some of the key ideas. Starting Price Both books (as well as the USENET S180 FAQ) have bibliographies that will lead you to more technical material. Whether you're designing control CubiCalc systems or building your own applica- Desktop Tools for Non -Programmers tions, or you're just interested in this Programming Libraries emerging technology, you owe it to Data Acquisition and Control yourself to investigate fuzzy logic. HyperLogic Corporation It's appearing in more and more prod- t 1855 E. Valley Pkwy. Suite 210 11111111111111111 ucts from software to appliances as its Escondido. California 92027 utility and ease of development be- (619) 746-2765 Fax (619) 746-4089 ASYS Corporation come known. If you don't already 700 W. Center St., Unit 10 have a fuzzy product in your home or Call for informatiori about CubiCalc West Bridgewater, MA 02379-1525 508-580-5080 Fax: 508:580-4870 and The OWL Neural Network Library computer, you will soon. Bank on it.

CIRCLENO. 64 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD CIRCLE NO. 52 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

40 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 By TJ Byers Video Monitors: The Big Picture In the market for a new video monitor and don't know which way to look? Or do you just want to know what makes them tick? Here's the scoopon both.

Despite the fact that the video monitor is the most -used computer component in our systems, most of us tend to treat it like a second-class citizen-well below the status given to a fast 486DX4-66 or. Pentium processor. If this sounds like an accurate description of your atti- tude, you need to do some rethinking. No matter how fast your PC runs or how clever your software, the only thing between you and it is a video monitor-your looking glass to the PC world. Your monitor reflects every move you and your PC make. In fact, without a monitor, it would be virtually impossible to use your computer-which is why it shouldn't come as a shock that the computer and monitor must be matched to each other. A change in one often forces a change in the other. Whether you're in the market for a new video monitor or you're thinking about upgrading your motherboard, you have to know how the two interact and the limitations each imposes screen, which is coated with a phos- electron gun is assigned just one colon the other. For this, you need a phorus material. When the electron or. One gun is responsible for red, an- crash course in Video Displays 101 beam strikes the phosphor, it glows. other for green and the third for blue. and 102. Here's where this article The number and speed of the elec- Because the triad is very small, the comes into play. trons striking the screen-called the colors meld together to create shades beam current-determines the bright- and hues. The actual triad dots are in- ness of the dot. Color monitors have visible except to magnifying -glass in- Monitor Mechanics three electron guns that excite three spection. When all three colors of a At the heart of any desktop video different colored phosphors of red, triad are excited equally, they look monitor is a cathode ray tube (CRT), green and blue. like a single white dot. Shades and which is a large glass bulb shaped like Stretched across the face of the hues are produced by lowering the a floodlight, except that it has squared screen is a shadow mask that consists beam current of one or more of the corners. The CRT, often called a pic- of a thin sheet of metal, usually an In- electron guns. For example, yellow is ture tube, is a versatile device that's var alloy composite, that's perforated a blend of red and green with no blue used as a display for many electronic with thousands of very tiny holes in a component. (In case you artists are products, including oscilloscopes, ra- regular pattern. The electron guns, confused, this is additive blending, dar systems and TV receivers. shadow mask and screen phosphors not subtractive blending common to Located inside the neck of the CRT are accurately aligned in such a way paints, where yellow is one of the is an electron gun that emits a pencil- as to form a tight cluster of red, green three primary colors.) thin beam of electrons aimed at the and blue dots called a triad. Each The distance from one dot to its

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 41 nearest neighbor of the same color is icrosoft Excel- SCIEPITIFXLS I -I: ss I IS Elle 6011 FoUnule on at Lima Options Macro Window Help called the dot pitch. Most monitors WE: IBIZIAlI 11111111111ACOPIC10111E1

! 1 have a dot pitch that falls somewhere Fc1 DIE FF G H I K I. 77M T vPdABLE - 30 GRAPH10 between 0.25 and 0.31 mm. As a rule. 135/ARIATE -500 Sigma, 200 DISTRIBUTION the smaller the dot pitch, the sharper 5 DO Sgnte-y 200 -3.00 M4- 000 the image. On a 17" monitor, a 0.25 - 300 Mu -y 000 p 050 mm dot pitch equals about 100 dots 0105263 don't erase this -3.0 -28 -2.7 -25 -22 -20.-19 -1 5 -1 1 -0 9 per inch (dpi), which is one-third the 0 116 0 116 0 116 0 116 0 116 0 116 0 116 0.116 0 116 0 115 15 0 115 0 115 0117 0117 0117 0117 0117 0117 0117 0117 0 11? 0 117 16 0 116 0 116 resolution you get from a laser print- :5 0 118 0 118 0 118 0 119 0 119 0 119 0.119 0 119 0.118 0 118 17 0 117 0 117 0 119 0 119 012D 0.120 0 120 0 120 0 120 0 120 0 120 0 119 119 0 119 0 118 er, while 0.31 -mm dot pitch is about 0 120 0 120 0.121 0 121 0 121 0 122 0 122 0 122 0 121 0 121 21 0.120 0 120 0 123 123 0 122 19 0121 0121 0122 0122 0123 0123 0123 0124 0 123 0 122 0.122 0122 0.123 0.124 0125 0125 0125 0126 0 126 0 125 125 0 125 0.124 80 dpi -dot matrix quality. 0 128 0 128 0 128 128 0.127 0 127 1 0 122 0 123 0.124 0 125 0 126 0 127 0127 olit 0124 0125 0126 71.7. ,09. 0110 0130 0 131 0 131 111 0 131 0 130 Painting the Picture.A CRT paints 3 0 125 0.126 0.127 ' .0 0 132 0 133 0.134 0 135 135 0 134 0 134 0 125 0 125 0 128 0 133 0 135 0.137 0138, 188 0 138 0 138 pictures on the screen by sweeping 0 140 0141. 142 0 142 0.142

I 0.142 0 144 40 0 146 0 146 the electron beam across the face of 48 41 48.104 9.114 4142t 4.14-9 0144 0 146 0 149 0 149 a n 41 24 0 .5 '12' JIM LI I .. 0147' 49 0 150 0 151 the tube in a raster pattern. The beam 25 091 0 121 0 123 0 124 0 126 0 129 0 131 0 134 0.138 0 41 0.144 0 147 49 0.151 0152 49 0 151 2 17128 0122___0123 0 125 0 127 0 130 0 133 0 036 0 39 0 143 0 152 3 37 0 141 n 145, 46 starts from the upper -left corner and 2 1:1 0 122 0 124 0 126 0 128 0 131 0'14 (0150 0 152 ._ 0 149 0 151 46 sweeps across the face of the tube to 43 0 146 0 149 39 0.143 0 146 111 Ili! IJ Tzu ars 6123 the right. Beam current is then turned 125 0 127 0.130 01321 0 135 0 139 0 142 123 0 125 0 127 0 1291 0 132 0 135 0 138 0121 0126 0129 0 131 0 134 off and the beam is returned to the left 33 0 114 U1 15 0116 6 116 0117 0115 0140 0123 0124 0.117 0 118 0 119 0 121 0 122 0124, 0 126 0 128 0 130 34 1 51 0 114 0 114 0 115 0 116 0 116 '1-- 1 0.116 0 117 0118 0 119 side of the screen just a notch below 35 81 0 113 0 113 0.114 0.115 0 115 0120-0 120 36 ?al 0112 0 113 0 113 0.114 0 115 0.115 0 116 0 117 0 118 0 119 0 120 the first scan line. This process re- 37 231 0 112 0 112 0 113 0 113 0 114 0 114 0 115 0 116 0 117 0 117 0 118 peats all the way down the screen. In fact, the process is repeated many Fig. 1. Screen size affects usable work area and readability of an application. times before the beam hits the lower - Here's same worksheet at three resolutions: VGA (640x 480), 800 x 600 and right corner, whereupon, the deflec- 1,024 x768. Screen fonts that are1/8"tall on a 12" monitor grow to5/32"on a 15" tion circuitry returns it to the upper - screen and become almost3/16"on a 17" screen. left corner for another raster scan. As the beam sweeps across the face of the CRT, the red, green and blue most computer work, you need a non - range of resolutions. For example, beam currents are modulated to create interlaced raster, where the scan lines most low-cost monitors have their a mosaic of color dots -called pixels follow one after the other in order. screens permanently set at VGA's -that generate the screen image. The detail of the image is deter- resolution of 640 X 480. By compari- There are two types of raster pat- mined by the number of pixels that son, your TV receiver also uses a terns: interlaced and noninterlaced. make up the picture. A VGA con- fixed -resolution (often called fixed - An interlaced display creates an im- troller uses 640 pixels horizontally frequency) display, where every image in two passes by first scanning and 480 pixels vertically to get the age is composed of 525 vertical lines, only the even lines and then painting message across. SuperVGA screens regardless of what channel or VCR a second screen of only odd lines. commonly display higher -resolution movie you're viewing. Screen resolu- This method is less demanding on the images of 800 X 600, 1,024 X 768, tion is forever carved in stone and monitor's electronics, but it works 1,280 X 1,024, or 1,600 X 1,024 for a can't be changed. well for only moving objects, where larger picture and greater detail (Fig.1). To display images with resolutions the screen is constantly changing - M u Iti scan. Not all video monitors of 800 X 600 and greater, you need a like on your home TV screen. For are capable of displaying the entire multiscan or multisync monitor. Un-

Table 1. Horizontal Scan Rate Determines Maximum Possible Resolution and Top Refresh Rate* Horizontal Scan Resolution Refresh Rate Frequency Video Bandwidth 640 x 480 60 Hz 31.5 kHz 25 MHz 640 x 480 70 Hz 38 kHz 30 MHz 640 x 480 72 Hz 39.4 kHz 31 MHz 800 x 600 60 Hz 38 kHz 40 MHz 800 x 600 70 Hz 45 kHz 48 MHz 800 x 600 72 Hz 48 kHz 50 MHz 1,024 x 768 60 Hz 48 kHz 65 MHz 1,024 x 768 70 Hz 57 kHz 77 MHz 1,024 x 768 72 Hz 60 kHz 80 MHz 1,280 x 1,024 60 Hz 64 kHz 110 MHz 1,280 x 1,024 70 Hz 74.5 kHz 125 MHz 1,280 x 1,024 72 Hz 76 kHz 135 MHz Tor ergonomic reasons, typically eye comfort and fatigue, VESA recommends refresh rates of 72 Hz or better, while setting the minimum threshold at 70 Hz. Monitors that support video bandwidths beyond 100 MHz use BNC connectors for input, required for a crisp image at top resolutions.

42 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 Buying Smart

When buying a new video monitor, dipping as low as $600. switch should be accessible from the there are a lot of factors to consider. If you're deep into desktop publish- front of the monitor. While on -screen For example, if you use a 14" or 15" ing or CAD, you'll find the extra view- adjustments and digital pushbuttons monitor to run powerful Windows ing area provided by a 20" or 21" are preferable, there's nothing wrong spreadsheets, word processors and screen a welcome relief. But don't ex- with knobs or thumbwheels. The im- CAD drawing programs, you're work- pect any bargains here. Prices range portant consideration here is whether ing with blinders on. Here's how to from $1,600 to well over $3,000. or not the monitor incorporates a pro- shop for a monitor that meets your When buying a large -screen moni- grammable microprocessor that ana- needs. tor, you must also consider dimen- lyzes and remembers size and cen- Price, of course, is a major influ- sions and weight. A number of For- tering adjustments. ence because not every one has tune 1,000 companies have a size Unlike such other computer com- deep pockets. Even if you do, you and weight restriction on monitors, ponents as disk drives, video moni- surely want to get the best bang for usually because there's only so much tors are more susceptible to minor your buck. Fortunately, monitor prices space in a standard cubicle. Even variations in production. The compo- have dropped a lot in the last few when you're buying for home use, nents are very sensitive and are easi- years. The same 15" monitor that some restrictions apply-unless you ly affected by rough handling. Things cost $800 two years ago now has a plan on evicting your wife and kids to like color convergence are easily dis- street price of just $500, and 14" make room for a 26" monitor. If the turbed by jarring and short falls- monitor prices typically range from monitor is to sit on your PC, make even if the drop is less than a foot, $200 to $300. sure your PC can handle the weight. which isn't considered a fall by some There's more to screen size than Many small -footprint PCs can't bear shipping companies. This is why you meets the eye. The best way to the load of a 50 -pound, 17" behemoth. should insist on a long warranty (up determine the best monitor for you is The largest screen in the world to three years), plus a money -back to examine your work habits. If you can't make up for bad focus or poor guarantee with no restocking charges do most of your work in DOS on a color convergence. Image quality is a (which can be as much as 20% of the VGA screen, a 14" monitor is perfect- complex combination of factors that cost), especially if you're buying via ly acceptable-and easy on the pock- include small dot pitch, screen treat- mail order. etbook. But a 14" monitor just doesn't ment and a lot more. Generally, the Finally, if you plan on sharing your cut it for today's Windows software. smaller the dot pitch, the crisper the monitor with a Macintosh computer, For any Windows application, the image. On a 17" monitor, dot pitch make sure you select one that is true least you should consider is a 15" should be no greater than 0.31 mm, multiscan and has sync -on -green monitor. Street prices normally range with 0.28 mm more desirable. Also capability (required by Macs). Also, from $400 to $600, with a few premi- remember that, as screen resolution make sure that you have the correct um models, such as the NEC 4FGe, increases, dot pitch plays a greater connectors for both systems. Many going for about $800. For serious role in image clarity and focus. If you high -end monitors use coaxial BNC Windows work, though, a 17" screen have the opportunity, compare sever- connectors for separate red, green, is the monitor of choice. Once a very al different makes and models before blue and sync signals, and the expensive luxury, these beauties now smacking down your greenbacks. pinouts for the PC and Mac are a lot go for less than $1,000, with a few Screen controls and the power different.

like fixed -frequency monitors, multi - the resolution, the greater the frequen- screen more often-which is ex- scan monitors have circuitry that can cy of the horizontal and vertical pressed as the refresh rate. adjust the horizontal and vertical sweep oscillators. Exact frequency of A faster refresh rate translates into a sweeps to match those of different these oscillators for any video mode is steadier image and less eye fatigue. video modes. Sometimes, the sweeps determined by both screen resolution Until a few years ago, 60 screen up- are set at specific screen resolutions, and refresh rate. dates per second (60 Hz) was consid- where the screen locks in at defined Refresh Rate.The amount of time it ered acceptable. However, while a 60 - resolutions, like 640 X 480 and 1,024 takes to paint a screen image is direct- Hz flicker is almost imperceptible, X 768. The monitor in this particular ly proportional to the number of pix- after long hours of staring at a moni- example can't support 800 X 600 or els there are in the image. Obviously, tor your eyes, if not your whole body, 1,280 X 1,024 screens. These monitors it takes longer to lay down 1,024 lines feel the effects. For this reason, are more expensive than fixed -fre- of information than it does 480 lines. VESA recommends refresh rates of quency ones but less expensive than The problem here is that the phos- 72 Hz or better, while setting the min- true multiscan monitors. phors glow for only a very short time imum threshold at 70 Hz. A true multiscan monitor uses vari- after being excited by the electron Both screen resolution and refresh able -frequency oscillators that are beam and fade away rather quickly. rate depend on the speed at which the controlled by a phase -locked loop When the color dots fade to black electron beam scoots across the (PLL) to synchronize the horizontal before the electron beam returns to screen. Obviously, to repaint a 1,024 and vertical sweep frequencies with reactivate them, the screen flickers X 768 screen 70 times a second, left - those of the video mode-regardless like an old-time nickelodeon. The an- to -right movement must be a lot faster of resolution. As a rule, the greater swer, of course, is to repaint the than when drawing a 640 X 480 screen

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 43 at 70 Hz. The upper limit of this mo- . ,-7,1111:iti'oft Word - MONITORDOC I t tion is determined by the horizontal w Hie EditView Insert Fannin Tools Table Window Help P Noma! 1:1 !Tines New Roman ii 12-- DIBIif uj **lair JEliEfite 1O scan rate. While the required horizon- ..... tal scan rate for any given resolution using any all -black screen blanker, including the one that ships with Windows .t. and refresh rate can be calculated us- This is followed by the suspend mode where the horizontal sync becomes active and the vertical sync shuts off This is the level that meets the Energy Star goat of 30 watts in the ing the formula: Horizontal Scan Rate idle mode. A large number of monitors also meet the NUTEKITCO desired 1.04 (Vertical Resolution X Refresh recommendation of 15 watts or less at this level. Recovery time to full screen brightness is Rate), I prefer to use the chart in Ta- typically 5 seco I ble 1, and, I suspect, so will you. But the VESA ailea if -----,-- Video bandwidth (also listed in Ta- horizontaland "MI41F; respond by shut BRIGHTNESS ble 1) is calculated using the formula: =sunthat took H _ Video Bandwidth = 1.4(horizontal that the off-po POSITION use 5 watts or I E3 resolution X vertical resolution X H.S come close toit POIZE refresh rate). time is the same 2 ... SITION longer V_ SIZE Neither formula is perfect because U_ PINCUSHION the multiplier factor (1.04 in the first In addition to t ILD

.4 DEGAUSS formula and 1.4 in the second) is an controller has properly turn o D I S P _ F R E Q <

cares estimate that takes into account the re- DPMS compat ere s a ar e ase o ems ig p trace times, which vary according to and built into the motherboard, which aren't screen resolution. Fortunately. there are several TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs that allow video The vertical scan rate sets the upper controllers built before the DPIVI:- standard to properly signal s D7'W-c-rrip,tible i elga141+1I I* limit for the number of screen refresh- PasnTE- Sec 1 3/14 At Ln Col 1 1239PM es per second. It must equal or exceed the refresh rate. For example, you Fig. 2.On -screen controls, like these from a ViewSonic 17G monitor, greatly sim- can't force 126 screen refreshes per plify screen adjustments. second from a monitor that has a vertical scan rate that tops out at 80 Hz. which had nothing more than bright- isn't as bright as it could be. To in- Microprocessor Control. A prob- ness and contrast knobs. Today's crease screen brightness, Sony invent- lem with multiscan monitors is screen large -screen monitors often have con- ed the Trinitron, which uses a shadow sizing. As the video modes shift from trols that let you adjust complex para- mask made of many very thin wires graphics to text, which is what occurs meters, like the tilt of the image or that are strung between a top and bot- when you click on the MS-DOS color convergence, just to mention tom support. Prompt icon in Windows, the screen two. And many monitors have re- Another difference is that the color changes size and shape. For example, placed the old twist knobs and thumb - triad is laid down in stripes, rather VGA text measures 640 X 400 while wheels with digital controls. The new than dots. As a result, the triad is VGA displays graphics in 640 X 480 twist is monitors with an on -screen made up of rectangles that actually format. Since this is typical of all vid- display of functions that greatly sim- butt up against each other, as would eo modes, you can see the problem. plifies the adjustment process, like be the case of crossing a border when Unless the monitor has some method those from Acer and ViewSonic (see traveling from one state to the other, of correcting for changing screens, Fig. 2). as opposed to having an island (color you'll find yourself constantly reach- The upshot of the foregoing is that dot) with a whole lot of water (wasted ing for the sizing controls. a monitor with a poor display no screen area) surrounding it, for a 25% About half of all 15" monitors and longer needs to be returned for serviceincrease in active phosphor area and most monitors with a screen size of because you can now fix many prob- proportional screen brightness (Fig. 17" and larger have an internal micro- lems using the new controls. For 3). Instead of using the term "dot processor that remembers the proper those few fixes you can't do yourself, pitch," the distance between stripes of screen settings for several different several large -screen monitors have a the same color is call aperture grill. video modes. Generally, the monitor dedicated service port that lets a field For all intents and purposes, it means provides text and graphics presets for technician tweak internal adjustments the same thing as dot pitch. the most -popular screen resolutions ofwithout ever removing the cover, Because the vertical wires are long 640 X 480 through 1,024 X 768, plus a which literally takes a big load off and thin, they vibrate like a guitar handful of memory for storing user - you and your back because you don't string when struck by the electrons. defined screen preferences. Knowing have to schlep a 50 -pound monitor to To damp the vibrations, the Trinitron how user adjustments can sometimes a service depot for repair. tube weaves two rather large wires get out of hand, most large -screen Screen Brightness.While shadow - through the array about one-third of monitors also have a reset button that mask CRTs account for 97% of the the way from the top and bottom of returns the display to the factory set- video monitors sold today, they have the screen. In fact, these wires are tings should your adjustment antics a rather distinctive shortcoming-lack clearly visible as two fine lines on an land you in the twilight zone. of brightness. The problem is that few all -white screen. Screen Controls. Fine-tuning the electrons ever make it through the Mitsubishi also makes a Trinitron- image on the screen has come a long tiny holes. Most are absorbed or de- like CRT that uses a stripe shadow way since the first color monitors, flected, which means that the screen mask and damping wires. To get

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I..1.1 I II I ...I 1..1.1HI I .1 er to manufacturer and require less - expensive electronics to steer the electron beam. Flat -square screens, which are used in the majority of monitors of 15" and larger, are neither flat nor square, but they're flatter than conventional CRTs because the curvature of the screen looks like it's cut from a larger beach ball. Vertically flat screens are flat along the vertical axis but curved horizontally, as would be the case if you took an outside slice from a large, round cake. Sony's Trinitron has a vertically flat screen, as does Mitsubishi's Dia- mondTron tube. The only monitor Trinitron's Aperture Grille with a completely flat screen is the System CCM series from ZDS. However, using a vertically flat or completely flat screen needs some getting used to be- Fig. 3. Sony's Trinitron aperture grille with long and unbroken slits delivers morecause, at first, it looks like you're peer- color and brightness to screen. Mitsubishi also makes a Trinitron-like CRT thating into a tunnel. Thankfully, there's a uses a stripe shadow mask. bright light at the end to the tunnel. around Sony's patent license, Mitsu- tated by the size, shape and treatment bishi uses three electron guns that are of the tube. Improving the Image placed side -by -side in a straight line, Monitor size, like in TV receivers, To improve the clarity of the image, which they call in -line, rather than useis measured by the diagonal size of most video monitors have some kind the one -gun, three -beam system of the the picture tube before it's mounted in of screen treatment to reduce glare Trinitron. the cabinet. Subtract for the plastic and reflections from overhead light- Zenith Data Systems (ZDS) takes bezel, and you end up with a screen ing. Silica coating is the most popular, a different tack to increase screen that's always smaller than advertised. but because it's made from a silicon brightness. As stated, screen bright- Typically a 15" screen actually mea- base, which is the same stuff beach ness depends on beam current. The sures 131h" diagonally. sand is made of, it gives the screen a stronger the current, the brighter the Screen size is important because, as grainy texture that tends to dull the phosphor glows. Unfortunately, the you increase the resolution of the overall display. greater beam current also means more screen, you see more of your spread- A better solution is the anti -reflec- electrons are absorbed by the shadow sheet or document, which means the tive (AR) coatings developed by mask, which translates into heat. As numbers and letters get smaller. A NASA for the Space Shuttle's wind- the shadow mask gets hotter, it ex- capital "I," for instance; is 10 dots tall shield and other optical devices. pands and causes the alignment holes and measures 1/8" on a standard 14" These compounds reduce glare and to shift position, a condition known as VGA monitor. If you double the reso- reflections by laying down extremely "doming." The result is color impuritylution without changing screen size, thin layers of materials that ward off where the green bleeds onto the red, the dots end up twice as close togeth- glare, using destructive interference. and so forth. er, and a 10 -dot "I" will shrink to Simply put, the anti -reflective com- ZDS solves the problem by stretch- 1/16". However, if you paint the same pound traps a certain wavelength of ing the shadow mask extremely tight "I" on a larger screen, it grows pro- light and captures it. Because the -like a drum skin-and securing it portionally larger, the way letters on a compounds are wavelength- (color-) with pegs instead of springs. Because balloon expand as you blow air into it. sensitive, though, you need several the shadow mask is highly stressed, it Screen fonts that are a mere 1/8" tall layers of different compounds depos- can withstand much greater beam cur- (0.125") on a 12" monitor grow to ited one atop the other for the coating rents before it distorts -100% more, 5/32" (0.156") on a 15" screen and be- to be effective. to be exact, for a 50% brighter screen. come almost 3/16" (0.187") on a 17" If you look closely at a quality cam- monitor. era lens, you'll see a purple gleam, The shape of the screen is also which is the mark of a lens that has Picture Window largely determined by screen size. All many layers of AR coating. picture tubes smaller than 15", and Coating a small camera lens with to the World many 16", have a screen with a spher- several layers of AR is no big deal; Regardless of what goes on inside the ical shape that looks like it's cut from doing the same with a 17" CRT is a CRT, it's what you see that really a beach ball, as do most TV screens. big-and expensive-deal. The shape counts. A lot of what you see is dic- CRTs with a spherical face are cheap- of the screen often determines the ef-

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 45 fectiveness of the treatment. For ex- Control Panel ample, it's easier to coat a flat -square settings _Help screen than it is to coat a 14" spheri- NI Amy cal screen. The Trinitron's vertically caor Fonts Ports flat tube is easier yet, and the com- Desktop pletely flat ZDS screen is easiest of Printer Pattern OK all. Consequently, several types of Rome (None) Cancel] Ede Eattern... 1 treatments are used to maximize the 1 liniPOWER DPMS Screen Saver [Apphcahons benefit while balancing costs. The UniPOWERtted DPMS Screen Saver 0 Fast "AlttTab" Switching Copyright e, 1994 SciTech Software most common, of course, is silica, fol- Screen Saver All Rights Reserved lowed by anti -reflection, anti -glare NainclUniPOWER DPMS Delay to activate state limns) Standby (ARAG), anti -reflection, anti -static Q.elay: 1 H Mau 0K (ARAS), and anti -glare, anti -reflec- Wallpaper Suspend 110 mm l Test Cancel Ede: tive, anti -static (AGRAS). i(None) OH 115 min Test 1 Help 0 center ® Tile Options NEC prefers not to use any type of Sizing Grid coating on its monitor screens, ratio- Granularity: T-Fil r Rorder Width: Password Protected Set eastward nalizing that the added brightness is 13 more important and that most reflec- Change Password tions can be eliminated by proper ad- OK New Password justment of the tilt -swivel stand. Still, Cancel I the best laid plans of mice and men Heyde New Password: need a back-up plan, which is why NEC sells an optional $100 snap -on, Fig. 4. Special TSR software, like SciTech Software's UniVBE/Pro 5.0 shareware, anti -glare filter for users who find re- can make an ordinary VGA or SuperVGA video controller behave like an energy - flections of the uncoated screen ob- saving DPMS controller. jectionable. Chemical coatings are also used to increase screen contrast. The ZDS fessional printing company. Nothing you have to do is adjust the intensity CCM-1490 monitor is an excellent is worse than having your ruby reds of the green gun so that the screen example of a CRT that uses an optical translate into burgundy when printed. headline looks olive, too. Now that coating to give the screen an unprece- The fault isn't in the monitor, the you've synchronized the monitor and dented 100:1 contrast ratio. Sony's color printer or your printing house. the printer, use your software presen- Trinitron isn't far behind with an 80:1 The fault, if you can call it such, is in tation package to reset the headline contrast ratio. This is because both the way the eye perceives colors. Vid-back to shamrock, and that's what tubes have brightness to spare and caneo monitors use the additive -color you'll get in print. afford to waste a little in favor of method, where the three primary col- Another convenient color -matching higher contrast. ors of red, green and blue are blended feature found in some large -screen Most CRTs have a 50:1 contrast ra- together. Color printers, on the other monitors is preset background tem- tio. By comparison, most notebook hand, use the subtractive -color meth- peratures that change the image from computer screens have a 20:1 contrast od: Dyes or pigments are used to ab- pink (tungsten) to neutral (cool -white ratio, and only the best and most -ex- sorb certain colors and reflect others, fluorescent) to a slight blue (daylight) pensive color portables approach the giving the paint or ink it's characteris-cast for color matching with popular 50:1 mark. tic tint. The problem is that the two photographic film emulsion tempera- methods don't always match perfect- tures of 5000, 6500 and 9300 K, ly, especially when it comes to pro- respectively. Color Matching ducing subtle shades and hues. One of the most -important jobs you'll An increasing number of monitors want your monitor to perform is to have color matching that lets you ad- Energy Conservation help you prepare good-looking pre- just the color balance of the screen An important environmental issue that sentation graphics. But what you see image to match those of your printer. hits directly home with monitors is on the screen isn't necessarily what For example, if the headline text in energy conservation. This is because you get on the printed page or over- your press release has shifted to olive your monitor is the most -used compo- head slide, even if you use an expen- drab from the shamrock shade that nent in your system, and it typically sive top -of -the -line printer or a pro - looked so compelling on -screen, all draws the most power. For example, a

Table 2. Recommended Power Levels for Energy Star & NUTEK/TCOEenergy-Conservation Proposals.

Normal Standby Suspend Off Energy Star 100°0 Not defined <30 watts Not defined NUTEIVTCO 100°0 < 30 watts; < 8 watts; < 1 watt < 15 watts recom < 5 watts recommended

46 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 Table 3. VESA's DPMS uses the horizontal and vertical sync signals as the trigger for power -down operation. Standby state is optional and may not be supported by some monitors.

Normal Standby Suspend Off H -sync On Off On Off V -sync On On Off Off Power level 100% 80% <30 watts <8 watts Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 17FS- typical power usage 106 watts 78 watts 10 watts 5 watts

17" monitor can easily draw 100 put forth by the Environmental Pro- strictly left up to the individual vendor. watts or more of power. While this tection Agency (EPA) called "Energy There are two methods commonly may not seem like much, it's about Star." To garner an Energy Star rat- used to attain the Energy Star and twice as much as most desktop coming, a monitor must use 30 watts of NUTEK/TCO goals. One is the Video puters draw. What's even more ap- power or less when idle. Actually, En- Electronics Standards Association palling about the situation is that there ergy Star is a looser version of the (VESA) standard. The other is video are many monitors that are never NUTEK/TCO energy -saving proposal blanking signaling. turned off during lunches, meetings, put together by a coalition of Swe- phone conversations or after hours. den's Department of Energy Efficien- During these times, the screen simply cy (NUTEK) and TCO, a trade union, DPMS sucks up power for no good reason. A which ultimately plans to limit the The most -popular is the VESA stan- small business with just 15 large - power -off usage to 1 watt (Table 2). dard, which uses a four -step program screen monitors running around the While participation in either pro- called Display Power Management clock can consume as much power in gram is strictly voluntary, nearly Signaling (DPMS) to meet-and ex- one day as many households use in a every monitor manufacturer complies ceed-Energy Star's guidelines. week! with one or both. Moreover, there are However, it falls short of complying The answer is a proposal-not a re- no set rules on how to attain these with NUTEK/TCO recommendations quirement or government mandate- power -saving levels. How it's done is on the low end. DPMS uses the horizontal and vertical sync to send a binary code to the monitor, which de- Passing the codes the message and shifts the mon- DisplayMateTest itor into the appropriate power -saving mode (Table 3). How can you tell if your monitor is up adjust their monitors for best possible Step one is normal mode, in which to snuff? By using a video diagnostic image. Among its battery of bench- the monitor is active and getting both program like DisplayMate from Sonera marks are intricate geometric patterns, sync signals. The next step is standby Technologies (tel.: 800-932-6323), you delicately shaded color bars, and gray - and is activated by disabling horizon- can. DisplayMate is a software pack- scales that let you adjust your many tal sync while maintaining vertical age designed for users who want to controls for optimum image quality. sync. At this level, the power is reduced by a mere 20%. Generally, it's done by turning off the CRT's guns- the same thing you can do yourself by using any all -black screen blanker, including the one that ships with E MI ill Windows. This is followed by suspend mode, "IN in which horizontal sync becomes ac- ME II tive and vertical sync shuts off. This is the level that meets the Energy Star DisplayMate Utilities goal of 30 watts in idle mode. A large number of monitors also meet the NUTEK/TCO desired recommendation of 15 watts or less at this level. Dark Gray White Recovery time to full screen brightness is typically 5 seconds or less. MUM But the VESA standard takes it one

step further to a fourth level by shut-

ting off both horizontal and vertical sync. This signals the monitor that it's 1111111111 nighttime, and most respond by shut-

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 47 ting off all circuits-including the tube's filament-except for a watch- Screen Adjustments: Magical Mystery Tour dog circuit that looks for any sync activity that will awaken the monitor. Do you find the plethora of screen Rotate spins the image so that its DPMS specifies that the off -power adjustments confusing? Here are the edges line up parallel with the edges screen functions they control and of the bezel. consumption be 8 watts maximum, how to use them. Screen Temperature refers to the but many DPMS-compliant monitors Degauss removes color swirls type of film emulsion and lighting as- use 5 watts or less. Very few meet the caused by a change in the earth's sociated with photographic images. 1 -watt goal targeted by NUTEK/ magnetic field that sometimes occurs Commonly supported temperatures TCO, albeit some come close to it, when the monitor is tilted or swiveled are: with wattage ratings between 1 and 2 during operation. Wait at least 10 9300° K-bluish-white: outdoors watts. In off mode, recovery time is minutes between pressings. 6,500° K-neutral: tungsten lamp the same as it would be from a cold Horizontal Position, sometimes or cool fluorescent start, which can take up to 20 seconds called "horizontal phase," moves the 5,000° K-ruddy: warm tungsten and longer. image from side to side. lamp Horizontal Size increases/decreases Static Convergence distortion is a In addition to the monitor being the width of the image. separation of the white dots into their DPMS-aware, so must the video con- Keystone Balance distortion occurs red, blue and green color compo- troller. The video controller must be when the image looks like a parallel- nents. Distortion is caused by a mis- able to interpret instructions from the ogram instead of a rectangle. Adjust alignment in either vertical or hori- DPMS software and use them to prop- the control until the corners are zontal convergence or both. A cross- erly turn on and off the sync signals. square. hatch or dot pattern is needed to While most of today's video control- Pincushion Balance distortion properly make this adjustment. lers are DPMS-compatible, there's a occurs when one side of the image Trapezoid/Keystone distortion large base of existing video control- bows inward and the other side bows occurs when image width changes lers, both on adapter cards and built outward. Adjust the control until both size from top to bottom. Adjust the sides are straight. control until the top and bottom into the motherboard, that aren't. Pincushion/Barrel distortion is an widths are equal. Fortunately, there are several TSR equal amount of inward or outward Vertical Position moves the image (terminate -and -stay -resident) pro- bowing on both sides of the image. up and down. grams that permit video controllers Adjust the control until both sides are Vertical Size increases/decreases built before the DPMS standard to straight. the height of the image. properly signal a DPMS-compatible monitor (Fig. 4). In fact, several monitors, including ADI and ViewSonic, ship with an excellent DPMS programer usage by 20% to 25% because the one who spends long hours staring at developed by Optiquest called Opti- electron guns don't have to supply a video display. The types of emis- Green (obviously, Opti-Green also current to the screen. sions commonly found around display ships with Optiquest monitors). These When a video -blanking monitor terminals are of two different types: programs work by accessing an unas- detects a blanked screen, it enters the extremely -low frequency (elf) radia- signed video BIOS call that controls power -saving modes. From this point tion and very -low frequency (vlf) the horizontal sync and vertical sync on, the monitor controls the power - radiation. signals. However, this BIOS call isn't management process without help or Elf emissions fall within the range always free for the taking, which instruction from the video controller. of 50 to 150 Hz-basically the fre- means that there are some controllers The power -down modes are con- quency range of the screen's refresh with which the software won't work. trolled by an EEPROM built into the rate. Vlf emissions have frequencies Nonetheless, they boast an impressive monitor. Typically, the power -down of 15 kHz to 100 kHz, or the range of 97% compatibility rate. routine is similar to that established frequencies used for the horizontal by VESA, but some monitors provide scan rate. Both types of emissions are only the two-step power -down se- generated by a single component in- Video Blanking quence suggested by Energy Star. The side the monitor-the yoke. Signaling amount of time the monitor waits be- The yoke is a coil of wire-basical- Aware that not all PCs are capable of fore acting on a blanked screen and ly an electromagnet-wound around DPMS signaling, several monitors- the time intervals between the differ- the neck of the CRT to deflect the including models from Nanao and ent power modes are user -program- electron beam from one place to an- Sony-opt for the video -blanking sig- mable via software. other on the screen, generally in a ras- naling method, which triggers off a ter pattern. As the currents through blank screen created by a screen sav- the yoke are modulated to change the er, like the ones in Windows and After Safety Consideration beam's speed and direction, elf and Dark. A blank screen is an all -black While no one has yet proven that a vlf electromagnetic fields are generat- screen that has both horizontal and video monitor's electromagnetic ed, most of which are concentrated vertical sync signals present but no fields constitute a health hazard, the within the neck of the CRT. But, as red, green or blue video information. effect of monitor emissions on human anyone who has ever experimented By itself, a blank screen reduces pow - health is a nagging concern for any- with an electromagnet knows, not all

48 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 the energy is delivered to the core of strands braided around a cotton core), Home Study the electromagnet. A fair amount radi- CRT manufacturers have been able to ates into space. This is the source of reduce emissions of monitors to MPR ACCREDITED the monitor's emissions. II standards without resorting to ex- In 1987, the Swedish Government's traordinary measures. B.S. DEGREE Department of Labor (SWEDAC) Even if a monitor meets the MPR II in proposed a standard, called MPR I, standard, it isn't necessarily "safe." with the goal of limiting potentially Thankfully, there are things you can Computer Science harmful monitor emissions to a safe do to minimize your exposure and Easy -to -study lessons written by the level. After deeper inspection, possible risks. The most -important is Grantham staff, and supplied to students SWEDAC decided to tighten the stan- to understand where the radiation along with software and instructional dard and released the MPR II specifi- comes from, very little of which ema- assistance-personal help by mail, cation, which is now accepted as a nates from the screen itself. The phone, fax, BBS, whatever is appro- minimum requirement here and strongest source of emission is from priate in each case. abroad. Since that time, the TCO the back of the monitor, with sides You are a class of one when asking for trade -union affiliate proposed a more - and top emissions having lesser assistance from your instructor,all rigorous standard, which is still wait- strength. By carefully adjusting the included in the regular tuition. Profes- ing to gain wide acceptance. monitor's tilt/swivel base, you can sional software, no additional charge. There are two ways to reduce moni- avoid the brunt of most radiation. Our emphasisison teaching you tor emissions. The first, and least -ef- computer science and guiding you to fective, is via a metal shield, usually professional competence as well as your made from a mu -metal alloy, that en- Crystal Clear B.S. degree. Our degrees are accredited cases the monitor. This method is As you can see, the most -important by the Distance Education and Training heavy, expensive and difficult to in- link between you and your computer Council, Washington, DC. corporate into a production line. A is more complex than it looks. By Free Catalog: 1(800) 955-2527 better method is to change the geome- arming yourself with the information try of the yoke so that most of the en- presented here, it makes the task of GRANTHAM ergy is concentrated at the core. Using buying a new video monitor less trau- College of Engineering matic. And it may prevent a fast -talk- a combination of bifilar winding tech- 34641 Grantham College Rd. niques (two wires in close proximity ing salesperson from selling you Slidell, LA 70469-5700 act like one) and litz wire (wire something you don't want or need. 8031 MICROCONTROLLERS Data Acquisition EMC32 EMC32F & Control Hardware for PC's DG31 DG32F 36 buffered 36 buffered I/O Expansion 110 Expansion ANA100 Analog I/O $ 99 DIG100Digital I/O $ 39 I/O lines 1/0 lines headers headers 11.0592 MHz 11.0592 MHz 11.0592 MHz 11.0592 MHz 8 Channel 8 -Bit 8255 PPI 0 to 5 Volt input 24 or 48 TTL I/O RS232 port RS233 port RS232 port RS232 port 14 TTL I/O tines Lines 8K RAM 8/32K RAM 8K RAM Analog output Selectable Base 8K RAM 400 Khz sampling Address 16K EPROM 16K EPROM 16K EPROM 128K RASH 32K FLASH Size 4.5x5.5 inch Size 4.8x6.0 inch Size 3x4 inch Size 3x4.25 inch US $122.00 US $72.00 US S80.00 ANA150 Analog/Counter... $ 89 DIG200 Counter I/O $ 79 US $110.00 ManyApplicationNotesavailable.

