BYTE Vol 09 10 1984 09 Computer Graphics

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We interrupt this magazine fc

Microso ft Chart, business graphics.

Microsoft Multiplan, electronic spreadsheet.

MacProject, project management.

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Dow Jones Spreadsheet Link slock analysis and communications

Pilerision. database management.

Dow Jones Market Manager, stock analysis?

MacWrite. word processing.

IheBasc. database management.

MacDrau: graphic illustration.

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Home' Mac Accountant, personalJinance.

TK! Sah>er, equation processor.

Ilabadex. database and communications.

theprograms above are just a lew examples oj newsojlwarejorMacintosh Some arc available nine, ethers Will be release/I in the coming week."Mailable lib quarter, PKU. "Available 1st quarter. 1985, © 1984 Affile Computer Inc. Apple, IheApple logo, MacDrau. MacPmject, Mac'lenninal. and MaeVi'rile. arc Irailcmarks ofA/ple Computer Inc. Macintosh is a trademark licensed in Apple Computer Inc. Rr& authorized ft*dealer nearest mu call (800) 538-9696. In Canada, call (800) 268-7796 or (800) 268-7637.

some important programs.

ThinkTank, idea processor

Dollars and Sense, personal finance.

The Lotus Macintosh Product, integrated business software**

Main Street Filer, database management.

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MacTerminal. data communications.

Helix relational database.

Every business day, a new software program is being developed for the Macintosh™ Personal Computer.

Software for word processing. Spreadsheets. Business graphics. Project management. Database management. And data communications.

As well as software that enables Macintosh to do things that have never been done on a computer before.

Which means the worlds easiest-to-use business computer is well on its way to becoming the worlds most useful business computer.

Any authorized Apple dealer will gladly demonstrate that fact.

Just ask to see the computer that's software compatible.

With human beings.

PFS: Pile, database management.

Peacbtree's Hack to Basics, accounting package.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE I

FEATURES

Introduction 105

Ciarcias Circuit Cellar: Build the AC Power Monitor by Steve Garcia 107

Your computer can measure electrical power consumption.

KAMAS: An Unlikely Combination by Ezra Shapiro 123

This product preview covers a software package offering outline processing and a FORTH-like language for Z80 systems.

Cluster Analysis by Rob Spencer 129

A BASIC program illustrates this pattern-recognition technique.

The 65816 Microprocessor, Part 2: Hardware by Steven P. Hendrix 135

The concluding article of this series deals with system-design considerations.

The Floppy Disk by Glenn Hartwig 141

A trio of articles focuses on this often-overlooked component.

Comparing Floppy Disks by Robert Rodina 142

A software consultant offers a subjective evaluation of several brands of disks.

The Theory of Disk-Error Correction by Thomas Sterling 145

The algorithms presented can help you recover data from "unreadable" disk sectors.

Floppy-Disk Formats by Lester E. Thompson 147

The author attempts to dispel some of the mystery surrounding incompatibility and standardization.

Big Proiects on Small Machines by William F. hppelbe and Alex Pournelle 150

Project management and organization are the keys to the successful development of large software projects.

THEME: GRAPHICS

Introduction 155

Fractals by Peter R. Sfrensen 157

In the unexplored territory of fractional dimensions, mathematical pioneers are making intriguing discoveries.

Laser Graphics and Animation by loan Collins and Doug Tucker 177

A microprocessor can program some sophisticated light effects.

The Computer as an Artistic Tool by \saac Victor Kerlow 189

The imaging process doesn't change, only the medium does.

Computer Landscapes by Daniel Cooper 211

Computer graphics merge with silk-screen printing.

Editor's Choice by ]ane Morrill Tazelaar 221

Various graphics techniques are illustrated in this selection of computer-generated art.

Color Considerations by Lee Baldwin 227

The author explores the use of color as an emotive and persuasive psychological force.

Real-Time 3-D Graphics for Microcomputers by Marcus Newton 251

A simplified drawing algorithm coded in assembly language permits 3-D animation in real time.

From Pixels to Microdots by \ane Morrill Tazelaar 289

New developments in image resolution increase microcomputer graphics potential.

COVER ILLUSTRATION: © Barbara Nessim/Motion Graphics'" Courtesy: In Time Design

BYTE is published monthly with an additional issue in August and October by McGraw-Hill [nc Founder: lames H McGraw 11860-1948] Executive, editorial, circulation, and advertising offices 70 Main St.. Peterborough. NH 03456. phone |603| 924-9281. Office hours: Mon-Thur 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Friday 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM. Eastern Time Address subscriptions to BYTE Subscriptions, FOB 590, Martinsville. Nl 08836 Postmaster: send address changes USPS Form 3 579. undellverable copies, and fulfillment questions to BYTE. Subscriptions POB 596. Martinsville. Nl 08836. Second-class postage paid at Peterborough, NH 034 58 and additional mailing offices. USPS Publication No. 528890 (ISSN 0360-5280). Postage paid at Winnipeg, Manitoba Registration number 9321 Subscriptions are S21 for one year, S3B for two years, and S55 for three years in the USA and its possessions In Canada and Mexico, S23 [or one year, S42 for two years, S6I for three years S69 for one year air delivery to Europe. 17.100 yen for one year surface delivery to lapan S37 surface delivery elsewhere Air delivery to selected areas at additional rates upon request Single copy price is S3 50 in the USA and us possessions. $4 25 in Canada and Mexico, S4 50 in Europe, and S5 elsewhere. Foreign subscriptions and sales should be remitted in United Slates funds drawn on a US bank Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery of first issue. Printed in the United States of America

2 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

VOLUME 9, NUMBER 10, 1984

REVIEWS

Introduction 297

Reviewers Notebook by Rich Malloy 299

BYTE's product-review editor comments on the Geneva PX-8 briefcase unit, the Telecomp 1000. and more.

The Lilith Personal Computer by Paul A. Sand 300

High performance results from a computer architecture built around Modula-2.

The Leading Edge Personal Computer by ]effrey Mamr 312

This desktop system has an impressive word-processing program.

The Morrow MD-1I by ]ohn Wellborn 325

A large software library and an unusual disk controller distinguish this system.

Five Voice Synthesizers by George H. Smith 337

Linear predictive coding ICs provide quality output.

Volition's Modula-2 on the Sage by Edward \oyce 351

It's an enticing combination.

Review Feedback 355

Readers respond to previous reviews.

KERNEL

Introduction 361

Computing at Chaos Manor: On the Road by \erry Pournelle 363

lerry's potpourri of observations includes a look at Thinklank. some PC clones. NewWord. and more.

Chaos Manor Mail 385

Jerry s readers write, and he replies.

BYTE West Coast News from All Over by ]ohn Markoff and Ezra Shapiro 393

A new artificial-intelligence product and the latest upgrade of the ZCPR command processor for the Z80 are discussed.

BYTE Japan: Show Time by William M. Raike 407

Our correspondent reports on the 1984 Tokyo Microcomputer Show.

BYTE U.K.: The Sinclair QL by Dick Pountain 415

Sinclair Research may have been hasty in announcing its new 68008-based system.

Editorial: Missing Software 6

MICROBYTES 9

Letters 14

Fixes and Updates 33

Whats New 39, 468

Ask BYTE 48

Clubs and Newsletters 57

Book Reviews 63

Event Queue 83

Books Received 453

Programming Insight 457

Technical Forum 462

Unclassified Ads 525

BYTE's Ongoing Monitor Box.

BOMB Results 526

Reader Service 527

Barbara Nessim created this month's cover and section artwork with a Norpak videotex (NAPLPS1 system. This PDP-11/03-based workstation runs information Provider System (IPS-2) software, providing 6 drawing modes (arc. rectangle, circle, line. dot. and polygon) and 12 colors plus black and white.

Address all editorial correspondence to the Editor. BYTE, POB 372. Hancock. NH 03449 Unacceptable manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by sufficient first-class postage Not responsible for lost manuscripts or photos Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of BYTE.

Copyright © 1984 by McGraw-Hill Inc All rights reserved. Trademark registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Where necessary, permission Is granted by the copyright owner for libraries and others registered w:lh the Copyright Clearance Center ICCCI to photocopy any article herein for the flat fee of SI 50 per copy of the article or any part thereof Correspondence and payment should be sent directly to the CCC, 29 Congress St. Salem MA 01970. Specify iSSN 0360-5280/83. SI.50 Copying done for other than personal or internal reference use without the permission of McGraw-Hill Inc. is prohibited Requests for special permission or bulk orders should be addressed to the publisher BYTE is available in microform from University Microfilms International. 300 North Zeeb Rd.. Dept PR. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106 or IB Bedford Row. Dept. PR. London WCIR 4El England

Subscription questions or problems should be addressed to: BYTE Subscriber Service. POB 328. Hancock, NH 03449

SECTION ART:

Computer Design Direction: Barbara Nessim Illustration: Liz Gutowski

In Time Design Studio

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 3

Circle 255 on inquiry card.

MicroTime

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411 West Grant Road Tucson, Arizona 85705

BYTE

editor in chief

Philip Lemmons managing editor

Gene Smarte consulting editors

Steve Ciarcia

Jerry Pournelle

senior technical editors

Richard Malloy. Reviem G. Michael Vose. Features Gregg Williams technical editors Thomas R. Clune Glenn Hartwig Richard Kraiewski Arthur A. Little Bruce Roberts Ken Sheldon Richard S. Shuford Iane Morrill Tazelaar Stanley Wszola

Margaret Cook Gurney. Associate Alan Easton. Drafting

WEST COAST EDITORS

Ezra Shapiro. Bureau Chief, San Francisco Iohn Markoff. Senior Technical Editor, Palo Alto Donna Osgood Associate Editor. San Francisco managing editor, user news George Bond user news editors Anthony |, Lockwood. Wfiat's Hew Mark Welch, Microbytes

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Dennis Allison, at targe

Mark Dahmke, video, operating systems

Michael W. Ecker, mathematical recreations

Rik Iadrnicek, CAD. graphics, spreadsheets

Mark Klein, communications

Alan Miller, languages and engineering

Dick Pountain, U.K.

William M. Raike. Japan

Perry Saidman, computers and law

Robert Sterne, computers and law

Bruce Webster, software

Richard Willis, at large

copy editors

Elizabeth R. Cooper. Chief Dennis Barker Anne L. Fischer Nancy Hayes Lynne M. Nadeau Paula Noonan Joan V. Roy Bud Sadler Warren Williamson

assistants

Peggy Dunham Martha Hicks Beverly Iackson

Faith Kluntz, Copyrights and Permissions Lisa Jo Steiner

art

Rosslyn A. Frick, Art Director Nancy Rice, Assistant Art Director

production

David R. Anderson. Associate Director Denise Chartrand Michael J. Lonsky Ian Muller

Sherry McCarthy. Chief TtypoarapfW Nan Fornal Len Lorette Leila Mattson Donna Sweeney

publisher

Gene W. Simpson

associate publisher/production director

John E. Hayes publisher s assistant

Doris R. Gamble

advertising sales

J. Peter Huestis, Sales Manager Sandra Foster. Administrative Assistant advertising

Deborah Porter, Supervisor Marion Carlson Rob Hannings Jeanna Reenstierna Lisa Wozmak

Wai Chiu Li. Quality Control Manager

Linda |. Sweeney. Advertising/Production Coordinator

Julie Nelson. AdvertisingiProduction Coordinator

circulation

Gregory Spitzfaden. Director Andrew Jackson, Subscriptions Manager Cathy A. R. Drew, Assistant Manager Phil Dechert Mary Emerson Louise Menegus Agnes E. Perry Iennifer Price Jane Varnum

James Bingham. Single-Copy Sales Manager Linda Turner. Assistant Manager Carol Aho Claudette Carswell Edson Ware

marketing communications

Horace T. Howland. Director

Douc Webster. Director of Public Relations

Vicki Reynolds, Marketing Associate

Priscilla Arnold. Assistant

Stephanie Warnesky. Graphic Arts Supervisor

Sharon Price. Graphic Arts Designer

Michele P. Verville. Researcli Manager

Patricia Akerley, Market Research Analyst

Cynthia Damato Sands. Reader Service Coordinator

ACCOUNTING

Daniel Rodrigues. Business Manager/Controller

Kenneth A. King. Assistant Controller

Mary E. Fluhr, Accounting & DIP Manager

Karen Burgess

Patricia Burke

Lyda Clark

Diane Henry

Vern Rockwell

Linda Short

JoAnn Walter

Vicki Weston

traffic

N. Scott Gacnon. Manager Anthony Bennett Brian Higgins

receptionist

L. Ryan McCombs

personnel/office manager

Cheryl A. Hurd

Editorial and Business Office: 70 Main Street. Peterborough. New Hampshire 03458. [603] 924-9281 West Coast Offices: McGraw-Hill, 425 Battery St, San Francisco, CA 94111. |415) 362-4600. McGraw-Hill, 1000 Elwell Court, Palo Alio CA 94303. (415) 964-0624

Officers of McGraw-Hill Publications Company . President: Iohn G Wrede. Executive Vice Presidents; Paul F. McPherson Operations, Walter D Serwatka. Finance & Services Senior Vice President-Editorial. Ralph R Schulz. Senior Vice President Publishers: Harry L Brown David I McGrath. lames R Pierce, Gene W Simpson, Iohn E. Slater Vice President Publishers: Charlton H Calhoun 111, Richard H. Larsen, Iohn W Patlen Vice Presidents; Kemp Anderson. Business Systems Development, Shel F. Asen, Manufacturing: Iohn A Bunyan, Electronic Information Services: George R Elsinger, Circulation. Michael K Hehir. Controller Eric B Herr Planning and Development: H Iohn Sweger ]r. Marketing. Virginia L Williamson, Business Development

Officers of the Corporation Harold W McGraw |r. Chairman: loseph L Dionne. President and Chief Executive Officer. Robert N Landes. Senior Vice President and Secretary: Ralph 1 Webb. Treasurer.

68000-based systems. Just tell us \ i hut i vu need.

biSifUU-basea systems o fit your licatiotu

Right from the pages of our catalog, we can deliver 68000-based supermicro systems to match virtually any application.

Including yours.

Here's how.

Built on the IEEE-696 (S-100) bus, Cromemco systems offer up to 21 board slots. And a family of 35 boards — CPU, memory and specialized I/O—to fill the slots any way you choose.

At the heart of each system is our 68000/Z-80 dual processor. Backed by as much as 16 Mb of error-correcting RAM. Full multi-tasking capability. I/O to handle up to 16 terminals.

Ana that's just the beginning. You can select single or dual floppies, 5y4" or 81' A 50 Mb 5%" Winchester hard disk. And a ninetrack tape drive.

We can accommodate your taste for the exotic, too. With boards like our SMD interface that supports up to 1200 Mb of disk storage. A fast floating-point processor. A color graphics interface. A TV camera digitizer. An IEEE-488 bus interface. Communications. And more.

Then, if you're designing a distributed processing system, you'll want to take a look at our C-10 personal computer. The Z-80-based C-10 can serve our 68000-based systems

processing i as an independent personal computer with its own floppy storage.

ns. So

sed

hat brings us to software. It starts with CROMIX? our UNDC-like operating system that you're free to tailor to your application.

CROMIX can execute both 68000- and Z-80-based programs right along with your 68000-based packages, your system will accommodate a wide selection of CP/M*'software written for the Z-80.

And our high-level language support is second to none. From a 68000 Macro Assembler. To 68000 FORTRAN 77, PASCAL, GSA-certified high-level COBOL, C and BASIC.

You see, when we say, "Just tell us what you need" we're not kidding.

You won't find another family of 68000-based microcomputers that can fit your needs as exactly as ours.

So if you're in the business of providing specialized computing solutions, you really should be doing business with Cromemco.

For a copy of our Systems Catalog, contact .-Cromemco, Inc., 280 Bernardo Avenue, P.O. Box 7400, Mountain View, CA 94039. (415) 964-7400.

In Europe: Cromemco GmbH, 6236 Eschborn 1, Frankfurter Str. 33-35, P.O. 5267, Frankfurt Main, Germany or Cromemco Ltd., The Cambridge House,

178-182 Upper Richmond Rd., Putney, London SW15 England.

Cromemco"

•Cromemco and CROMIX are registered trademarks of Cromemco, Inc.1M UNIX is a trademark of Hell Laboratories. *CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. ©1983, Cromemco, Inc.

Circle 404 on inquiry card.

EDITORIAL

Missing Software

Almost all of us these days have wish lists of software we know we'll never write ourselves. This applies to sophisticated personal computer users as well as to those who do little programming. In brief, the problem is that we can dream up more software than we have time to code. Few people can interrupt work for six months or a year to write a complex program—even if the program would increase personal efficiency by 20 percent or more.

On the other hand, there are many talented programmers eyeing the flourishing software market who don't know what to write. It's clear that the world doesn't need yet another word processor or spreadsheet for the IBM Personal Computer, but much less clear what the world does need. The mass of personal computer users consists of many segments. There are engineers and scientists in various specialties, managers and administrators in many different industries, academics in all the arts and sciences, students and teachers at all levels, and many others. Many of these different segments are big enough to constitute a significant market for software. But there is no convenient way for these markets to communicate their needs to programmers.

People often call BYTE to ask if anyone here knows of software to perform some particular task or to serve some specialty. An anthropologist may ask about software for analyzing transcribed oral histories. A physician may seek software that converts diagnostic notes into the standard form required by federal health insurance. Occasionally we can help, but more often we are frustrated because we can't make a recommendation or a referral.

BYTE now proposes to provide a means of communication between people in need of software and the thousands of programmers who read BYTE. If you need software, write "Missing Software," c/o BYTE, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. Be sure to include the

following information:

1. Exactly what must the software do?

2. Where can the programmer get detailed information necessary to write the software?

3. How many people do you estimate need the software, and what is the basis of the estimate?

4. What would potential users be willing to pay for a license to the software?

5. How could a programmer best market the completed program to the people who need it?

Please note that BYTE has no intention of entering the software business. Our concerns are to help bring the benefits of personal computers to more people, to increase the benefits to current users, and to prevent programmers from duplicating one another's efforts. We can't guarantee results, but we will publish responses to "Missing Software" in the hope of enabling programmers to apply their efforts to the most pressing needs of personal computer users today.

The Third BYTE Computer Show: San Francisco

The third BYTE Computer Show will take place Thursday through Sunday, September 6 through 9, in Brooks Hall at the San Francisco Civic Center. Jerry Pournelle will address a plenary session on Saturday afternoon. Jerry, Steve Ciarcia, and several BYTE editors will be available in our booth during much of the show. Cover artist Robert Tinney will bring reproductions of many BYTE covers.

There will be 25 conference sessions held Thursday through Saturday, and a special program on Sunday. Conference sessions will include: West Coast Bureau Chief Ezra Shapiro moderating a panel on idea-processing software: Contributing Editor Mark Klein on telecommunications: Features Editor Mike Vose and his panel on new directions in BASIC. Other sessions include: a forum on programming languages: a discus

sion of next-generation operating systems; a program on robotics; and others on artificial intelligence, the C language, graphics add-ons, notebook computers, databases, and many other topics.

This is not an industry show, but one for computer users. Many exhibitors will be selling equipment and software, so you'll have a chance to enhance your system and increase your knowledge of personal computing. The second BYTE Computer Show, held in June in Los Angeles, had good attendance, strong conference sessions, lively discussions, and some real bargains. We have great hopes for the San Francisco show and plan to see you there.

Tuning the Redesign

in the October issue, we'll be making some adjustments in the redesign of BYTE. In particular, some of the smaller type printed much lighter in the actual magazine than it had in limited tests. As a result, we recognize the need to increase the point size and the weight of letters to the editor. Ask BYTE, Review Feedback, Chaos Manor Mail, etc. We must apologize for the small type to those who had difficulty reading it. We were just trying to pack in more information. To those who applauded the use of small type to get more letters and other reader feedback into the magazine, we must apologize for the need to increase the point size next month. Some day, of course, magazines will be electronic, and each reader will be able to set the type face and point size as desired. Alas, that day is not yet.

Computer Artist

This month, our computer-generated cover and section art are the work of Barbara Nessim, a noted New York artist. Her work shows any remaining skeptics that computers mix well with art. Harmony Books will publish a collection of Barbara Nessim's computer art in Spring 1985.

—Phil lemmons, Editor in Chief

6 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 378 on inquiry card. —►

If you re looking for

a quality monitor, look for this symbol.

HX-12. A high resolution monitor at a medium resolution price.

HX-12 is a high resolution RGB color monitor that's colorful enough for all your graphics needs and sharp enough for word processing.

With its own cable that plugs directly into the IBM PC, the HX-12 delivers a rainbow of 16 colors on a non-glare screen. All that includes clean whites without red bleed. In fact, all the colors are clean and crisp thanks to the HX-12's .31 mm dot pitch and 690 x 240 (non-interlaced) resolution.

Shop around. Nothing else compares to the HX-12 priced at just $695.

The SR-12 delivers even better resolution color for a better-than-ever price.

At first glance, the SR-12 might appear similar to the HX-12 with a non-glare screen and .31mm dot pitch supporting 690 horizontal resolution. But take a closer look. SR-12's scan frequency is 31.5 KHz, allowing the SR-12 to support 480 vertical resolution in non-interlaced mode. That means a high-quality, flickerless image with text that's up to monochrome standards. What's more, you get all that quality for $799.

For full compatibility with all IBM software, get the Princeton Scan Doubler. Priced at $249, it allows you to run the SR-12 from a standard IBM or IBM equivalent color card in the IBM PC.

You can't beat the SR-12 for resolution or price.

MAX 12. You won't find a better monochrome monitor for a better price.

PGS combines easy-on-the-eyes amber phosphor and exceptional 800 x 350 resolution to give you the MAX-12, the best monochrome monitor for your money.

Check the non-glare screen. Dynamic focusing circuitry keeps the image sharp, not only in the center, but around the edges and in the corners. Then check the price. At $249 the MAX-12 is less expensive than the leading green-onblack competitor. And there's more. The MAX-12 works with the IBM PC and other IBM compatibles.

For clarity, performance and price, your choice is clear. Make it the new MAX-12.

IBM " PC are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

©Copyright 1984 Princeton Graphic Systems. All rights reserved.

PRINCETON

An Intelligent: Systems Company

Princeton Graphic Systems

170 Wall Street, Princeton, N.J. 08540 (609) 683-1660/(800) 221-1490 EXT. 29 Telex: 821402 PGS PRIN

Circle 297 on inquiry card

MICROBYTES

Staff-written highlights of late developments in the microcomputer industry.

Macintosh Products Get Attention at NCC

A number of products for Apple's Macintosh were shown at the National Computer Conference in July, although most of them won't be available until late fall.

Thunderware Inc., Orinda, CA, showed a unique $200 image digitizer for the Macintosh. The device is attached to the print head of the Imagewriter printer, scanning any page fed through the printer with a resolution of 200 dots per inch in 256 levels of gray. The device should be available later this month.

Koala Technologies showed MacVision, which allows video cameras or videocassette recorders to interface with the Macintosh. The resulting bit-mapped images can be modified using MacPaint. MacVision will be available for about $300 in late fall. A similar product, Micron Technology's MicronEye Bullet, is now available for $395, including the camera unit.

Intermatrix Corp., North Hollywood, CA, announced MacPhone. This $200 system includes a telephone and software to automatically dial numbers and log calls. A later product may add telecommunications features.

Sunol Systems, Pleasanton, CA, announced Sun*Mac, a network system. As many as 32 Macintoshes can be linked to the $700 Sun*Mac, which must be connected to a $400 Sun'Net unit, to which up to three other computers or additional Sun*Nets can also be attached. Sun*Net is linked in turn to Sunol's Sun*Disk hard-disk units.

Mark of the Unicorn, Cambridge, MA, announced Professional Composer, a $495 musicediting system. Softworks Limited, Chicago, IL, is selling a $395 C compiler. Epson demonstrated a $30 program that enables the Macintosh to use Epson's FX-80 printer.

Expertelligence Inc., Santa Barbara, CA, announced ExperLogo. This $149 version of Logo includes Bunny Graphics and is incrementally compiled. A version of LISP is planned.

Double-Gold Software, San Jose, CA, is selling Lock-lt-Up, a disk copy-protection system for the Macintosh, in addition to versions for the Apple II and IBM PC. Double-Gold licenses the software for $495.

Macintosh like Capabilities for IBM PC, Epson QX-10

While Apple scrambles to provide software for the Macintosh, several companies are trying to make other computers look like the Macintosh. Bellesoft, Bellevue, WA, has introduced a line of pop-up programs for the IBM PC. Using a common Pop-Up kernel, the programs can be accessed from any application program. PopDOS makes most DOS commands available within other applications. Alarm Clock and Calendar programs will cost $19.95; Note Pad, Calculator, and PopDOS are $39.95 each; and TeleComm will cost $79.95. Bellesoft plans to distribute free copies of Alarm Clock to promote the line.

International Microcomputer Software Inc., San Rafael, CA, announced PC Paintbrush, a color graphics program similar to Apple's MacPaint. PC Paintbrush for the IBM PC should be available this month for about $130. Rising Star Industries displayed ValPaint, also similar to MacPaint, for the Epson QX-10 computer. ValPaint will be available from Epson in the fall.

IBM announced PCjr ColorPaint, a cartridge-based drawing program due out this month. The $99 software includes many MacPaint-type features, with 640- by 200-pixel resolution in color. (The Macintosh displays 512 by 342 pixels.) ColorPaint requires a two-button mouse; IBM will not offer one but said the program will work with Mouse Systems' or Microsoft's mice.

Optical Disks Shown at NCC

Four companies displayed optical-disk-storage products for computers at this year's National Computer Conference and at the National Office Machine Dealers Association convention.

Panasonic showed its $27,000 digital Optical Memory Disk Recorder (OMDR), which uses an 8-inch optical disk with a capacity of 700 megabytes per side. Alcatel Thomson CSF displayed its I-gigabyte Gigadisc optical-disk drive. The drive will cost $10,000 in quantity, and a controller will cost $3100. Shugart showed a similar drive. Hitachi showed its Optical Disk Subsystem, which can store 1.3 gigabytes on each side of a 12-inch optical disk. The Hitachi system will cost approximately $15,000 in very large quantities.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 9

MICROBYTES

IBM Announces PCjr Enhancements, Software Education Program

IBM replaced the PCjr's "Chiclet" keyboard with a typewriter-style keyboard, which will be standard on the PCjr and free for all current PCjr owners. IBM also announced $325 I28Kbyte memory-expansion units for the PCjr. To use more than one expansion unit, you must also buy a $150 power supply; with it, the PCjr can be expanded to 512K bytes. IBM also announced a national program called "Writing to Read," which teaches reading and writing using PCjrs and typewriters, and said it will offer discounts on PCjrs to all teachers and schools.

High-Resolution Printers Unveiled at NCC

Quality Micro Systems, Mobile, AL, introduced the QMS SmartWriter, a $4495 laser printer based on Canon's 8-page-per-minute print engine. Golden Dawn Computer Systems, Salt Lake City, UT, introduced the $3495 Golden Laser, also based on the Canon machine. Canon added the LBP-20, a 20-page-per-minute laser printer, while Fujitsu showed its own $16,000 16-page-per-minute unit. Ricoh showed a 12-page-per-minute laser printer that will be sold to other manufacturers for as little as $5000 without a controller. Both Fujitsu and Ricoh also showed image digitizers to complement the printers.

Canon also announced the F-60, a $545 thermal-transfer printer with a resolution of 360 dpi. Mitsubishi announced the $1100 M4234, a 180-dpi, seven-color, thermal-transfer printer. Mitsubishi also showed the CP-5, a $1200 392-dpi printer that produced near photograph quality color images but won't be available for at least a year.

NANOBYTES

Cromemco unveiled a new line of S-100 computers using UNIX System V. The 68000-based System 100 and System 300 include cache memory, a new memory-management board, and a 50-megabyte hard disk for prices ranging from $9995 to $19,995. Cromemco also announced a 2-megabyte RAM board for the S-100 bus, priced at $8995. . . . Paradise Systems Inc., Brisbane, CA, announced a modular graphics/multifunction card for the IBM PC. The $395 base price includes either monochrome or color graphics. Memory, clock/ calendar, disk-controller, and serial-, parallel-, or game-port options can also be added to the board. . . . Seagate and IBM have cross-licensed patents. . . . Microsoft is selling the PCjr Booster, a !28K-byte expansion board bundled with a Microsoft mouse for $495. Also included with the board is JBASIC, a faster BASIC that also takes advantage of the faster expansion-card memory. . . . AudoPilot Co., Huntington, NY, announced a $459 voicerecognition board for the IBM PC. . . . Bondwell Industrial Co., Fremont, CA, is selling an auto-answer 300-bps telephone-line-powered modem for $90. . . . Alphacom announced the Alphapro, a $400 daisy-wheel printer. Interface cartridges for the IBM PC, Apple II, or Apple Macintosh are $50 each. . . . Western Graphtec, Irvine, CA, announced the FP 5301, a $3000 10-pen plotter. . . . NEC Home Electronics announced a $199 color-display adapter and a $799 3'/2-inch disk drive for its PC-8201 notebook computer. . . . Lanx Corp., San lose, CA, is now producing perpendicular magnetic recording disks. The company expects to produce 200,000 to 400,000 disks per year, with full production by the end of this month. . . . Oemtek Inc., San ]ose, CA, will make a line of IBM PC-compatible computers to sell to other manufacturers. . . . C. Itoh Electronics displayed an 80-column by 25-line LCD at NCC, available for $300 in large quantities. . . . Qume has introduced a 90-cps daisywheel printer. The Sprint 11/90 costs $2695. . . . Linear Systems Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, announced the Scrambler, a $499 DES encryption board for the IBM PC. . . . Orenda Inc., Los Angeles, CA, announced a $100 controller allowing Atari, Commodore, and Apple II computers to control a videodisc player. ... A federal judge in Alexandria, VA, sentenced a 24-year-old computer raider to one year probation and ordered him to pay for connect time for illegally tapping into the GTE Telenet electronic-mail network. From Nikkei BYTE, Tokyo: Kantodenshi has introduced a $200 optical modem, the Logitec K-741. The modem uses optical fiber to communicate up to about 100 meters.

10 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1984

Integrated

PrintegratecL

Now, translate your integrated software into integrated hard copy, with the TI OMNI 800™ Model 855 printer. So versatile, it combines letter-quality print, draft-quality print and graphics as no other printer can. It prints letter-quality twice as fast as comparably priced daisy wheel printers, yet gives you characters just as sharp, just as clear. It prints rough drafts ten times faster than daisy wheel printers... faster than most any other dot matrix printer. Only the TI 855 has snap-in font modules, just touch a button; change your typestyle. The 855 gives you more typestyles to choose from than ordinary dot matrix printers. It makes them quicker, cleaner, easier

to access than any other dot matrix or daisy wheel printer. The 855's pie charts are rounder... all its graphics are sharper than on other dot matrix printers, because the TI 855 prints more dots per inch. As for daisy wheel printers... no graphics.

TheTI 855 Printer

The printer for all major PC's Dallas, Texas 75240

For under $1,000 you get twice the performance of typical dot matrix printers. Or all the performance of a daisy wheel printer, and then some, for half the price. So get the best of all printers, and get optimum results from your integrated software. With the TI 855. See it at your nearest authorized TI dealer. Or call toll-free: 1-800-527-3500. Or write Texas Instruments Incorporated, P.O. Box 402430, Dept. DPF-182BY,

Texas Instruments

Creating useful products and services for you.

OMNI 800 is a trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated Copyright © 1984 Texas Instruments Incorporated. 2763-36

«

Dare to

TI makes the best software perform even better.

When choosing a computer, there are two important things to look for. Who runs the best software—and who runs the software bestl That's why we're staging a dramatic country-wide side-by-side comparison against IBM™ called "Dare to Compare."

Come to a participating dealer and take the "Dare to Compare" challenge. You'll see first-hand how...

TI makes software faster to use.

Take a closer look. See how we give you more information on-screen than the IBM PC? That way you'll spend less time looking for data, and more time using it. We also give you 12 function keys, while they give you 10. Unlike IBM, we give you a separate numeric keypad and cursor controls. And that saves you both keystrokes and time. We also isolated the edit/delete keys to reduce chance of making mistakes.

TI makes software easier to use.

TI gives you up to 8 colors on-screen simultaneously, which makes separating the data a lot easier. IBM displays only 4. Our graphics are also sharper. And easier on the eyes.

f]

1'IRST OUflRTEK SOLES

NOK1XU)

A

^^BP DUE

©

IBM Personal Computer

are

And TI makes it easier to get your data on-screen. Our keyboard is simpler—it's more like the familiar IBM Selectric™ typewriter than the IBM PC keyboard is.

TI lets you see for yourself.

Right now, you can "Dare to Compare" for yourself at participating TI dealers all over the country. Stop in, put both machines through their paces using the same software titles, and see for yourself how the Texas Instruments Professional Computer makes the best software perform even better.

For the name of a participating dealer near you, please call TI toll-free at 1-800-527-3500, or write: Texas Instruments Incorporated, P.O. Box 402430, Dept. DCA-232BY,

Dallas, Texas 75240.

Texas Instruments

Creating useful products and services for you.

BPS Business Graphics™ shown. BPS is a trademark of Business

&. Professional Software Incorporated. IBM and Selectric are trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc.

Copyright © 1984 Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Professional Computer

DTC2763-69-RI

LETTERS

An Unfortunate Misspelling

I was reading the article "Simulation of Weighted Voting: The Banzhaf Index" by Philip A. Schrodt (March, page 138). when I noticed a strange misspelling of our prime minister's name, who, in fact, isn't "Bennito" but "Bettino" Craxi. This is both unfortunate and funny: it's unfortunate because the name "Benito" reminds Italian people of an unlucky part of their history that isn't comparable to today's democracy, and it's funny because the only other journal that "unintentionally" made such a mistake was Pravda, in one of its recent articles attacking our government.

Apart from this. I'd like to point out that the real Banzhaf indexes for the Italian situation are much different from the ones given by Mr. Schrodt. Mr. Schrodt did not consider several factors:

• the importance of the Italian Social Movement is very small because no one would accept its partnership

• the Proletarian Democrats would only join the Communists

• the Radicals are against everybody

Mr. Schrodt also did not consider the fact that it's the first time in 30 years that a Socialist has become prime minister.

Mr. Schrodt's attempt to simplify and symbolize political situations is interesting, but I think he should read some unbiased foreign newspapers before attempting this with countries other than his own.

Paolo Prandini Brescia, Italy

Thank you for your letter. My misspelling of Bettino Craxi's name was, of course, an error, and I can assure you that it was purely accidental and was not intended as a political statement. In fact, I had specifically looked up the spelling and I must have made the mistake when typing from my notes.

Nonetheless, I should have caught the error, particularly since I follow Italian politics closely enough to realize that this misspelling of Mr Craxi's name has become rather popular lately in Italian publications on the left (and not just in Pravda;. / assure you again that absolutely no political statement was intended on my part, and I have no strong feelings one way or the other regarding Mr. Craxi's administration.

Regarding the applicability of the Banzhaf index to the current strength of the Socialist party, I am fully aware that parties such as the

MSI and Radicals would be unlikely to become involved in coalitions, although I would not rule these out altogether—in politics few things are impossible. The Banzhaf index is an approximation only and there are more refined techniques available to handle contingencies such as the ones you mentioned. Nevertheless, 1 still find it interesting that the latest election gave the Socialists greater Banzhaf power than they've had at any time in the past 20 years, and I found this fact useful.

I received a couple of other letters from Italy pointing out my spelling mistake, although the other writers assumed that the error was accidental. In fact, on the basis of the response to this article and my earlier articles in BYTE, there are many Italian and English BYTE readers. Given that, I can assure you that in the future I will be far more careful in my proofreading, and, again, my apologies for the error.

Philip A. Schrodt Clinton, NY

On Trademarks

To an impartial outside observer it would seem that the American society in general, and the microcomputer business in particular, is reaching the stage where it is based on a suerage scheme.

The ever-increasing problems caused by the proliferation of trademarks and registered trademarks must surely be an advantage to lawyers and attorneys, suerage forms at the ready, who can keep a watchful eye on witting or unwitting violators.

If the present trend continues, every word in BYTE magazine will have to include a trademark or registered mark. Ultimately, the letters TM may be trademarked, resulting in a recursive process of marking trademarked trademarks.

An alternative solution perhaps would be to print a list of all words or sequences of letters and numbers used in the relevant issue of the magazine, with a general disclaimer that any or all of the words or sequences of characters may or may not be a trademark or registered trademark.

Arne Rohde Struer, Denmark

P.S. This letter, including this postscript, contains the following words or sequences of characters, any or all or none of which may be trademarks or registered trademarks of zero, one, or more companies or organizations: a, advantage, all, alternative, american, an. and, any, arne, at. attorneys, based, be, business, by, byte, can, caused, characters, companies, contains, continues, denmark, disclaimer, ever,

every, eye, following, forms, general, have, if, impartial. In, include, including, increasing, is, issue, it, keep, lawyers, letter, letters, list, magazine, mark, marking, may, microcomputer, more, must, none, not, numbers, observer, of, on, one, or, organizations, outside, particular, perhaps, postscript, present, print, problems, process, proliferation, p.s., reaching, ready, recursive, registered, relevant, resulting, rohde, scheme, seem, sequences, society, solution, stage, struer, suerage, surely, that, the, this, tm, to, trademark, trademarked, trademarks, trend, ultimately, unwitting, used, violators, watchful, where, which, who, will, with, witting, word, words, would, zero.

A Call for Better Apple Support

I was pleased to see that Phil Lemmons is now BYTE's editor in chief. I also appreciated his editorial on ethics (April, page 4).

I have some complaints regarding Apple Computer Inc. that I hope BYTE's readership can help me with. 1 apologize in advance for the limited scope of the complaints and for using BYTE as a platform, but 1 have gotten no action from Apple despite repeated contact.

1 work with several Apple users in Kansas City who have had trouble in the past several months obtaining manuals from Apple, notably The ProDOS Technical Manual. Apple lie Design Guidelines, and The Apple Dot Matrix Printer User's Manual. 1 have, through repeated contact with Apple, come to the conclusion that the problem is at Apple, rather than at the dealers. Apple's Customer Service Department has been as helpful as possible, but it cannot overcome basic errors in maintaining availability of these vital publications. The ProDOS Technical Manual and Apple Ik Design Guidelines were out of publication until recently, and as yet I have been unable to get a verifiable delivery date from local dealers.

The ProDOS Technical Manual has been printed at least once for developers, but I attempted to order one shortly after purchasing Tfie ProDOS User's Kit and was told they were out of stock and would not be reprinted until May. It is now lune and they are nowhere in sight. It is not possible to do any credible machine-language programming involving ProDOS without this reference.

Apple lie Design Guidelines is quoted in Apple's own lie literature as a reference for programming for the Apple He 80-column-text cards. I have been on its trail most of this year: it is (according to my Apple dealer) out of print and unavailable until lune of this year. The He text

(continued)

14 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

WHO SAYS "YOU CANT TAKE IT WITH YOU"?

When we at Intertec introduced our new HeadStart™ computer we said "it's the fastest, smallest, most powerful business computer in its class."

What more could we say?

How about "it's also portable."

Every HeadStart computer comes with its own easy-carrying handle. You can choose between a full size keyboard or a special compact version that snaps easily on the front of the screen. Either way, you get all the great features that make HeadStart unique. A big twelve inch screen, eight and sixteen bit processors, upgradable to one megabyte and it's networkable up to 255 users.

We named our new business computer "HeadStart" because

that's exactly what it'll give you. And because it's also portable, you can take it anywhere. Well, almost.

For more information call us at (803) 798-9100 or write: Intertec, Dept. "HeadStart" 2300 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210.

intertec.

HeadStart Standard Features:

Size: 15.75" wide, 12.75" deep, 11.30"high. Weight: 25 lbs.

Processors: Z80A (8 bit) and 8086 (16 bit).

Memory: 128Kto IMBdependingon model. All models

are expandable to 1MB.

Disk Storage: 500K to 1MB (unformatted) on a M" Micro-Disk. RAM disk feature emulates second system drive. Optional 3H" or5!4"extemal drives. Display: 12"(diagonal) P31 phosphor, non-glare screen, 25 lines x 80 or 132 columns. Keyboard: Detachable with 104 total keys. A portable version snaps onto the front screen for easy transportability.

Disk Operating Software: "CP/M 80 for 8 bit "MS DOS for 16 bit LAN DOS for multi-user 8 or 16 bit operation.

'Concurrent CP/M 86 optional. Interfaces: One RS 449/RS 232 compatible serial port One Centronics compatible parallel printer port External data bus. Coaxial communications interface. External disk I/O interface. Optional network print spooling interface.

Networking: Up to 255 HeadStarts may be connected via a coaxial, multi-user network into one of 2 optional data storage systems.

Optional Data Storage Systems: Two models are available. A10MB, 5W' system is expandable to 20MB. A 50MB, 8" system (25MB fixed, 25MB removable) is expandable to 545MB in 165MB increments.

'CP/M 80 and Concurrent CP/M 86 are registered trademark of Digital Research. "MS DOS isa registered trademark of Microsoft.

Circle 192 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE J5

Hie'C

for the Macintosh

AZTEC C68K-C $499

commercial software development system

• Full Version 7 C Compiler • Fast and Compact Code • Linker (overlay) • Resource Editor • No Royalties • Source Editor • Compatible with AZTEC 'C for PC DOS, CP/M-86, CP/M-80, APPLE//, TRS80, COMMODORE 64 • 68000 Macro Assembler • Extensive Run Time Support • Utilities • Shell Environment • Requires 128K MACINTOSH • Compatible with LISA MACWORKS and 512 MACINTOSH • Full access to MACINTOSH TOOLBOX (ROM & OS)

personal software development system

(make, grep, dif f, Z editor)

LISA, PC DOS, MS DOS, CP/M-80, APPLE//, VAX, PDP11

TO ORDER OR FOR INFORMATION CALL OR WRITE:

MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS Box 55

Shrewsbury, NJ 07701 A^%W TX 4995812 ft 1 A

NJ RESIDENTS ADD 6% SALES TAX

CALL:

800-221-0440 201-780-4004 (NJ)

TRS-80 IS A TRADEMARK OF TANDY CORP, MACINTOSH IS A TRADEMARK OF APPLE CP M-86 & CP M-80 ARE TRADEMARKS OF DIGITAL RESEARCH. PC DOS IS A TRADEMARK OF IBM

LETTERS

card programming is not adequately documented in Apple's other He manuals (as evidenced by caveats in Apple Part #03l-0408-A. "Errata to the Apple 80-Column Text Card Manual").

The Apple dot-matrix-printer user's manual is often absent when you buy a printer directly through Apple. A friend of mine who bought an Apple lie system recently found no printer manual with her Apple printer.

With Apple proffering low-level manuals such as The ProDOS Usee's Manual and The Apple We Owner's Manual in the name of user friendliness, you would think the company would not leave users to puzzle out crucial elements of their systems unassisted (it is simple to write easyto-understand manuals if you don't say much). I don't discount the tutorial utility of The Owners Manual but it is not very useful after you set up the computer. I do find The ProDOS User's Manual. in a word, pretentious 1140 pages describing the ProDOS equivalents of MUFFIN and FID and hierarchical file structure gives credence to the phrase "wordy and verbose"). The ProDOS utilities supplied in The ProDOS User's Kit are useless without sufficient description of ProDOS functions to understand the environment. The book should have more closely resembled the excellent DOS 3.3 manuals, with the possible exception of a separate volume for the Mil Apple also has unbundled the manuals and strewn information among them in a haphazard manner (the only documented input routine for the 80-column card is in The Applesoft Tutorial, but not in the 80-column card documents or any of the other presently available lie manualsl. Apple's review procedure is apparently not adequate.

There simply is no reason these manuals should be so hard to obtain; I have been an Apple owner since I980, and I expect better and more responsible support from the company. I was appalled that my Apple He came with only The Owner's Manual and the DOS 3.3 manuals: I can only imagine what a nightmare it must be for those who are now purchasing ProDOS-based Apple systems essentially undocumented. My only conclusion is that Apple sells computers for their value in running "canned" programs.

I am hoping to change this. Apple's Customer Service Department will have to receive user complaints in order to bargain with Apple's Marketing Department, which appears to be the source of the problems. If you have also experienced these problems, please write to Apple Computer Inc.. M/S 22. 2052 5 Mariani Ave.. Cupertino. CA 95014. and complain if you have also experienced these problems.

Dennis Doms Kansas City. MO

A Reader Complains

As a librarian in a public school system I see quite a few computer magazines and BYTE is one of the best. However, the fact that IBM and Apple dominate computer sales is no reason to devote such a large percentage of editorial

[continued)

16 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 225 on inquiry card.

printer

Sprints rapidly through your printing without tying up your computer.

SMART. Sprinter doesn't keep your computer tied up. Its standard 4K print buffer is easily expanded to 68K with our MemoryMate™ option. So up to 34 pages of print copy can be stored in memory!

QUICK. Sprinter has the highest thruput of any popularly priced printer. Because all systems are designed to work together for optimum performance— from its fast paper advance and 160 CPS print rate to its large print buffers and high-speed logic seeking head. Easy Load™ front feed for quick paper insertion.

RARIN' TO GO. Sprinter is handsome, lightweight and rugged. And with its easily removable travel cover, plenty of inside storage space and shock-mounted components, Sprinter is a truly portable, go-anywhere printer.

Micro Peripherals, Inc

TRAVEL WITH THE BEST! 4426S.CentuiyDr.«SaltLakeCity,UT84123«(801)263-3081 See the Sprinter at your local computer store or call us for the dealer nearest you: 1-800-821-8848.

Circle 263 on inquiry card. SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 17

LOOK NO FURTHER!

well get you low prices and fast service, or else!

ALPHA OMEGA

COI1PUTER PRODUCTS

COMPUTERS

TAVA PC IBM Compatible, 128K, 3-320K

Drives, Parallel Port, Monitor $1989

SANYO MBC 555 w/software 1049

ROMAR 64K Apple compatible SAVE

IBM PC 64K, 2-320K Drives, Color Graphics Board, DOS 2.1, Amdek 300G 2669

DISKETTES

SCOTCH 3M SSDD $23

MAXELL MD2 DSDD 39

PRINTERS

C. ITOH 8510 P. 120 cps $349

EPSON FX80 160 cps 439

EPSON FX100 160 cps 679

EPSON LQ 1500 1189

OKIDATA Microline 92 160 cps 419

OKIDATA Microline 93 160 cps 699

GEMINI 10X 120 cps 279

GEMINI 15X 120 cps 389

NEC 3550 35 cps L/Q 1715

JUKI 6100 L/Q 18 cps 435

C. ITOH F-10 40 cps 1075

MODEMS

HAYES Smartmodem 1200 $482

HAYES Smartmodem 1200B IBM 425

HAYES Micromodem lie 249

BIZCOMP IBM Int. 1200 345

ANCHOR A. Mark XII 300/1200 259

MONITORS

TAXAN 12" Amber $125

TAXAN 121 IBM green 159

AMDEK 310A for IBM PC 169

AMDEK 300G 12" Green 135

AMDEK 300A 12" Amber 145

AMDEK Color 1 + 13" 299

PRINCETON HX-12 RGB 495

PRINCETON SR15 Super Hi Res . . . SAVE

APPLE PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE

VIDEX Videoterm 80C w/sottswitch . . .$209

VIDEX Ultraterm 279

MICROSOFT 16K RAMcard 69

MICROSOFT 280 Softcard 245

MICROSOFT Premium Pack 479

MICROSOFT Premium Softcard HE 345

KRAFT & TG Joystick 45

HAYES Mach II Joystick 33

PROMETHIUS Vz Height Drives 189

WIZARD IPI Parallel Interface 75

PROMETHIUS Versacard 149

EPS Keyboard 289

KENSINGTON Systemsaver 68

COOL & TIME (fan, surge, clock) 75

KOALA Pad 79

PFS Filing System 81

PFS Report 81

DBase II 389

Wordstar 249

Home Accountant SAVE

Multiplan 165

DB Master Version 4 249

DB Utility 1 or 2 95

Magic Window II 109

Multiplan Mcintosh 159

Microsoft Basic Mcintosh 115

Thinktank for Mac 79

Memorex Diskettes for Mac 59

Mac Carrying Case 69

IBM PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE

TURBO 10 Int. 10MB Hard Disk $949

TANDON TM100-2 360K 219

TEAC Vi Height 360K 195

MICROSOFT Mouse 139

QUADRAM Quadboard W/64K-384K 319

QUADRAM Quadlink 489

QUADRAM Quadcolor I 209

64K RAM Kit 200 ns 55

AST 6-pack plus W/64K 279

STB W/64K clock, par, serial, game . . . .295

HAYES Mach II Joystick 35

Property Management 335

Home Accountant + SAVE

Multimate 319

PFS Filing System 85

PFS Report 81

Lotus 1,2,3 319

Lotus Symphony 485

DBase III 449

DBase II 389

Framework SAVE

Wordstar 249

Wordstar Propack w/Mailmrg,

Spellstar 309

Multiplan 165

Flight Simulator New RGB 39

See our ad on page 90.

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We do not charge for VISA or MASTERCARD

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All products are in factory sealed packages. We guarantee all items for 30 days. Within this period, defective merchandise returns must be accompanied by RMA number. All other returns will be subject to a 10% restocking fee. For prepaid orders there will be a 3% shipping charge; 5% for UPS Blue Label; $5.00 minimum; all orders outside U.S. al 15% shipping. There will be an addilional $4.00 surcharge on C.O.D. orders. Cash or Cashiers Check is required on CCD. orders. Calif, residents add 6.5% sales tax. Prices subject to change without notice.

LETTERS

space to articles dealing with these brands of computers. The suitability of a computer for a situation depends on the particular application of the computer, not its trade name.

I recently purchased my first computer and. after careful shopping, chose the Fujitsu Micro-16s. little thanks to BYTE. After screening old issues I came up with only one technical article about this system. It was just enough to spark my interest to hunt for more information. Why does BYTE basically ignore lapanese computers like Sord, NEC. and Fujitsu? The Micro-] 6s. with its 24-bit data bus, replaceable microprocessors, and ability to access up to 5 megabytes of keyboard RAM using the 68000 chip, is not expensive and makes the IBM PC and even the new Apple Macintosh look like a pair of plow horses. So what if it doesn't run Lotus 1-2-3—other software exists that's as good or better.

I picked my computer because it is an alternative to the IBM PC. rather than a clone. My friends and I feel that these Japanese computer systems are not only a lot different than American systems, they're a lot better.

Dave McConnell Wichita. KS

We ran articles in June 1983 showing the great variety of 16-bit systems available, including the Fujitsu Micro-16s, and we published a review of the NEC APC in October 1983. A review of the Sanyo MBC-550 appeared in August 1984 and an article using the Sony SMC-70 appeared in july. We have also done one article on the NEC PC-8201 portable (June 1983) and have covered the Epson QX-10 and HX-20. The preponderance of articles on American machines reflects the number of manuscripts submitted about them rather than a policy at BYTE.

A Second

Opinion on the Sage

1 must take exception to some of the statements Jerry Pournelle made in "Chaos Manor's HardDisk System" (May, page 59). Mr. Pournelle (and by reference, Rod Coleman) appears to have a strong anti-UNIX attitude. From the comments made it looks like this position results from lack of familiarity with UNIX. On page 74 Mr. Coleman is quoted as attributing the error message "Volume not on line" to UNIX: in fact this is a p-System error message. I could give many examples of user difficulty with the p-System (e.g.. ambiguities such as "e" to enter the editor and "e" to exit the editor without saving the session). Users are not served by commentary on operating-system use that is not based on a reasonable degree of familiarity with that system.

Mr. Pournelle's characterization of the Sage as "the best 68000 computer available" cannot be taken seriously. The Sage is a fine 68000 computer for single-user applications, but it lacks many architectural features needed for multiuser, multitasking applications. Sage has

(continued)

18 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 16 on inquiry card.

Meet the Standard.

AST SixPakPlus has set the standard 100,000 times.

We have manufactured and shipped more than 100,000 SixPakPlus multifunction boards in less than a year—an event that proves quality and quantity are compatible.

Important as it is, quality is just one factor that has made SixPakPlus the most popular, most respected multifunction boar (J available today.

Performance is another. SixPakPlus provides IBM PC, XT, anc compatibles users with an ideal combination of enhancements;]

• Run sophisticated software programs and process more datq with an additional 64K to 384K RAM memory capability.

• To add peripherals such as printers, modems, mice, plotters or joysticks, we give you more Input/Output ports—serial, parallel and optional game adapter.

Circle 3 for Dealer Inquiries. Circle 4 for End-User inquiries.

• More convenience, thanks to a built-in clockX calendar that provides automatic time and date stamping. • More productivity with SuperPak™ utility diskette including SuperDrive,™PC World's UserSurvey award-winner, that works like a drive but fifty times faster—and SuperSpool™ so you can print and input at the same time.

Quality extends to documentation, too. SixPakPlus is one of the easiest hardware/software-packages toinsteW-aftd-eiaefal..

And, with our new audio cassette, you don't even have to crack our manual to learn how to take full advantage of SixPakPlus' features and functions.

Meet the standard for multifunction enhancement boards in person. Get a SixPakPlus from a dealer near you. SixPakPlus is a member of the complete AST family of multifunction boards, Micro-to-Mainframe communications, LAN and graphics products.

Contact: AST Research Inc. 2121 Alton Avenue Irvine, CA 92714 Phone: (714) 863-1333 TWX: 753699ASTR UR

'IBM PC and XT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines,

RCSCflRCH INC.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • B Y T f

Now last minute presentations can be made from your personal computer. In color. In house. In minutes.

Introducing Polaroid Palette.

Whether your presentation is in 30 minutes or 30 days, the new Polaroid Palette Computer Image Recorder will make it easier. Priced at under $1500* it lets you make Polaroid instant 35mm slides or prints from personal computer-generated data. Right at your desk. So now you can create a presentation in minutes. Without sending out for processing, paying premiums for rush service or risking the security of your confidential information.

Works with the graphics packages of the IBM PC or X'i; DEC Rainbow, Apple lie and 11+ as well as other pes.

The Polaroid Palette is designed to work with many graphics software packages. In fact, when using such popular programs as Graphwriter, Chart-Master, Sign-Master, DR Draw and DR Graph, Palette can virtually double both the horizontal and vertical resolution of your monitor. Plus, a

Circle 293 on inquiry card.

"backfill" feature reduces raster lines for a smoother, more finished appearance. The result—presentation quality slides. On-the-spot.

Color 35mm slides, even from a black and white CRT

Think of it as an artist's palette. Because Palette "paints" your graphs, charts and text. You're choosing from up to 72 colors. If you don't want red, press a few keys—it's green. And if you're not die artistic-type, Polaroid has developed a menu of color sets: combinations of colors that have been specially coordinated to complement your presentations. And all of this is yours, even if you have a black and white monitor.

Lets you make last minute changes or add up-to-the-minute information.

The Polaroid Palette is the fast, convenient, low-cost way to prepare slides for your presentation. And perhaps

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So why wait until the last minute to find out about Polaroid Palette? Call this toll-free number or return this coupon. Because with Palette you'll make your deadlines, in no time. I 1

For a demonstration, call toll-free, or mail the coupon to Polaroid Corp., E.l. Marketing, Dept. 604, 575 Technology Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139.

CALL 1-800-225-1618

□ Send information. □ Have representative call. B- 9/84

Name Title

CompanyAddress—

-Zip

"telephone J

PC make and model

=Polaroid

•Suggested list price. Polaroid" SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 21

Circle 40 on inquiry card.

affordable & reliable.

NETWORKING

Networking begins with your fine computer. Where it goes is unlimited when you interface your peripheral devices with a 4, 8 or 18 port BayTech Serial Port Expander. With BayTechs units you can mix-and-match other computers and/or peripheral devices of different configurations without the need to reconfigure. Port configuration of the peripheral device ports may be changed by the user with BayTech s menu-driven software.

Computer

BayTechs versatile networking multiports. capable of any-port-toany-port interconnection, have virtually unlimited applications. With their features and low cost, the user can create a local network providing simultaneous communication for 5, 9. or 18 RS-232C devices.

A few companies make a good, expensive Serial Port Expander. One company makes an excellent, affordable line of them - BayTech.

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LETTERS

no hardware memory management, no hardware clock that is useful for process switching, no truly intelligent hard-disk controller (forcing the microprocessor to do seeks, etc.), no independent disk-completion interrupt, and has an irregular arrangement of processor-interrupt priority levels. Our firm was the first to port Idris (Whitesmiths' UNIX-like operating system] to the Sage, and we are well acquainted with the problems these deficiencies can cause in a true multiuser, multitasking environment.

My purpose is not to put down the Sage. But given the existence of computers like Charles River Data Systems' Universe, the Dual, the NCR Tower, and the Plexus, to name just a few, Mr. Pournelle's characterization of the Sage as the "best" must be considered only personal opinion and preference: not ob|ective technical assessment.

Richard L. Peskin, Ph.D.

Flemington, Nl

Choosing Software for a Dentist's Office

Dr. lonathan lavitt's article "Computerizing a Medical Office" (May, page 171) covered many issues that are critical when doctors choose their first computer. However, I disagree with Dr. lavitt's contention that doctors should buy their software before their hardware. Luckily, I purchased my 8-bit computer (Xerox 820-11) prior to my software. Medical/dental software manuals adequately separated good from bad programs, but they did not show degrees of goodness. So I started buying demonstration disks with manuals. Running the program on my computer opened up many new evaluation areas to me. 1 found that programming language was important—a program written in CB-80 was up to 10 times faster than one written in BASIC. Program features and/or deficiencies became readily apparent. The differences among programs were great. 1 had to evaluate over 16 packages before selecting the one that best suited my needs. I spent up to two weeks and 12 to 20 hours on most. I have been in dental practice 28 years and can't remember when I've had as much fun.

William E. Tracy, D.D.S.

Beaverton. OR

Handling the Reflected Vertex

I would like to add a few comments to the interesting article "Fitting Curves to Data" by Marco S. Caceci and William P. Cacheris (May. page 340). On page 344 the text reads. "The expanded vertex is accepted if it has a lower response than the rejected one; otherwise, the program accepts the reflected one," However, line 298 of the program indicates that "best" should have been used instead of "rejected" in the above quoted sentence.

The original article by I. A. Nelder and R. Mead ("A Simplex Method for Function

Minimization." Computer lournal. Volume 7, page 308. 1965) gives a slightly different method for handling the reflected vertex. If the reflected vertex's response [y'\ is between the lowest response (yj) and the next to lowest response \yn). then the reflected vertex is accepted. If y' is between yn and the highest response (yn\. then the vertex coresponding to yn is replaced by the reflected vertex (which becomes the new vertex with the highest response). Then you proceed to contraction or shrinkage. Ironically, there is a discrepancy between Nelder and Mead's text and their flowchart, just as there is a discrepancy between the article's text and program.