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CIRCLE NO. 56 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 49 By Jan Axelson Serial Ports Inside and Out Part 2 From the Connector Out In this article, I continue an ex- document, including an appendix withterminal and a modem. The standard ploration of possibilities and ap- some applications information on calls the computer end of the link the plications for a personal comput- cable design, is available for $47 plus Data Terminal Equipment, orDTE.It er's (or other device's) serial port. shipping from Global Engineering calls the modem end the Data Circuit - The main focus this time out is on the Documents. terminating Equipment, orDCE.In signals, cables and interfaces from the Although the original RS -232 stan- practice, RS -232 is now used for connector out. Since many serial - dard designates 25 lines in the inter- many things besides terminal -to - communications problems are the re- face, you can get by with as few as modem communications. Most often, sult of cable and interface problems, three, and personal computers rarely you will find a computer of some type understanding this part of the link is use more than nine. The unused sig- at one end of the link, but the other important if you're designing or trou- nals are intended for use with syn- end may connect to a modem or to a bleshooting serial connections systems. chronous modems, secondary trans- second computer (which may be a mission channels and selecting a personal computer, microcontroller or transmission speed on dual -rate mainframe), or to a mouse, printer or Essential RS -232 Facts modems. other device with a serial interface. Another term for the serial port on a The full interface includes a shield Table 1 lists the nine most -often PC is RS -232 port. This refers to the connection (pin 1) to permit ground- used RS -232 signals, along with their RS -232 standard, which defines three ing of a cable shield, but this connec- designated functions. The essential things: the names and functions of the tion is absent on many PCs. Earlier signals areTD,which carries data signals in the link, electrical charac- versions of the standard called this pinfrom theDTEto theDCE; RD,which teristics of those signals and pin as- protective ground, and it was some- carries data from theDCEto theDTE; signments and other mechanical as- times used to electrically connect the and SG, which is signal ground. The pects of the interface. Understanding chassis or frames of the equipment on others are optional control signals in- the basics of RS -232 can help you put both ends. The current version of the tended for communicating informa- together serial links that work reliably standard recommends using a separatetion about the readiness of a device or and diagnose problems when they do wire for this application, if needed. the presence of a ringing or carrier occur. Much of the RS -232 terminology signal on a phone line. Officially, the standard is now relates to its origin as a standard for It doesn't matter which device in a called EIA/TIA-232-E. The 36 -page communicating between a computer link is theDTEand which is theDCE,

Table 1. Most Personal Computers Use Just These Nine of the RS -232 Signals

Popular RS -232 Signal Pin Number Signal AbbreviationDesignation Name DB-25 DB-9 DirectionComments TD BA Transmitted Data 2 3 To DCE Carries data fromDTEtoDCE. RD BB Received Data 3 2 From DCECarries data fromDCEtoDTE. RTS CA Request To Send 4 7 To DCE TellsDCEthatDTEhas data to send. See CTS. CTS CB Clear To Send 5 8 To DTE Response toRTS.TellsDTEit's okay to send data. RI CE Ring Indicator 22 9 To DTE Indicates that ringing voltage is present on telephone line. SeeDTR. DTR CD Data Terminal Ready 20 4 To DCE Response toRI.Tells modem to answer phone or signals thatDTEis ready to operate. SeeDSR. DSR CC Data Set(DCE)Ready 6 6 To DTE Tells computer thatDCEis ready to operate. CD CF Carrier Detect 8 1 To DTE. Indicates thatDCEis receiving suitable signal, suchas a carrier in expected frequency band. SG AB Signal Ground 7 5 Common ground for all signals. DTE:Data Terminal Equipment. Computer in a computer/modem link. Usually has male connector. DCE:Data Communications Equipment. Modem in a computer/modem link. Usually has female connector.

50 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 DATA -BIT VALUES

0 0 0 1 1 0 I 0 > +5V

OV r- I

< 5V

IDLE START 0 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 STOP START

BIT I I BIT BIT BIT NUMBERS "

WORD #1BEGINS WORD #2 BEGINS HERE HERE

Fig. 1. A typical serial transmission of a byte of information. This example shows the transmission of an "X"(ASCII code 58h) with one start bit, one stop bit and no parity. but you must have one of each. The can't easily change the connector it- 45 phone jacks that are compact and names DTE and DCE define the con- self, if you configure a male connec- inexpensive solutions for interfaces figuration of inputs and outputs at the tor as a DCE, you'll probably still that have no more than four, six or connector. The signals are named need a gender -changing cable or con- eight wires. from the perspective of the DTE. For nector with female connectors on both For use where space is tight, the lat- example, TD (transmit data) is an out- ends. est version of the RS -232 standard put on a DTE and an input on a DCE, The connector type recommended recommends a different alternative. while RD (receive data) is an input on by the standard is a 25 -pin male D - This connector has 26 contacts that a DTE and an output on a DCE. sub connector, the shell of which is are spaced 0.05" apart in each of two The serial ports on most PCs are roughly in the shape of an upper-case parallel rows and a D -shaped shell. configured as DTEs. If you cable to- D. The D shape forces you to orient Pin designations are the same as for gether two DTEs with an ordinary, the connector correctly when you the 25 -pin connector, with pin 26 straight -across cable, the TD outputs plug it into a port. The contacts are in unused. will connect to each other and your two staggered rows, with each row If you need to cable together differ- data won't go anywhere. 0.109" apart. ent types of connectors, adapters are If you need to connect two DTEs or When you're connecting an RS -232 widely available, or you can make two DCEs, use a null -modem cable or cable to a personal computer, be care- your own. Dozens of mail-order sup- connector that simulates a connection ful not to confuse the parallel port's pliers sell cables and connectors. between a DTE and a DCE by swap- D -connector with the serial connector. B&B Electronics, for example, spe- ping the complementary signal and On most PCs, the parallel ports use a cializes in serial -port solutions, in- control lines, for example, by con- female (socket) connector, while cluding cables and connectors. necting each TD to RD on the opposite 25 -pin serial ports use a male (pin) If you're not sure whether a 25 -pin end. (The name null -modem refers to connector. connector is wired as a DTE or DCE, a its origin as a cable that bypasses the Some computers use a nonstandard voltmeter is all you need to identify computer -to -modem (DTE-to-DCE) nine -pin D -sub connector that in- which of pins 2 and 3 is the data input connection and directly connects to- cludes only the nine signals detailed and which is the data output. gether two computers (DTE-to-DTE). in Table 1. This smaller connector You can make the measurements The latest version of the RS -232 leaves more room for other connec- directly at the port connector or on the standard specifies what has become a tors on an expansion card's back connector at the end of the cable, standard configuration by default- panel. whichever is more convenient. Mea- that the DTE uses a connector with A nine -pin connector has different sure on a port that's powered but idle male, or pin, contacts, and the DCE pin designations, even for the signals or not currently in use. uses a connector with female, or sock- on pins 1 through 9. In particular, pins On most connectors, the pin or et, contacts. 2 and 3 are reversed, with pin 2 being socket numbers are stamped near the Some serial ports have jumpers that RD and pin 3 being TD. pins or sockets, though you may have enable you to configure the port as ei- Other non-standard connectors you to look closely to see them. ther a DTE or DCE. But since you may see are the RJ-11, RJ-12 and RJ- On the connector, measure the volt-

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 51 Table 2. Popular Chips for Interfacing 5 -Volt Logic to RS -232

Chip Drivers Receivers Comments MAX232 2 2 Original device; 1-pF capacitors, 120K bps. MAX232A 2 2 0.1-pF capacitors, 200K bps. MAX233A 2 2 No external caps required, 200K bps. MAX236 4 3 Power -saving shutdown mode. MAX560 4 5 +3 -volt supply. MAX252A/B 2 2 Electrically isolated. MC1488 4 0 Requires bipolar power supplies. MC1489 0 4 Complements MC1488 driver. age from pin 2 to signal ground (pin 7 clock, which is a just a constant -fre- terface supports synchronous trans- on a 25 -pin connector). Also, measure quency signal, such as a square wave. missions, most RS -232 links employ from pin 3 to signal ground. On an Transmitted data is synchronized to an asynchronous format. In this type idle port, an output should measure a the clock. In other words, each trans- of transmission, each end of the link negative potential of at least -5 volts mitted bit is valid at a defined time provides its own clock. Although the and typically ranges from -7 to -12 after a clock transition. The receiver clocks must match closely in frequen- volts. An open, or unconnected, input uses the clock to determine when to cy, an exact match isn't required. should measure less than +2 volts and read the incoming bits. Although the format can vary, a is typically close to 0 volt. If pin 2 is A synchronous interface requires a typical transmission sends data in the negative, you have aDTE.If pin 3 is dedicated line for the clock signal. So format of one start bit, followed by negative, you have aDCE. a two-way interface typically contains eight data bits (beginning with Bit 0, A few computers and other devices a line for data in each direction, plus a or the least -significant bit), and one that have serial ports require use of line for the clock and a common stop bit. Shown in Fig. 2 is an exam- some or all of the handshaking, or ground reference. Synchronous inter- ple of a typical transmission. Another control, signals in the interface. If this faces are popular for short -distance popular format is one start bit, seven is the case, and if the other end of links, such as between components on data bits (using ASCII characters 0 your link doesn't support the hand- a single circuit board. The VC inter- through 127, for example), one parity shaking (in a three -wire interface face is one example. bit for error -checking and one stop from a microcontroller, for example), Although the complete RS -232 in- bit. you can often solve the problem by wiring one of the control outputs on the device to its control inputs. On a +5V DTR, CTS, DSR DRIVER: DTE,you'd connect andCD.In this way, whenever the R2 DTEasserts Data Terminal Ready, it 1K will also appear that theDCEis assert- RI ing Clear to Send, Data Set Ready and 3.3K 01 Carrier Detect. SERIAL OUT PN2222 (5V CIRCUITS) Some serial -port cards have jumpers that permit you to force the control outputs to true. You can do the same thing with software by writing to the appropriate registers in the seri- RECEIVER: +5V al port's UART, as I described last time. R4 1K SHORT CABLE SERIAL IN R3 RS232 OUT Transmitting Formats (5V CIRCUITS) 02 3.3K PN2222 RS232 IN In a serial link, data bits arrive one SGND after another over a single wire. The DI 1 N9 1 4 receiving end must have a timing reference so that it can tell where one bit ends and the next begins. There are two ways to provide this timing reference. In a synchronous transmission, one Fig. 2. You can use this inexpensive but non-standard 5 -volt interface for low - end of the link provides a master speed, short distance, non -critical links to many RS -232 ports.

52 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 +5V 8 -BIT INPUT O

RI R2 R3 ;R4 R5 R6 7 R8 U2 IM6402 10K10K10K 101C,10K 10K 10K10K

20RRI 26 25 27 SI UI TRO TTBRR2IB MAX232 S2 'LLPE TBR3-28 Cl _14 FE S3 1.0AF TBR4 29 S4 15OE TBR530 C4 S5 19DR TBR6 31 C2 4 22 32 S6 1.0µF1 TORE 24 S7 THE TTBBRR78 T5 S8 -- RS232 IN( 13 12 RS232 OUT( 14 11 R9 RI0 RII RII3T RI+15 RI6 8 9 220'220220'220220 220 220 220 +5V 10 8 -BITOUTPUT 9 16 SFD 12al>..18 RS232 INTERFACE 18 R BR I DRR 11 1 I 35 R BR2 PI 10 4 16 SGND 4 R BR3 CRL 9 13 38 R BR 4 CLS1 8 6 14 37 RBR5 CLS2 7 15 39 R BR 6 EPE 6 8 12 4 R BR 7 RRD 5 7 3 U4 36 RBR8 SBS 23 19 U3 C5 C7 74HC74060 17 TBRL 1 RRC 21 741_5240 ,__162pF )120 0 0 MR CLK1 CLK2 TRC OCTAL INVERTING BUFFER 7 16.38400 04 UART 9.8304MHZ 055 16.19200 R17 064 16.9600 1M 1 6 CLK 07 16.4800 *-) C6 0814 16.2400 +5V +5V

62pF 1 2RESET 0913 16.1200 _L 1 S9 R20 01015 16.600 RESET 4 7K 012 16.150 C8 ,-., lUART R21 U6 1.0AF 470K 013 16.75 0143 16.37.5 ^. I >2- R18 DI SEND C9 1-'74HC14 10K 1N914 DATA BIT RATE GENERATOR 0.1).LFI 1 OPTION *1 I

U5 MC14411

1 16-38400 XTAL1N F1 iL R19 XTAL2 F2 17 15M .8432MHZ20 F3 2 16.19200 T XTALOUT POWER SUPPLY F461 AND GND PINS +5V 16.9600 F53 IC +5V GND 15 23RSA F6 UI 16 15 22 4 R SEI F7 16.4800 U2 1 3 5 16.2400 F8 U3 20 10 10 16.1200 RESET F9 7 _L U4 16 8 F106 U5 24 12 8 16 600 F11 U6 14 7 F1214 F1313 F149 16.300 F1518 F1619 16.115200 BITRATE GENERATOR OPTION*2 Fig. 3. A 6402 UART is a good choice in this circuit for simple monitoring and control links to a serial port.

Adding start and stop bits to a byte sion, the line goes high for the length logic, a logic 1is a negative voltage increases the transmission time of of one data bit, called the start bit. At and a logic 0 is positive. The transmit- each byte by 25% (because you must 300 bps, the start bit lasts 3.3 ms, ter then sends a parity bit, if used, and send 10 bits instead of just eight). But while at 1,200 bps, it's 0.83 ms, and a stop hit, which is a one -bit -wide an advantage is that you don't have to at 9.600 bps, it's 0.1 ms. negative voltage. A complete trans- transmit the clock. After the start bit, the transmitter mission, including the start, data, pari- When idle, an RS -232 transmitter sends the eight data bits, usually be- ty and stop bits, is sometimes referred should output a negative voltage. To ginning with Bit 0, or the least -signif- to as a transmitted word. signal the beginning of a transmis- icant bit. Since the bits use negative At the receiving end, the first tran-

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 53 sition from negative to positive sig- Listing 1. Test Routines for Experimenting With Serial -Port I/O. nals the UART that a byte is arriving. (Since RS -232 drivers and receivers 'Serial -port Test Routines are also inverters, the signal at the UART is a transition from logic high 'Change the following three statements as appropriate for your system: to logic low.) This transition controls 'COM Port number the timing for detecting the rest of the ComPort = 1 DataBuffer = &H3F8 'base address of serial port bits in the word. Most UARTs measure the logic 'The OPEN statement initializes the selected COM port & sets communications state of each bit in the middle of the 'parameters: 9600 bps, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no handshaking. It pulse, which helps ensure that the 'also enables the receive -data interrupt. OPEN "COM1: 9600,n,8,1,bin,rs,cs0,ds0,cd0" for RANDOM AS #1 UART reads the bits correctly even if the transmitting and receiving clocks 'Additional UART registers used: don't match precisely. IERAddress = DataBuffer + 1 'interrupt -enable register address Bits are detected like this: The re- LSRAddress = DataBuffer + 5 'line -status register address ceiving UART typically uses a re- WHILE (1) ceive clock that's 16 times the trans- PRINT "Select an action:" mitted frequency. After detecting the PRINT "Write to port 1" transition that signals a start bit, the PRINT "Read one byte (interrupt -triggered) 2" receiving UART waits 16 clock cy- PRINT "Read multiple bytes (interrupt -triggered) 3" PRINT "Read port (polled -no interrupts) 4" cles for the start bit to end. It then PRINT "Quit 5" waits eight more cycles to read Bit 0 INPUT Action in the middle of the bit. Then it reads each of the following bits 16 clock SELECT CASE Action cycles after the previous one. CASE 1 GOSUB WritePort If the transmitting and receiving CASE 2, 3 clocks don't match exactly, the re- GOSUB InterruptRead ceiving UART reads each successive CASE 4 bit closer and closer to the edge of the GOSUB PolledRead CASE 5 intended bit. To correctly read all bits Close #1 'close the opened COM port in a 10 -bit transmission, the transmit END and receive clocks should vary by no END SELECT more than about 3% from each other. WEND Any more than this, and by the time END the UART tries to read the final bits, the timing may be off by so much that it will read the bits incorrectly. For WritePort: 'sends a byte to the serial port example, if the receive clock is too INPUT "value to send (0-255)? ", TD PRINT #1, CHR$(TD) 'write the value to the port fast, it may think data Bit 7 is the stop RETURN bit. This is why just about all asynchronous interfaces use a crystal -controlled or other stable timing refer- InterruptRead: 'reads the serial port on interrupt ence forthe clocks.

Cable Length conductors in the cable and the capac- greater the capacitance at the receiver. Early versions of the RS -232 standard itance between the conductor and Some cables are rated by the manu- recommended using cables of 50 feet earth ground or the cable shield, if facturer in picofarads per foot. For or shorter. This is still a good general used. unshielded cable, an appendix to the guideline. In most cases, for transmis- Cable capacitance is important for RS -232 standard recommends adding sions at up to the specified limit of several reasons. Since it's an imped- 50% to the cable's capacitance to 20,000 bps, you should be able to use ance, it attenuates, or reduces, signal account for conductor -to -ground cables up to 50 feet long without spe- level at the receiver. Capacitance also capacitance. cial shielding or line terminations, limits the slew rate, or how fast the If you use ribbon cable with capaci- other than RS -232 driver and receiver voltage on the cable can change, with tance of 15 pF per foot, assuming an chips. higher slew rates permitting faster input capacitance of 100 pF, the cable Later versions of the standard elim- transitions. A greater capacitance also could be as long as 106 feet: (2,500 inate the length limit and instead means that a voltage change on the -100)/(15 x 1.5). specify a maximum capacitance of cable requires more current, and over- According to Maxim Semiconduc- 2,500 pF at the receiver. This value all power consumption of the drivers tor's Application Note AN -2, capaci- includes the capacitance of the receiv- will be greater. tance for a single twisted pair is around er, the mutual capacitance between As a rule, the longer the cable, the 12 pF/ft. Again assuming an input ca -

54 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 more negative voltage is logic 1. SELECT CASE Action Control signals use the same volt- CASE 2 age levels, with a positive voltage in- ON COM(ComPort) GOSUB ByteRead 'for reading 1 byte CASE 3 dicating that the function is ON, or as- ON COM(ComPort) GOSUB BufferedRead 'for reading multiple bytes serted, and a negative voltage indicat- END SELECT ing that the function isOFF,or not COM(ComPort) ON 'BASIC will now check the COM port asserted. `for received data after executing 'each statement Because an RS -232 receiver may be PRINT "Press any key to return to main menu" at the end of a long cable, a signal DO: S$ = INKEY$: LOOP WHILE S$ = '" may be attenuated or noisy by the RETURN time it reaches the receiver. To allow for this, at the receiver or input end of ByteRead: 'Reads and displays a received byte in decimal and hex formats. the link, the two logic states are de- RD$ = INPUT$(LOC(1), #1) 'read the serial -input buffer fined as more positive than +3 volts PRINT "data received = "; ASC(RD$); " decimal; "; HEX$(ASC(RD$)); " hex" (logic 0 at RD, or ON at a control RETURN input) and more negative than -3 volts (logic 1 at RD, or OFF at a con- BufferedRead: 'waits for 3 bytes to arrive, then reads and displays all trol input). The logic level of an input NumberOfBytes = 3 between -3 and +3 volts is undefined. IF LOC(1) = NumberOfBytes THEN 'wait for 3 bytes to accumulate RD$ = INPUT$(LOC(1), #1) 'read the serial -input buffer The large voltage swings of RS -232 FOR I = 1 TO LEN(RD$) 'extract each byte in the buffer give a wider noise margin than 5 -volt CHAR$ = MID$(RD$, I, 1) logic. For example, even if an RS -232 PRINT "data received = "; ASC(CHAR$);" decimal; ; HEX$(ASC(CHAR$));" hex" driver's output is the minimum +5 NEXT 1 volts, it can vary as much as 2 volts at END IF the receiver and still be a valid logic RETURN 0. Many RS -232 outputs have ±12 - volt swings, for a much wider noise margin. PolledRead: 'detects and displays a received byte; does not use interrupts OUT IERAddress, (INP(IERAddress) AND &HFE) 'disable receive -data interrupt You may also hear the terms mark PRINT "Press any key to return to main menu" and space used in relation to RS -232 DO interfaces. Space means logic 0, mark RDA = INP(LSRAddress) AND 1 'find state of bit 0 of LSR (Received logic 1. These terms originally re- IF RDA = 1 THEN 'if new data exists, read it ferred to the physical marks and RD = INP(DataBuffer) 'read the UART's input buffer spaces made by mechanical recorders PRINT "data received = "; RD " decimal "; HEX$(RD); " hex" as they logged binary data. END IF If you want to interface 5 -volt logic S$ = INKEY$ to a serial port, you must translate the LOOP UNTIL S$ <> "" OUT IERAddress, (INP(IERAddress) OR 1) 're -enable receive -data interrupt signals to RS -232 levels. For exam- RETURN ple, many microcontrollers, including the 8051 and 68HC11, have on -chip ports for sending and receiving asynchronous serial data, but the inputs pacitance of 100 pF, this gives a max- Other considerations that affect and outputs use 5 -volt logic, rather imum cable length of 133 feet. transmission speed include the soft- than RS -232 voltages. For shielded twisted -pair cable, the ware that controls the serial transmis- For a simple, trouble -free RS -232 recommendation is to triple the value sions, including the efficiencies of the interface, use one of the many 5 -volt of the conductor -to -conductor capaci- programming language and the pro- chips designed for this purpose. Max- tance to account for the conductor -to - gram itself, and the ability of the seri- im Semiconductor produced the origi- shield capacitance. al -port hardware to handle high trans- nal chip, the MAX232 dual RS -232 If total capacitance is within the mission speeds. transmitter/receiver. Many other com- limit, and if you use drivers and re- panies, including Harris, Texas In- ceivers that meet the RS -232 specifi- Serial Interfaces struments and National Semiconduc- cations, you should be able to transfer In the RS -232 standard, logic levels tor, now have similar devices. The data at 20,000 bps, even over very are indicated by positive and negative chips may be listed in catalogs and long cables. voltages, rather than the positive -only data books under Linear, Interface, or If you want to use a cable that ex- signals of 5 -volt TTL and CMOS log- Special Function ICs. ceeds the capacitance limit, you may ic. At an RS -232 data output (TD), a The basic MAX232 chip is pow- be still able to communicate, but only logic 0 is defined as equal to or more ered from a single 5 -volt supply and at slower bit rates. And over short ca- positive than +5 volts, and a logic 1 is includes two drivers that convert TTL bles, with low capacitance, you should defined as equal to or more negative inputs to RS -232 outputs and two re- be able to communicate faster than than -5 volts. In other words, the sig- ceivers that accept RS -232 inputs and 20,000 bps. nals use negative logic, where the translate them to TTL-compatible out-

January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 55 _I _

BoardMaker - NEW VERSION I puts. The drivers and receivers are pose or switching transistor for Q1. PC Schematic Capture and Layout software for IBM PGs alsoinverters. The 5 -volt serial output drives the BoardMaker 1 -Entry level (no net list support) $95 Easy and intuitive to use Up to 8 layers SMD support Part The chip contains charge -pump base of the transistor, with R1 limiting libraries and library editor provided User definable tracks and converters that use external capacitors base current. WhenSerial Outis low, pads Copper fill, highlight and clearance checking. to store energy for the +10 -volt sup- Q1 is off and R2 pulls TD to 5 volts. BoardMaker 2 - Advanced level $395 plies used by the drivers. The recom- WhenSerial Outis high, Q1 switches All the features of BoardMaker 1 PLUS Full net list support - OrCad, Schema, Tango, CadStar, Racal, Mentor, Protel Netlist mended value for the four capacitors on, pulling TD near 0 volt. generation and export for checking.. Integrated net editing Full design rule checking - mechanical/electrical.. Top down is 11.1F, but larger values are okay. On the receiving side, another tran- modification from the schematic.. Component renumber with back annotation.. Full report generator - Database, ASCII, BOM Table 2 lists some of other popular sistor converts the RS -232 voltages to DXF files Thermal power plane support with full DRC RS -232 interface chips. Digi-Key is TTL levels. The RS -232 input drives BoardMaker 2 with BoardRouter $595 one source for Maxim's chips, or you the base of Q2. Resistor R3 limits Simultaneous multilayer gridless routing Full interrupt, resume, pan and zoom while routing Routing of SMD's on both sides of can order directly from Maxim with Q2's base current. Diode D1 protects board no minimum order. The MAX232A Q2 by limiting the base voltage to BoardCapture - Schematic capture software $395 can operate at higher speeds and can about -0.7 volt. When RD is near 0 Full Undo / Redo Hierarchical and multi page designs Context sensitive editing Smooth scrolling use smaller 0.1-µF capacitors. The volt or less, Q2 is off and R4 pulls MAX233 requires no external capaci- SerialIn to 5 volts. When RD is 2 volts Output drivers Included with all packages tors at all, though it costs a few dol- or greater, Q2 switches on, pulling DEMO's available on Bulletin board (603) 635-3247 lars more. low Serial In. ASAtech, Inc. SALES 800-626-4460 Master Card P.O. Box 247 FAX 603-635-9229 and If you examine the data sheet for Pelham, NH 03076 VISA the MAX232, you'll find that its RS- CIRCLE NO. 51 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD 232 inputs don't actually require RS- Monitoring/Control 232 voltages. In fact, the inputs have Shown in Fig. 3 is a basic RS -232 in- near-TTL thresholds, with a logic low terface you can use to transmit and re- defined as 0.8 volt or less and a logic ceive eight bits of parallel data. The THE ALL NEW URDA , INC. high defined as 2.4 volts or greater circuit uses a 6402 UART. Also in- (slightly above the TTL input thresh- cluded are a MAX232 interface and a old of 2 volts). This means that the choice of a 74HC4060B 14 -stage bi- SDK -486 noise margin of a transmitted RS -232 nary counter or MC14411 bit -rate

32 BIT 80486 MICROPROCESSOR TRAINER AND signal is even greater than that speci- generator for the transmit and receive DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM (available in mid 1994) fied by the standard. It also means clocks. With Floating Point Coprocessor, 16 Kbytes of EPROM for Monitor, Utilities and User Expansion, 32 Kbytes of Static RAM, 5x8 Metro, Keypad. 40 Character x 2 that you can use spare gates in a At MAX232 U/, if your computer Line Dot Matrix Liquid Crystal Display with Optional Accessaories. MAX232 as inverters at lower fre- has a 25 -pin DTE (male) connector, AVAILABLE NOW: quencies in a 5 -volt circuit. (If neces- wireRS -232IN to pin 2 on the connec- sary, add a pull-up resistor at the RS- tor, wireRS -232 OUTto pin 3 and 8 Bit SDK -85 16 Bit SDK -86 32 Bit SDK -386 232 input to pull a TTL output above wire SGND to pin 7. Microcontrollers: 8 Bit SDK -518 Bit SBC-51 2.4 volts.) 6402 UART U2 is an older device Ceee a tracternark of Intel Corporation Used by De sown Before the MAX232 came along, from RCA. Sources include Unicorn, Call or Write: many RS -232 interfaces used the MC - JDR and Jameco. Ask for a data sheet URDA®, INC. 1488 driver and MC1489 receiver. The when you order. This chip is conve- 18 1 1 Jamey Street, Suits 8200 (Roar) Pittsburgh, PA 15208-1085 1488 requires positive and negative nient for basic monitoring and control supplies. The 1489 operates from a 5 - links because it has separate transmit 1-800-338.0517 or (412) 363-0990 volt supply but accepts inputs of up to and receive lines. Other UARTs, like ±30 volts. If your circuit has the the 8250 series used in most PCs, are CIRCLE NO. 92 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD required positive and negative supplies designed for interfacing to a comput- available, and especially if you need er's data bus and have a single set of -A = four drivers and four receivers, the bidirectional data lines. Career ifff 1488/89 pair is a low-cost alternative. 74HCT4060 U4 provides an inex- Like the MAX232, the inputs of the pensive way to generate an accurate Hands-on training with 1489 respond to TTL-type voltages, clock for timing the transmissions. TRAIN today's programming languages with 0.75 volt or less for logic lows, With a 9.8304 -MHz crystal, the out- Includes DOS, and 2.25 volts or more for logic highs. puts enable you to select the popular AT QBASIC, and C Since many RS -232 inputs respond baud rates shown. You must use a No programming to TTL signals, if your serial link is high-speed CMOS version for the HOME experience necessary short (10 feet or less), you may be 4060 (74HC or 74HCT), not the origi- Instructors available able to use a nonstandard interface nal 4000 -series (4060B). Maximum Earn More 8 -hours -a -day that uses 5 -volt logic, rather than the clock frequency of the 4060B at 5 AICS programs approved Money As RS -232 voltages, as Fig. 2 illustrates. volts is just 1 MHz, compared to 24 by leading companies This circuit is intended only for short MHz for the 74HCT4060. The select- A Computer *College degree programs ed output of the 4060 sets the rates for also available experimental, non -critical links, since Programmer it doesn't meet RS -232's require- transmitting (TRC) and receiving Call for AMERICAN ments for signal levels and slew rate. (RRC) at the 6402. Since the UART ACCREDITED free INSTITUTE MEMBER On the transmitting end, the driver divides the output by 16, the baud rate World Association is 16 times the actual frequency of the 1-1118- COMPUTER is a PN2222 or other npn general-pur- of Universities and Colleges 1117-MCS SCIENCES

CIRCLE NO. 54 ON FREE INFORMATIONCARD 56 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 The Pocket Programmer selected output. ister Empty, or ready for new data Only $129.95 If you have trouble getting the crys- (TBRE).Setting control inputSFD tal to oscillate, experiment by varying high disables these outputs. Transmit the values of RI7, C5, C6 and C7. Register Empty(TRE)indicates thata Motorola's MC14411 bit -rate gen- transmission is complete. erator (U5) is another option for gen- The Data Received output (DR) RiTrcra erating the clocks. It enables you to indicates that a character has been re- select any of 16 bit rates in four ceived, and the Data Received Reset THEPOCKET PROGRAMMER «: ranges, but it's more expensive than input(DRR)clearsDR. the 4060 circuit. These signals don't corresponddi- The portable programmer that uses the Another option is to use the 6403 rectlyto the control signals on the printer port of your PC instead of a UART, which has an on -chip oscilla- 8250 UART, but you could use them internalcard. The software has 24 tor. You can connect a crystal directly by connecting them to unused control functions and programs Eprom, Flash & to pins 17 and 40 and set low pin 2 to lines and reading from or writing to Ram 27/28(C))000< from 16K - 8Meg divide by 2,048 or high to divide by them by accessing the appropriate (2k-1 Meg X 8) with a 32 pin socket. 16. I used the 6402 because it's much registers in the PC's UART. Of Adaptersavailblefor 874X,875X more widely available. course, you must add a wire in theca- MCU's, 40 -Pin Eproms, Serial Eproms Five control inputs on the 6402 let bleand an RS -232 driveror receiver and Eprom Emulation to 32K X 8. you select the number of data bits for each line you add. Mac EZ Programmer (CLS1, CLS2),stop bits(SBS)and par- Instead of the switches and LEDs The Only Eprom programmer made for ity type(PI, EPE)for transmissions. A shown in Fig. 3, you can connect any Macintosh. The softwarehas 15 logic high onCRLloads these inputs 5 -volt TTL or CMOS inputs toTBR1 functions including File Editing with a into the control register. Figure 3 throughTBR8,and similar outputs to 32 -Pin socket supports Eprom, EEprom RBR8. shows these inputs wired for the pop- RBR1through In the July/ (27/28(C)XXX ) and Dallas Ram from ular format of eight data bits, one stop August and September/October 1994 16K-4Mega Bit. Only $299.95 bit and no parity. issues of MicroComputer Journal, I InputsTBR1throughTBR8hold the included several examples of parallel Intronics, Inc. parallel data to transmit. For testing, interfaces that you could adapt to this Box 13723 you can connect a normally -open serial interface. Edwardsville, KS 66113 switch and pull-up resistor to each bit, For very simple applications, in Tel. (913) 422-2094 Fax (913) 441-1623 as the schematic shows. A low pulse which you need no more than four in-Add $4.00Shipping Add $4.50 COD at input-TBRLcauses the data at put and two output lines, you can skipVISA/Master Charge Accepted TBR1throughTBR8to appear in seri- the external UART and read from and CIRCLE NO. 69 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD al format at outputTRO,in the format write to the control signals directly. selected at the control inputs. The September/October issue of MCJ Modular Insect Robotics

To transmit a byte, you press and includes an article that explains how Build this bug and train it with Insectarm release S/0. Pressing this switch caus- to do this. neural net software! Beta sites available es C9 to slowly discharge through NOW- Prometheus'," kits available this Fall. R21, bringing low pin 1 of U6 and removing any switch bounce that might Test Program occur as the switch contacts close. On Listing 1 is a QBASICprogram that releasing the switch, C9 slowly re- lets you test the Fig. 3 circuit by writ- charges through R20 and R21, and pining to and reading from a serial port. 1 of U6 goes high again. 74HC14 You can use these routinesas afoun- (PrometheusrM) Schmitt -trigger inverter U6 creates a dation for developing specific serial - We offer an evolving and expanding line of LOW clean pulse at pin 2's output, even if COST, INTEROPERABLE insect robot kits and port applications. components. pin 1 changes very slowly. Serial programming is relatively Instead of SlO and the components easy in BASIC, because theOPEN that connect to it, you can use any COM statement takes care of many low -going pulse of at least 100 ns. details, including setting the commu- In the other direction, inputRRIac- nications parameters, selecting a COM Compound Eye InsectarM H/W-in- cepts serial data, strips the stop and port and even creating buffers to store Experiment Kit -$49 the-loop neural net S/W start bits and places the data in paral- incoming data until you have a lel format atRBR1throughRBR8.For chance to read it. (These buffers are testing, you can connect a buffer, different and can be much larger than LED and current -limiting resistor to the 16 -byte buffers in the 16650 Compound Eye Upgradable 16 -servo each output, as illustrated in Fig. 3. UART.) BASIC also includes tools Unit - $59 Controller- $89 The 6402 also has several other that make it easy to store received Other components and consulting available. &Ft control inputs and outputs that aren't data in a file for later processing. ib Ublige SoftwaUSre and Robotics Corporation 4gT'' used in the Fig. 3 circuit. Outputs in- The program performs four opera- Please send a SASE envelope to receive an dicate Parity Error(PE),Framing Er- tions that illustrate different ways of informative brochure, or send $3 (refunded on ror, or incorrect stop bit (FE), Overrun purchase) for a complete catalog and Video accessing a port. I'll describe the ba- for WindowsT" disk of our robots in action. (OE) Error, and Transmit Buffer Reg- sic reasoning behind the program's P.O. Box 18034 Check or money order only please. Insectat. is a trademark of Ublige Software and RoboticsHuntsville, AL 35804 Corporation. Windows'. is a trademark of [email protected] Microsoft Corporation. 205-518-9422

CIRCLE NO. 93 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Put computer power in your operation. For more details on specif- Sources projects! ic statements, see your BASIC pro- THE MICROCONTROLLER gramming manual. B&B Electronics IDEABOOK To write to the port, you type a 707 Dayton Rd. BY JAN AXELSON value from 0 to 255. A PRINT state- PO Box 1040 featuringthe ment writes the value to the COM Ottawa, IL 61350 8052 -BASICsingle -chip computer port, and you should see the value at Tel.: 815-434-0846 Practical designs for use in data loggers, controllers RBR1 through RBR8 on the 6402. To and other small -computer applications. How to use sensors, relays, displays, clock/calendars, read the port, you can choose between CIRCLE NO. 120 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD keypads, wireless links, and more. Complete with an interrupt -triggered or polled inter- schematics, example programs & design theory. face. For interrupt -triggered reads, Global Engineering Documents Use the described development system for easy, 15 Inverness Way E. inexpensive testing and EPROM programming. you can choose between reading each 273 pages. Satisfaction guaranteed. Englewood, CO 80112 $31.95 + $3 S & H. WI residents please add 5%. byte as it arrives or waiting for three Tel.: 1-800-624-3974 or 303-792-2181 LAKEVIEW RESEARCH, 2209 Winnebago St., bytes to accumulate before you read Madison, WI 53704.(608) 241-5824. any of them. CIRCLE NO. 121 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Internet: [email protected] Since the OPEN COM statement au- CIRCLE NO. 70 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD tomatically enables the receive inter- Jameco rupts, you don't have to. The program 1355 Shoreway Rd. also performs these three functions: Belmont, CA 94002 To Order COM(1) ON enables event trapping on Tel.: 1-800-831-4242 or 415-592-8097 Art the specified serial port. When a char- CIRCLE NO. 122 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Back Issues acter arrives at the serial port, the subroutine named in the ON COM(1) JDR Microdevices statement executes. 2233 Samaritan Dr. ON COM(1) GOSUB... names the sub- San Jose, CA 95124 Microthmptter routine to execute when the CPU de- Tel.: 1-800-538-5000 or 408-559-1200 tects a receive -data interrupt at the serial port. To read a single byte, the CIRCLE NO. 123 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD ByteRead subroutine uses an INPUT$ Maxim Integrated Products statement to read the serial -port buf- 120 San Gabriel Dr. fer. To display the value, an ASC Sunnyvale, CA 94086 function converts the string variable Tel.: 1-800-998-8800 or 408-737-7600 in the buffer to the numeric value of the code. (Without this step, an input CIRCLE NO. 124 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD of 78h would display as "x," which is the ASCII character represented by Unicorn Electronics code 78h.) 10010Canoga Ave., Unit B-8 To read several bytes, the Buffered - Chatsworth, CA 91311 Tel.: 1-800-824-3432 or 818-341-8833 Read subroutine uses the LOC function Send $5.75 Per Issue to detect when three bytes have accu- CIRCLE NO. 125 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Check, Money Order, mulated. It then reads the serial -port Mastercard, VISA, Discover input buffer, which contains a single and AMEX accepted three -byte string variable. The MID$ function extracts each byte from the Moving On buffer, and a PRINT statement dis- You can reach me on CompuServe at Send All plays them. 71163,3555, on Internet at There are times when you might not71163.3555 @compuserve.com or by Correspondence To: want to use interrupts, such as when mail at Box 3374, Madison, WI CQ Communications you don't have a free IRQ level to 53704-0374. For a personal reply by mail, please include a self-addressed 76 North Broadway spare. In this case, the PolledRead routine shows how you can poll the serial envelope, stamped if possible. Hicksville, NY 11801 port by reading the Line Control Reg- Or Call ister (LCR) in the PC's UART to determine if new data has arrived. If Bit 516-681-2922 0 in the register is 1, new data is FAX 516-681-2926 available in the UART's receive register. Reading the data clears Bit 0 of Complete your collection today. the LCR until a new byte arrives. When you're through using the ser- ORDER YOUR ial port, a CLOSE statement closes the port and disables any interrupts en- BACK ISSUES abled by the OPEN COM statement. TODAY! Jan Axelson

58 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 By Phil Hughes A Multi Tasking Development Platform For PC/Compatibles The Unix -like Linux operating system is your no -cost entry into an alternative to DOS and Windows

Have you ever wanted to compile a C program, execute a previously compiled program !Unica Casual &meal, and dial into a BBS simultaneously? Comm& cses be called by C1AL-A One way to do this and more is with Male Functions Other Furt Jens dlrectory..D am script W....6 IClear s. Linux, a Unix -like operating system (available for free). It offers capabili-

OW->eaglc ties on a par with those of commercial ppp->sendlog PPP -31.0. Unix implementations and, in many PP1,361.3113¢ cases, beyond them. In this article, I offer a little background on Linux and show you how I've used it as a per- (PPOn>amit_asrsc_eep. sizeof 0:pp->lt_astascapma _m; PV->Hi.t_asgrsc_eap s Cedfffffff: ppp->lt_async_aapka 0.0000:000, sonal development platform. After rl.acat oop->recv_asyrc_aap s N00000300; el.kn reading this article, you may find that et.k12 el.00l el -kV Linux is something you can use, too. el. dealt. 1 alt.es 14 alt.gaa re..adeln akbashnet.thires The Basics ak,test ak.config blt.11stsers.alx-1 The core of Linux was written by a caw os os2 network college student named Linus Torvalds sset current to n, Tfigsneet urged, issearah pattern, c)atchop, &to, Jsllne down, ksline 43, h)elO, .O.B. Welt, estoggle ell/urread, in Finland. Over the past three years, Oubscrlte, S)tb pattern, u)nsabscrIbe, U)noi> pattern, y)ark lrtiout his effort has sparked the interest of thousands of programmers around the world. His work, the work of the other programmers and a set of Unix util-This screen capture illustrates Linux as a multitasking development system. ities developed by the Free Software Foundation have made Linux a seri- computer systems. I also needed utili- Microsoft Windows, for example, ous alternative to a multi -thousand - ty programs that would let me deal claims to be multitasking but there's a dollar Unix system. with files, batch editing and a lan- difference between what it does and Although there's a lot more to Lin- guage that would let me reformat data what's really needed. What you need ux than just a development platform files. Also, because MS -DOS -format is "preemptive multitasking" in which (see the Linux Capabilities box), in disks seem to be the de -facto standard the operating system can interrupt a this article, I'll address only this topic. for information interchange, I needed task and turn control over to another Anyone who wants to learn more to be able to format, read and write task any time it chooses. Without this about Linux and its capabilities, the DOS disks. I also expect to be able to capability, one program may not be More Information box lists additional run any number of these programs able to gain control of the CPU when resources that are worthwhile investi- concurrently. needed. gating. These requirements are easily satis- If you've ever run under Windows The first step in building a develop- fied with any Linux distribution. I'll and pressed Alt -Tab to change tasks, ment platform is deciding what it is. discuss each requirement individually: you know what I mean. The task In my case, I wanted an editor with switch might be immediate or it might which I'd be comfortable, a C compil- Concurrency take several seconds or more to acer and some communications software To run programs concurrently, the op- complish. Linux is preemptive and that would allow me to talk to other erating system must be multitasking. also overlaps input/output operations

Januaty/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 59 called the X Window System that was Emacs are quite different: vi offers a 0800 2 10 1.3 developed at MIT. way to use external commands to 0830 8 60 25.3 X -windows is available for most accomplish tasks (for example, sort- 0900 12 88 96.4 Unix platforms, which makes Linux ing part of the file you're editing). 0930 14 93 113.6 an inexpensive development platform Emacs is a much larger editor that has 1000 15 95 121.0 many built-in capabilities. 1030 14 90 111.5 for X -windows applications. joe and pico are small and easy -to - 1100 15 93 140.2 learn, making them good choices for 1130 13 89 106.2 Editors the newcomer. For basic editing, joe 1200 8 40 30.3 For me, vi is the best editor, but Linux and pico seem fairly similar. Joe, offers choices. Here is a shopping list Fig. 1. Example of a data file that however, offers capabilities beyond of what's currently available: those available in pico. consists of a series of lines, each con- Vi was developed as a screen -orient- taining four fields. ed user interface that was built on top of the original Unix line -oriented ed C Compiler & with computing. This overlap feature editor. It offers extensive editing cap- Support Programs abilities (I wrote this article with vi, alone could mean that programs run A complete C development system for example) with a minimum of key- much faster under Linux than under needs to include a compiler, linking strokes. Almost always cryptic, it's MS-DOS on the same hardware. loader, make utility and support pro- difficult to initially get up to speed The hardware required to run Linux grams. The following is a basic list of using vi, but if you use the same edi- include a 386 or better PC based on some of the capabilities included with tor daily, it's a good choice. I person- the ISA or EISA bus, at least 4M of Linux: RAM and some hard -disk space (a ally have versions of vi for all the minimum system runs in 40M). An Unix and Linux platforms on which I gcc-C compiler (from Free Software ideal workstation for serious develop- work, plus MS-DOS and the Atari ST. Foundation) ment would need 8M of RAM and This multi -platform availability is an- g++-C++ compiler (from Free Software 100M to 300M of disk space. De- other advantage. Foundation) pending on the type of work you're Emacs is right up there with vi for Id-linking loader doing, a monochrome display adapter most capabilities. This editor was ar-object library maintainer might be fine. But, if you need graph- developed by Richard Stallman, nm-namelist print (displays symbols in ics and color, Linux supports most the founder of the Free Software object files) gdb-symbolic debugger super -VGA displays. In fact, Linux Foundation. The philosophies behind vi and make-program group maintainer comes with a windowing system RCS-revisioncontrol system

Make is a program that handles de- Listing 1 pendencies between various modules. For example, if your C source pro- BEGIN{ #initialize variables gram dog.c includes the files animals.h low_events = 99999 and terrain.h, you'd say that object high_events = 0 program dog.o depends on these.h print 'Time Load/Users" files. This means that ifanimals.h or print " } terrain.h are modified, you need to re- compile dog.c. Once you establish these dependencies in a make file, the count++ # count input records make utility automatically generates # save values in variables time = $1 the necessary commands to keep your users = $2 programs up-to-date. events = $3 Make is fairly common outside the load = $4 Unix/Linux community and is includ- load_total += load# cummulative load ed in Borland's Turbo C. RCS, on the # if load > 100, print time if (load > 100) print " load =" load " at " time other hand, is very much an animal of # check for new low and high the Unix community. RCS lets you if (events < low_events) low_events = events keep multiple versions of a program if (events > high_events) in one set of source files. This is ex- high_events = events high_time = time tremely handy if you have multiple people who are updating the same 1 print time "" load/users source files or if you have to keep the source code up-to-date on more than one version of your program. For ex- END { #all data read, print final report print "Highest event count was " high_events " at " high_time ample, if you have a program that print "Average load was " load_total / count runs on different machines that have slightly different hardware, RCS

60 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 LinnCapabilities Learn MICROCONTROLLERS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS and Though there exists more than one Linux *Fortran and Pascal translators PROGRAMMING with distribution, each generally includes the *Symbolic debugger the AES-10 following capabilities. Note that because The AES-10... a Linux includes most of the features of Graphical User Interface complete learning system, a complete 4/ both BSD and System V Unix and meets *X Windows System embedded control 40-6'641194,4,N. system. Extensive manual, at at most of the POSIX requirements, it's rel- *X -windows development tools atSOb.ba: atively easy to port other software to *X -windows based versions of editors guide you through your 8051 ligiva;4/1 development project. Assembly. Linux. and BASIC, and C programming. debuggers All hardware details,complete schematics. Learn to program the LCD, keypad, digital and analog 1/0s for Operating System *TCL/Tk development environment your applications. *Multi-user, multi -tasking kernel *X applications, including drawing pro- *Network File System (NFS) grams, PostScript viewer and graphical 80C32 Computer/Microcontroller board with: *MS-DOS file system display 32K ROM , 32K RAM 2 by 16 Liquid *IS09660 (CD-ROM) file system Crystal Display 4 by 5 Keypad Digital, Text -Formatting Systems A/D , D/A, and PWM, I/0 Built in Utility Programs *TeX and LaTeX Logic Probe Power supply (can also be *Shells (command interpreters). includ- *groff (Free Software Foundation's battery operated) Extended AES BASIC and AES Monitor in ROM RS -232 cable ing nroff/ to connect to PC for programming 8051/ the Bourne Again Shell (aka bash), tcsh, troff suite) 52 DOS Cross Assembler Program disks ash, zsh and public -domain korn shell *ispell spell checker with well documented examples User's (pdksh) Manual, Language Manual, and Textbook AES-20 (a smaller board without *File -access and -manipulation utilities Data Manipulation Keypad and LCD) *Compression/decompression programs *awk data -manipulation language *Text editors *sed batch editor AES-10 $365 *sort Money Back Guarantee Free Brochure, M/C Visa 714 - 744-0981 Communications *file -comparison utilities Fax 714 - 744-2693 *TCP/IP networking over Ethernet *Internet access programs, including tel- Emulators & Compatibility Libraries 800 - 730-3232 net, ftp and lynx *DOSEMU MS-DOS emulator

*SLIP and PPP networking over serial *Wine Microsoft Windows Emulator (in 1407 North Batavia Street, Orange, California 92667, USA ports development) *PLIP networking over parallel (printer) *iBCS2 libraries (for running executa- ports bles *uucp Unix -style computer -to -computer from Intel -x86 -based Unix systems communication *Interactive terminal emulators Miscellaneous *Electronic mail (e-mail) Software Development *Usenet news systems (Cnews and INN) *C compiler and linking loader *Usenet news readers, including tin, tin *make and Revision Control System and nn (RCS) COMPONENTS Whether you order 1 part or could handle management of the same keystroke commands to access all 47,114...MCUSER stocks source code. the menus. and...ships same day.!! If C isn't your cup of tea, other lan- While minicom offers the ability to guage processors are available, in- interactively connect to other comput- CALL...(800) 992-9943 cluding Fortran, Pascal and even er systems and to request file trans- assembler. fers, I regularly use one other capability and plan to use a second in the future. The one I currently use is called iw for your Communications uucp, which stands for Unix -to -Unix FREE A terminal -emulation program that Communications Program. It offers a supports such common transfer modes way to have two computer systems CATALOG as Kermit and zmodem is the mini- automatically transfer files and elec- mum requirement for communica- tronic mail without the need for an., 2401 Hwy 287 N. tions. One program included with intervention. Mansfield, TX 76063 most distributions is minicom. The uucp protocol was developed Minicom looks much like the MS- in the early days of Unix when dedi- DOS communications package called cated computer connections weren't ProComm and has the same menu - needed and the costs associated with MOUSER® oriented interface and generally the the connections were prohibitive. ELECTRONICS Sales & Stocking Locations Nationwide

CIRCLE NO. 76 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 61 Software Review By Tom Fox Mathcad 5.0: Math Program With Sophisticated Text -Handling Capabilities ora Special -Purpose Word Processor With Sophisticated Math Capabilities?

I first used Mathcad 1.0 way back in 1986. 1 recent- terms, when SmartMath is turned on, SmartMath ly looked at Version 1.0 again to make a comparison uses its collection of rules (built-in "smarts") to with the recently -released Version 5.0. My impres- determine the best way to solve a problem and sion is that, except for the comparatively crude user whether Mathcad should rely on its symbolic or interface (CGA/poor EGA quality screen), Mathcad numerical engine. 1.0 is still a useful program. Actually, Version 1.1, Mathcad 5.0 can now be used as a special-pur- which was an update sent free of charge, could do pose word processor that prints just about any math- most of the number crunching the latest version ematical symbol, including all the Greek characters, does. Other than taking up nearly 50 times more disk although only the most commonly used Greek char- space (300K vs. 15M), the primary obvious differ- acters are on the palettes. It has been rather obvious ence is that Versions 3.0 and later could do symbolic since Mathcad 3.0 that Mathsoft was rapidly ex- equations (the type done by pure mathematicians), panding the text -manipulation capabilities of Math - while earlier versions were solely number crunchers. cad . With Mathcad 1.0, text handling seemed to be The other major difference, of course, is that since an afterthought. However, with Version 5.0 and in- Version 3.0, Mathcad has been either a Windows or clusion of a sophisticated spell checker, headers and Macintosh version. footers and automatic page numbering, print preview To be honest, the Windows version has been a and improved text editing, Mathcad 5.0 can now be boon, especially to those of us who don't use Math - looked at in one of two ways: as a sophisticated cad on a daily basis. While the Windows version in- scratch -pad type math program or as a mathematical cludes multiple document interface (MDI) that lets word processor with sophisticated mathematics cap- you keep several files open simultaneously and per- abilities. I imagine this is Mathsoft's goal to increase mits simple cut and paste between documents, it's their sales potential and I'm not surprised to see the the operator palette along the left edge of the win- marketing people at Mathsoft attempting to push the dow that's the star! With that dazzlingly beautiful word-processing capabilities of Mathcad 5.0. For set of pixels along the left edge of the screen, you those of you who are into advanced math, Mathsoft don't have to remember often -arbitrary keystroke also sells Mathcad Plus 5.0 along with Maple V. My designations. While I've never forgotten that a colon personal feeling is that the potential market for ad- (:) produces the logical equivalent of an = sign and vanced mathematics software is limited and stag- the = sign itself is used as a "compute" command to nant, while the potential market for a mathematics instruct Mathcad to calculate an answer, when it word processor with advanced mathematics capabili- comes to things like the integral sign or, say, even 77 ties is large and increasing. (3.14159...) I had to look it up somewhere. Now with that gorgeous operator palette, you just point and click! It took nearly 21/2 years for Mathsoft to upgrade Mathcad 5.0 Overview Mathcad from its 2.5 DOS version to its 3.0 Win- This program ($495 list, less than $290 street) re- dows version. Since Mathcad 3.0, Mathsoft has been quires a minimum 80386SX PC/compatible, with turning upgrades out rather furiously-three addi- 4M of RAM and 14M of free hard -disk space and an tional versions have appeared: 3.1, 4.0 and 5.0. additional 1M of space on the hard -disk space on Versions 3.0 through 5.0 of Mathcad have more which Windows is installed. It's recommended that similarities than differences. Normally, one would you also have at least 8M of virtual memory, al- assume that the latest version would have more fea- though this can be configured as either a permanent tures. This is only partially true with Mathcad. Ver- or temporary swap file. It also requires a mouse sion 5.0 has many more features than Version 3.0. along with Windows 3.1. The system I tested it on is However, SmartMath, a major feature, was intro- nearly the minimal system described-a 16 -MHz duced with Version 4.0 but is omitted with the stan- 386SX with 8M of RAM and no math coprocessor. dard Version 5.0. As far as I know, SmartMath, as On a bare -bones minimal system, Mathcad is implemented in Version 4.0, wasn't buggy, although plenty fast for even moderately complex math with- on my minimal system, when SmartMath was load- out graphics. However, once you display graphics, ed my hard disk seemed to work like an over -busy either a plot or imported, Mathcad slows up signifi- ant! Rather, it was the bottom line that likely caused cantly. Take heart here. By simply doubling RAM this deletion from Version 5.0. With release of Ver- (from 4 MB to 8M) things speed up greatly. For in- sion 5.0, Mathsoft has created a new category of stance, on my minimal system with only 4 M of software; its "Plus" version. Now SmartMath is in- RAM, moving about a document with graphics is so cluded with only Mathsoft Plus 5.0. In very simple slow as to be on the verge of being unacceptable.

64 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 However, with 8 M of RAM and my oth- erwise minimal system, Mathcad's speed, even with a document heavily loaded with The Mathcad 5.0 Installation Program graphics, is acceptable to me. Decompressing Files from Disk 1 As with its other three Windows -based Have you registered yet? Decompressing BAmcad.z ancestors (3.0, 3.1 and 4.0), Mathcad 5.0 If not. now's the time! Destination Location: DAWINMCAD1 comes with a professional program that As a Registered User. mcad.exe makes its installation to hard disk a snap you'll receive: Please take a moment to read the release nctes below. (Fig. 1). To put things into perspective, Timely information about add-on products Product and service update information Mathcad 1.0 and 1.1 didn't come with an Unlimited technical support installation program. However, their pro- Special product offers 2% grams were so compact that they each could fit on a single 360K 51/4" disk, al- u'll find a Registration Card in ttif though Version 1.1 came with an auxiliary oruduct box. Fill it out and either mail or fax it to MathSoft. That's ill disk of sample documents. These early programs could either be run from the original floppy or the files could be sim- Mathcad 5.0 Installation Release Notes ply copied onto a hard disk. As a compari- RELEASE NOTES FOR MATHCAD 5.0 AND MATHCAD PLUS 5.0 son, Mathcad 5.0 comes on five 1.44M 31/2" disks crammed with compressed sc These notes provide last minute information on this version data! (Mathcad 4.0 was able to fit on three of Mathcad as well as mrrections to the documentation. 31/2" disks.) Brand new with Mathcad 5.0 is a short CONTENTS: animated tutorial. While short at less than Ex iF. 10 minutes and simplistic with little sub- stance, it's fairly effective in introducing an individual educated in traditional math- Fig. 1. Mathcad 5.0's installation screen ematics to Mathcad. This tutorial is funny. It's a rather painless and fairly humorous introduction to Mathcad. culator and a pad of paper than with Math - mention all of them. So what I'll do is Mathcad's hefty manual (it contains cad operating on a 100 -MHz Pentium PC? highlight those features I feel will be of more than 800 pages) is extremely well - The answer here, I suppose, depends upon most interest to you. The following is a written. It seems to combine a tutorial and the individual. Personally, I think Mathcad very abbreviated list of these: reference in one easy -to -read text and is is a wise choice when trying to solve even Solves most commonly used equations loaded with examples and screen shots relatively simple design problems. While it (numerically and symbolically) including that should be able to turn someone won't make you give up your calculator or simultaneous equations and inequalities. knowledgeable in mathematics into a put pencil manufacturers out of business, it Handles units and does dimensioning Mathcad expert in just a few days. Don't does make you think more logically and checking. be misled here, though. The animated tu- proceed more orderly. Its range values fea- Takes derivatives, integrals, most 1-1-1's, torial or manual doesn't teach you mathe- ture and its graphing capabilities are time does iteration, works with octal, hexadec- matics; just about Mathcad. If you don't savers-with Mathcad, it's nearly as easy imal and complex numbers. have any idea what an eigenvector is be- to make calculations with 1,000 different Provides many statistical functions and fore reading the manual, you still won't resistor values as it is with one. performs many vector and matrix opera- after reading it!(If your math knowledge Nonetheless, the greatest time -saving abili- tions (even finds eigenvalues and eigen- is weak but your desire for math knowl- ty concerns Mathcad's indirect effect on vectors) edge is strong, look into Mathcad's new behavior, rather than the more -direct obvi- Includes trigonometric, hyperbolic, ex- educational Electronic Book series.) The ous effect of speeding calculations. For ponential and Bessel functions. only meager complaint I can make with instance, since Mathcad makes repeated Creates just about any 2-D graph you the manual is that I'd appreciate a more - calculations so effortless, a designer has a need. complete index. You'd think an 18 -page greater incentive to undertake copious cal- Index would be sufficient but it isn't here. culations that usually (there are exceptions) Using the Program For instance, while there's a complete results in a more -careful mathematical While Mathcad is basically easy to use, it chapter on importing graphics, I couldn't analysis of a problem. Often, this reduces does have a few idiosyncrasies that can be find any reference to it in the index! the need for modifying the design of the confusing to new users. One that comes to Mathcad 1.0 started out as a mathemati- prototype system. One possible negative mind concerns the simple = sign. You cal scratch pad and quickly dominated this result, often overlooked, with careful math- thought an = simply meant that whatever niche market. Although you can still use it ematical design is that it tends to reduce was on the left of the sign equaled what- as such, Mathcad 5.0 is more than a scratch the number of major breakthroughs made ever is to the right of the sign. With Math - pad. It's a mathematical word processor through happenstance. Despite their reality, cad, that's sort of true, but there's more to with advanced mathematical capability. these breakthroughs are sometimes thought it. For instance, say you want to set the However, unless you want to produce a of as "myths," possibly because of their variable V = 5. If you try to type this as V slick and professional -appearing math rarity. As a practical matter, it's difficult to = 5, using the keyboard directly, Mathcad paper, is it really necessary? If you aren't justify increased development costs simply simply won't let you do it! It stuns you doing some really intense math problem, to increase the slim chance of a major with error messages or, if V is entered pre- might a good scientific calculator and a breakthrough through blind luck. viously in your document, Mathcad dis- pad of paper do just as good? Also, can't Mathcad 5.0 has so many math features plays the calculated value of V less than a you get most jobs done quicker with a cal - that I don't have room enough here to millisecond after you hit the = key!

January/February 1995 I MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 65 Of course there's a simple way to assign the value 5 to V. Instead of using the keyboard's = sign use the : key. Thus typing V:5 results in the display "V := 5", which means variable V now has the value 5. If next you type "V=", the display will show: Let's graph the function: "V = 5". The = sign on the keyboard f(x) := sin(x) instructs Mathcad to evaluate the expres- For the interval between -360 deg and +360 deg. sion, which here is a simple variable that Remember that: has a value of 5. "Fine", you may say, "but 2.n.rad =360 deg how does one write a simple equation like y = x - 5?" The answer is by using a third \i'Ve define the range variable x' = sign, which shows up on the screen as a bold = sign! This = sign (the Boolean = sign) is obtained by typing [ctrl]=. The Boolean = sign is the closest to the From the Graphics drop down \ f(x) 0 mathematical definition of the = sign most menu we choose: Create X -Y Graph - are used to. However, it isn't exactly the and type f(x) and x12f7 in the placeholders. same. For instance, if you type x[ctrl]=1 (x \\,1 I if = I will show on the display) and then type x=, an error will show on the screen n and it won't display x=1, which logically aj it should. However, if you use Mathcad' s symbolic engine (which is loaded only as Pa3e 1 auto an option, since it uses so much memory) and choose Evaluate Variable Symbolic- Fig. 2. This is a screen shot of the sin(x) function. ally from the Symbolic drop -down menu, the screen will, indeed, indicate that x has the value of 1. Even so, it still doesn't and then command Mathcad to calculate Mathcad, except for graphs and plots, the automatically put the equality, x=1, on the the answer (simply done by typing R=), program doesn't have typical graphic screen, and if you attempt to make things what you get is the obscene R = 500*kg* tools. I believe such a program would ben- look right and type x=, you'll still get an m2*sec-1*coul-2! Believe it or not, these efit from including a few drawing tools, as error message! units are correct. Nevertheless, the units many as some of the popular spreadsheets It would be nice if Mathcad could surely aren't your typical ones used in do today. Really, what is a scratch pad somehow integrate all these equal signs Electric Circuits 101! While it isn't diffi- without a few well -placed, pertinent into a single one so that those of us who cult to have Mathcad change these rather scratches and scribbles? think mathematically will find the pro- pedantic units to the more common It's simple to create graphs and plots gram more congenial. There's yet another "ohm," it can't be done before the calcula- with Mathcad (Fig. 2 indicates how to cre- = sign that's closely related to the Assign tion is made. ate a simple graph of the sine function). Value to Variable sign-the one created Since in addition to being a math pro- Mathcad supports just about every 2D with the colon. It's the global assignment. gram, Mathcad can be considered a spe- graph and plot you'll want, including func- Instead of just two short horizontal lines cial-purpose word processor, it seems rea- tion graphs, vector graphs, multi -expres- this one has three. This global assignment sonable to assume that it provides for im- sion graphs, polar plots and even contour is accomplished by typing the tilde (-) portation of graphics. There are several plots. Many options are available, such as key. The only difference between this one ways of doing this. For instance, you can logarithmic scale, bargraph (the default is a and the assignment created by the : key is paste an image from the Windows Clip- line graph), color and many others. that, once a variable is defined globally, board. You also can import graphics indi- The only problem with the graphs is that its definition applies everywhere in the rectly by entering the name of a file con- they're faint and lack a finished appear- document. While the preceding discussion taining graphics information. Pasting from ance. As you can see in Fig. 2, fine details may make it appear Mathcad is confusing, the Clipboard is simple for the Windows - that you'd expect in a state-of-the-art Win- one gets use to its handling of = signs fast. smart. For instance, if you created an im- dows program are missing. Except for be- In addition to the math -related academ- age with Paintbrush, select the drawing ing much neater, they look a lot like the ic world, Mathcad is designed for techni- with the cutout tool and choose Copy graphs I make on my own scratch pad with cal professionals and scientists by provid- from the Edit menu. Then in Mathcad, a No. 2 pencil. In fact, the graphs produced ing unit capabilities and also does dimen- choose Paste from the Edit menu. by Mathcad 5.0 are similar to the ones pro- sional checking. Mathcad automatically The other way to import an image is duced by the original Mathcad 1.0, which I displays results in terms of the MKS fun- through a separate file. Here, choose Cre- felt could use improvement back then. damental units (m, kg, sec, coul and K, or ate Picture from the Graphics menu and While the present graph is fine for a quick degrees Kelvin) even if one labels vari- type the name of the file containing the check of a math problem, it would be nice ables with other units. This is consistent. graphic information. This graphic file must if Mathcad included another more -detailed However, it isn't always the most conve- be in .BMP format. If the file isn't in the graph -creating routine that would include nient. For instance, say you want to calcu- same directory as Mathcad, things get presentation -quality graphics. late a resistance knowing the voltage slightly more complicated and you must across it and the current through it. From use the Associate Filename procedure, Ohm's law, this is simply R = V/I. Now which is clearly explained in the manual. Text Capabilities say you enter V := 5 volts and I := 10 mA While you can import graphics into In the promotional literature, Mathcad 5.0

66 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 = Mathcad - [MCDGRAPH.MCD] Mathcad can display in standard format oFile Edit TextMath Graphics SymbolicWindow Books Help just about any mathematical equation you can think of. Unless the equation is sim- TS I ,-,:.;at, A Xli-blell A IIMT F.1.3 q '11. ple, the equation must be in the equation TI. region and not the text region. The reason . , is that Mathcad's sophisticated math sym- This is a text region x :=-5,-4.9..5 - bols can be used in only an equation re- rr gion. However, Greek characters can be GraphRegion(x) := (xi + 2.x - used in both text and equation regions.

40 Mathcad's text is formatted using the Rich ThisIsAnEguationRegion l Y:=2+5-6 r Text Format (RTF) specification. Thus, Y = 1 you can export the text from Mathcad's 20- /f 0.P12R.Par(x) text region to any word processor that can 0- '',. - read files in RTF format. While you can't export data from an equation or plot re-

-20 gion in this manner, any region can be -5 0 5 exported using the Windows Clipboard to a word processor concurrently running under Windows. Mathcad is a quantum leap ahead of 4 WordPerfect 5.1's Equation Editor. Un- .1 like WP's Equation Editor, it not only is a LIf snap to write an equation with but, unlike

Page I I I auto the Equation Editor, it can solve it-at least most of the time. Fig. 3. This screen shot shows Mathcads regions. When they hear about Mathcad, most people think of numerical calculations. For Mathcad's first five years of exis- stresses its word-processing capabilities. gions. In a printed document, the regions tence, this was true. In Version 3.0, Math - While you can create a document that seem to merge. These regions are so seam- soft introduced a symbolic processor contains text with sophisticated mathemat- less that separate regions aren't discern- based on the well-known Maple symbolic ical equations, the two can't be mixed. ible to even a meticulous observer. Since engine developed by Waterloo Maple Separate text regions must be created. A Mathcad creates an invisible rectangle to Software, Inc. Keep in mind that Math - Mathcad document is composed of a col- hold each region, one normally can't see cad's implementation of Maple is limited, lection of regions. In addition to text re- the different regions. If you wish to see and if you want the full implementation gions, there are equation regions, plot the regions, choose View Regions from you'll have to purchase Maple V separate- (graph) regions and graphic (picture) re- the Edit menu, as illustrated in Fig. 3. ly. To conserve memory, the symbolic processor isn't loaded when Mathcad starts. It's loaded by either clicking the maple -leaf icon or by choosing Load Sym- Mathcad RE bolic from the Symbolic drop -down menu. File EditText Math GraphicsSymbolicWindowBooks Help People who love mathematics will be iltorrwa o i i fond of the symbolic processor. It can manipulate equations like a genuine mathe- matician. When asked to find a numerical NUMERIC.MCD SYMBOLIC.MCD I Li CIO solution to a problem, it will provide an Plot and find the roots for the function To salve this sameproblem using Symbol cs r pexact answer, rather than a numerical ap- f(x) -1.x4- x-=-3,-2.9..3 4 2 1 4---2=03 2 proximation. For instance, for the simple 4 2 equation X2 -2 = 00, it will provide the 10 exact answers +sqrt2 and -sqrt2 instead of Then we choose Salve for Variable the approximate answers: 1.414 and 5 from the Symbolic Menu and we get ex) our set of answers: -1.414 (see Fig. 4).

a Remember, the symbolic processor is separate from Mathcad and, when you a choose a command from the Symbolic 2 0 4 menu, Mathcad sends the expression to x:=0 roo+1.xa - =0 Maple. Maple's answers are often in a dif- 4 2 Notice, N3 =2.449 ferent format from what you may be used x:=-2 1(-x4 3 rant - -x2,x) =-2.449 Here we don't need to make a guess, as we did to. For instance, the integral of f(x) with 4 2 with the numerical processor used in the 3ther respect to xis written by Maple as int- x =3 window. root --3.x2,x) =2.449 (f(x),x). Because of this, Mathcad normal- 4 2 ly converts the answer into a more -normal

L Pa e 1 Mathcad expression. However, when the answer is too long, it's placed on the Clip- Fig. 4. Comparison of Mathcads symbolic and numerical engines as they solve the same board and is displayed in Maple's syntax. problem. One chooses from the Symbolic Menu

January/February 1995 I MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 67 exactly what one wants to do, as in Fig. 5. Mathcad - [MCDFIGX3.MCD] Notice all the things you can and can't do. File EditText Math Graphics SymbolicWindowBooks Help Can't -do options are grayed out and, thus, aJ Apo evaluate Symbolically ShiftaF9 "' 1,1c1RaILW - aren't available, usually for a logical rea- Simplify son. For instance, if there's no matrix in Variables *Times New RonExpand Expression Factor Expression the document, Transpose Matrix, Invert Let's look at a problem listed in a colli Collect on Subexpression Matrix, Determinant of Matrix options We are suppose to find the derivative. will be grayed out. Differentiate on Variable It's obvious that Mathcad, with Maple's Integrate on Variable help, does a great job in math. Nonethe- Solve for Variable less, you can't expect it always to produce AWN Now from the Symbolic Menu let's c Expand to Series... the simplest answer. Also, Mathcad has (x) Differentiate on Variable Convert to radial Fraction limitations, many of which aren't so much Ix! the limits of the program but a limit of (x2+1)2 (2+1)3 traompose Matrix 6 x 4x Invert Matrix present mathematics knowledge. For in- (x2 + 2)2 (x2 + 2)3 Determinant of Matrix stance, according to Mathcad's manual, there's no known formula, like the famous But this doesn't look like the answer Derivation Farmat... book so let's next choose Simplify fro Derive in Place quadratic formula, that gives the roots ofa polynomial of degree 5 or over Such an 2 x (x2+4)(x2+1)2 equation is easily solved numerically but (x2+2)3 not symbolically by Mathcad. It's interesting to note that, while the manual implies that Mathcad's symbolic engine can't solve polynomials of degree 5 and over, Page 1 I Evaluates selected expression symbolically. 1 auto I've tried several degree -6 and over equations and Mathcad's Maple has come up with exact answers, which are displayed Fig.5. Symbolic drop -down menu shows allavailable and non -available(shown on the Clipboard! I made no attempt in de - phantomed) options.