Iames TIirsa Austin. TX

The original article by Nelder and Mead proposes a slightly different algorithm for simplex movement than our article. In their article, they differentiate between movement by reflection and contraction (when reflection does not produce a new "best vertex"! by comparing the reflected vertex response. Thus. Nelder and Mead's test is consistent with their flow diagrams. Our simplex algorithm differs from Nelder and Mead's in use of the "next-toworst" vertex in simplex movement. We simply do not search for the next-to-worst vertex on every iteration and accept the reflected vertex if it lies between the best and worst vertex (not between the best and next-to-worst vertex as proposed by Nelder and Mead). Thus our code is simpler and faster than the original while maintaining efficient simplex movement.

On page 344. the word "rejected" was inadvertently used instead of the correct word "best." This is readily apparent from inspection of both our flowchart and program listing, which show that an expanded vertex is accepted only when both it and the reflected vertex are better than the current best vertex.

William P. Cacheris Tallahassee. FL

Binary Trees Explained

In his article "Indexing Open-Ended Tree Structures" (May. page 406). lohn Snyder provided a novel but complex solution to a simple and well-understood problem. Despite my nine years of experience programming computers. I had considerable difficulty deciphering his article. Let me present the proper solution as described by D. E. Knuth in Fundamental Algorithms. section 2.3.2, "Binary Tree Representation of Trees."

The tree representation is merely a collection of nodes and their links. For each node, only two links will be provided. The links will be (1) a pointer to the first child node, and (2) a pointer to the sibling node immediately to the right. The terms "child" and "sibling" are used here to illustrate the relationship between the nodes in exactly the manner of a family tree. To demonstrate the use of the links in this representation, consider the selection of the /th child of a particular node: first, the pointer to the first child node is used, then the pointer to the next

22 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 41 on inquiry card.

LETTERS

Listing I: (a)

search routine.

A structure to represent data and links in each node; (b) the

|») struct node {

struct node "child; /* pointer to 1st child '/ struct node 'sibling; I* pointer to next sibling "/ /* data for node */

(;

\b) /* search for an element in a tree:

tree is a pointer to the root node of the tree, subs is a list of subscripts (counting from 1), 0 terminated returns a pointer to the desired element, or NULL if the element does not exist */

struct node 'searchftree. subs)

struct node 'tree:

int 'subs:

i

int i;

for I; tree && 'subs: subs+ + |

for (tree = tree - >child, i = I; tree && i < *sub; i + tree = tree->sibling: return (tree):

sibling is used repeatedly until the /th child is reached.

In the C programming language, a structure is used to represent the data and links for each node (see listing la, presented here|.

Null pointers are used to indicate terminals: a null child pointer indicates that there are no lower levels and a null sibling pointer indicates that this is the last item at this level. Thus the search routine is shown in listing lb. Insertion and deletion from such a tree is also simple. If one does not have the benefit of pointers and structures, there are alternatives. Pointers may be replaced with array indices and an array of structures may be replaced with an array for each structure member.

Lawrence Leinweber East Cleveland, OH

I take issue with anyone presenting "the proper solution" to any problem—the world just does not work that way. and neither does programming.

I am aware of binary trees. They are sometimes called B-trees, part of the fun of calling mine A-trees. I expected most, if not all. of my readers to also be aware of binary trees. So I did not feel it necessary to mention them. If this assumption was incorrect. I appreciate Mr. Leinweber's review.

I do not claim to be a computer scientist. I like to think of myself as a problem solver. When confronted with an application where binary trees seemed to be overkill. I searched for and found what I believe is an interesting and useful alternative, especially if tree updating is infrequent. I refuse to believe that A-trees are more "complex" than binary trees—personally, I find them simpler.

I particularly like the applicability of my 8088's string-scan instruction (mentioned in the article but, unfortunately, not illustrated in the sample programs). Once you know the value you are looking for, you execute one (re

peated) machine instruction to get you there.

The mathematics of the search algorithm is also interesting to me. In fact, I have pursued tree-manipulation methods based upon the "difference table." such as tree sorting and "normal forms" for trees.

In the meantime, I will not be deterred from my efforts, both to develop ideas and to share them with others. After all, isn't that what programming is all about?

John Snyder Baltimore, MD

More on User Friendliness

I commend both you and William I. Raduchel for your courage. Defining the term "user friendly" is no mean feat (see "A Professional's Perspective on User Friendliness." May, page 101). I also commend Mr. Raduchel for his efforts—with some significant reservations.

Mr. Raduchels article does a doggone good job of isolating the impact of a large number of factors present in the computer work environment. And there can be little question that his math skills are impressively demonstrated in his attempt to quantify user friendliness. But I fear he is in the doghouse with me because of his hyperanalytical approach.

"User friendly" is a simple phrase. The meaning of the phrase is not locked up in a mathematical netherworld that can only be penetrated with the precisely made points of mathematics. For true meaning, we need only look to the simple visual images evoked by each of the words in the phrase.

A "user" is one who uses—in this case—a computer. The word "user" is being used to modify the meaning of the second word in the phrase—friendly." Friendly to what? Friendly to the computer/software user. It is not hard to visualize a person using a computer.

{continued)

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 23

LETTERS

Nor is it hard to visualize a friend. Dog is man's best friend. We can assume that a computer must have at least some of the unique behavioral characteristics of a beloved pet dog in order to be considered "friendly." We need only answer one question to savor the full richness of the phrase: What is unique about a dog's behavior toward man that makes dog man's best friend?

The answer to this question is really quite simple. The dog:

1. Always does what it is told.

2. Never bites its master.

3. Is always very sorry when you yell at it.

4. Is exceptionally eager to please.

5. Doesn't eat too much.

One point I agree with is Mr. Raduchel's assertion that the definition of "user friendly" is dependent upon the user group. After all, everybody likes a dog that fits their temperament. But that doesn't change the fact that the dog

had better have the five traits already listed.

I would submit that the problem with most computers and software is that they are made in the maker's image. We all know that this won't work out. Frankenstein taught us that. What we need to do is start making computers and software in the image of the dog. Or perhaps we need to let dogs design software and computers.

What we don't need are any more doggedly determined efforts at quantifying abstract constructs such as "friendliness." After all. when was the last time your kids picked a dog out of the pound by first regressing the number of wags of its tail per minute against their own heartbeat?

In short, I think Mr. Raduchel should have answered "yes" when he rhetorically asked if user friendly were "another... useless I don't know how to define it. but I know it when I see it' phenomenon." It may be that some possessed Pavlovian personality will hound this phrase until it succumbs to a logically sterile definition. But Mr. Raduchel's dogmatic tailchasing left me dog tired and howling at the moon.

Woodrow F. Dick |r. Springfield. VA

Formal analytical models of abstract concepts have their very real limits, but they also have their very real value. The article was a first attempt at a difficult subject, and I have reservations myself about quantifying user friendliness. But a model does help us see clearly some of the factors at work, so I take exception with Mr. Dick's remarks. I agree with him that many programs are in their maker's image, and so we do need standards by which to evaluate them. This model is one step. I hope, on a path to those standards.

William J. Raduchel New York. NY

As a software designer and developer. I found William |. Raduchel's article most thoughtprovoking. The idea of developing a mathematical, experimentally testable model of "user friendliness" is certainly an important one, although it seems to me that the usefulness of this model is necessarily dependent upon the development of methods for assigning concrete values to P0 and pi.

However, as a user of Apple's Lisa, I must point out that Mr. Raduchel shares two misconceptions common to long-term computer users who are not well acquainted with the Lisa Office System.

The first is expressed in his statement that "Microcomputers. . .permit broader use of such esoteric |my italicsl tools as graphics." By no stretch of the imagination can graphics, per se. be considered esoteric. Graphics, even icons, are much more widely understood than are letters from some alphabet assembled into words in some language. In the context of current computer technology, graphics are esoteric only because there are so few systems that allow them to be used as easily as alphanumerics. It is certainly arguable that graphics should be

[continued]

What do you get when you cross 1200 baud, free on-line time, and extra features at a price Hayes can't match?

Data Rate?

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Features & Price?

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MultiModem

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24 BYTE • SEPTEMBER I984

Multi 48}

Systems ^Qf The right answer every time.

Circle 264 on inquiry card.

J

. All the hits your computer is missing

ie.

aTARISOFT " to six exciting, brand ,nes that are destined ,ardom. James that can be played on your Commodore 64, IBM PC and Apple II. (Some titles available on IBM PCjr, and VIC 20.*)

First, there's Gremlins', based on the characters from the original film presented by Steven Spielberg. Then there's Crystal Castles'" where Bentley Bear'" journeys through all sorts of tantalizingly difficult paths and ramps in his endless quest for gems.

In Donkey Kong Jr.2 by Nintendo; Junior tries to rescue his father against immense odds. And speaking of Donkey Kong, there's also Mario Brothers1 by Nintendo: This time, Mario and his brother Luigi battle creatures on four levels of floors, encountering all sorts of treacherous enemies.

In Track And Field' you can compete by yourself or

head-to-head with another player. But each player must beat qualifying times, heights and distances before they can compete in each of the gruelling six events.

Typo Attack is the muchacclaimed, fun-filled program that

allows you to enjoy developing your typing skills at any level.

And still playing to the delight of audiences everywhere are Pac-Mant Ms. Pac-Mani Jungle Hunt? Battlezone," Donkey Kong- by Nintendo2, Centipede " and Pole Position".

So, if you've been searching for ways to entertain your Commodore, Apple orLBM, treat it to one of the best shows in town, one of the hits from ATARISOFT

And don't forget the popcorn.

ATARISOFT products are manufactured by Atari, Inc. for use with various computers and video game consoles. ATARISOFT products arc not made, licensed or approved by (he manufacturer(s) of those computers and video game consoles.

♦Titles available on IBM PCjr, are Ms. Pac-Man, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Moon Patrol7 and Typo Attack. Available on the VIC 20 is Typo Attack.

1. © 1984 Warner Brothers, Inc.; 2. _ Trademarks and ©Nintendo, 1982, 1983; 3. Trademark of Konami Industry Co., Ltd., © 1983 of Konami; 4. Trademarks of Bally i Mfg. Co. Sublicensed to Atari, Inc. by [ Namco-America, Inc.;5. Trademark and © of Tailo America Corporation 1982; 6. Engineered and designed by Namco Ltd.. manufactured under license by Atari. Inc. Trademark and © Namco 1982; 7. Trademark and © Williams 1982, manufactured under license from Williams Electronics. Inc.

ATARISOF

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LETTERS

the standard "gateway" to a computer, and alphanumerics the exception.

Second, in his discussion of limitations on the user friendliness of integrated systems, Mr. Raduchel suggests that the attempt to make a system friendly inevitably leads to an increase in the number of steps required to operate it. that there is an unavoidable trade-off between the ease of learning a system and the ultimate ease of using it: "There are limits to spoonfeeding. . . .The effect of this is to raise both p and n by requiring many steps to do anything." Many software developers recognize the desirability of providing "shortcuts" for advanced users (for example, the optional "apple-key" forms of many Lisa menu commands). Furthermore, as users become more experienced on any system, they discover their own more efficient methods of accomplishing common tasks.

Perhaps the best demonstration of this would be a rewrite of the script given in the article for a Lisa user performing a typical task. With experience, the Lisa user could reduce this task from 30 steps to 16:

1. Double-click on a general-purpose LisaTerm document to open it. If you perform a task but don't need to keep the results permanently, it is easy to make a generalpurpose document for that task and overwrite the previous contents every time you use it.

2. "Assumed" format conversion.

3. "Range." (I assume this means "select data to be cut")

4. Cut.

5. Set aside (LisaTerm document).

6. Double-click on a general-purpose LisaCalc document to open it. This document already contains the formulas and formatting to be used in processing the data obtained. It also still contains yesterday's data, which will be overwritten.

7. "Range." (I assume this means "select insertion point.")

8. Paste.

9. Calculate. (Actually, by default this step is automatic.)

10. "Range." (Again, I assume this means "select data to be cut.")

11. Cut.

12. Set aside (LisaCalc document).

13. Double-click on a general-purpose LisaGraph document to open it. As before, this document still contains yesterday's data, which will be overwritten.

14. "Range." (Select insertion point.)

15. Paste.

16. Set aside.

There is no reason for the "erase" steps, since all of these documents will be used again tomorrow. In many cases, it is possible to reduce the three "Set aside" steps to one "Set aside everything." which would reduce the total n to 14.

The net effect of the above simplification is to increase pi from 0.860 to 0.923 and F from 0.817 to 0.877—a substantia] improvement in both parameters as a result of user experience.

On the contrary, I note that the number of

(continued)

26 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

With Macalendar,

You Would've Been on Time.

For detailed reminders or notes, take advantage of Macalendar's notepad. Simply enter memoranda for the appropriate day, and the information will be waiting for you when you call it up. Plan weeks - even years! - ahead. And never again miss another appointment, birthday, class, whatever.

Run out of room on your notepad? Just "turn the page" and fill unlimited pages with all your information. Macalendar lets you document phone

calls, assemble "to-do" lists, plan out a daily schedule, etc.

Now, finally, losing yourself in your work doesn't have to mean losing track of time . . . thanks to Macalendar.*

Macalendar, $89; Lisa Desktop Calendar, $295

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We know how easy it is to become so totally immersed in your work that you forget all about such things as 10 o'clock appointments, luncheon dates, or even (shudder) Board Meetings. That's why we designed Macalendar to help you plan, organize and implement your busy schedule.

Macalendar is a powerful time management tool for the Macintosh® which uniquely combines a calendar with an alarm and a notepad - all designed to keep you on schedule and up-to-date. Best of all, Macalendar runs concurrently with all other programs, so it's always there when you need it.

Once you've entered important times and dates into Macalendar, you can go on to work on other applications. Macalendar will automatically interrupt your program with a chime to remind you of your appointment. There's no separate disk to insert; Macalendar is an ever-present, integral part of your Macintosh.

•Expanded version of Macalendar, the Desktop Calendar,'" is available for the Lisa. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer. Inc. Lisa is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Circle 363 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 27

WANTED

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE THIS MESS!

If you've ever found yourself searching for a calculator, notepad or appointment book when you've got a computer right in front of you, then you know the absurd situation we're illustrating.

Sure, there are clumsy little programs you can boot up to accomplish one or the other of these tasks... but that's generally meant first stepping out of the software you're working with.

What's always been needed is one powerful piece of software, occupying only a few K, that would be tucked away in an unused part of RAM no matter what program you're running.

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While we're at it, it should also have a perpetual calendar linked to a datebook. And even an autodialer, with a built-in phonebook. Is this piece of software possible? At a price you can afford . . . now?

28 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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ipose you're working with a spreadsheet, and you suddenly have an important idea. Just hit the button, a window opens, you write die note and

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Circle 44 on inquiry card.

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NAME ■ ■

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Calitornia residents add 6% sales tax. Outside U.S.A. add $15.00. (If outside of U.S.A. payment must be by bank dratt payable in the U.S. and in U.S. dollars.)Sorry, no C.O.D. or Purchase Orders.

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dBase II is ;t trademark of AshtonTate, WordStar is a trademark of MicroPro. Lotus I-2-3 is a trademark of Lotus Development Corporation.

Circle 140 on inquiry card.

New Release 4.1

We've continually improved Microstat since it was introduced in 1978, and the latest release includes many new features you've wanted.

Interactive and Batch Processing Expanded Data Management

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Transforms Reading data files created by other

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Microstat's algorithms have been designed to prevent numeric overflow errors and yield unsurpassed accuracy. Microstat's price is $375.00 including the user's manual and is available for the Z80, 8086, 8088 CPU's and CP/M8C CP/M86, MS-DOS, and PC-DOS. To order, call or write.

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LETTERS

steps in the "Standard PC" case seems to be irreducible.

Al Evans Austin. TX

Mr. Evans has me, I suspect, on ways to simplify the Lisa process, but I think the fact that a more experienced user can improve on the process is in itself a comment on user friendliness. I agree with him that graphics should not be esoteric; my use of the word reflected only the reality today. Finally, I agree that long-run user-friendly systems, to coin a phrase, must provide a process to accommodate users' learning by doing.

William J. Raduchel New York. NY

William J. Raduchel's article on user friendliness presented a useful conceptual model for the design of easy-to-learn/easy-to-use software. He has correctly recognized that wide acceptance of computer solutions to routine professional problems partly depends on obtaining accurate solutions in less time and with less expense than available alternatives. He notes that the user must recognize that a problem can be solved before the system arranged for its solution can even be entered, but he seems to concentrate on the number of steps or actions that must be taken to reach the desired end product as the basis for comparison between design alternatives. Mr. Raduchel minimizes the "Tinkertoy" approach symbolized by Lisa technology.

I suggest that the obviousness of an available solution may be a more important component of user friendliness than the number of steps. Beginning a problem-solving sequence is often the most difficult step, and, provided that subsequent steps are not obscured by the userinterface design, beginning work on a problem will ultimately lead to an acceptable conclusion in most cases. I doubt the number of keystrokes needed to reach an acceptable solution is a noticeable factor in a user's perception of user friendliness within rather wide limits. Software designers and human-factors specialists may count keystrokes to the exclusion of other important variables; users simply do not. As I believe the author is aware, it is what the keystroke accomplishes and whether it is functional within the problem-solving sequence that is important.

Users are the best judge of ease of learning and ease of use. They will tell designers what to do if their choices are observed carefully. An important principle of psychology is that choice, or the allocation of time among concurrently available alternatives, is a function of the relative frequency of positive feedback or success to the individual. In a problem-solving situation, this should translate as a function of the perception of immediate and discernible progress toward the goal. This implies that software that requires frequent actions outside of the problem-solving sequence will be less preferred (such as passing through a menu that must first be called up, inserting control characters in a word-processing program, changing disks man

[continued)

Powerful in circuit emulation, priced well within your grasp. That's NICE.

NICE may be only .V square and W thick, but it hands you full speed, real-time emulation—over 50 emulation functions, software breakpoints, all memory addresses and all I/O ports.

lust plug NICE directly into the target MP socket and any RS232 terminal for system development, troubleshooting, debugging or testing ... at home, in the lab or in the field.

And NICE hands you all this performance, portability and versatility for only 8-198*. . . the best emulator price/performance ratio on the mUrket, hands down.

Call in your order today using your VISA or Mastercard number: (800) NICOLET outside CA, or (415) 490-8300 in CA. Or send your check or money order to NICE, Nicolet Paratronics Corporation, 201 Fourier Avenue, Fremont, CA 94539.

Nicolet

'Payment by check, money order, VISA or MasterCard, NICE is a trademark of Nicolet Paratronics Corporation R/H0 is a trademark of Zilog, Inc

30 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 27I on inquiry card.

Circle 342 on inquiry card.—►

In the Hard Disk Jungle Tallgrass Clears k

In today's hard disk jungle, Tallgrass clears a path by offering high performance, integrated mass storage solutions for the IBM® PC/XT, the T.I. Professional and related computers.

TALLGRASS INNOVATIVE FEATURES

MASS STORAGE SYSTEMS with formatted HardFile™ capacities of 6, 12, 20, 35 and 70 Mb, all with built-in tape backup.

CONVENIENT INTEGRAL TAPE BACKUP SYSTEM allows rapid tape "image" streaming, or incremental file-by-file backup and restore on ANSI standard inexpensive data cartridges, instead of the usual floppies, video cassettes, or low-capacity removable Winchester devices. NETWORK READY and fully compatible with networks such as PCnet®and EtherShare™ HIGH RELIABILITY with dual directory and read-after-write verify options. A dedicated landing zone, where the read/write heads reside when the disk is idle, provides data protection during powerdowns and transportation.

Follow the Tallgrass path to your local computer dealer and watch your personal computer transform into a powerful data processing system.

Available from COMPUTERLAND® Entre® Computer Centers, MicroAge® Computer Stores and other participating computer dealers.

New! IBM-XT Cartridge Tape Backup

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European Distributor: CPS Computer Group, LTD Birmingham, England B276BH/(021) 7073866

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Tallgrass Technologies

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IBM' is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. PCnet1 is a trademark of Orchid Technology EtherShare,M is a registered trademark of 3Com Corp.

LETTERS

ually, etc.) than a program that does not. Lisa/ Macintosh technology uses icons, a pointing device, and windows to reduce the number of actions that are irrelevant to an application, even though the number of actions may be greater than might be possible with some alternative design.

The greatest irrelevancy prospective computer-using problem solvers encounter is manual reading. Reading a book about a computer is relevant to magazine editors, students, even

computer journalists, but not to small business owners, administrators, or other professionals. They will choose to use a system that seems, when they look at it, like a way to solve a problem connected with their work. Further, they will later spend more time with such a system and thereby will discover more about using it in other applications. The use of icons and taskrelated screen-display design is a way to attract and keep such users. Software is not independent of hardware. The

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Lisa/Macintosh system is a good example of this. However, an earlier machine, the Epson QX-10 with its Valdocs software, is another good example that is frequently overlooked in terms of design principles. I've had the opportunity to observe that computer-naive and experienced users consistently choose this hardware/ software alternative in a professional environment to execute tasks that would be possible with other readily available—and concurrently unused—machines, but at a higher cost in terms of task-irrelevant actions. The QX-10 with its functionally labeled system keys on the HASCI keyboard, its simple and mostly nondistracting menu system and task-related terminology, just seems to be the right choice when users are more interested in their applications than their computers. Its ease of learning captures naive users and its relevant design keeps them coming back. I suspect Apple Computer Inc. had something like this process in mind with the Macintosh, a point that IBM and its emulators have missed.

James A. Mulick. Ph.D.

Columbus, OH

I concur with Dr. Mulick's general observations. Indeed. P0 was included in the model to incorporate many of the obviousness factors he describes, and his remarks reinforce the general superiority of a menu-form-script interface properly developed to solve problems. I do feel that at some point the number of keystrokes inevitably must matter. Experienced word-processing evaluators count them very carefully, and a long sequence is inherently less obvious than a short one.

William J. Raduchel New York. NY

Request for Help

I just bought the May BYTE and thought I would tell you that I found it the best of your efforts.

The editorial ("The BYTE Reader: Who You Are") was informative; however. 1 wonder where I would fit in as far as your statistics are concerned.

. 1 own a Franklin, an Apple, and a Teleram. I put in my office system for invoicing, inventory, sales commissions, and purchase orders.

I'm age 60: no college, no degrees, no electrical, no mechanical, no science: taught myself programming in Applesoft and Microsoft BASIC and dBASE II.

The only thing I don't understand is how to change a BIOS and write drivers in CP/M. I am inclined to believe that CP/M is one of the bestkept secrets in the industry.

Wayne C. Pride Hasbrouck Heights, Nl

With regard to how you fit into BYTE's reader profile, we must confess that statistics fail to capture the essence of all our readers.

For more BIOS and driver information, try Microcomputer Operating Systems 11982) and BYTE Guide to CP/M-86 119841 by Mark Dahmke (New York: BYTE Books), m

32 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 212 on inquiry card.

Get It Right The First Time!

CASIO FP-6000S MEANS BUSINESS

Improves Efficiency, Increases Productivity

Casio puts a powerful management tool at your fingertips with the FP-6000S. Business oriented architecture and secretarial support functions improve the quality of office work and increase productivity. In fact, the entire system has been designed with the needs of the modern office in mind.

State of the Art Precision and Performance

Decimal based arithmetic functions allow computational accuracy available only with the FP-6000S. High speed, high resolution graphics supply the tools for presentation of complex ideas. Extensive software provides wide versatility.

Superlative Cost Performance

The cost effectiveness of the FP-6000S is almost too good to be true! A wide range of peripherals keep pace with organizational growth making expensive system upgrading unnecessary. Discover a new dimension of office management systems with the FP-6000S personal computer.

CASIO

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32B BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

They've all been

advertised in

BYTE

Hardware, software, peripherals. . . can you think of any microcomputer product that you haven't seen advertised in BYTE?

This is where success in the market begins. In BYTE. Where advertisers reach more than 430,000 paid readers. . . high-tech computer sophisticates who are the market's most active buyers.

And who are asked for tens of thousands of brand-name recommendations every month.

If you're an advertiser, either of an established small systems product, or of the next revolution in the market, talk to us — we're the people who wrote the book on microcomputer marketing. Just call Your local BYTE salesperson listed in back of this issue.

BITE

THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

t$S EtfTE is published monthly by M*^-HilUncvwittofoes*t70 ItonStvftterbawgh^H.O^SS

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 32C

OLIVETTI INTRODUCES THE 3B UNIX SYSTEM V FOR THE SUPERMINICOMPUTERS OLIVETTI-AT&T 3B

THIS IS WHY FROM NOW ON OBSOLESCENCE IS OBSOLETE

The corporate agreement between Olivetti and AT&T means the development of the most advanced technology and, even more important, technology capable of creating, supporting and guaranteeing standards acceptable worldwide.

EMERGING STANDARD. The UNIX* System Vis the emerging standard in operating systems, enabling the transfer of software to different computers quickly, reliably, and with unequalled simplicity. It offers a safer ground for investment byminimizingtheproblems linked with hardware obsolescence and increasing software costs.

3 B SYSTEMS. Created and developed specifically for the UNIX System V, the 3B line is a totally compatible family of 32-bit superminicomputers. In fact,

they were designed by the Bell Laboratories to fully exploit the enhanced capabilities of the UNIX System.

CAPACITY & FLEXIBILITY. The following are just a few examples of what is available to both classes of the family's products, the 3B2 and 3B5 systems: C-language, BASIC, Pascal, Fortran, COBOL, dBase II**, Multiplan and Microsoft Word, and the protocols X25, SNA, Etherngf*** gtc.

GUARANTEE: UNIX and the 3B systems offer OEM and VAR truly exceptional capabilities in meeting users' needs. But even more, Olivetti and AT&T pledge themselves to continue the upward compatibility of the UNIX System V, thus protecting software investments.

•UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories "dBase II is a trademark of Ashton-Tate •••Ethernet is a trademark of the Xerox Corp.

olivelli

I JOIN THE PARTY- OPENINGS FOR OEM AND VAR ~!

I Olivetti invites you to find out more about Name I

I the 3B Systems through this invitation to I

I attend a discussion conference. OEM and I

I Value Added Resellers please fill out cou- Address- .

■ pon, and mail to, your nearest Olivetti repre

I Sentative. Company I

I I

32D BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1984 Circle 503 on inquiry card.

FRIENDLY & COMPATIBLE

BEYOND COMPATIBILITY

The new Olivetti personal computers are hardware and software compatible with the universally acknowledged industry standards.

These transportable and desk-top personal computers are unrivalled in their flexibility and expandibility. Features which are optional on other personal computers are already standard with Olivetti. For example, high resolution graphics, with 16 "shades-of-grey" or colours and up to 640x400 pixel resolution. Both serial and parallel interfaces are included in the basic unit. You can choose from a wide variety of magnetic media: from 360 KB or 720 KB slim floppy disks or an integrated (slim) or external 10 MB hard disk. The basic unit can

provide up to 7 expansion slots: even though the Olivetti personal computers use a true 16-bit micro processor (INTEL 8086) all these slots can also accept industry standard boards.

Olivetti guarantees operational compatibility with industry / standard personal computers, which means access to the / widest range of software available on the market today. , /

But it doesn't end there. The Olivetti personal ^/' ... computers also support the state-of-the-art jr / concurrent CP/M-86® operating system as jP, <f / well as the UCSD P-System.® J /

Olivetti personal computers made y / f / in Europe. The alternative. f / ./

// jf / / /

Concurrent CP/M - 86 is a trademark of Digital Research Inc.

UCSD-P-System is a trademark of the Regents of the University of California.

Circle 504 on inquiry card.

oliuetti

/

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 32E

/

LINE 1 BY OLIVETTI. THE ALTERNATIVE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

Imagine having every question in every area of your company answered.

Simultaneously. And immediately. That's what Line 1 does, Olivetti's line of multifunctional systems.

Solves problems in the area of management. Administration - Research Planning - Design - Production planning and control.

Problems dealing also with the ever-growing needs in the area of office

automation. With Line 1, you can have

any number of work stations - as powerful and as specialized as required in communication with each other. It is a series of processing units capable of forming an interconnecting network to attain any level of processing power. The result: your company is no longer a confusing labyrinth. All the tedious hold-ups, waiting, the redundancies and mistakes become a thing of the past.

From Olivetti, the alternative in information technology.

32F BYTE" SEPTEMBER 1984

Olivetti

Circle 505 on inquiry card.

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Circle 501 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 32G

The Best for Your Money, whatever Your Money.

In the fast growing peripherals market, MULTITECH offers your more because we offer your customers more allowing you to stay ahead with better turnover, higher margins, and guaranteed product and market support.

The best of both worlds

In a world of IBM PC and Apple n machines, MULTITECH provides you with a complete line of the hottest selling products around-floppy disk drives, keyboards, monitors, printers or expansion cards. We've got them all- with the product performance you need.

"I want quality for my customers"

You need quality, and we hear you. So quality goes in from the start. That's part of a quality assurance program that produced over U.S.$39 million in sales last year. With our total product support approach, you get a better return on your investment.

International performance standards

As the largest computer company in Taiwan, we are manufacturing products for several of the world's leading computer companies. With more products now, and more on the drawing board, we can be your long term peripherals partner.

The best reason to talk to MULTITECH today is MULTITECH tomorrow. For more information, please contact William Lu, Manager of International Sales, today. Don't let your market down.

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32H BYTE • SEPTEMBER I984

FIXES AND UPDATES

April Goofs: The Joke's on Us

Well, we were April foolish.

In lames Isaak's April BYTE article. "Designing Systems for Real-Time Applications." we used the wrong captions for figures 1 and 2. (See pages 129 and 130.) The correct captions are boxed here.

The captions that did appear in the April

Figure 1: A breakout of the UNOS system structure showing the relationship oj the real-time kernel to the UNIX-compatible environment.

Figure 2: A breakout oj the bus structure for the Universe system that shows the uses of multiple buses and processors to increase throughput.

BYTE are correct for figures A and B below, which we present to you now. These figures refer to the flow of interrupts and the servicing of those interrupts.

We apologize to Mr. Isaak and to you for this blunder. Ah. "April is the crudest month."

{continued)

PRIORITY 255

HIGHEST PRIORITY REAL-TIME TASK

REAL-TIME TASK

WITH MULTIPLE TIMESHARING / PROCESSES AT THE USER 1 | SAME PRIORITY

LEVEL.TIMESHARING IS USED TO TIMESHARING ( ALLOCATE PROCESSOR USER 2 RESOURCES

TO

CAN USE

CONSTANTLY C REAL-TIME TASKS

I SET PRIORITY UPPER \ BOUND = PRIORITY LLOWER BOUND

BACKGROUND/BATCH

TIMESHARING USERS RANGE FROM 100 TO 10 INTERACTIVE USERS RETAIN HIGH PRIORITY, DROPPING AUTOMATICALLY IF COMPUTE BOUND . (SEE TIMESHARING USER 2)

'BATCH/BACKGROUND TASKS RANGE FROM 80 TO 0 COMPUTE BOUND TASK DROPS TO LOWER PRIORITY AND GETS LARGER TIME SLICE

Figure A: An example of task scheduling by the UNOS operating system.

EXTERNAL EVENT

PRIORITY CONTROL

TASK

RESPONSE

/

V

HARDWARE INTERRUPT

OPERATING

SYSTEM

INTERRUPT

DEVICE DRIVER

/

A

/

A

CONTEXT SWITCH

USER TASK

INTERRUPT LATENCY

RESPONSE TIME

Figure B: The components of delay in a computer as it attempts to respond to a real-time event.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 33

Circle 258 on inQuirv card

MidWest Micro-Peripherals

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Memory Lapse

Alice C. Lankester, manager of sales promotion for Living Videotext. sent us a letter pointing out a mistake in the "At a Glance" box accompanying William R. Hershey's software review. "ThinkTank." (See the May BYTE, page 189.)

The IBM Personal Computer version of ThinkTank requires a minimum of 2 56K bytes of memory, not 64K bytes as stated in the article. Also, ThinkTank for the Apple II. II+ . and lie computers will run with 64K bytes of RAM, but the Apple 111 version needs 128K bytes.

ThinkTank for all models of the Apple computer is $150; for the IBM PC. it's $195. The "At a Glance" box also mentioned that ThinkTank would soon run on the 128K-byte Macintosh. That version is now available. It's called ThinkTank 128. and its suggested retail price is $145. ThinkTank for the Apple lie is in development.

Finally, Living Videotext Inc. has relocated its

Timing Error in Ik Modem Acknowledged

The Apple lie computer has a problem with many modems, an Apple spokesperson has confirmed. Although insisting that both the 300and 1200-bps Apple modems run on the lie without problems, she admitted that a timing error in the computer causes trouble for some other modems.

The problem is the 6551 ACIA chip, which provides the clock for the serial (modem) port, she said. This chip runs 2.9 percent slow, the spokesperson said: the specified limits for modem-port clock speed are ±2.0 percent. A highly knowledgeable person at a major modem manufacturer—not Apple—said it is extremely unlikely that any 1200-bps modem would be able to cope with the lie's speed variation and that some 300-bps modems could have problems.

The Apple spokesperson said that a quick fix for the problem is to set terminal programs to 7-bit word length. I stop bit, and no parity (this enables use of ASCII file transfers but not binary file transfers). She said that the company is working on a hardware fix, but would give no date for its release.

The spokesperson noted that a board change would require Federal Communications Commission approval before it could be released.

offices. The new address is 2432 Charleston Rd., Mountain View, CA 94043. The telephone number is (4151 964-6300.

BASIC Line Changes Correct Steps

While working with the BASIC program that Pat Macaluso presented in "A Risky Business—An Introduction to Monte Carlo Venture Analysis." Eric Hilbert found a couple of bugs. (See the March BYTE, page 181.) Please make the following corrections:

43020 PF=NS/I0 43030 FOR 1=0 TO 10 : CD(U)=OU(INT(I*PF+0.5|)

Without these changes, subroutine 43000 will not correctly sample the distribution in steps of 10 percent.

She said Apple has not decided who—the company or the owner—will bear the cost of a hardware fix.

Resistor Missing from Whimsi-Bell

In July's Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar. "A Musical Telephone Bell." a resistor was inadvertently omitted from the schematic diagram (see figure 5. page 131). To prevent your Whimsi-Bell from consuming more power than it needs, install a 33-ohm resistor between the collector of Ql and the +5-volt supply.

Patch Justifies Model 100 Type

Lawrence A. Tomei, a BYTE reader in Montgomery, Alabama, toyed with the program that accompanied Mahlon Kelly's "The Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100" and found a way to obtain right-justified type. (See listing I on page 144 of the September 1983 BYTE.)

If you amend that program with the line changes in listing 1 here, you will have the capability to form smartly aligned output from the Model 100.

Our hats are off to Mr. Tomei.■

Listing 1: \nclude these lines in the Model 100 BASIC program that appeared in "The Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100" {September 1983 BYTE) and you'll get right-justified text output.

82 GOSUB IOO:INPUT"Right Justify (Y/N| ":RJ$

292 IF LEFT$(RJ$,1) = "N" OR LEFT$(RJ$,l) = "n" THEN 315

295 IF LEN(PR$) = R-L+ I THEN 314

296 IF LEN (PR$)<R-L-8 AND RIGHT$(PR$.I) = " . " THEN 314

297 IF LEN(PR$|<(R-L|*3/4 THEN 314

34 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Three ways to Speed up your Apple II

& Apple He for $291

The SpeeDemon from McT.

SpeeDemon

SpeeDemon SpeeDemon

Makes any Apple II, II+, or He run 3'/2 times faster.

Makes your Applesoft, Apple Fortran, Word Processing, D.B. Master, Pascal, or Visicalc programs run up to 3)4 times faster.

Costs less than any other speed up card. Costs only $295.

I have enclosed $ .

Please send me SpeeDemons by return mail at $295 each.

I have an: □ Apple II Q Apple II plus D Apple He This is for: □ Business Use

Or charge my: □ Visa □ Mastercard □ American Express □ Personal Use

MyAcct.ttis Expires

Name

Address

City

. State .

Zip

Signature Calif. Res. Add 6%% Sales Tax.

Mail to: McT* 1745 21st Street • Santa Monica • CA • 90404 ■ Telephone (213) 829-3643

♦>M'cT

MICRO COM1

A PRODUCT OF PER TEC HIMOLOCII S

Circle 231 on inquiry card. Dealer Inquiries Invited

Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computers, Inc. VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VisiCorp, Inc. DB Master is a registered trademark of Stoneware, Inc.

-■> ■

I I • .. I ',7* J

ffayes Leading the way with quality telecomputing systems for the personal computers that businesses

use most

When it comes to communicatingcomputer to computer—Hayes says it best. All you need is a Hayes Smartmodem (it's like a telephone for your computer) and Smartcom If software, to get you into all the right places.

In no time at all, and with no assistance at all, you can create, send and store files, and automatically log on to information services. The communication possibilities are endless!

Introducing our new Smartcom II. More connection capabilities. More convenience.

Now Hayes goes even further to streamline your communications and optimize your connections.

Smartcom II software is currently available for more than 16 personal computers (with even more to come). That means you can communicate,

Smartcom to Smartcom, with an IBM PC, DEC Rainbow 100, HP 150, TI Professional Computer* and others.

And that's not all! Smartcom II also emulates the DEC VT100 and VT52 terminals, now in widespread use in many businesses. This feature lets your personal computer "pretend" it's a DEC terminal, opening the door to a vast installed base of DEC minicomputers!

We stand on protocol.

In addition to the popular Hayes Verification protocol, the new Smartcom II also includes the XMODEM protocol, ensuring accurate transmission to a wide range of personal computers and mainframes at information services. By matching the protocol (or "language") of a remote computer to yours, Smartcom II can transmit information error-free, regardless of interference on the phone lines.

Voice to data—in the same call!

With Smartcom II, you can easily switch from voice to data transmission (and back again), all in the same phone call. This saves you time and money, since you don't have to hang up and dial again.

Your Hayes telecomputing system worKs—totally unattended.

Smartcom II makes telecomputing simple, even when you're not there. It allows your Smartmodem to receive a message for you when you're out, and leave it on your disk or printer. And you can tell Smartcom II to "save" the messages you've created during the day, and automatically send them at night, when phone rates are lowest.

Get your hands on the leadet

With an unsurpassed record of reliability, it's a small wonder Smartmodem

is such a smart buy! Smartmodem 300™ (the first of the Smartmodem series) dials, answers and disconnects calls automatically. Smartmodem 1200™ and Smartmodem 1200B™ (it plugs into an expansion slot inside an IBM PC or compatible), provide high-speed, highperformance communications for businesses of all sizes.

And when Smartmodem is purchased with Smartcom II, you have the most dependable telecomputing system available for your personal computer.

Everything we do at Hayes is designed to make communications easier for you. Feature-rich, direct-connect modems. Menu-driven software. Concise documentation. And a customer service organization, second to none!

See your dealer right now for a handson demonstration of Smartmodem and our latest version of Smartcom II. From the telecomputing leader. Hayes.

Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.

5923 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Norcross, Georgia 30092 404/441-1617.

Circle 170 on inquiry card.

Smartcom II is a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. Smartmodem 300. Smartmodem 1200 and Smartmodem 1200B are trademarks of Hayes Microcomputer Products. Inc. 'Trademarks of International Business Madiines Corp.. Digital Equipment Corporation. Hewlett-Packard and Texas Instruments. ©1984 Hayes Microcomputer Products. Inc

Brighten up your dumb terminaladd a UDS 212 A/D

A little outside intelligence can turn your dumb terminal into a data communications genius. And the intelligence you need is built into UDS' new 212 AID, a smart 300/1200 bps modem with an integral automatic calling unit.

With the 212 AID you can dial from keyboard or, with a single keystroke, from memory. Five 30-digit numbers in memory are battery backed for 3-5 year retention after shutdown. Built-in test functions allow fast, reliable verification of system operation.

Before you invest in more microcomputers, check the advantages of add-on intelligence. Contact

Universal Data Systems, 5000 Bradford Drive, |D@ UniVGrsal Data SyStGITlS Huntsville, AL 35805. Telephone 205/837-8100;

TWX 810-726-2100. ® MOTOFtOLA

Information Systems Group

UDS modems are offered nationally by leading distributors. Call the nearest UDS office for distributor listings in your area. DISTRICT OFFICES: Atlanta, GA, 404/998-2715 • Bellevue, WA 206/455-4429 • Blue Bell, PA 215/643-2336 • Boston, MA, 617/875-8868 • Columbus, OH, 614/895-3025 • Englewood, CO, 303/694-6043 • Glenvlew, IL, 312/998-8180 • Houston, TX, 713/988-5506 • Huntsville, AL, 205/837-8100 • Mountain View, CA, 415/969-3323 • Old Bridge, NJ, 201/251-9090 • Richardson, TX, 214/68O0002 • Silver Spring, MD, 301/587-0166 • Tampa, FL, 813/684-0615 • Tustln, CA, 714/669-8001

Created by Dayner/HaU. Inc.. Winter Park, Florida

Circle 355 on inquiry card.

W H AT'S N E W

Half-Height Drives Feature Self-test

Omek Corporation's 0M5X family of half-height, double-sided 5!4-inch floppydisk drives are designed for applications where removable data storage is a priority A unique feature of these drives is their built-in self-test and exercise functions.

The self-test/burn-in mode allows the drive's microprocessor to cycle through and monitor the spindle speed and the circuitry associated with the spindle, the write-protect mechanism, and the index. The alignment mode lets you adjust the spindle speed without an oscilloscope, frequency counter, or other monitoring equipment.

A two-color front-bezel LED is used to indicate conditions during the self-test, burn-in, or alignment modes. The LED will

indicate the following failures: speed out of tolerance, stepping breakdown, and write-protect out of sync. In alignment mode.

the LED shows fast, slow, or correct spindle speed.

The OM5X's microprocessor controls motor start, write cur

rent switching, stepping for reduced head-positioning hysteresis, and the self-test/ exercise modes.

The OM5X family gives you unformatted storage capacities of 500K bytes and 1 megabyte, with track densities of 48 and 96 tpi. respectively. The dimensions are 1.625 by 5.75 by 8 inches; each drive weighs slightly less than 3 pounds.

Final pricing for the drives was not established at press time. A company spokesperson, however, estimated that the 500K-byte OM55 drive would cost approximately S200 and the 1-megabyte OM56 would be around S220. Contact Omek Corp., 44844 Grimmer Blvd., Fremont. CA 94538, (415) 490-7173.

Circle 600 on inquiry card.

C Compiler/Debugger Works with MS-DOS

The MWC86 C compiler from the Chicago-based Mark Williams Company runs under MS-DOS 2.0 and comes with the csd C Source Debugger. The compiler and debugger retail for $500 and are shipped together as a single product.

Although the csd Source Debugger gives you a full debugging environment at the C source level, a thorough understanding of your assembler or hardware architecture is not required. A windowed screen lets you view the program source, program output, the value of variables, and breakpoint history. You can set breakpoints on lines of source code or program variables. The breakpoints let you stop program execution at specific lines or when the value of a variable has changed.

As the program executes, you can watch the values of variables dynamically change, and you can decrease or increase a variable's value. The target pro

gram can be executed one line at a time, or to the next breakpoint, the end of the current function, or the end of the program.

The csd Debugger also lets you watch your program execution in real time, scroll through your source code as it executes, and display values as variables

change. On-line Help screens explain all debugging functions. You can customize the csd Debugger for your specific applications.

The MWC86 C compiler supports the full C language and full MS-DOS 2.0 path names. It also supports operating system calls and high- and low-level UNIX and MS-DOS system calls. Redundant and unused code is eliminated. Single command-line statements invoke all phases of the compiler, disk operating system, or other Mark Williams linkers.

System requirements are an IBM Personal Computer with a double-sided. 360K-byte floppydisk drive and MS-DOS 2.0. Minimum memory requirements are 256K bytes or 128K bytes for the compiler alone. For further information, call or write the Mark Williams Company, 1430 West Wrightwood Ave., Chicago, IL 60614. (312) 472-6659.

Circle 601 on inquiry card.

[continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 39

WHAT'S NEW

AT&T PC Available in Two Versions

The AT&T Personal Computer is available in two models: with dual half-height 360K-byte floppy-disk drives and 128K bytes of RAM or with a single floppy-disk drive, a 10-megabyte hard-disk drive, and 256K bytes of RAM. Both versions can operate in a network with AT&T's UNIX-based 3B computers.

The AT&T Personal Computers are 16-bit machines built around the 8-MHz 8086 microprocessor. They run under Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system, which provides compatibility for a host of business packages designed for the IBM PC A clock/calendar, backed by a battery, comes standard.

The tilt-and-swivel display produces a PC-DOS-compatible character with a resolution of 640 by 400 pixels. Display resolutions of 320 by 200 are available from both monochrome and color graphics. Proprietary graphics resolutions of

640 by 400 pixels are standard for high-resolution color or monochrome graphics. The screen display format is 80 columns by 2 5 rows, with an 8by 16-dot character matrix. Character attributes include reverse, underline, blinking, and high intensity.

Seven expansion slots let you add features to your AT&T Personal Computer. (Six expansion slots are available on the harddisk machine.) Single RS-232C. Centronics-type parallel, and video display I/O ports are provided. You can expand the RAM to 640K bytes.

Options include a range of 8-bit communications boards, a variety of software, and printers. With DOS. the dual floppy-disk drive AT&T Personal Computer is $2810. The hard-disk model is S4985. For more information, contact AT&T Information Systems, 100 Southgate Parkway, Morristown, NI 07960. Circle 602 on inquiry card.

File Manager Manipulates Charts, Words

The CX MacBase from the French firm Controle X is a database manager that lets you manipulate files, text, charts, and graphs. It can process fixed or variable entries along with calculations, charts, tables, graphs, and pictures. Several files can be operated simultaneously. Files can be linked and data exchanged between them.

Using the Mac's mouse, you can draw a model of a document you want on screen, box in titles, position entries, insert a MacPaint diagram or logo, set up tables, and link entries in a matter of moments. The model can be altered at any time. After you create the model, CX MacBase lets you use it over and over again.

You can define calculations, date entries, and set default values. CX MacBase automatically updates files and traces graphs and curve or pie charts. Mathematical calculations include trigonometric, logarithmic, standard deviations, and logical functions. Hard copy of graphs, reports,

labels, and other user-defined forms can be produced. Record information can be sorted on several keys and located by using combinations of criteria.

CX MacBase processes data on a variable-length basis, limited only by the central pro

CONEXUS is an integrated electronic-mail, computerteleconferencing, and bulletinboard system for the IBM PC XT and compatible hard-disk systems.

Written in MIST+. a communications applications language. CONEXUS offers secure private mail, group conferencing, and keyword-accessible bulletin boards for up to 1000 users, each with her or his own ID. password, and access level. Electronic mail is delivered automatically on sign-on, and it can be answered, forwarded, or copied to a conference.

You can trace the status of messages and modify mailed

cessor and disk-storage capacities. A file can take up an entire disk; the maximum number of data records depends on their average length, which is usually 1500 to 2000 address records per 400K-byte disk. CX MacBase will work with

messages before they are received. Other functions include blind and carbon copies, selective delivery, and listing/ retrieval of old messages.

CONEXUS's computerized teleconferencing lets several people with a manager-access facility carry on public or private conferences. Members are notified of waiting comments whenever they check in, and status is displayed for all to see. CONEXUS does not limit the number of conferences that can be created.

Users with manager access can institute bulletin boards, which include the ability to search for items by keyword.

MacPaint, MacWrite, and most Macintosh software. It costs $295. Contact Controle X. Tour Maine Montparnasse 33, Avenue du Maine, 75755 Paris. Cedex 15 France; tel: 538 98 87.

Circle 603 on inquiry card.

CONEXUS automatically adjusts to terminal types, giving users complete control over screen width, display pause, full- or half-duplex, and menu status. System operators can modify the CONEXUS code.

CONEXUS requires 2 56K bytes of RAM and PC- or MS-DOS 2.0. If it is to be accessed via telecommunications, the Hayes Smartmodem 1200, 1200B, or 300 modem is required. It costs $624. Contact New Era Technologies Inc.. Suite 924. 2025 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20006. (800) 368-5787; in the District of Columbia. (202) 887-5440. Circle 604 on inquiry card.

{continued)

Electronic Mail, Computerized Teleconference System for PC XT

40 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

This is THE PASCAL COMPILER You've Been Hearing About

"It's almost certainly better than IBM's Pascal for the PC...

Recom mended."

Jerry Pournell

Byte, May 198

$49.95

4

VERSION 2

If you don't have CP/M [fo your Apple], Turbo Pascal i reason enough to buy it

Cary Hara Softalk Apple, May 1984

If you have the slightest interest in Pascal... buy it."

Bruce Webster, Softalk IBM, March, 1984

And Now It*s Even Better Than You've Heard!

• Windowing (IBM PC, XT, jr. or true compatibles)

• Color, Sound and Graphics Support (IBM PC, XT, jr. or true compatibles)

• Optional 8087 Support (available at an additional charge)

• Automatic Overlays

• A Full-Screen Editor that's even better than ever

• Full Heap Management—via dispose procedure

• Full Support of Operating System Facilities

• No license fees. You can sell the programs you write with Turbo Pascal without extra cost.

Yes. We still include Microcalc . . . the sample spreadsheet written with Turbo Pascal. You can study the source code to learn how a spreadsheet is written . . . it's right on the disk.* And, if you're running Turbo Pascal with the 8087 option, you'll never have seen a spreadsheet calculate this fast before!

*Except Commodore 64 CP/M.

Order Your Copy of TURBO PASCAL6 VERSION 2.0 Today

For VISA and MasterCard orders call toll free: 1-800-255-8008

In California: 1-800-742-1133

(lines open 24 hrs, 7 days a week) Dealer &. Distributor Inquiries Welcome 408-438-8400

Choose One (please add $5.00 for shipping and handling for U.S. orders. Shipped UPS)

Turbo Pascal 2.0 $49.95 + $5.00

Turbo Pascal with 8087 support

$89.95 + $5.00 Update (1.0 to 2.0) Must be accompanied by the original master $29.95 + $5.00

Update (1.0 to 8087) Must be

accompanied by the original master $69.95 + $5.00

Check

VISA

Card #:

Exp. date:

Money Order Master Card .

>)) BORlPflD

D) INTERNATIONAL

Borland International 4113 Scotts Valley Drive Scotts Valley. California 95066 TELEX: 172373

My system is: 8 bit 16 bit

Operating System: CP/M 80

CP/M 86 MS DOS PC DOS _

Computer:

Disk Format:

Please be sure model number & format are correct. Name:

Address:

City/State/Zip: Telephone:

Cal ifornia residents add 6% sales tax. Outside U.S.A. add $15.00 (If outside of U.S.A. payment must be by bank draft payable in the U.S. and in U.S. dollars.) Sorry, no C.O.D. or Purchase Orders. El 5

WHAT'S NEW

Color Image Maker

When Lasergraphics' RASCOL Raster Color Image Maker is linked to your computer and a color graphics software package, your raster ink-jet printer can create vibrant color graphics. A dedicated, microprocessor

based device, RASCOL works by receiving high-level graphics commands from your computer and converting them to colordot information required by your printer. It assumes imagepreparation tasks and printer control, freeing the computer

for other work. When not in use, it can serve as a 200,000character print buffer.

RASCOL drives your printer at full speed with maximum resolution. Printing time is said to be rapid, although dependent on image complexity. The

maximum image complexity is typically 60,000 polygon or vector vertices, expandable to 120,000 vertices. Miscellaneous features include the ability to color each object in one of I million halftones, scaling and windowing, and arbitrary selfintersecting polygons, pie slices, lines, and text in many fonts.

The RASCOL Raster Color Image Maker makes use of the Lasergraphics Language, which is a graphics communications language that converts graphical objects into color dots for printing. This language is independent of printer resolution and uses 95 ASCII printing commands.

Hardware inputs are serial asynchronous RS-232C ASCII with selectable data rates ranging from 300 to 19,200 bps. The flow control is either hardware DTR or software XON/XOFF. Full- or half-duplex operation is supported.

RASCOL works with Diablo C-150. Xerox 1770, and other color ink-jet prints. It's compatible with Lotus 1-2-3 and other popular software. It works with most personal computers, including the IBM PC. The suggested price is SI995. Contact Lasergraphics Inc.. 17671 Cowan Ave, Irvine, CA 92714, (714) 660-9497.

Circle 605 on inquiry card.

Advanced 3270s Have Graphics Functions

IBM's Information Systems Group recently announced two advanced versions of the IBM 3270 Personal Computer for graphics work: the IBM 3270-PGG and the PC/GX. Both workstations can display charts, diagrams, or drawings in multiple windows and print images on a complementary ink-jet printer using a new control program as well as enhanced programs.

In a simultaneous announcement, IBM introduced a Graphical Data Display Manager (GDDM) and workstation graphics-control software, an optical mouse, a graphics tablet, and an ink-jet printer. The PC/G's and the PC/GX's

graphics processing units receive picture data from a host computer in a so-called "shorthand" vector form. At the workstation, the shorthand data is converted into a full graphics image. Company spokespeople say this reduces by 70 percent the stream of data required to transmit a picture from a host to the workstation.

The GDDM program provides the intelligence to perform this task. It also produces threedimensional pie charts and bar charts and supports logical input devices. GDDM permits pictures to be interchanged between a GDDM picture library and workstation files. Picture segments can be translated,

rotated, and scaled.

The PC/G has an 8-color. 14-inch color display with 720 by 512 user-addressable points. The PC/GX's color or monochrome displays measure 19 inches. Each of its 960 by 1000 user-addressable points can be displayed in up to 16 colors or four shades of gray.

Both workstations can function as stand-alone computers and are built around the IBM 5371 Model 12 system unit, which features 348K bytes of RAM, a 360K-byte floppy-disk drive, and adapters for a parallel printer, mouse/tablet, and for connection to a 3270 system.

The 3852 color printer produces seven-color outputs on

special paper and transparencies. An all-points-addressable printer, the 3852 offers 3100 dots-per-second graphics printing and 37 characters-per-second text output. It has two 2 56-character sets and a pair of presentation modes.

The IBM 5277 Mouse costs $340. The 5083 Tablet Model 2 with a cursor is S900: the price with a stylus is S750. The ink-jet printer is $900. Term leases and installment plans are available through the IBM Credit Corp.

For complete information, contact IBM Corp.. Information Systems Group, 900 King St., Rye Brook, NY 10573. Circle 606 on inquiry card.

(continued)

42 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

NEW PRODUCT NEWS FROM TELETEK

Systemaster II. Responding to market demand for speed and increased versatility, Teletek is proud to announce the availability of the next generation in 8-bit technology — the new Systemaster II! The Systemaster II will offer two CPU options, either a Z80B running at 6 MHz or a Z80H running at 8 MHz, 128K of parity checked RAM, two RS232 serial ports with on-board drivers (no paddle boards required), two parallel ports, or optional SCSI or IEEE-488 port. The WD floppy disk controller will simultaneously handle 8" and 5W drives. A Zilog Z-80 DMA controller will provide instant communications over the bus between master and slave. Add to the DMA capability a true dedicated interrupt controller for both onboard and bus functions, and the result is unprecedented performance.

Systemaster II will run under CP/M 3.0 or TurboDOS 1.3, and fully utilize the bank switching features of these operating systems

SBC 86/87. As the name indicates, Teletek's new 16-bit slave board has an Intel 8086 CPU with an 8087 math co-processor option. This new board will provide either 128K or 512K of parity checked RAM. Two serial ports are provided with individually programmable baud rates. One Centronics-compatible parallel port is provided. When teamed up with Systemaster II under TurboDOS 1.3, this 5MHz or 8MHz multiuser, multi-processing, combination cannot be beat in speed or feature flexibility!

NEW!SBC 8687 SYSTEMASTER.

4NDZ-150MB

Teletek Z-150 MB. Teletek is the first to offer a RAM expansion board designed specifically for the Z-150/Z-160 from Zenith. The Teletek Z-150 MB is expandable from 64K to 384K. Bring your Z-150 up to its full potential by adding 320K of parity checked RAM (or your IBM PC, Columbia, Compaq, Corona, Eagle, or Seequa to their full potential). The Teletek Z-150 MB optionally provides a game port for use when your portable goes home or a clock/ calendar with battery backup!

Evaluate the Systemaster II, SBC 86/87 or Teletek Z-150 MB for 30 days under Teletek's Evaluation Program. A

money-back guarantee is provided if not completely satisfied! All Teletek products carry a 3-year warranty.

(Specifications subject to

change without notice.)

4600 Pell Drive Sacramento, CA 95838 (916) 920-4600 Telex #4991834 Answer back — Teletek

WHAT'S NEW

Color PC Comes with Applications Software

TeleVideo's color version of its IBM PC-compatible computer, the TeleColor PC. Model TS 1605C, comes with word-processing, spreadsheet, and database-management applications software and Microsofts GW-BASIC. It's built around Intel's 5-MHz 8088 microprocessor and runs under TeleVideo's TeleDOS operating system, which is compatible with MS-DOS 2.11.

The TS I605Cs 12-inch, highresolution screen tilts. Text characters can be displayed in a single- or double-dot pattern. Monochrome resolution is 640 by 200 pixels; color resolution is 320 by 200 pixels. Sixteen colors are supported, and the display is compatible with many

color-graphics applications designed for the IBM PC.

Interface ports supplied are RS-232C serial, parallel printer, and composite video. Mass storage is provided by one or two slim-line 360K-byte floppy-disk drives. System memory includes 256K bytes of RAM, 16K bytes of static video-display RAM. and 8K bytes of EPROM.

The TS I605C TeleColor PC with a single floppy-disk drive costs $2895: with two floppy drives, it is S3295. A version with a 10-megabyte internal mount hard-disk drive and one floppy drive is $4795. Contact TeleVideo Systems Inc., 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. (408) 745-7760. Circle 607 on inquiry card.

Word Processor Runs CP/M, Has Two of Everything

The Bondwell 22. a dedi- A pair of RS-232C serial ports In addition to CP/M 3.0, the and a hard-disk drive,

cated word-processing sys- and a single parallel port are Bondwell 22 comes with a For full details, contact

tern, serves as your personal standard. The 56-key keyboard word-processing program and Bondwell Industrial Co. Inc..

computer since it runs under is augmented by 31 program- spreadsheet, database, and Units 10/11. 3300 Seldon Court,

CP/M 3.0. Based on twin Z80A mable function keys and a built- report-writing application pro- Fremont. CA 94 539, (415) microprocessors, the Bondwell in trackball for cursor control. A grams. Options include a 490-4300. 22 comes with dual CRT dis- real-time clock is also provided. modem and speaker-phone card circle 608 on inquiry card, plays, two 640K-byte doublesided, double-density disk drives, a 17-cps daisy-wheel printer, and 128K bytes of RAM, 4K bytes of diagnostic ROM, and dedicated memory for the slave processor and video displays.

Shipments are to begin in the first quarter of 1985. At press time, the estimated price is under $3500.

The Bondwell 22's Z80A processors control separate tasks: central and I/O slave processing. This lets you enter and print out data simultaneously.