Low Cost CAD Software Looking to challenge your for the IBM PC and Compatibles building skills? Now In Windows"' Want to explore beyond Design & Amateur communications? Simulation Well here's the publication for YOU!

rIlIJIJ111.11.11.1 COMMUNICATIONS QUARTERLY, the journal of communications technology. You are invited to become part of an elite group of Radio Amateurs and technical professionals as a subscriber. PCB Circulation will be strictly limited. Layout F4D Each quarterly has approximately 100 pages of technical material; advertising is limited. Articles flow from page to page, without the interruption of ads placed in the middle. The open lay- Easy to use schematic entry program (SuperCAD) for circuit diagrams, only out accentuates each authors work and lets you make notes, cal- $149. Includes netlisting, bill of materials, extensive parts libraries, More parts, and automatic wiring available in enhanced CAD package culations, or comments for later reference. Graphs, photos, com- inan (SuperCAD+) for only $249. puter programlistings,and chartsare presented Powerful, event -driven digital simulator (SuperSIM) allows you to check logic easy -to -use format. circuitry quickly before actually wiring it up. Works directly within the COMMUNICATIONS QUARTERLY is printed on a high -quality SuperCAD editor from a pulldown menu and displays results in logic stock and "perfect bound" (square backed). It is such a valuable analyzer" display window. Starting at $149 this is the lowest cost simulator on resource, you'll want to file each copy away in your technical the market. Support for PALs, a larger library, and a separate interactive logic archives for future reference. In fact, over time you'll find much viewer are available in full -featured SuperSIM+ for only $399. Library parts of what is presented in COMMUNICATIONS QUARTERLY will include TTL, CMOS and ECL devices. become the standard in the Amateur and professional communi- Circuit board artwork editor and autorouter programs (SuperPCB), starting at cations field. $149. Produce high quality artwork directly on dot matrix or laser printers. You Act now. Subscribe today! can do boards up to 16 layers including surface mount. Includes Gerber and Excellon file output. Autorouter accepts netlists and placement data directly 1 year -$29.95 Foreign 1 year - $39.95 from the SuperCAD schematic editor. 2 years -56.95 Foreign 2 years - 76.95 Low cost combination packages with schematics and PCB design: 2 -layer for Foreign Air Mail 1 year-$ 60.00 $399, 16 -layer for $649. Foreign Air Mail 2 years -118.95 DOS version available. MasterCardNISA/American Express accepted Write or call for free demo disks: CO Communications, Inc., 76 North Broadway, MENTAL AUTOMATION, 5415 - 136th Place S.E. Hicksville, NY 11801 Bellevue, WA 98006 Phone: 516-681-2922 (206) 641-2141 BBS (206) 641-2846 FAX: 516-681-2926

CIRCLE NO. 71 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD 68 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Electronic Handbooks Product Reviewed

Mathsoft has developed a large and though not so slowly as to be useless. Mathcad 5.0, $495 growing number of Electronic With a 386SX system that had only 4M Mathsoft Inc. Handbooks. Two are provided with of RAM, scrolling through a document 101 Main St. Mathcad 5.0, the Desktop Reference with graphics is painfully slow, which Cambridge, MA 02142-9785 Handbook, which was formerly called greatly limits the Handbook's practicality. the Standard Handbook, and the Book Therefore, I can't recommend these Tel.: 1-800-MATHCAD; Sampler Handbook, which as its name Handbooks to someone who has a mini- FAX: 617-577-8829 indicates is meant to whet your appetite mal system (386SX, 4M of RAM and no for some of the other Handbooks coprocessor). Even so, I feel they're suit- CIRCLE NO. 150 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Mathsoft sells. I found the sample chap- able for use with a 386SX, as long as it ter in the Astronomical Handbook fasci- has at least 8M of RAM. nating. In it were shown equations that These Electronic Handbooks are not allow one to calculate the phases of the cheap. They list for from $69 to $99 each termining theaccuracy of these answers. moon. In addition to the two Handbooks and are usually purchased directly Along with Mathcad5.0, Mathsoftre- that came with Mathcad, I've also through Mathsoft. At times, Mathsoft installed on my system the Handbook runs specials with prices as low as $39. leased Mathcad Plus 5.0, which is more Theory and Problems of Electric It seems to me that the most useful of powerful. While it still doesn't have a full - Circuits, which is from Schaum's Mathsoft's traditional Electronic featured programming language, similar Outline Series (Fig. A). Handbooks are the ones that provide to Mathematica' s, there is a new C, C++ Many of the Handbooks are original tables and reference data, such as the programming interface. Mathcad Plus is works and not available in standard CRC Materials Science and Engineering obviously designed to compete with Math- book format. When used with Mathcad Handbook . Recently, Mathsoft released ematica, as well asMaple Vand other for Windows, these handbooks allow a number of software packages for edu- math programs. (Maple V, can also be direct importation of "canned" formulas cation. These include Algebra I and It purchased through Mathsoft.) and graphs into your work. Mathcad 5.0 and Precalculus Electronic Books. These Mathcad5.0 now has a DDE (Dynamic has made this easier than ever. In addi- packages are worth looking into if math Data Exchange) interface. Appendix E in tion, you can now use the Electronic education is your goal. the manual provides several good step-by- Book as a scratch pad. You won't mess Before purchasing any Handbook, use step examples of using this sophisticated up the original since Mathcad maintains Mathsoft for a while and see if you actu- interface with Microsoft'sExcelas one of a clean copy at any time. This is a neat ally use the Desktop Reference.If not, feature, and it is obvious Mathsoft has think hard before purchasing an the DDE's client applications. Despite ex- high hopes of creating a steady cash Electronic Handbook. Remember they cellent documentation, unless you're al- flow via its Electronic Books. not only cost you that hard-earned green ready well acquainted with DDEs, you'll On my nearly minimal system, these stuff, they also consume valuable disk probably take some time to become famil- Handbooks operate relatively slowly, al- spa iar with usingMathcad'sDDE capability.

User Comment Mathcad - [Electric Circuits: Welcomeli rile rclit Text MathGraphics Symbolic WindowBooks Help Mathcad 5.0is highly recommended for several sets of users. It's great software 411115r3PEI for anyone in the math/science/engineer- Ell tr-W-mtik ing education fields, either student or teacher. It's also perfect for anyone who wants to quickly create slick -looking

IN Click on the "TOC" button on the palette at left mathematical -based documents. The fact to go to the Table of Contents that it can do advanced numerical calculations and handle symbolics is a plus here. tt Or, click on the "Next Section" button (the fourth button on the palette) to learn how to use Its lack of any drawing tools and presenta- Mathcad's Electronic Handbooks tion -quality graphs is a minus, although it partially makes up for this with its combination of graphic file (.BMP) importation ability and full support of OLE (Object Theory and Problems of Linking and Embedding). Mathcad also is valuable to anyone whose math require- Electric Circuits + ments varies from the basic to the advanced and who prefers a relatively sim- fromSchaum's Outline Series ple non -programmable interface. For complex projects, you may need to supple- ment Mathcad5.0with Mathematica, Pa e 1 auto Matlab, Gauss, Derive, Maple V or possibly Mathcad Plus. For those of us who Fig. A. Screen shot of a section of the Electronic Handbook Theory and Problems of find a scientific calculator and paper suffi- Electric Circuits. cient for most math needs,Mathcad5.0 is a welcome sophisticated addition to a rela-

tively simple math toolbox.

January/February 1995 IMICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 69 LapLink V:Super PC -to -PC File Transfer Via Serial Ports

By Leslee Jo Sebastian

Almost since its in LapLink V inception,many users .i.le Disk Select nnections ;Wens tcorder SmaptIchange Delp

have had the need to 1 Files (565K) transfer files from one mom..Spacebar to select 1.11-14-1F. t -----1 Free: 66,592k Unit's Computer (Local) --- another. An early solu- changes .txt 522 12/17/93 Dial Modem... come .dry 9632 10/01/92 Connect via Network... tion was to use serial le .exe 35003 01/28/93 Remote Install... le .fon 10240 01/28/93 ports and a cable to le .hlp 45540 12/88192 ----- physically link com- 115 .exe 263k 02/12/93 None 115 .hlp 138k 02/11/93 puters that were near 115 .ico 766 01/28/93 115 .pif 545 01/28/93 to each other (several netinfo .exe 11813 02/11/93 readme .txt 26299 82/15/93 feet or so), and a simi- tsi .ini1739 12/18/93 --A- tsi .pbk 132 82/13/93 lar arrangement plus a tsi .pwd 146 12/18/93 --A- tsivid .386 9288 02/07/93 modem at each com- ocd .386 8204 10/01/92 puter and the tele- Local: C:\LL\ Tess key to oilp down menus I 11W12=2= =Shoes Tine''' F2 = Wia-nirSTM iia:I3MM 1 phone line between the two to link com- Fig. 1. Upon starting LapLink, this screen appears on the video monitorsof both puters that were physi- computers if both have LapLink running on them. cally separated from each other by long distances. Over the years, various products have been introduced to make this Installation possible. Traveling Software has been a pioneer in You install LapLink to your hard disk via the prod- this area with its very popular LapLink uct's Install routine. The installation procedure lets software/hardware packages. Its latest package, you choose a Windows installation so that LapLink is LapLink V, is ideal for transferring files from PC to automatically optimized to run in the Windows back- PC via a serial or parallel port or modem. Whether ground. You can also choose between Express and you're using DOS or Windows, LapLink V can be up Custom installation. Express copies all files from the and running smoothly and easily within minutes. LapLink distribution disks to your hard drive and Beyond basic file transfers, LapLink V offers the automatically changes your computer's PATH state- possibility of many other uses, including but not ment in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Custom gives you limited to: control over program configuration and file changes. Distribution of software updates to users During installation, you're prompted for a name Troubleshooting remote PCs by copying trouble- that's to be used to identify your system during some configuration files to a local PC, editing them transfers. Following the on -screen instructions is and copying them back to the remote PC very straightforward, allowing you to complete in- Setting up and configuring new PCs by using the stallation in just minutes. program's built-in "Clone Drive" utility To make a cable connection, you must connect Tapping into central data from main offices, which one of the included LapLink cables to the appropri- can be useful for retrieving updated database files ate port on each computer. I chose a nine -pin (DB-9) and spreadsheets and even updating workgroup serial connection for my two systems. According to schedules from a distance the supplied documentation, parallel connections can Viewing and editing local and remote files and be faster, but I encountered absolutely no problems running local programs without leaving the LapLink with speed using the serial -port method. environment For those of you who may be a bit shy when it Performing file and directory maintenance on local comes to "port knowledge," Traveling Software has and remote computers, including moving, copying, included in its LapLink V User's Guide full explana- renaming, deleting and directory adding tions on how to identify serial and parallel ports. The Setting up users' PCs to automatically back up included cables even have SERIAL and PARALLEL data to floppy disks or a file server on a Novell net- stamped on them! This is a testament to Traveling work. Software's research into user needs. All in all, as you can see from the foregoing, Lap - Link V is quite a sophisticated package for file -transfer and other applications. Using It To transfer files, LapLink must be running on both Leslee Jo Sebastian is the proprietor of PC Pinch computers. Once it's running on one computer, you Hitter, a desktop -publishing and PC consulting can install the software remotely over a serial cable business. or modem connection, using the Remote Install rou-

70 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 to highlight a file or directory and then Lap Link V press the space bar. Alterntatively, you Wile WishSelect onnections Lotions ecorder Smart, hange 4 can click on your selection with your 17 Files (5658) mouse. Another alternative is to choose a Spacebar toselect - -> command from the Select menu to make .- I Free: 73,840k A: --- B: various kinds of selections. The Select All changes .txt 52212/17/93 comm .dry 963210/01/92 D: command, for example, selects everything le .exe3500301/28/93 in the directory. Selected items have an ar- le .fon1024001/28/93 le .hlp4554012/08/92 rowhead (>) symbol to the left of them. In 115 .exe 263k02/12/93 115 .hlp 138k02/11/93 Fig. 4, I've chosen five CorelDRAW.CDR 115 .ico 76601/28/93 files to copy into the C:\ directory of the 115 .pif 54501/28/93 netinfo .exe1181302/11/93 Dinosaur Computer. readme .txt2629902/15/93 tsi .ini 173912/17/93 There's a COPY button at the bottom of tsi .phk 13202/13/93 the screen that points to the target win- tsi .pwd 10602/13/93 tsivid .386 928802/07/93 dow. It's fairly easy to copy files to the vcd .386 820410/01/92 Local: C:\LL\ AlChoose a drive and Tess [Enter] wrong destination if you don't make sure 1.1=121:1=1 gA=Show Time4 m=copv F6=Delete jei-Sync that the arrowhead is pointing toward the Fig. 2. A screen similar to this appears after you select the name of the target computer. correct one. The source window in which you've made your selections must remain highlighted. tine or simply by installing the system on moving files are a breeze. The basic pro- (3) Press the F2 key to copy or the F4 the remote PC using the special supplied cedure is as follows: key to move or mouse -click the COPY or installation diskette. Remote Install is best (1) Specify where the file(s) will be MOVEbutton at the bottom of the screen. for quick -and -dirty modem transfers. This copied or moved to by selecting a target You'll see a dialog box that reports on the method copies onlyLL5.EXEto the remote drive and directory. You can change dri- operation as it proceeds. You can also de- PC. Advanced features and the help sys- ves by highlighting the computer name lete selected files by pressing the F6 func- tem aren't transferred. and the hitting Enter. Either computer can tion key or with a mouse -click on the To start LapLink from the DOS prompt, send or receive files. A screen similar to DELETEbutton. you type LL5 and press Enter. If thePATH that shown in Fig. 2 appears after you You can also copy and move files and statement in yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile select the name of the target computer. directories by dragging with your mouse. doesn't have the LapLink directory includ- In Fig. 2, I've chosen Dinosaur Com- To copy by dragging your mouse, first, ed in it, you must change to the directory in puter to be the target computer. I can now point to a single item or group of selected which the program in installed. LL5 is the choose between its available A:, B:, C: items. Next, press your right mouse button default here, though you can select another and D: drives (I: drag to the target window. Finally, re- name if you wish during installation. To bleSpace drive C: in this computer) and lease the right mouse button. This is about start LapLink in Windows, open the directories. To choose a drive, highlight as simple and straightforward as an opera- LapLink V group window by double-click- the drive letter and press Enter. In Fig. 3, tion like this can be. ing its icon with your mouse. You'll note you can see that I've selected drive C:. There are many ways in which you can that the program's opening screen looks (2) Select items to move or copy by customize LapLink to suit your particular the same under Windows as it does under moving the window that represents the needs. Among them are the following: DOS. This is because LapLink V is a DOS - source and navigate as above until you Copy Optionsallow you to include or based program, with the Windows version find the directories or/and files you wish omit lower -level subdirectories, control running in a DOS window. Upon starting, to copy or move. There are several ways file overwrite, New Files Only options the screen shown in Fig. 1 appears on both to make selection, but the most common is and printed reports on LapLink activities. computers' video monitors if both PCs have LapLink running on them. The left window in Fig. 1 represents the "local" computer, the one at which you're Lap Link V kes.!ect trectionsanions l' corder Snare. Dense sitting. The right window represents the file;niSk LkIP 16 Files <5408> 190 Files <2 47110 list of available connections. None have Spacebar to select 41.4614.. Choose a Connection> been chosen in Fig. 1, but it shows that -{Unit's Computer (Local)> -> - I Free: 96,408k -- l Free: 20,312k Dinosaur Computer (Dinosaur Compu... --- changes .txt 522 12/17/93 POWERPAR

07/06/91 ---- on COM2 <115,200>) is available for comm .dry 9632 10/01/92 basker .wid 2051 02/15/91 connection, which is my old XT clone. le .exe 35003 01/28/93 brush .wid 525 03/18/91 le .fon 10240 01/28/93 cgm .lod 2560 06/11/89 ---- You can easily navigate the LapLink le .hlp 45540 12/08/92 cgmtogem.exe 43968 03/20/90 -- 115 .exe 263k 02/12/93 cherry .wid 526 04/04/90 screen with your mouse, the Tab key or 115 .hlp 138k 02/11/93 claren .wid 2556 04/09/91 arrow keys. You can activate the menu bar 115 .ico 766 01/28/93 dca .lod 9728 04/24/90 ---- 115 .pif 545 01/28/93 drormrgr.exe 19241 08/25/88 ---- at the top of the screen by pressing Alt netinfo .exe 11813 02/11/93 egafhdr .inf7376 11/21/93 tsi .ini 174002/14/94 --F.- egafstr .inf 1472 11/02/91 plus the highlighted letter of the desired tsi .phk 132 02/13/93 epsfhdr .inf 5616 02/25/91 ---- menu item or by clicking on your choice tsi .pwd 146 12/18/93 epsfstr .inf 1120 02/25/91 ---- tsivid .386 9288 02/07/93 epshclOn.eps 6747 06/21/89 ---- with your mouse. You can make menu ucd .386 8204 10/01/92 epshcl2n.eps 8949 06/21/89 ---- vpd .386 9287 10/01/92 epshh06n.eps 3058 06/21/89 -- selections with speed keys, highlighted Local: C:\LL\ emote: C:\UENTURA\ with the arrow keys, followed by hitting O=Move 521=Show Timer.i:i 4 gg=corr W3=Delete Sync Enter, or by clicking on it with your Fig. 3. You can now choose between the target computer's available A:, B:, C: and D: mouse. drives (I: is a Host Drive fora DoubleSpace drive C: in this computer) and directories. To Once two computers are connected to choose a drive, highlight the drive letter andpress Enter. Here you can see that I've each other via LapLink V, copying and selected drive C:.

January/February 1995 1 MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 71 Lap Link V Product Reviewed Ille glisk Eelect nnections kionstorder Snartb of 1 (4.2248 of 16,883K) 4 Files <335K) wwwww Spacebar toselect wwwww LapLinkV; $169.95; $49.95 Software - - .- Only Upgrade; $64.95 Software/Cable - I Free: 162,512k -- Free: 21,584k --- BAT

07/06/91---- Upgrade TEMPLATE 12/01/93 CAI 07/06/91---- > batter .cdr 7228606/02/93 CONAN 05/30/93 Traveling Software bday .cdr 1517k11/04/93 DBASE 07/06/91 18702 N. Creek Pkwy. > brochure.cdr 99k06/16/93 DOS 07/06/91 buscards.cdr 2460k11/15/93 DU 07/06/91 Bothell, WA 98011 holicard.cdr 1352k11/05/93 FISH 08/11/93 > mailingl.cdr 974k11/15/93 FORMTOOL 07/06/91 Tel.: 206-483-8088 > newlogo .cdr 208k11/15/93 GAMES 07/06/91 printcrd.cdr 980k11/16/93 GOSCRIPT 07/06/91 thanks .cdr 188k11/05/93 IMAGES 07/06/91 System Requirements: IBM PC/XT/AT or tuna's .cdr 1565k11/29/93 HEY 07/06/91 100% compatible computer; 640K available typepage.bak 2874k12/01/93 LEGAL 09/19/92 >teae.cdr 2874k12/01/93 MOUSE 07/06/91 user RAM; MS- or PC -DOS 3.1 or later or wizardl .cdr 1728k 11/29/93 NORTON 07/06/91 DR DOS 5 or 6. Mouse, Hayes -compatible OFFCUEND 07/24/92 PAINT 07/06/91 modem andWindows3.1, NovellNetWare Local: D:\CORLFILE\ emote: C:\ 2.2 or 3.11 optional. =Move ON 21=ShowTime Ng.COPY 1.11A NYDeletegs 2/=Sync

Fig. 4. In this screen, fiveCorelDRAW.CDR files have been chosen to copy into the C:\ CIRCLE NO.135 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD directory of the Dinosaur Computer.

File Display Optionspermit file hiding, Internet Watch By Alexander W. Burawa hidden and system file displays, sort alternatives and Show Matching Files Only Almost daily, the "information superhighway"-commonly referred to as the options for local and remote computers. Internet-comes closer and closer to being a universal utility. Millions of computer Control Panel Optionslet you to alter users have already become regular travelers along its byways. As the system grows, screen colors, mouse button functions, it's certain to become mainstream-not just limited to computerists as it is now. warning beeps, time and date formats and Ushering in the future, products are streaming to market to inform you about the local computer names and to choose the Internet through books and to get you started on your journey with other products LapLinkeditor or another one of your that provide the means for connecting to the Internet. During the past several choice. months, a host of new Internet book titles have been announced. To keep you Security OptionsinLapLinkV permits informed of these, we offer the following mini -reviews and general listings. greater latitude in setting up a security system to protect files from unauthorized From Waite Group Press... access. You can specify who has access to Internet How -To: The Definitive Problem Solver your computer, which drives and directo- by Harry Henderson.(Waite Group Press. Soft cover. 468 pages. $34.95.) ries to which they have access, whether This "problem -solver" book employs a "How do I..." question -and -answer format they can overwrite or only read and copy designed to help bring you quickly up to speed getting on-line and navigating the and whether they must supply a proper net. To make things easy to find, the book is divided into 15 chapters, each related password for any access at all. When set- to a specific topic, so that navigating this fairly hefty tome is relatively easy. ting up a security system, you can apply it Internet How -Tomakes it easy to look up a specific problem and obtain step-by- to cable connections, as well as modem step instructions to solve it. Plenty of real -life examples, explanations of why the and network connections. A User List techniques learned work and helpful hints and cautions are included. gives complete control over each individ- The book begins with the foundations, such as using the Elm program to send and ual's rights. receive e-mail, reading the vast contents of the Usenet newsgroups and downloading Automationlets you automate tasks that software, graphics files and articles with FTP. It also tells you how to maneuver must be performed on a routine basis with around the Internet's Relay Chat to talk with other netters in real-time. And a chapter Recordings. These Recordings reduce the on using Unix teaches you how to manage files in your home directory. number of keystrokes needed to perform Once you know the basics, you learn more -powerful and sophisticated tools for operations and can be scheduled for auto- unpacking compressed files, downloading and uploading files between your PC and matic playback, if desired. the Internet using Kermit, working on remote systems with Telnet and Rlogin, locating resources by topic with Gopher and navigating the data highway with the User Comment interactive encyclopedia known as the World Wide Web. As a closing statement, The supplied User's Guide is both well - this book provides a broad view of the possible strategies to Internet use and shows written and informative. It provides gener- how to select the appropriate tool for a specific task. al information, troubleshooting tips and Simple Internetby Jeffrey M. Cogswell.(Soft cover. 162 pages. $16.95.) error messages. A list of allLapLinkfiles This book offers a unique approach to learning the Internet. Its detective -story paro- and their purposes is included so that the dy leads you through the Internet in an amusing-and effective-fashion. dreadedWindowsUninstall procedure can Assuming the identity of detective Archie Finger, you unravel the mystery of the be performed without you having to go Simple Internet Connection. While immersed in the story, you'll: discover e-mail through a nervous breakdown. and how to use it; get information and take part in electronic discussions; transfer The bottom line in this review of Tra- files using FTP and Gopher; log into databases; and ease onto the Internet without veling Software'sLapLinkV file -transfer experiencing technical trauma. package is that I'm glad I had the opportu- Down-to-earth text and comic -book illustrations make your tour of the Internet nity to run it through its paces.LapLinkV withSimple Internetan amusing and easy -learn experience. In line with the some- will certainly remain an important part of what amusing tenor of the rest of the book, most of its 14 chapters, have comic - my PC tool kit for years to come. I highly

book -like titles-A Message from Afar, Just the FAQs, Cool Things, Gopher It, recommend it. to cite just a few. (Continued on page 99)

72 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 Hardware/Soffware ReviewBy SF Sparrow Installing SCSI Devices with Future Domain's PowerSCSI!

Some computer users would rather not pay a com- frustration of developers who want to produce effici- puter service to install a new CD-ROM drive. If you cent, low-cost products that everyone can use. fit this category, you'd like to install it yourself but Future Domain responds to the conglomeration of may be uncertain about the details of addressing, in- software drivers by creating PowerSCSI!, a univer- terrupts, DMA and device drivers. Fortunately for sal application interface that works with MS-DOS, you, Future Domain recently introduced a flexible Microsoft Windows and Novell Netware. Power - approach to the confusing mixture of SCSI devices SCSI! permits software drivers written for any SCSI and connectivity. Its product, PowerSCSI! and a peripheral to be used with a single SCSI controller. SCSI Valuepak kit, comes with a SCSI adapter, soft- The software system is, therefore, very close to true ware and cable. plug -and -play in capability for SCSI devices. A sin- PowerSCSI! is flexible and easy -to -use system gle SCSI host adapter can connect up to seven dif- that traces its origins to the days of Future Domain's ferent SCSI devices and have all the right drivers OEM Toolkit and Adaptec's ASPI (Advanced SCSI automatically loaded during a normal installation Programming Interface). Both interfaces did much to procedure. It's an impressively intelligent approach, make it easier for developers to connect to a wider but it isn't quite plug -and -play. Users still have to range of SCSI devices. Then appeared the CAM determine and set SCSI ID for each device and ac- (Common -Access Method), introduced by the Amer- count for proper termination of the SCSI bus. ican National Standards Institute (ANSI). Today, PowerSCSI! is built on ANSI's CAM specifica- CAM enjoys acceptance and support by such com- tion. The heart of PowerSCSI! is called Future/ panies as NCR, Apple, IBM, DEC, Novell and CAM. Starting with an operating environment, like Future Domain. DOS or Windows, you need device drivers to com- OEM Toolkit, ASPI and CAM were designed to municate with most SCSI peripherals. These drivers bring SCSI devices closer to commonality, a result may run from CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. of the move toward a common interface -caused soft- Typical examples are drivers for tape -backup sys- ware incompatibilities because of special drivers tans, hard disks, CD-ROM drives, video or scan- written to control various peripheral devices. Micro- ning equipment and drivers for removable media. soft's Interrupt 13 specification doesn't talk to Fu- Future/CAM software sits between peripheral ture Domain's OEM Toolkit, which doesn't speak to drivers and your host adapter. When an application IBM's Interrupt 4B protocol, which can't work with makes a call for use of a particular SCSI perpherial, Adaptec's ASPI, which doesn't speak ANSI's CAM, Future/CAM intercepts the call and converts the re- which doesn't understand Microsoft's Windisk, and quest into its own version of CAM. The part of the so on. If this sounds confusing to you, imagine the Future/CAM module that actually intercepts operat-

LUEPAK ControiierKit I main SCSI with SCSI.2Connee for ISA/AT Systems

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 73 ing system calls is the Transport Layer, which figures out the protocol to use and Table 1. Address/Interrupt/DMA Map of Author's Computer System passes it along to the proper interface module. In addtion, Future/CAM goes as Name Function Address Interrupt DMA far as reading a particular integrated cir- COM1 Modem 3F8 IRQ 4 None cuit on an SCSI adapter so that it knows COM2 Serial 2 2F8 IRQ 3 None which device driver to use. The converted LPT1 Printer 378 IRQ 5 None application call is then directed to the LPT2 Not Used 278 IRQ 7 None proper peripheral. Actual software -to - SBlaster Sound 220 IRQ 7 DMA 1 hardware techniques are quite involved, Joystick Games 512 None None but the aim is to make it easier for users to install and manage SCSI devices. Let's look at the concepts of installing a SCSI device, using Future Domain's have to adjust a number wheel, place physical location of a SCSI device has lit- PowerSCSI! system. jumpers on connector pins or set a DIP tle to do with its SCSI ID, and SCSI de- switch. The particular method for doing vices don't have to be in any particular or- this depends on what the manufacturer of der. For example, you could have a new Preparation the particular device supplies. Its manual CD-ROM drive occupy a physical spot The first step is to decide which equip- tells how to adjust the device. Sometimes, second in line from your SCSI adapter and ment you need to buy. In this review, I use though, you have no need to change SCSI yet might assign it any SCSI ID from 0 Future Domain's SCSI Valuepak for ID, unless you're installing more than one through 6. (Remember, ID7 belongs to the ISA/AT Systems. This Valupak comes device on the SCSI adapter. If you're in- SCSI adapter.) with the model TMC-1680SVP SCSI -2 stalling two or mor devices, you must Taking this idea further, you could put adapter. The 1680 is a 16 -bit example of a make sure that no two of them have the two CD-ROM drives on your SCSI chain. modern high-speed adapter, the kind that same SCSI ID. Let's say that one drive is at the beginning SCSI users like. Unless you need a less - The SCSI specification states that you and the other drive is at the end of your capable adapter for special reasons, you'd can have a total of eight devices connect- SCSI cable. This being the case, your do well to buy the TMC-1680. It can satis- ed to one SCSI cable. In reality, you have SCSI adapter must sit in the middle. In fy all your present SCSI needs and take only seven because the SCSI adapter itself this case, you'd terminate both drives be- care of any future needs as well, thanks to counts as one of the devices. Since eight cause they're the first and last physical de- its SCSI -2 interface. If you're not sure devices are all you can chain together, the vices. However, you'd remove termina- which adapter you want, a quick call to SCSI ID numbers range from 0 through 7, tion from the SCSI adapter because it's no Future Domain will clear up the issue with SCSI adapter usually set as ID 7. So longer first or last in the chain. This a per- regarding what you need. consider ID7 is already taken. SCSI IDs fectly acceptable configuration. Before you get started, it's important to determine which device has greater priori- You could assign your drives any SCSI form a mental idea of what you intend to ty on the SCSI bus, with ID7 getting high- ID from 0 through 6. (Let your adapter accomplish. Clear forethought means a est priority. Your SCSI adapter needs the keep ID7.) Such a scenario is common better job of installation. Here are the highest priority because it performs the when installing both internal and external tasks that must be completed for proper job of managing the other SCSI devices. drives on the same SCSI chain. The SCSI installation of a SCSI adapter and a SCSI Termination. Related to SCSI ID is ter- adapter is forced into a middle position device: mination. A SCSI adapter and its attached simply because of its location inside your (1) Physically install the SCSI device in devices form an electrical chain of compo- computer, while the location of the exter- your computer if it's an internal model. nents that are tied to each other via a com- nal drive dictates that it has to be either (2) Configure the SCSI adapter by set- mon cable. SCSI specifications state that first or last. ting its jumpers. the first and last physical devices on the All this SCSI talk is to help you under- (3) Install the SCSI adapter in your chain must be terminated. Keep in mind stand some of the basics. If you already computer. that this means the literal physical position have SCSI devices in your computer, you (4) Connect the SCSI cable from SCSI of the device along the cable. Don't con- must pay particular attention to the instal- adapter to SCSI device. fuse physical position with SCSI ID. They lation. If this is the first SCSI device to be (5) Install the SCSI software. are not the same. installed in your computer, you may not Whatever SCSI device you buy should Termination is a way of ensuring that have to worry about any of this because come with instructions for installation. An all the signals that pass along the SCSI your SCSI adapter and SCSI device are internal device, such as an internal SCSI bus are free from distortion. By contrast, likely already set correctly straight out of hard drive or internal CD-ROM drive, can any devices that aren't first or last on the the box. be mounted in one of your computer's SCSI cable shouldn't be terminated. This drive bays, just as you'd mount a floppy - is why it's a good idea to have the SCSI Hardware Installation disk drive. This part of the installation adapter as the first device on your SCSI Thinking ahead applies to adapter installa- consists mostly of securing your device in chain. A SCSI adapter usually comes with tion, too. A SCSI adapter needs its own a drive bay so that it doesn't move around. built-in termination, and its traditional unique address, interrupt and, possibly, But before you slide your new drive into a spot is first on the chain so that it has DMA. An address is necessary because drive bay, check SCSI ID and termination. highest priority. the computer must communicate with all SCSI ID. SCSI ID is exactly what it The matter of physical position versus of its devices, including any SCSI devices appears to be: a way to assign an identify- SCSI ID can be a source of confusion. you have installed. Because the SCSI ing electronic label to your new drive. I've seen that each SCSI device has its adapter acts as communications manager Every SCSI device must have an ID, and own SCSI ID. I've also seen that the first for its attached devices, it has its own ad- every SCSI device has a method of select- and last devices on the cable must be ter- dress wherein it exchanges information ing its own ID. To select an ID, you may minated. The confusing part is that the with the computer's processor. A SCSI

74 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM of any parallel ports in your computer. One more thing needs attention before 2048 FRAME=E000 Parallel ports are often referred to as print- dropping the 1680 into your computer. DEVICEH I G H=O: \ mcAmigxx.Sys er ports. COM Ports gives the address of This particular adapter comes with a built- DEVICEHIGH=ONNT4BoAmSyS any serial devices in your computer, like in floppy -drive controller. If you already DEVICEHIGH=C:\ASPIFCAM.SYS COM1 and COM2. have a working computer system, you al- DEVICEHIGH=C:\FDCD.SYS IRQ Status is the important item be- ready have a working floppy drive as well. /D:MSCD0001 cause it lists all of your computer's inter- Therefore, you must disable the floppy rupts and indicates which of them are in controller on the 1680 so that it doesn't Fig. 1. CD-ROM driver arrangement use. When looking for used interrupts, re- conflict with your existing floppy con- author used to obtain maximum use of member that internal modems normally troller. memory. use COM1 or COM2 at INT4 or INT3. MSD won't identify the existence of an internal Final Checks adapter can use one of several addresses, modem, but it will mark the interrupt but it usually has a preset value called its as in use. Once you're ready to install your SCSI default. The default address for the Future If the IRQ numbers look confusing, adapter and devices, make sure your com- Domain TMC-1680 is 140. This is a good scan the column labeled "Detected." Any puter is turned off before removing the choice because it puts the adapter out of IRQ marked "Yes" or that reports other cover of the system unit. If yours is an in- the way of almost everything else. information in the Detected column is an ternally -mounted device, secure it in a Knowing the address of a particular de- interrupt that's already in use. If you need drive bay. If you have an externally - vice is important. You may wonder how to change your SCSI adapter to a different mounted drive, just place it on your com- the processor knows when one of its de- interrupt, feel free to do so. puter desktop within easy cable reach. vices wants to communicate. The answer Using diagnostic utilities and your user Install the SCSI adapter in any free 16 - is by use of an Interrupt. The device sig- manuals, you can build a list of devices bit slot on your computer's motherboard. nals the processor by activating an elec- and associated addresses, interrupts and Tighten it down before going any further. tronic interrupt. The processor stops what DMAs. Table 1 is an example of interrupt, Next, connect the SCSI cable from the it's doing, attends to the interrupt and then address and DMA usage for my computer SCSI adapter to the CD-ROM drive. If continues with what it was doing. The system. It tells me that the default INT5 of you have an internal drive, note that the SCSI adapter does a special job for all at- the TMC-1680 isn't good for my system cable connectors are keyed so that they tached SCSI devices because it controls because it's in use by parallel port LPT1. can't plug in the wrong way. There's a lit- which device communicates with the pro- A better choice for interrupt is INTI I. tle rectangular bump on the cable connec- cessor and when communication occurs. The 1680's default address of 140 is tor and a matching notch on the receiving This is why you can have several SCSI perfectly fine and won't conflict with ex- end of the adapter and drive. This bump - devices but need only one adapter to con- isting equipment. You may have noticed and -notch combination serves as a simple trol them. that my chart indicates a potential conflict but effective interlock that prevents erro- Many devices, both SCSI and non - between my Sound Blaster card and paral- neous connection. If you're installing an SCSI, use interrupts. The TMC-1680 de- lel port LPT2. Your keen eyes are correct, external drive, just plug the cable into the faults to Interrupt 5. Like an address, no except for the fact that LPT2 isn't in- back of the adapter and into the back of two devices can use the same interrupt at stalled. This is why Table 1 notes it as Not the SCSI device. Note that since the 1680 the same time. Check sound cards and Used. This chart also leaves out values for has a fast SCSI -2 connector on its rear, parallel printers to make sure that IRQ5 my floppy- and hard -drive controller be- you must be sure that your SCSI device isn't taken. cause most devices steer clear of such can accomodate SCSI -2. If you have doubts about what address well-defined areas. Leave the cover off your system unit and interrupt to use, it may be that you Address and interrupt are enough for a for now, just in case you need to make aren't sure about the devices already in- SCSI adapter to exchange information some other adjustments. stalled in your computer. You can gather with your computer, not counting the software, of course. Of nearly equal impor- helpful information by using a diagnostic BIOS Talk utility like Norton Utilities, PC Tools or tance is the rate at which information goes Checklt to learn which addresses and in- from SCSI device to processor. Normally, Before turning on the power to your com- terrupts are in use by devices already in the processor governs transfer of all infor- puter, you should think about software in- your computer. If you don't have a fancy mation passed back and forth among all stallation and BIOS. The purpose of the diagnostic utility, you may already have its devices. In some cases, there's a much SCSI utility software is to program the Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD). faster method of data transfer in which the SCSI adapter and load the software driv- MSD comes with DOS 6.0 and later. processor permits a controlling device to ers needed to access SCSI devices. This is Run MSD directly from the DOS prompt. bypass normal communication channels where the intelligence of PowerSCSI! and The items to look at are to the right of and send data directly to memory. This Future/CAM can help. your screen: LPT Ports, COM Ports and technique is called Direct Memory Ac- You've no doubt heard of the acronym IRQ Status. LPT Ports gives the address cess, or DMA. "BIOS," which stands for Basic Input/ Interestingly, the 1680 doesn't use Output System. The BIOS is a small com- LH C:\MOUSE DMA. Hence, you don't have to worry ponent, usually a ROM, in your computer LH C:\VVESA about it. Future Domain reports that its that keeps track of what devices are at- LH C:\CORELCDX.COM /D:MSCD0001 SCSI adapters are just as speedy as other tached to your computer, such as hard /M:30 adapters that use DMA and points to an drives, floppy drives, video card, memory, LH C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE A- B- C 1024 array of benchmarks to prove it. In my etc. All these devices are called DOS de- own use of the 1680, I found it just as re- vices because the BIOS knows about them Fig. 2. A portion of author's AUTOEXEC- sponsive as comparable SCSI adapters; and tells DOS how to use them. Unfor- .BAT file that shows entries relevant to and I'm quite gratified to get by without tunately, your BIOS doesn't know about TMC-1680 installation. using DMA. SCSI devices and can't see them at all.

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 75 To overcome this obstacle, a SCSI the difference between single -tasking and adapter has its own BIOS that picks up multi -tasking CAM, and whether or not Product Reviewed where your normal BIOS leaves off. The you shoud use 32 -bit Windisk. Once the TMC-1680SVP SCSI Valupak SCSI BIOS can read and identify any at- software is installed, reboot your comput- (includes PowerSCSI!), $169; tached SCSI devices. If so programmed, it er and observe carefully to see if your PoswrSCSI! software only, $79 further can run tests and even configure SCSI device drivers load properly. If they Future Domain the SCSI adapter. In the case of the 1680, don't, you'll see some kind of error mes- 2801 McGraw Ave. you don't need the BIOS unless you're sages and maybe hear some warning Irvine CA 92714 installing a boot device, like a SCSI hard beeps from your computer. Upon success- Tel.: 714-253-0400 drive that will be drive C:. If you already ful installation, one remaining issue re- have a bootable hard drive, you can dis- mains to be considered: memory manage- CIRCLE NO. 152 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD able the SCSI BIOS so that you don't ment. This has little to do with the instal- have to worry about it taking up conven- lation of your SCSI device, but it needs tional memory space. mentioning. Although PowerSCSI! automatically chooses the correct drivers and tensions driver by Corel that takes the Software Installation modifies your configuration files, you place of Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE. The may not like the arrangement selected. Corel driver is used in conjunction with The SCSI Valuepak comes with software Since I didn't, I rearranged them for maxi- the provided Corel utility software that for networks, DOS and Windows. Find the mum use of memory. The arrangement of scans the SCSI bus, interrogates SCSI de- floppy disk labeled "For DOS/Windows/ my CD-ROM drivers is shown in Fig. 1. vices and then displays detailed status of Netware 386." This is the install disk you MCAM I 8XX.SYS is the single -tasking each device. An interesting note about the need first. The installation routine asks if CAM driver for use with the TMC-1680 Corel CD driver is that this particular ver- you want to use Express or Custom mode. host adapter. INTB4CAM.SYS converts all sion (1.01d) doesn't work with Myst, a Express mode reads your attached SCSI DOS standard INTB4 calls to CAM for- new Broderbund CD-ROM game that has devices and automatically modifies your mat. ASPIFCAM.SYS does the same for just moved from the MacIntosh to the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to calls to ASPI. FDCD.SYS is the Future/ MS-DOS platform. If you wan't to run load the correct drivers. Custom mode CAM support for CD-ROM. Myst with CORELDX.COM, you need to does the same thing, but it prompts you My AUTOEXEC.BAT file looks like that get the latest version of the driver. Oth- for preferences on interface parameters. shown in Fig. 2. The item of concern here erwise, Version 2.20 or later of Micro- Don't use Custom mode unless you know is CORELCDX.COM, the CD-ROM Ex - soft's MSCDEX will hold you in good stead for running Myst. The above examples shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are pared -down versions of my CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. They're shown here reduced just to illus- Use Your Free Reader Service Card trate a working order for Future Domain's For More Information On Companies device drivers. Advertising In This Issue. WindowsUtilities PowerSCSI! does automatic installation for Windows just as well as it does for DOS. So there isn't much to worry about. The SCSI Valupak includes three other Windows utilities. One is the Corel utility mentioned above. The other two are an Drop -in Plug-in WMS 11 image display and organizing utility called WME2Power!Power! ImagePals and an audio CD player and EgasgassmigtessE emis organizer named Animotion. ImagePals and Animotion are demonstration copies 68HC11 Based Micro -Controller $159 6811C11 Based Micro -Controller $99 and, thus, are restricted in function. You -2 are urged to purchase the full versions. User Comments Installing a SCSI adapter and devices isn't a small task for first -timers. Next time, you may be able to take advantage of the software and hardware plug -and -play movement now afoot, of which Future

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Use with Both A and E series IN. On -Board Power Regulation. jumpers, DIP switches and thumbwheels. Until then, remember the important items: PLUS Much Much More ! address, interrupts, DMA (if used), termi- Whether your project is a simple "One-Ofir design, or a full-blown nation and device drivers. As long as you development effort,Wheatstone MicroSystems can supply your application with the POWER it needs! understand how to handle these issues,

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CIRCLE NO. 95 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD 76 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Multimedia Great Products For Multimedia

This time out, I'll be giving you a closer look-and ber, and they're easily replaceable. listen-to some great products for multimedia, in- The large -diameter drivers measure 44 mm and cluding a fantastic new General MIDI tone generator utilize Samarium -cobalt magnets, with a 16µ dia- from Yamaha, superb studio -quality stereo head- phragm. The voice coils are copper -clad aluminum phones from Audio-Technica, four -source merging wire, and they boast 92 -dB sensitivity. The frequen- By Tom Benford module from MIDI Solutions, sophisticated yet cy response of the ATH-910s is rated at 20 Hz to 22 easy -to -use multimedia presentation package from kHz, and impedance is a nominal 600 ohms. The Q/Media and the intriguing Windows Animation curled -type cord is 3 meters in length and is termi- Festival book/CD-ROM combination from the nated with a standard 6.3 -mm stereo plug. Waite Group Press. Adjusting the ATH-910s for a comfortable fit is easy, thanks to a click -stop mechanism built into the headband. The slide holder retains your adjustment Stereo Headphones until you intentionally changeAagain. So the head- In my last column, I covered Audio-Technica's phones always fit just the way you like them when- ATH-P5 Onmiphones stereo headphones that, at ever you put them on. Left and right ear orientation $29.95 list, represent one of the better values for pri- is color -coded, using gray and red, respectively. vate multimedia listening. But as good as the ATH-P5s are, they're not top -of -the -line studio -reference listening devices, nor were they intended to be. For professional applications that demand the frequency response and pristine sound reproduc- tion that only full -ear headphones can deliver, the $109.95 ATH-910 Dynamic Stereophones from Audio- Technica are the answer. Everything about the ATH-910 is first-rate, from the inside on out. Before I get into the technical specifications of these great headphones, the first issue I want to address is comfort. In the more that 1,500 hours it took to compose, record and mix my album, Some Things I've Done, I became more of an expert on the comfort of headphones for extended use than I ever hoped to be. Believe me, this isn't an issue to be taken lightly if you'll be spending any amount of time wearing them. The main comfort factors are the weight of the headphones and the amount of pressure they exert on your ears. You want as little of each as possible. These closed -back, fully enclosed dynamic headphones weigh in at only 205 grams (less than 8 ounces) and exert a total ear pressure of only 250 grams. I prefer the closed -back design, which fully eliminates any Audio-Technica's ATH-910 Dynamic Stereophones are ideal for mul- ambient room noise, but Audio- timedia production work, as well as for general stereo listening. Technica also offers the model ATH- These phones are ultra -light in weight and low in pressure for com- 911, which is the open -back counter- fort, yet they deliver a full dynamic range of 20 Hz to 22 kHz, with brilliant clarity. part of the 910s. The light weight and low ear pressure of the 910s enable you to keep them on for extended stretches that span Hence,you always get the correct audio perspective. hours without feeling like you have a phone book on If you're producing multimedia, doing.WAVfile top of your head with your ears and temples in a or sound -effects mixes, creating MIDI music or just vise. The large comfortable ear pads provide a soft about any other serious audio application, the ATH- fit while sealing your ears into a virtual sound cham- 910s are definitely the way to go. And when you're

January/February 1995 1 MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 77 done working with your PC, you can always plug the phones into your home stereo system and listen to your favorite sounds with brilliant clarity and response. So you can have the best of both worlds.

Tone Generator Wow! was my eloquent utterance when I heard Yamaha's TG300 for the first time, and it's a word that describes many aspects of this General MIDI -compliant device. Wow is justified with respect to its features, sound, flexibility and overall usefulness, and even though I've used this nifty unit for several months now, I'm still discovering new sounds, features and uses for it that continue elicit wows on a fairly Yamaha's TG300 Tone Generator is literally a full orchestra, sound -effects studio and digital signal processor, sound synthesizer and stereo mixing console, all in one compact unit. regular basis. How many devices have It's General MIDI -compliant and even has its own built-in MIDI interface for direct connec- you encountered that youcan saythat for? tion to a PC or Mac serial port. A back -lit 21 -character, eight -line LCD display and easy -to - This little black box has so much use editing controls permit virtually unlimited sonic tailoring and creation of custom patches. packed into it that its difficult to know where to begin. So let me start by giving you a fast overview of what it offers. 128 editable internal voices with assign- exciter, compressor, reverb (Hall, Rooml, The TG300 is the latest addition to able effects, which makes it ideal for use Room2, Room3, Stagel, Stage2, Plate, Yamaha's TG series of tone generators, with MIDI keyboards and synthesizers. WH Room, Tunnel, Canyon, Basement), packing 456 high -quality voices, nine Note and velocity range parameters allow early reflections (ER1, ER2) and gate re - drum kits and an FX (effects) collection for split, layer and velocity crossover type verb. The TG300 is powered by a 700-mA into a compact 10I/8" x 85/8" X 35/8" unit voices. 12 -volt ac adapter, which is supplied with that weighs less than 4.5 lb. The TG300's The effects capabilities of the TG300 the unit, and the audio connections in- sound architecture employs AWM2 deserve a big wow by themselves. Yama- clude'/4" phone jacks for right and left (Yamaha's second -generation Advanced ha's custom DSP (digital signal processor) mono line out, two phono jacks for left Wave Memory) with digital filters, and it provides a full spectrum of reverb, chorus and right audio in, and a'/4" stereo jack stores 195 sound waves in its massive 6M and variation effects simultaneously. The for headphones. The MIDI connections of ROM. The acoustic instrument voices, unit can deliver a whole host of effect al- are all standard five -pin DIN jacks for as well as exceptional synth textures, are gorithms, including reverb, chorus, flang- MIDI IN, MIDI OUT and THRU. robust and full of ambient "presence," er, EQ, rotary speaker and Aural Exciter, The TG300 conforms to the General thanks to the unit's 16 -bit CD -quality pro- which allow you to add spaciousness, MIDI standards and permits playback of cessing. stereo depth and "sparkle" with an unlim- third -party MIDI songs and song data ex- All of the TG300's voice elements con- ited amount of control. change with other musicians. As well as sist of one or two sound elements, and the Effect types and controls consist of dis- standard MIDI jacks, a built-in MIDI in- unit provides extensive editing capabili- tortion, EQ, chorus, flanger, echo, cross terface permits direct connection to the se- ties, with independent envelopeandscal- delay, symphonic, rotary speaker, tremolo, rial port of your PC (or Macintosh, for ing controls for pitch, filter and level that auto pan, phaser, pitch change, auto wah, that matter), eliminating the need of an ex - permit you to create your own unique voice patches. One of the nicest features of the TG300 is its ability to provide 32 -note polyphony with 16 -part multi-timbrality. So you literally have the instruments of a 16 -member orchestra (you pick the 16 instruments) at your command. All of the parts and voices are fully editable. Sound parameters include filter cutoff and resonance, level envelope generator, portamento, MIDI control change assign and MIDI bank select support. The TG300's MultiMode is idealfor multi -track MIDI sequencing. It totally eliminates the need for any other external synthesizer for scores or projects that will require a maximum of 32 notes at any one time. Of course, you could always add another TG300 or any other MIDI device by daisychaining if you so desire. By keeping it small, light and simple, MIDI Solutions' Quadra Merge makes an ideal travel SingleMode, on the other hand, is de- ing companion for the mobile musician or multimedia user who needs to merge multiple signed for live performances It provides MIDI input sources for a single merged MIDI output.

78 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 o 0Media - !untitled qnnnj 1;1 Scene Oa Ions Bic Eat Viewfonennatil Qbjed Fime Tent 11e11 Ene EditView CommandSceneQbjed FISOIC II:34ORMOSS Help ISCENE_I 1E91E1 'SCENE 3 1=i AFTCCalEm ODiJEl iseenm. [12101 Slop 1A1121110 - III

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The user interface of Q/Media for Windows is simple and straight- By breaking every step of a multimedia presentation into an individ- forward,utilizing familiar tool and drop -down menus to access its ual scene, even the most complex and ambitious presentations are many features and functions. The program permits integrating all manageable for the average user. Again, using the drag -and -drop multimedia elements-text, graphics, video, sound and music- metaphor, completed scenes are assembled in the desired order. easily and coherently, using drag -and -drop techniques.

ternal MIDI box or intemal/external MIDI requires no battery or power supply to Though it probably won't be required interface. An eight -pin mini DIN jack is operate. by most users, Quadra Merge comes with provided for connecting the TG300 to the Quadra Merge measures approximately a thorough 11 -page mini user's manual. host PC. 41/2"X 21h" X 11/4" and weighs about 5 oz., An extra -special bonus included with The user's manual supplied with the making it small and light enough to con- Quadra Merge is a free introductory mem- unit is complete in every respect, although veniently tote along in a "gig" bag or in a bership to CompuServe that includes one some of the more advanced and esoteric notebook case. Five standard DIN jacks month of free access to all of Compu- functions involved in creating new patch- provide I/O connections, four of them for Serve's basic services and a $15 introduces may require several readings to fully input and the fifth for MIDI output. tory usage credit to explore the MIDI Ven- comprehend. The variable bank selections The function of Quadra Merge is sim- dor Forum and other services. You can of the unit also provide compatibility with ply to merge four MIDI input sources into also GO MIDISOLUTIONS and get techni- software designed to work (or take advan- a single output source. While this sounds cal support, download new -product an- tage of the controls) of Roland synths and like a straightforward task, getting it to nouncements and information and provide sound modules. work correctly takes a bit of doing. MIDI feedback on products and recommenda- Sound from the TG300 is lush to the solutions has succeeded in producing a tions for new products once you're on-line. point that words don't accurately describe unit that can handle all types of MIDI If you're getting into MIDI in a big way it. You literally have to hear this unit to data-including System Exclusive and and have multiple devices to be merged, appreciate how good it sounds. If you're MIDI Time Code messages-smoothly Quadra Merge is a most useful-and func- looking for a General MIDI tone generatorand without a glitch. tional-tool. that does so much more than any other To use Quadra Merge, you merely con- comparable unit and leaves everything nect its inputs to the MIDI OUT or THRU else in the dust in terms of sound quality, jacks of the sending MIDI devices, using Multimedia Authoring the TG300 is the object of your quest. standard MIDI cables. The MIDI OUT on Lots of PC users are interested in explor- Quadra Merge is then connected to the ing multimedia but feel the skills and MIDI IN of the receiving MIDI device. If knowledge required to effectively merge MIDI Merging Module you have need to merge more than four text, graphics, video, sound and music MIDI Solutions is a company that contin- MIDI input sources, you can connect to- may be beyond their capabilities. The so- ues to provide exactly what its name sug- gether other mergers for as many inputs as lution here is to harness the power of the gests-innovative solutions for today's required. If you daisychain, the MIDI OUT computer to do the actual work of bring- musician. Once the digital domain of only of the first Quadra Merge connects to one ing things all together, thereby letting the performing and recording musicians, of theMIDI INports of the second Quadra user attend to the creative end of the pro- MIDI has been made accessible to virtual- Merge, and so on until the final connec- duction. This is precisely what Q/Media ly everyone using Windows and for those tion is the MIDI OUT of the last Quadra 2.02from Q/Media Software does. of us who are "pushing the multimedia Merge to the MIDI IN of the receiving Using the software is basically a matter envelope." MIDI Solutions' products are device. of dragging and dropping the elements truly a boon. A MIDI indicator LED built into the you want to use in the order in which you The latest offering from the company is unit lightsup as soonas the device con- want them to appear. To afford control, its new Quadra Merge four -input MIDI nected to MIDI IN #1 is turned on. The you also drag and drop, activating such Merger. As with the other MIDI module LED flashes whenever MIDI data is pass- devices as buttons, bars and hot links that, products in the company's line, Quadra ing through the unit to provide a good vis- when accessed, cause actions (such as Merge is powered by the MIDI signal and ual monitor of the MIDI data transmission. playing a video segment) to occur. The

January/February 1995 1 MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 79 IF' product has been described as the multi- MI 0/Media - juntitied.qmmj C media tool for the masses, and it does, in- FileEditView Command scene ObjectFrameTextOptionsHelp deed, live up to that moniker. I DISEENLI Before I go any further, let me say that 1011r11 n I 1541100113EllrellEIV-Ill I'm not knocking Asymetrix Multimedia Normal GI System EN 12 EU B U LI INUIFIEZIANone r Toolbook 3.0 or any of the other high -end multimedia authoring packages. These c'la-7111111111110111REY---,.....- _ L certainly have their place and uses and have features and capabilities that go way 0'CO.102.1E....6ci au 0 beyond those of Q/Media for Windows. Sou,ce Media But they also have price tags that far ex- e4 Back round Music ceed the $199 suggested list of Q/Media li , for Windows. For many users, Q/Media is Sound Effects . all the multimedia authoring software I they'll ever need. One of the real strengths of the program 111.111111111111111111111111Mi is its arsenal of clip media, templates, backgrounds, pre -defined styles and easy - to -use text tools that combine with an in- OR g tuitive outliner that makes it very easy to Chronological 4 ! I Iliiai011111/1111A11111111161211111111M1115131 put together multimedia presentations, rsi Aninsted Logo even for a total multimedia novice. - MiTV CaspliC What's really surprising, however, is how cz: Background Muctc "slick" these presentations look using these canned goodies. You get all of the Frame 1 of 376 y:361,114 liBEIC itini Mu I Fr. m -1 i76 XI YisAl 41 1 sparkle with none of the sweat! Elements of the production are called into play by using a time line to achieve precise Q/Media for Windows provides a nicely synchronization. Like all other aspects of theQ/Mediafor Windows program, the interface integrated set of text and drawing tools for is highly intuitive with a shallow learning curve. creating elements directly within the program itself. A text editor supports user - defined styles that aids you in maintaining cards, you can drag -and -drop video onto A new book/CD-ROM combination a consistent, professional look throughout the screen from your LaserDisc, VCR or from the Waite Group Press written by your presentation. The integrated drawing camcorder by doing a video segment cap- Alberto Menache and Richard Sher show- tools are excellent for creating diagrams ture from within the program itself. cases the cream of the 3D movie crop, and and charts. More than 20 different transi- Q/Media's Quick Link navigation facil- it's now showing on a PC near you. tions and effects are also provided for itates fast creation of interactive branching Packed with more than 120 computer - drawing and text objects, and automatic to scenes, other applications, control of generated flics, the Windows Animation alignment, and sizing of the objects makes embedded objects, displaying messages Festival CD literally transforms your mul- putting everything in its place a snap, if and triggering MCI events. The included timedia computer into a virtual cineplex, you'll excuse the play on words here. One automatic button tool with six button complete with sophisticated special ef- of the nicest visual features is the pro- styles, including 3D and transparent but- fects, incredible hues and designs and full - gram's ability to produce truly stunning tons, makes adding good-looking interac- blow sound and music. and very dramatic effects using multi- tive controls simple and quick as well. The motif of the disc is divided into six color gradient backgrounds. An extra bonus is inclusion of a CD- interactive theaters (they carry this meta- The program supports elements created ROM that contains 500M of royalty -free phor through with walk-throughs of the with other popular applications, including clip media. This disc contains scores of lobbies, etc.). In each of the theaters you'll OLE 2.0 conformity so that you can drag - video, .BMP, .WAV, animation and other view a different area of computer anima- and -drop from other applications as well. files you can use as desired in your pro- tion: the dancing appliances and foods in You can add animation from Autodesk An- ductions. This disc is a worthwhile re- Broadcast and Commercial animation; the imator, 3D Studio, Animation Works In- source that makes the Q/Media for Win- visualization of artificial comets and duel- teractive or any other.FLC-or.FLIO-com- dows package the super value it is and the ing insects in Scientific and Educational patibleanimation program and play mul- most -affordable way to produce high - Animation; tomorrow's cities and infra- tiple animations simultaneously. Audio quality multimedia presentations I've seen structures in Industrial and Architectural support for WAVE,MIDI, RIFF MIDI or CD to date. Animation; the fantastic creatures-fero- Audio files is included, and you can syn- cious dragons, shimmying snowmen, even chronize the audio with images, animation Elvis-in Computer Animation Art; the or video. Animation Festival courtroom re -creations of auto accidents Image support for.BMP, .WMF, .DIB, Computer animation, created using Cray in Legal Animation; and an underground .PCX, TARGA, III+, .EPS, .GIF, .WPG, supercomputers, was once limited to the theater featuring a potpourri of the au- JPEG, .DCX and PICT files is provided as resources of NASA, other government - thors' computer animation pieces, from wellas the ability to integrate Kodak funded agencies, Hollywood studios and the human brain to deep space satellites. Photo -CD imagery. Microsoft Video for well-heeled corporations. But with today's The 112 -page soft-cover book that ac- Windows (.AVI) and QuickTime for Win- 486, Pentium and RISC -based PCs, the companies the CD-ROM includes a brief dows (.MOV) files are supported. and sup- realm of creative CGI (computer generat- overview and introduction to Autodesk port is provided for the Intel/IBM DVI ed imagery) has opened up to the average 3D Studio, one of the most capable and Card (.AVS) and MPEG (.MPG). Thus, us- user interested in delving into this fast - popular applications for creating computer ing one of the popular video overlay emerging artform. animations. It then describes the minimum

80 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Products Mentioned MicroComputer JOURNAL Audio-Technica ATH-910 Dynamic Stereophones, $109.95 The new print forum for the exchange of Audio-Technica U.S. 1221 Commerce Dr. ideas and techniques among computer Stow, Ohio 44224 Tel.: 216-686-2600 professionals.

CIRCLE NO. 130 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Pf you're involved in installing, upgrading, enhancing or experimenting with the leading Yamaha TG300 Tone Generator, $895 Yamaha Corp. of America edge of small computer technology, you 6600 Orangethrope Ave. need MicroComputer Journal. PO Box 6600 Buena Park, CA 90622-6600 Tel.: 714-522-9011 if your special interest is in CD ROM, or virtual reality, or robotics, or artificial CIRCLE NO. 131 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Intelligence, or SBC's, you need Quadra Merge Four -Input MIDI Merging MicroComputer Journal. Module, $129 MIDI Solutions Inc. 816-810 W. Bway. If your computing needs are anything but Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4C9 ordinary, you need MicroComputer Journal. Tel.: 604-794-3013

CIRCLE NO. 132 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Subscribe today to Microcomputer Journal!

Q/Media 2.02 for Windows, $199 Special Subscription Offer! Q/Media Software Corp. 312 E. Fifth Ave. Get your copy of MicroComputer Journal delivered to your home or Vancouver, BC. Canada V5T 1H4 business and receive extra issues. Tel.: 604-879-1190 BEST OFFER: Subscribe for two years and receive CIRCLE NO. 133 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD six additional issues (ONE FULL YEAR) absolutely FREE!

Windows Animation Festival $32.95 Please check one: (CD-ROM and Book) Eight bi-monthly issues for the Eighteen bi-monthly issues for Waite Group Press price of six only $29.70 the price of twelve only .$59.40 200 Tamal Plaza All prices in U.S. dollars: Canada/Mexico - Eight bi-monthly issues $36.00; eighteen bi-monthly Corte Madera, CA 94925 issues $69.00.Foreign- Eight bi-monthly issues $38.00; eighteenbi-monthly issues $73.00. Tel.: 800-368-9369 Foreign Air Mail - Eight bi-monthly issues $95.00; Eighteen bi-monthly issues $206.00.

'IRCLE NO. 134 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD (Please Print Clearly)

Name

Address requirements and installation procedures for getting the CD-ROM up and running City State Zip on your PC. The rest of the book is devoted to providing information on the cre- Check or Money Order Enclosed ators of each of the animations that appear on the disc, as well as inside production Bill to: notes and details on what was involved in MasterCard Visa American Express Discover creating each. This is by far one of the most impressive and entertaining CD-ROMs I've seen. Account #: Exp. date: It provides stunning examples of how far PC technology has come in just a few Signature short years. The animations-each and Recuired on all charges every one of them-are absolutely first- rate, and the Windows Animation Festival For Faster Service Call: CD is a must -have for anyone who is interested in CGI. 1-800-853-9797 or FAX: 516-681-2926

January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 81 MicroComputer Musings By Ted Needleman

Making Paper Airplanes; Adding Emphasis to Any Windows -Based Application; Re -sizing and Re -Sampling Image Files; Having Fun Manipulating Images

I'mnotquite sure whether it's The Greatest Paper Airplanes the approaching signs of old age, Main Llyinp Paper Planes Help nyiVthreng2 VIVing3 .VVVing4 Wings or just the result of having four Cover y Planes I. children under the age of 10 in The Greatest Jets & Bombers the house, but over the past two Military craft with A-1 Paper Airplanes style, these planes years or so, I find I'm spending In Five Wings of Honor will spark your imag- ination as you create more time "playing" on the PC dog tights and bomb runs. than in all the years previous. 1 Since I'm only in my late 40s, Darts SSTs &Stealth research for this column might Vanations on the Beautiful sleek tines schoolyard specials and the mach speed be an even better "excuse." that are fun to fold look mark these craft and fun to M. These as very impressive Regardless of the reason, I have craft are what the kid examples of the art to admit to spending more time in you wants. of paper planes. enjoying my PC use. Gliders Starships Perhaps it's just that in the Floaters and long Exotic, experimental, distance specialists, with an outer space last couple of years, the software these gliders are look these craft push best in a large indoor the limits of paper has gotten so good, with multi- space or the park on planes far beyond media and enhanced graphics, a calm sunny day. the ordinary that it has finally broken through my past high level of disinterest Aliessmab Each ofthese five categories in The Greatest Paper Airplanes offers five innon -business use of computers. different airplane designs. In any case, here are a few of the fun and interesting things I've been spending my time with lately. As with mostWindowsapplications these days, installing the software is just a matter of swapping Flight 1 Now Boarding... disks when asked. After installation is finished, run- When I first received Kittyhawk Software's The ning the software brings up the image of a tabbed Greatest Paper Airplanes package to look at, I did a spiral -bound notebook. There are sections on "Fly- little informal research. I asked a couple of dozen ing," "Paper," and "Planes". The Flying section cov- people in my office if they knew how to make a pa- ers some of the history and principles behind heav- per airplane. Every one of them did! And it was al- ier-than-air flight, while the Paper section likewise ways the same one. I wasn't able to find anyone who provides background on the history and production didn't learn how to fold a paper airplane as a child. of paper. All of the sections, including the Planes And every one of them could still do it! I won't say section, make good use of multimedia. Clicking on that there aren't a few people here and there who highlighted words produces animations and sounds. never learned how to fold a paper airplane, but I'd Finally, there's the Planes section. This is subdi- hazard a guess that most of us learned this crucial vided into five subsections, each of which contains skill early in life. five similar plane designs. Between the 25 planes, I really don't need to go into great detail about designs vary from simple to complex, from the ubiq- mankind's fascination with flight. It's been exten- uitous Dart to way-out stealth and starship planes. sively detailed over the centuries in all sorts of me- Included with the package is a pad with all of the de- dia, going back to mythology. Perhaps that's why signs pre-printed on its pages. This lets you use the we all enjoy taking a flat sheet of paper and folding software even on a PC that's not connected to a it into a shape that can soar and travel fairly great printer. distances. Kittyhawk Software (named after the I found using the software a lot of fun. You first place in North Carolina where Orville and Wilbur select a design with which to work. Then you move first took to the air) has leveraged on this by creating to the printing screen, where you can select the de- a Windows -based program that not only prints out signs that will be printed on your plane. You can't folding diagrams for 25 different paper airplanes, use your own graphics, but you can choose between but it also takes you step-by-step through the process military and decorative. These designs can be print- of creating them. ed out as solid (actually shaded) graphics or as out -

82 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 lines that can be colored in with marker The Greatest Paper Airplanes pens later. Your planes print out with dif- Main Flying Paper Planes Help ferent colored designs if a color printer is attached to your PC. You can also print Cover Planes Wings Oarts Folc/-1/Print the folding lines for either the top or bottom (or both if you feed the paper through Marlin the printer twice) and add extensive text Folding: easy Paper: letter instructions. Once your plane has been printed, it's time to fold it. Here's where the software really shines. The folding screen takes you Hammerhe through the entire folding process one step This compact at a time. The display is animated, and sion of a clas you can "play" the entire folding sequence a tail for hod :1 straight through as a movie or watch how Instructions Fold the upper left corner down so the upper each fold is performed. Do it, and go onto leftpoint hits the center line crease. When the next fold. With some of the more - folded correctly, the letthalf of the top complex paper planes, this is about the edge should line up with the center line 1.444-4 crease. only way you can keep up. V The Greatest Paper Airplanes is avail- C>- able in both the 25 -plane retail version I eilf Continuous 1OFF Advanced received for $49 and a shareware version that's available on many BBS systems. The shareware version has just a few designs, and it doesn't come with the pre- When you click on the right "play" arrow in The Greatest Paper Airplanes, an animation printed pad of designs or the large refer- sequence takes you step-by-step through folding your plane. ence card that serves as the software's printed documentation. But it's a great Mac. But even without the graphics pad, pen. Then, whenever this "marked -up" way to see if you like the software. it's still a very useful utility. screen is called up, it displays with the in- Kittyhawk's Greatest Paper Airplanes Conceptually, Electronic Marker is a cluded graphic objects. Your application is appropriate for many age groups, but simple product. It lets you add emphasis will, however, still print normally. the more -complex designs gave nine -year - to any Windows -based application in the Installation took me about 5 minutes, old Marc (and me, for that matter) a lot of form of graphics like checkmarks, colored which included connecting the graphics trouble. However, he and eight -year -old underlines or even yellow or blue high- pad, a Kurta Penmouse, to my second ser- Bryan and Scotty enjoyed making and lighting. You can accomplish this with ei- ial port. The Penpad provides a 4"X5" folding the simpler designs. I wouldn't ther your mouse or, if you purchase the sensing area, and the wireless pen, which recommend the program for anyone marker pad, with the included wireless is detected when it's within a 1/2" of the younger, unless you're going to do the work. Karin, who is six years old, was The Greatest Paper Airplanes completely baffled by the program but liked watching the rest of us make airplanes. She does, however, enjoy flying our masterpieces. When you're not printing and folding Marlin paper airplanes, you can watch the includ- Folding: easy Paper: letter ::.: - ed screen saver, which presents the fold- --_,./ // / I\ \\N. --- ing animations in place of your blank /is / I \ i.\ screen. Kittyhawk flies straight and true ilys:---V-_4-- V with this one. -- Ham/mile This compact Pass the sion of a clas a tail for hot.' I :'*(c. / 1 1 ,___i__ _ (Electronic) Pencil Instructions Consumer Technology Northwest is best Select a printing style using the check known for its video products. Its Present- boxes, then Print, or Copy to the clipboard. For two sided printing, experiment with your er Plus series of scan converters let you printer until the top side image fines up easily and inexpensively display your with the bottom side.Always trim the PC's output on standard TV receivers. printout around the edges of the dotted The Electronic Marker Pad represents a border before folding. significant, and well -executed departure even MGM from the vendor's normal type of product. The core of this product is software. In fact, the Electronic Marker software was first available without the pad, and is still The "Print" screen in The Greatest Paper Airplanes lets you select the options you want sold that way for both Windows and the before sending your design to your printer.

January/February 19951MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 83 pad, functions as a two -button mouse MediaStudio Image Editor (when tapped against the pad, the tip is the File EditImage EffectViewWindowHelp Switch left mouse button, and a button on the pen 12 - acts as the right mouse button.) You can install the software so that the grab0002.pcx (1/2x) mark-up uses only the mouse, only the pad or both. I installed it so that both mouse and pad are active. Software that recognizes a graphics pad, such as Fractal

lirlk < Designs' Dabbler, will automatically rec- I, be ognize the Penmouse. All of the Windows SST../ Sr.* applications I've installed on my PC In.u.1 :1:e re: seemed to have no difficulty with the pad. and I've been having a lot of fun with it. It's installed on my office PC, and I've really wowed my associates by going over on -screen documents with the highlighter 1.1 and check marks. If I have any criticism at all of this product, it's that the pad isn't pressure T sensitive. Some of the more -expensive Flee Mernory. 3,213 KB; Indexed 256-Cokx 184AL Wof king Size: 3107 K Screed I.D 8towser Head 04e Ulead Driver Setup (actually, much more -expensive) graphics Capture Products pad can also sense how hard you're pressing the stylus against the pad. Given the MediaStudio'sImage Editor lets you re -size, re -sample and perform many other op- very attractive price of this product, though, erations on an image file. you're getting an awful lot for your money. to those contained in ImagePals. The Al- eo, a .WAV file audio editor, and a Morph It Dices, It Slices.... bum function, by the way, lets you collect Editor that lets you take two graphic files U -Lead Systems is a company you're sets of images into logically grouped "al- and morph them into a third file. A bonus, probably not familiar with, unless you use bums." You can easily view thumbnails ofinstalled from the CD-ROM, is a set of Aldus PhotoStyler, which U -Lead wrote. these collections through the Album func- audio utilities that are similar to those I've been using the company's ImagePals tion, making it easy to organize, locate "rack -mounted" utilities that accompany package for about a year to grab Windows and load just the image for which you're most multimedia upgrade kits these days. screens and manipulate them before send- searching. These utilities include an audio CD playing the files out to have slides made from Where MediaStudio differs from Im- er, a mixer and a recorder. Except for them. Image Pals is one of the few pack- agePals, though, is in the addition of these "bonus" programs, each of the major ages I've run across that lets you both re - products that let you capture and edit vid- software utilities in MediaStudio (Image size an image file and, if you wish, re - sample it between screen and printer resolutions. I use Image Pals a lot, and I rec- MediaStudio Audio Editor ommend it to anyone who must deal with File EditEffectControlViewWindowHelp Switch graphic images that are displayed on the r r --- QI PC's screen or sent out for high -resolution imaging. The Image Editor utility operates with music.wav (11280x) all popular file formats, including Kodak Photo -CD, and the screen grabber offers comprehensive choices, including active windows, entire screen and everything in between. You can show the cursor, hide the cursor and even change colors within the captured image. All of the screen shots that accompany this column were captured with the screen grabber included with MediaStudio (though I still tend to use inner vision's Collage software for doing DOS screen captures). Recently, I received both an update to Image Pals and a copy of U -Lead's new- WOO 000 00.01.68E 00 03 377 00 05 06 64108.7 est product, MediaStudio. Supplied on CD-ROM, MediaStudio is an extension of U -Lead's ImagePals. It has the same screen -capture function, and the image editor and album functions appear identical MediaStudio'sAudio Editor lets you easily modify .WAV files.