The displays are amber, non- V / ■'■'•'•',' '• j

glare CRTs. The larger screen is for text display, while the smaller screen is for the menu. The 12-inch screen includes the Color Slide Production System

following video attributes: 81 by

24 format, underscore, boldface, raphStation lets you pro- 2 megabytes of disk storage, mounter kit and a color plotter

and soft scrolling. It offers 62 ^Jf duce color slides of high- supporting software, and a are also available. Maintenance,

superscript and subscript char- resolution bar, pie, line, and graphic recording camera. It enhancement, and support con

acters as well as 96 ASCII, 64 other charts in a variety of lists for $6860. A version tracts are available. For further

graphics, and 228 italic and fonts. This slide presentation/ without the camera is $6155. information, contact Signature

special characters. The 7-inch production system, based on an Optional equipment includes Information Systems Corp.. Suite auxiliary display has a 40 by 24 NEC Advanced Personal Com- a communications package that 300, 8175 Hetz Dr., Cincinnati, format, hard scrolling, and 96 puter. comes with an integral lets the GraphStation accept OH 45242, (513) 751-1162.

inverse and 64 special charac- optical mouse, built-in color data from other computer Circle 609 on inquiry card,

ters. monitor, 256K bytes of memory, sources. A slide processor/ {continued on page 468)

44 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

The automatic transmission with a $250 differential.

What a way to travel! The Password"'' modem is geared to transmit up to 120 characters a second from anywhere to anywhere else in the country at the push of a button. Adjusts automatically to any speed — moving at a high of 1200 baud, or down-shifting all the way to 300 baud. Totally compatible, it lets any microcomputer phone-communicate with any other microcomputer. Easily portable, it parks almost anywhere thanks to the convenience of Velcro"" strips. The Password modem turns out text ten times faster than an expert typist — sends thousands of words by phone for less than express mail. And our automatic transmission

comes through in the clutch by automatically dialing or answering your calls. Now look at the sticker price! At $449, we're about $250 less than the best-known modem. A very sizeable difference. Especially considering that both send and receive at the same speeds, and both carry a two-year limited warranty.

The Password modem. High performance at a compact price.

by U.S. Robotics, Inc.

1123 W. Washington Chicago, IL 60607 Phone: (312) 733-0497

For a poster size reprint of this ad, seijid $3.00 to U.S. Robotics, Inc.

Circle 351 on inquiry card.

You can't buy an IBM PC with

Here are five important measurements to help you make

the best choice:

IBM forces you to choose:

Buy a monochrome card and monitor for high-resolution text. (Essential for word processing and spreadsheets.)

Or buy a color card and color monitor for graphics. (Lotus™ 1-2-3,™ for example, uses lots of graphics, as well as text.)

You can invest in both; you can sacrifice one or the other; you ca n settle for a non-standard compromise.

Or you can buy Paradise.

Here's how we've measurably eased your job of choosing the best video display (saving you a lot of money in the process).

\ Measure video 'functions.

J llililidl

The Paradise Modular Graphics Card™ gives you fullscreen, 16shade graphics on any display, including IBM's high-resolution monochrome momtor.

IBM's color/graphics card can display 16 colors on a color monitor.

So can the Paradise Modular Graphics Card.

But that's where the similarity ends. When you use color/graphics software with the Paradise Modular Graphics Card and a monochrome monitor, it translates those colors into a true 16-shade gray scale. With full screen display, flicker-free scrolling and clear, crisp character sets (like those of IBM) in all modes.

Naturally, the best video card fits either the IBM PC or XT, and works with any monitoryou choose: IBM monochrome (or equivalent), RGB or composite video.

2 Measure 'software compatibility.

Many video cards only work with specially modified sof tware. The Paradise Modular Graphics Card runs popular off-the-shelf color/ graphics software on your choice of monitors. Unmodified.

Most cards that offer graphics on a monochrome monitor force you to

sacrifice off-the-shelf software compatibility.

Paradise doesn't want you to compromise.

Of course the Paradise Modular Graphics Card runs Lotus 1-2-3 graphics on an IBM monochrome monitor.

But it also runs almost all unmodified off-the-shelf color/ graphics software.

Like PFS®:GRAPH, SuperCalc,®3 Flight Simulator® and Symphony.™

No wires. No tricks.

A menu-driven software system— with a user interface much like that of Lotus 1-2-3—lets you take advantage of all the Paradise Modular Graphics Card's features.

Z Measure slot ^'utilization.

w

cn

HI

Unlike other video cards, the Paradise Modular Graphics Card gives you additional popular functions in a single slot. This may be the only card you'll ever need.

You need to worry about slots for future expansion. Since you must use

out choosing a video card.

a slot for video support, why not pack it with more functions?

The Paradise Modular Graphics Card puts color and monochrome video support plus your choice of the most commonly requested enhancements into one slot.

Enhancements like extra memory, clock calendar, floppy disk controller, parallel, serial or game ports.

Leaving you measurably more room to expand.

4 Measure cost 'efficiency.

Unlike other multifunction cards, the Paradise Modular Graphics Card lets you choose the options you need, now or later.

You select the features you want, when you want them—no more, no less. So you pay only for what you need.

Choose one module from list A, one from list B, or one from each list. The Paradise Modular Graphics Card fits in a single PC orXTslot, even with both modules attached. And without imposing on adjacent slots.

Registered trademarks: IBM-International Business Machines Corporation; PFS-Software Publishing Corporation; Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Corporation; Supercalc3-Sorcim Corporation Trademarks: 1-2-3, Lotus, Symphony-Lotus Development Corporation; Paradise, Paradise Modular Graphics Card-Paradise Systems, Inc.

C Measure ^'value.

Value: the ratio of performance to price. No matter how you configure the Paradise Modular Graphics Card, you get more performance for your money, and more performance for your slot.

You'd have to combine several other cards to even approach the Paradise Modular Graphics Card's functionality.

Obviously, that would take up several slots in your PC.

It would also cost you a lot more money.

And if you review measurements one through four in this ad, you'll realize that no other card—or combination of cards—can give you better PC performance.

What about reliability?

Guaranteed by a one year warranty.

Paradise Modular Graphics Card and Options.

Paradise Modular Graphics Card $J$5

Connectors for:

IBM (or equivalent) monochrome monitor or* RGB monitor or' Composite video monitor • Light pen • RF modulator • Expansion modules Addressing:

16K video memory starting at B8000H Software included:

RAM disk-Print buffer

A

Module Options:

Parallel printer port or* Serial RS232 port or* Game port

B

Module Options:

256K RAM memory/clock calendar or < 384K RAM memory or • Floppy disk controller/parallel printer port

Go to the IBM dealer nearest you or call us toll-free. Within CA:

800-822-2020 (Dept. 100) Outside CA:

800-527-7977 (Dept. ioo)

150 North Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005 (415) 468-6000

PARADISE

You can measure it

ASK BYTE

Conducted by Steve Garcia Speech Synthesis

Dear Steve.

Your article "Build a Third-Generation Phonetic Speech Synthesizer" (March BYTE, page 28) was very interesting. I am working with a Standard Microsystems PC-Talker speech synthesizer, and I want to develop a text-to-speech translation program for it. How can I get a copy of the United States Naval Research Laboratory text-to-speech algorithm?

Rodney J. Ross St. Charles, IL

The NRL algorithm Is documented in the research report NRL7948: Automatic Translation of English Text to Phonetics by Letter to Sound Rules by H. S. Elovitz, R. W. Johnson. A. McHugh. and }. E. Shore. Copies of this 100-page document can be ordered as item AD-A02I929 from the Sales Department, National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161. The price for prepaid orders is $13, which includes shipping. Orders are usually filled in two to four weeks.—Steve

CP/M Software

Dear Steve.

The Apple computer with a Z80-based Microsoft Softcard would be a lot more useful if you could read a reasonably standard soft-sectored CP/M 5 '/4-inch disk (for example. Osborne, Xerox 820. Morrow, etc.) into it. It would also be useful to read disks written on the Apple under CP/M into standard CP/M systems. Why doesn't this work? Do you know any simple way around the problem? Does anyone make a controller that will handle both standard and Apple disk formats? Or is the drive itself strange?

Robert ). Hanrahan Gainesville. FL

One of the problems with CP/M software is that no "reasonably standard soft-sectored" format exists. Almost every manufacturer has a version that can be read only on its own system. Programs have recently been marketed that will allow one CP/M format to be read by another on a single machine. As you may have guessed, however, they do not handle the Apple-CP/M format.

One of the easiest ways to transfer software between the Apple and another CP/M system is to use the serial ports and some terminal software. A direct connection is fastest, but a modem can also be used to upload and download software as required—Steve

Power

Dear Steve,

In the islands of Micronesia, our power is provided by diesel generators. Yap has one of the best power plants here. However, we still suffer from planned and unplanned power outages, power surges, and fluctuating voltage. Our power is U.S. standard.

I have seen ads for uninterruptible power sources, which give you 10 to 20 minutes to store your work and shut down the computer. The costs range from S500 to SI 500. Never have so many paid so much for so little.

I would like to operate my computer (an Epson QX-10) continuously from an AC/DC/AC system. Not being an engineer or an electronics whiz. I have this ingenuous notion that I could put one together from mail-order catalog components: Sears Automatic Battery Charger ($70). Sears Deep Cycle Battery (50-100 A) ($90). Sears (Lafayette, etc.) Inverter ($500). and assorted connectors, etc. ($40) for a total of $700.

Is this feasible, or is there some technical problem of which 1 am not aware? 1 have a $3000 system, but I shudder at the thought of spending another $1500 to protect it and then being able to run it for only a few minutes. I might be willing, however, to spend $700 for one that theoretically promises trouble-free operation. I know that most power-source advertisers have a vested interest in selling their product and that most people either don't need or want the kind I have described. But I bet there is still a substantial market for this sort of equipment.

Right now, all I have is a $50 surge/spike protector on the line for both the computer and printer. I have had power outages do unnatural things to my disks. Twice they made it impossible to save a file as an indexed file, and I could save the information only by transferring it to another disk as a nonindexed file. A third time, using PeachTree's Mailing List Manager as a database, I lost 60 file cards. A power drop was also responsible for diddling a Valdocs demo disk and inserting Shakespeare quotations in the middle of other text. Yet all I can do now when the power begins to drop is lunge for the Off switch at the back of the unit.

Brian Farley Yap, Micronesia

You are definitely not the only person with this type of problem. Quite a few users live in areas where the main source of power is anything but stable.

Your approach is a good one and has been used successfully in the past. One solution was described in the January 1983 Ask BYTE"

(page 481). Richard T. Nicholls used a Tripp Lite power inverter to convert the voltage from a 12-V battery to 110 V AC at 60 Hz. Using this method, he was able to operate his TRS-80 Model I with no problems.

Some inverters put out an alternating voltage that approaches a square wave instead of a sine wave. Some systems will not operate properly with a square-wave voltage. This should be one of the things to look out for when you determine which inverter to use.—Steve.

Break Key

Dear Steve,

In the March BYTE (page 430), Michael J. McCarthy asked about a Break key for use on the VIC-20. I wrote a program for my Commodore 64 that lets it communicate with IBM and Hewlett-Packard mainframes. To implement the Break key, I used the following code upon detecting the F7 function key:

1500 BR = (PEEK(56576| AND 251) 1510 POKE 56576. BR 1520 FOR X=1 TO 100 :NEXT I 1530 POKE 56576. BR OR 4 1540 RETURN

Line 1500 reads the current output byte to the VIC modem and sets bit 2 (value 4) to a zero. Line 1510 outputs this to the modem. Line 1520 sets the duration. (I found this by trial and error.) Line 1530 turns off the tone. Line 1540 exits the subroutine.

The only change needed for this to work on the VIC-20 is that the address of the VIC modem is probably different. This would require changing 56576 to the proper value.

Scott B. Reed Richmond. IN

Thank you for sharing your program. I'm sure many users will welcome this information. —Steve

Code-Activated Switch

Dear Steve,

I greatly enjoy reading your column. Although 1 do not have an electronics background, I have been able to learn a lot from your articles.

In the May 1983 issue you built the RS-232C code-activated switch. How can I modify this circuit to have a manual switch control the selection of the output channel? I recently purchased a T1-99/4A and anticipate getting an RS-232C interface for it. I would like to be able to switch between a printer and a modem, with a possi

(continued)

48 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

WHAT A CLOCKMAKER IN 18TH CENTURY ENGLAND TAUGHT US ABOUT MAKING

QUALITY PERSONAL PRINTERS.

Each gear finely honed. Each pendulum carefully balanced. Each timepiece a combination of precision and function. He was a craftsman, building a quality product to stand the test of time.

Today, Okidata makes the most technologically advanced dot matrix printers the same way. With quality, performance, and a healthy respect for value.

Function with aff ordability. All printers print, but an Okidata does it with more performance and versatility than any other. There are seven models to choose from, priced at $349 to $2,595.

Affordability with flexibility. Okidata offers three print modes, too. The data processing mode lets you print up to 350 characters per second. That's five pages a minute. Another mode lets you print emphasized or enhanced text for more effective presentations, while the correspondence mode prints letter

Circle 277 on inquiry card.

quality at up to 85 characters per second, with clarity that rivals daisywheel. And an Okidata can print graphics and charts, which a daisywheel can't. This allows you to fully use the latest integrated software packages like Lotus 1-2-3™ and Symphony™.

Flexibility with compatibility. Each Okidata printer is fully compatible with all popular software packages and personal computers. Special interfaces are available for IBM and Apple, including the Apple Macintosh.

Compatibility with reliability. Here's where Okidata quality really shows. With a warranty claim rate of less than 1/2 of 1%. With printheads that last well beyond 200,000,000 characters and come with a full year guarantee. With service available nationwide through Xerox Service Centers.

Precision and performance. Quality

and value. That old English clockmaker would have been very proud of us.

Call 1-800-OKIDATA (609-235-2600 in New Jersey) for the name of the Authorized Okidata Dealer nearest you.

mm

OKIDATA

an OKI AMERICA company Technological Craftsmanship.

Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony are trademarks of Lotus Development Corp.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 49

Circle 267 on inquiry card.

PJBOPC

High Speed Interface ?or Peisonal Computers

Language Support BASIC, Compiled BASIC, FORTRAN, 1'ascal, Assembly.

Operating Systems — PC DOS, MS DOS, CPM 86/80, FORTH.

Software Compatible with our family of IEEEI-488 Interfaces for VAX, PDP-11,-LSI-Hi S-100 BUS, STD BUS, MULTIBUS, VMEbus, Rainbow 100, and SBX.

The Leader in IEEE-488 Computer Interfaces

12109 Technology Blvd. Austin, Texas • 78727

800/531-5066 • 512/250-9119

Rainbow" is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corp.

IBM PC'" is a trademark of International Business Machines.

ASK BYTE

r'

1.7 K I TYPICAL |

2l

L.

5k

Figure 1: lhe new circuit lor the manually operated switch. lCs replaced by the circuit in the dashed box.

2, 3, 4. and 5 are

ble second printer later.

I am also interested in the data bus of the TI-99/4A. Is it possible to attach the RS-232C card for the Tl PE Box directly to the computer bus with an appropriate cable if power can be provided for the card? Are you aware of any articles or books that go into detail on the workings of the TI-99?

Dave Peck Rockford, Ml

Converting the RS-232C code-activated switch into a manually activated switch is quite simple because we will be removing many of the original parts. Figure 2 (page 53 of the May 1983 issue) shows the full schematic for the code-activated switch. To convert to a manually operated switch, remove ICs I. 2. 3. 4. and 5 and replace them with the switch and pullup resistors shown within the dashed box in figure I. The rotary switch. SW-I. will now select one of the four RS-232C channels.

The schematics for the TI-99/4A are contained in the TI-99/4A Technical Data Manual. Write to Texas Instruments Inc.. Attn: Dealer Parts Department. POB 53. Lubbock. TX 79408.

You can also purchase an RS-232C serial port for the TI-99/4A that can be operated without the PE Box. M.W.S. Computers sells

one for $149.50. Write to M.W.S. Computers. 22 East Tioga St.. Tunkhannock. PA 18657. —Steve

Line Filters

Dear Steve.

Your idea for adding transient protection to a cheap Radio Shack power strip ("Keep PowerLine Pollution Out of Your Computer." December 1983. page 36) could be an excellent way to save money. Unfortunately. I ended up saving money on something else entirely.

I purchased the Archer 61-2620 and three MOVs (metal-oxide varistors) from my local Radio Shack, using the pictures in your article to help locate the necessary components in the busy store. I took it all home and installed the varistors, again using the pictures as a guide. (By the way. the screws on the power strip were a real bear. I had to use a hacksaw to make the heads accessible to a screwdriver.) When everything was finished, I proudly plugged the unit in. Immediately, a flash of light appeared and the unwelcome trail of smoke.

What happened? I took a second look at what I had bought. Instead of MOVs with stock #276-570, I had #276-569s. My varistors were

[continued]

50 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

■>IZTEC

C COMPILERS FOR PC DOS MS DOS CP/M-86 CP/M-80 APPLE II, lie, lie COMMODORE 64 RADIO SHACK and MACINTOSH

AZTEC C86 Optimized "C" compiler for PC DOS, MS DOS & CP/M-86 PC DOS, UNIX I/O, math, screen, graphics libraries 8086 assembler, linkers librarian, overlays /PRO-library source, debug, ROM, MASM & RMAC, 8087, large model

NEW C COMPILERS

AZTEC C68K for MACINTOSH VAX cross compilers

C TOOLS & AIDS Z editor (like Vi), C TUTOR compiler, PHACT database, C GRAFX, UNI-TOOLS I, QUICK C, BABY BLUE for PC to CP/M cross, QUADLINK for PC to APPLE cross

AZTEC C II Optimized "C" compiler for CP/M, TRSDOS & LDOS assembler, linker & librarian, overlays, utilities

UNIX I/O, math & compact libraries /PRO- library source, ROM, M80 & RMAC

AZTEC C65

"C" compiler for APPLE DOS 3.3, ProDOS or COMMODORE 64 VED editor, SHELL, UNIX & math libraries /PRO—library source, ROM, overlays

CROSS COMPILERS Compile & link on HOST—test on TARGET machine HOSTS: UNIX, PC DOS, CP/M-86, CP/M-80, VENIX, PCIX, APPLE TARGETS: PC DOS, CP/M-86, CP/M-80, APPLE, RADIO SHACK, COMMODORE 64, other hosts and targets available

PRICES

AZTEC C86 C COMPILER

AZTEC CMC COMPILER

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TARGETS

PC DOS MSDOS

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CP/M

199

PDP-11 HOST

2000

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CP/M-86

249

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349

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750

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BOTH

399

/PRO UPGRADE

150

CP/M-86 HOST

750

CP/M-80

C86/PRO

499

TRS 80 MODEL 3

149

CP/M-80 HOST

750

APPLE

/PRO UPGRADE

250

TRS 80 MODEL 4

199

APPLE HOST

750

RADIO SHACK

Z (VI EDITOR)

125

TRS 80 PRO (3 & 4)

299

VAX HOST

CALL

COMMODORE 64

C TUTOR COMPILER

99

MACINTOSH

CALL

MACINTOSH

PHACT DATABASE

299

AZTEC C65 C COMPILER

C GRAFX

99

APPLE DOS 3.3

199

SUPERDRAW

299

PRODOS

CALL

UNI-TOOLS 1

99

E EDITOR

99

QUICK C

125

TRS 80 RADIO SHACK TRS DOS is

a trademark of TANDY.

MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS Box 55 Shrewsbury, NJ 07701 TELEX: 4995812

APPLE DOS MACINTOSH is a trademark of APPLE.

TO ORDER OR FOR INFORMATION:

CALL: 800-221-0440 (outside NJ) 201-780-4004 (N J)

Australia: Blue Sky Industries - 2A Blakesley St. - Chatswood NSW 2067 - Australia 61-2419-5579 England: TAMSYS LTD - Pilgrim House - 2-6 William St. - Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1BA - England - Telephone Windsor 56747 Shipping: per compiler next day USA$20, 2 days USA $6, 2 days worldwide $75, Canada $10, airmail outside USA & Canada $20 UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs. CP/ M, CP / M-80 and CP / M-86 are trademarks of DRI. PC DOS is a trademark of IBM. MS DOS is a trademark of MICROSOFT.

N.J. residents add 6% sales tax.

Circle 224 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 51

ASK BYTE

rated at 6 V rather than 120 V! Thus, a minor error translated into an error of 2000 percent in the voltage rating and blew my entire investment.

In retrospect, though. I realize that instead of losing $25 on an incorrectly constructed power strip. I had spent only $25 to learn an extremely valuable lesson: always check the component ratings. Perhaps my story will save your readers this expenditure.

Kenneth Y. Goldberg Philadelphia, PA

Sorry to hear about your mishap, but your lesson is well learned. Proper attention must be paid to voltage and current ratings of components during design and replacement. In addition to the MOVs. capacitors, transistors, integrated circuits, and diodes can also fall victim to the effects of overvoltage.

A safe procedure for selecting components is to estimate the maximum anticipated voltage and add a safety factor of at least 25 percent.—Steve

Dear Steve.

I have taken apart my Radio Shack/GE spike protectors (pictured on page 42 of your powerline pollution article) and. on the top of them, where the clear plastic part is, inserted two

more varistors between the hot, neutral, and ground lines, then soldered them. I extrapolated from your article that having all three varistors on the same circuit like that (as long as you did not cross a wire or solder between leads) would be electrically appropriate. If I am wrong, please let me know.

Donald B. Slaughter Seattle, WA

Adding the extra MOVs to your spike protector is a tedious but perfectly acceptable method of increasing differential-mode transient protection. I also use such a method for some of my equipment.— Steve

BASIC Protection

Dear Steve,

1 would like to know how to disable the LIST command on my Apple lie so that my program listing cannot be displayed.

Hans Hess Carmel. CA

A very subtle way exists to disable the LIST command on the Apple II. When listing a program, any statement number that contains a Control-D as the first character of the second

line (when listed, not typed in) will execute lyes, execute!) the command immediately following. As an example, type your first program line as follows:

10 REM PRINT"FP

where 'represents Control-D with no space before FP. (There are 20 spaces after REM.)

Then, when the program is listed, it will clear itself after the first line. Since the REM statement is ignored during running, the program will run normally.

If you are really vicious, replace the FP command with DELETE filename'. You can also replace FP with CATALOG to verify that the technique works as described.—Steve

Passwords

Dear Steve.

I am a beginner in the computer field. Where can I get a computer that does not cost a lot and will not perform any tasks without a password? I have been told that some computers will not run a program without a password, but all 1 did was list the program and 1 got the password. I don't want this to happen to my programs. Can you help me?

Steven Shelton Wingdale. NY

The best place to put a password requirement for computer access is in the operating system. Any computer that has its operating system on disk, for example, could be modified to require a password before any "ready" prompts were displayed. Examples of such computers are the Apple II and the IBM PC. both of which boot the operating system from a disk and will not run a program on disk until the DOS is loaded.

Placing a password inside a program can be an effective method if the program is in machine language. If your programs are in BASIC, they can be transformed into machine language with the aid of a BASIC compiler. This affords a simple means of protection.

If you must stay in BASIC, there are ways to prevent a program from being listed. This will provide protection against all but the most knowledgeable operators.—Steve ■

A RESOLUTION REVOLUTION !

SIOO GRAPHICS • 8 COLOR • 1024 by 1024 Resolution • I BOARD

' - '3, K

- 3.

The Illuminated Technologies single board graphics controller is providing a wide variety of users worldwide with unprecedented resolution, speed, and ease ot use.

The heart of the board is the 7220 graphics controller, a dedicated 16 bit microprocessor that implements Breshenhams algorithm directly in pipelined hardware, allowing vector and arc drawing speeds of 1.3 million pixels per second.

C language driver source for drawing and text application development are furnished.

• 3 million pixel display memory with 1024 by 1024, 1200 by 872, or movable window on image plane i.e. 640 by 480.

• Hardware zoom, pan, and windowing

• Up to 44 Mhz video rate

• Programmable sync, timing, resolution, and interface for any monochrome or RGB monitor

$1195 8 color $895 monochrome

For orders placed prior to November

Contact us lor applications software currently available

ILLUMINATED TECHNOLOGIES INC.

3005 N. May • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73107 (405)943-8086

DEALERS

CAD Innovations Soallle, Washington (206) 325-2300

Moms Computing Sausalito. California (415) 331-2043

52 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 185 on inquiry card.

IN "ASK BYTE," Sieve Garcia answers ques- '

tions on any area of microcomputing. The most •

representative questions received each month will ;

be answered and published. Do you have a nag- I ging problem? Send your inquiry to

Ask BYTE •

do Steve Ciarcia ;

POB 582 I

Glastonbury, CT 06033 |

Due to the high volume of inquiries, personal ;

replies cannot be given. All letters and photo- ;

graphs become the property of Steve Ciarcia and I

cannot be returned. Be sure to include "Ask •

BYTE" in the address. >

The "Ask BYTE" staff includes manager ',

Harve Weiiier and researchers Yarry Bregoli. ! Dick Sawyer, and leamiette Dojan.

Apricot voted best in the world. But you be thejudge.

The unique MicroScreerf"serves as a calendar! clock, a built-in calculator, and a labelling device for.special touch-sensitive keys.

8 1984 ACT Computers (North America) Inc. Circle 6 on inquiry card.

You can carry the Apricot like a. briefcase.

Of course, you'll have to visit your local Apricot dealer to confirm the experts' judgement firsthand. But here's some preliminary evidence:

• A keyboard that includes special function keys, a numeric keypad, a built-in, software-accessible calculator, and dynamic, touch-sensitive keys that adapt to each program.

• Convenient, fit-in-your-pocket, 3^-inch disks that are 100 times more reliable than the older 514-inch style.

• A special, high-resolution (800x400 pixel) non-glare monitor.

• Full 16-bit internal architecture for faster program execution. (The Apricot runs most software written for the IBM PC.)

• Standard 256K RAM internal memory (upgradeable to 768K).

• RS-232 (V-24) serial port plus a synchronous and asynchronous parallel port.

The Apricot is available with a single disk drive, as you see it here with twin disk drives, with double-sided twin disks, or with a 5 Mbyte or 10 Mbyte Winchester disk drive. Prices range from $2295 to $4895. For more information, return the coupon or call 800/447-4700.

'Microcomputer of the Year and Business Microcomputer awards, British Microcomputing Awards Presentation.

□ I'll be thejudge. Send me the evidence. Name

Address. City

State.

. Zip_

Primary use: □ business □ home

MAIL TO: MtZSVL ACT Computers

(North America) Inc. 3375 Scott Blvd., Suite 342 Santa Clara, CA 95051

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 53

WW

Make Way For Hayes'Please.

An advanced, easy-to-use data management system for the IBM® PC and compatibles.

Want to get your paperwork out of a clumsy file cabinet and onto your PC's screen, where you can manage it better? Frustrated with data base software that's either too limited or too difficult to use? Hayes offers you a simple word of kindness.

Please™ A powerful, yet easy-to-use, system for organizing and managing your information. Please is flexible enough to store any data you enter, and it'll return data to you in exactly the form you need. Please does more, It does it all faster. And it's sure to please!

"The menu, Please?"

Menus list all your options and tell you exactly which keys to press for every Please feature.

That's to be expected. As the telecomputing leader, Hayes built its reputation on quality design, relia

bility and customer support. Now these same standards have been applied to a new data management system that is going to instantly change the way you do business!

Say you're looking for an efficient way to maintain sales data. Please leads you every step of the way in creating a sales database that might include names, addresses, dates and figures. These categories are called "fields" in database lingo, and they're the very heart of your database structure.

Want last month's total in a particular region? Press a few keys and it's yours! A few more keystrokes and you'll know who's moving product, and what's your biggest seller.

Please will supply you with labels for a mailing to selected customers. It can send customer information to your word processor for a promotional letter. And it can receive data from

"Make it snappy, Please!"

Need a report fast? You and Please can put together a Quick List in a matter of seconds.

your spreadsheet program. Please will even look up a name and company for you, your Hayes Smartmodem* will dial the phone number, and you're ready to talk!

Taking this same sales database, you might also want to define special fields for a custom Output Plan. With a defined field for "COMMISSIONS due:1 Please can automatically compute each salesman's commissions, and print them out in a report of your own design. All this and more, just for saying "Please:'

And if you ever change your mind and want to change the structure of your database, please feel free. Stepby-step instructions show you how.

You have the same flexibility with any database you and Please design. You can store up to 16 million records and 200 custom Output Plans for each database! More than you're likely ever to require. But isn't it nice

Please is a trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products. Inc. * Smartmodem 300. Smartmodem 1200 and Smartmodem 1200B are trademarks of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.

Pie

If

Hayes

"Put it here, Please:' knowing

Design a special screen ^ format to position data storage in a particular place. power

1 is there?

Just in case you ever need it?

Now you might think that a data management system that does all this must be difficult to use. Right? Rest assured. Please works hard so you don't have to. An easy-to-follow sample disk shows you everything you need to know to create your first database. Three Please menus show you which keys to press to access every feature. And whenever you need it, Please provides on-screen HELP messages, tailored to a specific task. So you needn't waste time reading through a list of unrelated instructions on your screen. Or stop what you're doing to consult a manual. In no time at all, and with no assistance at all, you'll be a Please database pro!

"Merge these, Please!"

Combine data from one database into another, without changing your original.

Everything about Please is designed to save you time and effort. So what could make data management even easier? Please Application Templates, that's what!

To help you get up-and-running immediately, we've developed a series of practical, pre-designed templates. You'll appreciate their well-thought-out structure, and "fillin-the-blank" ease. Choose several! For business and personal use.

Including Mailing List, for storing names and addresses and producing mailing lists. Contacts, for managing facts and figures about your sales contacts. Applicants, for following applicants throughout the interviewing process. Appointments, for maintaining your calendar and tracking all of your business expenses. Household Records, a complete home management system. And more! Your dealer has details!

Buy Please nowl Get a FREE Mailing List template from your dealer.

Second FREE template of your choice, direct from Hayes!

Help yourself. Pleasel And take advantage of these two valuable offers. See your dealer right awayl

J

Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc., 5923 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross. Georgia 30092.404/441-1617.

Circle 171 on inquiry card.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. ©1984 Hayes Microcomputer Products. Inc.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

IT'S WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD THAT COUNTS

Take a close look under the hood of a Datasouth printer. Inspect for loose parts, cheap fittings. Search for things that show more concern for speed on the assembly line than the communications line.

You won't find them. Instead you'll find the source of the Datasouth reputation: design, engineering and materials dedicated exclusively to high performance value.

Now look closer.

MORE THAN THE HUM OF ITS PARTS

Count the moving parts in a Datasouth printer. You won't find many. Most of those are dedicated to transporting the printhead and the paper from point to point with optimum speed and accuracy, while the rest of the printer sits quietly with the motionless authority of a Stonehenge.

And thinks.

Under the hood of every Datasouth printer is a highly intelligent microprocessor. Its sophisticated brainwork elimi nates the need for many parts still common in other printers, and optimizes carriage and paper travel so the printhead intelligently follows the shortest path from one printable character to the next. So more work gets done with less strain on the machinery.

Everything that matters is easy to reach, right there under the hood. Even the cartridge ribbon, rated at 3 to 4 million characters, snaps into place in seconds.

JUST TURN THE KEY

Datasouth printers are easily driven by virtually any mini or microcomputer. The fully instrumented dashboard allows the user to program up to 50 different applications features at the touch of a few buttons. Meanwhile, the digital readout shows everything from programming prompts to line count.

TAKE YOUR CHOICE

Datasouth reliability comes in two high performance models. The DS180 is a legendary workhorse that delivers crisp data quality printing at 180 CPS. The new multimode DS220 cruises at 220 CPS for high speed data printing and at 40 CPS for letter quality word processing. Both models print precision dot-addressable graphics.

If you have a high performance printing need, Datasouth has a high performance printer to fill it.

MODULAR MAINTENANCE

Datasouth design simplicity assures easy maintenance. All control electronics are on a single printed circuit board. The 9 wire printhead is rated at over 500 million characters, and is easily replaced in minutes.

DRIVE ONE TO WORK TODAY

Both the DS180 and the DS220 are on display at more dealer showrooms every day, including one near you. So go take a hard look at the kind of hard copy you get from high performance Datasouth printers.

See what really counts when you compare printers.

HIGH PERFORMANCE MATRIX PRINTERS

Find Datasouth Printers At Participating ComputoAond' Stores And Other Fine Dealers.

56 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE THROUGH OUR NETWORK OF SALES AND SERVICE DISTRIBUTORS CALL TOLL FREE:

1-800-222-4528

Datasouth Computer Corporation Box 240947 • Charlotte, NC 28224 704/523-8500 • Telex 6843018 DASOU UW

Circle 108 on inquiry card.

CLUBS & NEWSLETTERS

• GRAND RAPIDS APPLE GROUP-The Grand Rapids Area Apple Users (G.R.Apple) is an Apple and compatible computers users group serving novice and experienced enthusiasts in the Michigan area with a newsletter, G.R.Apple News, and an information exchange. The meetings frequently host guest speakers and software demonstrations, and the possibility of

a BBS exists. Membership entitles you to access a library of almost 50 disks and receive the monthly newsletter. Annual dues are $8. Contact Howard Bultman, G.R.Apple. 4444 Bonnie St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508.

• ENGLISH AND KANJI FOR IAPAN—American and foreign owners of NEC computers, particularly the NEC PC-8801A. are welcome to join a users group to share data and programs. A BBS is a possibility. The monthly newsletter will be produced in English; a translation in kanji (Chinese characters) will also be available. The exchange of newsletters or information is particularly welcomed from users or groups in lapan. For details, contact Ryugen C. Fisher, POB 1061, Rhinelander, Wl 54501.

• UNITED METHODISTS SPONSOR NETWORK—The Church Computer Users Network (CCUN) is an independent organization of people who promote church uses of computers. The group, organized by United Methodists, welcomes participation from all denominations. Anyone who contributes $15 or more is put on the CCUN mailing list and receives the quarterly newsletter. Members contribute at least $2 5 a year. For information, contact Clyde McDonald, Church Computer Users Network, 159 Ralph McGill Blvd.. Atlanta, GA 30365.

• ARIZONA TI USERS

The TI Newsletter, produced every other month by the Arizona 99 UG, is for owners of Texas In

struments' 99/4A. Information and assistance about programming, architecture, and other topics are contained in the newsletter, a subscription to which is available for $8.95 a year. For details, contact the Arizona 99 UG. 4328 East LaPuente Ave., Phoenix. AZ 85044.

• CP/M USERS HAVE BBS The Metroplex CP/M Interest Group (MCP/MIG) meets on the third Thursday of every month and welcomes anyone with an interest in microcomputers running CP/M. A BBS is up at (214) 867-2068 and runs at 300 bits per second. A remote CP/M is in the works. The monthly newsletter features articles and announcements that are submitted by members. For further details, contact the MCP/MIG, POB 863909, Piano. TX 75086.

• FOCUS ON NEXUS Nexus is an independent, bimonthly publication for and by NEC Advanced Personal Computer (APC) users. It contains tutorials, tips, hints, news, and reviews of software and hardware for the NEC APC. Articles include information on telecomputing, modems, conversion tables, adapting peripherals, and more. An annual subscription of six issues is $18 in the U.S.. Canada, and Mexico; $30 overseas. For details, contact David B. Suits, 49 Karenlee Dr., Rochester, NY 14618.

• SANYO IN NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA-The New York Sanyo Users Group provides technical support to its members by meeting regularly to listen to guest speakers and to hear the latest news about Sanyo products. It maintains a

library of public-domain software, a directory of members, and an electronic bulletin-board system. A quarterly newsletter provides for a further exchange of information. Additional information is available from the New York Sanyo Users Group, POB 182, Times Plaza Station, NY 11217, (212) 855-9029.

• COMPUTING IN THE SOUTH OF HOLLAND-The Dutch Computer Club Hobby Computer Club (HCC) meets at 8 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month in the Community Center of Limbrichterveld at Eisenhowerstraat 724 in Sittard. Any readers in the Netherlands of BYTE magazine are welcome to attend the meetings. For details, contact Bert Peters, HCC-Sittard, Via Regia 188-R, 6217 RA Maastricht, the Netherlands.

• FREE NEWS ON IRIS

The originator of the IRIS (interactive real-time information system) operating system. Point 4 Data Corporation, is offering a free IRIS-oriented newsletter. The IRIS Connection will include a write-in forum, information on the industry, technical overviews of products, and regular IRIS updates. Article submissions are welcome. For a free subscription, write to The IRIS Connection, do Point 4 Data Corp., 2569 McCabe Way, Irvine. CA 92714.

• KAYPRO ON LINE

The Kaypro Users Group (KUG), with membership in more than 23 countries, has expanded its bulletin-board system's access by joining CompuServe. Publicdomain software and special KUG library programs are available for downloading. Guest

speakers are invited to confer on line with all users or you can leave and receive messages. Members access the KUG SIG on CompuServe via GO PCS 2 5. For starter kits, write to KUG, Box 100, Malverne, NY 11565.

• MESSAGE FROM GEORGIA The Toccoa Microcomputer Society meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at the ToccoaStephens County Library in Toccoa, Georgia. For details, call Steve Shields at (404) 886-9718 or contact Terry Fleming, Rt. 2, Box 124. Eastanollee, GA 30538, (404) 779-3472.

• RADIO IN ON TIMEX The Timex Sinclair Amateur Radio Users Group (TSARUG) continues to operate despite Timex's absence from the marketplace. Its monthly newsletter for owners of ZX-80, Micro-Ace, ZX-81. and T/S 1000, 1500, and 2068 computers, QZX. contains hardware and software reviews, programs and projects submitted by members, and listings of on-air schedules. The annual membership fee is $12, and new members need not be licensed amateurs. Contact Alex F. Burr, K5XY, 202 5 O'Donnell Dr.. Las Cruces. NM 88001.

• VENEZUELAN PERSONAL COMPUTERISTS-The Personal Computer User's Society meets at 10 a.m. every other Saturday in Barcelona, Venezuela. It supports and promotes the interest, understanding, applications, and research of computing by establishing a communication link between members who own Apples, Epsons, and Color Computers. A monthly newsletter is planned that will include articles written by members and excerpts from magazine articles. For details, contact Osvaldo Briceno, Personal Computer's User's Society, POB 56. Barcelona, Venezuela 6001-A.

{continued)

CLUBS & NEWSLETTERS is a forum for letting BYTE readers know what is happening in the microcomputing community. Empfiasis is given to electronic bulletin-board services, club-sponsored classes, community-help projects, field trips, and other activities outside of routine meetings. Of course, we will continue to list new clubs, their addresses and contact persons, and other information of interest. To list events on schedule, we must receive your information at least four months in advance. Send information to BYTE. Clubs & Newsletters. POB 372, Hancock. NH 03449.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 57

LMC's

32-Bit Virtu Memory MegaMicro Is The-State-Of-The-Art UNIX Microcomputer

LMC's 32-bit MegaMicro provides mainframe or super-minicomputer performance at prices competitive with today's far less powerful 8- and 16-bit microcomputers. This is made possible by use of the next generation of logic chips—the National Semiconductor 16000-series. LMC MegaMicros incorporate: the NS16032 central processing unit which has true 32-bit internal logic and internal data path configured on the IEEE 796 multibus; demand-paged virtual memory implemented in hardware; and hardware 64-bit double-precision floating-point arithmetic.

The LMC MegaMicro is supplied with HCR's UNITY* which is a full implementation of UNIX** and includes the Berkeley 4.1 enhancements to take advantage of demand-paged virtual memory. Also included are C and FORTRAN. Typical multiuser systems with 33 megs, of fast (30 ms. average access time) Winchester disk storage, a half meg. of RAM, virtual memory, hardware floating-point arithmetic, UNIX, C, and FORTRAN 77 are available for $20,000 (and even less with quantity or OEM discounts).

* UNITY is a Trademark of Human Computing Resources. "UNIX is a Trademark of Bell Laboratories.

LMC MegaMicros The Logical Alternative™

The Logical Microcomputer Company

4200 W Diversey, Chicago, IL60639(312) 282.9667

CLUBS & NEWSLETTERS

• CONNECT WITH COMMODORE—The Fairfield County Commodore User Group meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Hatter's Park in Danbury, Connecticut. Its objective is to promote the use of Commodore 64 and VIC-20 computers. A newsletter, Bits & Byles. contains member-written software reviews, programming tips, and upcoming activities. The $12 annual membership fee includes the newsletter and access to a BBS in the works. For details, contact Kenneth Hottes, Fairfield County Commodore User Group. POB 212, Danbury. CT 06810.

• USERS PLOT PLANS

A nationwide GRiD Users Group provides members with access to a nationwide electronic newsletter, GRiDNeWS. and an information-sharing system designed for GRiD users. Subscribers can benefit from electronic mail, product announcements, a technical column, questions and answers, articles, and hints. It is sponsored by Business Computing International Incorporated of New York City. For further details, contact Richard Horan, GRiDNeWS. do Business Computing International, 342 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10173. (800) 522-BCII.

• MICRO-5 FOR TEACHERS Micro-5 is the first microcomputer users group for educators in North Carolina. It sponsors conferences with special-interest sessions, guest speakers, and small groups for specialized topics. Various computers will be displayed, and hands-on experience is available. Demonstrations include network implementation. For details, write to Micro-5. Rt. 2. Box 204. Ramseur. NC 27316.

• MEET MAC IN BOSTON The Macintosh Users Group, a recent special-interest group in the Boston Computer Society (BCS). is designed for both novice and technical people. It meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month in the Tower Auditorium of the Massachusetts College of Art (621 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA| to witness demonstrations and presentations and to discuss software, peripherals, and the uses of the Macintosh.

A member of The Marmon Group of companies 58 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

The group plans to produce a newsletter and create a software library. Each member receives a subscription to the BCS monthly magazine, Computer Update, and can attend general BCS meetings. For further details, contact lack Hodgson. BCS, Macintosh Users Group, One Center Plaza. Boston, MA 02108. (617) 367-8080.

• NETTING CP/M USERS For users of Kaypro. Morrow Designs. Osborne. Xerox 820. and Big Board, the CP/M Users Net meets on the air every Sunday night at 9 p.m. (0300 GMT) on the frequency of 3.968 megahertz (MHz). Members of the net find and exchange public-domain software that is CP/M 2.xx-compatible to run CW, RTTY, AMATRON, ASCII, RCP/M, BBS, and others. The only dues are an amateur license and suitable interest. For net control, contact K5DHZ Bud; for alternate net control, contact WB6UTY Barry; and for the net database manager, contact AGON Gary.

• SINCLAIR QL USERS IN UNITED KINGDOM— Membership in the Independent QL Users Group (1QLUG) is available by subscription to the monthly newsletter, Quanta. The group also maintains a free software library, provides a free advice service, conducts workshops, and offers support for local groups. A six-month trial subscription is S4.2 5. Group interests include business, amateur radio, database, graphics, education, communication, and languages. For details, contact Brian Pain. 24 Oxford St.. Stony Stratford. Milton Keynes. MK11 11U, U.K.: tel.: (0908) 564271.

• APPLICABLE TO ENGINEERS The Engineers Computer Applications Newsletter [ECAN] is a monthly newsletter for practicing engineers that provides information, analysis, and guidance on the applications of small computers. Contents include a software exchange, hardware notes, a graphics update, publication reviews, and a calendar of related events. Subscriptions are S96 per year; SI20 a year overseas. For details, contact Engineering Computer Applications Inc.. POB 3109. Englewood, CO 80155-3109, (303) 797-3603 ■

Circle 214 on inquiry card.

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Dvxatr

Dysan is a registered trademark of Dysan Corporation. © 198-1, Dysan Corporation.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 59

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Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Micro Mart is a registered trademark of Micro Mart. Inc.

Advertised cash prices subject to change without notice

IT'S NOT HOW MUCH YOU PAY.

IT'S HOW MUCH YOU GET.

The computer at the top has a 64K memory.

It has the initials I, B, and M. And you pay for those initials—about $669.

The Commodore 64™ has a 64K memory.

But you don't pay for the initials, you just pay for the computer: $215. About one third the price of the IBM PCjr™

The Commodore 64 aJso has a typewriter-type

keyboard with 66 typewritertype keys. (Not rubber chicklet keys like the IBM PCjr.)

It has high resolution graphics with 320 x 200 pixel resolution, 16 available colors and eight 3-dimensional sprites.

It has 9-octave high fidelity sound.

The Commodore 64 is capable of running thousands of programs for home and office. And if you add a printer

or color monitor, disk drive and a modem—all together it just about equals the price of the IBM PCjr all alone. With no peripherals.

So you can buy a computer for a lot of money.

Or buy a lot of computer for the money.

COMMODORE 64'

IT'S NOT HOW LITTLE IT COSTS, IT'S HOW MUCH YOU GET.

62 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

BOOK REVIEWS

THE DOCTOR'S

COMPUTER HANDBOOK

Peter J. Fell and

William D. Skees

Lifetime Learning Publications

Belmont, CA: 1984

270 pages, S27.50

APPLIED CONCEPTS IN MICROCOMPUTER GRAPHICS Bruce A. Artwick Prentice-Hall

Englewood Cliffs. NJ: 1984 384 pages. $29.95

AUTOMATING YOUR FINANCIAL PORTFOLIO Donald Woodwell Dow Jones-Irwin Homewood. 1L: 1983 2 51 pages, $19.95

ART AND GRAPHICS ON THE APPLE \\l\le William H. DeWitt John Wiley & Sons New York: 1984 128 pages. $14.95

The Doctor's Computer Handbook Reviewed by Bruce R. Evans

The Doctor's Computer Handbook is a gem. It leads you through the pitfalls of computerizing a medical practice in a style that should be a model for all technical writing. Although it was written for doctors planning to computerize their offices, it should be read by anyone interested in business computing.

The authors are an interesting pair. Peter J. Fell is an English general practitioner who has successfully computerized his medical practice. Considering the stringency of the British medical system, this is quite an achievement. William D. Skees is an American computer scientist with a strong practical background in databases and computer networking. Both these areas are dealt with exhaustively in this book. (In fact, networking is overdone in my opinion.)

This coauthorship overcomes the problem inherent in most books on medical computing—few doctors are computer experts, fewer computer experts know medical practice. Fell and Skees complement each other well.

Duality

The Doctor's Computer Handbook is in two parts. The first, which is the bulk of the book, explains how to set up a computer system in a medical office. The authors begin with the assumption that a computer is a necessary part of medical practice; then they convince you. The second portion is an overview of computer use in a hospital and laboratory. This second part is smaller and almost superfluous.

As the authors assume the reader knows nothing about computers, they

start by explaining what a computer can do for a physician's practice. For convenience, they break the uses for a computer into two parts. First there are those that are peculiar to a physician's office—medical records, patient instruction, and medical research. They give some ideas of what a computer can and can't do. Then they go on to discuss the uses that exist in all small businesses. These are the accounting functions—accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, and payroll.

Although 1 agree with all that the authors say in this chapter, I disagree with their emphasis. In North American practice, the accounting functions of a computer pay the freight. The other functions are bonuses. I completely disagree with the emphasis on computerized medicalrecord keeping. Fell and Skees do give examples of standardized medical forms, but these are too limiting by North American standards. A pen and paper are still the best instruments for keeping medical records—quick sketches don't fit into a computerized record. However, most of us would benefit by incorporating some of their ideas into our standard medical histories.

Chapters 2 and 3 come right to the point. Can my present system be converted holus-bolus or will 1 have to make a lot of changes? What will computerization of my medical practice cost? The first question is dealt with thoughtfully and completely. The second isn't. In chapter 2, the authors get all wrapped up in pseudomathematical formulas for calculating costs, benefits, and breakeven points of computerization. It doesn't work. Their precise formulas are

(continued)

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL WITTE

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 63

BOOK REVIEWS

The four-page summary of all hardware systems and their statistics resembles a racing form.

really rough estimates in disguise.

Chapters 4 and 5 educate the computer novice about the hardware and software involved in computerization; thus, average readers of BYTE won't learn anything here. Most doctors planning to computerize, however, will learn a lot from these two chapters. They're well done.

The Real Thing

Chapters 6 and 7 are the high notes of this book. Chapter 6 goes into medicalapplications programs. First you learn what a menu-driven program is and how it will apply to a particular application. The chapter describes medical data

bases and word-processing packages. Each of these is discussed with specific examples. The authors point out how to assess program strengths and weaknesses so you can decide whether what's available to you is suitable. Unfortunately, 1 once again disagree with the authors' emphasis. Almost a third of chapter 6 deals with computer networking. This could form a book on its own merit; that's where it really belongs.

Chapter 7 deals with establishing what you want for your office. You should start by consulting the people on your staff about what they need and expect. The book includes helpful, detailed lists of what information you need to assess your purchase and sample problem and requirement statements. So by the time you've finished this chapter, you'll have a clear idea of what you need. And you'll be prepared to approach a dealer with your specific requirements.

Now you're ready for chapter 8—ordering your computer system.

Again, the authors provide numerous practical lessons: examples of requests for quotations (RGQs), computer leases, and lists of manufacturers. A terrific four-page summary of all hardware systems available and their basic statistics resembles a racing form for computers. Fell and Skees stress how important it is to test the systems in question with your own raw data, not the salesman's files that are often selected for speedy, error-free demonstrations. You are encouraged to visit an office that's actually running the systems you're interested in. You can find out what problems they've had and how they solved them. When I finished reading this chapter. I was amazed to find that it's the shortest in the bookit seems to contain endless down-toearth, practical examples.

The end of the last part addresses your system after installation. Examples of maintenance schedules and checks

[continued)

Treat Yourself to More Color

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Treat Your Apple to

Imagine — DOUBLE HI-RES graphics with 16 colors, 560 x 192 dots. Your Apple //e with Extended 80-Column Card or Apple //c has the capability. Now ALF's HGR6 package makes it easy to use by adding new statements directly to Applesoft. Change your programs for 16 colors — or create new ones with twice the detail! HGR6 lets you easily save and view double hi res images, too.

HGR6 is a real treat at only $49.95. Want more color and detail? Get HGR6 today!

Available at your local computer dealer or direct from ALP. Includes both DOS 3.3 and ProDOS versions. Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

To order, call 1-BOO-3&1-4&SS. Inside Colorado «£ customer service: 1-303-B34-0871.

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64 BYTE • SEPTEMBER I984

Circle II on inquiry card.

BusinessWeek readers knew about the computer war before the first shot was fired.

Back when most people were touting the boom in personal computers, people who read Business Week were looking ahead to the fireworks that would follow.

They knew price wars were on the way. There would be battles for shelf space. The struggle for more software would be hard fought. And they knew that few of the companies trying to cash in on the new industry would survive.

In fact, long before the computer war broke out, Business Week readers not only knew it was coming, but who would come out on top.

That's because Business Week does more than report the news. It interprets. Even anticipates. Week after week after week. And that's important. Because, in business, good information is the best ammunition you can have.

BusinessWeek;"

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To subscribe, send in the attached order card today. Or call tollfree 1-800-635-1200.

Circle 385 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 65

BOOK REVIEWS

are excellent. The authors discuss adding new programs to your system: should you write them, modify them, or just buy them off the shelf? These last chapters are required reading for anyone who uses a business computer in any capacity.

The end of the book about institutional computing is anticlimactic. Here you'll learn about Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT scans) and other equipment. Although it's interesting, it's not as useful as the beginning of the book.

Unlimited

1 can't finish this review without adding a comment on its style of technical writing. Simply, it's in a class of its own. Each chapter is written concisely and has a common format. First the authors tell you what's in the chapter. Then they give you the information accompanied by many charts, examples, and lists. Finally, they summarize it. Unity, clarity,

and coherence are some rules of thumb not found elsewhere.

In summary, this well-written book fulfills its promise of showing a physician how to computerize the office. The advantages, disadvantages, and pitfalls are all discussed, as well as scads of timely tips. However, in recommending this book, I wouldn't limit it's usefulness only to physicians. If you have any ambition of writing medical programs or if you plan to sell medical systems, you'll find this book a worthwhile addition to your library.

Applied Concepts in Microcomputer Graphics Reviewed by Jeff Campbell

Many of us think of computer graphics in terms of CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) systems, or perhaps of some sort of Pac-Maniac glibly munching power dots. What we may tend to

take for granted is that those little characters that appear on our display screens actually represent computer graphics at its most basic. They form the basis for virtually all human-computer interaction and enable us to verify instructions properly given and received. Bruce A. Artwick's book, Applied Concepts in Microcomputer Graphics, will interest those with a cursory interest in this vital field and should be required reading for people considering customized graphic applications for their microcomputers.

Preliminaries

Artwick begins his far-ranging treatise with an overview of today's state-of-theart graphics. He then discusses the equipment available in the marketplace, with attention to its advantages and disadvantages in differing applications. Throughout the book, Artwick focuses on efficiency in terms of costeffectiveness and computational time.

(continued)

Circle 206 on inquiry card.

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(as low as $8.95 hr. connect time + $.05 cpu sec. non-prime) • $24.95 = 1 hr. FREE system time + SOLUTION News subscription + BYTE J^*Jta^ BOOK (Introducing The UNIX System 556 pp.).

_ * UNIX is a trademark ol Bell Labs.

Payment via VISA or Master Card

— ELECTRONIC DESIGN, INC.

5701 Prescott Avenue Lincoln, NE 68506-5155 402/483-2238 10a-7p Central

Powerful CP/M Software.

For Apple, Osborne, Kaypro, Rainbow, NEC, Epson, Heath, Xerox and others.

$OQ95

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When we introduced Nevada COBOL in 1979, it was loaded with innovations. Today's, Edition 2.1 is even better!

□ Extremely Compact. You can compile and execute up to 2500 statements in 32K RAM, 4000 statements in 48K, etc.

D It's based upon the ANSI-74 standards with level 2 features such as compound conditionals and full CALL CANCEL.

□ You get a diskette, 165-page manual with lots of examples and 16 complete COBOL source code programs.

Also available: COBOL Application Packages, Book 1 $9.95

NEVADA

FORTRAN

This newest addition to the 8-bit Nevada product line has many advanced features:

□ 14-digit precision, BCD Math, no round-off errors with decimal arithmetic for business and floating point +63 - 64 for scientific.

□ A very nice TRACE style debugging.

□ Arrays up to 8 dimensions and 64K strings.

□ External procedures and functions with dynamic auto-loading.

□ One-step compile, no assembly or link required.

□ No limits on size of procedure, nesting levels, recursion.

□ Requires 60K RAM and one disk drive with at least 90K storage.

□ You get a 184-page manual and diskette rev. 4.1.

NEVADA

BASIC

□ FORTRAN IV based upon ANSI-66 standards with some 1977 level features.

□ IF . . THEN . . ELSE constructs.

□ A very nice TRACE style debugging.

□ 150 English language error messages.

□ You get a diskette, including an 8080 assembler and Nevada FORTRAN rev 3.2, 214-page manual and five sample programs. Requires 48K RAM.

NEVADA EDIT

□ A full-screen video display text editor rev. 3.1 designed specifically to create COBOL, PASCAL and FORTRAN programs.

□ See the review in May 1983 Microcomputing.

□ This interpreter has a built-in full-screen editor. IJ Single- and Multi-line functions.

IJ BCD Math —no round-off errors. IJ Full Matrix operations.

□ Requires 48K RAM.

□ You get 220-page manual and diskette rev. 2.5.

NEVADA PILOTM

□ See review in January 1983 MICROCOMPUTING.

□ You get a diskette rev. 6.1,131-page manual and ten useful sample programs.

This is a limited time offer, so order yours today!

OELLIS COMPUTING, INC 3917 Noriega Street since 1977 San Francisco, CA 94122 Phone (415) 753-0186

The CP/M Operating System, an 8080,8085 or Z-80 microprocessor, and 32K RAM are required, unless stated otherwise above.

Diskette format:

□ 8" SSSD (Standard CP/M IBM 3740) 5Va" Diskette for:

□ Apple CP/M

□ DEC VT180

□ DEC Rainbow

□ Epson QX-10

□ Heath Hard Sector (Z-89)

□ Heath Soft Sector (Z-90, 2-100)

□ IBM-PC (Requires Z-80, CP/M-80 card)

□ Kaypro Double Density (NCR)

□ Micropolis Mod II

□ NEC PC 8001

□ North Star Double Density

□ North Star Single Density

□ Osborne Single Density

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□ Superbrain DD DOS 3.X (512 byte sec)

□ Televideo

□ TRS-80 Model I Base 0 mapper

□ Xerox 820 Single Density

Satisfaction is guaranteed—or your money back. If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, just return the package —in good condition—within 15 days and we'll refund your money.

Please send me: Software Packages

□ COBOL □ FORTRAN □ EDIT □ PASCAL □ BASIC □ PILOT Send my order for packages @ $29.95 each Total

COBOL Applications Package @ $9.95 each Total

Please send extra manuals:

□ COBOL □ FORTRAN □ EDIT □ PASCAL □ BASIC □ PILOT

EXTRA manuals @ $14.95 each Total

California deliveries add 6% or 6.5% sales tax

Shipping and Handling Fees: Add $4.00 for the first package or manual and $2.00 each additional. Overseas: Add $15.00 for first package or

manual and $5.00 each additional.

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□ Check enclosed □ COD if COD add $4.00

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TOTAL .

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Signature

Ship to: Name. Street

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CP/M is a registered trademark ot Digital Research, Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark ol Microsoft Corp. TRS-80 is a registered trademark ol Tandy Corp. Apple II is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Osborne is a registered trademark of Osborne Computer Corp. Xerox 820 is a trademark of Xerox Corp. Kaypro is a trademark of Non-linear Sys. Heath/Zenith is a trademark of Heath Corp IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Corp Nevada BASIC, Nevada COBOL, Nevada FORTRAN, Nevada PILOT, Nevada EDIT, Nevada PASCAL, and Ellis Computing are trademarks of Ellis Computing, Inc. © 1984 Ellis Computing, Inc.

OFFER EXPIRES 9-30-84

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 67

BOOK REVIEWS

High-speed animation can produce high-quality simulations that are vital to humanity.

The prospective microcomputer buyer may well save time and money by reading this book before browsing in the local computer store.

Chapter 2 introduces the reader to the basic software concepts of computer graphics: the various coordinate systems and methods of plotting to those coordinates. In computer graphics of any kind, one inevitably starts out by plotting two points in twodimensional space and connecting them with a line. Once done, the next obvious consideration is how to best display the results to the user, and this is covered in a chapter on displaygeneration hardware. We are reminded

that the LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and LCDs (liquid-crystal displays) on our portable calculators and digital watches are as integral to the display arena as the more glamorous RGB (red-green-blue) monitors. A survey of peripheral graphic devices is included: the joysticks, trackballs, light pens, and digitizing tables that allow the user to bypass the often cumbersome process of keyboard entry and, in the same vein, the various printers and plotters that permit hardcopy output.

A Relevant Tool

The remaining chapters are more specialized, delving into the practical applications involved in submitting various design elements (lines, rectangles, circles, ellipses, and other symbols) and working interactively with the computer system. The less technically oriented user may well be intimidated by some of the concepts involved, particularly when the author moves into the

transforms and mathematics required in advanced graphic operations of scaling, zooming, three-dimensional rotation, and so on. A lot of information is contained here, and even if one is unable to appreciate the mathematics involved, the book still serves as a valuable reference tool.