84 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 Digital Storage Oscilloscope For $189.95 ??? And much, much more! Digital Funhouse II MI- 116111.11FI414w x 351114 NI 0 -Scope I turns PC-ATs into DSO,Spectrum File EditView Help Analyzer, Frequency Counter, DVM. DC-50KHz Squinch Squinch Filter I Recianglelli 5 1 -t -I J

1...... :2,

iffii: -4

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. 14,-- ti '4.041'-r

. ....mere For Help, press Fl

Tiger the cat, after being subjected toDigital Funhouse'sSquinch effect. Actual 0 -Scope I Captured Signals

For Orders and Inquiries Call: 1-800-980-9806 Editor, Video Editor & Capture, Morph that installs from floppies, or the case of a For Technical Assistance: 1-713-777-0401 Editor, etc.) has its own small manual. CD -ROM -based product. This way, when This makes it pretty easy to find answers I need to reinstall it (I frequently wipe Allison Technology Corporation when you're using a specific module, but software from my overcrowded hard disk 8343 Carve!, Houston, TX 77036 FAX and BBS 1-713-777-4746 I'm certain that I'll eventually lose a cou- and reinstall it at a later time, when I actu- ple of these manuals. Of course, if every- ally write about it), the number is right thing had been put into one large manual, there if I need it. I'd eventually lose that as well. Other than the foregoing small annoy- V CHECK these great values! I don't have a video -capture card in- ance, I really like what U -Lead has done stalled in my PC at the moment, so I with this product. And although the $349 Do YOU need... didn't have a chance to test out the Video suggested list price is a little steep when V CHEAPembedded controller card $75 Editor & Capture module, but I did try out compared to Picture Publisher and Photo - V 8chl6b WINDOWS ND card - K16/PC $399 the others. As with my old "pal" Image - Shop, MediaStudio has a lot of different RS232 to RS422 / RS485 converters Pals, I found all of U -Lead's utilities ex- capabilities that these other programs don't. - need no power supply K422/485 $69 ceptionally intuitive and very easy to both It's a tool you should definitely have if - isolated version - NO GROUND LOOPS! $139 learn and operate. Except for entertaining you do anything with digital images. I2C Card for PC's - I2C bus monitor the kids, I doubt whether I'll be using the master/slave/control ICA-90 $299 Morph Editor all that much, but I do antic- A Nip Here, a Tuck There V RS232 data/protocol/format converter ipate that the rest of these utilities will fast While I'm on the subject of graphics soft- text/string search/replace etc.PPC $699 become favorites, as has ImagePals. ware, I'll tell you about a product that's Credit-card size PCATPuta PCinimpos- MediaStudio is provided on a CD- been developed to capitalize just on the sible places! 12BIT PCMCIA GCAT $699 ROM, which contains plenty of sample fun side of image manipulation. This isn't image files and sound files for you to ex- to say you can't use for business, but at periment (and learn the software) with. less than $80, I don't see it blowing Photo - Making a datalogger? My only complaint is that the installation Shop and Picture Publisher out of the mar- process requires that you enter the serial ket, even though it's a lot easier to use. TDS2O2O -a very LOW POWER compact controller - number. I almost always misplace this be- Ease of use is Digital Funhouse's big- logger withhigh-level FORTH language on -board. NO fore starting to install software, and I can't gest selling point. Just open up an image NEED for in -circuit emulator! Program with PC. 20MHz tell how annoying I find it when software file, the software supports a variety of H8/532 3MIPS processor. Easy hook-up to keyboard, lcd, requires me stop what I'm doing and start popular formats. including TIFF, .PCX, I/O, PCMCIA, I2C, 2 x RS -232 ports. Interrupts, multi -task- searching for a registration card with the CompuServe .GIF, and Windows' Bitmap ing, editor, assembler.Store 8 ch 10 -bit data on NVRAM, PCMCIA cards, or 40 Mbyte HP KITTYHAWK harddrive . required number. U -Lead, and other ven- among others. Since Funhouse uses only TDS2020 dors who do this, should take a lead from 256 -level grayscale or 24 -bit color format, FORTH CONTROLLER Micrografx, which asks for the serial if the file isn't already in one of these STARTER PACK $499 6- 16 v @ 30ma 300pa sleeping number but allows installation to proceed forms, the software converts it. Scanners :oso;gpi. 3" x 4" CMOS modules even if you don't enter it. I've recently using theTWAINstandard are also sup- CALL FOR DETAILS ! taken to copying the number onto a label, ported by the software. You can scan di- stuck to the second disk with a product rectly into Digital Funhouse by using the Saelig co (716) 425-3753 fax: -3835

January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /85 Digital Funhouse (TM) - TIGER.TIF (414w x 358h) Products Mentioned File EditView Help Squinch I .. . . The Greatest Paper Airplanes, $49 Filter !Rectangles''..7-1:1 Select Effect ti Kittyhawk Software, Inc. Effect Grow ens Effects PO Box 64189 Tucson, AZ 85728 I-ilBulge Tel.: 602-622-2200 S winch Swirl Waves CIRCLE NO. 126 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Tiiangle Waves The Electronic Marker Pad (with Markup software), $295; Software only, $34.95 Consumer Technology Northwest Inc. 7853 SW Cirrus Dr. Beaverton, OR 97005 Tel.: 800-356-3940

CIRCLE NO. 127 ON FREE INFORMATIONCARD

MediaStudio, $349 . U -Lead Systems '. 970 W.190 St., Ste. 520 Torrance, CA 90502 For Hel. ress Fi Tel.: 310-523-9393

Digital Funhouselets you easily apply a variety of effects to any graphics file. CIRCLE NO. 128 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

Acquire command. Once you've loaded image and perform a number of image - Digital Funhouse, $79.95 the file with which you want to work, just improving operations like color and tone Symsoft start experimenting. correction, sharpening and removing spots PO Box 10005 Incline Village at Lake Tahoe, NV 89450 Just like many other graphics packages, from a scanned image. Where the soft- Tel.: 702-832-4300 Digital Funhouse can flip and/or rotate an ware really shines, though, is in the spe- CIRCLE NO. 129 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD If you enjoy radio communications you'll love.... cial effects you can apply with the click of a mouse button. These include lens effects Popular Communications (bulge, squint, swirl, wave and triangle wave), diffusion effects (stipple, raggedy, The World's largest, most authoritative melt and blur), stretching, sizing, mirrors, monthly magazine for Shortwave puzzles (tile, slice 'n' dice, circular, mosa- Listening and Scanner Monitoring. Read ic, kaleidoscope) and artistic (pencil draw- by more active listeners than all other ing, oil painting, negative and pixelate.) listening publications combined! To be honest, there isn't much you can do in Digital Funhouse that you can't do in other software like PhotoShop, Dabbler and others. Kai's Power Tools, from hsc, El 1 year - 12 issues E 2 years - 24 issues 0 3 years - 36 issues and plug -ins from numerous other vendors $21.50 $41.00 $60.00 provide all of these effects and many oth- (Save $15.45) (Save $32.80) (Save $49.20) ers as well. But the beauty of Digital Fun - house is that you can apply all these ma- nipulations with just about zero learning POPULAR COMMUNICATIONS curve. I don't know if this is the easiest 76 North Broadway. HIckville. NY 11801 Phone: 516-681-2922 FAX 516-681-2926 graphics package I've ever used, but it Get fast home delivery of Popular Communications and save $15.45 a year over certainly ranks up there if it isn't. the newsstand price. Save even more on 2 or 3 year subs. Digital Funhouse isn't really targeted to a kids' market. It's billed as a program for Canada/Mexico-One year $24.00, two years $45.00, three years $66.00; Foreign -one year $26.00, two years the whole family. But once my kids saw $49.00, three years $72.00, Foreign Air Mail -one year $79.00, two years $155.00, three years $231.00 me playing with it, they insisted that I install it on their machines. And all of them Name have been having a ball playing with the Street effects, and printing the results on their color printers. Given my experience, I'd City State Zip have to give Digital Funhouse a big Bill to Mastercard VISA AMEX Discover thumbs up! Acct # Exp. date:

86 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Computing On the Go PCMCIA Is Headed For a Desktop Near You

When Jack Peterson of SCM Microsystems With installation complete, I tried to use Swap - showed up at the MicroComputer Journal offices Box. I placed the SunDisk in one of SwapBox's recently, he told Managing Editor Al Burawa and slots and tried to access it. Nothing happened. At me about a new device that would soon be appearing this point, I called SCM's technical support. The By Joe Desposito in desktop PCs as a standard feature. It's a combina- person I spoke to told me that the card has a default tion 31/2" floppy -disk drive and Type II PCMCIA I/O setting of 3E0, which conflicted with my scanner slot. The size of this combination unit is the same as card. Once I removed the scanner card, SwapBox a standard 31/2" floppy drive. He didn't give us a began to work as expected, reading from and writing combo unit to try out, but did give us a device called to the SunDisk card. Unfortunately, the I/O setting the SwapBox Classic X2. of the SwapBox controller isn't only a default set- SwapBox Classic X2, which sells for $199, is a ting, but it's also hard -wired and can't be changed. PCMCIA Card reader/writer with two Type II PCM- Luckily, it's easy enough to change the I/O setting CIA slots. Since I already had a PCMCIA drive in of my scanner card. my desktop system, I asked Jack about the advan- I was happy to see SwapBox working because I tages of SwapBox. He told me that SwapBox could had two other PCMCIA products to review, neither do more than just read from and write to PCMCIA of which worked with my Epson ActionNote 4000 storage cards, such as the 10M SunDisk I use. Swap - and Hewlett-Packard OmniBook 300 subnotebook Box also works with such I/O cards as PCMCIA computers. modems, sound cards, network cards, etc. One of these PCMCIA products is Travel Floppy With the foregoing in mind, I removed the Pro- from Accurite Technologies, which comes with a Tege ATA/X unit and controller card from my sys- PassportCard controller Type H PCMCIA card. This tem and replaced it with SwapBox and its controller device, which sells for $249, seems like a good card. The first thing I noticed about the new control- product to have on hand for a couple of reasons. One ler card was that it uses the Vadem PCMCIA controller chip. According to Jack, only Intel and Vadem controller chips are truly compatible with the PCMCIA standard. I also noticed that the controller card had no jumpers or switches that had to be set to configure it. When I plugged the card into an available expansion slot on my PC's motherboard, I noticed something else. The controller card is approximately 1/4" taller than the standard cards in my system. Additionally the cable connector faces upward! When attached the cable, I found that it faces the wrong side 01 the computer. So I had to fold it over to reach the connector on SwapBox. I didn't put the system -unit cover back on, but if I had, it would have crunched down hard on the cable. Though SwapBox has a 31/2" form factor, SCM includes a 51/4" mounting bracket, which I used. After mounting SwapBox in a 51/4" drive bay and connecting it to the controller cable, I turned on the system and loaded the SCM's SwapBoxClassic X2 isa PCMCIAcard reader/writer with two Type II SystemSoft driver software. PCMCIA slots and31/2"floppy -disk drive in a standard51/4"drive form factor.

January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 87 is that I figured it would be a help with the memory area D000 through D7FF. If you OmniBook, which doesn't have a floppy don't block out this memory area, Products Mentioned drive. The other is that I thought it could Windows overwrites it. According to the be useful with the Epson, which does have support person at Accurite, you can block SwapBox Classic X2, $199 an external floppy but forces you to give out this area by adding the EMM386 SCM Microsystems up the printer port to use their floppy device driver with an X switch to your 985 University Ave., Ste. 7 drive. CONFIG.SYS file. So I added the follow- Los Gatos, CA 95030 I found out, though, that Travel Floppy ing statement: Tel.: 408-395-9292; fax: 408-395-8782 doesn't work with the OmniBook (the CIRCLE NO. 154 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD company is working on this), but it does DEVICE=EMM386.EXE RAM X=D000-D7FF support the smaller HP IOOLX palmtop. Travel Floppy and PassportCard, $249 Also, it didn't work with the Epson. One With this statement in the CONFIG.SYS Accurite Technologies, Inc. of the tech support guys at Accurite told file, Travel Floppy worked perfectly with 231 Charcot Ave. me that the DataBook PCMCIA drivers on the ActionNote 4000, both in DOS and San Jose, CA 95131 the ActionNote 4000 needed to be updat- Windows. Tel.: 408-433-1980; fax: 408-433-1716 ed. Accurite gave me the number for The next PCMCIA product I tried was CIRCLE NO. 155 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD DataBook, which I called and was the Audio Express 16 -bit audio adapter referred to Epson. I called Epson technical from Apex Data that sells for $399. In- Apex Audio Express, $399 support, only to find that the lines were cluded with the package is the PCMCIA Apex Data, Inc. busy, as usual. In the meantime, since I audio card, an audio interface module, au- 6624 Owens Dr. wanted to test Travel Floppy, I decided to dio cable, un-amplified speakers and soft- Pleasanton, CA 94588 use it with SwapBox on my desktop. ware. To install Audio Express, I slipped Tel.: 510-416-5656; fax: 510-416-0909 To install Travel Floppy, you plug the the audio card into SwapBox, attached the CIRCLE NO. 156 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD PassportCard into a PCMCIA slot and audio interface module to the card and then attach the cable on Travel Floppy to loaded the drivers. XM-4100A CD ROM Drive, $415 the PassportCard. Unfortunately, you Since Apex doesn't provide any Win- Toshiba America Information can't use the drive until you load the dri- dows utilities to play with Audio Express, Systems, Inc. vers onto your system. This was no prob- I used the Windows Media Player to test Disk Products Div. lem for me, since my system already has a the card. I attached the un-amplified 9740 Irvine Blvd. 31/2" drive. If you're working with a sub - speakers to the audio interface module, Irvine, CA 92718 notebook or palmtop, though, you must but no sound came out. Apparently, you Tel.: 714-583-3000; fax: 714-583-3437 find a way to load the drivers without the need to attach an amplifier to the speakers CIRCLE NO. 157 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD help of a disk drive. You can do this, of to get them to work. Not having an ampli- course, through LapLink or some other fier on hand, I disconnected the un-ampli- file transfer program. fied speakers and hooked up a pair of am- After loading the drivers, I re -booted plified Sony speakers I was using on an- latest driver updates to maintain compati- the system and tried Travel Floppy. It other multimedia system. This solved the bility. worked fine as drive E:, attached to problem. The card played the few .WAV SwapBox. Now I turned my attention to files that Windows provides. New Toshiba the Epson. I looked around the office and The audio interface module is an inter- found a book with a long list of manufac- esting gadget. It provides audio jacks for CD-ROM Drive turers, tech -support numbers and BBS input and output and also has a built-in When I received Toshiba's new XM- numbers. I located the number for the microphone. I loaded the Windows Sound 4100A CD-ROM drive, I was a bit con- Epson Product Support BBS (310-782- Recorder and recorded and played back fused as to why it came with an eight -bit 4531). After a couple of tries, I logged my voice. SCSI card. At a feather -light weight of 1.2 onto the system. Knowing what I wanted, I couldn't get Audio Express to work lb., I expected to see a PCMCIA SCSI but not sure of where to look for it, I tried with the Epson, even with the new Data - controller bundled with the package. A the most logical library-DRIVERS. Then Book drivers, which are designed work call to Toshiba's PR agency straightened I searched under "D" and found a file with a broad variety of PCMCIA cards. So things out. The XM-4100A's suggested called DB302.EXE. The information on I called Apex technical support to find out retail price of $415 doesn't include the this driver was as follows: ActionNote why. I was told that Phoenix makes a set controller. If you want to connect it to 4000 PCMCIA Cardtalk Driver Version. of drivers for the DataBook chip that your notebook, you must provide the 3.02. Since this was exactly what I want- would allow Audio Express to work with PCMCIA SCSI controller yourself. Fair ed, I downloaded the file. the Epson and that I could download these enough. At least I was sent a controller to DB302.EXE is a compressed file. When drivers from the Apex BBS. I decided to check out operation of the drive. you typeDB302at the DOS prompt, the wait for another time to do this. Specifications of the drive include 320 - file explodes a bunch of Cardtalk drivers Included with Audio Express is Mono- ms average access and 300K/s data -trans- and utilities as well as a README file. logue for DOS, Windows and OS/2. This fer rate, which are typical of double -speed Following the instructions in the README program offers text -to -speech capabilities drives. The design and weight of the unit, file, I added the new drivers to the and other features. though, are its most -attractive features. Epson's CONFIG.SYS file and tried the A word on PCMCIA Compatibility is in The clamshell design of the XM-4100A Travel Floppy once again. This time, it order here. Apparently, you're more likely makes it look and feel just like an audio worked, but I still found a problem. to achieve PCMCIA compatibility if you CD player. You can use it as such, too, Although, the floppy worked with DOS, it check that your notebook, subnotebook or since it has an earphone jack, play/stop didn't with Windows. Another call to tech PC Card reader uses an Intel or Vadem button and volume control. There's no support gave me the answer. One of the chipset. If it uses a DataBook or other battery operation, though. You need to Cardtalk drivers uses a switch for the chipset, you'll need to keep up with the plug in the included ac adapter.

88 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Compact & Versatile 8051/8052 On the back of the drive is a standard 640K of conventional memory), isn't to Microcontroller Board SCSI connector, SCSI ID dial and a cou- be confused with an I/O port address nor For Production Applications ple ofDIPswitches. A test switch lets you an interrupt setting. I took a look at this change between normal CD-ROM and area of memory with MSD and found that CD -audio player mode. A parity switch the area from C800 to CBFF (16 blocks) turns on or off parity. was occupied by two shaded blocks and To use the drive, all I had to do was 14 U blocks. plug the SCSI card into my desktop ma- Figuring that the sequence goes some- chine, load some software and connect a thing like C800, C900, CA00, CBOO, it Low power CMOS technology cable from the XM-4100A to the card. looked like there were U blocks starting at Only 3.5"x4.5" with mounting holes This I did, but the SCSI drivers wouldn't CA00. These U blocks are used UMBs Supports RS232 or RS485 Battery -backed RAM socket load. I am becoming adept at using the (upper memory blocks). Therefore, the Watchdog timer and power -fail interrupt PAUSE key to find out why the heck driv- SCSI drivers couldn't load at this address. circuitry Parallel I/O: 414 8 -bit I/O ports ers in my CONFIG.SYS file won't load. Hit I looked at the memory map and found Configurable for all known byte -wide devices PAUSE to stop, any other key to start, I some blank blocks at address DE00, 4 lumper-Selectable Memory Maps keep saying to myself. which corresponded to one of the jumper 508.369-9556 FAX 508-369-9549 At this point, I didn't have many other settings on the SCSI card. I set the jump- Call for detailed brochure and quantity pricing boards left in my PC. I'd pulled the scan- ers on the card to DE00 and put the card aBinary Technology, Inc. ner and network cards to get SwapBox to back into my computer. Now it worked. P 0 Box 541 Carnal*. MA 01741 3: work. So the only cards left were the Toshiba provided a disk called Nauti- SwapBox controller, VGA card and an in- lus, which is a collection of shareware CIRCLE NO. 58 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD ternal modem. I pulled the SwapBox card, games, images, .WAV and MIDI files and put a REM in front of all the SystemSoft other information. I placed it in the XM- drivers in my CONFIG.SYS file and tried 4100A and roamed around the disc trying again. Still, the SCSI drivers wouldn't as many items as I could. With the Apex Order Your load. As a last resort, I decided to run the Audio Express installed, I was able to play Subscription Today! Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD) program all the .WAV files on the disc. Everything Seven bi-monthly issues included with MS-DOS 6.2. worked well. for the price of six $29.50 The default address of the SCSI card is With its light weight and slim design, Fourteen bi-monthly issues CA00:0000, which is set by four jumpers. Toshiba's XM-4100A certainly makes a for the price of twelve $59.40 This address, which resides in what Mi- case for taking a CD-ROM drive on the Order Toll Free crosoft defines as upper memory (the road with you or for shuffling it around 384K of memory above your computer's the office for use on a variety of PCs. Call 1-800-853-9797

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1 P.O. Box 31044 Nepean, Ont. K2B 8S8 CANADA variables. Binary Technology, Inc. Tel/BBS: 613-256-5820 Fax: 613-256-5821 r P.O. Box 541 Carlisle, MA= 01741 CIRCLE NO. 58ON FREE INFORMATION CARD January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL 1 89 GUI Guts Losing it With File Manager Like knowing the paths that cut across a field or even on different drives. There are several ways to wind through back streets, familiarity with its short- manage them. With a moderate number of open cut keys gives you a major advantage when using an windows, you can cascade or tile them. This lets application. It's essential to have them in a graphi- you see some of the contents. If there are too many cal environment once you've learned an application directories to see any of the contents, you can icon- By Yacco and no longer need to rely on those exasperatingly ize them all. This lets you see all the directory slow multi -level menus. But keystrokes aren't al- names, but it requires you to click on an icon before ways the best solution. you can work with the directory. Windows has it's dangers, of course. You'll want Cascaded and tiled directory windows are very to be sure that those shortcut keys don't have you convenient when working with small directories. If moving so fast you overlook them. For example: there aren't too many directories, you can see all What does the Windows File Manager do when you files at one time. When you work with many direc- copy a file to a write -protected diskette? It lets you tories or large ones, fully maximizing tiled windows think it's making the copy, even though it's not or cascading directory windows lets you see more doing so. files and helps you be more efficient. One solution is to check the write -protect tab be- You can use several methods to move between fore you put a diskette in the machine or to yank the windows. Clicking on icons or open windows is one diskette out if it's already in the machine. The best choice, but this requires you to close one window procedure, though, is to maximize your use of the before you can open another (in the case of icons), graphical interface. Always open directory windows or to have all your open windows small enough to for both source and target diskettes so you can share the video monitor's screen. Here's where key - check to see if the file appears after it's written. As long as you have those windows open, just use the E 14.0111n Pogo mouse to drag and drop your od I ::ewnI -joLt. Or''''O+ I 411I 1' I files This is one of the things the graphical interface can do more quickly than short- cuts, especially for multiple - file copies and moves. M 0*A I C If you insist on using key- *Ma a, a strokes and your machine ,OT.enr Homo,Novae oiconato OK-ZA floosr Imo drvoOp1 lorlOrMyO'citir Rio isn't conveniently close by, Oulatar, ,Orkii1.1.213 .11.2.303.1111,

there's a way to check the On! ,Nof ,,,Le nodertool o t tab without walking over and pulling a diskette that's b Mr," ,r v.,. already in the drive. First, check your Options menu and make sure the Delete Welcome to the Earthl.ink Network Home Page box is checked. Don't omit wo 1.0.0 o 1. 1, a ooploo MOP Uoipro.ore rokroet or Go `aogook 6.61.6 anon or, ow*, 13. pOollOgo,Oka' this first step. Then, delete MOM.,uCmaps. la ea LaiA..... any file on the target Table ul contents: diskette. If the tab isn't set,

Windows will alert you. If the tab is set to write, you can stop deletion using the confirmation dialog. Through anInternet provider,such as EarthLink, Inc., in Los Angeles, you can Copying files with key- use such tools as Mosaic NetScape (pictured here) to navigate the Internet. strokes is just one example of how the habits you learned with DOS can lead to using Windows in a less -than -efficient way. strokes can give you the upper hand. Another, even more egregious, habit is to continue Using theCtrl -Tab (or Ctrl -F6)keys is much faster using DOS for file management. File Manager's lit- than opening and closing windows. This keystroke tle quirks and drawbacks might make DOS seem sequence lets you scroll forward though your direc- tempting, particularly if you're a long-time master tory windows the same wayAlt -Escscrolls though of DOS. However, if you open File Manager and your program windows and DOS sessions. It would use it properly, you can save a lot of time. be nice ifCtrl -Tabcould switch back and forth be- One of the things that wastes a lot of time in DOS tween two directory windows like Alt -Tab does be- is moving between directories. File Manager lets tween your two most -recent application windows, you open separate windows for up to 23 directories, but it doesn't. Instead, you can useShift -Ctrl -Tab to

90 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 ANN 4=1 AIM 4EIM AIM ANIIIII ANEW Alism A A AmamiAIIIMPE11111 MIMI=imm am

National Microcomputer Managers Association MMA Conference 95 New York City - January 26, 1995

Keynote Speaker Stewart Alsop, Editor-in -Chief, InfoWorld

0+ Join the country's decision making microcomputer managers of Fortune 2000 companies at the only conference devoted to technology management issues.

Communicate with representatives of the most influential vendors in our industry.

Develop ongoing relationships with key technology opinion makers.

For more information, please contact: Alex Kask, Executive Director National Microcomputer Managers Association, Inc. Post Office Box 4615, Warren, NJ 07059 (908) 580-9091 Fax (908) 580-9155

The MMA is a twelve -year -old not -for-profit educational and professional organization; its 1000 members include a wide variety of information processing professionals responsible for or highly influential in standards setting, strategic planning, and purchasing within their organizations. The MMA hosts regular meeting programs at seven chapters around the country (Dallas/Ft Worth, Denver, Portland (Oregon), DC Metro, Los Angeles, New England (Boston), and New York Metro). Internet. The one you need for Windows able on-line. They're also licensed to this type of account is usually the least - is called a Windows Sockets (WinSock) many universities for viewing and manip- expensive, there are applications, such as protocol stack. It let's Windows talk to the ulating graphics files, particularly the .GIF downloading large files, you may want to net's TCP/IP interface. Commercial prod- and .JPG files most commonly download- continue to do on such an account, even ucts like Chameleon and NetCruiser in- ed from the Internet. while you use Windows applications to clude their own WinSocks. There's also browse and manage your mail. one notable shareware WinSock stack: Resources On today's net, it doesn't hurt to have Trumpet. It's available at a variety of loca- an appreciation for the way things are tions you can access via the net. As with On the surface, being able to download done from a Unix shell. This is the lan- other shareware and freeware, you can the software you need to access the Inter- guage all the old timers "speak," and download it for the cost of your connec- net from the net itself seems very attrac- they're the most widely available source tion. tive. In practice, there are a few problems. of help and information. There are also Among the commercial applications If you plan to use the Internet as a source analogs of these Unix commands in the available for the net are Netcom's Net - of your Windows software, you need both repertoire of Windows software. Win - Cruiser, NetManage Internet Chameleon, an address and another method of access- code, for example, is a very useful utility Mosaic, Qualcomm Eudora 2.0, and MKS ing the net to do it. for encoding and decoding between bina- Internet Anywhere. Public -domain, free - If you already have an account, you ry and ASCII files coded in Unix -style ware and shareware products include Mo- can get most or all of the Windows soft- uu-code. It or something like it is essen- saic, Cello, Trumpet, WinVN, Quakomm ware you need via a PC or other platform. tial for exchanging binary files through Eudora 1.4, WSIRC, Lview, Lview Pro However, before you can start, you need UseNet news groups. and Wincode. software for the platform you'll be using If you're going to access the Web and Web browsers-Mosaic, Cello, Net - and the addresses of locations where the don't already have access to the Internet, Cruiser and others-are the means by Windows software is available to the public. forget about the command line and start which you access the WWW. Mosaic is One inexpensive and easily accessible with Windows. There are combination probably the most widespread stand-alone source of the information you need is an book/diskette products that bundle not browser. Commercial versions of Mosaic Internet book, which is also a good way only Windows software, but also offer are licensed from its developer, the Na- to learn about the architecture of the net discounts with service providers. The In- tional Center for Supercomputing Appli- and basic methods of accessing and re- ternet Membership Kit from Ventana is cations (NCSA). They're available in trieving information. They're available available in flavors for several platforms, value-added version from such licensees from most computer -book publishers. including Windows. It contains a very as Spyglass and SPRY. Spyglass licenses Osborne offers a compendium of avail- good subset of Internet Chameleon, its Mosaic to OEM customers. SPRY's able resources in The Internet Yellow called the Chameleon Sampler; down- Mosaic is licensed for distribution to end Pages by Hahn and Stout. It also offers loading instructions and documentation users. One of the first available products Reference by the for Mosaic; and two books. The Windows to include SPRY's Mosaic is the Internet same authors. This large book lists more version of Ventana's own Windows Inter- in a Box package from O'Reilly and than 750 Internet resources and includes net Tour Guide by Fraase is included, Associates. extensive instructions for using Unix - along with a copy of The Internet Yellow NetCruiser is a proprietary application shell -style commands to access the net. Pages. The access offer provides a full that requires you to use Netcom as your There's also a coupon for an introductory month membership and six hours of con- service provider. It has both a protocol discount with an Internet -access service nect time with CERFnet. stack and a Web browser. Internet Cha- provider. Moon Valley Software produces what meleon is also currently shipping. It O'Reilly & Associates, perhaps the must certainly be the largest single re- doesn't have a Web interface, but it does best known publisher of books on Unix, source product for the Internet and other have a protocol stack that supports one has a number of related titles, including current information -superhighway ser- like Mosaic. The Whole Internet: User's Guide & Cat- vices. The company's $99 Hitchhiking on Over the next couple of columns, I'll alog by Krol. Like Internet Complete, this the Information Highway CD-ROM con- cover some of the basic things you need book offers both resources and instruc- tains NetCom's NetCruiser and includes to start your trip on the information high- tions for navigating through the com- start-up kits for CompuServe, Prodigy, way. This will include resources where mand -line interface. America Online and GEnie. You get free you can increase the depth of your net Probably the most -useful book of this introductory accounts with all of them, knowledge, service providers and software. type for the PC user is Hands -On Inter- too. However, what really makes this Not all of the software I'll cover actual- net: A Beginning Guide for PC Users by product worthwhile are its references. ly provide access to the WWW. Many Sachs and Stair. This modest volume is There's enough basic information to get programs are limited to e-mail or e-mail available from Prentice Hall in a $60 edi- even the rawest novice up and running. A in combination with other utilities-fre- tion that includes two diskettes, one of multimedia video tour provides commu- quently, readers for UseNet News. These which is a copy of deltaComm Develop- nications basics from modem installation products are an essential part of the soft- ment's Telix Lite Software, a Unix -style to previews of the on-line services. Fully ware package you'll need to take full ad- shell for the PC, and the other is an inter- indexed texts for Internet Basics, Zen and vantage of the Internet. Many support active tutorial that teaches you how to use the Art of the Internet, Hitchhiker's Guide functions, such as e-mail and graphics this command -line interface. It's a com- To The Internet and the Electronic Fron- viewers, aren't always included with plete system for accessing the net. It's tier Foundation Guide to the Internet are products that provide access to the Web. ideal for downloading Windows software provided. All can be searched for any For example, a pair of Windows products via a university or other account you word. that aren't Internet -specific but are close- might have at your disposal. A number of other references, includ- ly identified with the net are the LView A product like Telix Lite could also be ing a glossary of terms and Internet 3.1 (freeware) and LView Pro (shareware) used to provide you with command -line FAQs, are indexed as well. Mecklermedia graphics viewers. Both viewers are avail- access on a regular basis. Inasmuch as Pocket Guides for both UseNet and e-

94 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 mail are furnished. Finally, the product ORGANIZE AND PROTECT includes its own Windows communications application, complete with terminal emulations, graphic -file viewer, popular YOUR COPIES OF modem file -transfer protocols and support for both TCP/IP and the Internet FTP. Hayden offers The Internet Starter Kit MicroComputer Journal by Engst, Low and Simon. It includes the Chameleon Sampler and several discount offers with a variety of service providers. Now there's an easy way to organize and keep copies of your This is a tome that isn't particularly well - favorite magazine readily available for future reference. written but is chock full of valuable information on the Internet and a wide variety of Windows software. Designed exclusively for MicroComputer Journal by Jesse You can also sometimes acquire these Jones Industries, these custom-made titled cases and binders pro- resources as part of an introductory offer wde the luxury look that makes them attractive additions to your from your access provider. Earthlink is a local access provider in Los Angeles. Ac- bookshelf, desk or any location in your home or office. cess providers have a server connected to the Internet with which they provide their Whether you choose cases or binders, you'll have a storage customers an Internet address for a start- up charge and monthly fee. They also system that's durable and well organized to help protect your valu- usually have a separate charge for con- able copies from damage. nect time. Earthlink includes the $30 Internet Starter Kit in its $50 start-up charge. The Cases and binders designed Cases V -notched for easy company also provides it's users with ac- to hold a year's issues (may access. cess to a local database of software, giv- vary with issue sizes). Binders have special spring ing one -stop shopping for many of the freeware and shareware programs you'll Constructed of reinforced mechanism to hold individ- want to download. Even at the low Earth - board, covered with durable ual rods which easily snap link rate of $2 per hour, this lets you save green leather -like material. in. This allows magazines to a few bucks in searches. Once you have an account, you can get Free personalization foil for be fully opened for easy whatever remaining software you need indexing year. readability. from the net itself. If you get an account Title hot - stamped in gold. that provides the Internet Start -Up Kit, this may not be much. In addition to the Chameleon Sampler, the kit contains the MicroComputer Journal Jesse Jones Industries, Dept. MCJ Quantity Cases Binders shareware version of Eudora and the pub- One $ 7.95 $ 9.95 lic -domain news -reader WinVN. How- 499 East Erie Avenue, ever, you can also update these applica- Philadelphia, PA 19134 Three $21.95 $27.95 tions via the Internet. WinVN, for in- Six $39.95 $52.95 stance, is one of those applications you Please send cases; binders Add $ 1 per case/binder postage can get in any of several recent versions and handling. Outside USA $2.50 by FTP (file transfer protocol). It's avail- percase/binder.(U.S.funds able fromtitan.ksc.nasa.govin a directory Enclosed is $ only) called /pub/win3/winvn. E Charge my: (Minimum $15) In my next column, I'll provide brief reviews of Eudora, WinVN, Mosaic and E American Express E Visa some of the other software you'll need to E Mastercard E Diners Club navigate on the Internet. Card # Exp. Date Companies Mentioned Signature Earthlink 3171 Los Feliz Blvd., Ste. 203 Print Name Los Angeles, CA 90039 Tel.: 1-213-644-9500 Address No P.O. Box Numbers Please CIRCLE NO. 164 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD City/State/ Moon Valley Software, Inc. 141 Suburban Rd., Ste. Al Zip San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 PA Residents add 7% sales tax Tel.: 805-781-3890 CIRCLE NO. 165 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD Call TOLL FREE 7 days, 24 hours 1-800-825-6690

January/February 1995 I MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 95 Microcomputer Q & A

By TJ Byers

In this column, I answer questions CD-ROM drive.-DeanBeck, Chatsworth, CA about all aspects of computer disci- A: Thankfully, most modems are based on ade facto standard set forth by Hayes many years ago. So the plines, both hardware and software, modem you buy for your 486 system will work with plus related electronic queries. You your wife's Macintosh. The modem simply plugs can reach me on America Online at into the RS -232 serial port of either computer. As for the CD-ROM drive, buy a SCSI drive because TJBYERS, on CompuServe or Internet it's fast and plugs into the Mac's built-in SCSI port at [email protected] or by mail in or your PC's multimedia port. The drawback is that care of MicroComputer Journal, 76 if your PC doesn't have a SCSI port. you'll have to buy a SCSI adapter card. I recommend one from North Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801. Adaptec or Future Domain. Depending on the SCSI connector, you may also need to use a different ca- Mac/PC MOdem & ble for the CD-ROM drive when moving it from one CD-ROM Marriage system to the other. Q.I have a 486SX-25 PC and my wife has a Mac LCIL I want to replace my present modem with an Signing PC Faxes external 14.4 fax/modem, and I'd like to use it for Q.I understand that if I have my signature faxed to both computers. Is there a difference in modems for me using a regular fax I can then add it to myWin- the two machines? Same question for an external dowsdocuments. How? I have tried inserting a

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Fig. 1. Transferring data between PCs is easily accomplished using DOS's InterLink program and any of the cables shown above. The bidirectional parallel interface moves data much faster than the null modem's, but it's pretty much limited to 10 feet in length because of external noise problems.