Chapter 8 introduces the reader to the literally fast-moving realm of highperformance graphics and animation, detailing the speed-up techniques and hardware/software performance boosters that, in many cases, allow computer animation to equal and even surpass conventional animation techniques.

Computers offer an exciting alternative to the repetitious and laborintensive manipulations that have traditionally been a hallmark of quality animation. By combining animation with the computer's ability to interact with the user at very high speeds, you

{continued}

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• Run with any TTL or HCT. no 74S series required

■ NOVA BIOS supports double & quad density floppy disk & hard disk

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$1495™ Quantity Price

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• 126K on board

' 1-360KB floppy disk

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• Hard disk controller ' Color graphic or

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$2295°° Quantity Price

NOVA DYNA-ADAPTOR NOVA COLOR GRAPHIC BOARD $165°°

• Controller for 4 internal • Fully IBM compatible Quantity Price floppy disks ■ Operates in B/W or 16-color mode

• 1 serial port $185°° • Two operating modes (Alphanumeric S> Graphic) ' 1 parallel port Quantity • Four video interface (Composite, RGB.

• 1 game port Price RF modulator 4 Light Pen)

Data Technology Hard Disk Controller

• Control 2 5'A " hard disks $250°°

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Quantity Order Each Month

25

50

100 & up

Shugart SA455 DS/DD 360KB floppy disk

(140.

(137.80

CALL

Tandon TM100-2 DS/DD 360KB floppy disk

(180.

(187.80

CALL

Shugart SA712 10MB slimline hard disk

(BOO.

(488.00

CALL

Apple compatible disk drive

(138.

(isa.BO

CALL

IBM compatible 65W power supply W/fan

( 98.

( 90.00

CALL

IBM compatible lOOW power supply W/fan

(138.

(130.00

CALL

IBM compatible 130W power supply W/fan

(168.

(180.00

CALL

•IBM is a trademark of IBM Corp.

•Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc

68 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 144 on inquiry card.

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WHOLESALE +8% PRICING OUR 400 PAGE CATALOG OF 20,000 COMPUTER PRODUCTS 12 TO 21 DAY SOFTWARE RENTALS* FOR NETWORK MEMBERS ONLY!

Listed below are just a few of the over 20,000 products available at our EVERYDAY LOW PRICESI All software below is priced in IBM-PC format. The NETWORK carries software for IBM, Apple, CP/M, Kaypro and over 50 other popular systems.

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Virtual Combinatics Micro Cookbook

21.00*

BUSINESS SOFTWARE

(Please add $2.50 shipping and handling tor each title ordered trom below.)

ATI How to use MultiMate M2.00' ATI How to use Microsoft: Word 42.00* ATI How lo use Lotus 1-2-3 42.00*

Ashton-Tate DBASE-II New Lower Price 275.00*

Ashton-Tate DBASE III CALL

Ashton-Tale Framework CALL

Ashton-Tate Friday! 158.00' Central Point Copy II PC 23.00* Conceptual Instruments Desk Organizer 177.00* Digital Research CP/M-86 30.00* Digital Research DR Logo 55.00*

Digital Research PL/I Compiler 399.00* Funk Software Sideways 36.00*

Harvard Harvard Project Manager 215.00* Hayes Smartcom II 68.00*

Human Edge The Management Edge 145.00*

Human Edge The Sales Edge 145,00*

Lotus Development Lotus 1-2-3 CALL

Lotus Development Symphony CALL

MicroRim RBase 4000 260.00*

Microsoft C Compiler 275.00*

255.00105.00' B9.90' 90.00'

Microsoft Word with Mouse—Latest Version Microsoft Mulliplan Monogram Dollars & Sense Oasis The Word Plus

Open Systems P/O Sales A/RINVG/L A/P 382.25*ea

Team Mgr

Real World G/L A/P A/R P/R or OE/INV 387.50'e Rosesofl Prokey Version 3 74.00' Ryan McFarland RM COBOL (Development 570.00*

System} Satellite Software WordPerfect Sottcrart Fancy Fonts Soltstyle SET-FX + Sortware Publishing PFS: File Software Publishing PFS. Report Software Publishing PFS: Write Soltware Publishing PFS: Graph Sorcim Stiporcalc 3 SPI Open Access TCS Client Ledger Verbatim Disk Drive Analyzer

210.00' 125.00' 40.00' 74.00' 65.00' 74.00' 74.00* 189.00* 335.00' 730.00* 25.00'

HARDWARE

(Please add shipping and handling charges found in italics next to price.)

COMPLETE SYSTEMS Apple Macintosh Base System 1,810.00* (39.10)

Apple Apple //c 955.00* (20.97)

Apple Apple //e CALL Cojumbia Desktop & Portable Systems CALL Eagle Desktop PC and Spirit Portables CALL

- IBM PC 2 DSDD Floppy Drives/Color 1,930.00* (41.68)

Card/Mono Monitor/Printer Part " IBM Hard Disk 1 Floppy/ 10Mb Hard 2,840.75* (57.05)

Disk/128K/Color Card/Mono Monitor NEC Notebook New Price! 420.00* (10.00)

Sanyo MBC 550 "Lowest Cost MS- 640.00* (13.82)

DOS System"

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Cogito 1/2 Ht Low Power 10MB 800.00* (16.00)

Winchester W/IBM Controller

■ IBM Floppy Disk Controller 105.00" (2.50)

Maynard WS-f 10MB Internal Hard 880.00* (18.00)

Disk with Sandstar Multi Function Card

Maynard WS-2 same as WS- J but with 960.00* (20.75)

Sandstar Floppy Controller (uses 1 slot)

Maynard Floppy Controller/Serial Port 145,00* (2.50)

- Panasonic Half Height DSDD Drive Pair 265.00* (5.72) Oume Hall Height DSDD Drive Pair 350.00' (7.00)

(Same as used on IBM Portable)

- Tandon TMtOO-2 Full Height DSDD Drive 158.00* (3.16) Tattgrass 20MB External Hard Disk 2,800.00* (46.20)

with Tape Backup

- Teac FDS5-B Halt Height DSDD Drive Pair 280.00'

MEMORY CHIPS

All chips guaranteed lor Hie. 64K Memory Upgrade Kits {9 Chips) 42.75' 64K Dynamic Ram Chips (Each) 4.75'

MODEMS

Anchor Mark XII LOWEST PRICE 1200BPS 230.00* (5.00) HA YES COMPA TABLE EXTERNAL MODEM!

Hayes Smartmodem 300

Hayes Smartmodem 1200B with Smartcom II

Hayes Smartmodem 1200B without soltware

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MONITORS

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RGB

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Glare/Long Phosphor Princeton HX-12 RGB Monitor Princeton MAX-12 IBM Mono Princeton SR-12 Ultra High Res RGB

(6.00 j (9.30) (2.50)

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123.00* (2.50)

205.00* (2.50)

205.00* (2.50)

105.00' (2.50)

197.00' (2.50)

200.00' (2.50)

Taxan 210 Combo RGB/Composite 245.00

Taxan 420 Super High Res RGB Monitor 400.00

Zenith ZVM-123 Green High Res 76.00 /Consumer Reports Rated Best Buy!)

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Apparat 512K Memory Board with OK Apparat Combo // w/ser/par/game/

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PRINTERS

Abati 18CPS Letter Quality 340.00'

Amdek 5025 (NEW!) 25CPS LQ 485.00 w/2K Butler

Comrex/Brother CR-II 13CPS LO Printer 399.00'

Comrex/Brother Typewriter Keyboard 150.00' for CR-II

Comrex/Brotrter Cut Sheet Feeder

for CR-II Epson RX-80 Epson FX-80 Epson FX-100 Epson LQ1500

Epson IBM-tO-EPSON Parallel Cable NEC 2030 2QCPS LO Parallel "** NEC 2050 20CPS Letter Quality Printer (6.05) NEC 3530 33CPS LQ Parallel

NEC 3550 33CPS Letter Quality Printer 1,460.00* (31.54)

Okidata ML84P 200CPS 132 Col 720.00' (16.00)

n nm Okidata MLQ2P 160CPS 80 Col Printer 395.00* (fl.55>

nnm ^ Okidata ML93P 160CPS Wide Platen 590.00* (75.00) ii.wf a- okidata 24IQP Pacemark 350CPS 1,850.00* (60.00) 132 Col

Okidata IBM-lo-Okidata Parallel Cable 20.75* (1.00) Qume Sprint 11/45 45CPS Letter Quality 1,155.00* (24.00)

180.00' (3.60) Oume IBM Cable and Interface (required) 72.00* (1.00)

366.90' (2.50) Star Micronics Gemini 10X 248.00* (6.00)

Texas Instruments 855 DP/LQ w/Tractor 716.00* (15 50) 299.00* (2.50) Toshiba P-1351 160/100 CPS Draft/ 1,200.00* (32.00) LO Printer

335.00* (8.50) 290.00* (6.50)

160.00*

'3.09)

267.00* (6.00) 415.00* 19.25) 600.00* (14.35) CALL

21.00" (1.00) 625.00" f 16.53) 785.00* f 16.53^ 1.185.00* (31.54)

110.00* (3.00) 120.00' (3.00) I

130.00" 362.00' 215.00' 320.00'

(3.00) (6 00) (4.64) (6.91)

395.00* (8.53)

455.00* (9.83)

485.00' (10.48)

CALL CALL CALL

VIDEO CARDS

' Amdek MAI Card 310.00* (2.50.)

Eagle Monochrome Display Card 160.00* (2.50)

' Hercules Monochrome Graphics Card 298.00* (2 50) Hercules Color Card with Parallel Port CALL

Paradise Mullidisplay Card 250.00' (2.50;

Quadram Ouadcolorl Color Card 170.00* (2.50)

Quadram Quadvue Mono Card 210.00* (2 50)

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ACCESSORIES AND SUPPLIES

Brand Name DSDD Diskettes 20.00' (1.00)

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Microtine Perls (Invisible when torn)

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BOOK REVIEWS

achieve the capability of high-quality simulations. Simulations allow for less stressful learning conditions. Obviously, any errors made in the navigation of a spacecraft or massive supertanker could have catastrophic results. The author explores different simulation possibilities, including recent systems that permit the training of personnel in nuclear-power facilities.

A chapter on business graphics concludes the book. Business graphics could supply material for several books alone, as indeed it does, but Artwick supplies us with a broad overview that encompasses not only standard pie charts and graphics but also considers report and presentation graphics, typesetting, photographic-image handling in advertising, and the trend towards total office automation. Special appendixes for graphics on the Apple II and IBM Personal Computer are included.

Artwick offers us a straightforward

look at the interesting and indispensable field of computer graphics. This book contains many relevant illustrations, examples, and sample programs. In short, it is a wealth of practical information and a helpful reference work.

Automating Your Financial Portfolio Reviewed by Paul Ross

Although there are quite a few ways to invest your money, active investment programs require frequent analyses of vast quantities of data. For example, fundamental stock analysts search for stock issues that are underpriced considering the business prospects and assets of the issuer. This process involves detailed analyses of debtequity ratios, cash flow, market dominance, undervalued real estate, predicted growth rates, management quality, and many other factors. On the other hand, technical stock analysts look for trends and cycles in stock

prices and volumes that reveal public sentiment and foretell stock-price changes. Option analysts usually calculate the fair price of options—a quantity that depends on the price and historic volatility of the stock underlying the option, among other things. Bond analysts need to compare the current yield and yield to maturity of various issues and take into account the risk of default by the issuing agency.

In short, investment analysts have different, and sometimes incompatible, philosophies of what constitutes real worth. But all investors share the belief that if they could just analyze more data their investment programs would be more profitable. It is not surprising that investors are enthusiastically adopting personal computers.

Audience

Automating Your Financial Portfolio, by Donald Woodwell, surveys the use of

[continued)

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BOOK REVIEWS

personal computers as an investment aid. One great strength of this book is that it contains sample outputs from different financial programs from which a knowledgeable investor can glean programs that produce the exact information required. Experienced investors will find Automating Your Financial Portfolio useful as an introduction to functions in available programs. Combine this book with a few technical brochures from vendors listed in the book, and an experienced investor could choose a suitable computer and program to automate a substantial amount of the routine work in an established investment program. Thus, stock investors can benefit the most from this book whereas commodity and tangibles investors may find little that interests them.

Automating Your Financial Portfolio will be much less useful to naive investors using their computer expertise for investment analysis. The summaries of various investment-analysis techniques are oversimplified and misleadingly optimistic. In the same way that a weighty program cannot be written without substantial previous study and practice, so also a large investment program cannot be started without preparation. This book gives the impression that as soon as you plot some prices with your computer, the winning investments will become manifest.

Book's Structure

Although Woodwell's first three chapters are enthusiastic, the real gist of the book lies in chapters 4 through 13. Each provides an introduction to a particular facet of investment or financial management—generally illustrated with sample screens or printed output from a few relevant programs. Each chapter concludes with a bibliography and a resource list of programs relevant to the topic of the chapter, a name and address of a source for the software, and the brand of computer for which the software is designed. Prices are not listed in the book but are occasionally mentioned in the text of the chapter. The illustrative tables and sample outputs all appear to have been provided by the program authors or vendors. This should not be taken as criticism; no single author could master the variety

(continued)

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Less for Your Money

If you do word processing on your personal computer, you probably know that there are many programs for sale to help you with your spelling. But the biggest spelling error you'll ever make is paying too much for your spelling correction software. The Random House ProofReader gives you less for your money — less trouble, that is, and fewer spelling errors. The Random House ProofReader is based on the world famous Random House Dictionary. It contains up to 80,000 words, depending on your disk capacity. You can add new words with the touch of a key. It shows you the error and the sentence it's in. It instantly suggests corrections. It even rechecks your corrections. And it costs half as much as other programs with far less power. The Random House ProofReader is compatible with all CP/M 2.2®, MS-DOS® and IBM Personal Computer® systems.

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Random House and the House design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc. IBM and IBM Personal Computer are registered trademarks of international Business Machines, Inc. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft, Inc.

76 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

BOOK REVIEWS

Technical analysis is more complex than is suggested in this book.

of approaches and different brands of computers and do such a timely job of reporting the results.

An Aside

The most complete chapter is entitled "Portfolio Evaluation and Selection." It lists 23 programs in the resource section and shows several actual output pages or displays from each of eight programs. Although fundamental analysis is mentioned and about half of the illustrations show portfolioinventory programs, the thrust of the chapter is toward technical stock analysis. Unfortunately, the explanation of technical analysis implies that stockmarket prices are controlled by Kondratieff (55-year) cycles, 10-year cycles, and election (4-year) cycles and that all you have to do is plot stock-market price data to find the key to timing wise investment decisions. Cyclic theory is but one of several important parts of technical analysis. Technical analysis, in my opinion, is more complex and subjective than this book suggests.

The slight treatment of fundamental stock analysis is at variance with common practice. No matter what most stock investors' principal method of stock selection is, they all use a little fundamental analysis, which doesn't receive the usual equal treatment found in introductory texts. Automating Your Financial Portfolio devotes one page to fundamental stock analysis plus a short description of the Dow Jones Market Microscope. No sample outputs from any fundamental-analysis program are shown in the "Portfolio Evaluation and Selection" chapter. (However, a VisiCalc template for the very fine fundamental stock analysis method of the National Association of Investment Clubs is illustrated in the appendix of one of the introductory chapters.) This omission is hard to understand considering that the book publisher and the publisher of the Dow (ones Market Microscope are related companies.

The weakest technical chapter may be "Commodities and Stock Options Trading." The introductory material is

superficial; it treats commodities as highly leveraged stocks. The only example program shown for commodity analysis is Compu Trac, which is primarily a technical stock-analysis program. No commodity programs are listed in the resource list.

Stock options are not explained, but 13 sentences are devoted to the Stock Options Analysis Program. This short explanation concentrates on a numerical integration used in calculating the expected profit on an option purchase, but it doesn't give much of an overview of the total function of the program. Two pages of graphs and printouts are reproduced from which a knowledgeable investor can get a good idea of the functioning of the program. The resource list also includes two option-analysis programs.

Other chapters cover "Cash and Budget Management" (ten programs listed, of which one has sample outputs shown), "Information Utilities" (six information services and five financially oriented terminal programs listed; short sessions with Dow lones and The Source are illustrated), and "Debt Securities Analysis" (one program listed and sample output shown). Other chapters cover tax, estate, and real estate planning. The chapter called "Portfolio Evaluation and Selection" lists database-management programs and a chapter on "Tracking Tangibles" lists general graphing programs. But the chapter on evaluating portfolios could have been called "General Inventory Systems." Specialized investmentportfolio inventory systems are included in another chapter devoted to general database-management programs.

It is often the case that by the time any book concerning microcomputers is published it is already out of date. This book has not escaped that fate. The programs reported, while not exhaustive, seem to be a fair representation of what was available in early 1983 before many of them were released in IBM versions. My quick survey indicates that 60 percent of the listed programs are shown as being available in Apple versions, but only 17 percent are shown as being available in versions for the IBM PC. During this last year, however, the count has nearly equalized between

[continued)

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IBM and Apple personal computers.

Network technology has definitely progressed since this book was written. Many stockbrokers provide services for computer and terminal owners. For example, E. F. Hutton provides investment news and research information on line. Several stockbrokers, in addition to Dow (ones. The Source, and CompuServe, provide delayed stock-price information and some accept orders placed through personal computers.

Other Publications

How does Automating Your Financial Portfolio compare to other books in the field? There aren't any directly comparable books, but readers may find The Investor's Guide to Software by Longman Financial Services Publishing (1983) useful. The \nvestor's Guide, revised annually, is organized very similarly to Automating Your Financial Portfolio, except that it makes no attempt to explain investment methods. Each program is given one page of which only about 100 words are devoted to explaining the program. The sample printouts and screen displays in Automating Your Financial Portfolio are more informative, but The Investor's Guide gives prices. The Investor's Guide and Automating Your Financial Portfolio would complement each other quite nicely.

Art and Graphics on the Apple I I/I I e Reviewed by Kevin Woodhouse

From picture to picture in Art and Graphics on the Apple Il/Ile, William H. DeWitt attempts to expand the artistic imagination into accepting the field of computer graphics. With an emphasis on creativity, he tries to convince the novice programmer or the experienced artist that Apple art is a link between imagination and a final project of color animation, videotaped and set to music. This is quite a lot of material to subject a beginner to in 128 pages. As successful or unsuccessful as he is at this, the book does not portray an understanding of high- and low-resolution graphics, but it makes up for it with an imaginative approach to many hours of computer fun.

DeWitt, who has taught computer graphics at the University of Rochester and is the president of Computer Art, gives his reasons for writing this book and throws down all his cards. His

The second half of the book is about animation and videotaping.

readers will either be turned off or captured totally by the latest in the Wiley Press Guides to self-taught microprocessing. Although he deserves credit for his approach to mixing humor with computer graphics, at times he carries it a bit far.

Getting Started

DeWitt assumes you know BASIC pretty thoroughly and in the first chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book: short and sweet. He wisely keeps the reader interested by frequent references to sections that follow. Moving quickly through the next two chapters, he informs the reader about low-resolution graphics. The book is largely based on low resolution, as DeWitt believes it's more exciting than high resolution. If he were more technical, he could have made this more interesting for serious programmers. However, opting for imagination, it seems to fit a have-fun/nopressure approach to programming.

Chapters 4 and 5 summarize highresolution art. These two chapters contain more technical data than the rest of the book. Similar to the preceding two chapters, 4 and 5 round out the first section of exposure to Apple graphics.

Creating Shapes

Part 2 is made up of chapters 6, 7, and 8. It is devoted to shapes, tables, and pictures. There is only one slight reference to using two-page graphics. The reader begins to see the power and practical use of Apple graphics rather than the simple fun of Apple art. I recommend that this section be read all at once to spark an interest in the final half of the book, which is on animation and videotaping. DeWitt includes 15 color photos, mostly artwork, to give you an idea of what you will see on the screen.

In the last five chapters, 9 through 13. the reader moves from animating to capturing animation on film. One of DeWitt's past employers, Eastman Kodak, plays an important role in this section, as there are several references

(continued)

78 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

The Race For Space

Maynard's in the lead I with an expam

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I

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80 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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BOOK REVIEWS

to coupling its equipment with your animated artwork. It is here that we see the overall project and the use of graphics on the computer. For those of us who don't have this hardware, we can skip this section and not lose much information on graphics. Although it is a complete step-by-step procedure on filmmaking, keep in mind the book was written for the graphic artist to expand computer skills.

Overview

To complete the introductory course on graphics, the reader should be equipped with a glossary of terms to understand what is going on. Nonetheless, the beginning graphics enthusiast will benefit from this exposure to computer art and, in the end, will thank DeWitt for showing the outcome of this expanding field.

But if this review does not turn you into a graphics enthusiast, an additional 10 dollars lets you skip the book and move on to a disk that holds all 60 sample programs varying in length from 3 to 52 lines. This disk allows a serious approach to this field for the serious programmer.

Despite an occasional lack of detail, DeWitt's book successfully captures the artist or even the filmmaker's Imagination and creates the urge to take a second step In Apple graphics, ■

Bruce R. Evans Is a family physician (I Hopecrest Cm,, Scarborough, Ontario MIK 2K3, Canada) practicing In Toronto, Ontario,

leftCampbell (9296 WesI 98tfi Place, Broomfield, CO 80020) Is the graphic designer! photographer at Campbell Photo/ Graphics in Denver,

Paul Ross (6800 Fleetwood Rd. #418, Mclean, VA 22101) Is a research engineer who writes his own investment programs.

Kevin Woodhouse is a microcomputer and math teacher at Dublin School in Dublin, NH 03444, with a particular interest in computer cartography and research.

BYTE is always looking for qualified book reviewers. ! ; Submit queries and proposals accompanied by a ; resume, writing samples, or a list of computer-related ; interests and expertise to Book Review Editor. POB '. 372, Hancock. NH 03449. :

TOLL FREE (800) 223-0306

Circle 155 on inquiry card.

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For considerably less, the new P1340 gives you just a little less. But it still has the same highdensity 24-pin dot-matrix print head, the 180 x 180 dots-per-inch graphics resolution, and the Qume SPRINT 5 emulation. In addition to true proportional spacing and a

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For more information, call toll-free: 1-800-457-7777, Operator 32.

IBM PC to P1340 and P13S1 graphics utilize! PaperScreen and the IBM PC with color graphics adapter. IBM PC Is a trademark of International Business Machines. Lotus and 1-2-3 are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation, SPRINT 6 is a trademark of Qume Corporation.

© 1984 Toshiba America, Inc.

Circle 350 on Inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 81

ior mey chose a better

graphics card-HERCULES

And then we became a standard.

When the IBM* PC was introduced over 2 years ago, the talented people at Lotus realized that it was limited by a lack of high resolution graphics. They knew that this was going to have an adverse effect on 1-2-3's graphics. And Lotus didn't want anything to hold back their revolutionary software.

So they turned to Hercules.

Lotus recognized that the Hercules Graphics Card delivered the performance they wanted. It offered high quality text and high resolution graphics on IBM's monochrome display. It completely replaced the IBM monochrome card. And it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Since then, Hercules has sold a lot of Graphics Cards. So many that the Hercules Graphics Card has become the high resolution standard for the IBM PC. And this means that there is more high resolution graphics software available for Hercules than for any other graphics card you can buy.

Software like Microsoft® Word. Our high resolution makes Word's text much sharper and easier on your eyes. And there are other programs for business graphics, computer aided design, terminal emulation and programming. Call for our free information kit. See why the company that made the first graphics card for the IBM PC still makes the best.

Hercules. We're strong on graphics. 800 255 5550 Ext. 408

Address: Hercules, 2550 Ninth St, Berkeley, CA94710Ph: 415540-6000Telex: 754063 Features: IBM monochrome display graphics resolution of 720x348; parallel printer port; text mode software compatibility; free software for programming; 2 year warranty. Foreign distributors: Compuserve/ Canada; Reflex/U.K.; Computer 2000AV. Germany; Edifioft/France; SourceWare/Australia. Trademarks/Owners: Hercules/Hercules Computer Technology; Microsoft/Microsoft Corp; IBM/International Business Machines; Lotus & 1-2-3/Lotus Development.

82 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 403 on inquiry card.

EVENT QUEUE

September 1984

352-8251 or (213) 417-8888. September-October

• DEC SEMINARS Technical and Management Seminars for Professionals, various sites in the U.S. Subject areas: system-performance management, networking, personal computing, applications design and programming, real-time applications design, and management development. On-site seminars can be arranged. Contact Educational Services, Seminar Programs BUO/E58, Digital Equipment Corp., 12 Crosby Dr.. Bedford, MA 01730, (617) 2764949. September

• MANAGERIAL SEMINARS Computer Competence Seminars, Boston University Metropolitan College, Boston, MA. A series of hands-on presentations tailored for managers who know little or nothing about computers and for those who wish to sharpen their computing skills. On the docket are "BASIC for Managers," "Getting Started with Lotus 1-2-3," and many others. Fees range from $22 5 to $595. In-house programs can be organized. Contact loan Merrick, University Seminar Center, Suite 415, 850 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02167, (617) 738-5020. September

• RAINBOW SEMINARS All-Hands-On, Boston, MA, and Chicago. 1L. A series of applications seminars featuring the DEC Rainbow 100. Contact Carol Ericson. BUO/E50, Educational Services, Digital Equipment Corp., 12 Crosby Dr., Bedford. MA 01730, (617) 276-4572. September

• COURSES FROM ICS Courses from Integrated Computer Systems, various sites throughout the U.S. Among the courses offered are "Computer Network Design and Protocols" and "Data Communications." Fees are generally $895. For more information, contact Integrated Computer Systems, 6305 Arizona Place, POB 45405, Los Angeles. CA 90045. (800) 421-8166: in California, (800)

• ERGONOMICS CONFERENCE World Conference on Ergonomics in Computer Systems, various sites throughout the U.S. and Europe. Ergonomic experts and computer professionals and users will exchange information and observations. Contact Computer Psychology Inc., 54 East Main St., POB 16, Mendham. N) 07945, (201) 543-9009. In Europe, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, LM Ericssons vag 4-8, S-12625 Stockholm, Sweden: tel: (8) 7190000. September-October

• HIGH-TECH TUTORIALS Tutorial Short Courses from Hellman Associates, London, England, and various sites in the U.S. Among the courses offered are "VLSI Design," "Digital Control," and "Error Correction." Fees are generally $895. Contact Hellman Associates Inc.. Suite 300, 299 California Ave.. Palo Alto, CA 94306. (415) 328-4091. September-October

• SEMINARS FOR PROFESSIONALS—Professional Development Seminars, various sites throughout the U.S. Topic areas: data communications, database management, EDP operations, microcomputers, software engineering, CAD/CAM, IBM mainframes, office automation, and others. Fees range from $195 to $1095. Contact Institute for Advanced Technology, 6003 Executive Blvd.. Rockville, MD 20852, (800) 638-6590: in Maryland, (301) 468-8576. September-October

• CONTINUING ENGINEERING EDUCATION—George Washington University, Continuing Engineering Education, Washington. DC. For a schedule, contact George Harrison, Continuing Engineering Education,

George Washington University, Washington. DC 20052, (800) 424-9773: in the District of Columbia, (202) 676-6106. September-November

• INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER PROGRAMS-1984 institute of Industrial Engineers' Continuing Education Programs, various sites throughout the U.S. Among the programs on the agenda are "Robotics—Equipment, Applications, and Methodology" and "Effective Utilization of Microcomputers." A complete listing is available from the Institute of Industrial Engineers, 25 Technology Park/Atlanta, Norcross, GA 30092, (404) 449-0460. September-December

• INFORMATION PROCESSING SEMINARS—New York University Seminars in Information Processing, various sites throughout the U.S. "Fundamentals of Data Processing for Administrative Assistants and Secretaries" and "Managing Systems Projects" are two of the seminars offered. For a calendar listing and more information, contact School of Continuing Education, Seminar Center, New York University, 575 Madison Ave.. New York, NY 10022, (212) 748-5094. September-December

• INTEL WORKSHOPS Microcomputer Workshops, various sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. Intel, the semiconductor memory manufacturer, is offering more than 20 workshops on microprocessor applications. A brochure is available. Contact Customer Training, Intel Corp., 27 Industrial Ave.. Chelmsford, MA 01824-3688, (617) 256-1374. September-December

• LECTURE SERIES Montclair State College Colloquium Lecture Series and the

Nobel Laureate Lecture Series, Richardson Hall, Room W-117, Upper Montclair, NJ. Topics to be addressed include "Can Civilization Survive Science and Technology?" and "Industrial Applications of Input/Output Analysis." Admission is free. Contact Professor Gideon Nettier, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, N] 07043. (201) 893-4294. September-December

• PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION Seminars from the Institute for Professional Education, various sites in the U.S. Programs in statistics, management, simulation and modeling, personal computers, and computer science. Contact the Institute for Professional Education, POB 756, Arlington, VA 22216. (703) 527-8700. September-December

• FUTURE DBMS

Fourth Generation Data Management Software, Washington, DC. Topics include user-friendly DBMS, applications generators, data dictionaries/directories, database designers, and decision-support systems. Registration fee: $650. Contact Software Institute of America Inc., 8 Windsor St., Andover, MA 01810. (617) 470-3880. September 10-11

• ELECTRONICS SHOWS Midcon/84 and Mini/Micro Southwest-84, Dallas, TX. Concurrent conferences exploring practical applications and the state of the art of electronics, including computers, graphics, and networks. Contact Electronic Conventions Management, 8110 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045, (213) 772-2965. September 11-13

• UNIX EXPOSITION

UNIX Systems Expo/84, Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA. More than 200 exhibits of UNIX-related products and services, as well as presentations

(continued)

IF YOU WANT your organization's public activities listed in BYTE's Event Queue, we need to know about them at least four months in advance. Send information about computer conferences, seminars, workshops, and courses to BYTE. Event Queue. POB 372, Hancock. NH 03449.

SEFTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 83

EVENT QUEUE

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and panel discussions. Contact Computer Faire Inc.. 181 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02159, (617) 965-8350. September 11-14

• EUROPEAN COMPUTER GRAPHICS-Eurographics '84. The Fifth Annual European Computer Graphics Congress, Copenhagen. Denmark. A congress with an international lineup of speakers and product exhibits. Contact Kenness International, 1 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016, (800) 235-6400: in New York, (212) 684-2010. September 12-14

• INTRO TO DATA COMMUN1CATIONS-lntroduction to Data Communications, Atlanta, GA. An overview of data-communications terminology, technology, hardware, and software. Participants will learn to design a batch data-collection system and estimate the response time of a multipoint circuit. Fee: S725. Contact Elaine Hadden Nicholas. Department of Continuing Education, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. GA 30332-0385. (404) 894-2 547. September 12-14

• SOFTWARE EXPO

The Fifth Annual Software/Expo, Hyatt Regency, Chicago, IL. A conference and exposition. Contact Software/Expo, Suite 205. 2400 East Devon Ave. Des Plaines. IL 60018. (312) 299-3131. September 12-14

• TECHNOLOGY FOR DISABLED-Computer Technology for the Handicapped, Raddison South Hotel. Minneapolis. MN. A national conference and exhibit for special education, rehabilitation, and medical professionals. Presentations and workshops. Registration is $175. Admission to the exhibit floor only is $3. Contact Closing the Gap, POB 68, Henderson. MN 56044, (612) 665-6573 or (612) 341-8299. September 13-16

• GULF COAST COMPUTING The Heart of Texas Computer Show, Bayfront Plaza, Corpus Christi. Seminars and displays. Contact Heart of Texas Computer Show, POB 12094, San Antonio. TX 78212, (512) 681-2248. September 14-16

• EFFICIENT COMPUTING TECHNIQUES—Microcomputers:

Techniques for Improving Your Computer Efficiency, Valley Inn and Tavern, Waterville Valley, NH. Intensive two-day seminar, "Introduction to VisiCalc." Tuition is $495. or $679 with meals and lodging. Contact New Hampshire College. Resource Center, 2 500 North River Rd.. Manchester, NH 03104, (603) 668-2211, ext. 175. September 15-16

• SHOW IN GARDEN STATE The Tenth New lersey Microcomputer Show. Meadowlands Hilton Hotel, Secaucus. NJ. More than 250 exhibits of new and used computer equipment for the home, office, and small business. Commercial exhibits and an electronics flea market. Adult admission is $5: for children. $3. Contact Ken Gordon Productions. POB 13, Franklin Park, NJ 08823, (201) 297-2526. September 15-16

• PEOPLE AND COMPUTERS The 1984 SME World Congress on Human Aspects of Automation, Hotel du Pare. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Contact Society of Manufacturing Engineers. One SME Dr., POB 930. Dearborn, Ml 48121, (313) 271-1500, ext. 369. September 16-19

• COMPUTERS AND MODERN WORLD-COMPCON Fall '84. Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Arlington, VA. Tutorials, panels, demonstrations, sessions, and papers will explore the theme "Small Computer (R)Evolution." Contact COMPCON Fall '84, IEEE Computer Society. POB 639. Silver Spring. MD 20901, (301) 589-8142. September 16-20

• MEDICINE. BIOLOGY. ENGINEERING—The ThirtySeventh Annual Conference on Engineering in Medicine and Biology, Los Angeles Hilton, Los Angeles. CA. Papers, short courses, and scientific and commercial exhibits will be featured. Contact The Alliance for Engineering in Medicine and Biology. Suite 402. 4405 EastWest Highway. Bethesda. MD 20814, (301) 657-4142. September 17-19

• NETWORK COMPONENTS COURSE—Data Communications Network Components. Atlanta. GA. Covers the use. operation,

[continued]

84 BYTE" SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 104 on inquiry card.

COMPUTERS and more.

is your place to buy for SELECTION, SERVICE and SAVINGS. We know that your needs are not the same as everyone's, so we don't treat you "just like every one else." Your needs are special. That's why COMPUTERS and more. . . is your place to buy for. . .

r

>logy at Prices You Can

IB

2S6K PC w/2 1750

PC w/10 Meg & 1-320 2495 PC W/2-320K & 10 Meg3195 Extended Warranty Available on All Models APPLE

Hot New IIC 1150

MAC - All Models CALL USA - All Models CALL

Apple HE 750

FRANKLIN

New CX-2 Portable . 1295

New CX-2C Portable 1595

Ace 1000 699

OMS System

w/Monitor . 1395

Ace Pro Plus 995

TELEVIDEO

Model 1605H 3795

Model 1605E 298

Model TPC II 2399

Model 803H 3379

Model 804 3399

Extended Warranty Available on All Models COLUMBIA

1600-1 2295

1600-4 3299

VP Portable 2349

COMPUTER^

i

RONA

DeskTop w/2 Drives 2099S Portable w/2 Drives 20991 Models w/Hard Disk CALL |

New Models CALL I

CONVERGENT TECH j

WorkSlate 995 I

MicroPrinter 229 §

Comport -■ 149 |

NEC

8201A (Portable) ... 489 "i

APC-H01 2095 |

APC-H02 CALL I

APC-H03 CALL I

APC H04 2659 |

TAVA

PC w/Monochrome

Monitor 1899 |

PC w/Color Monitor 1959 |

ZENITH DeskTop 151-21 .... 2159 g DeskTop 151-22 .... 2495 1 Portable 161-21 .... 2349 | Portable 161-22 .... 2639 § CALL FOR PRICES ON: I KAYPRO • SHARP • COMPAQ • EAGLE • OTRONO • NOVELLE • f NORTHSTAR* ALTOS" | DEC • EPSON • SANYO • ATARI •

ACCESSORIES 1

IBM

Hercules Color Card 199 StarUok-by DRI ... 1295 Keytfonic 5151 — 5151 Jr. ;

209

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Smart Cable by I.Q. 64 Jr. Extender by

Falcon CALL.

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TG Joystick 44

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199 ; 64 ) 79 1 69

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Inves Anyl. by Dow Jones . Market Analyzer ;. .. 249 : Market Manager ... 219

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tit Bankstreet Writer .. 47 ff; EasyWriter II by IUS 269 §; Correct Star: by Mic ro Pro 134

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WE OFFER EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS. OUR EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS^ ARE HERE FOR YOU!

1 Year Warranty Available TO ORDER: Phone orders Invited using Visa, MasterCard, or bank wire IransfarsVisa. MC NO service charge Mail orders may send charge card number (include expiration date), cashiers check, money order, or personal check (allow 10 business days for personal or company checks to clear). Please add 3% (15.00 minimum) lor UPS shipping, handling, and insurance. All equipment is in lactory cartons wlih manufacturer warranty Opened products not returnable Restocking fee for returned merchandise. Equipment subject to price change and availability. Retail prices differ from mail order prices Calif residents add 6H1 Slate Tax Company and school P O.'s accepted on approval. IBM S Apple are registered trademarks

COMPUTERS and more.

8625 Commercial Dr., La Mesa, CA 92041

On All Pre-paid Cash Orders In Cont

VISA'

(619) 291-1442

NO SERVICE CHARGE FOR CREDIT CARDS NATIONAL LEASING AVAILABLE

P.O.'S ACCEPTEI APPROVAL

Circle 88 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 85

It's always smart to think before you do.

Quick*Plans

The Executive Project Planning System

Features:

• 250 activities / 500 connectors

• Menu driven

• Full feature data editor

• User specified time units - minute, hour, day, week, month (with up to 15000 time units of duration)

• Precedence logic (Activity on Node capability)

• Can run on a hard disk

• Both printed copy and screen displays can be used for output

• Assignable and selectable Activity Numbers and Activity Codes

• Multiple projects

• Multiple currencies (with a currency converter within the program)

• Six resources per activity

• 100 item resource library

• Can save files on diskette or hard disk as the system supports multiprojects

• All activities can carry Time, Cost, and Resources

• Uses "normalized" resource costs (to the time unit specified by the user)

• Permits specified dates with constraint options

• Interfaces with the Cost Matrix program

• Tails

• The system permits LAGS

• Advanced Network Processor

• Memory resident system

• Precedence Method with Finish-to-Start, Start-toStart, Finish-to-Finish, Start-to-Finish, Logic Connectors

• Network logic display with high resolution

• Ability to zoom, spread, and isolate activity displays

Quick-Plan runs on MS-DOS* for Data General DT*, DEC Rainbow+*, HP 150*, IBM Compatibles*, and WANG PC*.

Having been successfully placed in offices worldwide, Quick'Plan is recommended by users as the manage ment tool of the future.

Please call or write for information. Also consider our "Big" Management And Project Planning System

(MAPPS)

Mitchell Management Systems Inc.

FORMERLY STRUCTURAL PROGRAMMING INC.

Weslborough Office Park. 2000 Wesl Park Drive, Westborough, Mass. 01581 U.S.A Telephone (617) 366-0800 TWX: 710-347-1054

" Registered trademarks of Data General, Digital Equipment Corp.. Hewlett Packard, International Business Machines, Micro-Soft, and Wang Laboratories.

EVENT QUEUE

application, and acquisition procedures for 2 5 major communications components. Fee: $750. Contact Elaine Hadden Nicholas, Department of Continuing Education. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. GA 30332-0385, (404) 894-2547. September 17-19

• ADA WORKSHOP Future Ada Environment Workshop, Miramar Hotel Bythe-Sea. Santa Barbara, CA. Workshops, addresses, presentations, working groups, and discussions. Registration: $400 to $700 depending on room choice. Contact ACM AdaTEC Future Ada Environment Workshop. TRW R2/1134, One Space Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, or register directly with Carolyn Gannon. GRC. POB 6770, Santa Barbara. CA 93160. September 17-20

• AIR SAFETY AND COMPUTERS-Special Committee 156 Meeting, Washington, DC. Special Committee 156 will discuss possible safety problems caused by portable computers on airplanes and what standards are needed. The standards could affect the in-flight use of some portable computers. Meetings are open and generally begin at 9:30 a.m. Contact Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics. 142 5 K St. NW, Washington. DC 20005. (202) 682-0266, September 18-19

• KENTUCKIANA EXHIBITION CompuFest '84, Commonwealth Convention Center, Louisville. KY. Computer consultant services, approximately 100 hardware, software, peripheral, and word-processing system vendors, and technical sessions. A full day's worth of seminars costs $15. Registration fee is $2. Contact the Kentucky Society of CPAs, 310 West Liberty St., Louisville, KY 40202, (502) 589-9239. September 18-20

• OFFICE PRODUCTS IN OK CITY-The First Annual Southwest Office Products Show. Oklahoma City. OK. Contact SWOPS. POB 950. Norman. OK 73070, (405) 329-3660 or (918) 587-9550. September 18-20

• ADA WORKSHOP Workshop in Ada. Atlanta. GA. This course combines lectures with laboratory sessions and

emphasizes the design and implementation of Ada programs. Programming experience with FORTRAN. PL/I, Jovial. Pascal, C. or another high-level language required. Fee: $900. Contact Elaine Hadden Nicholas. Department of Continuing Education. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0385. (404) 894-2 547. September 18-21

• SHOW IN INDONESIA

The Third Internationa] Business and Personal Computer Exhibition. Fair Grounds, lakarta, Indonesia. Contact Overseas Exhibition Services, 11 Manchester Square. London W1M 5AB. England; tel: 01-486 1951: Telex: 24591 MONTEX G. September 18-22

• PARISIAN COMPUTING The Thirty-Fifth S1COB, International Exhibition of Data Processing, Teleprocessing, Communication. Office Procedures, and Office Systems. CNIT, ParisLa Defense. Paris, France. Microprocessing and videotex will be major highlights of the exhibition. International visitors presenting their passports will have a special reception room. Some of the congresses and conferences will feature simultaneous interpretation in English and French. Contact International Trade Exhibitions in France. 8 West 40th St., New York, NY 10018, (212) 869-1720. September 19-28

• EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE The First North Carolina Educational Microcomputer Conference, Benton Convention Center and Hyatt Hotel, Winston-Salem. Educational sessions, hands-on workshops, and product displays. A network of various computers will be set up. Contact Jeanette Gann, NC Regional Education Center, POB 21889. Greensboro. NC 27420. (919) 379-5764. September 20-21

• PROJECT MANAGEMENT SEMINAR—Software for Project Management and Estimating. Los Angeles, CA. Fee: $42 5. Contact CIP Information Services Inc., 1105-F Spring St., Silver Spring, MD 20910. (301) 589-7933. September 20-21

• DOCUMENTATION METHODS How to Document a Computer System. Holiday Inn—Thomas

[continued]

86 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 333 on inquiry card.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A NEW LAP-SIZE COMPUTER WITH SEXY GOOD LOOKS LIKE THE APPLE lit AND BONE CRUSHING POWER LIKE HE$3000H-P PORTABLE ALL FOR $995?

li

■

Hi

EPSON

Of course you want it.

The Epson Geneva"" A full-function, battery powered lap-size computer with 64K of memory, an 80 character 8-line screen, a big, responsive keyboard, cassette storage, plus four powerful, popular pro grams on ROM capsules, all included free. All Epson quality. Alitor $995. Now that's technology. If the Geneva is small where it counts, it is also big where it counts. In software, you get the big advantage of a universal operating system

CPIM. And to start you off at freeway speed, the Epson Geneva comes complete with WordStar. Also included is Portable Calc, an electronic spreadsheet, Portable Scheduler, and Microsoft BASIC. Want more?

The Epson Geneva offers a complete collection of advanced, battery-powered mini-peripherals. Customize your perfect computer

mmM

mm ■

system with a direct connect modem; an extra 120K of RAM disk memory; a 320K3'/2" disk drive; there's even an amazing four pound 80-column printer. Here's the best part. When you put an Epson , Geneva and every one of these peripherals into

one briefcase, you / • • -"^mT?[ mm i have a complete > " -—jgadlW^ computer system £ JSSBKKKBBm mm

for a thousand J mSm

dollars less than \ where other powerful I portables begin. ^^^^^B^^^^B The Epson Geneva. You know you want it, so when are you going to get it?

For the name of your nearest Epson dealer, call (800) 421-5426. In CA, call (213}539-9140

NEVER HAS 4^7 MkmW BOUGHT SO MUCH. AND SO UTTLE.

Epson, Apple, WordStar, CP/M, and Microsoft are registered trademarks of Epson Corporation, Apple Computer, Inc., MicroPro, Digital Research, and Microsoft Corporation, respectively. Geneva is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.

THE HARD ONE 15 RIGHT TO FIND!

We've Got it at

ALPHA OMEGA

COHPUTER PRODUCTS

EVENT QUEUE

TURBO lO

HARD DISK PACKAGE $949.00

• TURB010 is designed for the IBM PC®, to achieve IBM PC/XT® capacity, and full PC/XT compatibility.

• Access seek time 300% faster than IBM PC/XT®.

• Ideal with the use of serious application programs, such as Aston Tate™ dBase III and Framework, Lotus™ 1, 2, 3 and Symphony™, Micropro Wordstar, etc...

•13 month defective exchange policy, covering

both parts and labor. •TURB010 comes complete with all necessary

interfacing and cables, and installation and user

documentation.

• Speed, Convenience, Affordability, and Reliability ...at Alpha Omega Computer Products we put

it all together for yOU. See our ad on page 18.

To order call:

^345-4422

or contact your local dealer, MM and ask for the TURBO 10. MMM

MBaM 18612 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA 91356 d_IS

All products are pre-tested before delivery, and are guaranteed for 13 months. Within this period, defective returns must accompany an RMA number. All other returns subject to a 10°o restocking fee. Please include S6 for shipping and handling. There will be an additional S4 surcharge on COD orders. Calif, residents include 6.5°o sales tax. Prices may change without notice.

Circle. Washington, DC, and Hyatt Cherry Hill, Cherry Hill, NJ. A series of documentation procedures will be presented. The fee is SI55. Contact Technical Communications Associates, Suite 210, 1250 Oakmead Parkway. Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (800) 227-3800, ext. 977; in California, (408) 737-2665. September 21 and September 24. respectively

• PACIFIC COAST FAIR

The Fifth Annual Pacific Coast Computer Fair, Robson Square Media Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Exhibits, user-group displays, and speakers. Workshops, presentations, and panels will discuss , the Apple Macintosh, MS-DOS, software and hardware marketing, publishing, Modula-2, and graphics. Admission is $4 per day. Contact Pacific Coast Computer Fair Association, POB 80866, South Burnaby, British Columbia V5H 3YI, Canada, (604) 581-6877. September 22-23

• SOUTHERN IERSEY SHOW The Second Annual South lersey/Philadelphia Microcomputer Show, Halloran Plaza Convention Center, Pennsauken, NJ. More than 125 exhibitors of new and used computer equipment for the home, office, and small business. A commercial exhibit and electronics flea market. Adult admission is $5; S3 for children. Contact Ken Gordon Productions, POB 13, Franklin Park, NJ 08823, (201) 297-2 526. September 22-23

• GRAPHICS STANDARD COURSE-Introduction to GKS, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Austin, TX. A course on the Graphics Kernel System (GKS) standard. The fee is S495. Contact Nova Graphics International Corp., 1015 Bee Cave Woods, Austin, TX 78746. (512) 327-9300. September 24-25

• ASIAN COMPUTER SHOW The Fifth South East Asia Regional Computer Conference and Exhibition and Hong Kong Computer 84, Hong Kong Exhibition Centre. China Resources Building, Wanchai. Hong Kong. For more information, contact Cahners Exposition Group, 7315 Wisconsin Ave., POB 70007, Washington. DC 20088, (301) 657-3090.

September 24-27

• FACTORY AUTOMATION Autofact Europe. Swiss Industries Fair, Basel. Switzerland. Latest developments in automated assembly. Contact Autofact Conference Administrator, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, One SME Dr., POB 930, Dearborn. Ml 48121. (313) 271-1500. ext. 373. September 24-27

• OFFICE AUTOMATION IN OTTAWA—The Seventh Annual Ottawa Computer and Office Automation Show, Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Contact Industrial Trade Shows. 20 Butterick Rd.. Toronto, Ontario M8W 3Z8, Canada, (416) 252-7791. September 26-27

• COMPUTERS, COMMUNICATIONS. AND CONTROL Eurocon 84, The Sixth European Conference on Electrotechnics, Brighton. England. A conference that seeks to identify the impact of computerbased technology on communications and control. Contact Manager, Conference Services, Institution of Electrical Engineers, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL. England; tel: 01-240 1871, ext. 222; Telex: 261176. September 26-28

• MID-ATLANTIC SHOW The Fifth Annual Mid-Atlantic Computer Show and Office Equipment Exposition. Convention Center, Washington, DC. Contact CompuShows Inc.. POB 3315. Annapolis, MD 21403, (800) 368-2066: Annapolis. (3011 263-8044; Baltimore, 269-7694; District of Columbia, 261-1047. September 27-30

• BEAN TOWN COMPUTING The Second Annual Boston Area Microcomputer Show. Northeast Trade Center. Woburn, MA. More than 200 exhibitors of new and used computer equipment. Commercial exhibits and electronics flea market. Adult admission is $5; for children. $3. Contact Ken Gordon Productions. POB 13. Franklin Park. NJ 08823. (201) 297-2526. September 29-30

October 1984

• MEDICAL COMPUTER SEMINAR—Medical Computer

[continued)

90 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 17 on inquiry card.

MicroWay* is the world's leading retailer of 8087s. We also have the most accurate statistics on chip reliability. They are: .01% infant mortality, .00% adult mortality and .02% 8088 incompatibility. As for ease of installation, we have never had a customer return a chip because of bent pins. We are so confident that you will be able to successfully install and use the chip that we offer a 180-day warranty with every chip we sell. Thaf s 90 days more than anyone else!

REALTIME MULTI-TASKING/

MULTI-USER EXECUTIVE-RTOS

RTOS is a MicroWay configured version of iRMX-86. Includes ASM-86, LINK-86, LOC-86, LIB-86, and the ROM Hex Loader $600

87 FORTRAN/RTOS" our adaptation of the Intel Fortran-86 Compiler generates in line 8087 code using all 8087 data types including 80-bit reals and 64-bit integers The compiler uses the Intel large memory model, allowing code/data structures of a full megabyte, and supports overlays Includes RTOS and support for one year $1350

87PASCAL/RTOS " is Intel's ISOStandard Pascal with 8087-8088 exceptions These make it possible to use all the 8087 data types directly, while generating modules in one of the three Intel Memory Models Includes RTOS and support for one year $1350

RTOS DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE

includes 87FORTRAN, 87PASCAL, PL/M-86, Utilities, TX Screen Editor and RTOS.... $2500

OBJ —ASM'" - a multipass object module translator and disassembler. Produces assembly language listings which include public symbols, external symbols, and labels commented with cross references. Ideal for understanding and patching object modules and libraries for which source is not available $200

MWS-286 Configured to your specifications, our computer runs RTOS-286 or XENIX Includes one Intel compiler, seven slot multibus chassis, hard disk, streaming tape backup and Intel Service Contract Six to twenty times faster than your PC CALL

Micro

To support the 8087 we stock the largest selection of of 8087 software anywhere. This includes: three FORTRANs, three PASCALS, APL, Intel's ASM86, PL/M-86, several Cs, 87BASIC, 87MACRO and MATRIXPA K For real time or multi-user applications we offer RTOS'" - our implementation of Intefs iRMX executive. Our new products include a professional debugger with 8087 support, an interface library which enables MS Fortran users to call the IBM Basic

Micro lAlav

Compiler Library, and a translator that converts object modules into readable assembly language files. If you have a question about which computer, language, compiler, operating system or application package is best suited to your problem, we can answer it Just call: Information and Orders—

617-746-7341 University, Corporate and Government Buyers—

617-746-7364

8087Support

PC TECH JOURNAL REVIEW:

"The MicroWay package is preferable... it executes the basic operations more rapidly and MicroWay provides a free update service."

87BASIC" includes patches to the IBM Basic Compiler and both runtime libraries for USER TRANSPARENT and COMPLETE 8087 support Provides super fast performance for all numeric operations including trigonometries, transcendentals addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division $140

87 BASIC/IN LINE" generates inline 8087 code! Converts the IBM Basic Compiler output into an assembly language source listing which allows the user to make additional refinements to his program. Real expression evaluations run five times faster than in 87 BASIC $200

87MACRO" - our complete 8087 software development package. It contains a "Preprocessor," source code for a set of 8087 macros, and an object library of numeric functions including transcendentals, trigonometries, hyperbolics, encoding, decoding and conversions $150

87DEBUG " a professional debugger with 8087 support a sophisticated screen-oriented macro command processor, and trace features which include the ability to skip tracing through branches to calls and software and hardware interrupts Breakpoints can be set in code or on guarded addresses in RAM $150

FOR —BAS'"-a library of interface routines which allow MS Fortran programs to call the IBM Basic Compiler library and access features such as the RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR, SOUND, PLAY, DRAW and SCREEN commands $150

P.O. Box 79 Kingston, Mass 02364 US

You Can 1 TalkToUs!

8087-3 CHIP $175

including DIAGNOSTICS and 180-day warranty

64K RAM Set $4750

MATRIXPAK" manages a MEGABYTE! Written in assembly language, our runtime package accurately manipulates large matrices at very fast speeds Includes matrix inversion and the solution of simultaneous linear equations Callable from MS Fortran 3.2, 87 MACRO, 87BASIC, and RTOS each $150

87/88GUIDE $30

MICROSOFT FORTRAN 3.2 $239 MICROSOFT PASCAL 3.2 $209

These IEEE compatible compilers support double precision and the 8087

MICROSOFT C COMPILER includes Lattice C and the MS Librarian $350

LATTICE C with 8087 support $350

FLOAT87 for MS C 125

SuperSoft Fortran 66 329

Computer Innovations C86 345

STSC APL* PLUS/PC 500

TURBO PASCAL 45

TURBO PASCAL with 8087 Support 85

SIDEKICK 45

HALO GRAPH ICS CALL

GRAPHMATIC 125

ENERGRAPHICS 295

Professional BASIC 295

Kidger Optical Design Program 30O0

COSMOS REVELATION 850

SCO XENIX ."■.""TV 595

Unisource VENIX/86 .'"~:.'r 800

MAYNARD WS1 HARD DISK 995

MAYNARD WS2 HARD DISK 1170

MAYNARD ELECTRONICS Boards CALL

NO CHARGE FOR CREDIT CARDS

ALL ITEMS IN STOCK CALL FOR COMPLETE CATALOG

* Formerly MicroWare, Inc. - not affiliated or connected with MicroWare Systems Corporation of Des Moines, Iowa.

SEFTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 91

EMACS FOR UNIX, MS-DOS &

vms m

EVENT QUEUE

You can now run the famed Gosling EMACS on your VAX, Sun, Pyramid, Cyb, Callan, Masscomp, Integrated Solutions, Apple Lisa, Pixel, Charles River Data, Perkin Elmer, Dual, Momentum, Cadmus, Tandy Model 16, NCR Tower, Fortune, Apollo, HP9000 and the list goes on!

UniPress Gosling EMACS: The famous multi-window fullscreen editor. Edit several files at once. Interprocess communication on UNIX and VMS. Extensible via macros and the built-in compiled MLISP language. UniPress Gosling EMACS: The ultimate programmer's tool: C, Pascal and MLISP language assist. EMACS manages execution of Unix makefiles, and automatically points to lines containing errors in the source code. Keys can be bound as desired, macros can be named, customized MLISP routines can supplement the many included packages, and much more!

UniPress Gosling EMACS: Use EMACS as your session manager — Divide your screen into a "shell window" to run commands, and one or more source file windows. UniPress Gosling EMACS: Runs under Unix 4.1/4.2, System lll/V and Version 7. VMS and MS-DOS too! PRICES: UNIX: $395/Binary; $995/Source VMS: $2500/Binary; $7000/Source MS-DOS: $375/Binary; $995/Source (Requires at least 384K) Call us with your hardware type.

ALSO NEW! MINIMACS-Special efficiency-conscious EMACS for Unix. Runs on a wide range of hardware types. MINIMACS: Faster and smaller version of the famed Gosling Emacs. Its features include full screen editing, multiple windows allowing several files to be edited simultaneously, full EMACS keybindings, macro capability and many more powerful Emacs features, such as command output being directed to a window. MINIMACS: Minimizes your resource load and is much smaller than the vi editor. Price: $375/Binary; $795/Source

UNIPRESS OFFERS A FULL LINE OF SOFTWARE FOR UNIX, VMS AND MS-DOS.

Lattice" C compilers to the 8086-family; both native and cross. Write programs on your mainframe for execution on the IBM-PC, etc. (Cross compilers for UNIX and VMS.)

Window Shell: Multiple windows on any CRT!

Q-CALC • Lex • Phact • /RDB • The Menu System • UniCalc

• Full UNIX System V Operating System for the Apple Lisa

• and much more powerful software.

Call or write for more information.

UniPress Software, Inc.

2025 Lincoln Highway, Edison, NJ 08817 201-985-8000 • Order Desk: 800-222-0550 (outside NJ) Telex: 709418 Mastercard and Visa

EMACS and MINIMACS are trademarks of UniPress Software, Inc. • Unix is a trademark of Bell Laboratories • VMS is a trademark of Digital

Equipment Corp. • MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft • Lattice C and UniCalc are registered trademarks of Lattice Inc. • IBM-PC Is a trademark of IBM.

Weekends, various sites throughout the U.S. For cardiologists, internists, and primary-care physicians. Focuses on the role of the multipurpose medical office computer. Seminars qualify for 13 hours CME Category I credit. Contact International Medical Education Corp.. 64 Inverness Dr. E, Englewood, CO 80H2. (800) 525-8651: in Colorado. (303) 790-8445. October

• SHOWS IN GERMANY Chip Microcomputer Weeks, various sites throughout West Germany. Microcomputer products, trends, and applications will be demonstrated. Sponsored by Cliip, a leading German computer magazine. Contact Network GmbH. An der Friedenseiche 10, D-3050 Wunstorf 2. Bundesrepublik Deutschland (West Germany); tel: (0 50 3 3) 10 56; Telex: 92

4 5 45. In England. Network Events Ltd., Printers Mews, Market Hill, Buckingham MKI8 1JX. England; tel: (02 80) 81 52 26; Telex: 83111. October-November

• BRUSH-UPS FOR ENGINEERS Continuing Engineering Education Courses, George Washington University, Washington, DC. Among the course titles are "Microcomputer Application Workshop: Evaluating Microcomputer Software Packages" and "Workshop in Data Communications for Microcomputers." TUition ranges from S625 to S875. Contact George Harrison, Continuing Engineering Education, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052. (800) 424-9773; in the District of Columbia, (202) 676-6106. October-December

• TECHNOLOGY FOR DISABLED-Discovery 84: Technology for Disabled Persons. Chicago. IL. Presentations, demonstrations, and exhibits on computers, technological products, and services for disabled persons. Registration is $175. Contact Office of Continuing Education, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wl 54751. (800) 457-8688; in Wisconsin, (800) 227-8688. October 1-3

• INFO/MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE-lnformation Management Exposition and

Conference: info 84. Coliseum and Sheraton Centre Hotel. New York City. Contact Banner & Greif Ltd.. 110 East 42nd St.. New York. NY 10017. (212) 687-7730. October 1-4

• INDUSTRIAL INFO SYSTEMS Feedback '84. The Ninth Annual Data Structured Systems Development Users' Conference. Topeka, KS. The focus will be on the specific problems of engineering reliable, maintainable, large-scale systems that meet the needs of major organizations. Contact Ken Orr and Associates Inc., 1725 Gage Blvd.. Topeka. KS 66604. (800) 255-2459; in Kansas. (913) 273-0653. October 2-4

• GLOBAL INFO/MANAGEMENT CONGRESS-The Sixteenth Annual International Information Management Congress. Hyatt Regency Hotel. Singapore. Republic of Singapore. Seminars, displays, and more than 30 conference sessions. Contact IMC Infomatics '84. POB 34404. Bethesda, MD 20817, (301) 983-0604. October 2-4

• NORTHWEST ELECTRONICS SHOW-Northcon/84 and Mini/Micro Northwest-84, Seattle, WA. Topics include automation. CAD/CAM. LANs, and personal computing. Contact Electronic Conventions Management Inc.. 8110 Airport Blvd.. Los Angeles, CA 90045, (213) 772-2965. October 2-4

• ADA WORKSHOP Workshop in Ada. Atlanta. GA. See September 18-21. October 2-5

• PC EXPO

PC-World Exposition. Market Hall. Dallas. TX. Contact Mitch Hall Associates. POB 860. Westwood. MA 02090. (617) 329-8090. October 3-5

• MOTION CONTROL SEMINAR-.Electronic Motion Control Seminar. Philadelphia. PA. Contact Electronic Motion Control Association. Suite 1200. 230 North Michigan Ave.. Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 372-9800. October 8-9

• VIRGINIA IS FOR COMPUTERS-The Tidewater Ninth Annual Computer Fair,

[continued)

92 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 353 on inquiry card.

A New Age Dawns for Microcomputer Programming

Meet

PROMAL

The First Fast Structured Language That Lets You Program The Way You Always Wanted To*

PROMAL is

a small system innovation.

PROMAL (PROgramme^s Micro Application Language) was designed to achieve maximum performance from small computers-performance previously impossible except with machine language. And it was developed, specifically, to meet the needs of the small systems programmer. Especially the need fora development system for limited memory environments. PROMAL is a complete development system. It's a fast structured programming language. It's also a true development system, complete with its own command-oriented operating system executive,- fast one-pass compiler; and fullscreen cursor-driven editor,- and library of time-saving routines. In short, PROMAL is the complete set of tools that small system programmers have been waiting for. PROMAL is fast. In benchmarking, PROMAL has proven itself to be significantly faster than any of the programming languages we tested it against. It executes much faster than BASIC...20to more than 100 times faster, to be exact. And it's nearly twice as fast as FORTH. The PROMAL compiler is so fast that it can compile a 100-line source program in 8 seconds or less. In a recent test, the PROMAL compiler com pi led 5 ti mes faster tha n Pascal on the Commodore 64. And, not only is it fast in compile and run time, it also speeds programming development time. PROMAL is

easy to learn... and to use.

It'seasierto learn than Pascal orC or FORTH. It makes use of powerful structured statements, like IF ELSE, WHILE, REPEAT, FOR, and CHOOSE. Indentation of statements is part of the language's syntax, so all programs are neatly and logically written. There's even an automatic "indent" and "undent" function in the editor that supports the syntax requirement. In other words, you can begin programming in PROMAL almost from the minute you get the program disk. There are no

line numbers tocom plicate your programming. And comments don't take up memory space, so you can document programs completely. And with the fullscreen editor, you can speed through program development with saves to memory and compilation from memory workspace PROMAL is

powerful and elegant.

PROMAL overcomes the performance limitations of small systems-limitations that are inherent to all small systems. It gives you access to the power of the machine. But it doesn't require you to learn thecomplexity of the system. In other words, you can have performance the easy way., without knowi ng how to program in machine language and without needing to know Pascal or one of the other relatively "complex" languages. It was developed from the very begi nning toworkonsmall systems... elegantly With PROMAL, there's no awkwardness of implementation as there is with so many other languages which were ported over from minis and mainframes and forced to fit the small system market.

PROMAL may be the answer to your programming needs.

Fi nal ly there's an answer to the need for a complete development environment for sim pie and rapid program development. Finally a new age has begun for small system programmers. Finally, there's PROMAL. PROMAL is available for the Commodore 64 now. PROMAL is scheduled for release on the Apple lie in December.

PROMAL FEATURES

COMPILED LANGUAGE

Structured procedural lansuase w/indentation

Fast, 1-passcompiler

Simplified syntax requirements

No line numberins required

Long variable names

Global, Local, & Arg variables

Byte, Word, Integer types

Dec or Hex number types

Functions w/passed arguments

Procedures w/passed arguments

Built in I/O library

Arrays, strings, pointers

Control Statements: IF-ELSE, IF, WHILE, FOR, CHOOSE, BREAK, REPEAT, INCLUDE, NEXT, ESCAPE, REFUGE

Compiler I/O from/to disk a memory

EXECUTIVE

Command oriented, w/line edit

Memory resident

Allows multiple user programs in

memory at once Function key definitions Program abort and pause 22 Resident system commands,

8 user-defined resident commands,

no limit on disk commands Prior command recall I/O Re-direction to disk or printer

(UNIX-like)

EDITOR

Full-screen, cursor driven

Function key controlled

Line insert, delete, search

String search and replace

Block copy, move, delete & write to/

read from file Auto indent, undent support

LIBRARY

43 Machine-language commands Memory resident Call by name with arguments I/O, Edit, Stri ng, Cursor control and much more

PROMAL runs on Commodore 64s with disk drive.

Our Guarantee

Try your copy of PROMAL for 15 days. If you are not completely satisfied, return it to us undamased and we'll refund your money No questions asked.

Dealer Inquiries Invited

•HOWTO ORDER

ID Please send me my copy of PROMAL for the Commodore 64 at $49.95 plus $5.00 for shippins and handling at a total cost of $54.95.

□ Please send me a PROMAL demo diskette for the Commodore 64 at $10 for the diskette and $2.50 for postage and handling for a total cost of $12.50.

□ My check is enclosed. □ Please charge my purchase to my... □ Visa □ MasterCard

Expiration Date

Signature

City, State, Zip

North Carolina residents add 4Va% sales tax.

For quicker response on credit card orders, call...

Toll Free 1-800-763-7874 »(In North Carolina) 919-787-7703

Circle 338 on inquiry card.

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES

3700 Computer Drive, Dept. PF3-1 Raleigh, North Carolina 27609

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 93

Circle 367 on inquiry card.

IVITY

THE PROJECT MANAGER

The Project Manager is an easy-to-use critical path project management system designed to help you coordinate projects of varying size and complexity. In addition to its ease of use and clearly written documentation, The Project Manager features extensive use of the IBM PC's color graphics to clearly highlight each project's critical path. For the IBM PC or PC/XT with 64K memory. $495.00 Demo package available $30.00 (0 471-80364-2)

SLIDE-PRO

With Slide-Pro, it's easy to design presentation-quality slides on your IBM personal computer. Slide-Pro can manipulate bold and italicized characters. It can also combine colors, bullets, underlines, and various type fonts. Slides created with Slide-Pro increase your ability to communicate important ideas quickly, without having to turn to expensive slide services. For the IBM PC or PC/XT with 96K memory. $125.00 Demo package available with full documentation: $30.00 (0 471-80716-8)

GRAPH-PRO

Graph-Pro is a unique business graphics package that generates professional-quality graphs, charts, and histograms using built-in logarithms, regressions and statistical analysis techniques. Graph-Pro operates on the IBM PC or PC/XT with 192K memory. For only $295.00 Demo package available with full documentation: $30.00 (0 471-80716-8) Special package price Graph-Pro & Slide-Pro only $395.00 Order your demonstration package now! CALL TOLL FREE 1 800 526-5368 For further information write to:

WILEY PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE Attn: Peter Clifton 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10158 (212) 850-6009

5-1342

THE MOST ADVANCED VERSION OF FORTH IS NOT ON THIS 5 1/4" DISK.

11 i

IT'S UNDERNEATH IT!

When you pay $300 for some languages all you get is a $3.00 disk. When you buy the NMIX-0012 RSC-FORTH System from New Micros, Inc. you not only gel the language, you get a complete computer system. It has features that you can't expect from a disk based language, like an RS 232 serial interface, 40 individually programmable input/output lines (5 parallel ports), two counter/timers, RAM, ROM and a EEPROM/EPROM programmer. For that matter, disks don't usually come with their own power supplies, and almost none are packaged in rugged metal cases! You would expect a disk to come with hundreds of pages of documentation — our system certainly does. With a disk, you have to tie up your whole computer to run the program. After storing your program in our system, it can be dedicated to a task without the support of your PC, or you can communicate with it over the same serial channel used to program it. On top of all this our FORTH has advanced features, like built-in target compilation, CASE statements, PROM programming words and, believe it or not, disk access functions. The NMIX-0012 is 100 millimeters on a side, smaller than a disk, priced at $290 complete. The "100 Squared'"" is the logical choice! Substantial quantity discounts.

ORDER NOW FROM:

New Micros, Inc. 808 Dalworth

Grand Prairie, Texas 75050 (214) 642-5494

EVENT QUEUE

Radio Amateur Hamfest/Electronic Flea Market, Virginia Beach Pavilion, Virginia Beach, VA. Dealers, a giant flea market, displays, and forums. Advance tickets are $4: at the door, $5. Contact lim Harrison, 1234 Little Bay Ave., Norfolk, VA 23503, (804) 587-1695. October 8-9

• ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF ACM—ACM 1984 Annual Conference, Hilton Hotel, San Francisco, CA. Papers, sessions, and panel discussions will address the theme "The Fifth Generation Challenge." Contact Association for Computing Machinery, 11 West 42nd St., New York, NY 10036, (212) 869-7440.

October 8-10

• NETWORK CONFERENCE The Ninth Conference on Local Computer Networks, Minneapolis, MN. Papers, conference sessions, and tutorials. The theme is "Local Computer Networks—The Exploding Marketplace." Contact Ninth Conference on Local Networks, do Harvey Freeman. Architectural Technology Corp., POB 24344, Minneapolis, MN 55424. October 8-10

• RELIABILITY ENGINEERING Reliability Engineering, Testing, and Maintainability Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles. Contact Dr. Dimitri Kececioglu, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Building 16, Room 200-B, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, (602) 621-6120. October 8-12

• INFO SYSTEMS CONFERENCE and EXPO-INTECH, The Integrated Information Technology Conference and Exposition. Convention Center, Dallas, TX. Seminars, sessions, and panels addressing total information systems integration. Contact National Trade Productions Inc., 9418 Annapolis Rd.. Lanham, MD 20706, (800) 638-8510: in Maryland, (301) 459-8383. October 9-11

• SOUTHWEST COMPUTING The Third Annual Southwest Computer Conference, Convention Center, Tulsa, OK. A business and industry event featuring more than 50 seminars as well as 250 exhibits. Contact SWCC, POB 950, Norman, OK 73070, (405)

329-3660 or (918) 587-9550. October 9-11

• MID-WEST ELECTRONICS The Mid-America Electronics Convention, MAECON/84. St. Louis, MO. Exhibits, seminars, tutorials, and symposia. Contact Electronic Representatives Association, 20 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 649-1333. October 10-11

• NETWORK ARCHITECTURE Introduction to Network Architectures. Atlanta, GA. This course provides an introduction to network architectures and prepares participants to pursue the study of specific network components applicable to their needs. The fee is $795. Contact Elaine Hadden Nicholas. Department of Continuing Education, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0385. (404) 894-2547. October 10-12

• NETWORKS EXPLORED LocalNet '84. Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel, San Diego, CA. Speakers, papers, and exhibitions will look at local network technology and the effects of office automation. Contact Online Conferences Inc.. Suite 1190, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121, (212) 279-8890. October 10-12

• PROIECT MANAGEMENT SEMINAR-Software for Project Management and Estimating. Washington, DC See September 20-21. October 11-12

• GOLDEN STATE EXPO Computer Expo and PC Faire. Cal Expo. Sacramento, CA. Contact Computer Expo & PC Show, Suite 395, 2020 Hurley Way, Sacramento, CA 9582 5, (916) 924-9351. October 11-14

• EDUCATIONAL COMPUTER FAIR, Fourth Annual Educational Computer Fair, Cleveland, OH. Contact Educational Computer Consortium of Ohio, 4777 Farnhurst Rd.. Cleveland, OH 44124, (216) 291-5225. October 12-13

• COMPUTERS IN SUNSHINE Great Southern Business and Computer Show and Seminars. Centroplex Expo Centre, Orlando, FL. Seminars and exhibits of hardware, software, peripherals, and accessories. Contact Great Southern Computer

(continued)

94 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 328 on inquiry card.

adds VISION to your PC

20/20 Vision for $495.

Quick and versatile, PC-EYE converts your IBM PC or PC/XT into a highperformance image processing system. It improves productivity through better communications. $495 for PCEYE will allow you to capture any object that can be viewed with a standard EIA RS-170 compatible video camera. The image can then be displayed, stored, processed, printed, or remotely transmitted. High resolution and real-time display interaction allow simple adjustment of light, focus, or object position for superb quality pictures.

Adds computer picture power for...

■ Graphic Presentations

■ Personal Teleconferencing

■ Document/Report Generation

■ Surveillance/Security

■ Measurement and Inspection

■ Thermography

Uses are so varied that Chorus offers software developers the chance to promote their products in our PC-EYE Catalog. Special awards will be given periodically for the software judged most unique or of greatest interest.

Software makes it happen

Utility software is included with menu driven support for various graphics adaptors and printers. This support includes interactive control of image borders, white and black level, and image location within the borders. The user can direct input to

"Trademark for CHORUS DATA SYSTEMS' family of video capture products.

main memory or the graphics adaptor memory; compare images; and store images or set-up parameters on disc.

Software application packages soon to include PC-EYE support are: digital paint and drawing, slide generation, word processing, communications, and data base management.

Compare our specifications:

Input: Any EIA RS-170 (Monochrome or RGB) video source Spatial Resolution: Up to 640 x 512

pixels

Intensity Range: 2, 4, and 16 levels (or pseudo-colors) standard; 64 levels optional Capture Speed:

.33 seconds for a 640 x 400 x 16 level image

.1 second for a 320 x 200 x 4 level image

.6 seconds for a 640 x 400 x 64 level image

Input Channels: Four video plus external trigger

I/O Slots: 1 IBM PC or PC/XT compatible Get started with the CHORUS family of products

We offer a selection of cameras, accessory kits, and compatible graphic adaptors. For our price/catalog and further details, write,

or call 1-800 OCHORUS or 1-(603) 424-2900

* The B&W pictures are taken with a 35mm SLR camera. The pictures were captured with an RCA TC 1005 video camera on an IBM XT and sent lo the monitor with a Tecmar Graphics Master" graphics adapter in the 640 x 400 x 16 level mode via its composite output.

CHORUS

Chorus Data Systems, Inc., 6 Continental Blvd., P.O. Box 370, Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054

Circle 56 on inquiry card. SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 95

Circle 109 on inquiry card.

INEXPENSIVE SOUND SAMPLING HAS ARRIVED

Now you can digitally record and play back ANY sound with an Apple II. The DX-1 sound sampling system from Decillionix is a versatile hardware/software Apple add-on making sound sampling affordable.

Plays effectively ANY sound musically over at least five octaves Samples sounds from external sources Tuning and scale control provided

Select pre-set sound sequences or program your own sequences Play DX-1 "live" in two basic modes Select drum rhythms — drum and cymbal sounds included On-board high fidelity pre-amp lets you interface to any signal source Excellent for musical and sound effects applications Includes direct interface to Syntauri and Passport keyboards

DX-1 System Price: $349.00 Requires a 48K Apple II+, //e, ///, or Franklin, and one drive.

Decillionix

P.O. Box 70985, Sunnyvale, California 94086 (408) 732-7758

Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

Syntauri is a trademark of Syntauri Corp. Passport is a trademark of Passport Designs Inc.

II II

III

II II

III III

i' IIS

MAXIMUM PC/ XT COMPATIBILITY MADE IN USA

*OEM Basic System *2-Drive PC-2000 System

$595

$1395

$1150

*10 Mega Byte XT-2000 System ^

PC/XT-2000 System Includes: • Mother Board with 2 Serial & 1 Parallel

Ports 'Keyboard «TEAC Drlvefs) with controller 'Color Graphics Card •(XT '" Disk and controller)

SYSTEM (Minimum Order 10 Units) (Special**), $1595 (List) (Dealer at Quantity 2 Price) (Special**), $2495 (List) (Dealer at Quantity 2 Price) "Special Prices at Participating Dealerships

*10 Mega Byte HARD DISK and controller tcnc (Low Quantities) *DSO

[S ill!!!!!' anAheim/ca 92806

^ (714)\630-6361, 630-6362

EVENT QUEUE

Shows, POB 655, Jacksonville, FL 32201, (904) 356-1044. October 12-14

• LONE STAR COMPUTING The Second Annual Heart of Texas Computer Show, Convention Center, San Antonio, TX. Exhibits of computers, games, robots, and other high-tech products. Contact Heart of Texas Computer Show, POB 12094, San Antonio, TX 78212, (512) 681-2248. October 12-14

• COMPUTERS IN LABORATORY—Laboratory Computer Interfacing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Two short courses, "Computers in the Laboratory" and "Laboratory Computer Interfacing," are offered. Contact Dr. Eric Salin, Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K6, Canada. (514) 392-5784. October 13-14

• TENTH VIDEO SHOW VIDCOM, Cannes, France. The tenth anniversary of this meeting of video-communications professionals. Contact Commissariat General, 179, Avenue Victor-Hugo, 75116 Paris. France: tel: (33) (I) 505.14.03: Telex: 630.547 MIDORG. October 13-17

• UNIX INSIDE AND OUT UNIX Operating System Exposition and Conference, Sheraton Centre Hotel and Marina Exposition Complex, New York City. Seminars, social functions, and

3 50 exhibition booths. Contact National Expositions Co. Inc., 14 West 40th St.. New York, NY 10018, (212) 391-9111. October 16-18

• WEST COAST EXPO, CONFERENCE-The West Coast Electronic Office Expo and Conference, EOE '84, Convention Center. San lose, CA. More than 200 exhibits. Contact Cartlidge & Associates Inc., Suite 205, 4030 Moorpark Ave., San lose, CA 95117, (408) 554-6644. October 16-18

• OFFICE COMPUTERS

The Sixth Annual Calgary Computer and Office Automation Show. Roundup Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Contact Industrial Trade Shows, 20 Butterick Rd.. Toronto, Ontario M8W 3Z8, Canada. (416) 252-7791. October 17-18

• COMPUTERS. COMMAND. CONTROL-The Second Annual Symposium and Exhibition of AFCEA, Inn at Executive Park, Kansas City, MO. The theme for this year's symposium is "The Role of Knowledge-Based Systems in Command and Control." Panel discussions, paper presentations, and exhibits. Contact Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, POB 456, Leavenworth. KS 66048, (913) 651-7800.

October 17-19

• ASIS MEETING

The Forty-Seventh Annual Meeting of American Society for Information Science, Franklin Plaza, Philadelphia, PA. This year's theme is "1984—Challenges to an Information Society." Contact 1984 ASIS Convention, The Automated Office, 3401 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104. October 21-26

• HOOSIER COMPUTERFEST Indy/Con '84, Indiana Convention Center and Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis. The largest microcomputer/electronics exhibition and conference in the state. Contact Indy/Con, 5160 East 65th St.. Indianapolis, IN 46220, (317) 842-3024. October 23-24

• COMPUTERS IN ARTS Symposium on Small Computers in the Arts, University Hilton Hotel, Philadelphia, PA. Introductory and advanced courses in computer animation, music, graphics, interfaces, and legal issues complemented by talks, exhibits, research presentations, a computer art gallery, and film shows. Contact Symposium, POB 1954, Philadelphia, PA 19105. October 25-28

• PC FAIRE

The Second Annual PC Faire. San Francisco, CA. Exhibits, speakers, seminars, and workshops. Contact Computer Faire Inc.. 570 Price Ave., Redwood City. CA 94063, (415) 364-4294. October 26-28

• PROGRAM FOR PROFESSIONALS-Wescon/84 and Mini/Micro West-84, Anaheim, CA. Topics include artificial intelligence, computer peripherals, graphics, speech recognition/synthesis, and telecommunications. Contact Electronic Conventions Manage

(contimied)

96 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 183 on inquiry card.

MASTER THE NEW ELECTRONICS WITH McGRAW-HILL'S

uDntempoiaiy

The fast, easy and low cost way to

meet the challenges of today's electronic innovations. A unique learning series that's as innovative as the circuitry it explains, as fascinating as the experiments you build and explore.

From digital logic to the latest 32-bit microprocessor, the McGrawHill Contemporary Electronics Series puts you into the electronic picture one easy step at a time. Twelve unique Concept Modules, sent to you one every 4-6 weeks, give you a handle on subjects like optoelectronics, transistors, integrated circuits, logic circuits, and more.

Each Concept Module goes right to the heart of the matter. You waste no time on extraneous material or outdated history. It's a fast, efficient, and lively learning experience.. .a non-traditional approach to the most modern of subject matter.

Unique Interactive Instruction

With each module, you receive a McGraw-Hill Action Audio Cassette. Each tape is a dynamic discussion that drives home the key facts about the subject. Your learning

experience is reinforced through interaction with vividly illustrated text, audio cassettes, and actual electronic experiments. Indexed binders preserve backup material, notes, and tapes for convenient referral.

Perform Experiments in Contemporary Electronics

Throughout your series, laboratory experiments reinforce every significant point. This essential experience

-J

I?" f*

.. .dynamic, hands-on demonstrations of theory in practice... will help you master principles that apply all 1 % ™. the way up to tomorrow's \ latest VLSI (Very Large Scale Integrated) circuitry.

In your very first module, you'll use integrated circuits to build a digital oscillator, verifying its operation with a light emitting diode (LED). You'll learn to identify passive and active components, understand concepts common to all electronic circuits.

For Anyone Interested in Electronics

The Contemporary Electronics Series is designed for anyone from hobbyist to professional. It's for you if you're looking for new fields of interest.. .if you're a teacher who

wants an update in contemporary circuits.. .a manager or supervisor in an electronics plant.. .a doctor, an engineer, a chemist who finds electronics playing an increasingly important role in your work. It's even for electronics engineers or technicians who feel their training needs freshening up. It's the quickest, most convenient, probably least expensive way to do it. And the only one that gives you hands-on experience.

15-Day No-Risk Trial

To order your first module without risk, send the postage-paid card today. Examine it for 15 days under the terms of the order form and see how the Contemporary Electronics Series gets you into today's electronics. If card has been used, write us for ordering information.

m

McGraw-Hill

Continuing Education Center

3939 Wisconsin Ave. Washington, D.C. 20016

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 97

The Little Board ...$199*

The world's simplest and least expensive CP/M computer

• 4 MHz Z80A CPU, 64K RAM, Z80A CTC, 9739 Boot ROM

• Mlnl/Mlcra Floppy controller (1 -4 Drtvii, Single/Double Density, 1 -9 ikkd, 40/10 nek)

• Only 5.75 x 7.75 inches, mounts directly to a 5 1/4' floppy drive

• 9 RS939C Serial Ports (75-9600 baud & 75-38,400 baud), 1 Centronics Printer Port

• Power Requirement: +5VDC at .75A; +19VDC at .05A/On-board -19V converter

• CP/M 9.9 BOOS • ZCPR3 CCP • Enhanced AMPRO BIOS

• AMPRO Utilities included:

• read/write to more than 9 dozen other formats (Kaypro, Televkleo, IBM CP/Mi*....)

• format disks for more than a dozen other computers

• formaVcopy/verlfy all In one • m oem Quantity. ■ menu-based system customization

• SCSI OPTION • BIOS and Utilities Source Code Available

• Custom Versions: Contact Factory • OEM enclosure available

Distributor/Dealer/Reps Inquires Invited

Z60A is a resistered trademark of Zilog. Inc. CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research.

COMPUTERS. INCORPORATED

67 EastEvelyn Ave.. Mountain View, CA94041 . (415)962-0230. TELEX4940302

J

HANDY HOME COMPUTER FOOTBALL SYSTEM

USER FRIENDLY - MENU DRIVEN DESIGNED BY COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS

Evaluate teams at all levels. PEE WEE to NFI Define the teams, their ratings and schedules. Weekly enter the scores and statistics with no redundancy. Individual items can be corrected.

The main menu follows:

1. UPDATE TEAMS (Define names, ratings. Y-T-D Stats)

2. CREATE/UPDATE SCHEDULES

3. STATS ENTRY (Enter newspaper results)

4. POST RESULTS (Update team with results)

5. FORECAST GAMES (Predict game scores)

6. RPT WRITER (Define and print/display reports)

To save the initial entry of the teams, ratings, statistics, and especially their schedules, also purchase the current data files.

Follow College and NFL football with no data entry: purchase the Evaluation Subscription(s). These Monday mailings include predictions and updated statistics. The latest edition is included with each system to provide up-to-date team data.

FortheTRS-80 l/lll/IV/100. APPLE ll/lll. IBM PC, KAYPRO II, and Commodore 64. BASIC listings also available to program other computers. Specify computer, tape or disk.

$39.95 for the BASIC system. $61.95 with College data. $57.95 with NFL data. $78.95 with both. Add $3 S&H. Evaluation Subscription: College or NFL is $29.95, both for $39.95.

VISA or MASTERCARD welcome

HANDY AND ASSOCIATES

15775 N. Hillcrest. Suite 508, Dept. 307. DALLAS, TX 75248/21 4-492-3670

EVENT QUEUE

merit, 8ll0 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045, (213) 772-2965.

October 30-Uovember 2

• COMPUTER SHOW IN EDMONTON-The Second Annual Edmonton Computer and Office Automation Show, Convention Centre, Edmonton. Alberta, Canada. Contact Industrial Trade Shows, 20 Butterick Rd., Toronto, Ontario M8W 3Z8. Canada, (416) 252-7791.

October 3\-November 2

November 1984

• EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE-The Fourth Annual Educational Computing Conference, Plymouth State College, Plymouth, NH. Six simultaneous sessions will explore the conference themes "Practical Applications in the Classroom" and "Computer Literacy for Students and Teachers." Contact Ms. Peggie Riley, Department of Computer Science, Plymouth State College, Plymouth, NH 03264, (603) 536-1550, ext. 533. November 3

• MEDICAL COMPUTING The Eighth Annual Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care, SCAMC, Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC. A varied program covering new, controversial, and state-of-the-art topics on computers and health care. Contact Gail Mutnik, SCAMC Symposium Coordinator, Office of Continuing Medical Education. George Washington University Medical Center, 2300 K St. NW. Washington, DC 20037. (202) 676-8928. November 4-7

• ERGONOMICS CONFERENCE The First International Symposium of Ergonomics, Industrial Design, and Manufacturing, Ergodesign '84, Conference and Exhibition Centre, Montreux, Switzerland. A noncommercial exhibit of equipment that meets ergonomic needs. Contact Ergodesign '84, Conference and Exhibition Centre, POB 97, CH-1820, Montreux. Switzerland tel: (021) 630440; Telex: 453 222.

November 6-9

• WESTERN EDUCATORS MEET-The Eighth Annual Western Educational Computing Conference, Vacation Village, San Diego, CA. Refereed papers on computer science, humanities and the fine arts, CAI, administration, and research support. Contact Dr. Virginia S. Lashley, Glendale College, 1500 North Verdugo Rd., Glendale, CA 91208. November 15-16

• FORTH CONVENTION

The Sixth Annual FORTH Convention and Banquet. Hyatt Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA. Contact FORTH Interest Group, POB 1105. San Carlos, CA 94070, (415) 962-8653. November 16-17

• FARM COMPUTER CONFERENCE-The 1984 Purdue OnFarm Computer Use Conference and Trade Show, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Workshops will complement exhibits and conference sessions. Contact Continuing Education Business Office. Stewart Center, Room 110. Purdue University, West Lafayette. IN 47907. November 18-20

• CANADIAN ATLANTIC SHOW Moncton Computer Exhibition '84, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Home computers, video games, and office automation equipment will be displayed. Contact Anne LeBlanc. Commerce Building, University of Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick E1A 3E9, Canada. (506) 858-4555. November 23-25

• SIMULATION CONFERENCE Winter Simulation Conference, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Dallas. TX. Papers, tutorials, sessions, and panel discussions will complement commercial exhibits. Contact Udo Pooch, Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, (409) 845-5498. November 28-30

• KIDS SHOW

Bits & Bytes, Disneyland Convention Center. Anaheim, CA. This conference and exposition attempts to show educators, parents, and children how to use computers in the home and classroom. Contact Information Processing Group. Suite 113-150, 350 South Lake Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101, (818) 792-5111. November 30-December 2 ■

98 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 168 on inquiry card.

In 1947, 71 years after Alexander Graham Bell uttered the words "Watson, come here, I want you...," Bell Laboratories invented the transistor.. .and ushered in the Computer Age.

WATSON, WATCH US NOW!

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 99

AT&T INTRODUCES TH

For over 40 years, AT&T has been in the business of designing and manufactur ing computers.

In fact, we've created the largest computer system in the world—our long-distance network—the one which enables you to make all those long-distance calls to your branch offices.

Today, we're proud to introduce a whole new line of flexible, compatible, reliable computers for business .. .AT&T Computers.

THE FLEXIBLE FAMILY

Meet the family.

The 3B2, 3B5 and the AT&T Personal Computer make up the new AT&T family of flexible business computers.

The AT&T 3B2is one of the most advanced super micro computers you can buy today. This 32-bit UNIX* System Vbased super micro packs all the power of a much larger system in a size small enough to sit on your desk top. Because it's a multi-user, multi-tasking computer that can accommodate up to 18

terminals, it operates at a low cost per work station. That makes it perfect for offices where many people need desk-top computers and there's a need to accommodate growth. For larger family gatherings, the AT&T 3B5 minicomputers make great hosts, because they can accommodate up to 60 users. What's especially attractive about our family is that it will grow with you. No matter what size your company, it allows you the flexibility to pick specific products to meet your needs today. Without the threat of obsolescence tomorrow.

■

100 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

E NEW COMPUTERS.

And the family's open architecture means And it combines high performance with that our computers will be good company excellent graphics capabilities and a high

for your current hardware and software, thus protecting your investment.

No matter which AT&T Computer you buy, consider yourself part of the family.

ALL THIS AND A PC TOO

AT&T would also like you to meet the new AT&T Personal Computer. This exciting new member of our computer clan is perhaps the most flexible and compatible personal computer on the market today.

What makes the AT&T Personal Computer special is its ability to run most popular business software, including most available MS-DOS** applications. It operates as a stand-alone unit or as an intelligent work station in an integrated computer network

resolution screen.

Moreover, costly options on some other PC's are standard features on the AT&T Personal Computer—features such as color graphics; serial and parallel ports; clock/calendar display; monitor pan and tilt, plus multiple expansion slots to add extra printers, memory and other plug-in options. All this is bound to make it your personal favorite.

YES, WE DO WINDOWS

If you have several stacks of work that you'd like to spread out and work on, AT&T has the perfect way out. It's called windowing. It allows you to divide your computer screen into four miniscreens. It enables you to print from one window, edit in another, draw a graph in a third and sort addresses in the fourth. With AT&T's windowing, you'll be able to see to everything at once.

When it comes to compatibility, the new AT&T Computers hit it off with each other.. .and most everyone else.

To begin with, our unique PC Interface

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 101

THEY GET ALONG

bridges the MS-DOS and UNIX Operating Systems, allowing you to use your PC as part of a larger 3B network.

All our computers are based on AT&T's Information Systems Architecture, an open, communications-based structure that can accommodate and integrate not only our products, but also those of other manufacturers.

We also have the UNIX System V Operating System, developed by AT&T Bell Laboratories. It's an operating system so flexible, it's rapidly becoming an industry standard. You won't have to discard equipment. Or waste time and money reprogramming every time a new computer comes along.

HARDWORKING SOFTWARE

For solutions to all your business problems, the new AT&T software really applies itself, with a wide range of new applications. AT&T software also offers you upward compatibility. Because it's based on the UNIX Operating System, 3B2 software will run on 3B5 computers.

It's your assurance that your software investment is protected as you grow.

We've created a Business Management Series to perform a full range of management fonctions from financial analysis to sales administration. The Communications Series enables your processors and terminals to talk with each other. There's an Industry Series to zero in on the needs of your particular business. There's also an Office Productivity Series to help you with tasks like word processing, filing, and spreadsheets. And a Systems Programming Series will help you create new programs quickly and easily. Since this is just a sampling of our

wares,

i i i i i j ■ i -j i « i

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102 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

FAMOUSLY.

you can see why it makes sense to sign on with AT&T's entire range of software.

WE'LL MAKE YOU A STAR

The new AT&T Information Systems Network, featuring star topology, is one of the most flexible, cost-efficient links between terminals, work stations, and computers of all sizes. This local area network allows you to i A>

connect departments, whole buildings, industrial parks... """"-('or even campuses.

Information >y Systems Network h^i also gives you fast \ nk/ response time and cen-\ tralized administration \S and control. In addi- 7< tion it offers collision-free access, making it ideal for large user populations. Information Systems Network will do more than help your company keep pace with today's competitive marketplace. It will change the way you think about local area networks.

BUILT-IN RELIABILITY PLUS SERVICE

AT&T Computers meet the toughest design standards and rigorous testing procedures.

Their rugged design can adapt to any office environment without complicated powering, air conditioning or installation requirements. And they feature built-in diagnostics to find problems—and fix them—in record time.

In case you do require service, AT&T Information Systems personnel are out in force. With around-the-clock service, and one of the industry's largest service forces, including / I thousands of skilled technicians / I in over 1400 locations. '^L Al Few companies can offer

\f VV you this kind of built-in

reliability plus service. Xr" So come in and meet the

family: the 3B2, 3B5 and the AT&T Personal Computer. They're the answer to your business needs. For more information call your AT&T Account Executive or 1 (800) 247-1212.

AT&T INFORMATION SYSTEMS: WHEN YOU'VE GOT TO BE RIGHT.

©1984 AT&T Information Systems •UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories •* MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

AT&T

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 103

BYTE

Features

Garcia s Circuit Cellar: Build the AC Power Monitor

by Steve Ciarcia 107

KAMAS: An Unlikely Combination

by Ezra Shapiro 123

Cluster Analysis

by Rob Spencer 129

The 65816 Microprocessor. Part 2: Hardware

by Steven P. Hendrix 135

The Floppy Disk:

Focusing on an Unsung Component

by Glenn Hartwig 141

Comparing Floppy Disks

by Robert Rodina 142

The Theory of Disk-Error Correction

by Thomas Sterling 145

Floppy-Disk Formats

by Lester E. Thompson 147

Big Proiects on Small Machines

by Wham F. kppelbe and Alex Pournelle . 150

THEY MULTIPLY LIKE ZUCCHINI in a lush New England vegetable garden. Every time you acquire a new application, you use one or two of them for backup and others for data. You smoke or drink around them, use a ballpoint pen to write on them, or leave them lying around without their jackets at your peril. They clutter up your work area and are a nightmare to catalog and store. But those of us who grew up on micros that stored data on cassette tapes could not now live, for all their bother, without floppy disks.

The funny name—floppy disk—was coined to differentiate the flexible Mylar plastic disks from the rigid metal platters used in fixed-disk systems. The 5 !4-inch disks have become ubiquitous to the point that 3'/2-inch microfloppy disks, unquestionably a better idea, have been slow to catch on.

This month, BYTE offers an unusual look at floppy disks. With rare electron microscope photographs, you'll see a floppy disk as never before and discover that smooth is a relative term, lb complement these photographs, Robert Rodina examines a variety of name-brand disks in search of a clear victor in quality. And Thomas Sterling examines a new technique for detecting and correcting disk read/write errors. Lester Thompson finishes up with an exploration of the evolution of floppy-disk formats, those electronic road maps used by the disk operating system to place and locate information on the disk.

Disk technology, tried and true, yields to the new software genre known as outline processors in a Product Preview; West Coast Bureau Chief Ezra Shapiro examines KAMAS, the Knowledge And Mind Amplification System. A program for Z80-based computers, KAMAS is both a tree-structured, menudriven outline processor and a programming language. Complicated, idiosyncratic, and difficult to learn, this threaded-code system is nevertheless a flexible and powerful addition to the long-neglected Z80 software library.

Steve Ciarcia descends into the Circuit Cellar to build a power monitor that you can use to measure the electricity consumed by your household appliances or scientific/industrial equipment. The power monitor accepts the attachment of up to five appliances. Then the monitor feeds a pulse for each kilowattsecond passing through it into your personal computer. A BASIC program stores this information and calculates energy use and cost.

There are several interesting ways to discern patterns in large information groups, including factor analysis and multiple regression. Rob Spencer explores an equally useful technique called cluster analysis and offers a simple BASIC program to recognize patterns in varying groups of data.

For the microcomputerist thinking about tackling a major programming project, we offer a detailed examination of the components and life cycle of a large software project. William Appelbe and Alex Pournelle outline the steps in the process from requirements analysis, specification, and design to coding, testing, and maintenance.

Steve Hendrix concludes his two-part examination of the 65816 microprocessor with a look at the hardware. The similarity of this new device to the 6502 will ensure that many new upgrades will be forthcoming shortly. Maybe the 65816 will extend the lifetime of the 6502, adding luster to an already spectacular career.

—G. Michael Vose, Senior Technical Editor, Features

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 105

Increase Word Processing Productivity Dramatically With Key Tronic's DVORAK Keyboard

Popular Professional Series Models KB 5150, KB 5151, KB 5150jr and KB 5151jr are now available in the efficient DVORAK Keyboard format.

Today's "standard" keyboard layout was designed to slow typists down, so they wouldn't jam the mechanical keys.

The DVORAK keyboard layout was designed for speed and com

fort. Awkward

strokes and finger motion are cut by over 90%.

For example, an eight person word processing staff recently adopted the DVORAK Keyboard layout.

Sb

- f

The result? A 35 to 50 word-aminute increase, producing an 80% improvement in productivity!

Because of DVORAK, the same company also attributed $150,000 in annual payroll savings.

DVORAK keyboards from Key Tronic, the world's largest independent computer keyboard manufacturer. Engineered with built-in dependability and made with microprocessor electronics, solid-state capacitive switches and glareresistant sculptured keytops.

DVORAK. It's simply a faster way to type words.

Ask your computer dealer for a demonstration, or for more information, call, us toll-free, 1-800-262-6006. (7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time)

tronic

P. O. Box 14687 • Spokane, Washington 99214 • USA 106 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

THE RESPONSIVE KEYBOARD COMPANY

1-800-262-6006 (7am-3pm Pacific Time) In Washington State Call 509-928-8000

Circle 203 on inquiry card.

CI ARC I AS CIRCUIT CELLAR

BUILD THE AC POWER MONITOR

by Steve Ciarcia

Your computer can measure electrical power consumption

ymm I i recently saw a commercial

I on television for the local ^ I power utility. I don't re

I member the exact details, L ^™ but it compared the cost of certain commodities in the Hbmh early 1900s with today's cost. Almost without exception, costs have increased. The only continuing bargain mentioned was electric power. A kilowatt-hour of electricity is still about a dime after 70 years of inflation. Unfortunately, this is little consolation when all these cheap kilowatt-hours add up to a $300 monthly electric bill.

While discussing utility costs with a friend, she mentioned that her electric bill averaged $56 a month. We each have electric stoves and oil hot-water heating. 1 assumed that her extra use of the stove, dishwasher, and washing machine, for a family of four, would more than offset all my gadgets in a house with only two occupants. Thus, my average bill should be about the same.

Was 1 wrong! 1 looked at my electric bills and determined that my power usage during the same period averaged $175 a month. Was the difference in our life-styles so significant, or could there be some hidden power-consuming devices that I didn't normally consider? It was time for a little analysis of the situation.

Lighting is the most obvious power usage in the home, and this was my first consideration. Unlike most homes, I always have a few lights on 24 hours a day. 1 hate searching in

the dark for light switches, so I leave lights on in strategic locations. Together, they amount to perhaps 200 watts (W).

My office lighting is also a consideration. Generally speaking, if I'm in the house, I'm either asleep or working in the Circuit Cellar. Most of my power consumption occurs there: 12 ceiling lights (@ 75 W), six fluorescent tubes (@ 40 W), two table lamps (@ 150 W). and one floor lamp (five @ 40 W). That's 1640 W of lights. But that's only part of the story. With my computer equipment, copier, and monitors, I must be using 3000 to 5000 W.

The first reaction might be to pull the plugs. Fortunately, most of my real power consumption is not constant duty cycle. Logic suggests that the copier, for instance, will consume less power in standby mode between copies than when the heaters and drying fans are on as it makes copies. Similarly, while I have an oilheating system like my friend's, mine has four zones instead of one, and they do not necessarily operate at the same time.

Given the intermittent but heavy power demand of the heating system; the outside floodlights; the copier; and about 10 other

(continued)

Steve Ciarcia {pronounced "see-ARE-see-ah") is an electronics engineer and computer consultant with experience in process control digital design, nuclear instrumentation, and product development. He is the author of several books about electronics. You can write to him at POB 582, Glastonbury, CT 06033.

COPYRIGHT (c) 1984 STEVEN A. CIARCIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 107

pumps, heaters, and motors around the house, it is no wonder that my electric bill is higher than hers. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to determine power consumption of specific electrical appliances, especially those that exhibit dynamic load changes.

Hundreds of articles have been written using the words energy management and conservation, but rarely do they go into the actual measurement of the kilowatt-hours used by an appliance. Perhaps power monitoring is such a trivial subject that no one pays much at

tention to it. In those cases where such information is required, the expensive data-acquisition equipment required is considered a necessary evil.

Have you ever asked yourself, "1 wonder how much this costs to run?" This can be in reference to an air con

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108 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

ditioner, the pumps on the solar-heating system you are designing, or even your computer system. Have you heard that running a large air conditioner for a short period of time is supposed to be more efficient than a small one for a long time and wanted to prove it? I decided to find a solution.

How Is Power Monitored?

Power is measured in watts. Disregarding power factors and dealing in general terms, watts equal voltage times current in most situations. If you have an electric heater that lists its power rating at 1320 W, it would draw 11 amperes (A) of current at 120 volts (V) AC. (If the voltage were lowered to 110 V AC, the same resistive element would consume only 1109 W. This is why power companies reduce voltage during periods of heavy usage.) Similarly, at 120 V AC, a 100-W bulb corresponds to a current of 0.8333 A.

The power company bills you for power usage based on the amount of power (kilowatts or kW) that you use over a given period of time (hours). Collectively, the expression is kilowatt-hour (kWhr), which means 1000 W of power used for one hour. In the case of a 100-W light bulb on for one hour, this would be 0.1 kWhr. If the light were on for a half hour, it would be 0.05 kWhr.

The power company charges by the kilowatt-hour. A typical cost is about 10 cents per kWhr (in central Connecticut, the cost is $.08902). The 100-W bulb on for one hour would therefore cost about a cent. More power hungry devices such as the heater would take 13.2 cents an hour to run.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to calculate the true operating costs when you factor duty cycle into the calculation. Once the heater is up to temperature, a thermostat causes it to cycle on and off to maintain the room at a constant temperature. Since this is less than a 100 percent duty cycle, it costs less than 13.2 cents per hour to run. But how much less?

One way to measure it is to sit there and hit a stopwatch or in some way automatically record every time the heater goes on and off and total these periods into a kilowatt-hour value. This is much the same way that the kilowatt-hour meter on the side of your house works. Basically, it is nothing more than a motor whose speed is proportional to the power passing through it. Its shaft is connected to a series of gears and dial indicators that register how many revolutions the motor has made. It turns very slowly when only a

few lights are on and very quickly when heavy-current items such as electric stoves are turned on. In my case, I think it's been turning pretty fast.

The one advantage of the mechanical kilowatt-hour meter is that it is a true integrating indicator. Assuming that the voltage remains constant, if the current to a load doubles (such as a second element in the heater turning on concurrently with the first), the meter turns twice as fast. To equal this using our stopwatch and clipboard, we would have to record current value as well as time.

Most commercial electronic kilowatthour monitors measure time, voltage, and current. Many also employ a computing capability to derive the results. Conceivably, we could strive to duplicate these devices. Since most of the people reading BYTE already have a computer that could record time and perform the calculations, we only need to measure voltage and current. It must be remembered that voltage and current are analog parameters that must be converted to digital values if a computer is involved. Typically, acquiring this data involves using a 10-to 12-bit analog-todigital (A/D) converter. It must have enough dynamic range to read the high voltages across the load as well as the millivolt shunt indications in series with the load.

The expense associated with such an interface has generally limited discussion of power-consumption monitors. For me to produce a project that is both cost-effective and universally applicable, I have to consider alternative means of measuring time, current, and voltage to compute energy use.

Computing Power Consumption

The first consideration is voltage. Nominally 120 V AC, the AC power-line voltage averages between 115 and 125 V AC in most places. If 1 arbitrarily assume that the voltage is a constant 120 V AC, I would have a worst-case error of only ±4 percent should it vary within those limits.

With that as a prerequisite, determining the power consumed is merely a matter of integrating the load current over a given period of time and calculating watts versus time. Such refined data, however more easily obtained, is no less easily conveyed to a computer than the original data variables themselves. Communicating 0.0830 kWhr to the computer through a serial or parallel interface can be just as involved as building an A/D converter.

The Circuit Cellar power monitor fits in a power strip and has a single-bit optoisolated output that can be attached to your computer.

The alternative is to make time one of the variables in the calculation. Rather than measuring the power consumed between fixed starting and ending points and totaling and reducing the data to a value such as 0.765 kWhr, I'll describe the amount of power used in smaller, more easily defined increments.

For example, 1 kWhr is the same as 60 kilowatt-minutes (kWmin) or 3600 kilowatt-seconds (kWsec). A 100-W bulb on for 6 minutes consumes 0.01 kWhr, 0.6 kWmin, or 36 kWsec, depending on how you want to record it. The 0.765kWhr value mentioned earlier is the same as 2754 kWsec.

To input the number 0.765 into the computer requires many parallel lines or a serial interface. Communicating 2754 kWsec, however, requires only one wire (plus ground) between the power monitor and the computer if these smaller increments are communicated in real time. We can let the computer count the total kilowatt-seconds and do the calculations.

The cost-effective solution is to design a power monitor that generates a pulse every time the load uses 1 kWsec. During the 6 minutes a 100-W bulb is on, pulses will be occurring at a rate of one every 10 seconds (a total of 36 pulses). Total power cost is then computed by dividing the number of accumulated pulses by 3600 to get kilowatt-hours and then multiplying the result by the cost per kilowatt-hour in your area.

The AC Power Monitor

The Circuit Cellar power monitor is designed to perform as I've described. It fits inside a power strip and has a singlebit optoisolated output that can be attached to any available input bit on your computer. A convenient choice is a bit on the parallel printer port. Output from the power monitor is a 100-miIlisecond (ms) pulse every kilowatt-second consumed by the load. For a 250-W load, the pulse rate is once every 4 seconds. At 1000 W pulses occur once every sec

(cont'mued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 109

REGULATED DC SOURCE 10 VOLTS 2 AMPERES

25W

LOAD RESISTOR -WW

V

DVM

0-200MV SCALE

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0-2A SCALE

Figure 2: Calibrating the paper dip.

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Figure 3: The connection between the computer and the power monitor, [a) shows the usual connecting circuit; [b] shows the circuit needed to connect the monitor to an IBM PC.

ond. As the load changes (motors and heaters cycling on and off), the pulse rate increases or decreases proportionally.

The monitoring range of the power monitor is 30 to 1800 W in the prototype configuration described. The maximum power that can be monitored is limited by the 15-A circuit breaker on the power strip rather than by the circuit design. In my opinion, the circuit as shown should be equally accurate to loads of 3000 W or more. I've included

110 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

host-computer software that totals and displays the data generated by the power monitor.

Please remember that part of the Circuit Cellar power monitor attaches directly to the power line, which means a shock hazard exists. Only experienced individuals should attempt to build this device. Use extreme care while testing the circuit on line. \f any connection is made to a computer, it should be made only through the optoisolated output provided. Do not connect the power monitor's + 5-V supply to the A.Ikohm pull-up resistor on the monitor's output to

the computed.

The circuitry of the power monitor (see figure 1) is relatively straightforward. It is basically an AC measuring device with the addition of integrating and pulse-generating sections.

While not generally of major concern, the power supply for the power monitor should be carefully considered. The power monitor requires both a positive and negative 5-V supply to accommodate the bipolar levels in the circuit. While the circuit itself takes only 4 milliamperes (another 20 when the LEDs |light-emitting diodes| fire for 100 ms) to run, the voltages must be regulated.

The power-supply circuit I have illustrated uses a single I2.6-V AC transformer winding to produce a regulated + 5 V. An ICL7660 provides the - 5 V. While other inverter circuits abound, if you don't have an ICL7660. don't substitute an alternate inverter circuit because it may not have sufficient regulation. Instead, substitute a 24-V AC transformer and construct a dual-polarity supply incorporating two regulators such as the 7805 and 7905. The approach I took, using a small transformer from Radio Shack (catalog #273-1385) and a DC-to-DC converter, was chosen merely to fit into the power-strip enclosure. Since many of you might want to build it the same way, that is the way I've documented.

Measuring Current

The most critical aspect of the monitor is the current-measuring section: Rs and ICla. A precisely calibrated currentsensing resistor (also called a currentmeasuring shunt resistor), Rs, is placed in series between the voltage source and the load. As current flows through the wires, a voltage is produced across Rs proportional to the current flowing through it, according to the relation E = lxR, that is, voltage equals current times resistance.

The shunt resistance, in this case 0.01 ohm, is low to reduce internal power dissipation, which would change the temperature and cause errors. A current through Rs of 1 A produces 10 millivolts (mV), while a 10-A current produces 0.1 V.

Before you say that you don't have a 0.01-ohm shunt lying around or a meter that can measure 0.01 ohm, let's derive the proper resistance using more easily measured values such as voltage and current.

The shunt resistor is most conveniently incorporated as a piece of connecting wire in the path between source and

Part of the power monitor attaches directly to the power line, which means a shock hazard exists. Only experienced individuals should attempt to build it and extreme care should be used.

load. Since it has to carry 10 to 15 A, it must be fairly thick wire. The # 12 copper wire, which is used to connect the receptacles and the wall outlet, has too little resistance. It would take about a foot of copper wire to equal 0.01 ohm. An easily obtained high-resistance material is steel, and a convenient source in the proper form is a jumbo paper clip. (Would 1 lie to you?) About 2 inches of a paper clip is 0.01 ohm.

Proper use of the paper clip, however, requires calibration using the circuit shown in figure 2. First, a load resistor and the paper clip are connected in series to a regulated power supply. A piece of #22-gauge wire is soldered near one end of the paper clip. With an ammeter—preferably a DVM (digital voltmeter)—connected in series with these items, adjust the power-supply voltage to approximately 1 A. The absolute value is unimportant, but record the meter reading exactly (perhaps it was 1.104 A).

Next, without changing the voltage setting, remove the meter and reconnect the circuit so that the same current is flowing through the shunt. With the DVM set on the DC millivolt scale and one probe connected to the wire previously soldered to the paper clip, move the other probe along the paper clip until you read a voltage corresponding to the current you recorded, times 0.01 (about 10 mV). If that number were 1.104 A, you would be looking for 11.04 mV. At the point on the paper clip where you get the correct value, carefully solder the second sensing wire, as shown in photo 1. Let it cool and recheck your calibration. You may have to move the wire a millimeter or two in either direction.

When the sensing resistor is installed, the two sensing wires are connected to ICla. This op amp is configured as a times 10 gain, inverting, differential amplifier. With a 100-W load plugged into the power monitor, the output of ICla

should be 0.8333 x 0.01 x 10, or 83.33 mV AC.

Next, the AC output from ICla is converted to DC. IClb and lc are configured as an AC-to-DC converter that, unlike diodes alone, will work in the millivolt range. The Rl adjustment potentiometer is used to set the output of the converter to a DC value equal to the AC RMS (root mean square) voltage input to the converter. If the input is

Figure 4: A flowchart of listing 1.

0.973 V AC from ICla, the output of IClc is set at 0.973 V DC.

The output of the DC converter is connected to an integrator, IC2. which converts current and time to kilowatt-seconds. IC2 is a TL066-type low-power, high-impedance op amp. (Only this or a similarly rated op amp, such as an ICL7611, should be used if you want accuracy while measuring low-wattage

[continued]

^ START ^

LINES 10260

270710

720

GET USER INP DEVICE BEING COST OF ELE( SCALE TO US

UTS:

monitored :tricity

SET UP SCREEN LABELS DIMENSION ARRAYS SET UP PRINT FORMATS

90009300

1

CHANGE SCALE TEXT ERASE CURRENT HISTOGRAMS DISPLAY NEW HISTOGRAMS SET UP CURRENT PERIOD HISTOGRAM AND NUMBER DATA

CALL RESET TO: INITIALIZE HISTOGRAMS ZERO DATA VARIABLES AND TABLES.

DISPLAY NUMERIC DATA

725740

ENABLE FUI SUBROUTINE Fl-CHANGE F2-RESET

ACTION KEY S

SCALE

1000010440

0

INITIALIZE HISTOGRAMS SET NEW TIME VARIABLES INITIALIZE PERIOD POINTERS ZERO DATA VARIABLES AND TABLES.

DISPLAY CLEARED NUMERIC DATA

LINE 1000

YES

1010

LINES 20002120

RESET LATCH ACCUMULATE TOTAL KWS ACCUMULATE PERIODS IF NEEDED UPDATE PERIOD AND TOTAL USAGE SCREEN AREAS

10201030

YES

30003050

UPDATE GRAPHIC DISPLAY

YES

40004050

UPDATE OLD MINUTE VALUE UPDATE PERIODS IF EVEN 5-MINUTE INTERVAL

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 111

Photo I: A 0.0\-ohm sensing resistor is created from a jumbo paper dip. A load resistor combined with a regulated DC power source is used to calibrate the sensing resistor. TWo wires are attached at the 0.0\-ohm resistance points.

Photo 2: A completed prototype power monitor.

Photo 3: An internal view of the Radio Shack six-outlet power strip. Power enters through the white cord and travels through the switch and a 15-A circuit breaker to the outlets.

loads.) It is configured as an integrator whose output level is defined as

Vo = - (Vi)(T)/(Ri)(C)

where Vi is the voltage from 1C1 pin 8, T is time, Ri is R2 plus 18 kilohms, and C is essentially CI.

The integration cycle starts after discharge of the capacitor. Then, depending upon the positive level applied to the integrator, it ramps toward negative saturation. A 1000-W load provides an input voltage that causes the integrator to reach -4 V in exactly 1 second. ICld, configured as a voltage comparator, senses when it reaches -4 V and triggers one-shot IC3 when it occurs. IC3's output, set for 3 ms, turns on transistor Ql, discharging the integrating capacitor CI through a 47-ohm resistor. It also fires a second, longer one-shot (1C4) that signals the computer through an optoisolated connection that 1 kWsec has been consumed. At lower currents, the input to the integrator is less, and it takes longer for it to reach -4 V (a 100-W load takes 10 seconds, for example).

The integrator can also be used with intermittent loads such as a thermostatically controlled heater or a levelactivated pump. When a load is seen by the power monitor, the integrator starts to climb toward the trigger value. If the load is suddenly removed, the integration voltage level remains constant for a relatively long period of time. If the load is resumed, the voltage level starts from the same point at which it left off. If the load is off for more than a few minutes, the charge gradually leaks off CI, and some portion of a kilowatt-second is lost. The purpose of offset adjustment R4 is to minimize this drift when no load is applied and to make sure that the drift is in a direction (away from -4 V) such that a false trigger will not occur.

The connection to the computer is through an LED optoisolator. Every time a kilowatt-second is detected by ICld, IC4 is fired for 100 ms. TWo LEDs are connected to its output: the optoisolator and one that serves as a visual indicator of power consumption. The collector and emitter leads of the optoisolator, IC5, are connected to the computer. The emitter is connected to ground while the collector is tied to + 5 V (supplied from the computer) through a 4.7k-ohm resistor. The output at the collector is then tied directly to any available TTL (transistor-transistor logic) input line (an alternative approach using an IBM Personal Computer (PC) will be described later).

112 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Construction and Calibration

Photo 2 shows the prototype power monitor that I built. The enclosure is a Radio Shack six-outlet power strip (catalog #61-2619A). It incorporates a 15-A circuit breaker, pilot light, power switch, and six receptacles.

Conversion to a power monitor is relatively straightforward. Following disassembly of the power strip, remove the black wire between the circuit breaker and the power switch; the wire is shown in photo 3. Replace it with the paper clip sensing resistor, as shown in photo 4. The paper clip should be insulated (heat-shrink tubing is good) to prevent short circuits.

I glued the power transformer next to the circuit breaker, as shown in photo 5, and installed the monitor LED next to the existing neon indicator. The rest of the circuit, shown in photo 6, was built on a 2- by 6-inch perforated board that slides into the rear cover. The entire unit snaps together to provide a convenient and safe prototype enclosure.

You can test and calibrate your power monitor in two ways: with a simulated load and with an actual load. Which method you choose depends on how accurately you have constructed your 0.01-ohm sensing resistor. If you are fairly confident that it is correct, simulated conditions will suffice. The alternative is to use some form of calibrated load that allows you to calibrate the entire power monitor, including the sensing resistor. Ultimately, you will need 83.3333 mV presented to the input of ICla. Under actual operating conditions, this requires a 1000-W load.

Simulating this load is much easier. It is accomplished by disconnecting the sensing resistor and replacing it with a larger-value resistor, such as 47 ohms. With an additional series resistor, the combination is attached to the output of a low-voltage transformer. I took the same 12.6-V output transformer used in the power supply and varied the input to it with a Variac autotransformer. Using a DVM set for AC millivolts, the autotransformer is adjusted to produce 83.33 mV across the input sense points of ICla.

Next, with the meter set for DC volts connected to IC1 pin 14 and ground, Rl is adjusted to get a reading of 0.8333 V DC.

An oscilloscope is needed for the next phase. The point of observation is IC2 pin 6 while the trigger point is either

(continued)

Photo 4: The wire from the hot side of the breaker (black wire) to the switch is replaced with the paper clip sensing resistor. Notice how it is bent to fit the enclosure. It is insulated with heat-shrink tubing. The sensing wires (#22 black-and-white) are connected to the power-monitor electronics.

Photo 5: A 12.6-V AC, 300-wA transformer is inserted and secured within the case next to the circuit breaker. Us output is also connected to the power-monitor electronics.

Photo 6: A close-up of the power-monitor electronics.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 113

(CI pin 7 or IC3 pin 10. The integrator output (IC2 pin 6) should either appear as a sawtooth waveform or be sitting somewhere between -4 and -5 V.