96 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 faxed document into WinWord without Microsoft Anti -Virus any luck-Louis Lamar, Newhall, CA A. Fax a note to yourself and use your fax software to convert the incoming fax to a Main Menu .BMP or .PCX file and pop it into Windows Paintbrush. Using the Scissors option, Options Setting highlight the signature only, then use the Copy To command under Edit to save the Create Report Create New Checksums Prompt While Detect

signature in a new .BMP or .PCX file. You Create Checksums on Floppy can now put the signature into a Windows

document as a graphic, as follows: Disable Alarm Sound Anti -Stealth Create Backup Open the signature file in Paintbrush, Ld Check All Files highlight the signature using Scissors and OK attach it to the Clipboard via the Copy command. Now go into your target document, move the cursor to the desired sig- Work Drive: Microsoft Last Virus Found: nature location and Paste it in place. Since Anti -Virus Last Action: the Clip- board still holds the signature graphic, you can proceed to another document and do another paste-which saves Help Drive `.Detect Clean lOptionsList time when you have many documents to sign. By the way, you can do the same Fig. 2. VSAFEandVSAV,both of which come free with DOS 6.2, are virus -scanning pro- thing with logos. grams that can protect data from a virus infection. UseVSAFE whenworking in DOS and VSAV(above) when working inWindows. Transferring Data Between PCs cache that you may be using in place of play your games, you'll also see a speed Q. Do you know the pin assignments for DOS's SmartDrive. Next I'd suspect a improvement in many of your Windows the bidirectional parallel cable needed to hardware conflict of some kind that's a applications. run DOS 6.0's InterLink program? result of adding a sound card, internal Someone told me the information was in modem or software application that's Microsoft Access Memory the MS-DOS 6.0 book, but it's not in mine. claimed an already spoken -for I/0 port or Woes I heard that this pinout is the same as that interrupt (IRQ). used by the Brooklyn Bridge and LapLink To pinpoint this problem, use a good Q. I'm littltrig trouble loading Calendar cables.-Jim Jones, Birmingham, AL diagnostic utility such as AmiDiag (1-800- Creator Plus when running MS Access. I A. You heard right. The standard bidirec- 685-6244) or Micro 2000 (818-547-0125). get the error message "Not enough memo- tional parallel cable is used by many soft- Beyond this, all I can suggest is that you ry-close other windows applications and ware programs-including InterLink-for may have a "General Protection Fault" try again." I've ensured that all other the transfer of data between PCs. The pin error that corrects itself after the first try. apps are closed before attempting the pro- assignments are shown in Fig. 1. You can The cure, if this is the case, is to reinstall cess. I have a 486SX-25 with 8M of RAM also use any null modem (also shown in Windows. If you decide to go this route, -plenty enough, I'd think. More perplex- ing is that all other MS Office applica- Fig. 1), including those sold by Radio save your Windows.INIfiles in a safe Shack, to InterLink two PCs. The advan- place so that you can restore your original tions work fine with Access. I'm getting tage is that the null modem's serial cable setup if need be. very frustrated. Any suggestions will be can be several times longer than the bidi- greatly appreciated.-M. Galipeau, Lew- iston, ME rectional parallel cable (which is pretty Not Enough Memory much limited to 10 feet). The downside is A. According to Microsoft, Access re- that it takes about five times longer to for Games quires 6M of RAM. It appears that loading move the same amount of data, which can Q. I'm having a problem with my comput- Calendar Creator Plus on top of it is more be an hour or more for large or multiple er that's really puzzling. I have two popu- than Windows is willing to handle. The file transfers. lar games that I like a lot, but when I try reason Access runs with other Microsoft to run them I get a "Not enough memory" Office applications is because they share message. I have 4M of RAM and more common code that Access has already Windows Won't Load than 100M of free disk space. Do I need loaded into RAM. You can try running Q. When I turn on my PC and try to start more memory?-Carlton Taylor, Calendar Creator Plus first and see if that Windows, my 486 computer flashes the Scarborough, Ontario, Canada works. If not, you'll have to add more opening logo but immediately returns to A. You don't really need more memory, memory to your system-which becomes the DOS prompt. But i f I try a second you just need to change the way you use expensive when you pass the 8M mark if time, it works. Why can't I open Windows the memory you have. The problem is you have to remove your present 1M the first time, but always the second?- you're trying to run your DOS games SIMMs and replace them with 4M Antonio Castillo, Chula Vista, CA from Windows. This is fine-if you have SIMMs, which go for about $150 each. A. I've seen (and actually experienced) 8M of RAM. You don't. For the games to this problem more than once. work, simply quit Windows and run the More Memory Problems Unfortunately, there's no simple answer. game from the DOS prompt. However, Q. / often have to convert graphics for- First I'd suspect a TSR driver that's not 4M is close to the minimum amount of mats from one format to another in my loading properly on the first try. For RAM required by Windows. So if you up- work and find that HiJaak is my favorite instance, it could be a third -party disk grade to 8M you'll not only be able to conversion program. Unfortunately, I

January/February 1995 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /97

example, 11 you re trying to tormat an speed will my system run at? A friend told program dial the number-recognizing me that the computer automatically de- IBM 2.88M diskette, you need to say: whether it needs to put a 1 before the faults to the speed of the slower drive.- FORMAT A: /F:2.88. A 720K diskette number.-Jeff Greenberg, via Internet Jim Gorman, San Jose, CA needs the /F:720 switch, while a 360K, A. There's a really nifty shareware pro- A. The speed of the hard disk determines 5'/4" diskette needs the /4 switch. You gram called Dial -It (Fig. 3) that can be the amount of time it takes to read and might also try using the /q switch in place write data to and from the disk-only. It found on most on-line services and many of /u. Other than this, I can't see what the popular BBSes. It comes in a lite version, doesn't affect the speed of the computer, problem is, because Norton's format utili- DIALITE.ZIP, and a Pro version, DIALIT- but it will affect the speed of your applica- ty seems to work okay.

Internet Watch(from page 72) From Prentice Hall... The Internet Book: Everything You Need to Know About Computer Networking and How the Internet Works by Douglas Corner. (Soft cover. 336 pages. $24.95.) In non -technical terms, this book explains how computers communicate and what the Internet is and what itcan do for you. It focuses on the services the Internet provides, using analogies and examples. Organized into four sections, it begins with communication -system concepts and terminology and thenmoves on in the second section to a review of the history of the Internet and its incredible growth. The third section describes basic Internet technologies and capabilities and examines how Internet hardware is organized and how software provides communication. The last section describes services currently available on the Internet. Internet Anywhere: All You Need to Test Drive Internet Mail and Usenet News For 30 Days by James Gardner. (Soft cover. 460 pages. Floppy disk $39.95.) This book/software package offers Windows users easy access to the Internet's most popular tools-e-mail and Usenetnews- groups-for 30 days. It automatically configures and initiates an Internet account with a service provider, eliminating the hassle of having to find an Internet access provider and configuring your communications software to be compatible with the provider's UUCP service yourself. With this package, you get easy -to -use Windows -based Internet mail and news software, auto -dialaccess to an Internet service provider or alternate and free use of Internet Anywhere software for 30 days. The book guides youas an Internet user through the software and Internet basics. It's organized into several sections that cover getting started with the software, Usenetnews, electronic mail, other Internet Anywhere software and access providers. It also includes an international service -provider directory. Internet Anywhere software includes network news capabilities, a mail reader and composer anda scheduler program. It lets you download newsgroup information and e-mail from the Internet, using the store and forward capabilities of UUCP. You can set up your computer to connect to the Internet at times when telephone discount rates are in effect. The software provided in this package has some built-in limitations during the trial period andceases to operate 30 days after it has been installed. USENET: Netnews For Everyone by Jenny Fristrup. (Soft cover. 320 pages. $24.95.) This book shows how to communicate with others in the Usenet newsgroups via posting articles, forwarding mail, sending follow- up articles to previous articles and simply reading the news using netnews programs. USENET is organized into three parts. Part One introduces you to Usenet and its newsgroups, with a look atan existing news - group to let you explore the dynamics of discussions and learn basic terminology. Reference section Part Two contains the core list of Usenet newsgroups, lists the basic newsgroup and any subgroups, gives a description of each and lists the group's available FAQs. Part Three is a guide to getting access to Usenet. (Continued on page 107)

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 99 OPEI SETUP PANEL 683-6696) to free up your memory after )1020 GOO 0910 1 21010tojEllaiE.AIM I dr EditfinokmarkHelp using one of these programs. If this does- ContentsSearch Back lir:rosy n't work, check your .INI files for strange Introduction or conflicting entries. I once had a corrupt application .INI file (not the SYSTEMJNI Dial -It for windows allows you to dial telephone numbers from Any Wordprocessing, Database, PIM, application or any Screen Area Within Windows Containing Editable Text. CCard file) that triggered the "Not enough mem- Don't Let this tiny window fool You. it Branches out into a Mess Load of features File Help ory" message. Deleting the application

Dial -It Lite Features; I *Grayed features are found in the Pro version Only) 22 I -I= along with its file and reloading the 01 -Dials telephone numbers directly from text documents ,database , and other Windows applications. application solved the problem. 02 -Allows you to enter and dial numbers from the keyboard 03 -Long Distance, Outside Line Access codes 04 -Calling Card Dialing. Math Lite Set Up Personal Network Security QS -Saves window positions. Modem settings Dialer Preferences 06-0n line / context sensitive help Port I our I.,11,, i1 Speaker offID Volume Low CI -Pulse d'''E Q. 1 work in an office where four to seven None 1200None', 1 TopMostE 07 -Full keyboard access. 5needDial 0 Auto blight® 2400Odd 6 15 08.3D Interface Correa 1 Other IMO persons share the use of two PCs. How- Corm 2''''2. 4800 i Yell 09 -Special Character codes for easier dialing fro Comm 3 9600 0 EillE11.1.111 10 -Timer to keep track of call duration. ever, my current project requires exclu- Loc schange Wan Int=1 11 -Local exchange options include #1 prefix gni sive use of one PC-which I will add to 0 Long distance Prefix Only Timer Preferences 2 -Keeps track of calls in a log with date, time Auto Connect0 Pedird 14Y El O Area Code Only * Bath III the system, making for a total of three. IS -You can print entire log or selected entries Auto Timer ell i Livh it-,uu Access codes The problem is that the two existing PCs I 4 -You can save your logs for archival purpose Local Area Code916 Long Din once Prelim Ill Use on BOO.. (El OK Enter in my department are what I consider "IS -Log can be rosined or maximized for better Outside line 9 Outside Line Pause Cancel F6 "unsafe" in regards to viruses and other '16 -You can le -dial numbers from the log listing Card calling options Use codes 0 CarrierMCI I Pause After Number[5-1 '-Log window attributes include color, size, f tampering caused (unintentionally, I Credit card numbe,.--5 12345234560 J Help Fl l5 -Timer tells you the duration of the call and hope) by others. How can I plug my new 'Pi -Memory dialer for those frequently called nu nhaii, PC into the network while keeping my 0 -Memory dialer Position and minimize on dial attributes can be saved data secure? Is there any software or hardware available that can prevent oth- Fig. 3. Dial-lt is a simple Windows shareware program that lets you dial phone numbers ers from using my PC? Would changing to from virtually any Windows application by simply clicking on the number. OS/2 alleviate the danger?-Sean McKeown, via Internet A. There are several things you can do to protect your computer and its data. Virus- keep getting "Not enough memory" errors A. You didn't say which version of Hi- es are easily prevented by installing a vi- after I use HiJaak, which forces me to quit Jaak you're using, but I've noticed that rus scanning program such as VSAFE or and restart Windows to clear the prob- some versions-and a few other pro- MSAV (Fig. 2), which come free with lem. Although I can tolerate the inconve- grams, like PhotoFinish-eat memory and DOS 6.2, or a third -party application like nience, I'd rather not have to. What can I then refuse to free it up when they're The Norton Anti Virus. Norton also makes do?-Carl Phillips, Los Angeles, CA done. Use a utility like WinProbe (800 - a program called Disklock that prevents invasion of your system using password protection, file locking and file encryp- tion. PC Tools, from Central Point Soft- tileEditSearchWindow ware, also contains similar utilities. How- CAWINDOWSSYSTEM.INI lb 0011 ever, you may not have to spend money to shell=progman.exe mouse protect your system. The key that came neAvor CAWINDOWS)WIN INI with your PC-you know, the small (usu- larigua Iwindowsi sound. sponier.no ally round) one that fits in the front panel comm. CACONFIG.SYS -prevents anyone from using the key- keyboe - ..- ^ - ^ nkenrinn A emrcuun CVat.

Industry Watch By John Hastings rhe AmCoEx Index of Used Computer Prices

In the computer industry, the company that con- computers haven't come up to expectations. Most of trols the operating -system software can control the these computers have smaller keyboards and no in- industry itself. IBM proved this axiom in the 1960s ternal floppy drive. These limitations have been too and 1970s when its mainframe operating -system much for many buyers. revenues provided it with enormous profits. In the Two models of PowerBook Duos will be an- 1980s, IBM grossly underestimated the potential nounced in May, both of which will have color market for microcomputers and allowed Microsoft screens. With prices of color screens dropping and to retain the rights to PC -DOS and market it as MS- demand increasing, we may be approaching the end DOS. Some people now say IBM stands for "I Built of monochrome screens on all notebook computers. Microsoft." In the past, most color screens were either expen- IBM is now making a concerted effort to wrestle sive, high -quality active -matrix ones or the cheaper, some of its power and influence back from Micro- poor -resolution passive -matrix ones. Today, dual - soft with its latest attempts to market its Windows scan passive -matrix screens offer an excellent com- competitor, OS/2. Big Blue may even utilize late - promise with an affordable price and sharp, clear night "infomercials" on television to promote its op- colors. erating system. Many industry experts would like to As Intel continues to cut prices of its Pentium see some degree of success for OS/2. This would en- CPU chips, Advanced Micro Devices has countered sure a balance of power and continued competition, with faster 486 chips. AMD recently announced a with no one company controlling the industry. new 486 that runs at 80 MHz and expects to ship 1995 will bring remarkable changes in microcom- large quantities of a 100 -MHz version before the end puter operating -system software. IBM will announce of the year. The lower prices on these chips will cer- the next version of its OS/2 operating system de- tainly translate into lower prices of new and used signed for smaller systems and individuals, Micro- computers this fall. soft will release the next version of Windows, and Compaq Computer announced a new line of com- Apple will finally license its operating system to puters that surprised the industry. This is the first other computer makers who will sell clones of the model from the computer giant that will be built Macintosh computer. without use of any Intel CPU chips. All of the new IBM's OS/2 has been a success with corporate systems will use chips from Advanced Micro De- customers, but not with individuals. IBM hopes to vices. Compaq appears to be feuding with Intel over remedy that with its new version. The new software the fact that Intel has assembled complete systems will probably be called Personal OS/2. It's expected for many of Compaq's competitors. Intel may retali- to run with only 4M of memory, include a suite of ate by withholding its Pentium chips from Compaq. productivity applications and provide one -button ac- However, NexGen, a company partially owned by cess to all features of the Internet. IBM expects the Compaq, announced its Pentium -class chips this new system to rival the next version of Windows and week. It expects large quantities to be available be- beat it to the market by eight months. fore the end of the year. Microsoft has stated the next version of Windows Demand for used laser printers, especially the will be called Windows 95, rather than Windows 4.0, Hewlett-Packard LaserJet series, has always exceed- as expected. Most software with ".0" in its has had ed supply. Unlike technological advancements in serious problems. Many experienced users wait for computers, newer laser printers haven't enticed users the .1 version to adopt new software. Some think to sell their older printers to upgrade. The new Color Microsoft adopted the new naming convention to LaserJet may change this situation somewhat. Sell- circumvent this perception. ing for slightly less than $6,000, the new HP color Apple unveiled a new logo for its operating sys- printer may cause many businesses to sell their older tem that will allow the company to give it a recog- monochrome printers to upgrade. In addition to nizable identity separate from the normal Apple printing four pages per minute in color, the new logo. When other companies begin to sell Macintosh printer can print up to 12 pages per minute in mono- clones, they'll use the new operating -system logo as chrome. its identification without confusing the hardware as Novell recently announced release of a revolu- being that from Apple. tionary new software development system called After being one of the first companies to intro- Visual AppBuilder. Years ago, the development of duce a subnotebook computer, Apple may also be computer applications was a cottage industry. Many one of the first to withdraw from the market. It's ex- large software companies grew from individuals or pected the next PowerBook Duos introduced this small groups that were developing new software ap- spring will be the last Duos Apple produces. Sales of plications. New graphical interfaces have made de- sub -notebooks have been disappointing to most velopment of new applications more difficult. Most manufactures. Even Compaq and IBM's sub -4 lb. new applications today are developed by large orga-

100 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 EAmateur Radio Prices For Used Computers as of October 6, 1994 If you enjoy Amateur Radio, you'll enjoy CQ. Average Average Buyer's Seller's Machine Bid Ask Close 1t.tirittat Amateur Radio Change ,(.11411.1 MI IBM PS/2 Model 70, 60M $400 $675 $500 -$50 IBM PS/1 486DX2/50, 253M 1,125 1,450 1,200 +50 IBM PS/2 Model 9, 160M 1,200 1,600 1,300 - IBM ThinkPad 350C 1,900 2,400 2,200 - SPECII ' IBM ThinkPad 700 1,000 1,700 1,225 -25 '''''''*- ISSUE IBM ThinkPad 720 1,600 2,000 1,775 +50 AST 486SX/25, 170M 700 1,250 925 - LEI AST 486DX/66, 340M 1,350 1,900 1,600 -100 Dell 386/33, 100M 600 1,000 750 -50 Dell 486DX/33, 240M 850 1,500 1,200 +100 It's a different kind of ham magazine. Gateway 386/25, 80M 400 800 575 -25 Gateway 486/33, 120M 800 1,200 1,000 -25 Fun to read, interesting from cover to Clone Notebook 386SX, 40M 500 900 800 +100 cover, written so you can understand Clone 386/33, 80M, VGA 450 900 675 +50 it. That's CO. Read and enjoyed by over 96,000 people each month in 116 Clone 486/25, 120M, VGA 700 1,200 1,025 +50 countries around the world. Clone 486DX/33, 240M 800 1,425 1,125 -75 Compaq LTE 286, 40M 300 675 550 +50 It's more than just a magazine. Compaq Contura 320, 60M 500 1,000 875 +75 It's an institution. Compaq Contura 4/25, 120M 1,100 1,600 1,300 +25 Compaq Deskpro 386/20e, 100M 500 800 650 +25 CQ also sponsors these thirteen world Compaq Deskpro 486/33, 120M 1,100 1,650 1,225 -75 famous awards programs and contests: Mac Classic II, 80M 400 800 475 -50 The CQ World Wide DX Phoneand CW Mac Ilsi, 160M 600 900 700 -75 Contests, the CQ WAZ Award, the CQ Macintosh Ilcx, 80M 400 700 475 +25 World Wide WPX Phone and CW Contests, the CO USA -CA Award, the CQ Macintosh Ilci, 80M 600 950 675 -100 WPX Award, the CO World Wide 160 Macintosh Ilfx, 80M 700 1,250 800 -100 Meter Phone and CW Contests, the CQ Mac Quadra 700, 230M 1,100 1,600 1,250 +25 Five Band WAZ Award, the CO DX Mac Quadra 800, 500M 2,350 2,900 2,350 -150 Award, and the highly acclaimed CQ DX PowerBook 140, 40M 700 1,100 800 -50 Hall of Fame. PowerBook 170, 40M 800 1,350 925 -150 Accept the challenge. Join the fun. PowerBook 180, 80M 1,200 1,700 1,500 +50 Read CO. LaserWriterPro 630 1,500 1,975 1,600 -25 Toshiba 1900, 120M 1,000 1,700 1,075 -75 Also available in the Spanish language Toshiba 3200 SXC, 120M 1,850 2,950 2,300 -175 edition. Write for rates and details Toshiba 3300SL, 120M 1,050 1,600 1,225 -75 Toshiba 5200, 100M 850 1,250 1,000 -100 SUBSCRIBE TODAY! HP LaserJet II 350 850 675 -100 CO The Radio Amateur's Journal HP LaserJet IIIP 350 950 500 - 76 North Broadway HP LaserJet III 650 1,000 700 -125 Hicksville, New York 11801 HP LaserJet IV 900 1,300 975 -100 Please start my CO subscription with the next available issue. John Hastings is the president of the American Computer Exchange Corp., which has Enclose payment or charge information with matched buyers and sellers of used microcomputer equipment since 1988. For more order. Term and rate (check one): information contact the American Computer Exchange Corp. at 800-786-0717. USA VE/XE Foreign 1 Year El 24.50 0 27. E 29. 2 Years O 47. El 51. 0 55. nizations that have experienced program- Many companies aren't surprised to 3 Years El 69. 75. El 81. mingstaffs. learn that their older computers may be Novell's new product will allow pro- worthless. However, most are surprised to Name grammers, and non -programmers alike, to find some older computers are sinking to Address develop sophisticated new applications in negative values. Due to some toxic ele- City one -tenth the normal time, without forcing ments found in various computer compo- State Zip them to learn a programming language. nents, most older systems can't be placed These new developers will start new busi- in dumps and landfills. They must be dis- () Check () M/C ( )VISA () AMEX () Discover nesses that could change the face of the posed of properly. Several companies now Card No. industry. After development, the new charge corporations to remove older XT Expires applications can be compiled to run under and 286 desktop computers. Slower 386 Signature both Macintosh and Windows operating computers may soon attain the dubious systems. distinction of having a negative value. (Signature required on all charge orders) Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of first issue. Phone 516-681-2922; FAX 516-681-2926

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /I01 PIC16Cxx (from page 23) CALL DELAY ;GIVE LCD TIME TO EXECUTE

PIC16C5X Microcontroller Family. BCF CONTROL.E ;LOWER E The PIC16C5X family consists of the PIC16C54, PIC16C55, PIC16C56 and CALL DELAY COMPLETE COMMAND SEQUENCE PIC16C57 microcontrollers. All four TURN ON DISPLAY AND CURSOR of this family's members are low- cost, eight -bit, EPROM -based CMOS BSF CONTROL,E;RAISE E microcontrollers. Differences in the MOVLW OCH ;DISPLAY ON BYTE IS OEH four PIC16C5X parts are in oscillator MOVWF DATALINES ;PRESENT COMMAND type, number of available I/O pins and size of the internal EPROM and CALL DELAY RAM. The PIC16CXX family of devices have similar pinouts. Table 2 BCF CONTROL,E LOWER E provides an overview of the PIC- 16C5X devices. Figure 6 is a compre- CALL DELAY hensive block diagram for the entire SET ENTRY MODE TO MOVE CURSOR TO RIGHT PIC16CXX family. Only 33 assembler instructions are BSF CONTROL,E associated with the PIC16C5X fami- MOVLW 03H MOVWF DATALINES ly. Most of them execute within a single processor cycle, the exception be- CALL DELAY ing program branch instructions that take two cycles to complete. Each BCF CONTROL,E PIC16C5X instruction word is 12 bits in length with the mnemonic (opcode) CALL DELAY and operand (register, memory loca- CLEAR DISPLAY AND HOME THE CURSOR tion or direct data to be manipulated) fully defined within the 12 -bit word. The PIC16C5X can operate with a RESET BCF CONTROL,RS :MAKE SURE RS IS RESET FOR SCROLL 20 -MHz clock, producing 200-ns in- CALL DELAY struction cycles. Most of the other BSF CONTROL,E popular microcontrollers operate at MOVLW 01H ;CLEAR DISPLAY COMMAND BYTE much lower clock speeds, with micro- MOVWF DATALINES :PRESENT COMMAND second cycle times and use instructions that consume multiple bytes of CALL DELAY program space per instruction. BCF CONTROL,E ,LOWER E High-speed PIC execution coupled with the code efficiency offered in the CALL DELAY single -word instruction set boosts PIC performance a magnitude beyond DISPLAY THE MESSAGE many microcontrollers in its class. An additional plus is that usually a 2:1 DISPLAY code compression ratio is also MOVLW 0 achieved. MOVWF OFFSET ;INITIALIZE TABLE OFFSET VALUE Data -memory (RAM) bus in the PIC16C5X is eight bits in length, BSF CONTROL,RS ;TURN ON WRITE DATA TO LCD BIT CALL DELAY while the program -memory (EPROM) ROLLIT bus is 12 bits in length. Using the Har- BSF CONTROL.E ;RAISE E vard dual -bus configuration permits MOVF OFFSET,W ;LOAD THE OFFSET VALUE the PIC16C5X family to perform high- CALL TABLE ;GO GET THE CHARACTER TO DISPLAY speed bit, byte and register operations. MOVWF DATALINES ;PUT CHARACTER OUT Summing up, the PIC16C5X family CALL DELAY ;EXECUTE consists of what's known as the 12 -bit core devices. Depending upon the de- BCF CONTROL,E vice you select, EPROM program memory can range from 512 to 2K 12 -bit words of program memory, 32 MOVLW OFFH ,SET SPEED OF SCROLL MOVWF SPEED to 80 bytes of internal RAM, 12 to 20 SCROLL bidirectional I/O lines, an oscillator CALL DELAY startup timer, dc -to -20 -MHz operation

102 /MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 DECFSZ SPEED,1 HARDWARE SOURCES GOTO SCROLL If you prefer not to go it alone in fab- INCF OFFSET,1 ;INCREMENT OFFSET INTO TABLE ricating a PIC-PERF breadboarding MOVLW 10H ;LENGTH OF MESSAGE IN TABLE system, you can obtain a kit of parts XORWF OFFSET,W ;CHECK FOR END OF MESSAGE from which you can build the config- BTFSC STATUS,2 ;CHECK FOR OFFSET=10H uration that suits your needs and bud- GOTO RESET ;YES = 10H get. A number of options are avail- GOTO ROLLIT ;NO..GO GET NEXT CHARACTER able from: ;*****--- MESSAGE TABLE E D Technical Publications PO Box 541222 TABLE Merritt Island, FL 32954-1222 ADDWF PC,1 ;ADD OFFSET TO PC ;THIS RESULTS IN A COMPUTED GOTO VISA and MasterCard are accepted. For RETLW ;WHICH OFFSETS INTO THE MESSAGE telephone credit-card orders, call 407- RETLW ;TABLE 454-9905. To contact the EDTP BBS, RETLW dial 407-454-3198. RETLW RETLW 'P' RETLW Option 1: PIC-PERF pc board only, $30. RETLW 'C' Option 2:PIC-PERFpc board; solder - RETLW less terminal strip; all IC sockets; DB-25 RETLW `P' female connector; 0.1-g capacitors (5); RETLW `E' all header pins, $52. RETLW `R' Option 3: Same as Option 2 plus DL - RETLW 'F' 1414 intelligent display; 8- and 3 -MHz RETLW ceramic oscillators; 10 -MHz crystal; 27- RETLW pF capacitors (4), $82. RETLW Option 4:Same asOption 3 plus LCD RETLW display; PIC16C54 EPROM version; and PIC16C55 EPROM version, $130. DELAY SUBROUTINE PIC16C54/55/56/57 Programmer Kit: Includes all electronic components, pc DELAY board and software, $69.95 MOVLW OFFH ;SIMPLE LOOP TO KILL TIME PIC16C64/71/74/84 Programmer Kit: MOVWF LOOPY Includes all electronic components, pc KILLTIME board and software, $49.95 DECFSZ LOOPY,1 GOTO KILLTIME Components for making your own PIC- RETLW 0 PERF can also be obtained from:

ORG PIC55 Digi-Key GOTO BEGIN Tel.:1-800-DIGIKEY END LCDdisplay modules are available for $9.95 from: Table 2. PIC16C5x CMOS Microcontroller Family Overview. BG Micro Pin I/O EPROM (E) or Operating PO Box 280298 Product Count Lines ROM (R) RAM Voltage Dallas, TX 75228 PIC16C54 18 12 512 X 12(E) 25 X 8 2.5 to 6.25 Tel.: 1-800-276-2206 PIC1654A 18 12 512 X 12(E) 25 X 8 2.5 to 6.25 PIC16C55 28 20 512 X 12(E) 24 X 8 2.5 to 6.25 Technical data for the Microchip PIC' PIC16C56 18 12 2,048 X 12(E) 25 X 8 2.5 to 6.25 series of products and the Microchip PIC16C57 28 20 2,048 X 12(E) 72 X 8 2.5 to 6.25 Data Book can be obtained from: PIC16C58A 18 12 2,048 X 12(R) 73 X 8 2.5 to 6.25 PIC16CR54 18 12 512 X t2(R) 25 X 8 PIC16CR57A 28 20 2,048 X 12(R) 72 X 8 Microchip Technology, Inc. Packages = PDIP, SOIC,CDIP Window, SSOP 2355 W. Chandler Blvd. Chandler, AZ 85224-6199 Tel.: 602-786-7200

and 2.0 -to -6.5 -volt operation, all con- 16C71 CMOS microcontroller is an de- designed along the lines of the tained within an 18- or 28 -pin plastic improved 14 -bit version of the pro- PIC16C5X series, and its program or ceramic DIP package. cessor core used in the low-cost, code is basically the same, with some PIC16C71 Microcontroller. The 1K X high-powered PIC16C5X family. The added mnemonics that are particular 14 EPROM -based eight -bit PIC- architecture of this microcontroller is to the PIC16C71.

January/February 1995 1MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 103 Port A Memory (x14) - up to 8KProgram 13 CounterProgram Data Bus <8> -4111-0.-N RA4/TOCKI RAO/AINO-RA3/AJN3 BusP ogram <14>e / FileUp Registers to 192 x8 RAM o Port B -06-0,1E1 RA5/SS/AIN4 Instruction Reg. 8 Level Stack (13 bit)V /Addr Mux \ ,ft RAM Addr <9> t RBOANT Direct Addr <7> I\ AddrIndirect <8> FSR (1 1/131 RB1-RB7 --I.] STATUS Reg Port C -wi-spigl RC2/CCP1RC1/T1OSI/CCP2RCO/T1OSO/T1CKI DecodeInstruction and V Power -up Watchdog 3/ Mux RC6/TXICK-RC5/SDORC4/SDVSDARC3/SCK/SCL ControlTiming Start-up Timer Oscillator Timer Power -on ResetTimer 4 I W RegALU V / Port D RC7/RYJDT OSC1 OSC2/ CLKOUT Generation 1- Voo, Vss EEPROM Data Memory t RD7/PSP7RDO/PSPO- #t HigherOnly available order bits on are PIC16C84 from STATUS register MCLR EEPROM Memory Data <,=> Port E "4111-11'El REO/RD/AJNS ft./D CCP1, CCP2 Timer°, Timerl Tlmer2 SynchronousSerial Port o SCI EEADR64 x 8 A I -4110121-01-0.§4 RE1/WR/AIN6 RE2/CS/AIN7 Listing 4. Code For Reading PIC16C84 EEPROM Data Memory clock), with program branches being the exception using, once again, only CLRW ;CLEAR W two processor cycles. MOVWF EEADR ;LOAD ADDRESS 0 The very high performance attained BSF STATUS,RPO ;GO TO PAGE 1 by the PIC16C71 series can be attrib- BSF EECON1,RD ;DO A EEPROM READ FROM ADDRESS 0 BCF STATUS,RPO ;RETURN TO PAGE 0 uted to instruction pipelining, a rich MOVF EEDATA,W ;LOAD W WITH EEDATA CONTENTS internal register set (48 addressable MOVLW Ox01 ;LOAD ADDRESS OF Ox01 registers), and separate instruction MOVWF EEADR and data memories. BSF STATUS,RPO ;GO TO PAGE 1 Available in an 18 -pin ceramic DIP BSF EECON1,RD ;DO A EEPROM READ FROM ADDRESS 1 BCF STATUS, R PO ;RETURN TO PAGE 0 EPROM package, the PIC16C71 has MOVF EEDATA,W ;LOAD DATA JUST READ TO W a transparent window through which erasure can be accomplished with an ultraviolet (UV) energy source for re- Listing 5. Working Example of Writing PIC16C84 Data Memory. use. It's also available as an 18 -pin WRITEADDRO OTP (one-time programmable) plastic CLRW ;CLEAR W DIP device that isn't erasable and can MOVWF EEADR ;LOAD EEADR WITH ADDRESS Ox00 be programmed only once. BSF STATUS,RPO ;SELECT REGISTER BANK FOR EECONX Data memory (RAM) bus in the BSF EECON1,WREN ;ENABLE EEPROM WRITE ENABLE BCF EECON1,EEIF ;MAKE SURE EEIF IS CLEAR PIC16C71 is eight bits wide, while the program memory (EPROM) bus is MOVLW 0x55 ;THIS SEQUENCE MUST BE PERFORMED 14 bits wide. Use of the Harvard dual - MOVWF EECON2 ;IN THIS ORDER TO WRITE TO bus configuration permits the PIC to MOVLW OxOAA ;EEPROM DATA MEMORY MOVWF EECON2 perform high-speed bit, byte and reg- BSF EECON1,WR ister operations. WRITINGO EEPROM-Based PIC16C84. Very BTFSS EECON1,EEIF ;CHECK FOR END OF WRITE similar in operation and layout to the GOTO WRITINGO PICI6C71, the PIC16C84 is a fully - BCF EECON1,EEIF ;CLEAR EEIF BEFORE LEAVING BCF EECON1,WREN ;DISABLE EEPROM WRITE ENABLE static eight -bit microcontroller with BCF STATUS,RPO ;SELECT REGISTER BANK 0 1K X 14 EEPROM program memory and 64 bytes of user EEPROM data memory. Like the PIC16C71, all instructions are single words that are 14 An on -chip analog -to -digital (A/D) Its instruction set consists of 35 14 -bit bits wide. Each instruction cycle with converter is featured in the PIC- instructions that behave much like the a 10 -MHz clock is 400 ns in length. 16C71. Like its ancestors, the PIC- PIC16C5X instructions. Most instruc- The PIC16C84 also executes most in- 16C5X series, the PIC16C71 contains tions execute within a single 250-ns structions in a single cycle. You can an advanced RISC -like architecture. processor cycle (with a 16 -MHz expect typically 1 -million erase/pro-

U U U R/W R/W R/W RAN R/W

- - EEIFWRERRWREN WR RD Address: 88h R/W: Readable & writable Reset value: 0000x0004R: Read only Lmo Read control bit. Setting RD = 1 initiates an EEPROM read. Read takes one clock cycle. RD is cleared in hardware. RD bit can only be set (but not cleared) in software.

Write control bit setting WR = 1 will initiate a write cycle. The bit is cleared by hardware once write is complete. WR bit can only be set (but not cleared) in software.

E,EP ROM write enable bit. WREN = 0 inhibits write to the data EEPROM. WREN = 1 allows write operation.

WRERR error flag is set if a write operation is prematurely terminated by a MCLR reset (during SLEEP or normal operation) or by a WDT reset during normal operation.

EEPROM write completion interrupt flag bit. Set when write is completed. Must be reset in software. Corresponding enable bit is EEIE in INTCON register.

Fig. 7. EECON2 bit layout for PIC16C84 microcontroller. (Courtesy Microchip Technology Inc.)