Using a clip lead, momentarily short out CI. The integrator output will return to 0 V and slowly ramp toward - 5 V. If this occurs, adjust the setting of R3 until the integrator automatically resets

Photo 7: Power-monitor software initialization.

and produces the sawtooth. Failure to achieve this activity suggests that Ql is installed backward, ICld is wired wrong, or one-shot 1C3 is not firing (IC3 runs on + or - 5 V while 1C4 uses only + 5 V and ground).

Once you have the integrator functioning, the time constant must be set. Using the oscilloscope, adjust the set

tings of R2 and R3 so that the output at IC2 pin 6 goes from 0 to -4 V in exactly a second each time it's reset.

Finally, with the DVM on the integrator output, switch off the load or simulated input source and note the reading. It should be stationary and drop only a millivolt or so a second. Adjust R4, if necessary, to achieve this. If it continues to drift after adjustment, even if only a small amount, set R4 so that the drift is in a positive direction away from -4 V.

Turn the load back on. If everything is operating correctly, the monitor LED attached to Q2 should be blinking once per second. If not, check the one-shot to see if one of the LEDs is backward.

Provided that you get the blinking indicator, the testing is completed. You can test your power monitor by simply plugging various loads into it and watching the LED. Try a table lamp, then a toaster.

Computer Monitoring

The whole purpose for the particular design employed in the Circuit Cellar power monitor is to make it easily attachable to any computer. Once connected, the computer adds the kilowattsecond pulses, plots a power-usageversus-time display, and calculates the total kilowatt-hour cost during the usage period.

1 consider the main emphasis of this article the production of the monitor, but the software is a significant component. To best illustrate how the functions are performed, I wrote the program entirely in BASIC, which is relatively easy to understand and more transportable between systems. I chose to use the IBM PC simply for convenience.

By using only BASIC and no machinespecific assembly language, 1 have had to incorporate one modification to the power monitor/computer interface that would not normally be required if I had used assembly language. Since BASIC is relatively slow, I can't be absolutely sure that the program will be through with its housekeeping chores and not miss a pulse if connected to a highwattage load. (While I could have used TBASIC and the Trump Card described in the May and June Circuit Cellar articles to speed things up, there is some merit in describing less costly alternative solutions.) To eliminate the concern, a flip-flop is installed at the computer input. When the pulse occurs, the flip-flop is set and remains set after the pulse is gone. When the program reads the flip-flop, it resets it.

{continued)

Power Usaye Display Systea

For use with the Circuit Cellar Power Monitor and the IBM P.C. syste* liM is now :B1:88:18

If you have MOT set the systen tine, go back and do it now,

Enter the nane of the device being wnitored. 1 air conditioner

cost of electricity per Kilowatt hW.

shall 1 display in |

1-1 HOUR IKIHNALS 2 - 5 M1MUIE immULS

5SE'

Display set fop Usage this period Cost this period

5 MIMS/'IHIML

25

Peak Period Peak usage Peak cost

ei: IB

231

3OKU SECSS. $0.01

Monitoring the Start Tine :01

air conditioner Current Tine :011

Total KM Sees : Total Cost

Fl- Change Scale F2- Reset Ualues

:0i:04 :01:15 : 418

$0.01

Photo 8: Monitoring software in operation, demonstrating the power consumed by an air conditioner over a predetermined interval. Time starts from left to right. \n this example, each rectangle represents 5 minutes. The current time is indicated by the red block, and increasing consumption is registered in real time for the current period and for total elapsed time. After 15 minutes. $0.01 has been consumed.

114 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 321 on inquiry card. —►

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Listing I: The source code for the power-usage display system.

10 CLS

15 KEY OFF

20 WIDTHI80I

30 PRINT "Power Usage Display System"

40 PRINT "For use with the Circuit Cellar Power Monitor and the

IBM P.C." 50 PRINT

60 PRINT "system time is now :"T1ME$ 70 PRINT

80 PRINT "If you have NOT set the system time, go back and do

it now." 90 PRINT 100 PRINT

110 PRINT "Enter the name of the device being monitored." 120 INPUT P$

130 IF LEN(PS)>I6 THEN PS = M1DS(P$,I,I6) 140 PRINT

150 PRINT "Enter your cost of electricity per Kilowatt Hour." 160 INPUT C

170 C=C/3600 :REM scale to KW seconds. 180 PRINT

"shall I display in :"

1

I HOUR INTERVALS" 5 MINUTE INTERVALS

"MIN " "5SEC"

HOURS"; 5 MINS/INTVL':

190 PRINT 200 PRINT 210 PRINT 220 PRINT 230 PRINT 240 INPUT S

250 IF S= I OR S = 2 THEN 270 260 GOTO 180 270 REM set up the screen 280 CLS 290 SCREEN I 300 COLOR 0,0 350 LOCATE 1.1 360 PRINT "KW": 370 LOCATE 2,1 380 IF S= I THEN PRINT 390 IF S = 2 THEN PRINT 400 LOCATE 10.5

410 IF S= 1 THEN PRINT "Display set for 420 IF S=2 THEN PRINT "Display set for 430 LOCATE 11,5

440 PRINT "Usage this period :": 450 LOCATE 12,5

460 PRINT "Cost this period :"; 470 LOCATE 14,5 480 PRINT "Peak Period 490 LOCATE 15,5 500 PRINT "Peak usage 510 LOCATE 16,5 520 PRINT "Peak cost 530 LOCATE 19.18 540 PRINT "Start Time :"; 550 LOCATE 19.1 560 PRINT "Monitoring the"; 570 LOCATE 20,18 580 PRINT "Current Time :"; 590 LOCATE 21,18 600 PRINT "Total KW Sees:"; 610 LOCATE 20,1 620 PRINT P$; 630 LOCATE 22,18 640 PRINT "Total Cost :": 650 LOCATE 24.1

660 PRINT "Fl- Change Scale F2- Reset Values";

700 DIM TI2.!2).PK$(2|,PU(2)

710 M$ = "$$#«#.##":N$ = "######"

720 GOSUB 10000

725 ON KEYI2I GOSUB 10000

727 KEY(2) ON

730 ON KEY(l) GOSUB 9000

740 KEYI1) ON

1000 IF IINPI&H3BDI AND 16| <>0 THEN GOSUB 2000

1010 IF T(S,PE)>PG THEN GOSUB 3000

1020 TS = MIDS|TIME$,4,2|

1030 IF T$< >MOS THEN GOSUB 4000

1040 GOTO 1000

2000 OUT &H3BC.LOUT &H3BC.0

[continued)

116 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 340 on inquiry card.

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SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 117

Circle 242 on Inquiry card.

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2010 A = A+ l:PU = PU+ 1

2020 IF A/60 = INT(A/60)THEN T|I,PH) = T|1,PH)+ 1

2030 IF A/5 = INTIA/51 THEN T(2,PM)=T(2,PM)+ I

2040 LOCATE 11.25

2050 PRINT USING NS:PU;

2060 LOCATE 12.25

2070 PRINT USING MS;PU'C

2080 LOCATE 21,33

2090 PRINT USING N$;A;

2100 LOCATE 22,32

2110 PRINT USING MS;A*C;

2120 RETURN

3000 PG = T(S.PE)

3010 DRAW "bm" + STR$|32 + PE*24) + ",60"

3020 FOR X = I TO PG

3030 DRAW "c2 ul r!2 112"

3040 NEXT X

3050 RETURN

4000 MO$ = T$

4010 T = VAL(T$)

4020 IF T/5 = INTIT/5] THEN GOSUB 5000

4030 LOCATE 20,33

4040 PRINT MID$(TIME$,1,5|

4050 RETURN

5000 KEY (I) OFF

5003 KEY (21 OFF

5005 IF T(2,PM)'5<=PU|2) THEN 5030

5010 PU(2) = T(2,PM)'5

5020 PK$(2) = PS$

5030 MT = PM

5040 PM=PM+ I

5050 IF PM> = 12 THEN PM = 0

5060 IF S = 2 THEN PS$ = MID$(TIME$.I,5)

5070 T(2,PM) = 0

5080 IF MIDS(TIMES.l,2) = HO$ THEN 5190

5090 HOS = MIDS(TIMES,l,2|

5100 IF T(I.PH]-60< =PU(1) THEN 5130

5110 PU(I) = T(1.PH),60

5120 PKS(2) = PS$

5130 PSS = MID$(TIME5,I,5)

5140 HT = PH

5150 PH = PH+ 1

5160 IF PH> = 12 THEN PH = 0

5170 T|1,PH) = 0

5180 GOTO 5200

5190 IF S= 1 THEN GOTO 5410

5200 PU=0

5210 IF S= I THEN PE = PH:OP = HTGOTO 5230 5220 PE = PM:OP = MT

5230 DRAW "bm" + STR$(32 + OP-24) + ",60" 5240 DRAW "cl u60 rl2 d60 112" 5250 FOR X = 1 TO T(S.OP) 5260 DRAW "ul rI2 112" 5270 NEXT X

5280 DRAW "bm" + STR$(32 + PE-24) + ",60" 5290 FOR X= 1 TO 12 5300 DRAW "cO u60 rl d60" 5310 NEXT X

5320 DRAW "112 c2 u60 r!2 d60 112"

5325 PG=0

5330 LOCATE 14,19

5340 PRINT PK$(S];

5350 LOCATE 15,19

5360 PRINT USING N$;PU(S):

5370 LOCATE 15.25

5380 PRINT "KW SECS";

5390 LOCATE 16,19

5400 PRINT USING M$;PU(S)'C

5410 KEY (I) ON

5415 KEY (2) ON

5420 RETURN

9000 IF S= I THEN S = 2:GOTO 9020 9010 S=l

9020 LOCATE 10,25

9030 IF S= 1 THEN PRINT "HOURS ";:GOTO 9050

9040 PRINT " 5 MINS/INTVL"; 9050 LOCATE 2,1

9060 IF S= 1 THEN PRINT "MIN ";:GOTO 9080 9070 PRINT "5SEC": 9080 FOR X = 0 TO II

(continued)

118 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 85 on Inquiry card.

"My computer keeps track of135,000cubic feet of wholesale auto parts."

The more work you do, the more you need to store. And the harder it is to work with stacks of floppy diskettes.

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Any hard disk can fail—and lose your information. So every Sysgen-II-G hard disk includes '/," cartridge tape back-up—up to 20 Megabytes per cartridge. (We make back-up systems for other hard disks, too.) So you can protect your files in minutes. Instead of spending hours re-entering them.

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Sysgen.

Because a hard disk without tape just doesn't make sense.

Sysgen products for the IBM* PC, PC XT™, and other personal computers: Economical, 10- and 20-Megabyte hard disk systems with tape back-up. Or 10-Megabyte

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9090 DRAW "bm" + STR$(32 + (X'24)) + ",60"

9095 FOR Y=l TO 12

9100 DRAW "CO u60 rl d60 "

9105 NEXT Y

9110 DRAW "112 cl u60 rl2 d60 112" 9120 FOR Y=l TO T(S,X) 9130 DRAW "ul rl2 112" 9140 NEXT Y

9150 NEXT X

9151 IF S= 1 THEN PE = PH:GOTO 9153

9152 PE = PM

9153 DRAW "bm" + STR$(32 + PE*24) + ",60"

9154 DRAW "c2 u60 r!2 d60 112"

9155 PG = T(S,PEI

9156 FOR Y=l TO PC

9157 DRAW "c2 ul rl2 112"

9158 NEXT Y

9160 IF S=l THEN PU=T(S.PE)'60+(A-INT(A/60)*60):GOTO 9180

9170 PU=T(S,PE)-5 + (A-INT(A/5]*5)

9180 LOCATE 11.25

9190 PRINT USING NS;PU;

9200 LOCATE 12.25

9210 PRINT USING M$:C'PU

9220 LOCATE 14.19

9230 PRINT PKS(S):

9240 LOCATE 15.19

9250 PRINT USING N$:PU(S|;

9260 LOCATE 15,25

9270 PRINT " KW SECS";

9280 LOCATE 16.19

9290 PRINT USING M$;PU|S)'C

9300 RETURN

10000 REM reset system routine

10005 OUT 6H3BC.0

10010 FOR X= I TO 2

10020 PK$(X| = "START":PU(X| = 0

10030 FOR Y = 0 TO II

10040 T(X,Y) = 0

10050 NEXT Y

10060 NEXT X

10070 PG = 0:PU = 0:A=0

10100 FOR X = 32 TO 300 STEP 24

10110 DRAW "bm" + STR$(X) + ",60"

10120 FOR Y=l TO 12

10122 DRAW "cO u60 rl d60"

10124 NEXT Y

10130 DRAW "112 cl u60 rl2 d60 112" 10140 NEXT X 10150 TS = TIME$

10160 HOS = MlD$(TS.1.2):MOS = MIDS(T$.4.2|:PSS = MID$(T$.1.5)

10170 T = VAL(HOS)

10180 IFT> = 12 THEN T=T-I2

10190 PH=T

10200 T = VAL|MO$|

10210 PM = INT|T/5)

10220 IF S= I THEN PE = PH:GOTO 10240 10230 PE = PM

10240 DRAW "bm" + STR$|32 + (PE"24)) + ".60"

10250 DRAW "c2 u60 rl2 d60 112"

10260 LOCATE 11.25

10270 PRINT USING N$;PU;

10280 LOCATE 12.25

10290 PRINT USING M$;C'PU;

10300 LOCATE 14.19

10310 PRINT PKS(S)

10312 LOCATE 15,25

10314 PRINT " KW SECS."

10320 LOCATE 15,19

10330 PRINT USING NS;PU(SI;

10340 LOCATE 16.19

10350 PRINT USING M$;PU|S)*C;

10360 LOCATE 19,33

10370 PRINT MID$(T$,1,5|

10380 LOCATE 20.33

10390 PRINT MID$(T$.I,5|

10400 LOCATE 21.33

10410 PRINT USING N$;A:

10420 LOCATE 22.32

10430 PRINT USING MS;C*A

10440 RETURN

Figure 3a is the usual connecting circuit between the power monitor and the computer; figure 3 b is the specific circuit necessary for the IBM PC and the BASIC-only program described. Figure 4 is the flowchart of how the program works; listing 1 is the actual source code. Photo 7 shows the initialization of the software, and photo 8 shows the software in operation.

In Conclusion

I think the Circuit Cellar power monitor is a step forward in energy management. We've discussed various methods for computerized control. Until now, however, we haven't had a cost-effective means to monitor activity on the power line or specifically determine power consumption.

While 1 haven't had my power monitor long, I've run a few tests that may be of interest to you. The monitor appears very linear and very accurate at higher loads. The range between 250 and 2000 W contains less than 1 percent of point error. At 100 W the error is about 5 percent; about 10 percent at 50 W.

While I know there will be a great demand, no kit for the power monitor is available at the present time. The primary reason for this is packaging. Simply providing a PC board could lead to some potentially hazardous user installations. A safe, cost-effective enclosure must be provided before I feel that I can advocate direct powerline connection. Eventually, the power monitor will be available. In the meantime, you can continue to request the latest catalogs and circle the proper number on the bingo card.

Next Month

If you don't like to deal with tape measures, an ultrasonic range finder is on the agenda. ■

Editor's Note: Steve often refers to previous Circuit Cellar articles. Most of these are available in reprint books from BYTE Books, McGraw-Hill Book Company. POB 400. Hightstown. NJ 08250.

Ciardds Circuit Cellar, Volume 1 covers articles that appeared in BYTE from September 1977 through November 1978. Volume 11 covers December 1978 through )une 1980. Volume III covers July 1980 through December 1981. Volume IV covers lanuary 1982 through (une 1983.

Special thanks to Bill Curlew for his software expertise.

To receive a complete list of Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar project kits available, circle 100 on the reader-service inquiry card at the back of the magazine.

120 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1984

Why people choose an IBM PC in the first place is why people want IBM service...in the first place.

After all, who knows your IBM Personal Computer better than we do?

Thafs why we offer an IBM maintenance agreement for every member of the Personal Computer family. It's just another example of blue chip service from IBM.

An IBM maintenance agreement for your PC components comes with the choice of service plan that's best for you—at the price that's best for you.

Many customers enjoy the convenience and low cost of our carry-in service. That's where we exchange a PC display, for example, at any of our Service/Exchange Centers.

And for those customers who prefer it, we offer IBM on-site service, where a service representative comes when you call.

No matter which you choose for your PC, an IBM maintenance agreement offers you fast, effective service.

Quality. Speed. Commitment. That's why an IBM maintenance agreement means blue chip service. To find out more about the specific service offerings available for your PC, call 1800IBM-2468, Ext. 104 and ask for PC Maintenance. _,

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All Sanyo systems have a full one year warranty on the main board. 90 doys on everything else, and can be serviced at over 50 service centers nationwide (quantities limited).

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Also greot prices on ADDS, other Wyse models. Televldeo. Altos, Zenith and Qume terminals.

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What ore you looking for in a compatible system? If maximum compatibility, minimum prices. £3000 worth o( software, reliability and nationwide service ore on your checklist you should consider buying a Columbia from Scortsdale Systems. Each system comes with MS-DOS. CP/M Calc. Fast Graphs. Home Acc't Plus. Space Commanders, o tutorial and nationwide Deli ond Howell service. (Prices for 1600 series include video card ond keyboard).

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Prism 132 "loaded" $1488

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122 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

PREVIEW

KAMAS

An Unlikely Combination

Editor's Note: The following is a BYTE product preview. It is not a review. We provide this advance look at this new product because we feel it is significant. A complete review will follow in a subsequent issue.

THE ACRONYM KAMAS stands for Knowledge And Mind Amplification System—a name that does little to explain what this unusual software package for Z80-based computers really does. On its most elementary level. KAMAS is a text-management program that lets you organize data into branching tree-like structures.

As a development tool, however, KAMAS is its own self-contained programming language. But unlike many integrated software products that claim varying degrees of programmability, KAMAS is an extensive threaded interpretive language that you can use to generate complex application programs that have nothing to do with word processing or related data manipulation. In fact, except for an 18K-byte kernel in Z80 assembly code, the program is written in itself.

KAMAS is a layered environment; that is, you can configure the command structure's degree of sophistication to match your needs—or your taste. The stock appearance of KAMAS is that of a menu-driven outline processor. Singleletter choices guide you through the process of creating what is essentially a text database organized around an

Introducing outline

processing and a FORTH-Jife

language for Z80 systems

outline. Using the built-in editors, you can enter a text chunk (ranging in size from a one-line title to a brief document) that serves as the top item of a hierarchy. If you give subsequent entries weight equal to the initial one, numerical order is the only ranking system among siblings and you'll have a collection of text items arranged much the same way as if you'd created them with a word-processing program.

KAMAS also lets you organize new entries as children of the parent item to construct the equivalent of an upsidedown tree. This scheme shows each new child as a branch below its parent, ranked beneath it just as indented items in an outline are ranked below the more important items above them. The command structure of KAMAS provides for quick movement around the tree (for example, you can jump from one entry to its great-great-grandchild—four levels

by Ezra Shapiro

down—in one simple sequence). You can also move or copy text from one position on the tree to another, send output to the printer, and so on.

KAMAS's second layer is a macro language that lets you accomplish text and outline manipulation either by entering commands one by one from the keyboard or by creating files of command sequences that perform a series of operations when executed. On this level, KAMAS begins to function like a programming language.

From the second layer, you can invoke the two vocabularies that turn KAMAS into a full-blown language. The vocabulary for the third layer is a fully extensible threaded interpreter restricted to performing operations on data. It's possible for you to develop user-defined commands, even entire application programs, using KAMAS as you would any other programming language.

On the fourth level, KAMAS provides you with the tools to modify KAMAS itself. The difference between these two levels is functionally slight but tremendously significant. Were you to write an application program (a spreadsheet, say) using the commands available in the third vocabulary, you would load

(continued)

Ezra Shapiro is BYTE's West Coast bureau chief. He can be contacted at McGraw-Hill, 425 Battery Street, San Francisco. CA 94111.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 123

AT A GLANCE

Name

KAMAS

Type

Outline processor and programming language

Additional Utilities Provided

Remote bulletin-board system (requires modem), debugger, memory dump, program utilities

Manufacturer

Compusophic Systems POB 5549 Aloha. OR 97007 (503) 649-3765

Price

S175

Computer

Kaypro CP/M-80 and similar computers: other CP/M formats by request

Language

Z80 assembly and KAMAS Documentation

64-page introduction and quick-reference guide; 668-page user's manual with tutorials, reference section, glossary, bibliography, and index; newsletter published regularly for registered owners

Audience

Writers and software developers

KAMAS and run your program: all of KAMAS's functionality would remain intact, and accessible if you wanted it. If you were to use the fourth-layer vocabulary, you could redefine KAMAS commands and strip KAMAS of any feature you did not find useful, leaving the shell of KAMAS as only an internal command-processing nucleus. Thus, on the third level, you can use KAMAS to write a program; on the fourth. KAMAS can become the program.

The first release of KAMAS, from Compusophic Systems of Aloha, Oregon, comes as a product for Kaypro computers. It's provided on Kayproformat disks, and it assumes Kaypro terminal characteristics that emulate those of the Lear Siegler ADM 3A. Beyond that, KAMAS is a generic CP/M-80 program; if your computer can read the disk format and match the ADM 3As video handling (well within the capabilities of a large proportion of CP/M machines), you can run KAMAS. The manufacturer will also provide copies of the program for other brands of Z80 computers on an order-by-order basis. A list price of $175 brings you the software, documentation that includes lengthy tutorials, and a subscription to a newsletter prepared by Compusophic that publishes tips for users and programs written in the KAMAS language.

The First Layer

When you first run KAMAS, the prompt ROVE: appears after the sign-on message. The Rove mode is the command state in which you can enter single-letter mnemonics to manipulate the environment. It's largely based on menus; pressing the ? or the Return key (or any unimplemented character) produces a list of options. Then you can ask for more help or select a command.

When you enter a valid character, response is immediate. No carriage returns are required; you can move rapidly through a series of nested menus without pausing, merely by typing the appropriate characters.

In KAMAS terminology, every full tree system is called a topic. To extend the analogy, establishing a topic is like creating a tree trunk—the starting point for the development of a hierarchy. One topic comes on the distribution disk. Called Systopic, it contains help messages, error messages, and utilities written in the KAMAS language, all of which are linked to the operation of the program by a short KAMAS routine that runs automatically at start-up.

Initially, Rove mode drops you at the top level of Systopic. You can edit or

reorganize every part of Systopic and you can add new material, but by doing so you run the risk of fouling up your safety net. You can, however, create additional topics for your own work by following through the topicenvironment menu procedures accessed from Rove.

KAMAS can juggle up to 16 topics on line at a time, on as many physical drives as your operating system can handle. One of those topics must be Systopic, even if you're not working directly with it; KAMAS establishes context search paths that will seek Systopic for the messages it contains. The program crashes if it does not find Systopic.

Though you can move from one topic to another within KAMAS, you cannot transfer data among topics. The size of any one topic is limited solely by disk space: when you set up a new topic. KAMAS ask you to name it and specify its maximum size in K bytes. It makes sense to increase the size of a topic to handle your project plus some comfortable padding—if you use KAMAS to prepare a 100-page report and run out of room three pages from the end. you're in trouble.

Typing T (for Tenv, topic environment) at the ROVE: prompt produces a menu of selections that determine the overall topic environment; individual commands let you display system status, create new topics or kill old ones, list available topics, move from the currently selected topic to an alternate one, set the level of help provided, lock topics (set up a password to keep others from tampering with your material), or move to the expanded topic environment where you can work with macro commands instead of the Rove menus.

Once you have chosen your working (or "build") topic, you can use the two powerful editors in Rove to create text entries and rank them in the hierarchy. The first of these is an outline editor that lets you create single-line entries. The outline you produce becomes the primary structure for all further work. You can expand the outline; i.e., each item can become the heading for a lengthy block of text. You call up a second editor, the leaf editor, for this procedure.

KAMAS's editor is as capable as many word-processing packages on the market today. For Kaypro owners, the target audience for KAMAS, the editor's commands look like those of Perfect Writer, the word-processing program that was bundled with Kaypros for over a year. Compusophic promises either a utility on disk or a program listing in its news

124 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

letter that will let you change the command set if you're not comfortable with Perfect Writer. Because KAMAS is programmable, you can write a similar utility—or a whole new editor—on your own if you're desperate for an immediate change.

You can restructure the outline by using the outline editor or by returning to the Rove mode. You can move any block you write, by itself or with its descendants, to another part of the outline by marking it, placing the cursor at the new location, and executing the Move command. After exiting from the editor, you can accomplish the same action by using Rove's Reorganize menu.

You can tailor your outline and text items for printout in a variety of styles using Rove's Format and Output options. You can suppress titles, subtitles, and indentations of the outline to make the collection of short text blocks that you've actually produced appear to be a standard document prepared with a traditional text-processing system.

Wandering around inside a topic is relatively easy. The outline editor provides the simplest mechanisms, but you can also use Rove menus. After typing G for Go at the ROVE: prompt, you have options for moving around in the outline. You can move either in a level-bylevel path, following the hierarchical structure, or simply from one item to the next, top to bottom, jumping to the start of the next branch when you reach the last descendant of the prior one.

Three Go commands are worthy of special note. First is the Key command. KAMAS uses soundex algorithms throughout its location system. Soundex tables translate spellings to numerical codes that represent a limited number of phonetic equivalents; by using these tables in a text interpreter, the program can read variant spellings and determine the closest possible match. In KAMAS, a Key is the first part of the title of a stem (see table 1) and is the primary identifier of an item.

With the Go-Key command, you enter the name of an item, even one that is misspelled (within reason), and skip over any intervening items to the one you want. Next is the Go-Menu command, which gives you an alternative means of tracing your path down the hierarchy by replacing the Go movement commands with another sort of menu. When you wish to move down a branch, a menu shows you a numbered list of all items on the next level down and lets you choose one. Last is Go-Jex. Jex is KAMAS slang for job execution. When your cursor is located at an item

that contains a KAMAS program, lex loads and runs that program.

In Rove, KAMAS is not as visual a program as its competitors, ThinkTank and Framework (which run on computers capable of far more impressive screen handling than most Z80 machines). If you want to see where you are, you have to ask KAMAS for a display of one of its Show options. These include a screen dump of the current item, a focus to the current item that shows the path from the top of the topic to the item by indenting the titles of each succeeding branch, a view of the item that shows the titles of the outline elements both before and after it, and either simple or detailed displays of the outline that appears beneath the item.

The list of Query options is quite similar to the Show list; however, you can ask for similar displays of outline items far from your location by using the Query options. You also can display the text of a distant item without moving to it and then moving back to your current position. With Lookup, a related option, you request the location of an item either by its key or by performing a search for a character string you believe the item contains.

Because the outline editor does a better job of displaying titles than the Show and Query functions, the most effective use of KAMAS probably involves switching back and forth between it and Rove, depending on the type of operation you need to perform.

The Language

The KAMAS programming language is a threaded interpreter based on the model developed by Charles Moore and incorporated into FORTH and STOIC. Like the other members of this family, KAMAS comes as something of a shock to programmers accustomed to

working with BASIC, Pascal, C, or any of the macro or query languages provided with database-management and spreadsheet programs.

A structured language provides a vocabulary of commands you use to create step-by-step procedures, along with user-defined commands you use to construct new commands that grow increasingly complex as you proceed from the top of a program to the bottom. The final line of a KAMAS program might not contain a single word from the KAMAS language. KAMAS is much like FORTH in many respects; the syntax is similar enough that experience with FORTH makes a good prerequisite to programming in KAMAS.

The KAMAS language is made up of four large vocabularies—a major departure from FORTH, which lets you build new commands from a limited set of predefined FORTH words. The first KAMAS vocabulary is called Topicvoc. Using its commands, you can manipulate the KAMAS outline environment, but you don't have much real programming capability other than establishing procedures for data manipulation within the confines of KAMAS.

The second vocabulary is called Uservoc; it exists primarily to hold userdefined commands as you develop them. This feature, the ability to store and remember new commands, is known as extensibility and is another tie to FORTH.

The third vocabulary, Langvoc, which you can call from Topicvoc, is a c®mplete language you can use for programming tasks beyond the scope of outline management. Sysvoc, the fourth vocabulary, adds command shortcuts to modify the basic structure of KAMAS.

Typically, programs written with Langvoc and Topicvoc are the source of [continued on page 422)

Table I: KAMAS nomenclature. Note that leaves also may contain program code written in the KAMAS language and may be executed as utilities or separate programs.

TOPIC: A text database organized into a hierarchy.

BRANCH: A section of a topic that includes a parent and any subordinate generations of descendants.

STEM: A single entry in the database. A stem can be the start of a branch or a descendant.

TITLE: The name of a stem.

KEY: The first, required, part of a title. Keys are used for rapid location of stems. May be up to 31 characters long.

SUBTITLE: Further description of a stem. Optional. Up to 63 characters.

LEAF: A block of text associated with a stem. Optional. Up to 2420 characters.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 125

WHEN HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPED A PERSONAL COMPUTER PRINTER THAT USES A QUIET JET OF INK, PRINTS 150 CHARACTERS PER SECOND AND COSTS ONLY $495,

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for text or graphics. The Thinkjet printer weighs Thinkjet printer is, it still has one more feature

only 6y2 pounds and it takes up just a bit more that's going to cause a commotion; its price...

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PG02409 276 V

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compatibles and most other personal computers.

No other personal computer printer is engineered to do what the LaserJet printer can do at such an affordable price. But then consider where it came from.

See the entire family of personal computers, software and peripherals at your authorized Hewlett-Packard dealer. Call (800) FOR-HPPC for the dealer nearest you.

PG02417 276 V

Setting Yon Free

Eh HEWLETT "r PACKARD

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

*Suggested retail price.

Dorit buy Omninet just because its the

#lnetw(

Buy it because it's the best buy.

At under $500 per node, OMNINET has the lowest cost per station of any local area network.

Because an OMNINET Network uses simple, twisted pair wire. Which means that cabling costs one fifth of the coaxial alternatives, with none of the installation headaches.

Result? OMNINET is both easier and less expensive to install. Or expand.

Buy the system for unmatched flexibility.

From Apples to Zeniths, OMNINET handles more types of micros than any other network. So keep the DEC's in Data Processing and the PC's in Purchasing; OMNINET makes for great working relationships. And starting with

Apple

¥===

m

T

options like electrcwBmail, your people can choose IHp over 500 different programs according to their needs. Not their network's limitatioQm|

What's more, CORVUS can handle all your hardware needs. From 6 to 45MB hard disks through 200MB Random Access backup at an amazing $11 per megabyte. Both, with OMNINET servers built right in.

Conns OMNINET Network

Printer

Buy the OMNINET Network for the most expandability.

If you're just starting a network, consider OMNISHARE™ Software. It lets your regular PCs or PC-compatibles make full use of the disk space on an IBM PC XT.™

When you want to draw on the resources of your central computer, you'll want Corvus' SNA Gateway It lets your network's micros tap into your mainframe's information.

Whether you have 2 computers or 2,000, OMNINET can get the most out of them.

Buy us for our experience.

We pioneered local area networking for micros. And we're constantly working on better ways to give you the system you need, with the £f. versatility you <f want, at a price \ 59% that makes sense. ^

With the result that 3 out of every 5 locally-networked micros in the world are connected to a CORVUS network*

Give us a call at 800-4-CORVUS to find out more.

Because when it's all said and done, one of the best arguments for going with an OMNINET Network is really very simple.

Buy it fervour peace of mind.

Gorvus

The Networking Company

* 59l#i of all locally-networked micros operate in a corvi is network, according toInfoCorp. CORWS,THE NETWORKING COMPANY, omninet and omnishare are trademarks of CORVUS SYSTEMS inc. ihm PC and PC XT arc trademarks of Internationa) Business Machines. APPIE is a trademark of APPLE COMPUTER INC. DEC is a trademark of DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION. Zenith is a trademark of Zenith Corporation.TI is a trademark of Texas Instruments.

Circle 97 on inquiry card.

A patternrecognition program in BASIC

by Rob Spencer

CLUSTER

ANALYSIS

WHAT DO TYPES OF microcomputers, species of bees, brands of beer, and groups of your relatives have in common? Among other things, they are all good subjects for cluster analysis.

Cluster analysis is a technique that can take a large amount of information about a number of objects and construct a simple, unique tree diagram that expresses those objects' similarities and differences at a glance. Your choice of objects depends on your applications. If your business is biochemistry and new drug design, as mine is, the objects might be fragments of molecules. If you're a biologist interested in the evolution and classification of insects, the objects could be species of bees. In market research, if the objects are different products, such as microcomputers or brands of beer, cluster analysis can help find competitive and noncompetitive relationships. Finally, if the

objects are friends or relatives, cluster analysis can be an amusing party game.

The objects I've chosen to illustrate cluster analysis are twelve popular microcomputers. We'll begin with the output of the program, a tree diagram, also known as a dendrogram (figure 1). Here each computer is represented by a branch of the tree, and the branches are connected in pairs until each computer is somehow connected with every other computer.

The usefulness of cluster analysis and pattern recognition is apparent in the tree. The first two computers, the Compaq and the IBM Personal Computer (PC), are connected together and widely separated from all the others. They

[continued]

Rob Spencer (4230 Fieldgate Dr. #5, Mississauga. Ontario L4W 2M5, Canada) is a biochemist with Syntex \nc.

COMPAQ

IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER COMMODORE 64 VIC-20

TRS-80 COLOR COMPUTER TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 9

ATARI 800 OSBORNE I KAYPRO 2 APPLE lie TRS 80-4 ACE

J I tK 1

9/4A '

Figure I: This dendrogram is the result of cluster analysis on the microcomputer example. If shows the similarities and differences between the computers, based on nine input criteria.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 129

a)

PRICE

bl

4C

PRICE

c)

PRICE

d)

-dj

T = TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 99 C = TRS-80 COLOR COMPUTER A = ATARI

Figure 2: Ah illustration of the clustering algorithm with a subset of the microcomputer data.

clearly form a cluster of two, which we might call business computers. Similarly, the next five computers in figure 1 are all closely connected and separated from the rest by a long branch. We'd naturally conclude that these five are similar to each other and quite different from the others. Knowing something about these computers, we might say that this is the cluster of family or game machines—yet there's nothing explicit in the input data about business, families, or games. This is why cluster analysis is fun and useful—it can take a large amount of dry, objective information and produce a simple, thought-provoking diagram.

Most of the rest of this article will deal with the workings of cluster analysis, in the order used in the program: data input, data scaling, building the linked list, and (recursively) building the dendrogram.

Input Data

To create the dendrogram in figure 1, I selected from an article in Consumer Reports (reference 1), nine different criteria that might be of interest to prospective buyers: price, amount of memory, portability, etc. (complete criteria are given at the end of listing 1, lines 1420-1580). The criteria were also selected to show the types of data that can be used. For example, several are yes/no variables (1 = yes, 0 = no) that deal with the questions: Is the computer MS-DOS compatible? Does it have a keypad? Is it portable? Other variables have units of kilobytes: How much RAM (random-access read/write memory) and how much disk space? The variable for system price is in dollars. The other variables are simply in "units": How many software packages come with the system? How many function keys? How many columns on the screen?

The selection of how many and which criteria make up the input data is the most subjective aspect of cluster analysis. If not enough criteria are chosen, the final diagram may not be "fair—for example, few buyers would want to ignore price and compare computers on the basis of features alone. On the other hand, if too many criteria are chosen there may be unwanted redundancies—if a variable were included to indicate 8- or 16-bit machines, it would not, in this example, be any different from the MS-DOS-compatibility variable. Hartigan (reference 2) discusses these and other questions in detail.

Scaling the Data

How can kilobytes be compared with the number of function keys? How can dollars be compared to portability? To avoid these problems, all of the input data must be scaled or normalized before being presented to the clustering algorithm. In listing 1, this normalization is begun as the data is read (lines 140-230), where sums and sums of squares of the data for each variable are calculated. In lines 270-300 the means fx*) and standard deviations (sk) of each variable are calculated according to the formulas below:

A - ( £ X,*)' fop 1=1

np - 1

These are used in lines 340-360 to convert the original data to normal form, in which each variable now has a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of I:

X;,|c — Xjfc

s*

At this point the different variables could be given different weights, though I have not done so in the program. For example, if 1 decided that MS-DOS compatibility were very important, I could multiply that column of normalized data by a factor of 2 or 3 to give it extra weight in clustering.

The Cluster Algorithm

The heart of the program is the building of a linked list in lines 400-730. Before discussing this in detail, I'll illustrate the algorithm with a small subset of the data. Figure 2a shows this reduced data set, three computers shown as points in the space "price" vs. "RAM." Since the data is normalized there are no units (dollars or kilobytes) for the axes. From now on, only distances between points are important. The algorithm goes as follows: 1. Calculate the distances between all pairs of points. 2. Select the two closest points: call them i and /. 3. Create a new point with coordinates that are an average of the coordinates of points i and /. 4. Discard points i and /. If there are two or more points remaining, go to step 1. Go through figure 2 with this algorithm. Without calculating [continued on page 423)

Circle 22 on inquiry card.

In these modern times, you have to go all out to stay ahead of the competition. And going with our up-to-date Silent/Scribe printers can help keep you there; because Silent/Scribe quietly goes about your business reports, letters, charts and graphs, while you quietly go about your business.

Unruffled. Undisturbed. And assured that the letter you signed on the first day of the month and the final monthly report will both have

A

the same crisp high-quality look.

All Silent/Scribe printers feature snap-in long life ribbon cartridges, easy-to-use controls, and Logic/Card' interfacing to fit virtually any computer.

And they come in a variety of models to fit your specific needs and budget.

Call us today and discover how going quietly can quickly get you ahead.

Outside California: (800) 4-ANADEX In California: (800) 79Z-9992

• Copyright 1984 Anadex. Inc.

ANADEX, INC. • 1001 Flynn Road • Camarillo, CA

ICA ...WU*t

93010 • Tel: (805) 987-9660 • TWX: 910-494-2761

Wdve made it possible for you to work with some unusual computer characters.

Not long ago, a group of engineers here at Digital Research had a genuine brainstorm.

Introducing VidLink.™ The software-video technology that will literally revolutionize the way you see your computer.

Using a cable that connects a Pioneer®LD-700 Laser-Disc Player to your Commodore 64™ (and soon an IBM®PC or Apple®II), VidLink lets you key up visual information from virtually any videodisc. With

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Commodore 64 is a trademark of Commodore Business Machines Inc. Apple is a trademark ol Apple Computer Inc Pioneer LD-700 Laser-Disc player is a trademark of Pioneer Video Inc a wholly owned subsidiary of Pioneer Electronics, Tokyo, Japan, VidLink is a trademark ol Digital Research Inc. © 1984 Digital Research Inc. All rights reseived. 'Price subject to tax. shipping and handling.

132 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

everything from NFL Videodiscs to a trivia quiz disc like Maze Mania.

Imagine. Playing games with interactive discs like Murder, Anyone?, Apollo 17: Mission to TaurusLittrow or The National Gallery of Art. You'll even be free to create your own challenges. VidLink lets you invent your own games or programs to work with a wide range of existing videodiscs.

Imagine. The ability to re-program sequences on a videodisc. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Hooking the computer revolution to the video revolution is a snap. A VidLink connector cable and cassette-based or floppy software running on your computer is all it takes. And instructions are simple and fully documented.

But perhaps the most unexpected feature is the price. Just $49.00* gives you VidLink, one of the many visions we see in the future of computer-video.

VidLink is only available direct from Digital Research, lb order yours, and titles like Murder, Anyone?, Maze Mania or First National Kiddisc, just have your American Express,® Visa®or MasterCard®ready. Then pick up your old-fashioned phone and enter these familiar characters: 1-800-227-6703, or in California: 1-800-632-7979.

El DIGITAL RESEARCH

We make computers work.31

NFL SymFunny/Legends of the Fall Videodisc © 1981 courtesy of NFL Films Video Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. The National Gallery ol/Irt Videodisc ©19S3 courtesy of Videodisc Publishing Inc New York, New York. Space Archive Volume 2 Apollo 17: Mission to Taurus Littrow Videodisc © 1984 cour.esy ot Video Vison Associates Ltd Madison, New Jersey. Murdet/4r)yone.7Videodisc ©1983 courtesy of Vidman Inc Cincinnati. Ohio.

Circle 112 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 133

The truth about information management:

KnowledgeMan™

beats dBASK over 250 ways

K.. .the leading seller is not the best?1

You get more from KnowIedgcMan, Relational data management,ad hoc queries (like IBM's SQI./HS), spreadsheet, math and statistics, printed tonus management,screen I/O management, a full-scale programming language. Plus you can now get .1 text processor, a forms painter, color graphics and a run-time version.

All completely integrated. So you can do just about anything vou w ish. Like financial modeling, order entry, job costing or decision support.

[fyou'd like to see more about how KnowlcdgeMan beats dBASK,sec vourdealer today and ask for a free fcarurc-bv-fcaturc comparison. Or call or Write: Micro Data Base Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 248, Lafayette, IN 47902, (317)463-2581

Operating Systems: IV M( )S, MSHON, (T, M 86, Requirements: RAM Fexl processing* ftoirns painting and c< tlorgranhu s are optional integrated Knowlcdgc Man component

KnowlcdgeMan is a trademark of Micro Data Base Systems, hie, dBASK II oi Ashn >n late, SOI.. I >s«>i I KM. (lurrem release is 1,06 as ofiy 1/K4. (lolorgraphics requires Pi 'DOS and IBM color graphics i and oreqnh alent

t„.'» v,i rfOi

■ >

^'•.»" .««■ ..«*." *

1»» - \«,\

1f>

5m> ■

BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

KNOWLEDGE

The Kniivvlcil^c MjiMgcr from MDBS

Circle 239 on inquiry card.

THE

65816

MICROPROCESSOR PART 2:

HARDWARE

System design considerations

WESTERN DESIGN CENTER'S 65816, a new 8-/16-bit CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) version of the NMOS (negative-channel metaloxide semiconductor) 6502 microprocessor aims to grant older systems a new lease on life. Its major contribution toward this rejuvenation is that it brings the speed of the clean, compact 6502 instruction set into the 16-bit arena. In part 1 of this article ("The 65816 Microprocessor, Part 1: Software," August BYTE, page 12 5), I discussed some of the instruction-set enhancements offered by this new family of microprocessors. Now let's examine the hardware considerations for system designers who either want to work with new designs or would like to adapt the

65816 to existing designs.

A number of processors in this new branch of the family will be produced, corresponding to the variety of processors currently available under the 6502 banner. As noted in part 1, 1 will refer to members of the NMOS 6502 group collectively as the 6502 and to CMOS 8-/16-bit members as the 65816. Most of the hardware signals are available on all the processors, but the vari

(continued)

Steven P. Hendrix, an instructor pilot for the U.S. Air Force, has a B.S. in computer science and mathematics from the USAF Academy. He can be reached at Route 8, Box 8IE, New Braunfels. TX 78130. His hobbies include computers and astronomy.

by Steven P. Hendrix

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 135

ous members bring different sets of the less commonly used signals out to external pins. Throughout this article, I will use a binary logic value of "0" to refer to a signal line at a voltage level of 0

volts, and a value of "1" to refer to a signal at a level of +5 volts. Some signals are considered "active" when they are at a logical "1" level and will be referred to as "active-high," while

others are "active" at the logical "0" state and will be called "active-low."

6502 Review

To provide a common point of departure for discussing the new features of the 65816, let's first review the signals provided by the 6502. The major signals make up a 16-bit address bus, an 8-bit data bus, and a variety of control signals. Different combinations of these signals are available on different members of the 6502 family; to keep package size down, some versions have as few as 28 pins.

The address bus consists of 16 pins designated as AO through A15. These lines signal the address the processor accesses to read data from or write data to external devices. The state of AO gives the lowest-order bit of the address, with A15 giving the highest-order bit. Some versions provide as few as 12 address bits externally. These lines can access only 4K (4096) bytes of memory or input/output (I/O) ports. Thus, they are used primarily in dedicated controllers such as smart printers or appliance controllers. Versions with the full address bus available externally can still directly access only 65,536 (216) memory or I/O locations. This limited address space is becoming a major restriction of the 6502 as memory prices fall and larger and larger systems become popular.

Pins DO through D7 make up the data bus, either carrying data from the processor to other devices or from external memory or ports to the processor. Since this bus is bidirectional (carrying data either in or out), other signals are used to indicate the data flow's direction and to show when it is valid. On the 6502, the data bus carries valid data during only half of any processor cycle, and its state is undefined during the rest of the time. This unused bus bandwidth is important to the expanded 65816.

A variety of clock signals are available on the various 6502 processors. Some of them generate the clock signals internally, while others require all the clock signals to be generated externally. The first type is intended for designs with a minimum of external parts, while the second gives the hardware designer maximum flexibility in interfacing with other devices in the system. Three (active-high) clock signals are involved and are termed phase zero (00). phase one (01), and phase two (02), respectively. Phase zero is externally generated and is used as an input to some members of the family, which then de(continued on page 427)

TIMING DIAGRAMS [W65SC02 COMPATIBLE)

W65SC816 W65SC802

4>0(IN)

f

£2(IN) *1 (OUT) *2(OUT)

VDA,VPA,R/W,SYNC. BAO-7.BKO.VP.ABO-15. ML

-*\ •— tD</>2

WRITE DATA

IRO. NMI ■ RDY.RES

f

r

x

- tPWI i#>2L>

icvc

X

5c

BANK ADDRESS

K

BANK ADDRESS

X

-tPW(<£ 2H)

>

X

tDSRHEAjj DATA

X

TIMING DIAGRAM IW65SC102 COMPATIBLE J

W65SC902

VDA ,VPA, R/W. SYNC. BA0-7.BKO.VP.ABO-15.ML

WRITE DATA

IRO. NMI

RDY. RES

NOTES:

1 LOAD =]00pF

2. VOLTAGE LEVELS SHOWN ARE VL <0.4V. VH> 2.4. UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.

3. MEASUREMENT POINTS SHOWN ARE 0.8V AND 2.0V, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.

Figure 1: These timing diagrams show that on processors with a phase {our clock signal, all signals except data are valid by the time they reach its rising edge.

Table 1: VDA and VPA can be combined to synthesize the equivalent of SYNC

VDA VPA Bus Cycle

0 0 Internal operation. Address and data buses idle.

0 I Program byte fetch. May select a separate program memory.

1 0 Data byte read or write. May select a separate data area. I I Op-code fetch. Equivalent to SYNC.

136 BYTE - SEPTEMBER 1984

Gifford has a lock on multiuser CP/M 8-16

It's 11:00 P.M. Do you know where your files are?

It's great when multiple local and off site users can run any 8- or 16-bit CP/M or MP/M™ program. It's even better when they can share expensive resources like printers, hard disks, and tape drives. Best of all is when they can share your most precious resource—data. Gifford has been delivering systems with all these features for over two years.

But sometimes data is sensitive. How do you keep people from taking more than their fair share?

Gifford adds a new dimension to CP/M security.

With our new security features, you can control what resources and data are shared.

Gifford's proprietary security enhancements include user login with encrypted passwords, control over access rights of modem users, secure electronic mail, and the ability to restrict users to specified terminals, programs, and directory areas. Plus, an audit log utility that keeps a permanent record of system activity. And you also get all the standard security features of Digital Research's MP/M-86.™

You select the level of security needed to get the best balance between file sharing and file safety.

Unleash productivity with Gifford's Virtual Terminals.

With our Virtual Terminals, each terminal on your system can monitor up to four different programs running concurrently. And at the touch of a key you can switch screens instantly from one program to another.

You could look up an address in dBASE II™ jump over to SuperCalc™ to make some projections, then switch instantly to WordStar* to use this information to update a letter. If you forget what's on a screen, just touch a key to refresh your memory. You won't need to go through the distracting process of loading and unloading programs.

And since your Virtual Terminal can run any 8- or 16-bit CP/M or MP/M program, you can choose the best programs foryour job from the biggest software library in the world. It's easier than 1,2,3!

The Gifford Security Blanket: Total Solutions.

Gifford delivers solutions.This means professional pre-sale consultation, expert system integration with 200 hour system burn-in, complete training,and full after sale support.

For example, our three user CompuPro* based system with a 21megabyte hard disk costs just $9,990, and can be easily expanded for $500 per

user. This includes MP/M 8-16, SuperCalc, and dBASE II.

Other Gifford solutions include systems with hard disks that range from 5 to 300 megabytes, 4 and 9 track tape backup, printers, plotters, and modems. Single- and multiuser 8086,68000, and Z-80 based systems are available for immediate delivery, with 80286 and 16032 systems on the way.

Two year warranty protection.

In the unlikely event that you encounter a hardware related problem, we'll replace any defective S-100 part within 24 hours FREE for two full years. But chances are, it can be solved on the Gifford service hotline or diagnosed via modem. All at no cost to you.

Lock in on Gifford Security today.

If total support, training, on site service, obsolescence-proof upgradeable S-100 bus architecture, and complete system security sound appealing, cut the coupon or give us a call. We'll send you a free brochure that tells the whole story. Once you get it you'll see why Gifford has a lock on multiuser CP/M 8-16.

Gifford Computer Systems is a Full Service CompuPrO® Systems Center.

The powerful Gifford System 321 shown with optional GCS-80 Virtual Terminals.

2446 Verna Court, San Leandro, CA 94577

(415) 895-0798 A division of G&G Engineering

I'D LIKE THE WHOLE STORY.

Please send me your brochure.

Name Title

Organization M/S

Address

City_

_ State,

_Zip_

Phone

□ Please have a representative call me.

BY-S

GIFFORD COMPUTER SYSTEMS □ San Leandro, CA (415 ) 895-0798 □ Los Angeles, CA (213) 477-3921 □ Houston, TX (713)

Amherst, NY ( 716) 833-4758 □ Telex: 704521

3-1944

Circle 162 on inrj.iiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 137

SINCE COOKING ON MY TURNED OUT SOME RE

If my colleagues ha ve asked once they've asked a thousand times, 'How do you turn out such scrumptious-lookingpies? So crisp, and sharp and contrasty?' Well fortunately for you, I'm

not the kind of petty person who refuses

to share his recipes.

So you can know dUmypie secrets— even the wayl manage

The color300. togetthose mouth-watering

C1964 Amdnk Capon

AMDEK MONITOR. IVE ALLY HEAVENLY PIES?

The Color 400.

colors —lemony yellows; rich, chocolate browns; cherry reds.

It s really simple. The single most

important mgredientm preparing a pie chart is the monitor.

And m this chefs opinion, the name that stands above the rest is Amdek.

PIE ALA-GRAPHICS MODE.

Like all business graphics, the pie helps you communicate with greater clarity.

So you need a monitor that gives you loads of quality and reliability.

And features, too. All Amdek Monitors offer a black matrix picture tube for super color definition.

Some provide a built-in speaker, audio amplifier and headphone jack.

One model allows you to hook up to your VCR. Others let you flip a text switch and change the color to green, for easier reading. Versatility is the key. From a _j relatively low-cost composite model, to an ultra high-resolution RGB unit (as high as 720(H) x480(V))f Amdek has literally anticipated your monitor Color 500. needs, present and future.

The Color 600.

APPLE PIES, IBM PIES, ETC.

One thing every piemaker should know. Amdek Monitors are compatible with virtually every person al computer

a vailable today. The Color 700.

A WORD ABOUT DOUGH.

Amdek Monitors are surprisingly affordable. Which allows you to turn out really first-rate pies at a price not limited to the upper crust.

And underscoring this value is a special Amdek plum. A two-year warranty on electronics, three years on the tube—the best warranty in the field.

BAKE-OFF.

Compare for yourself. For high-quality resolution, sharpness, color, styling and price, you won 'tfmd a better value than the Amdek Monitor.

And, whyshouldn I people be saying about your pies what they're already saying about mine:

That they fl£%T £% ■ use above m mtm mmU all others. WUMmUMM

MONITORS

Amdek Corporator}, 2201 Lively Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007Phone 312/595-6890

Circle 18 on inquiry card.

AMDEK

THE BUFFER DID IT.

Who Stole The 1500 Letters From The Computer?

Let's just say you've got to send a letter to 1500 different people. Would you like to spend 22.5 hours* or 60 seconds of

as*

1&

there $ turned

computer time?

With a gardenvariety buffer, the computer has to mix, merge and send 1500

addresses and 1500 letters to the buffer. Trouble is, most buffers only store about 32 letters. So after 32 letters, the computer's down until the printer's done. Altogether, you're talking 22.5 hours.

In the case of our new (not to mention amazing) ShuffleBuffer, computer time ^ is 60 —"jJts, repon seconds **t,U You'«lovemyw flat.

,<r °"- Just give ShuffleBuffer one form letter and your address list, and it takes care of the mixing, the merging, and the printing. But that's not all ShuffleBuffer's stolen from the computer. Oh, no.

Who Changed and Rearranged The Facts?

Again, ShuffleBuffer's the culprit. You want to move paragraph #l down where #3 is? Want to add a chart or picture? No

problem. No mystery, either. Any buffer can give you FIFO, basic first-in, first-out printing. And some

O.BO.U"

buffers offer By-Pass; the ability to interrupt long jobs for short ones. But only ShuffleBuffer has what we call Random Access Printing — the brains to move stored information around on its way to the printer. Something only a computer could do before. Comes in especially handy if you do lots of printing. Or lengthy manuscripts Or voluminous green and white spread sheets. And by the way, ShuffleBuffer does store up to 128K of information and gives you a By-Pass mode, too.

And Who Spilled The Beans 239 Times?

Most buffers can't tell the printer to duplicate. If they can, they only offer a start/stop switch, which means you're the one who has to count to 239. Turn your back on your buffer, and your printer might shoot out a room full of copies. ShuffleBuffer, however, does control quantity. Tell it the amount, and it counts the copies. By itself.

So, What's The Catch?

There isn't any. Sleuth around. You won't find another buffer that's as slick a character as this one. You also won't find one that's friendly with any parallel or serial computer/printer combination. This is the world's only universal buffer. With a brain.

Who Wants You To Catch A ShuffleBuffer In Action?

You guessed it. We do. Just go to your local computer dealer and ask him to show you a ShuffleBuffer at work. Or, you can call us

^6

# at (215) 667-1713, and we'll clue you in on 0o> all the facts directly.

tee*

■vie.

* Based on an average 4000 character letter & I28K bufTer.

m plow f»*

ft****

f\ShuffleBuffer

Th

The Buffer with a Brain

Interactive Structures Inc. 146 Montgomery Avenue BalaCynwyd, PA 19004

140 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 190 on inquiry card.

THE'FLOPPY-DISK

FOCUSING ON AN UNSUNG COMPONENT

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DANIEL PELAVIN

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 141

THE-FLOPPY-DISK

COMPARING FLOPPY DISKS

Subjective evaluation of magnetic media

by Robert Rodina

he question "Which disk brand should I buy?" often comes from business associates and home computer users. In response to this query and to satisfy my own curiosity. I tested disks from the following manufacturers (brand/trademark in parentheses): Dysan Corp. (Dysan). Xidex Magnetics (Precision), Maxell Corp. of America (Maxell), Control Data Corp. (Control Data, or CDC). Wabash Datatech Inc. (Wabash), Memorex Corp. (Memorex), Nashua Corp. (Nashua), Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. (3M). Verbatim Corp. (Datalife), BASF Systems Corp. (BASF), Athana Inc. (Athana), TDK Electronics Corp. (TDK), and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM). All brands were 5!4-inch, double-density, 48-tpi (tracks per inch) disks with reinforced hub rings. Results are listed in the same order the products were tested. In all cases but one, a total of 10 sample disks were tested for each manufacturer. A local 3M supplier provided 2 samples for review. The 3M-supplied sample of 10 disks arrived too late for testing.

The disks were visually examined and rated for such coating conditions as discoloration spots, visible coating streaks, and polishing patterns. These discolorations may or may not be electrically or magnetically significant. I used an International Scientific Instruments electron microscope to examine the discoloration spots at 1330 power and 3430 power. The light spots seem to be areas where

Robert Rodina (8014 Northwest Hillside, Weatherby lake, MO 64152) is a part-time software consultant for Kinsey Packaging Equipment. Platte Woods. Missouri.

a taller-than-normal buildup of iron oxide has received more than its share of buffing, while the dark spots appear to be minute depressions in the oxide coating skipped over by the polisher. A Zeiss optical microscope was used at 128 power to observe the polishing results. A highly polished medium would tend to improve drivehead-to-disk-surface contact and reduce head wear. Table 1 shows the results of this visual survey as they relate to the incidence of discoloration spots.

A normal medium as seen through the electron microscope is shown in photo I. and a spotted area appears in photo 2. Photo 3 is typical of the samples that had the least polished media as viewed through the optical microscope. The Xidex surface appears in photo 4. The light areas in each photograph are highly polished regions. I judged the Xidex and Nashua brands as having the highest sheen, with the samples submitted by 3M, Memorex, Wabash, and BASF next, followed by the balance of the group.

OPERATIONAL TESTING

Two computers were selected for testing the disks. One computer contained two MP1 (Micro Peripherals Inc.) disk drives and the other used one MP! and two Siemens drives. (The Siemens disk drive division is now called World Storage Technology.) All five drive heads were cleaned. Each drive head was then aligned using a Dysan model 282 alignment disk.

The first electrical test was to format each disk in double density, using a high-sensitivity 6DB6 test pattern. I then recorded a test program near track 39 using one of the Siemens drives. Next, the program was loaded and executed on each of the other four drives. All the disks passed this interchangeability test, which was designed to see if, as some manufacturers claim, a hub-hole tolerance of 0.0005 inch is better than a 0.001-inch tolerance at decreasing the probability of a parity read error. Apparently, no difference will be noticed unless this tolerance adds to an already misaligned drive head.

Next, 1 ran a speed test (table 2) to see if packaging friction affects rotational accuracy. The results are averaged over a 10-second period. The Dysan alignment disk was arbitrarily chosen to set the drive speed to 300 revolutions per minute (rpm). This speed test was combined with my evaluation of audible rotation noise, as judged by ear. No correlation was found between jacket-liner noise and rotation speed.

The last test measured recorded amplitude as a function of drive-head amplitude (table 3). An "FF" test pattern was recorded on tracks 16 and 39 of each disk. The FF pattern was chosen since it provided a relatively smooth test pattern. A Tektronix oscilloscope measured the amplitude at the output of the differential operational amplifier. The maximum resolution was about 5 millivolts (mV) using 50 mV per centimeter vertical sensitivity. Most

142 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

THE-FLOPPY-DISK

manufacturers do not include amplitude tests but perform similar ones called saturation and resolution tests, as specified by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) X3B8/78-145. Amplitude should not be a problem with good drives, but some brands have difficulty reading signals below 200 mV.

A wear test would have been useful but I had neither the time nor the sacrificial disk drives. Some disk manufacturers rate their products' life expectancy at 10 million passes before the oxide coating wears away. Based on 10 million passes, and to make a fair test of each brand, 13

{continued)

Photo 1: Ad electron microscope view o\ a normal disk area at 1330x.

Photo 2: The spotted area of a disk viewed at 1330x.

Photo 3: A I28x photograph oj a disk typical of the least polished group.

Photo 4: A 128x photograph of a Xidex brand disk showing a marked improvement over photo 3.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 143

THE-FLOPPY-DISK

Table I: Average number of discoloration areas per side. Discolorations may or may not affect the electrical andlor magnetic characteristics of a disk, but those due to inadequate polishing would tend to increase head wear.

0-4 5-9 10 and up Low Medium High

Dysan . Xidex

Maxell .

Control Data ,

Wabash •

Memorex .

Nashua ,

3M

Verbatim , BASF

Alhana .

TDK

IBM

Table 2: Speed-test results were averaged over 10 seconds, \nitial drive speed was set at 300 rpm.

Average

Noise

Speed (rpm)

1 ow

Medium High

Dysan

300.00

Xidex

300.00

Maxell

299.80

Control Data

299.95

Wabash

299.90

Memorex

300.00

Nashua

300.00

3M

299.90

Verbatim

299.85

BASF

299.90

Athana

299.95

TDK

300.00

IBM

300.00

*

Table 3: Recorded amplitute in millivolts was measured as a function of drive-head amplitude. Manufacturers generally perform an American National Standards Institute test known as saturation and resolution, which is intended to provide complementary information.

Track 16

Track 39

Dysan

340

240

Xidex

370

250

Maxell

330

210

Control Data

360

240

Wabash

355

240

Memorex

330

215

Nashua

370

250

3M

350

240

Verbatim

330

210

BASF

335

210

Athana

360

240

TDK

340

220

IBM

355

235

new disk drives would have had to run continuously for approximately 23 days each. Since I'm overendowed with neither time nor money, I decided to bypass this test.

Observations

I found that some of the Control Data Corp. (CDC) disks could not be formatted until they were bulk erased. It was also difficult to keep identification labels on the CDC jackets, including their own blue labels. These problems were brought to Control Data's attention and have been corrected with a variety of measures, including a new jacket design.

For some reason, possibly a difference in liner material, my personal Memorex single-sided, single-density disks operated much more quietly than the double-sided, double-density Memorex disks I surveyed.

The brands sampled did not include all suppliers. The 13 brands selected seemed to be the most popular, with the exception of Xidex, which just started manufacturing disks. Brands from companies that distribute disks but do not manufacture media of their own were not considered in this survey.

All the disks that were evaluated visually seemed to have flimsy jackets except for the 10-mil-thick Xidex brand (a mil equals 0.001 inch). Xidex and Nashua had the highest sheen on their media, denoting a highly polished surface and reflecting lower disk drive-head wear and lower dropout expectancy.

One manufacturer expressed the concern that samples received directly from other manufacturers might be "selected." Based on my purchase of the two top brands after I finished this survey and subsequent retesting with consistent results, I concluded that special selection was unlikely.

Conclusion

What did all this prove? Only that if you have well-aligned drives in good electrical and mechanical condition and a good data-separation circuit, most any disk is probably usable. If you are having low drive-head amplitude problems, or if you have an operational amplifier in the drive circuitry that has lost some gain, you might want to consider a brand that gives up to a 20 percent higher recorded level and touts a tighter hub-hole tolerance. If you are concerned with head wear, choose a brand that has the most polished finish,

I have no doubt that if someone else conducted these same tests and observations, different results would occur. I hope others will come up with alternate approaches and publish their findings. ■

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to Paul Gutshall for his electron microscope expertise, to Neil Winquist for his tutelage, and to all the manufacturers who submitted test samples.

144 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

TH E-FLOPPY-DISK

THE THEORY OF DISK-ERROR CORRECTION

Algorithms

for data recovery

by THomas Sterling

isk controllers are designed to provide error detection by adding a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to each sector as it is written. In the event of an error, the CRC code signals the host computer that it will have to reread the disk sector. Unfortunately, the disk sector is sometimes

unreadable and even repeated reads will not retrieve the data. In this article, I'll describe techniques for 100 percent recovery of data from multiple disk sectors that are otherwise unreadable.

The first example involves loading one disk track (nine sectors) with the information needed to correct any single track. I'll then describe how to extend this, using ReedSolomon codes, to allow for the correction of any two tracks.

Correcting One Bad TRack

The simplest means of error correction is the double-parity scheme in which parity bits are calculated both horizontally and vertically, as in table 1. If a single error exists, the parity bit will be wrong in both the row and column of that error, and we can fix the error simply by com

Thomas Sterling is a vice-president of Errex inc., a firm that produces error-detection and error-correction programs and products. He is also a senior research associate in the physics department at the University of Michigan. He can be reached at 117 North First St.. Ann Arbor. Ml 48104.

plementing that bit. This technique fails if either a row or a column has more than one erroneous bit. It is possible to improve error correction somewhat by using a CRC in the horizontal direction. This is shown in table 2.

The CRC will detect an error in a row, regardless of the number of bits that are in error in the row. Notice that it is now possible to correct an entire row. This method fails if errors are found in more than one row. While CRCs are not perfect, they are good enough that the possibility of one failing will be ignored in this presentation.

In the case of disks, data is recorded on concentric tracks. Thus, instead of having vertical and horizontal parity calculation, we have it from hub hole to outermost track (radial) and for the data stored in each concentric track (azimuthal). Because the disks already have error detection in the azimuthal direction (CRC), we merely need to add correction information (parity) in the radial direction. This is accomplished by making one track the parity-bit repository for all the other tracks, as in table 3. In other words, analyze all the other tracks using an exclusive-OR function (exclusive-OR is a logic operator having the property that if P is a statement and Q is a statement, then P exclusive-OR Q is true if either but not both statements are true, false if both are true or both are false). Track 80 is reserved for the parity-correction information. , How good is the error correction at this point? We can correct either any single sector in each radial slice or all nine sectors in a track, provided only one sector in a radial slice has an error. A significant improvement can be made by staggering the sectors by two as the radial parity is calculated, as in table 4. The pattern for tracks 1 through 9 repeats through track 79. Track 80 again is reserved for the parity-correction information.

By using this staggered or spiral parity, we can correct nine contiguous sectors on one radial slice while retaining the ability to correct any single track. Thus, the data lost to a radial scratch, for example, within a nine-track span and affecting only one sector in each track can be recovered.

Therefore, by using one track for correction and using spiral parity, we can correct

1. any single track (nine sectors)

2. any nine sectors in a radial slice

3. any four adjacent pairs of sectors in a radial slice

4. any set of sectors (up to nine) of which no two lie on the same spiral

When a bad sector is discovered, it can be recovered by using the exclusive-OR function on all other sectors in its spiral, including the sector on the correction track. This technique fails whenever more than one bad sector exists on any spiral. However, bad sectors in spirals that have only one bad sector still can be corrected even if other spirals have more than one bad sector.

{continued}

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE

THE-FL0PPY-D1SK

Table 1: Double parity is the simplest error-correction method.

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

p p p p p p p

where X = data bit (I or 0| and P = parity bit {1 or 0)

Table 2: Cyclic redundancy checking can recover more than one erroneous bit per row but only in one row.

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

CRC CRC CRC CRC

axb = c

(axb)xc=ax(bxc) axb=bxa

ax|b + c) = (axb) + (axcl

Given special elements 0, I, and z: a + 0=a ax I =a axO=0 axa"1 = 1

a + (-a|=0

Of special importance: a + a = 0

P P P P P P P

closure associative commutative distributive

additive identity multiplicative identity

inverse exists (except for 0) additive inverse

Each element is its own inverse. Each nonzero element of the set can be expressed as an integer power of the special element z.

Table 3: Sector numbers used for parity calculation yield error detection in the radial direction on top of a cyclic redundancy check in the azimuthal direction.

Track

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

Parity 79th Track I 1

Table 6: Reed-Solomon codes can be used for added error-correction capability in more than two tracks, but the cost is increased overhead and greater complexity in code generation.

Correction Tracks

I

2 3 4 5 6 7

Overhead Percentage

1.3 2.5 3.8 5.0 6.3 7.5 8.8 10.0

Tracks Correctable

I

2 3 4 5 6 7

Maximum Sectors Correctable

9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72

Table 4: Staggering the sectors by two results in spiral parity calculation and increases the number of radial correctable sectors to nine.

Track

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Parity

Track

6

7

8

9

1

2 3 4 5

Table 5: Reed-Solomon codes let you reconstruct any two tracks.

Given 8-bit bytes a. b. and c: a + b = c

(a + bl + c=a + (b+c) a+b=b+a

closure

associative

commutative

Reed-Solomon Codes

Any two tracks can be reconstructed by adding a radial Reed-Solomon code that would be stored in a second correction track. (Reed-Solomon codes are thoroughly discussed in Error-Correcting Codes by W. Wesley Peterson and E. |. Weldon Jr. |The MIT Press, 1972j.) It would be calculated using the same spiral techniques as for the parity above.

The Reed-Solomon codes for 8-bit bytes are based on the fact that we can define multiplication and addition for bytes that satisfy the rules in table 5.

This type of structure is called a finite Galois field (Evariste Galois was a 19th-century French mathematician). Addition for the Galois field is bitwise exclusive-OR. Multiplication is complicated and beyond the scope of this article. The important distinction from regular arithmetic comes from the closure rule: the multiplication of two 8-bit bytes is itself an 8-bit byte.

In order to use the Reed-Solomon code for data bytes

146 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

THE-FLOPPY-DISK

d|, d2>. . .dn, we find two unique check bytes, c, and c2, such that

dn+dn., + . . .+d,+c2+c,=0

and

(dnxzn+l) + (dn_,xz") +

. . . +(d,xz2)+(c2xz)+c,=0

The first equation is the parity described earlier. The second equation is new and more complicated.

When a single bad sector is found, the relationship in the first equation shows that it can be corrected by adding the corresponding bytes in all the other sectors in its spiral (including c, and c2. as shown above). If two bad sectors exist, the correction is more difficult. Assume we have bad sectors n, and n2; then

dn,+dn,=

d„ +

+dniJ.,+dn

.+dn2+,+dn2_,+ . +d,+c2+c,=S0

l + |dn2x(z"^

Id„,x(zn

|dnx(zn+l)|+. . . + |dni + 1x(zn'+i)| + . . . +(c2xz) + c, =S,

We can now find dn and d in terms of S0 and S,:

S, + |(zni + 1;

xS0

hi, + (zni + l) xS0

(Z"2

S, + |(zn'

(Zn2+') + (Znl + l)

Therefore, by using two tracks for correction information, we can correct

1. any two tracks (18 sectors)

2. any 18 sectors in a radial slice

3. any nine adjacent pairs of sectors in a radial slice

4. any set of sectors (up to 18) of which no 3 lie on the same spiral

Reed-Solomon codes can be made to use any number of check bytes, but the generation and correction become increasingly difficult. For each extra track of correction capability, another track of check bytes is needed, as shown in table 6.

Conclusion

The application of Reed-Solomon codes to information stored on disks can provide an effective means of recovering unreadable sectors. The low overhead percentage needed to retain the correction information makes the use of error detection and correction viable on disks. ■

FLOPPY-DISK FORMATS

Shedding some light on tracks, sectors, fields, and encoding schemes

by Lester E. Thompson

f the four primary technologies that let a computer handle, store, and manipulate data—applications software, the operating system, the controller, and magnetic media formatting— generally the least is known about media formatting. Most programmers and users work with the applications-program part of the operating system. They don't know much about controllers and formats because they are isolated from these technologies. In this article, I'll look at the most popular disk formats available and try to dispel some of the mystery surrounding incompatibility and standardization.

Before a floppy disk can be used in a computer, it must be formatted with a magnetic pattern. This pattern forms the structure that stores data in discrete concentric circles called tracks. Tracks are accessed by a magnetic head that is stepped mechanically from track to track under computer control. The format serves as a road map for the computer and helps it locate and retrieve stored information. The format tells the computer where to enter the data and how to find it later on.

There is no standard format in the computer industry. Different formats are chosen to enhance hardware costs, data-storage capacity, reliability, speed of data access,

(continued on page 436)

Lester E. Thompson is president of Formaster Corp. (1983 Concourse Dr.. San lose, CA 95131), which manufactures data-duplication and piracy-protection products.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 147

At long last, there is

the business mind with

the business system, effortlessly.

Software so totally different and uniquely

intelligent that it can create and carry through complex projects by itself. Extraordinary software with the capacity to adapt to a range of users' abilities, and grow in sophistication as their needs expand.

Introducing Smart Software from Innovative Software? There's never been a software system like it before. Nor is there anything else like it today.

That's because no other software has the capability to complete and repeat complex projects—from start to finish—on its own. Not by memorizing keystrokes (like a macro), but by adjusting to your project changes; and open-endedly performing dedicated applications.

Entire projects—spreadsheet to data base to graphics to word processing—can be completed without supervision; freeing your time for running your business, rather than running your business software.

In addition, Smart Software puts to rest, once and for all, the ease-of-use versus power dilemma, because this unprecedented software is as workable for beginners, as it is powerful for experts.

Smart Software was created to work for you, relentlessly. Structured to integrate with its smart mates, automatically. And designed to communicate with

Formore information on the fully-integrated Smart Software System, i o*v» «*■*•*■ n/~k-fVTT7r»*vrv /-**-»+1tt

call HOO-GET-SMART or visit your heal computer dealer for a demonstration. nOl-SO-Smail SOIlWare, DriLlianiiy.

The one-of-a-kind Smart Software System. Undoubtedly the most productive tool ever conceived for the business mind.

The Smart Software Svslcm is currently available for the IBM PC/ XT and compatibles. In Kansas,call 913-383-1089. © 1984 Innovative Software, Inc. Circle 188 on inquiry card.

software that links

BIG PROJECTS

ON SMALL MACHINES

Software engineering on microcomputers

by William F. Appelbe and Alex Pournelle

IF YOU ARE a programmer, you were probably first introduced to programming by means of small, simple problems. After mastering a dozen or so small programs you may have become somewhat overconfident in your programming talent. After all, since it took you only a couple of hours to write and debug a 100-line program to print mail labels, you may think that it should take only 50 times as long to write a 5000-line compiler. Although you do have to understand such things as system calls, code files, etc., all of these are documented in some fashion, so there really is no reason you should not be able to develop a major software product on your own, right? Wrong!

Overconfidence in your own programming ability can cause you to ignore the major hurdles to successful development of large software projects: project management and organization. Large software projects typically take one man-day per 10 lines of delivered (i.e., tested and debugged) source code. This means that it might take you as long as 500 days to develop a 5000-line compiler. The 10-lines-per-day figure includes all the time it takes to design, code, and test the program and write the documentation.

Typically, less than 20 percent of the project time is actually taken up writing code; the rest goes into organizing the project and designing and testing the code.

Software Engineering

Ideally you need a disciplined, methodical ap

Widiflm F. Appelbe is an assistant professor in computer systems at the University of California at San Diego [la )olla. CA 92093). He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and enjoys bicycling, hiking, and hacking.

Alex Pournelle is chief programmer at Workman and Associates (112 Marion Ave.. Pasadena. CA 91106). He also attends the University of California at San Diego and is collaborating on a textbook. He would like to hear from people working on low-cost graphics visuals.

proach to develop software. Unfortunately, no one approach is universally applicable to all software projects. Nevertheless, there are many effective tools available to assist you in designing, coding, testing, maintaining, and organizing software projects.

Until recently, microcomputers generally were not capable of supporting large software systems because of their limited memory and small, slow storage (cassette tapes and lowdensity floppy disks). However, the advent of powerful 16-and 32-bit microprocessors, inexpensive memory, and hard-disk and RAMdisk drives has meant that microcomputers are now capable of supporting complex software such as databases and sophisticated word processors. In addition, a wide range of software tools such as compilers can be bought for most popular microcomputers.

Thus, computer enthusiasts are beginning to develop large software projects. Fortunately, tools and techniques exist to minimize the risk of developing a software flop.

Most colleges offer introductory and advanced programming courses in various languages, but rarely do they offer courses to teach students to develop large software projects. Thus, most professional programmers learn software engineering on the job, from co-workers and their own mistakes.

The Software Life Cycle

The software life cycle can be roughly divided into six phases: requirements analysis, specification, design, coding, testing, and maintenance.

During the requirements-analysis phase you have to determine what the software should do and what environment it will be used in. Requirements analysis also involves estimating the resources (such as time, money, and personnel) needed to develop the software and documentation.

In the specification phase you determine the software's components and the interfaces between components.

During the design phase you describe the

150 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

algorithms and data structures used in each software component.

In the coding phase you code the software components in the programming language you've chosen during the requirementsanalysis phase.

In the testing phase you check each of the software components and then test the combined components that form the complete system.

The maintenance phase is an ongoing process. You have to correct bugs found after the software has been "released" and adapt the software to new applications and environments.

The organization and tools necessary to successfully complete a software project depend on who the users will be and the size of the project. If you are developing software for your own use, testing, maintenance, and documentation can be incidental. If you are developing software intended for naive or remote users, then it is critical to make sure you understand the user's needs during requirements analysis before you start to design and code the software.

Estimating Project Size and Difficulty

The most common way to estimate the size of a project is to estimate the number of lines of source code in the product. A small project (up to 1000 lines of source code) can be developed by a single person. Larger projects (1000-10,000 lines of code) are usually developed by a small team. And still larger projects are often divided among several teams.

Since you will not know the exact number of lines of source code the project will have until you are finished coding, it is vital to get a good estimate before you start. There are two ways to get an estimate:

1. Ask someone who has completed a similar project. This is the best approach because such an "expert" can give you a lot of helpful suggestions. However, there are^two pitfalls in this approach: the expert may be more talented than you, and the project may not be as similar as you think.

2. Determine the size of a program that is similar to the project you are contemplating (see table 1 for some examples). Even if you can only estimate the size of the object code, this will give a good hint as to the size of the source code.

It's a good idea to design or implement a small prototype of your program to get some idea of the size of each of the components of the system. The more you know about your subject, the better your final program is likely to be.

\

Guidelines for a Large Software Project

Although there is no universal rule for successfully developing large software projects, there are guidelines that apply to the majority of software projects. The guidelines we will discuss are based on our experience supervising and participating in team software projects, including a project to develop compilers for a subset of Ada, written in Pascal, assigned to all computer science undergraduates at UCSD.

Getting Started-Analyzing Project Requirements

The most important, and often overlooked, first step in developing any software project is getting a good definition of what the software should do and how it should interface with users and other software and hardware. In the case of a compiler project, this includes getting a reference manual for the language, deciding on the object language the compiler will generate (e.g., assembly language or binary code), and deciding how "user friendly" the compiler will be.

In some projects it is difficult to get a precise definition of the user's requirements. In such cases the best approach is to build a prototype, test it on users, and then redevelop the software as necessary. Make sure the prototype is of manageable size.

Once you have a good definition of what the software should do, estimate the size of the project. If the project is more than a few thousand lines of code it is probably too big for one person alone to develop for two reasons:

1. Time—Even working full-time it is unlikely that you could produce as many as a hundred lines of debugged and tested code {continued on page 446)

Table 1: Software project sizes.

Software

Approximate Size (lines of source code)

Source Language

Operating Systems CP/M

UCSD Pascal

UNIX (includes utilities!

2.000 5,000 > 100.000

Assembler and PL/1-80 Pascal

C and Assembler

Assembly languages Simple

Complex (includes macros)

1,000 5,000

Assembler Assembler

Compilers Pascal (without optimization) Ada

6,000 > 50,000

Pascal

Pascal or Ada

Applications dBASE 11

4,000

Assembler

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 151

Ayear's worth of reports, plans, schedules,

charts, graphs, files, facts and figures

and it could all be lost in the blinkof an eye*

The most important part of your computer may be the part you've considered least—the floppy disk. After all, there doesn't seem to be much difference between one disk and another. But now Fuji introduces a floppy disk that's worth a second look.

We designed our disk with the understanding that one microscopic imperfection can erase pages of crucial data. That's why every Fuji Film Floppy Disk is rigidly inspected after each production process. And that's why each one is backed with a lifetime warranty.

We've even considered how carefully a disk has to be handled, so we designed user-friendly packaging that makes it easier to get the disk out of the

box. And we provided plenty of labeling space, so you won't have any trouble telling which disk is which.

So think twice before buying a floppy disk. And then buy the one you won't have any second thoughts about. Fuj i Film Floppy Disks.

A1F2D

FUJI.

Nobody gives you better performance.

© 1984 Fuji Photo Film U.S.A.. Inc.. Magnetic Products Div.. 350 Fifth Avenue. NY. NY 10118

Circle 157 on inquiry card.

BYTE

Fractals

by Peter R. S$rensen 157

Laser Graphics and Animation

by ]oan Collins and Doug Tucker 177

The Computer as an Artistic Tool

by Isaac Victor Kerlow 189

Computer Landscapes

by Daniel Cooper 211

Editor s Choice

by jane Morrill Tazelaar 221

Color Considerations

by Lee Baldwin 227

Real-Time 3-D Graphics for Microcomputers

by Marcus Newton 251

From Pixels to Microdots

by lane Morrill Tazelaar 289

Graphics

THERE'S A WORLD of change occurring in the microcomputer industry and graphics is a big part of it. Since the creation of computers, more and more power has been packed into smaller and smaller boxes and the price of that power has continued to drop. We have seen accounting systems, process control, high-level mathematics, and many other functions move from mainframes to microcomputers, at first with limited capabilities and then often with greater power and ease of use than the original mainframe system had. Originally, microcomputers were limited by their memory capacity, but as miniaturization and technology have progressed that problem has been solved. Consequently, today we have essentially micro-mainframes.

For many years, the really exciting, creative, eye-grabbing graphics created on computers have been the exclusive realm of large mainframe systems. This is changing. Currently the microcomputer's main limitations lie in the areas of processing speed and image resolution. Calculation and processing speeds have increased incredibly since the advent of microcomputers and there is every reason to believe that this trend will continue, although undoubtedly at a slower rate. And image resolution is one of the major concerns of the microcomputer graphics community today. There are new developments taking place that modify the whole concept of resolution and greatly increase the potential for microcomputers in graphics. One of these developments is discussed in "From Pixels to Microdots."

What are we capable of now? And where are we going? These are the questions on which this issue is based. Peter R. Sorensen's article "Fractals" delves into the fascinating—and beautiful—world of complex mathematics and its relationship to the world around us. Joan Collins and Doug Tucker provide us with a glimpse into the spectacular world of laser graphics in entertainment with "Laser Graphics and Animation." And the private, creative world of the artist is opened for our eyes in "The Computer as an Artistic Tool" by Isaac Victor Kerlow.

"Real-Time 3-D Graphics for Microcomputers" by Marcus Newton provides an assembly-language routine for 16-bit microcomputer animation, while Lee Baldwin explores the importance of color in computer graphics systems with "Color Considerations."

For readers who would like to experiment with computer art but aren't satisfied with the transient nature of an image on a computer screen or its size on a 3 5mm slide, Daniel Cooper shows us how to create silk-screen originals from microcomputer graphics in "Computer Landscapes."

And there is a short but unusual section on computer-generated art. The unusual part of "Editor's Choice" is the lack of attending copy. This is a purely visual section which we hope you will enjoy.

Some of these articles are noticeably beyond the scope of today's microcomputers, but if the past is any indication, the future is not far away.

—)ane Morrill Tazelaar, Technical Editor

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 155

Draw Your Way to the Top

PC-Draw Will Increase Your Office Productivity. And Upward Mobility.

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And you win. Your secret weapon? PC-Draw. A powerful interactive graphics program for the IBM PC or XT®—unlike anything else on the market. Using PC-Draw you create virtually anything that can be drawn with pencil and paper. Quickly. Easily. With far greater detail.

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FRACTALS

by Peter R. S0rensen

Exploring the rough edges between dimensions

THIS IS AN ADVENTURE story about some contemporary explorers, the territories they are pioneering, and the strange beasts that inhabit those distant lands. The explorers are mathematicians, their virgin territories are fractional dimensions (fractals), with immaterial landscapes and monsters that can be seen only on computer screens.

The story began in the latter part of the last century when a few maverick mathematicians started to rebel against the idealistic concepts that had persisted in mathematics since the days of Euclid. The prevailing thought was that the universe could be described in terms of the perfect forms of standard geometry and the dynamics of Newton. But nature isn't simple and orderly enough to fit that description. "Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line," says Dr. Benoit B. Mandelbrot, the 59-year-old French mathematician who is the foremost fractal pioneer today (he coined the term "fractal"). Mandelbrot was inspired by those early mavericks, people such as Cantor, Peano, Hausdorff, and Koch who dared to go against the establishment (for which they were rewarded by having their theories termed a "gallery of monsters," "pathological," "psychotic," and even "terrifying").

Nonetheless, they forged ahead for some fifty years—until the 1920s. However, their discoveries were not widely embraced until 1975 when Mandelbrot used fractals as the starting point for his own research. "I show," he says, "that behind their very wildest creations, unknown to them and to several generations of followers lie worlds of interest to all those who celebrate nature by trying to imitate it. In addition, fractal geometry reveals that some of the most austerely formal chapters of mathematics had a hidden face: a world of beauty unsuspected until now." (Reference 1.)

Fractals have a great many faces. Sometimes they are "dragon curves," convoluted lines that twist and turn with mind-boggling complexity, or they can be made to look exactly like mountain ranges. Perhaps the most fascinating are the four-dimensional fractals, with their bizarre and beautiful organic contours that we can see only in three-dimensional slices. Fractals can even mimic the activity of the stock market, the motion of molecules, and the growth of

Peter R. Sfyrensen [Second Genesis. 6867^2 Fountain Ave., Hollywood. CA 90028) is a freelance author and computer-graphics consultant who has designed and directed special effects for film and video. He spoke at the National Computer Graphics Association (NCGA) conference.

plants. Consequently, their uses range from physics, biology, and sociology, to art and even motion-picture scene simulation.

Whatever form they take, fractals would be almost impossible to create without the aid of computers. This is true because, while the formulas that generate fractals are fairly simple, they must be calculated over and over—each time using the result of the previous calculation as the start of the next. All but the simplest are calculated millions of times. And, the calculation aside, the rendering of the result requires the precision of computer graphics for proper execution—as a glance at the accompanying figures will show.

What Are Fractals?

A widely held but mistaken belief equates fractals with random numbers. Actually, random fractals are only one special breed of fractal—the kind that imitates natural phenomena. In particular, the ability of fractals to generate mountains with startling realism has caught the public's attention. The peaks and valleys of these mountain ranges, as well as the texture on their slopes, are determined randomly, of course, but that's not the fractal part. The fractal component is what controls the generation of the random numbers so that you

[continued]

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 157

FRACTALS

can get rugged peaks like the Rockies or gentle slopes like the Catskills. Many other kinds of fractals, the so-called "Dragons," for instance, are not random at all.

The one essential element of fractals is their peculiar fractional dimensionality. And, in practice, every fractal that has ever been of use has also had self-similarity in one way or another—the small parts look like the big parts—but even that isn't a mathematical requirement. (Note that random fractals are statistically self-similar, so even though they don't repeat their pattern exactly, they clearly have the same look to them, no matter what level of their detail you observe. See photo 1. This is a series of enlargements that depict this selfsimilarity.)

Here is where the adventure really begins—with the exploration of these fractional dimensions. You may know that a straight line is considered to have one dimension, a flat plane has two

dimensions, and a volume of space has three. All very neat and tidy stuff from classical mathematics, but that's our jumping-off point. Now Euclid would say that the dimensions fit into neat pigeonholes, first, second, or third (we'll get into the fourth a little later), but the maverick mathematicians challenged that notion and said that between the first and second dimensions was a continuous blending, as one dimension blended into two dimensions, and so on.

Mandelbrot explains, "Mathematicians recognized during their 1875-1925 crisis that a proper understanding of irregularity or fragmentation (as of regularity or connectedness) cannot be satisfied with defining dimension as a number of coordinates. To my mind the main fact is that the loose notion of dimension turns out to have many mathematical facets that not only are conceptually distinct but may lead to different numerical values."

Photo 1: A series of enlargements of a fractal showing statistical self-similarity at all scales of magnification. [Computer graphics by Greg lurk: photo by David Coons.)

158 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Consider the wiggly line in figure la. In traditional topology the line would be said to be one-dimensional even though it exists in two-dimensional space. But in the way the maverick Felix Hausdorff defines dimension, the line's dimensionality is 1.8687 because—and what follows will be an intuitive explanation rather than a technical one—the more complicated the wiggles get. the more the line's single dimension approaches the second dimension, until it could become infinitely wiggly, infinitely long, fill the plane, and be thoroughly two-dimensional. Notice also, that the larger features of the shape are the same as the smaller ones in figure lb, which again illustrates the concept of self-similarity. See also figure 2, a selfhomeographic fractal. (Note that these are nonrandom fractals.)

lust because the mathematicians have more than one way of defining dimension doesn't mean that one way is right and the other way is wrong. Both the Hausdorff and the topological definitions are valid and functioning tools, although it took half a century of warfare to get the new definition accepted. This business of dimension is so basic to the structure of the universe that we shouldn't be surprised if it has apparently contradictory qualities—just as light seems to be both a particle and a wave.

When randomness is included in the fractal equation, the geometric beauty of the nonrandom fractals changes to the organic beauty of natural form. The branching of trees, the meandering of streams, the awesome expanse of stars and galaxies throughout the heavenseven the scattered paths of nuclear particles—are all natural fractals.

A frequently used illustration of fractals in nature is the measurement of continental coastlines. Mandelbrot uses Britain as an example, observing that the ragged outline on a map of the island has a fractal dimension somewhat greater than 1. If you look at a map with greater detail but the same scale, the coastline's length seems to increase. "The result is most peculiar: coastline length turns out to be an elusive notion that slips between the fingers of one who wants to grasp it. All measurement methods ultimately lead to the conclusion that the coastline's length is very large and so ill determined that it is best

{continued)

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Photo 2: These three images show how different kinds of fractal landscapes can be created from the same random database by accentuating or supressing the vertical scale in various ways. Notice that you can find exactly corresponding details in each scene. The pictures were created by Dr. Richard F. Voss in 1983 as improved versions of similar mountains that appear in The Fractal Geometry of Nature.

160 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

considered infinite."

You can imagine what it would be like if you were to walk around Britain measuring the coast. If you used a yardstick you'd get a considerably shorter length than if you used a pair of calipers set a centimeter apart. Then you could go completely crazy and measure around every grain of sand—assuming you could stop the motion of the water. You get the idea. This "experiment" also shows how self-similarity is limited in the physical world, since the coastline has the same texture on several different scales, but as you continue to zoom in you reach a point where you can detect the difference between beaches, rocky shores, and marshlands. Still, the sand, rocks, and mud can all be described with their own fractal equations.

So far we have been investigating the fractal qualities of lines. We can easily extend the notion of fractional dimension to surfaces—which is where the mountains come in. A perfectly flat sheet of aluminum foil, for example, is essentially a two-dimensional surface. If you wrinkle it up you cause it, in the topological sense, to fill three dimensions, but in the fractal sense it then has two-plus-some-fraction dimensions. Depending on just how wrinkly it is, its dimension increases. Only when it became infinitely wrinkled would it have three dimensions as far as Hausdorff is concerned. So if you are generating mountains on your computer, they would get rougher and rougher as you increased their fractal dimension.

Creating mountains involves generating a lot of random numbers to get the altitudes of the myriad peaks and valleys, but the fractal component prevents those numbers from becoming chaotic. If you wrote a program that just generated random numbers willy-nilly you could wind up with your tallest peak right next to your deepest valley. Nature doesn't work that way. For instance, the peak of Mt. Everest isn't right next to Death Valley. And while you could tinker with your program so that it would take neighboring altitudes into account, you'd not be properly imitating nature unless you reinvented fractals.

When making fractal mountains there are several tricks you can use to get different kinds of terrain from the same

(continued)

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FRACTALS

fractal dimension. For instance, mountains usually have foothills that level off, even though they may be generated from the same fractal. As the vertical scale increases above a certain level you can easily increase or decrease the value of the altitude numbers to get the desired contrasting contours. Photo 2 shows three remarkably different landscapes created from the same random fractal database by Dr. Richard F. Voss at the IBM Thomas ). Watson Research Center. You can see that the relationships between the various mountains and between the lowlands and the mountains can be made to vary dramatically. The scene's coloration is related

to altitude but "tweaked" so that the landscape doesn't look like it was just dipped in paint up to various levels.

Creating such landscapes with strict mathematical purity is computationally expensive. But, since fractals can enrich the quality of computer graphics in motion pictures and television, shortcuts have been devised to speed up the process of picture generation. Foremost in this specialized application of fractals is the computer graphics team at Lucasfilm. (See "Simulating Reality with Computer Graphics," by Peter R. Sorensen, March BYTE, page 106, for examples of fractal mountains and plants created by the Lucasfilm team.)

Photo 3: A four-dimensional generalization of a self-squared dragon by Alan Norton displaying all of its different components. Its formula is: \.06i X{]-X). 1/ you plug the first factor in Norton's formulas into Greg lurks program [listing 1), you will get a slice of the three-dimensional dragon.

The Four-Dimensional Fractal Zone

At last it's time to step boldly into the fourth dimension. Einstein defines the fourth dimension as time, and as far as our existence in the world is concerned, that's true. But there are other ways of defining the fourth dimension, and the one we're going to explore can be thought of as being at 90 degrees to the first three dimensions. Now, obviously there is no way you can fit a fourth 90-degree angle into our physical space—which explains why time suits the other definition so well. As far as mathematicians are concerned, the numbers can be made to work that way and produce useful results, so let's take them at their word. Among the more interesting phenomena out there are the algebraic operations known as quaternions.

Intriguingly, you can only do normal arithmetic in three places: in one dimension (the kind of everyday math we use to balance our checkbooks), in two dimensions (known as the "complex plane"), and in four dimensions (the quaternions). You can't do addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division in other spaces such as 8-, 16-, or 32-dimensional space—perhaps it's just as well. But the 4-dimensional quaternions can do a lot for fractals.

Alan Norton is a computer scientist at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center who is currently working on development of parallel-processing supercomputers. He is also a hunter who stalks his prey in the fourth dimension—often late at night when the other researchers have gone home and the research center's mighty array processors are available to him. Of all the fractals, his are the most interesting (see photo 3 for an example of these photogenic dragons.). They have a peculiar deja-vu quality, as if you've seen them before, but not on Earth. This "familiarity" results from the fact that these objects are shaped by the fractal laws that have molded the environment we live in, but they are alien as well because their spawning ground is elsewhere. (Remember that his quarry lurks in the fourth dimension, so we can only view a three-dimensional "slice" of the beast, which in turn must be printed on a two

[conlmued)

162 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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FRACTALS

dimensional piece of paper.)

Norton modestly discounts the importance of his contribution to our perception of existence. When asked if he thought of himself as a fourthdimension hunter on a photographic safari he said. "No, I'm just throwing my camera out there into the dark, taking snapshots." Well, okay—but in his case the camera is a sophisticated computer program that he wrote, and in order to write it he must have put in a fair

amount of time studying his subject and practicing his "throw."

He says that the idea of dimension is, "sort of a continuum of ever-increasing detail. There's a whole progression. . . an infinite number of possible dimensions. . . but in between |the dimensions!, we haven't had measuring sticks that are very convenient. . .'—before fractals, that is. ". . . Anything for which the dimension turns out to be somewhere on the continuum between

whole integers would necessarily be a fractal. Not only do fractals have a funny dimension, but magnifying them will give you something that looks statistically the same: self-similarity that is unvarying under the change of scale. That gives you something you can work with and it turns out to be surprisingly effective.

"Why is it that nature is self-similar is the mystery. That nature is fractal is no mystery. Nature is fractal because nothing is perfectly smooth; a perfectly smooth surface is a mental abstraction. On the other hand not everything is selfsimilar, but the fact that it turns out to be so useful is the surprising thing that comes out of what Mandelbrot has been doing."

Norton got started hunting in the quaternions on a whim one day. "I was looking at some two-dimensional dragon shapes and thought, 'I wonder what extension would they have to a higher dimension?' When I had the computer calculate different cross sections of these things I found out that there was something funny going on there."

Without being overly technical, he explains the process he uses to look for the quaternion shapes, which he calls "Domains of Attraction." "I apply the simplest sort of dynamical rules for four dimensions and these rules cause points to be attracted to stable orbits or cycles, sort of like the way matter in the solar system was attracted to the planetary orbits. If you were in this universe where things don't behave according to the laws of gravity, but according to the simplest mathematics possible, then these are the sort of shapes that emerge in this world |see photo 4|. |Interestingly enough|. there is even a notion of a special direction that would correspond to time in our world. But it doesn't correspond to the kind of behavior you would see in physics, the formulas which 1 use only take into account a very small part of the things that can happen in physical reality.

"There are a few parameters that I can vary to make the shapes look different. They have different fractal dimensions, so I can make them look much more rugged or be relatively smooth. The simplest example would be if I use the

(continued)

Photo 4: Red quaternion domain of attraction with a two-dimensional dragon curve slicing through its middle. We can see how the three-dimensional creature (itself a slice of a fourdimensional shape) is an extension of the two-dimensional dragon. \n this case, there are six different colored components in the two-dimensional dragon, but we only follow the red. Its formula is: (1.475+0.906i) X(\-X). (Computer graphics by Alan Norton.)

!64 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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FRACTALS

Photo 5: Fractal spirals with domains of color indicating how fast the generating function pushes non-fractai points away from their points or origin. Red is the fastest: blue, the slowest. (Fractal program by Greg Turk: color program by David Coons.)

Photo 6: "Whorls of Fractal Dust" by Greg Turk. Although a point has no topological dimension, it can have a fractal dimension between mo and one. Quantities of such points are called dust.

The program crawls around the surface testing to see if each point is inside or outside the fractal.

formula X squared, which would give me a sphere. Other parameters can be varied to provide recurring patterns in these shapes, for example, repeating, looping strands, and lots of interconnection relationships."

His method of actually making the picture once the quaternion shape has been calculated is different from most computer graphic techniques. Instead of using polygons he builds the shapes from tiny points in space, storing their locations temporarily in memory. The resolution of the spatial grid can be as great as 1200 by 1200 by 1200 points. First, he takes an educated guess as to where the dragon is in the picture and fires a single ray at it. The place where the ray strikes the beast becomes the starting point for the rest of the process. Instead of computing the remaining points with individual rays, which would be prohibitively time-consuming, he has the program sort of crawl around on the surface of the object like thousands of ants feeling their way from point to point, checking to see if each point is inside or outside the fractal.

The lighting is accomplished with a depth buffer (random-access read/write memory that stores three-dimensional data) that requires one pass for each light source (he usually uses two or three so there will be detail in the shadows). "You're more interested in what the general reflective properties are near a point, rather than the precise reflectivity at that particular point. If you look at a real object with a fractal surface, such as the bark of a tree, it's not smooth. If you look at it real close you'll see that it's got bumps all over the place, so the light you get from it is not what you'd get from a flat surface, but it's determined instead by the average of all the little bumps together. So I pick a point on the surface and I ask 'What's the average effect of all the points near

[continued]

166 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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FRACTALS

D-1.8687

Figure 1: (a) This fractal curve designed by Dr. Benoit B. Mandelbrot. "Split Snowflake Halls'.' shows a line with a dimension of 1.8687 wandering around with tortuous complexity. The line is generated from the simple hook-like shape at the bottom left, which repeats itself with precise self-similarity over a wide range of scales. Only the limitations of the display's resolution prevent the wiggles from getting smaller and smaller ad infinitum. If this were a maze, how would you get to the inside from the outside? Hint: try it first on the smaller version in (b).

Figure 2: This self-homeographic fractal was designed by David Mumford. Mandelbrot says, "The most general homeography can be written as the product of an inversion, a symmetry with respect to a line (which is a degenerate inversion), and a rotation'.'

View the fractal from any angle by sorting the points by the y~, and, coordinates.

by this given point?' It's the local structure of the surface near the point in question that determines how it responds to light."

When the light values are complete and stored in the buffer, Norton can view the object from any angle by resorting the order of the points with respect to the x-, y-, and z-coordinates. Finally, "In order to ensure that the visible surfaces completely conceal the hidden surfaces, individual points on the model may be projected to several nearby positions in the image depth buffer. The result is a half-tone picture in which each visible point on the model produces one or more points on the picture." (See reference 2.)

The fascinating and sometimes spooky forms that the shapes take cause Norton's dragons to attract attention at computer graphics conferences and art shows. They look like plants and animals that we could easily imagine flourishing in the fertile ocean of some distant world (see photo 4). We asked him why people are so attracted to these things. "Why is it that they have such comfortable properties? They result from the simplest dynamical rules, like the rules that define the attraction between planetary bodies.

"The mysterious quality of these pictures comes from the fact that in some sense they exist. These objects have been lurking in abstract geometry and nobody's ever seen them before, but mathematically they exist just as much as a square exists and has identity of its own. You know, the ancient Greeks made a big deal about it when they discovered that the diagonal of a square is an irrational number—they thought that was such a remarkable thing that they sacrificed hundreds of cattle to the Gods and had a big party. Well, here is something that is also a fact—like the fact that the square root of two is an irrational number—but thanks to computer graphics it's something you can

(continued)

168 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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FRACTALS

see with your eyes.

"The mystery, as far as I'm concerned, is: how do these fractals fit into a general context of all such shapes? I may have just bitten off a corner of an enormous phenomenon, or may have landed right in the middle—1 don't know the right coordinates to use in the space

(3b) t\

5

Figure 3: [a] The result when you use lambda = (3,0). Notice the similarity to the first image in photo 1. (b) Results when lambda = (0,1); and you get the classical dragon curve, (c) This puffy design results from lambda = (1,0).

that I am exploring. I do think that there is something basic and essential about these shapes." And he hinted that if we could better understand quaternion fractals perhaps we could better understand the relationship between space and time.

Although quaternions are complicated, exploring the other fractals between one and two dimensions is something that anybody with even modest computer graphics capability can become involved with. As in any field where the ground is only beginning to be broken, you must forge ahead large

ly on your own.

A good example was 22-year-old Greg Turk's presentation of his tutorial paper on fractals at SIGGRAPH's Visual Dynamics Showcase last fall. In less than two years he has become Southern California's authority on the subject. Greg is an undergraduate math student at UCLA and also a research programmer at West Coast University, where he has access to a VAX 11/750.

He experiments with Mandelbrot's equations on several kinds of machines from Apples to the VAX (see photos 1.

[continued]

Fractal Program Explained

One variety of fractals results from looking at the behavior of points in the complex plane, that is, those points that are described by x + iy. where x and y are real numbers and i is the square root of -1. A function in the complex plane is a rule that moves a point from one position to another in the plane. It is particularly interesting to see the effect a function has on a point when that point is moved repeatedly by the same function, a process known as iteration. Even for a very simple function, the effect it can have on different points can be quite dramatic. Through iteration, a function may push one point further and further from its start, whereas another point may be kept in one area. You can draw a picture based on the behavior of the points within a region of the complex plane by giving one color to those points that are pushed away and a different color to those points that stay near their origin. It happens that, for some functions, the boundary between the different colored points is a fractal curve. A function that has been much studied is:

/(z)= lambda x z x (1 -z)

where lambda and z are complex numbers. The function takes the point z and moves it to a new point f(z). The complex number lambda is a constant in this equation, and different values of lambda will

result in different fractal curves.

Looking at the behavior of each point within a region can be time-consuming. A quicker way to get a rough outline of the resulting fractal curve is to look at the inverse equation: that is, have the function move the points in the opposite direction. With this new equation, you can let one point be pushed along repeatedly, and it will jump around the fractal curve. Using this method and the inverse of the above function, this program (listing 1) draws fractal curves. Since the inverse of this function results in two possible new positions for each point, the program chooses randomly at each step which new position it will use.

The program asks for the value of the constant lambda and, based on this and an initial value of z, it draws the position of z each time it is put through the function. The program also asks for the size of the window that the screen represents; a value of 4 is good for most pictures.

There is a whole universe of pictures you can get just depending on what number you pick for lambda. The only uninteresting picture you get is when lambda = 2; then you get a circle.

The pictures in figure 3 take about 15 minutes to compute. The reason it takes so long to generate fractals is that you have to look at the behavior of each of a large number of points within the plane.

170 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 171

FRACTALS

Listing 1: Greg Tkrk's fractal program written in Applesoft BASIC.

10 CX = I40:CY = 96

20 X = .50001 :Y = 0

100 GOSUB 5000

110 HGR2 : HCOLOR= 3

120 FOR I = 1 TO 10: GOSUB 4000: NEXT

140 GOSUB 6000

160 GOSUB 4000

180 GOTO 140

999 END

1000 REM SQUARE ROOT OF X.Y 1005 T = Y

1010 S = SQR (X • X + Y . Y)

1020 Y = SQR (( - X +S) / 2)

1030 X = SQR ((X + S) / 21

1040 IF T < 0 THEN X = -X

1050 RETURN

2000 REM FOUR OVER L

2010 S = LX . LX + LY . LY

2020 LX = 4 . LX / S

2030 LY = -4 ' LY/S

2040 RETURN

3000 REM XY TIMES L

3010 TX = X : TY = Y

3020 X = TX • LX - TY • LY

3030 Y = TX . LY + TY . LX

3040 RETURN

4000 REM FUNCTION OF XY

4010 GOSUB 3000

4020 X = 1 - X

4030 GOSUB 1000

4040 IF RND (1) < .5 THEN X = -X:Y = -Y

4050 X = 1 - X

4060 X = X / 2:Y = Y / 2

4070 RETURN

5000 REM GET VALUES

5010 TEXT : HOME

5020 INPUT "WHAT IS LAMBDA? (XY1 ";LX.LY

5030 GOSUB 2000

5040 INPUT "WHAT IS SCALE? ":SC

5050 SC = 2 . CX / SC

5060 RETURN

6000 REM PLOT XY

6010 HPLOT SC . (X - .51 + CX.CY - SC . Y 6020 RETURN

5, and 6). pointing the way for others who would like to explore nature's untrod fractal soil. He has provided us with

a basic fractal hacker's kit consisting of a BASIC program (see listing 1) and its underlying rationale, Figure 3 shows

sample printouts.

The computer, like the microscope or telescope, can make the invisible visible, its ability to materialize mathematical abstractions—and far more than just fractals—will undoubtedly inspire a lot of people who otherwise would have been unable to appreciate such abstractions as raw textbook formulas. As Norton points out, "When you talk to mathematicians and you ask them what it is about mathematics that interests them they say "Well, mathematics is beautiful.' . . .And the thing about computer graphics is that you can actually take these structures and you can turn them around and see that they really are beautiful."

There is an ancient Eastern representation of the Universe that portrays the world as an island on the back of a great turtle. When asked if in some sense the quaternion fractals he has discovered might be the first snapshots of a fourdimensional Great Turtle, Norton said, "The turtle may be there, but 1 have very little faith that that's what I'm pointing at. I may just be pointing at some passing bird. More likely this is a part of a more general phenomenon that, when it is understood more completely, could be used to describe real live things much better."

Clearly, fractals do just that. The pioneers would be pleased to see how their territory is growing today. ■

REFERENCES

1. Mandelbrot, Benoit. Vie Fractal Geometry of Nature. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1982.

2. Norton, Alan. "Geometric Fractals in 3-D." SIGGRAPH. July 1982.

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GRAPHICS

LASER GRAPHICS AND ANIMATION

by Joan Collins and Doug TIjcker

Sophisticated light effects are programmed with a microprocessor

Photo

digitized Angeles,

A DOZEN or so years ago, a display of lights whirling and flashing about to the music was a common sight at a rock concert. You would often find a vapor-like display of light resembling a celestial nebula, the result of various diffraction and interference patterns of coherent light. Some artists experimented with various caustic patterns in an attempt to define light as a form in its own right, much the way a composer defines sound. And at the local Laserium show you

could find a display of

ethereal imagery created by similar analog techniques. From these crude beginnings an art form emerged—with a little help from technology. The medium of the laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) was born.

The recent proliferation of 8-bit microprocessors and their peripheral devices brings the laser image into more commercial and conventional markets. (One Laser Media system is based on a Z80 microprocessor interfacing through an STD bus. Each digitizing station used to plot the points in an image has an 8080 microprocessor running on an S-100 bus system.) Today, you can find digitally

I: This laser tunnel effect was created by scanning outline of the car in smoke. © laser Media Inc.. CA 1984.

the Los

created laser images at large corporate trade shows, in advertisements on television or in print, in motion pictures, live concerts, and multimedia events. Beams dance overhead in a small disco; huge figures are projected and animated on the side of a mountain; powerful lasers create dazzling effects in a variety of colors on a variety of

loan Collins (2046 hrmacost Ave.. Los Angeles. CA 90025) is a producer/designer at laser Media Inc. in Los Angeles. She also enjoys doing computer graphics consulting.

Doug Tucker (12000 Moorpark St.. #12, Studio City. CA 91604) is a freelance writer. He enjoys writing screenplays.

solid and nonsolid projection surfaces. (See photo 1.) This trend is likely to continue due to rapidly expanding technology and the widening appeal of lasers.

It's Done with Mirrors

Incoherent light is common light in which the wavelengths radiate in all directions. Laser light is coherent light that is mostly all one wavelength and has all its waves traveling in one direction. The laser unit itself is a tube filled with a gasusually argon, krypton, or helium and neon. Its ends are sealed by parallel mirrors—one fully reflective and one partially transparent. Inside the laser unit is a cathode that radiates electrons when triggered by an electric current. These electrons stimulate the gas resulting in photons that bounce back and forth between the parallel mirrors, gathering momentum until a cascade of photons exits the partially transparent end.

When the photons are out of the tube, the artist enters the process. You can project a laser on or through anything that creates an unusual effect. In the

[continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 177

LASER GRAPHICS

early seventies, Ed Auswacks and Ron Goldstein, now of Laser Media Inc., experimented with beam sculpture effects, diffraction gratings, and Iumia effects. For the Iumia effect they shone the laser through shower glass to scatter the light. They also focused the beam on a thin piece of plastic and, as it burned through, produced underwater-like effects. At approximately the same time. Ivan Dryer of Laser Images started the Laserium planetarium show at the Grif

fith Park Observatory in Los Angeles. He created spiral effects using oscillators and function generators. Each one was a unique live performance, user-controlled, and choreographed to music.

In the early seventies, a laser beam and a pair of scanners were used to create a projection of concrete graphic imagery (like logotypes). Each scanner is a small high-speed precision motordriven mirror that deflects single or

multiple laser beams to trace an image several times per second. The mirrors deflect each point of the image at such a high rate of speed that they create the illusion of a solid line. These little mirror "projectors" can use any surface as a screen, including nonsolid surfaces like smoke or mist.

The continuing need to repeat a show pushed technology from the analog mode to the digital mode. With today's computers you can digitally define a figure and program it in real time. Or you can preprogram an entire show and then let the computer execute the various complex movements and intricate color changes.

The Technique

Any image that you can describe with a simple continuous line—like a corporate logo—can be made into a computer-generated laser image. First you make a drawing on ordinary paper. Then, to describe your linear figure as a sequential set of x and y coordinates, you use a mouse to lay in the position of each point. The complexity of the figure and your interpretation of it determine the number of points used.

As you lay in the points, a digital-toanalog card processes the information describing the direction of the laser. The scanners receive two sets of information: one gets the vertical or y coordinates, and the other the horizontal or x coordinates. You can check the progress of your image at any time by playing back the data. The scanners then move the beam from point to point, retracing the figure. Once the figure is completely digitized, you can go back and "clean" the image to smooth out the coordinates.

Since the scanners display the image by rotating through all the given points, the start and end points must be the same to avoid an unwanted traceback line. However, you are not limited to a continuous line figure. A recent technique called blanking allows sections of a continuous line to drop out of view. You first define any number of sections you want blanked, and then a third scanner mirror deflects those unwanted points during each tracing.

The human eye retains light for about y]6 second. Therefore, if you want the image to appear without flickering, the

(continued)

Glossary of Laser Terms

Analog Signals are represented in a continuous form in contrast to digital data which has discrete values of ones and zeros.

Beam Sculpture Effects exist when laser beams are bounced back and forth between strategically placed mirrors.

Blanking eliminates the unwanted connecting lines of the image.

Cathode is the electron-emitting electrode of an electron tube.

Coherent Light is mostly of one wavelength with all its waves traveling in one direction.

Collapse is the opposite of growth rate and gives the effect of the figure erasing itself.

Color Chopping is a technique that lets you assign different colors to predetermined sections of the laser image.

Dichroic Filters allow certain colored lights to pass through them while inhibiting others.

Diffraction Gratings are optical devices consisting of an assembly of narrow slits or grooves which produce spectra through light diffraction.

Growth Rate means that the laser displays the start/end point and one more point on each scan of the figure to give it the appearance of drawing itself out.

Hologram is a three-dimensional picture that consists of a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of

light which is illuminated from the rear (also by coherent light) for viewing.

Incoherent Light is common light where the wavelengths radiate in all directions.

Interference Patterns are those produced when some coherent light waves collide with others.

Laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) light is coherent light.

Logotype (also known as a logo) is a single slug or line of type cast (or traceable) in one piece, such as the name of a firm or a product.

Lumia Effects are abstract, flowing, projected effects that look like clouds or nebulae.

Photon is a unit of light intensity equal to the brightness of one candle per square meter.

Peg Registration occurs when one drawing or animation cell lays over the top of one or more other drawing or animation cells in precise alignment.

Scanner is an electromechanical device that produces deflection of laser light by means of a pair of moving mirrors.

Slow Scan is slowing the circular movement of the laser beam to such a degree as to reveal each of the digitized points of the figure.

Traceback Line is an unwanted section of a continuous line.

178 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 179

LASER GRAPHICS

A laser image played the role of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan on Broadway.

scanners must make at least 16 tracings or revolutions of the figure each second. Today's scanners can describe a figure of up to 850 points and still make 16 complete passes per second.

The HeNe (helium-neon) laser projects only red, the color most often associated with the laser beam. The krypton laser produces red, green, blue, and

yellow, and the argon laser projects green and blue or the combination, cyan. When you need other colors, you can combine the HeNe or krypton laser with the argon laser to form one beam with any one of seven default colors. To mix or delete certain colors, you direct the combined beam through a color box with a set of dichroic filters. This filtered beam then bounces off the scanners, resulting in an image with the desired combination of colors.

Color chopping is a recent technique that lets you assign different colors to predetermined sections of the image. Used recently at a trade show advertising a cigarette, the dichroic filters changed with each scan to define a green face, blue smoke, and a red cigarette tip. This meant three color

changes at least 16 times per second. Blanking eliminated the unwanted connecting lines.

To animate the image, you must repeat the entire process many times. Draw each image in peg registration as you would for conventional animation (see photo 2); then use the digitizing tablet for each frame. Create a file for each picture and load the frames into a command file on disk. Then choose an animation speed for viewing. In conventional animation you must create 12 to 24 frames per second—the more frames, the smoother the result. Due to the nature of laser projection—and of the human eye—you don't need as many frames; the eye creates the illusion of more in-between or missing frames.

Programming

After completing the animation, you can program many manipulations. You can rotate the animated image along the xy-, or z-axis; you can pan in any direction as well as up or down in size; and you can modify the rate of scan to slow scan, which slows down the beam's circular movement to reveal each of the figure's digitized points. Imagine drawing a figure out point to point from beginning to end like a child's connectthe-dot puzzle. The laser displays the start/end point (point number zero) and then one additional point on each scan to give the appearance of drawing itself out. This is called a growth rate: its opposite, erasing the figure point by point, is called a collapse. Such manipulations are handled in real time in the programming stage. Note that the scanners have a measurable response time as the mirrors build up the beam's momentum; you must take this into account when programming to ensure crisp, clean images.

Once you achieve the desired effects, you can save your whole command sequence on disk or burn it onto an EPROM (erasable programmable readonly memory) chip for more reliability in a continuous-use or transportable situation. ■

The Laser on Broadway

A laser image played the role of Tinkerbell in the Broadway production of "Peter Pan.'' The jagged, quick, flutter

(continued)

Photo 2: laser animation sequence showing 16 out oj 450 frames of "The Robot Lady" by Michael Swofford. Each frame was entered on a digitizing tablet and then stored in sequence on disk. This example shows the seven laser colors. © laser Media Inc., Los Angeles. CA 1983.

180 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

SuperSoft

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and MS DOS: $325.00

8087 support: $ 50.00

RATFOR: $100.00

Also from the SuperSoft Language Library:

SuperSoft C compiler: $350.00

SuperSoft BASIC compiler: $300.00

Disk-Edit - the programmer's

disk utility: $100.00

Star-Edit-the programmer's

text editor: $225.00

To order directly from SuperSoft call: 1-800-762-6629

VISA, MasterCharge, American Express accepted.

In conjuction with SuperSoft, SuperSoft FORTRAN was developed by Small Systems Services, Urbana, IL, a leader in FORTRAN development.

Japanese Distributor:

ASR Corporation International, TBL building, 7th Floor, 1-19-9 Toranomon, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105, Japan. Tel. (03)-5025550. Telex 222-5850 ASRTYO J.

European Distributor:

SuperSoft International Ltd.. 50 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells. Kent, England TN2 5TE. Tel. 0892-45433. Telex: 95441 Micro-G.

PC DOS is a trademark of International Business Machines. MS DOS is a trademark of Microsoft., CP/M and CP/M-86 are trademarks of Digital Research, Inc.

SuperS ft

©

Circle 337 on inquiry card.

First In Software Technology

P.O. Box 1628,1713S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820

SEPTEMBER I984

BYTE

181

LASER GRAPHICS

ing nature of Tinkerbell was a perfect image for the laser. Rather than using animation, Tinkerbell was a simple logo programmed with a flight path laid in using the digitizing pad. The number of points entered determined the rate of travel—many points in one place kept

the figure hovering, while few points tracked a quick flight. Once the flight path was plotted in real time (with noncomputerized actors in place to work out the choreography), it was carefully digitized and stored in the computer so it could be repeated on cue nightly.

Projecting on the Side of a Mountain

Conventional projection methods have limits as to size and distance. The light of even the most powerful motion picture projector diminishes rapidly in direct proportion to its distance from the projection surface. In contrast, today's laser can project an image to a far greater distance due to the nature of coherent light. For example, at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta, Georgia, lasers animate giant images 1000 feet across on the side of the mountain over the carvings of Grant, Lee, and (ackson in a spectacle every summer. The images are as large as the carvings on this Southern version of Mount Rushmore, with the laser itself positioned over 2000 feet away. In addition, mirrors placed at strategic points in the exhibition reflect additional laser beams creating three-dimensional beam sculpture effects involving the audience (see photo 3a). On top of thfs there are pyrotechnics preprogrammed and synchronized to the same time code as the lasers (see photo 3b). Another use of high-powered large-scale projection, although smaller than the mountain, was the laser billboard this summer during the Los Angeles Olympics. The side of a Westwood building displayed public service announcements, traffic reports, Olympic news, and, of course, sponsor logos. Kinetic laser billboards may create a new high-tech adjunct to the advertising industry—and probably a few traffic jams.