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /105

SERIAL/PARALLEL INTERFACE

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93LC66 SERIAL EEPR011 PIC-PERF Fel MCLR

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Fig. 8.Silk-screen layout for PIC-PERF breadboarding system described in text. gram cycles for the device's user EE - also two control registers, identified PIC16C84 user EEPROM data mem- PROM and a data retention time in asEECON1andEECON2. ory is a bit more involved, as the excess of 40 years. When a byte is written to the EE - working example given in Listing 5 The PIC16C84's register file is al- PROM data area, microcode in the illustrates. most identical to that of the PIC- PIC16C84 automatically erases the User -Defined Serial/Parallel Interface. 16C71, with the exception of the spe- location before writing the new data Rather than impose a fixed I/O inter- cial registers that enable use of the to it. Write cycle time is 10 -ms and is face, I thought it would be good to let EEPROM data memory. The PIC- controlled by an on -chip timer. The you implement your own particular 16C84 has 64 eight -bit EEPROM programmer can choose to poll a serial or parallel I/0 interface. Taking cells that can be read from and writtenwrite -complete bit or simply wait out a look at the upper -left of Fig. 8, to during normal operation. EEPROM the 10 -ms period. you'll find a 25 -pin D -shell connector storage is accessed via two registers: EECON1is a physical register. Its layout and a 20 -pin socket layout sur- EEDATA,which holds the eight -bit bit layout is illustrated in Fig. 7. rounded by a total of four 20 -pin sin- data for read/write operations, and EECON2isn't physically implement- gle -in -line pads. With use of the ex- EEADR,which holds the address of ed. Instead, it's used during EEPROM perimenter's breadboard area and the EEPROM cell being accessed. data memory -write operations. using hard -wired or machined -pin The 64 bytes of EEPROM storage are Reading PIC16C84 user EEPROM connections, you can fabricate just mapped as Ox00 through Ox3F. To fa- data memory is accomplished with about any type of interface you desire. cilitate use of the EEPROM, there are the code given in Listing 4. Writing A schematic diagram that outlines a

106 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 typical serial interface circuit is shown in Fig. 9. For details concerning paral- J1:2 SERIAL IN FROM PC SERIAL PORT lel -port theory and interfacing, the 2 )-1 best offering I've seen is Jan Axel - CONN25F son's "How to Use a PC's Parallel Port for Monitoring and Control Pur- J1:3 SERIAL OUT FROM PIC-PERF TO PC 3 1 ) poses" in the May/June 1994 issue of CONN25F MicroComputer Journal. J1:4

I ) 14 PIC-PERF Construction CONN25F U1 PIN 1m. 1TL SERIAL FROM PIC-PERF (TRANSMIT) There's nothing difficult or special J1 :5 U1 PIN 3 TR. SERIAL TO PIC-PERF (RECEIVE) that needs to be pointed out about Ui > construction of the PIC-PERF bread-

CONN25F V+ board. In fact, you can assemble the IV- PIC-PERF by simply following the J1:6 2V - 1C2+ printed -circuit board's silk-screen lay- I ) 1 6 C1+ 2C2+ CONN25F C1 1C2- out shown in Fig. 9. The only "hard 2C2- wiring" you'll have to do is between J1:8 T1 IN T1OUT D1 the DB-25 connector and serial/paral- T2IN T2OUT 04 Mi 8 C R1OUT RUN 2 C220urR2I& 19 lel interface and providing power (+5 CONN25F J1 0825 FEMALE CONNECTOR MAX233CPP volts and ground) at the specified J1:20 J1:7 locations.

I > 1-28 I > I mounted two of the rows of 20 - CONN25F CONN25F POWER TABLE: pin headers on the solder side of the PIC-PERF prototype for easier wiring MAX233 PIN 7 = +5 of the DB-25 interface. Be sure to use MAX233 PIN 6 = GND 0.1-µF capacitors to bypass the power lines on all active components you use. If you choose very small capacitors, you can mount them permanent- Fig. 9.Typical serial connection for usingPIC-PERFbreadboarding system. ly on the solder side of PIC-PERF.

Internet Watch (frompage 99) From Prentice Hall... The Internet CD: Internet Software at Your Fingertips by Vivian Neou. (Soft cover. 275 pages. CD-ROM. $49.95.) This book/CD-ROM package offers a broad spectrum of networking and informational tools to help you get started on the Internet. The CD-ROM contains such tools as Eudora Version 1.4 e-mail for PC/Windows; the Unix -like Linux operatingsys- tem;Gopher search and retrieve utility; INFOPOP and IPWIN Internet information gatherer; WAIS (Wide Area Information Service) Telnet utility for logging onto remote systems; FTP utility for copying files from one host to another on the Internet; Trumpet network support for PCs, UUCP for DOS and Windows that includes a newsreader, e-mail and file transfer; and Crynwr Packet Drivers for establishing direct connection to the Internet via the telephone. The book that accompanies the CD-ROM includes installation instructions, an overview of the software on the CD-ROM and separate sections for DOS, Windows and Unix users. As the book points out, most of the software on the CD-ROM is oriented toward experienced computer users. If your PC experience is somewhat limited, you might want to obtain one or more of the above titles as well.

From Van Nostrand Reinhold... Doing Business on The Internet by Mary J. Cronin. (Soft cover. 250 pages. $29.95.) Written for the non -technical user, this book serves as a fact -filled strategic handbook for information managers, librarians, business people and entrepreneurs. If you feel out of your depth when testing the waters of the Internet, Doing Business may be just what you need. It explains the basics of the technology, starting with how to get connected, andgoes on to explore the different ways the Internet can be used effectively with case studies of successful business implementations. Drawing on an analysis of how it's currently being used by more than 100 large and small companies, the author approaches the Internet from a management perspective. She examines the costs and benefits of various business applications and then guides you through the strategies and stages of putting the Internet to work in companies of all sizes, emphasizing practical solutions. Topics include customizing the Internet for product development, business partnerships, research, marketing, entre- preneurial opportunities and customer support. Practical advice is given for businesses on the most -important Internetresources, services and technical developments.

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 107 users control over how they WHAT'S NEW! manage their fax correspon- (from page 14) dence. Users direct Fax Assis- tant just once on what special ibility and integration of the send, receive, save, copy and product. To meet the need for F OCR options to perform for faster scanning performance, each person in their phone Ern the program's scanning engine Err book. Fax Assistant then auto- ni-n was completely redesigned to rf matically remembers what to 177- provide four to five times fast- r - do every time a fax is sent to Er er performance. $129.99. Mc- or received from that person. Afee, 2710 Walsh Ave., Santa Other new features include DOD Clara, CA 95051; tel.: 408- expanded credit-card dialing, FOIT 988-3832; fax: 408-970-9727. FED third -party fax mailbox re- non

CIRCLE NO. 35 ON FREE CARD trieval, "walk -away" faxing with full TWAIN scanner compatibility and others. CAD/DRAW $84.95. Phoenix Technologies, Ifilia/ Upgrade Ltd., 846 University Ave., Nor- wood, MA 02062; tel.: 617- PSI -Plot added to the program are CAD/DRAW 2.0 for Windows 551-4000; fax: 617-551-3750. filled vector fonts, cus- is a 2D CAD shareware pack- Upgrade tomized desktop color con- age from Tommy Software CIRCLE NO. 37 ON FREE CARD Poly Software International's trol, on -screen rulers, North America. Major new PSI -Plot Version 3.0 techni- enhanced zoom and un-zoom features of this product include Drive Rocket cal plotting and data process- functions and EMS and the ability to: mark and calcu- ing program offers such new XMS usage control. $299. late the intersections of all Upgrade features as ordinary differen- Poly Software International, standard objects; directly edit a Version 1.4 of Ontrack Com- tial equation solvers, new 3335 S. 900 E., Ste. 150, Salt selected object and scale, ro- puter Systems' Drive Rocket is plot types like pie chart and Lake City, UT 84106; tel.: tate or distort it; change a a data accelerator for IDE ternary plot, fractional log 801-485-0466; fax: 801-485- closed region within a drawing hard -disk drives. This new scales, and multiple 3D 0480. into a closed area; change lines version provides an enhanced curves in one plot. Also CIRCLE NO. 38 ON FREE CARD into outlines and polylines into FastDisk driver to support Bezier chains; load a mono- Drive Rocket's Read/Write chrome .PCX file and display it Multiple function. By boosting and verify circuits before all built-in LaserJet III type- in the background of a draw- the rate at which the drive breadboarding. faces and 12 of the LaserJet ing. $59.95. Tommy Software reads and writes data, Drive Version 3 expands the selec- 4's repertoire. $49.95. Succinct North America, Inc., 130 Bar- Rocket can significantly in- tion of analog and digital parts Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 281, row St. #516, New York, NY crease the speed at which data by adding new components, Norwich, VT 05055; tel.: 802- 10014; tel.: 212-807-9720; is processed and permit hard including JFETs, MOSFETs 649-3711. fax: 212-807-8149. drives to process and transfer and controlled sources and CIRCLE NO. 41 ON FREE CARD data at maximum performance switches. Also added are real - CIRCLE NO. 36 ON FREE CARD levels. $39.95. Ontrack Com- world models that make all ac- puter Systems, 6321 Bury Dr., tive components selectable by Windows Paint Eclipse FAX Minneapolis, MN 55346; tel.: part number, as in data books. 612-937-1107; fax: 612-937- $299. Interactive Image Tech- and Animation Upgrade 5815. nologies, Ltd., 700 King St. Azeena' s Animation Paint Phoenix Technologies' Eclipse W, Ste. 815, Toronto, Ontario, CIRCLE NO. 39 ON FREE CARD Box, an integrated paint and FAX Version 6.0 is a fax soft- Canada, M5V 2Y6; tel.: 416- animation program for ware program with new Fax 361-0333; fax: 416-368-5799. Windows, comes with several Assistant technology that gives Simulated key features that include an CIRCLE NO. 40 ON FREE CARD onion -skin tool that enables Workbench you to simultaneously see cur- Interactive Image Technolo- Scalable -Font rent, previous and next frames gies' Electronics Workbench of an animation for precise Version 3 software simulates Tool alignment of animated objects between frames. Other key analog and digital circuits and Sizelt is an MS-DOS and OS/2 such test equipment as an os- productivity tool from features are a rub -through tool cilloscope and a Bode plotter Succinct Systems for Hewlett that brings underlying objects for spectrum analysis. When a Packard LaserJet 4 and III onto the top screen and a sto- simulated circuit is switched compatible printers that pro- ryboard that displays several on, the waveforms that appear vides access to built-in scal- frames of an animation at a on the simulated instruments able fonts for printing text pro- glance. are the same as would be duced by any program, even The toolbar sports all the found on a real test bench. The those that don't support pro- standard painting and drawing product can be used to design portional type. Sizelt supports tools, including free -hand,

108 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / January/February 1995 Advertisers' Index

curved and point-to-point compression, deletion and mi- R/S # Page # lines; open and closed rectan- gration. Disk Historian runs - AES 61 gles, circles, ellipses and poly- under both DOS and Windows. 51 ASA Tech, Inc. 56 gons; and customized airbrush, $129.95. Solid Oak Software, 52 ASYS Corporation. 40 pen -width and resize-able dot- Inc., PO Box 6826, Santa Bar- 97 AllMicro, Inc 5 ted -line tools. All tools can be bara, CA 93160; tel.: 805-967- Allison Technology Corporation 85 used from and available palette 9853; fax: 805-681-7364. 54 American Institute For Computer Science 56 of up to 16 -million colors. 55 Andromeda Research 110 Each mouse button can paint CIRCLE NO. 44 ON FREE CARD 56 BSoft Software 49 in separate painting modes, 57 Beige Bag Software 23 including blend, lighten, dark- Raster Image 58 Binary Technology 89 en, mosaic, colorize, inverse. 60 Blue Ridge Micro 110 Gradient fills can be defined, Processor C Sys Labs 9 including directional angles and Graphx ' s RasterPlus/PS Ver- 99 Capital Electro-Circuits 111 dither patterns. $300. Azeena sion. 1.3 is a PC -based raster 61 CompCo Engineering, Inc 110 Technologies, PO Box 92169, image processor for driving Computer Systems Center 11 Long Beach, CA 90809; tel.: color film recorders and other Comtrad Industries 12 310-988-1889; fax: 310-988- high -end output devices. New Dunfleld Development 89 7607. display list and compiler tech- 62 EMAC 13 CIRCLE NO. 42 ON FREE CARD nologies permit this new ver- 63 Educational Laboratories 110 sion to image large, complex Grantham College of Engineering 49 PostScript images as much as H.J.J. Co., Inc. 110 AutoCAD Lite 15 times faster than the previ- 64 HyperLogic Corporation 40 ous version. Bitmap process- Autodesk's low-cost AutoCAD 65 ICS Electronics Corporation 27 ing has also been vastly 66 IMEG, Ltd. 7 LT Windows -based computer - improved. aided -design package offers a 68 International Computers 111 RasterPlus/PS operates in wide range of 2D and 3D 69 Intronics 57 either the Windows or DOS drafting capabilities. It pro- 67 Iota Systems, Inc. 38 environment and processes vides full data compatibility Jesse Jones Industries 95 TARGA, .TIFF, .GIF, .PCX and and seamless interoperability L.S. Electronic Systems Design 49 SCODL bitmap files, as well as with AutoCAD software and 70 Lakeview Research PostScript and EPS files. The 58 offers many of the same 2D 71 Mental Automation new software takes full advan- 68 design and drafting features of tage of Pentium chip technolo- 74 Merrimack Valley Sys. 37 AutoCAD Release 12. Its basic gy, with support for register 73 Micro Computer Controls 111 3D features include 2D extru- passing, super -scalar compila- Microcomputer Managers Assoc 91 sions, 3D line creation, hid- tion and instruction pipelining. MicroEngineering Labs 111 den -line removal, shade, mul- $995. Graphx, Inc., 400 W. 106 Micro House International, Inc. Coy IV tiple views and the ability to Cummings Park, Ste. 3400, 75 Midwest Microtek 110 view and edit 3D drawings in Woburn, MA 01801; tel.: 617- 76 Mouser Electronics 61 the AutoCAD .DWG drawing 932-0430; fax: 617- 932-0855. NRI Schools Insert file format. A math coproces- 80,81 New Micros, Inc Cov. II, 1 sor is required. $495. Auto - CIRCLE NO. 45 ON FREE CARD Parallax, Inc Coy. III desk, Inc., 2320 Marinship 79 Prairie Digital 38 Way, Sausalito, CA 94965; ProBoard Circuits 110 tel.: 415-332-2344; fax: 415- Multimedia 82 Probe Master 491-8200. 111 Word Processor 83 Professional Career Development. 111 84 Prologic Designs CIRCLE NO. 43 ON FREE CARD New from Looking Glass 23 85 PseudoCorp 9 Software is ViperWrite 2.0, a Disk Historian Windows -based hypermedia 86 Rigel Corporation 37 text processor that uses word- Saelig Company, The 85 Solid Oak Software's Disk processing capabilities and hy- 87 Software Innovations 111 Historian purports to be the perlinking techniques that let 88 Software Science 110 definitive solution to wasted you create and play back full - Suncoast Technology 111 hard -disk space. The program color interactive presentations. 89 Sylva Energy Systems 111 maintains a dBASE //I+ -com- ViperWrite includes editing 90 TECI 63 patible database that contains tools to stylize and hyperlink 91 Technological Arts 111 historical information on file characters, words and phrases 92 URDA 56 usage for every file on your to other text, graphics, audio 93 Ublige Software & Robotics 57 hard disk. You can view statis- and video files. $199. Looking 105 Unicorn Electronics 31 tical information for each file, Glass Software, Inc., 11222 Vanguard Labs 110 such as the date and time of LaCienega Blvd., Ste. 305, In- 94 Versacom 111 last access, total accesses, age glewood, CA 90304; tel.: 310- 95 Wheatstone Microsystems, Inc. 76 and owner. The program lets 348-8240; fax: 310-348-9786. 96 Z -World Engineering 13 you do ad -hoc queries and perform such file maintenance as CIRCLE NO. 46 ON FREE CARD We'd like to see your company listed here too. Contact Margaret Milanese at 516-681-2922 to work out an advertising program tailored to meet your needs.

January/February 1995 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL / 109 ftuperlStart Feature your products and services here for high -impact high -visibility! Call Margaret Milanese today at 516-681-2922 or FAX 516-681-2926 for all the details you need to get your ad in the next issue!

EPROM+ SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERS Home Automation & - MCB8052 Computer Control PROGRAMMING SYSTEM 80C52 -BASIC processor Programs USES PARALLEL PORT eproms, eeproms, nv ram Three 8 -bit par- Two Way IR, SUPPORTS OVER 500 CHIPS allel ports RS232 port Serial printer port Two Way X-10, .fPROMO(24.28,32 & 40'PIN + 27C & 280 Four decoded outputs Three 16 -bit timer/ 2706,16,32,32A.64,64A,128,128A.2.56,512.513,011 counters Six interrupt sources Expansion & Hardwire. 010,101,1001,1000,1024,210,020,2001,220,2048 4001,040.240, 2.5162532,2564,68764/60.1MS2716 headers $119 A&T Control many I/O devices .E.F22(2,1fS 04 & 28 PIN PLUS 28CXX) 2804,2816,2816,82718,2864,2864A2865,282.56 from one serial computer link CFRIAI EEPRnWS Is PIN PLUS CX20 MCB8031 0306146/66/66,2444,2401/02/04,11.6XX,ER1400 or stand-alone operation. 41/XILDLEID2M2 74SXXX,825XXX 8031 processor 8k to 32k ram/tom 4111CRO CONTROla DEN 8741,42,48,49,8751 +5v only operation Two 16 -bit 87C331.87C751/752,68705,68BC705,TMS7742 CompCo Engineering, Inc. ADAPTER REQUIRED DIAGRAMS INCLUDED counter/timers Five interrupt sources SOFTWARE - READ, VERIFY, PROGRAM, COPY, DISK FILE LOAD & SAVE Expansion headers $79 A&T (615) 436-5189 CHECKSUM, BUFFER EDITOR WI 20 COMMANDS, HEX & BINARY FILES SASE] - MOST DEVICES PROGRAM IN UNDER 60 SECONDS TO ORDER ADD 55 S01 PER ORDER. Call our New Improved BBS SUGGED (8. X 7. X 3'), PORTABLE ENCLOSURE WITH CARRY HANDLE TN RESIDENTS ADD 8.25 SI SLADE IN THE U.S.A. - 10 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE -1 YR. WARRANTY SYSTEM INCLUDES: UNIT, POWER PACK, CABLE, MANUAL & SOFTWARE [14.4,n,8,1,V.42bis/MNP5] ANDROMEDA RESEARCH (615) 436-5189 ext. 12 P.O. BOX 222 $289 11011 MOE 04004 use the dialing string MILFORD, OHIO 45150 ADD S.S.00 SHIPPING 65.00 C.O.D. 2505 Plymouth Rd. Johnson City, TN 37601 (513)831-9708 FAX (813)183I-7562 VISA/MASTERCARD Tel: 615-335-6696Fax: 615-929-3164 ATDT16154365189 ,1 2,

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A ,e .44.444.0:4 ieVeP44104011':*ef."*4 4.4. tt'l Low Cost Embedded Prototype it... FAST! t 3 $199 with ProtoQuick 8051 and Z8 Controllers Ai, 30 Ramp.° GOft MMT-188EB High speed MMT-Z180 .4; RS232 Sampling SeneJ L. MMT-HC11 ,ss00, and Storage sr Fe17.ti5i,;5W1;tiiiir.= MMT-196 Module . Complete 8051 and Z8 single board computers. MMT-EXP - Large prototype area with power bus and PO. .RS232 C serial port with standard DB25 connector. - FOUR MORE . Sockets for up to 32K EPROM and 8K static RAM. 24 CHANNEL LOGIC ANALYZER . Fully assembled, plated thru board - 5 volt operation. IN DEVELOPMENT 50MHz sampling speed .0psys in EPROM - RS232 control of I/0 and RAM. IINT-1(067 $191.00 100 Quantity) VGA graphics PC based interface . MS-DOS x-asm and opsys source code included. Test and run prototype applications or experimental hardware II you're interested in getting the most RS232 link to host Programmable trigger from the serial port- WITHOUT PROGRAMMING! out of your project. put the most into it.Call or Fax us for Up to 192K bytes RAM complete data sheets and CPU Complete Proloaulek 8051 or Z8 system, Fully assembled and tested including board, ME* and ROCS ONLY - options. Custom wort welcome. ONE YEAR WARRANTY' $99.00. MIDWEST M 1E80.7E8 Get this powerful new tool at this incredibly low price' Software Science 2308 East Sixth Street Brookings, SD 57006 Software3750 Roundbottom Road * Phone 605.697.8521 fax 605.697.8109 ProBoard Circuits Cincinnati, OH 45244 emab Science Ar186 0.,618,01614.***18414.684;$616 06 Phone (409) 762-5437 Fax (409) 762-4167 (513) 561-2060 F. (513) 271-3191 100 Market Street, Unit 16, Galveston, TX 77550 CIRCLE NO. 75 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD CIRCLE NO. 88 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD YOU CAN GET COST EFFECTIVE VIDEO PRODUCTS Be a computer Software Development Kit from the same source as: GE, NASA, AT&T, IBM, repair expert! US Government, US Department of Education... Career -level home study Video(lot Send VGA to TV course. Learn all about PC re- Supports color, SSW, graphics, MP, standard and some extended VGA modes. Even pairs, troubleshooting, instal- works with Windows. Outputs standard NTSC composite video (S -VHS with cable lation, upgrading, servicing. upgrade). $99 ($7) '751 Closed Caption Decoder Display Closed Captions on your PC Open your own business; Displays ALL caption channels in realtime on your computer. Save or print any channel. become a more valuable em- Save the C1 caption channel fora transcript of the current program or save one of the text ployee. Free literature: send 87C751 Tool Set channels for useful news and weather reports. program listings, etc. $189 ($7) MCC) intageCaptere Color or call 24 hours a day. Supports the Philips Digitize color Images in real-time from your video source (TV. VCR. camcorder). 87C751 Microcontroller. MICRO Supports color and B&W printers. multiple file formats. (VGA required to display.) Price 800-223-4542 Multi -Window Editor. COMPUTER slashed was $56), NOW $199 ($12) CONTROL ImageCapture PLUS Full Featured Assembler. Narnm kqe Software Digitize B&W Was $269. NOW $99 ($7) Simulator with 12C Support.Development Tools HIColor VGA card Address Phone ( Micro EPROM Programmer. Reviewed in BYTE, and Computer Shopper. 1210x1024, 32K colors. Enhances VO and PO Box 275 ICC performance. VO utilizes the full interlace display capability and ICC utilizes the 32K City State O 12C/ACCESS.bus Monitor. Hopewell, NJ 08525 colors to display better color images $133 ($7) O Student/School Discounts. USA The School of PC Repair O VISA, MasterCard or COD. Fax. (6091466-4116 International Computers C Sid. 73062,3336 12021 West Bluemound Road Wauwatosa, WI 53226 PCDI 6065 Rosewell Road (414) 764-9000 Orders: (800) 992-9000 FAX: (414) 281-3522 Dept. JJA347, Atlanta, Georgia 30328 I Visa, Mastercard, Checks 8 Money Orders Accepted L CALL (609)466-1751 CIRCLE NO. 68 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD CIRCLE NO. 83 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD CIRCLE NO. 73 ON FREE INFORMATION CA RD Pocket PIC Programmer Economical 8051 SBCs SI_SGOPE w/Bootstrap Loader The PC RS -232 Analyzer $59.00 SI_SCOPE is a comprehensive serial data scope Plus Shipping that enables users to examine and interact with VVIC'" The 70691HEX is a high quality 8031/51 the activity on any serial line LIVE! based Single Board Computer with 128 byte internal memory, 24 I/O Ports & - Capture and Analyze at Saud Rates up to 115k. RS232. Also includes preprogrammed - Selectable Formats Including ASCII & EBCDIC . BOOTSTRAP Software that allows loading of .OBJ files through the - Pattern and Signal Searching. Serial Port, to the onboard EEPROM. This allows the Testing & Running - Microsecond Timestamp Accuracy on Data. of .ASM code without the added expense of EPROM Programmers & - Manual and Cable Included. $5995 Assembled UV Erasers. Have new code? Just load new program over the old. NO - 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. For PIC16C84 and 16C71 need to spend time erasing EPROMs. IBM PC/compatible (DOS) Utility "Easy to use and a great tool!" MI -licks, Clement Industries. Runs off 2 - 9 volt batteries or optional AC adapter disk also included. The 70691HEX; the perfect 8051 development tool Bare board and disk - $34.95 for that high school or university classroom. For More Information Contact: Also, learn basic Assembly code with the perfect 70691HEX 1. Also PICProto boards from $9.95 Software InnoVations Inc. companion; "Assembly Language BASICS" A Mpg booklet devoted to the programming of the 8031/51. Written with the novice pro- 63 Rock Cut Rd. - grammer in mind. Only $15.00 (plus shipping). Newburgh, NY 12550 microCa,nyineering bs (914) 567 - 0805 Box 7532, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 Suncoast Technologies CompuServe 75013,3310 I. (719) 520-5323 FAX 520-1867 P.O. Box 5835MCJ, Spring Hill, Florida 34606 Voice/FAX (904) 596-7599 VISA/Mastercard Accepted CIRCLENO. 87 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD

BASIC PROGRAMMABLE i Z8 Single Board Computer I CONTROLLER $299US "AIDALIPT-11 1 Programmable in C 12 MHz Zilog Z86C91 processor. AMICROCONTROLLER MODULE WITH A TWIST! Outstanding Features: 4 x 5" Plated, Double Sided PCB. PLUGS VERTICALLY INTO YOUR 5 Volt operation, CMOS design. SOLDERLESS BREADBOARD "Plug -on screw terminal 10 connections *101-1.C. 32k RAM INSTALLED. Use 8 to 32k EPROM'S for quick & easy, unlimited prototyping & testing of all your relays and 3 LED outputs 18 opto-isolated 14 Bits of Parallel I/O. design ideas! Works with any 52 -pin PLCC member of 68HC11 Inputs *8-10 bit analog in *2-8 bit analog out RS232 Serial Port. family. Starter Package (AD11SP) has 68HC811E2 micro, Full Expansion BUS access. serial cable, & demo software-- ready to Plug & Play! Just "two-way power line Interface "RS -232 or RS 485 8 pre -decoded chip selects for download your code to ADAPT -11 "I/0 expansion on a high speed local serial bus easy custom expansion. Woo *real time clock *lithiumbacked 32K SRAM 560 Hole Prototype Area. via PC serial port. On -chip 2K Consider the SBCZ8-01for your next embedded control EEPROM programmable in -circuit *watchdog *LED indicators *single 12V operation application. A DEBUG/MONITOR is provided on EPROM which Pall 1 0 , 0 0 0+ times. Doubles as *excellent documentation *free PC utility program allows you to load, execute, and debug C and/or assembly 68HC711E9 programmer! Ideal for *assembled & tested *application readyl "RS -485 - language programs entirely in Z8 system RAM via the serial Compact/ Only 2'x 3'1 schools, hobbyists & engineers! port on your PC. MSDOS compatible software includes a Z8 In Canada, send C$99.95 to: LCD & Keypad supporting products also available Cross Assembler, integer C Compiler (with function library & Z8 In USA, send US$74.95 to: SYLVA ENERGY SYSTEMS INC. Enhancements), and Term. Emulator. Printed documentation TECHNOLOGICAL ARTS TECHNOLOGICAL ARTS and a variety of example programs will get you started FAST! Suite 1704, 309 Aragona Boulevard, 519 Richard St. Thunder Bay, ON.P7AIR2 1644 Bayview Ave., Suite 102-418, SBCZ8-01 $125.00 + $5 S&H. Check or MO. to: Toronto, Ontario M4G 3C2 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 Ph 807-683-6795 Fax 807-683-6485 VERSACOM Tel (810) 652-6266 For Quantity Discounts & Product Info, Call 141 6) 482-06 7 7

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"the world of 68' micros" magazine Classified Commerial Rates: $1 per word, 15 -word minimun ($15.00) pre- covers Tandy Color Computer, paid. (Word count includes name and address; Zip code and abbreviation PT68K, Hazelwood (FHL), and each count as one word; P.O. Box number and telephone number count MM/1; DECB, OS -9, OS -9/68000, G - as two words each.) Indicate free category heading (Computers, Software, Electronics, Video or Miscellaneous). A special heading is available for a $6 Windows, K -Windows. $24.00 per surcharge. First word only is set boldface caps at no charge. Add 250 for year. Free sample. FARNA, Box 321, each additional boldface word. WR, GA 31098-0321. Non-Commerial Rates: FREE to subscribers, as space permits; maximun 15 words. A recent MicroComputer Journal mailing label must accompany ELECTRONICS ad. (All advertisers with P.O. box addresses must supply permanent address T.V. NOTCH FILTERS AND BULLET and telephone number. Copy is subject to publisher approval.) STOPPER, FREE BROCHURE. MICRO Mailing Information: Copy must be received by the publisher by the 25th of THinc. BOX 63/6025, MARGATE, FL. the third month preceding the cover date. Send Advertising material with 33063 1-(305)-752-9202 check or money order or credit card information (Visa or MasterCard only) with number and expiration date to: Bernadette Schimmel, MicroComputer Journal, Classified Department, 76 N. Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801. 800552 Development System 32K ROM, 64K RAM, eight channel 10 - bit A/D, 24 I/O lines, $120 each BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Discount CD-ROM SBC, 40x2 LCD $20.Complete CD-ROM Bargain Bonanza! Great LET THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE development system features your small business. Grants/loans to values on these titles, ONLY $18.95 Assembler, Disassembler, real-time $500,000.00. Free recorded mes-each! Designer Clip Art, Business execution and debugging ($70 Library, Programmer's Power Tool, sage: (707) 448-0270. (GA8) more). 68HCI1 Development Windows Software Treasury, Travel System 32K ROM, 32K RAM, Eight To Space, 2700 True Type Fonts, 3-D Channel 8 -bit A/D, $120 each SBC, MAKE $250 DAILY CHROME PLAT- Animania, Windows At Its Best, Icon development software $70 more. INGAUTO AND MOTORCYCLE Library, Desktop Publisher's Dream, MicroprocessorSimu- PARTS STARTING FROM NOTHING. Universal 14000 Programs Collection. FREE V2.1 simulates Send 2 stamps for free information lator/Debugger catalog of over 600 CD-ROM titlespopular8 -bitCPUs.Assembler, to: Communications Engineering,with order, featuring over 150 titles 76 Boulevard K, Hudson Falls, NY, Disassembler, windowed symbolic at this LOW price! Shipping $5.00simulator/debugger,$100 each 12839. per order. TEW Associates, POBCPU. ROMY-16 EPROM 16128, Tampa, FL 33687. emulates ROMs or RAMs in 8- and FREE REPORT. Turn any Computer 16 -bit systems. Window/menu dri- BOOKS and Modem into a Money Mac- ven interface. $195 (2716-27256) or hine! Millionaire reveals amazing ROBOT BOOKS! FREE catalog by $245 (2716-27010). J&M Microtek, secrets. Call 24 hours 1-800-221- mail!Write:COGNITIONS, Dept. Inc. 83 Seaman Road,West 3813 Operator MC -01. 1100, 71 Widow Sweets Rd., Exeter, Orange, NJ 07052, Tel:201-325- RI 02822. 1892. AGENTS wanted to distribute low- cost programmers for 87C5x and CABLE TV RESTRICTED TopSecretHacker ATMEL 89C5x. Import direct from CABLE TEST CHIPS. Jerrold, Tocom, Information.Cellular/Cable/ manufacturer. WTB, 5 Ulex, S.A., Zenith. Puts cable boxes into Surveillance/Satellite/ Video - Gordonsbay, 7150, South Africa or full service mode! $29.95 to $59.95.Cipher / Books / Videos - More. FAX 011-2724-563123 Ex USA. 1-800-452-7090,(310)902-0841. Catalog -$3.00. TELECODE P.O. Box 6426-MJ, YUMA, AZ 85366-6426 BUILD LOW-COST 28-PIN-PLCC PRO- CABLE DOCTOR GRAMMING ADAPTERS FOR THE Stop the bullet and ID signals in SOFTWARE 87C750/751 OR 87C752 MICRO -cable lines, send $20.00 to R.R. CONTROLLERS. PCB +INSTRUC- ENTERPRISE, DEPT. M, BOX 3532, QUALITY SHAREWARE for IBM and TIONS COST $15, (CASH, CHECK, EASTON, PA 18043. compatibles received directly from MONEY ORDER).SPECIFY (87C750/ authors. Send disk size for FREE cat- 751 PCB) OR (87C752 PCB) WHEN COMPUTERS alog. Next day shipping. PathWays ORDERING. SMTLOGIC P.O. BOX International,4291 HollandRD. 12202, HUNTSVILLE, AL 35815. Historic and Classic hardware sup-534M Virginia Beach, VA 23452. portmagazine. The Computer Journal provides how-to informa- MISCELLANEOUS "CNE STUDY KIT" tion on keeping S-100, Kaypro, Z80, CNE study kit by successful CNE6809, CP/M, and PC/XT systems ASIANLADIES want correspon- contains important aids to passrunning. Over TEN years of hard-dence forfriendship,marriage. those challengingNovell Corp-ware, software projects. 6 issues SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL -Dept. oration exams. For more informa-$24. Free sample. 800-424-8825. TW, Box 5500, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, tion FAX (604) 988-7987. TCJ, PO Box 535, Lincoln, CA 95648. 96745. (808)325-7707.

112 / MICROCOMPUTER JOURNAL /January/February 1995 NEW BASIC STAMPS!® Stamp -Sized Modules Run BASIC

BASIC Stamp I Module (BS1-IC) 8 general-purpose I/O lines 256 -byte program space (100 instructions) 4 -MHz clock (2400 baud serial, etc.) $29, $39 with carrier board*

111- i9 12 19 11111111111111

1 24 PWR FIX C 2 23 (356)

ATN 3 22 FT6R ONO E.4 21 .56 PO E 5 20 P15 BASIC Stamp II Module (BS2-IC) P1 C8 19 P14 P2 7 10 P13 16 general-purpose I/O lines P9 E 3 17 P12 P4 E 9 16 P11 2048 -byte program space (600 instructions) P5 C 10 15 P10 Pe[ 11 14 P9 20 -MHz clock (9600 baud serial, etc.) P7 12 13 PB $49, $59 with carrier board*

They re here! These new BASIC Stamp modules are the latest in BASIC Stamp computers. These modules are perfect for numerous applications, from controlling model trains to monitoring factory sensors. They have 8 or 16 I/O lines, which can be used for a variety of digital and analog purposes. And like the original BASIC Stamp, these modules are programmed in BASIC. Our special "PBASIC" language includes familiar instructions, such as GOTO, FOR...NEXT, and IF...THEN, as for serial I/O, pulse measurement, and button debounce. In the new BS2-IC, there are even instructions for interfacing to popular devices from other companies, such as the Dallas Semiconductor "Time -In -a -Can" real-time clock. * Carrier board provides battery clips, prototype area, and PC connector. The BASIC Stamp Programming Package contains everything you need to program Stamps using your PC. The package includes our editor software, programming cables, manuals, application notes, and free technical support. The package is available for $99; Stamps must be purchased separately.

Ple16/17CxxDEVELOPMENT TOOLS New prices make PIC development more affordable

TM ClearView In -Circuit Emulators 20 -MHz in -circuit debugging for PIC16C5x/64/71/84/... Set breakpoints, step through code, and modify registers. Friendly DOS and Windows software. $499 each! (separate units for "5x" and "xx" PICs)

PIC Programmer Hobbiest Pack Programmer for PIC16C5x/64/71/74/84/... \, Documentation on disk. PA-ALLA/\n® User -supplied cables and power supply. Just $99! 3805 Atherton Road, #102 Rocklin, CA 95765 USA (916) 624-8333 Fax: 624-8003 BBS:624-7101

ClearView is a trademark and BASIC Stamp & the Parallax logo are registered trademarks of Parallax, Inc. PIC is a registered trademark of MicrochipTechnology. Inc. 1094A Features and prices subject to change without notice. Prices are U.S. prices only; prices in other countries may vary. 50,000pagesof technical hardware information at your fingertips. 'moto The Complete PC Hardware Reference. 'wog'10 '..rooto The Micro House Technical Library on CD-ROM provides technical MICROSOFT WINDOVVS,. specifications and configuration information on over 1500 different COMPATIBLE manufacturer's products. We've taken thousands of hardware product manuals and extracted the vital information you need. Locating main boards, network interface cards, hard drives, hard drive controllers, and I/O cards (video, sound, modem, serial, parallel, CD-ROM, etc.) is now a reality. It runs with This feature rich CD-ROM even includes NetWare drivers and support software, from the manufacturers themselves!

Call MICRO HOUSE 800-926-8299 for a free demo and

Microsoft is a registered trademark and VWndows and the Windows Logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. additional 8

Micro House is a registered trademark. information!

Micro House International fnc. 4900 Pear East Circ 03 443-3388 Fax 303 443-3323 Ref: Part# TCMCJG CIRCLE NO. 106 ON FREE INFORMATION CALI