Alternate Proiection Surfaces

Laser light by its nature produces a projection that seems suspended in midair, viewable from all sides. Holograms, using laser light, are a prime example of this three-dimensionality. This year the concert tour of the rock group "Yes" treated its audiences to a clever light show. In the finale, lasers began to shoot what appeared to be graphic holograms into the air. The scanners projected a graphic image onto a unique projection surface—inconspicuous, loose-woven, black bobinette material—suspended over the stage. Animated rotations of the image created the illusion of depth. Laser images projected in a room full

(continued)

182 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Inside Outside

Thinking o! buying a modem? You owe it

to yourself to check out the Qubie' 212A modems.

Just a few years ago, computers needed big air-conditioned rooms to operate in, balefuls of money to buy, and a team of wizards to keep them running. The constant march of technological progress has given more and more powerful machines which cost less and less. Desktop computers more powerful than the early mainframe computers are the result of the evolution. The Qubie' modems represent the latest extension of this progress. Because up until now, a 212A compatible modem cost at least $500. Through the use of four low-cost, state of the art microprocessors, we can now offer two versions of our full featured 212A modem at prices the competition sells 300 baud modems for.

In The Beginning

In September of 1983 we introduced the first 212A modem card for the IBM PC available for under $300. The PC212A/1200 is a complete communications package including PC-TALK III software, modular phone cable, card edge guide, and instruction manual. The modem is an auto-dial, auto-answer type, which uses all the Hayes software commands so it can be used with any of the popular software packages including Crosstalk?' and Smartcom™ We picked the best software package we could find based on it's ease of use and features, PCTALK III. Our modem includes features the old industry standard missed out on. Like being able to fit in one slot in a Portable PC or PC/XT.

Or an optional connector to use the modem's serial port when not using the modem. Of course the topper is the $299 price, hundreds less than the competition.

Now Available Outside

Our standalone modem, the 212E/1200 can be used with any computer or terminal with a RS-232C serial port. You can use any Hayes compatible communications software on anything from an Apple to a Zenith. Many owners of IBM PC's are using it because they lack available expansion slots, or have more than one computer they want to use their modem with.

It's attractive gold anodized case houses seven status lights (who says low prices means a shortage of features). It fits comfortably under a standard telephone. It is also a 212A compatible auto-dial, autoanswer modem which supports all Hayes software commands. Even the switch settings are the same, so any software giving recommended switch settings for a Hayes modem can be used, without knowing what the switches do. There is a volume control knob for easy adjustment of the speaker's output. Included in the package is modular phone cable, a cable to hook it to your computer or terminal, and instruction manual. Choose the communications package right for your needs, and you're ready to go!

Four Hearts

The heart of the Qubie' modems are four digital signal microprocessors. Two handle sending, and two do the receiving. Rather than attempt to filter all but the relevant tones used for modem communications, the

PC212A/1200 Includes: Modem I Card, PC-TALK III software, card ' edge guide, modular phone cable, I quick reference card, and instruc- I tion manual. S299 1 Optional external serial port con- . nector *20.

212E/1200 Includes: Standalone J modem with cable (specify male or ■ female), modular phone cable, and, instruction manual. $329. ■

\

microprocessors measure the tones digitally. This allows them to overcome line noise and static better than analog filter based modems

Why Buy From Qubie'

Because you will get a product as good or better than any available, pay less for it, and get factory direct help if you need it. If at any time during the one year warranty period your modem should require service, we will fix it or replace it within 48 hours. Notice also there are no hidden charges in our prices. No extra for freight, insurance, credit cards, or COD fees. In a hurry? UPS 2nd day air service is just $5 extra. If you are like many who say, "Nah, it's too good to be true'/ just apply the acid test and find out. Then you will be asking yourself, "Why should I pay what these modems used to cost?"

The Acid Test

Qubie' gives you a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on your modem. If you are not completely satisfied we will refund the entire amount of your purchase including the postage to return it. If you can, get anyone selling another modem to give you the same guarantee. Buy both, and return the one you don't like. We know which one you will keep.

IBM is a trademark ol International Business MachineB Corporation.

Crosstalk ia a registered trademark of Microstuf Inc.

PC-Talk III is a registered trademark of The Headlands Press Inc.

II

QUBIE'

212A/1200E

HS AA CD OH RD SD TR MR

Order Today, Shipped Tomorrow!

All prices include UPS surface freight and insurance. Add $5 for two day air service. For fastest delivery send certified check or credit card. Personal checks take 18 days to clear. Calif, residents add 6% sales tax. Corporations and Institutions call for purchase order details.

(800) 821-4479

Toll Free Outside California

(805) 987-9741

Inside California

QUBIE' =

I. 4809 Calle Alto I Camarillo, Ca. 93010 I Tempo House, 15 Falcon Road, | London SW11 2PH, United Kingdom

; Copyright Qubie' 1984

Circle 308 on i

ERG/68000

MINI-SYSTEMS

□ Full IEEE 696/S100 Compatibility

HARDWARE OPTIONS

□ 8MHz, 10 MHz, or 12 MHz 68000/68010 CPU

□ 68451 Memory Management D Hardware Floating Point

□ Multiple Port Intelligent I/O

□ 64K/128K Static RAM (70 nsec)

□ 256K/512K/1 MB Dynamic RAM (150 nsec)

□ Graphics-Digital Graphics CAT-1600

□ DMA Disk Interface

□ SMD Disk Interface

□ 1/4" or V2" Tape Backup

D 5 V»" or 8" Floppy Disk Drives

□ 5MB-474MB Hard Disk Drives

□ 7/10/20 Slot Back Plane D 20 or 30A Power Supply

Q Desk Top or Rack Mount End.

SOFTWARE OPTIONS

D 68KFORTH' Systems Language

□ CP/M-68K20/S with C, 68K-BASIC, 68KFORTH1, FORTRAN 77, EM80 Emulator, Whitesmiths' C, PASCAL

□ IDRIS3 O/S with C, PASCAL, FORTRAN 77, 68K-BASIC, CIS COBOL4, INFORMIX5 Relational DBMS

□ UNIX" SYS V O/S with C, PASCAL, FORTRAN 77, BASIC, RM COBOL7, ADA', INFORMIX5, Relational DBMS

□ VED 68K Screen Editor

□ Motorola's MACSBUG and FFP Package

Trademark 'ERG, 'Digital Research,

Whitesmiths, 'Micro Focus, SRDS, Inc., *Bell Labs, 'Ryan McFariand, •U.S. DoD

30 Day Delivery - OEM Discounts

since 1974

Empirical Research Group, Inc. P.O. Box 1176 Milton, WA 98354 (206) 872-7665

of smoke also create a sensation of depth. The smoke particles provide many projection surfaces rather than one solid target. The beam is visible throughout its travels, which gives the sensation of a tubular graphic suspended in space. This technique also works well with beam sculptures, where laser beams are bounced back and forth between strategically placed mirrors. And you can create a three-dimensional tunnel effect by having the scanners describe a circular graphic image (see photo 4).

Laserphonic Fantasy

The largest and most powerful entertainment laser installation in the world to date is now on view in Florida at the EPCOT Center. Each evening the closing entertainment, "Laserphonic Fantasy," features five computers driving six lasers and eight sets of scanners—all synchronized within 0.0l-second accuracy. Four sets of scanners float on barges in a lagoon and project over 1000 kilobytes of graphic imagery into water screens. The fine spray of water is barely visible at night, leaving the

laser graphic to appear to float in three dimensions.

The first demonstration of a fiberoptic sphere is in the center of the water screens on a larger barge. This 2 5-foot sphere resembles a large dot-matrix billboard in the round. Scanned fullcolor imagery on fibers produces wraparound graphic animation on the surface. A computer-generated time code synchronizes all the laser graphics, fireworks, music, and special effects.

In The Future

"The main limitation is in the scanners," says Paul Rother, software engineer with Laser Media. "Of course, as we continue to get faster scanners to work with, the graphics will become much more complex." Today's laser images are certainly more sophisticated than the abstract patterns produced a few years back. Tomorrow's images will likely show a similar advancement. For the present, however, it is interesting to see how creative and complex we can be with lasers that are programmable with a microprocessor. ■

184 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

1

Circuit-Board-Design Without the Tedium

smARTWORK™ lets the design engineer create and revise printed-circuit-board artwork on the IBM Personal Computer.

Forget tape. Forget ruling. Forget waiting for a technician, draftsman, or the CAD department to get to your project. smARTWORK™ software turns your IBM Personal Computer into a professional, high-quality drafting tool. It gives you complete control over your circuit-board artwork —from start to finish.

smARTWORK™ transforms your IBM PC into a CAD system for printed-circuit-board artwork. Display modes include both sin gle-layer black and white and dual-layer color.

What makes smARTWORK™ so smart is that it understands electrical connections. Conductor spacing is always correct, lines don't become too narrow, and connecting lines do not intersect other conductors. smARTWORK™ can automatically find and draw the shortest route between two conductors. Or you can specify the route.

smARTWORK™ is the only lowcost printed-circuit-board artwork editor with all these important advantages:

□ Complete interactive control over placement and routing

□ Quick correction and revision

□ Production-quality 2X artwork from pen-and-ink plotter

□ Prototype-quality 2X artwork from dot-matrix printer

□ Easy to learn and operate, yet capable of sophisticated layouts

□ Single-sided and doublesided printed-circuit boards up to 10 x 16 inches

□ Multicolor or black-andwhite display

□ 32 user selectable color combinations; coincident

points can be displayed ^ in contrasting colors.

□ Can use optional Microsoft Mouse as pointing device

/a"

Twice scale hardcopy of your artwork is produced using the Epson dot-matrix printers or the Houston Instrument DMP-41 penand-ink plotter. Quick 1X check plot is also available from Epson printers.

Dual-layer color display of a 2" by 4" section of a 10" by 16" circuit board

The Smart Buy

At $895, smARTWORK™ is an exceptional value, particularly when compared to conventional engineering workstation costs.

Call or write us for more information on smARTWORK™ We'll be glad to tell you how smARTWORK™ helps us design our own circuit boards and what it can do for your business.

Send a purchase order, or major credit card number, and smARTWORK™ can be working for you next week.

System Requirements

□ IBM PC or XT with 192K RAM, 2 disk drives and DOS Version 2.0

□ IBM Color/Graphics Adapter with RGB color or b&w monitor

□ Epson MX-80/MX-100 or FX-80/ FX-100 dot-matrix printer

□ Houston Instrument DMP-41 pen-and-ink plotter (optional)

□ Microsoft Mouse (optional)

"smARTWORK" and "Wintek" are trademarks of Wintek Corporation.

WINTEK CORPORATION, 1801 South St., Lafayette, IN 47904-2993, Phone: (317) 742-8428, Telex: 70-9079 (WINTEK CORP UD)

Circle 37! on inquiry card. SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 185

% Presenting Fujitsu's )lbusiness professionals

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PRINTERS

Brother

DX-15 S369

HR-25 S619

HB-35 S875

C-ltoh

A10-20 S459

F-10 Parallel or Serial S909

55 CPS Serial or Parallel S1189

8510 Parallel (Prowriler) S315

6510 SP S435

8510 SCP S509

8510 BPI S33S

Computer International

Daisywriter 2000 W/48K S98S

Com rex

CR-2 Parallel or Serial S429

CR-2 Keyboard S129

CR-3 Call

Datasouth

DS180 S1149

DS220 $1469

Diablo

620 S729

630 API S1609

630 ECS S1999

630 ECS/IBM S1879

Series 36 S1245

Epson

All Printer Models Call

Inforunner

Riteman S249

Juki

5500 Call

6100 S409

6300 Call

NEC

2010 S639

2015 S639

2030 S639

2050 S785

3510 S1215

3515 S1215

3530 S1215

3550 S1509

7710 $1649

7715 $1649

7730 SI 649

P2 Call

P3 Call

Okidata

All Printer Models Call

Panasonic

1090 Call

1091 Call

1092 Call

Qume

Letter Pro 20 Parallel or Serial S619

11 /40 W/lntertace $ 1369

11/55 W/lnterlace S1569

Silver Reed

EXP400 $289

EXP500 Parallel S38S

EXP500 Serial S419

EXP550 Parallel S479

EXP550 Serial S494

770P $825

770S S875

Star Micronics

All Printer Models Call

Tally

MT160L S56S

MT 180L S769

Spirit 80 S255

Toshiba

P1340 Parallel or Serial $719

P1351 Parallel or Serial $1249

Transtar

120 Parallel or Serial S395

130 Parallel or Serial S549

MODEMS

Hayes

Smartmodem 300 Baud $199

Smartmodem 1200 Baud $480

Smartmodem 1200B Baud (IBM) S409

Micromodem ME (Apple) $225

US Robotics

212A Autodial S419

Password 1200 $309

188 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

SANYO * EPSON SYSTEMS

CALL

CALL

dual drive systems SANYO COMPUTER * EPSON RX-80

SANYO CRT-36 HI-RES GREEN MONITOR • WordStar • CalcStar • Mailmerge • InfoStar • SpellStar • MS-DOS (2.11) • Sanyo Basic

555 System with All | 555-2 System with

Dual 160K Drives VrMkla-L Dual 320K Drives

single drive systems SANYO COMPUTER * EPSON RX-80

SANYO CRT-36 HI-RES GREEN MONITOR • WordStar • CalcStar • MS-DOS (2.11) • Sanyo Basic

550-2 System with Single 320K Drive

550 System with Single 160K Drive

CALL

VIDEO TERMINALS

ADDS

A-2 Green

A-3

Viewpoint 60

Viewpoint90

Altos

Smart II

Qume

QVT 102 Green

QVT 102 Amber .

QVT 103 Green

QVT 103 Amber QVT 108 Green QVT 108 Amber

Televideo

910

910+

914

924

925

950

970

800A (User Station) Personal Terminal .

Wyse

50

75

Zenith

2-29

S469 S469 S469

S859

S849

$515 S545 S815 SS50 S595 S639

S439 SS15 S515 S635 S700 S905 S985 S989 S385

MONITORS

Amdek

All Monilors

Princeton Graphic

HX-12

Sanyo

CRT-30

CRT-38

CHT-50

CRT-70

Sony

19"RGB(KX1901A)

25" RGB (KX2501 A)

Taxan

12"Amber

Zenith

ZVM-122 Amber

ZVM-123 Green

ZVM-124

ZVM-133Color/RGB

ZVM-135 Color/RGB W/Audio

Call S485

S99 $149 . Call SS49

S709 S1089

S12S

S95 S95 $129 $410 $459

$489 S575

DISK DRIVES

Rana

DISKETTES

Maxell

MD-1 (Qty 100)

MD-2(Qty100)

Scotch

5!4SS/DD(Qty100)

5K DS/DD (Qty 100)

Elephant

5K SS/SD (Qty 100)

bVi DS/DD (Qly 100)

FUJI

MD1 D (Qty 100)

Elite I

Elite II

Elite III

Conlroller (W/Drive Only) 1000 W/DOS lor Atari ,...

S215 $340 S410 S65 S305

S175 S22S

COMPUTERS

Altos All Computer Models Call

Eagle All Computer Models Call

Leading Edge

Personal ComDuter Call

NEC

PC-8201 Computer S459

PC-820' A-90 Battery Pack S17

PC-8206A32KRam $299

PC-8271A-01 AC Adapter S17

PC-8271A-02 AC Adapter $17

PC-8281A Recorder S89

Northstar

All Computer Models Call

Sanyo

MBC-550 System Call

MBC-555 System Call

MBC-550-2 System Call

MBC-555-2 System Call

1150 System W/5000 Printer S1599

Televideo

802H S4285

803 SI765

803H $2850

806/20 $4640

TPC-1 $1539

TPC-2 Dual Driye SI 749

TPC-2 Single Drive S1S09

1605 S1799

Zenith

Z-150 Single Drive Sane 25%

2-150 Dual Drive Save 25%

Z-150W/IO Megabyte Save 25%

Z-160 Single Drive Save 25%

Z-160 Dual Drive Save 25%

S175 S245

$155 $218

Walkman

FM/Stereo Cassette (WM-F10). Stereo Cassette

Watchman

AM/FM Stereo TV (FD30A). . . BSWTV

Video Recorders

S111 Beta Video Recorder (SL2300) S389

. . S85 Beta Video Recorder w/Remole (SL30) S499

Beta Movie

S222 BetaMovieCamera(BMC-110K) S1165

si72 Other Sony Products can

Order Line: 1-800-528-1054 Order Processing & Other Information: 602-954-6109

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GRAPHICS

THE COMPUTER

AS AN ARTISTIC TOOL

by Isaac Victor Kerlow

The imaging process does not change, only the medium does

SINCE MAN FIRST used simple tools to scratch pictograms on the walls of caves thousands of years ago. imaging technologies have evolved a great deal. Artists throughout history have used painting, photography, and other techniques to create illusions of space and timeto push the imagination to its limits. Today you can use computers to dazzle your senses with colored lights.

The computer is, in the opinion of many, too cold and technical to be involved in artistic creation. Similar prejudices about technology arose in the past century when machines were introduced on a massive scale into both the industrial and everyday worlds. Most people distrusted the mechanical monsters until they got used to them. The impact and influence of computers on the imaging process today are similar to those of photography in the 19th century (see reference 8). Miniature painters and engravers feared that the camera would replace them and even called it the invention of the devil.

Since the fifties, computers have been used to create images, but the first artistic experiments didn't take place until the early sixties. The nonartistic ap

plications of computer imaging systems, such as real-time flight simulators, computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, and image processing of remote sensing data, are more familiar to computer users because they are widely used. However, the artistic applications are relatively unknown. Computer art refers to those works created with the aid of computer-based tools and methods for the purpose of fulfilling an aesthetic need in the creator as well as in the public.

I will outline the methods used to create computer art and the general concepts behind it, focusing on images of three-dimensional environments and

Isaac Victor Kerlow (26 Gramercy Park South, New York. NY 10003) is a freelance graphic designer and animator for Byron Preiss Video Productions, a video game producer, and for Digital Effects, a computer animation company. He also teaches a seminar on digital typography for microcomputers in the Computer Arts Forum. He received a B.F.A. in graphic design from the School of Visual Arts in New York and an M.S. in communications design from Pratt Institute. His work has been exhibited widely and has appeared in several publications.

objects created by mathematical models or databases—particularly those described first in a three-dimensional space and then on the surface of a twodimensional medium like a raster monitor screen or a sheet of paper. This article does not cover two-dimensional techniques for the creation of computer-generated images. For further details on the procedures and algorithms mentioned, you should consult the classic reference works (see references 4, 12, and 14).

The Evolution of Computer Art

Most early computer art was created not in art studios but in research laboratories, and many of the first computer artists came from fields like the exact sciences and electronic engineering. Nevertheless, they had some sort of artistic intention, some degree of aesthetic consciousness. The computer systems they used were not designed for artistic creation and, consequently, were not adequate for it. They were not very interactive—or not interactive at all—and the machine-user interface was

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 189

COMPUTERS AND ART

cryptic, opaque, and difficult to understand.

Many of those creators of computer art had to put more effort into the execution of their works than into the creative process itself since communication with the computer was so hard to establish. Although they became more concerned with developing computerbased imaging tools than with artistic style, they did make effective use of the available technology despite its limitations.

Their creations constitute the first products of a technology still under development. Early computer art was uniform and simple; its style was largely defined by the limitations of the available equipment and by the lack of programs capable of rendering complex images. Complex methods and data structures did not always yield correspondingly complex images. A language of simple two-dimensional geometric elements remained for a long time as the visual trademark of computer art. John Whitney Sr., Charles Csuri, and Kenneth Knowlton are

among the American pioneers of computer art (see references 10 and 15).

The panorama of computer art changed greatly during the seventies with the development of techniques for representing three-dimensional environments and the increased involvement of full-time artists. Computerbased imaging systems became more interactive and easier to use. Many artists who became interested in computer technology began using it as their primary medium for artistic creation and contributed to the technical development of computer-imaging tools.

Recent computer art is complex and full of various styles, techniques, and attitudes. It is not yet entirely mature, but already it encompasses an exciting body of work. Its creation is becoming an increasingly specialized field requiring a great number of interdisciplinary skills.

The Creative Process

1 have worked with other imaging techniques for more than 10 years, and 1 find that creating an image with a com

puter is similar to the creative process other technologies follow. The main differences are not so much in the creative process as in the tools and how they are used. Most artists know how to create images but not how to use computerbased tools and methods. Therefore, it is important that these tools be easy to operate and that the user-computer interface be properly designed.

The tools of computer art are very different from the artist's traditional tools. They include the computer itself, the programs driving it, and the input and output devices controlled by it. The type of creative work done is dependent on the computer's various capabilities. The programs contain the procedures needed to create the images. The input and output devices collect the creative information and generate the final image and, therefore, should be especially easy to control.

The creation of computer-generated art is not a simple task. Besides the aesthetic problems, you often encounter difficult technical problems, and

[continued)

Photo la: Front view of "Masfe.l," a three-dimensional object with hidden surfaces removed and rendered with smooth shading. The mask is made of 16 simple pieces assembled together (a total of 858 polygons) and was digitized from freehand drawing. All images are copyright © 1984 Isaac Victor Kerlow.

Photo lb: Another version of "MaskA" rendered as an opaque surface (with a model of diffuse light reflection) and colored with color lookup tables to simulate a shiny surface {specular light reflection).

190 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Introducing the Most Powerful Business Software Ever!

TRS-80™ (Model I, II, III, or 16) • APPLE™ • IBM™ • OSBORNE™ • CP/M™ • XEROX™

Tired ot'^"iS^-sry

VERSA LEDGER

The VersaBusiness" Series

Each VERSABUSINESS module can be purchased and used independently, or can be linked in any combination to form a complete, coordinated business system.

VERSARECEIVABLES'" $99.95

VERSARECEIVABLES'" is a complete menu-driven accounts receivable, invoicing, and monthly statement-gene rating system. It keeps track of all information related to who owes you or your company money, and can provide automatic billing for past due accounts. VersaReceivables*" prints all necessary statements, invoices, and summary reports and can be linked with VersaLEDGER IP" and VersaInVENTORY'".

VERSAPAYABLES™ $99.95

VERSA PAYABLES'" is designed to keep track of current and aged payables, keeping you in touch with all information regarding how much money your company owes, and to whom. VERSA PAYABLES™ maintains a complete record on each vendor, prints checks, check registers, vouchers, transaction reports, aged payables reports, vendor reports, and more. With VERSA Payables™, you can even let your computer automatically select which vouchers are to be paid.

VERSAPAYROLL™ $99.95

VersaPayroll™ is a powerful and sophisticated, but easy to use payroll system that keeps track of all government-required payroll information. Complete employee records are maintained, and all necessary payroll calculations are performed automatically, with totals displayed on screen for operator approval. A payroll can be run totally, automatically, or the operator can intervene to prevent a check from being printed, or to alter information on it. If desired, totals may be posted to the VERSALEDGER IT" system.

VERSAlNVENTORV" $99.95

VERSA INVENTORY™ is a complete inventory control system that gives you instant access to data on any item. VERSA INVENTORY™ keeps track of all information related to what items are in stock, out of stock, on backorder, etc., stores sales and pricing data, alerts you when an item falls below a preset reorder point, and allows you to enter and print invoices directly or to link with the VERSA RECEIVABLES™ system. VERSA INVENTORY™ prints all needed inventory listings, reports of items below reorder point, inventory value reports, period and year-to-date sales reports, price lists, inventory checklists, etc.

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VERSALEDGER II™ $149.95

Versa Ledger II™ is a complete accounting system that grows as your business grows. VersaLedger IF" can be used as a simple personal checkbook register, expanded to a small business bookkeeping system or developed into a large corporate general ledger system without any additional software.

• VersaLedger II™ gives you almost unlimited storage capacity

(300 to 10,000 entries per month, depending on the system),

• stores all check and general ledger information forever,

• prints tractor-feed checks,

• handles multiple checkbooks and general ledgers,

• prints 17 customized accounting reports including check registers, balance sheets, income statements, transaction reports, account listings, etc.

VersaLedger 11™ comes with a professionally-written 160 page manual designed for first-time users. The VERSALEDGER II™ manual will help you become quickly familiar with VersaLedger IP", using complete sample data files supplied on diskette and more than 50 pages of sample printouts.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

Every VERSABUSINESS™ module is guaranteed to outperform all other competitive systems, and at a fraction of their cost. If you are not satisfied with any VERSABUSINESS™ module, you may return it within 30 days for a refund. Manuals for any VERSABUSINESS™ module may be purchased for $25 each, credited toward a later purchase of that module.

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COMPUTERS AND ART

The CARTOS system has been implemented on DEC PDP-11/05, LSH1/02, PDP-11/34, PDP-11/45, and VAX-11/780.

many of the systems available for creating images are imperfect. A direct correlation exists, though, between the operations that artists traditionally perform to create images and the operations described by the computer's programs. In fact, many of the methods have been borrowed from other technologies. In principle, if you already know how to create images, you should find it easy to learn one more method for doing so. Nevertheless, that learning process involves, among other things, many hours going through thick user's manuals. There are pluses and minuses. If you work with a computer, you can use its unique features but you must also accommodate your work to the limitations of your particular system.

Each of the several ways to create a computer-generated image has its advantages and its limitations. You can divide the process of creating a threedimensional shaded image into several stages: image conceptualization and design, database creation and editing, procedure rendering (hidden surface removal, lighting and shading, and color and texture creation), and final output production (see photo la).

A number of these procedures require considerable amounts of memory and computing power. Traditionally, such procedures were implemented exclusively on large- or medium-size computers. Today, you can successfully implement many of them on some of the new and powerful 16-bit microcomputers. In any case, the various stages of the creative process remain basically the same regardless of the equipment that you use.

The Computer System

Although I have used several computer systems for creating images, 1 have done much of my experimental work with one particular system, the CARTOS system (computer-aided reconstruction and

tracing of serial sections). Researchers at Columbia University have been developing this system since the seventies. CARTOS was not designed to be an artist's tool but to help biologists see complex microscopic elements in three dimensions. It can reconstruct and simulate three-dimensional objects from two-dimensional data obtained from light and electron microscopes. The system can accept manual or automatic input and can reconstruct almost any series of cross-section images (see references 2 and 9).

The CARTOS system has been implemented on almost the entire family of DEC computers: PDP-11/05, LS1-11/02, PDP-11/34, PDP-11/45, and VAX-11/780. The current version runs on a VAX-11/ 780, and a simpler one is being implemented on two 16-bit microcomputers, the Codata 3300 and the Onyx C8002. You can direct the visual output of the system to a Grinell 270 color raster monitor, to an Evans & Sutherland Picture System II vector monitor, and to various hard-copy devices including a plotter and a black-and-white electrostatic printer.

Written in C. the software includes almost no assembly-language routines and runs under several versions of the UNIX operating system. Since C has no built-in graphics capabilities, CARTOS uses several in-house programs and subroutine libraries. It also uses various UNIX library routines that are not identical in all UNIX systems. Since the largest program requires only about 100K bytes of main memory, you can transport slower versions of CARTOS to smaller systems.

You cannot call the CARTOS imaging programs state-of-the-art, but they are flexible and extremely effective. They include input, editing, hidden-line removal, shading, and coloring routines. Many of its three-dimensional interactive functions are similar to those in the GSPC Core System (Graphic Standards Planning Committee, see reference 6). Its rendering program is based on the Raster Test Bed developed by Whitted and Weimer at Bell Laboratories (see reference 16). The test bed is a set of utility routines used to display threedimensional shaded images on raster scan systems. You can merge these routines with a variety of user-defined techniques but only under two condi

tions: (1) you must express all surfaces as polygons before you can display the final image, and (2) you must convert the data to the proper description format. The basic elements of the test bed are a transformation and clipping module, a scan-conversion processor, and a shader. The CARTOS version stores all the polygons before performing the scan conversion and produces a 512- by 512-pixel monochrome image file with smooth (Gouraud) shading.

conceptualization and Design

Conceptualization and design form the first stage in computer image creation. From an artistic point of view, this step is the most decisive because you must lay out the basic characteristics of the image, analyze your basic ideas, and describe them in visual terms.

It is helpful to prepare the initial sketches describing the objects and their environments traditionally, with colored pencils or markers on paper. These sketches contain such general characteristics as size, relative position, color, and lighting. Once you finish the sketches, you must analyze them and break them down into a series of contours. You can describe these contours in detailed blueprints suitable for digitizing. The blueprints show your threedimensional objects in a two-dimensional cross section; drawing them on grid paper makes the marking of numerical coordinates easier.

I often draw my blueprints freehand so that the final object looks somewhat handmade. I also draw two views: one for digitizing and the other to help me visualize the object better (see figure 1). The first view contains vertical and horizontal information (x- and y-coordinates), and the second, depth information (zcoordinate). Some objects are more easily described by horizontal cross sections and others by vertical.

The Numerical Database

A numerical database is necessary to model the objects that appear in the final image. Many methods are possible to translate the visual information contained in the sketches into formatted numerical information suitable for computer manipulation; among these are digitizing, mathematical description,

(continued)

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COMPUTERS AND ART

and procedural methods.

Sometimes I create simple or primitive objects, such as cubes and cylinders, with mathematical functions. But I usually define objects by manually tracing my blueprints on a digitizing tablet. Digitizing methods give objects the irregularities typical of freehand drawing.

The number of digitized cross sections needed to describe an object is directly proportional to the complexity and detail of the final object. The sections on the x and y planes represent a sample in the horizontal and vertical levels of the original object. An aliasing effect can appear if the object is sampled at large intervals too far from one another. The number of sections necessary to describe an object accurately can range from two to more than a hundred.

Once you have digitized all the contours, editing the database lets you reaccommodate individual sections or entire objects in three-dimensional space. You can perform such geometrical changes as scaling, rotation, and transformation to modify relative spatial positions. The editing program stores the coordinates as integers to reduce memory requirements and records all scale-related information separately to

keep the original data intact. The edited database constitutes a master file that serves as an object's basic format. All editing applies to this format, which is represented as a series of unconnected contours. (All data from different inputs is converted to this common format.)

Shading

Before the shading program can create surface and volume around the initial contours (see photo 2a), another program must create a structure of polygons between the serial sections (see photo 2b). The particular polygonization program I use generates its output on a vector display or as a numerical format acceptable to the shading program. It also has a switchable capping option that allows you to leave open or close off the extremes of an object.

The shading program accepts spatial position instructions before it generates the shaded display. During computation it puts out alphanumeric information on a secondary monitor about the number of polygons, vertices, and edges involved in the image and the number of active pixels in the frame buffer.

CARTOS's surface-rendering program works best on simple spheroid or elongated structures. It cannot properly

(continued)

Figure 1: Front and side views of "Masfe.l." This blueprint was used to digitize the vertical cross sections of the object. The freehand quality and asymmetry of the drawing was retained during the digitizing process.

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SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 195

COMPUTERS AND ART

Photo 2a: A 3-D object made of five pairs of simple geometrical shapes that serve as the initial representation of the object.

Photo 2c: The five pairs of geometric shapes rendered as a monochrome solid object with smooth shading.

Photo 2b: A polygonization program has created a structure of triangles based on the initial unconnected contours.

Photo 2d: Two objects concatenated to form "Colorful Trap'.'

handle objects with zigzag shapes, concave surfaces, or acute angles. Therefore, when you want these characteristics, you must use alternate methods. One way to describe complex objects correctly is to render them as uncapped three-dimensional contours. The shading program uses Gouraud shading to produce smooth connections between polygons through normal linear interpolation. The lighting model uses a single light source and simulates the diffuse reflection of light typical of

opaque surfaces (see photo 2c). Another way of handling extremely irregular objects is to divide them into several simpler objects and then reassemble them with a concatenation program. You can also assemble groups of simple objects into one composite object (see photo 2d).

Color

After shading, to color the final object I usually use color lookup tables. Several approaches are possible for

manipulating these tables, each yielding different results.

The concept of color lookup tables is closely related to the way the frame buffer works. A frame buffer is an area of main memory dedicated to storing and manipulating raster images. It can hold an image or frame resulting from different computations and data transformations. The word "frame," from the language of film, refers to the individual frames, or images, on a strip of

[continued]

196 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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COMPUTERS AND ART

film. Frame buffers are two-dimensional arrays of different sizes, usually with several bit planes. Each pixel, or picture element, in the final display has its corresponding address in the frame buffer that the display controller reads before generating an image on the raster display.

You can configure frame buffers in several different ways. The simplest one has a single bit plane whose output values create a monochrome image. (With one bit plane you can generate only two intensity levels: black and white, or I and 0 in binary; in other words, 2 to the power of the number of bit planes equals the number of intensity levels.) As you add more bit planes,

you can display more intensity levels. For example, a frame buffer with three bit planes can display V, or 8, intensity levels while a frame buffer with eight bit planes can drive the color guns inside the monitor, either directly or through color lookup tables. I created the images that illustrate this article with a frame buffer containing 512 by 512 by 8 bit planes driving the color guns through three 8-bit by 256-byte lookup tables (see figure 2).

Color lookup tables contain a collection of values that you can access with the numerical output of the bit planes. The intensity value of a pixel "looks up" the numerical color value stored in a specific location in the lookup tables;

this value then drives the RGB (redgreen-blue) guns at its particular intensity. The lookup tables provide a cheap and simple way to obtain a great variety of colors with limited frame-buffer memory.

You can easily determine how many colors you can generate with varioussized frame buffers and lookup tables. The total number of possible colors available for display, that is, the palette, equals 2|jx"'', where w represents the width of the lookup table in bytes. The number of colors that can be simultaneously displayed on the monitor equals 2", where n is the number of bit planes.

{continued)

The Controversy in Computer Art

The production of the original is one of the most controversial issues in computer art. It is so controversial, in fact, that it is largely responsible for keeping computer art from being officially accepted as a major visual art, from being recognized as a valid medium for contemporary artistic expression. The production of the original is relevant technically and aesthetically as well as for economic and marketing reasons, and it is worth examining in more detail.

For centuries the visual arts have produced a unique object that is considered an original, a final work that exhibits the completed image (e.g.. a painting on a canvas). The number of ways you can enjoy a computer-generated work adds many variables to the question; What constitutes the original work in computer art (e.g., a photograph of the computer image, interactive displays, real-time animation, and so on)? You can find new answers by looking at the nonvisual arts. In many forms of artistic expression, the original is not necessarily limited to a single object. What is the original in a musical creation—the score, the performance, or the recording?

Computer-generated images follow a script or a program, and you can recreate or perform them at different times. Moreover, you can easily animate computergenerated images by displaying and re

cording them in sequence and build them in real three-dimensional space.

The issue of the original in computer art also brings up the relation between art and technology, the identity of the artist, and the visual language used. Understanding the relation between art and technology is necessary to understand the aesthetic values of computer art. Throughout history different technologies have contributed tools and methods for the development of artistic projects. Artistic creation in the Renaissance period would not have been possible without the technology for fabricating colored pigments, brushes, or canvases. Without the technology for recording images photographically, many of the events that occurred at the turn of the century would have gone unrecorded. Computers are the latest entry in the historical development of imaging technologies.

A unique blend of computer tools and artistic methods, including electronic hardware and imaging programs, makes the existence of computer-generated images possible. Perhaps the day will come when intelligent computer systems will provide us with computer-based imaging software capable of developing a style of its own. For the time being, however, the computer is only a tool.

You don't need to be a systems programmer or an expert in mathematics in

order to create computer art. However, you have to understand how both the equipment and the programs work, especially if you want to enhance your creative tools. You must use computer technology to develop a consistent body of work with individual aesthetic and stylistic values. And you cannot consider all the images you create to be art. Computer art, like any other, only emerges from dedication and a sharp aesthetic consciousness.

No rules determine what computer art should look like. You develop this language as you develop your work. In my opinion, computer technology should create images that cannot be made with any other imaging techniques, not just mimic those in other media.

The computer pushes artistic imagination in new directions. We should use its tremendous creative flexibility to explore all types of form and content, from hyperrealist scenes to random abstract structures. The development of a visual language specific to computer art is more related to the artist's attitude than to the type of equipment in use. You can create beautiful works with simple or sophisticated equipment. The amount of computing power you need becomes a problem only if you want to produce extremely realistic images on a massive scale.

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 199

COMPUTERS AND ART

Figure 2: Configuration of a frame buffer or video-display memory with eight bit planes driving the RGB color guns through color tables 8 bits wide by 256 bytes long. The dimensions of both the frame buffer and the raster video screen have been simplified in this diagram for clarity.

Table I: Color aliasing effects can be created by manipulating the color lookup tables. The color red is located between bytes 32 and 48 in this example. The table on the left will produce an orange color and the table on the right will produce an orange pattern. The data in the left table creates a smooth gradation of intensities. The data in the right table creates a stepped gradation that goes from white to black

several times.

PARAMETERS

R

G

B

PARAMETERS

R

G

B

Color table

0

1

2

Color table

0

1

2

Starting at byte

32

32

32

Starting at byte

32

32

32

For a length of

16

16

16

For a length of

10

10

10

Starting value

50

10

0

Starting value

50

10

0

Increment by

6

15

0

Increment by

35

54

0

BYTE t

R

G

B

BYTE #

R

G

B

32

50

10

0

32

50

10

0

33

56

25

0

33

85

64

0

34

62

40

0

34

120

1 18

0

3 5

68

55

0

35

155

172

0

36

74

70

0

36

190

226

0

37

80

85

0

37

225

25

0

38

86

100

0

38

5

79

0

39

92

1 15

0

39

40

133

0

40

98

130

0

40

75

187

0

41

104

145

0

41

1 10

241

0

42

1 10

160

0

42

145

40

0

43

1 16

175

0

43

180

94

0

44

120

190

0

44

215

148

0

45

126

205

0

45

250

202

0

46

132

220

0

46

30

1

0

47

138

235

0

47

65

55

0

48

144

250

0

48

100

109

0

You can divide the color lookup tables or structure them in different ways, and they can contain various values representing a variety of colors (see photo 3a). You can store them in data libraries to be called by the main program during execution, or you can create them on the fly. The coloring program chooses a specific color for a specific object or group of objects from the color lookup tables. And you can simulate a variety of color and lighting effects by assigning specific ranges of colors to specific intensity or brightness levels (see table 1).

Texture

You can create two general types of textures, visual and spatial, on computergenerated three-dimensional objects. A visual texture is a two-dimensional image of a texture created without affecting the geometric surface of the object; it only simulates a three-dimensional texture. A spatial texture, on the other hand, exists in three-dimensional space and affects the spatial integrity of an object's surface. Spatial textures are closer to the concept of real textures than visual textures are.

By mapping a digitized two-dimensional image onto the surface of a threedimensional object you can create visual textures. This method, pioneered by Ed Catmull (see reference 3). affects the intensity and chromatic values of a surface but does not affect its smoothness. An alternate method for creating visual textures, developed by James Blinn and modified by several others (see references 1 and 7), simulates the imperfections on a smooth surface, not by affecting the surface itself but by altering the surface normals of the object. This alteration before shading causes the light to reflect in several directions, the way light would reflect if the object were actually textured.

Modeling a detailed mesh of planar polygons creates spatial textures. This approach, however, is time-consuming and extremely impractical. A more effective way uses a class of irregular shapes known as fractals (see references 5 and II and the article, "Fractals," on page 157). This method of creating textures on a smooth surface works by dividing recursively the polygons that make up an object into a variety of smaller irregular shapes, like those

[continued)

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COMPUTERS AND ART

Photo 3a: "Pattern 1.1" is rendered as an uncapped three-dimensional contour with hidden surfaces removed and color created by color lookup tables.

Photo 3b: "Pattern 1,4," a textured variation with color aliasing effects. The object is made of 254 polygons.

Photos 4a and 4b: Two steps of the color aliasing procedure that was used to generate "Pyramid and Column'.' Notice the different visual textures created by the coloring process.

found in nature. Fractal surfaces can also be generated in random patterns or as iterations of algebraic formulas (see reference 13).

The method I use to create textures is much simpler than any of those described above. It creates random visual textures using color aliasing effects. These textures don't involve mapping nor do they perturb the normal polygon vectors describing the object. They are created during the coloring stage and exist only in an object's raster image (see photos 4a and 4b).

Aliasing describes the distortions created on an image by a discrete sampling of the originating database. Spatial aliasing occurs when the computer-generated image is represented as a series of discrete samples on a lower-resolution grid than the original. Each pixel on a raster image

represents a small continuous area of the original image and not a single geometric point. The larger the difference in scale between the pixel and the sampled area, the greater the amount of missing information. You find aliasing effects not only in computer-generated images but also in such media as painting or photography. The most common aliasing effects in computer images are the jagged lines that represent diagonal lines or edges of objects.

You can create visual textures and patterns with different characteristics on three-dimensional objects with certain aliasing effects. By filling the color lookup tables with intensity values some distance apart, you can produce color aliasing effects. In other words, the sample of noncontinuous values in the lookup tables is insufficient to create a continuous color scale that

blends optically. Instead of getting a continuous gradation, you get a stepped gradation or a textured pattern (see photos 1 b and 3 b). The use of color in these textures resembles that of some fauvist (from the French word fauve. meaning "wild") and expressionist painters of the twenties and thirties. They applied color with intense saturation values and represented the effect of light on the objects as blocks of discrete color. You can get additional aliasing effects with moire patterns when the sampling grid encounters a periodic texture in the sampled image.

Creating an Original

At the end of the creative process, you must display your final image—you must choose its final form. Three approaches to the production of static computer-art

(continued)

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COMPUTERS AND ART

originals dominate the scene: purist, hard-copy-oriented, and hybrid.

The purist approach contends that the original exists only in the computer environment—you must create it each time you view it. The numerical description of the image, the magnetic tape, and the image on the screen are considered originals.

A computer can create a fresh original on the spot if it has the appropriate hardware and software. You could call this type of original soft copy because it's not based on a hard medium. The purist approach is more natural to computer art but it is hard to implement in many real situations. The problem of transporting the equipment you need to the exhibition site will hopefully disappear when mainframe computers become portable or as portable computers become more powerful.

The hard-copy-oriented approach is the most common and considers a hard copy of the computer-generated image

to be an original. The computer is only a creative and developmental tool and not the final support for the image. This approach favors the creation of a direct hard copy—ideally via a computercontrolled method with minimal manual intervention. Obviously, you want to transport the image to hard copy as accurately as possible. Several choices are available for your output, such as plain paper, photographic paper, and canvas, and also for the device, including electrostatic and dot-matrix printers, pen plotters, and ink-jet printers.

All hard copies of a computergenerated image are versions of a matrix, in this case the numerical information in memory. The idea of making impressions from a unique matrix or mold is closely related to printmaking methods in general, where plates are used to create a single print or series of prints. A single print is an original if it is unique. You can even plant randomizing functions in the imaging pro

cedures to guarantee the uniqueness of each piece. Multiple prints are original if presented as a limited edition, where the artist decides to make several numbered copies and agrees not to make further copies from the same matrix. Unnumbered multiple copies are the least desirable type of print because the process of quality control and authenticity becomes difficult.

Of all the techniques for creating hard copies of computer images, photography is probably used the most often, and it has many associated quality concerns. The quality of the final photographic print can vary enormously depending on the amount of care taken in the recording and transferring processes. Shooting the master negative or slide with the correct exposure and sharpness, choosing the appropriate type of film and paper, printing the final copy, and preserving the print all influence the final quality. I usually

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COMPUTERS AND ART

Ink-jet color printers produce images with blended colors.

photograph my work on slide film that offers high image definition, has good color balance, and is stable. I make my final prints on 20- by 24-inch glossy paper. Glossy paper seems to resemble the quality of the monitor image.

The results you can achieve with color printer technology vary. Pen plotters are limited to making line-based images, but they offer advantages such as the ability to choose from a wide variety of papers and colored inks. Some recent developments in electrostatic printing technology allow you to use large paper with good image resolution. The images produced by ink-jet color printers are especially interesting because the colored inks blend on the paper. Ink-jet methods that deposit the image on canvas have been developed by 3M Company (Scanmural) and by Ron MacNeil at the Visible Language Workshop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These canvases take computer art hard copy away from a print-oriented medium and toward the more traditional concept of an original work of art.

The hybrid approach creates an original by combining computer technology with more traditional imaging techniques. The computer is the main tool in the creative process but not the only one.

Traditional printmaking techniques, such as silk screen, etching, and lithography, produce the final computergenerated images. The most common method for transferring the image to another medium is photography. Computer-controlled transferring methods are still rare. As more fine-arts users try to combine computer imaging with other imaging techniques, the hybrid approach is becoming much more common.

Conclusions

The computer is a contemporary tool and its use for the creation and manipulation of images opens possibilities in the field of artistic creation. It brings challenges and problems on all creative levels, aesthetic and technical, to artists,

programmers, and engineers alike.

If you understand the limitations of computer-based imaging systems and take advantage of their capabilities, your imagination can explore untried creative paths. Today's computer art introduces new colors and new shapeseven a new sensibility that expands the nature of the aesthetic. ■

REFERENCES

1. Biinn, lames. "Simulation of Wrinkled Surfaces." Computer Graphics, August 1978. page 286.

2. CAR1DS. Modelling Nerves in Three Dimensions. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health Publications #81-2289, May 1981.

3. Catmull, E. A Subdivision Algorithm jor Computer Display oj Curved Surfaces. Salt Lake City. UT. University of Utah Computer Science Dept.. UTEC-CSc-74-133. December 1974.

4. Foley, lames D.. and Andries Van Dam. Fundamentals oj interactive Computer Graphics. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1982.

5. Fournier. A.. D. Fusell, and L. Carpenter. "Computer Rendering of Stochastic Models." Comm. ACM. lune 1982. page 371.

6. "GSPC: Status Report of the Graphics Standards Planning Committee." Computet Graphics. August 1979.

7. Haruyama. Sinichiro. and Brian Barsky. "Using Stochastic Modeling for Texture Generation." IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. March 1984. page 7.

8. Kerlow. Isaac V. "Illusion and Technology." Thesis, Pratt Institute, New York, lune 1983.

9. Kropf. Noel, and Cyrus Levinthal. "Serial Section Reconstruction Using CARTOS." In The Microcomputer in Cell and Neurobiology Research. R. Ranney Mize (ed.). New York: Elsevier Science Publishing Co.. in press.

10. Leavitt, Ruth. Artist and Computer. New York: Praeger, 1976.

11. Mandelbrot. Benoit. The Fractal Geometry of Nature. New York: Freeman, 1982.

12. Newman, William M.. and Robert F Sproull. Principles oj interactive Computer Graphics. (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. 1979.

13. Norton, Alan. "Generation and Display of Geometric Fractals in 3D." Computer Graphics. July 1982. page 61.

14. Sutherland, [„ R. Sproull. and R. Schumacker. "A Characterization of Ten Hidden Surface Algorithms." ACM Computing Surveys, March 1974.

15. Whitney, lohn. Digital Harmony: On the Complementarity o\ Music and Visual Art. New York: BYTE Books/McGraw-Hill. 1980.

16. Whitted. Turner, and David Weimer. "A Software Test Bed for the Development of 3-D Raster Graphics Systems." Computer Graphics. August 1981, pages 271.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to thank Noel Kropf. Dr.

Cyrus Levinthal. and Dr. Irwin Sobel for their

technical assistance, continued support, and

encouragement.

206 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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GRAPHICS

COMPUTER LANDSCAPES

by Daniel Cooper

Computer graphics merge with silk-screen printing

COMPUTER ARTISTS share a common problem: once they have created an expressive composition, how do they turn it into a finished work of art? For most artists, it isn't enough to generate an interesting image that can only be seen on a computer screen. They want to make art that is physical, that has substance and immediacy, and that can respond to natural light.

A Happy Medium

To turn computer-generated art into a physical reality, you could photograph the screen image to produce a color slide or transparency. With this method, the next step is producing an enlarged photographic print. The result, however, is more a representation of an artwork than an artwork in itself.

You could also use a color printer or plotter, but such devices, while fine for business graphics, might not meet your standards for artwork. And videotape is best suited to moving images, more in the realm of film than painting.

A more traditional option is serigraphy, the fine art of silk-screen printing. Serigraphy uses a stencil process that can mimic other forms, including computer imagery. In addition, it uses inks that mix like paint, and it is relatively inexpensive.

In this article I will discuss this artistic method, following the creative process

from concept through computer programming to final printing of the serigraphs. I will also analyze one of my art programs to show the thinking and experimentation that went into it and to demonstrate how I ultimately realized the images in the traditional art medium.

You can create images on computers by using a paint system, a digital camera, or programming. Each method has its advantages, but I find programming particularly appropriate because of its relationship to mathematics and the relationship of mathematics to art. The calculating precision and speed of a personal computer let me use mathematics to create images in unexpected ways, bringing together the hard logic of math and the mysterious intuition of art.

Developing a Program

As an example, I present one of my programs called SineScape (listing 1). This program generates abstract landscape

Daniel Cooper (1 Onyx Ave., larkspur, CA 94939) is a visual artist and has studied at Harvard University. The Boston Museum School, the Art Student's League {Woodstock, NY), and the University of California at Berkeley. He has worked with computers for five years and his works have appeared in numerous exhibitions on the East and West coasts.

like images by manipulating sine wave curves. The sine wave (figure la) is the archetypical wave form used in physics to describe the transmission of energy such as light, sound, or electricity. For me, it symbolizes cycles of nature and fundamental forces of the universe. Its shape is also reminiscent of the hills and valleys of landscape painting.

You might be surprised by the short length and relative simplicity of the SineScape program, which creates an image by repeating certain operations many times. Each time the program loops back to its beginning, it makes a small adjustment, assigning new quantities to the curve determinants. Thus, creating an image involves the artistic principle of theme and variation, building a picture with varieties of one basic form (figure lb).

To achieve a sense of solidity, the SineScape program fills in each curve with vertical lines plotted from the central axis (figure lc). This also provides a new visual element; by varying the spacing between lines, the program creates solid or striped forms, giving a more unique character to each set of curves.

The program suggests a sense of depth by overlapping one form on another and by moving the axis line up and down the screen. This produces a

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 211

LANDSCAPES

Listing 1: The SineScape generator program in Applesoft BASIC. To run this program in color, substitute 72 HCOLOR = INT(RND(1)*8) and delete lines 74 and

76.

10

REM

12

REM

SINESCAPE

1 4

REM

BY DANIEL COOPER

16 18

REM

REM

(C) 1984

20

HGR2 : HCOLOR= 7

it

REM

—DRAW BACKGROUND

24

FOR T - 0 TO 191 STEP 2: HPLOT 0, T TO 279.T NEXT T

io

REM

TO to

REM

CHOOSE VARIABLES

30

REM

32

REM

PHASE SHIFT

34

A = INT (RND |1) * 200)

38

REM

—FREQUENCY FACTOR

40

N = INT (RND (1) * 58) + 20

44

REM

AXIS LOCATION

40

Z = INT ( RND (1) * 92) + 50

REM

HEIGHT FACTOR

ZF = Z: IF Z > 96 THEN ZF = 96

- (Z - 96)

56

REM

CURVE HEIGHT

58

W = INT ( RND II) * ZF)

60

IF W < 10 THEN W = 10

64

REM

STEPS IZE

66

G = INT ( RND (I) • 4) + 1

70

REM

COLOR

72

C = INT ( RND (1) * 2)

74

HCOLOR = 7

76

IF C = 1 THEN HCOLOR = 0

80

REM

82

REM

PLOTTING ROUTINE

84

REM

86

FOR X = 0 TO 279 STEP G

88

REM

COMPUTE Y

90

Y = SIN ((X + A) / N) * W + Z

92

REM

-DRAW VERTICAL LINE

94

HPLOT X.Z TO X.Y

96

NEXT X

98

REM

BEGIN AGAIN

100

GOTO 34

Figure la: A computer-generated sine wave.

richer, more complex image. Finally, SineScape selects a random quantity for each curve variable from among specific values allowed.

In operation, the program grows a landscape image. It does not dictate a specific composition or arrangement but rather a compositional procedure to be carried out by the computer.

You will note that SineScape has no endpoint; rather, it is an ongoing process. Because of the randomly chosen variables, you will get a different outcome each time it runs, and there is no telling exactly when an interesting configuration will occur out of the multiple overlappings. You have to watch, wait, and freeze the process at a moment when its form is most beautiful or right to you, then print it out (see example in figure 2),

Why not make the program interactive so that you could interface with the process at any time and either erase or add what you think is needed? Because to me the computer selection of random numbers for the variables in the curves is an important part of the artistic conception. This element lets happy accidents occur, things that you or 1 might not have consciously chosen because of habits in our usual ideas of balance or texture.

Serigraphy

Once you have a computer image you are happy with, it's time for the next stage of the process: silk-screen printing, or serigraphy.

A silk screen consists of a rectangular wooden frame with a fine mesh fabric (previously silk, but now polyester) stretched tightly across it. When parts of the fabric are blocked out (in one of several ways), the open areas that are left will let ink pass through. A piece of paper is placed under the screen and ink is forced through the stencil by pulling a squeegee across it. This leaves a printed image on the paper, which is then removed and allowed to dry.

A technique called photo stenciling reproduces the computer image on the silk screen. First, a black-and-white dotmatrix copy of the design is printed out. The printout should have a good dense dot pattern, with each individual pixel (picture element) well defined.

The design on paper is enlarged and

(continued)

212 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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LANDSCAPES

transferred to a film positive, a thin sheet of clear plastic with the image in black on it (figure 3). A local blueprint company produces this for me on its process camera.

The lines and dots, when enlarged, are not hard edged but have slight bumps and irregularities as a result of the

mechanical printing process. 1 find that these subtle deviations from precision add character to the image, a bit of organic imperfection that 1 find pleasing.

The silk screen is coated with a thin layer of light-sensitive emulsion, which

[continued]

Figure lb: Repetition and variation of the sine wave begins the process of creating a work of computer art.

Figure Ic: A sense of solidity is added to the sine wave bg plotting lines from the x-axis to the curve.

214 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 215

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LANDSCAPES

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has the consistency of white glue. The emulsion is allowed to dry on the screen in a dark room until it is ready for exposure.

To "burn" the screen, the film positive is placed on top of it and set in direct sunlight for about 30 seconds. The parts exposed to the sun react photochemi

cally to become rubbery and impermeable. The screen is then sprayed with water, and the parts covered by the black image on the film positive wash off, leaving open screen fabric. The computer image has been captured as a photostencil.

(continued)

Figure 2: A dot-matrix printout of a randomly generated "sinescape'.'

Figure 3: The fitm positive used to create the silk screen retains the irregularities of the dot-matrix printout from which it was enlarged.

Circle 173 on inquiry card.

CB-102

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 217

LANDSCAPES

Photo I: SineScape #4. by Daniel Cooper, a silk-screened image using the program in listing I. ,

Applying Color

A new phase begins when color is in-. traduced. The silk-screen process allows blending of two or more colors in one pass of the squeegee, leaving you free to experiment, to search for color combinations that inspire you. With the computer, you have produced a composition or structure. Now you add the dimension of color, the content for the existing form.

To print a SineScape image, I use two screens. One is an open rectangle that creates the background. The other carries the computer image. First the background rectangle is printed with a blend of three opaque colors. Once it is dry, the foreground goes on, using another three colors. For example, SineScape # 4 (photo 1) has a background that fades from yellow-orange at the top to redorange at the bottom. The computer im

You feel a sense of accomplishment when you pull a successful print from beneath the screen.

age fades from yellow-green to bluegreen.

During the actual silk-screening, technical problems abound. Small imperfections, acceptable in the proof stage, must be corrected. Ink drying on the screen, bugs landing in the ink, dirt on your hands, streaks in the blends, and myriad other quirks in the process make it frustrating. Clean-up involves using toxic solvents, and heavy gloves and a gas mask are required.

But the result is worth it. You feel a thrilling sense of accomplishment when you pull a successful print from beneath the screen.

The computer is a magnificent tool, but it does not create art on its own. This takes the work and sensitivity of dedicated artists. I see possibilities for striking out in new directions, creating art that could not have been imagined before and evolving beyond novelty into meaningful expression. ■

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218 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 179 on inquiry card.

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SIDE B SI BE t SPEED CORRECT PASSED |

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New Qantex7065. A fast printer at a slow price.

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220 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 305 on inquiry card.

GRAPHICS

EDITOR'S CHOICE

by Jane Morrill Tazelaar

A small selection of computer-generated art. Enjoyl

Self-Inverse Fractal Patchwork from "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" by Benolt B. Mandelbrot (IBM, Thomas J. Watson Research Center, POB 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 105981, published by W. H. Freeman and Co. Fractal geometry was discovered by Dr. Mandelbrot. Copyright © 1982 by Benolt B. Mandelbrot. Reproduced by permission.

his unenhanced original is from The Proud American Series by |oni Carter (11684 Ventura Blvd., #133, Studio City, CA 91604). She created such computer-generated paintings of the winners of various events at the Los Angeles Olympics. Copyright © 1984 by |oni Carter.

d's First String Art by Mike Newman (D1COMED Corp., 9700 Newton Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55431). He created two Independent and differently colored line shapes and then allowed the computer to generate the rest of the lines through a process called in-betweening. Copyright © 1984 by Mike Newman.

222 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

r. jlm n by David Em {183 South Detroit St., Los Angeles, CA 900361, The painted sculpture effects that he achieves with the computer are the result of his particular mapping technique Copyright 1983 by David Em.

ly Ann Cook (DICOMED Corp., 9700 Newton Ave S.. Minneapolis, MN 354311. She created the shading around the sun with the in-betweening process using two circles of different colors and allowing the computer to generate the subtle circles of varying shades between them. The beautiful resolution seen here and In Ed's First String Art is the result of a direct digital-informatlon-to-fllm process accomplished by DICOMED s D-I48SR film recorder. Copyright © 1984 by Ann Cook.

SEPTEMBER 1984 "BYTE 223

It all adds up...

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VlslCalc

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AXIOM

AT-100 Atari Interface Printer$199.00

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GP-550 Atari Bidirectional....$319.00 GP-700 Atari Color Printer.$489.000

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BMC

401 Letter Quality $689.00

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C.ITOH

Gorilla Banana $149,00

Prowriter 8510P $379.00

Prowriter 1550P $599.00

A10 (18 cps) Son of Starwriter$569.00

Hot Dot Matrix CALL

F10-40 Starwriter $999.00

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COMREX ComWriterll Letter Quality$449.00

DIABLO

620 Letter Quality $949 00

630 Letter Quality $1749.00

DAISY WRITER

2000 $999.00

EPSON

RX-80, RX-80FT. RX-100 CALL

FX-80. FX-100 CALL

LQ 1500 CALL

IDS

Prism 80...For Configuration...CALL Prism 32 ..For Configuration...CALL JUKI

6100 $469.00

OXIDATA

82. 83. 84. 92. 93. 2350. 2410..CALL

AMDEX

300 Green $149.00

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Color 1 Plus $269.00

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New Color 300.400.500.600.700 CALL

Color 4T IBM $599.00

BMC

1201 (12" Green) $88.99

1201 Plus (13" Green Hi-Kes).$98.99

9191 Plus Color $849.00

GORILLA

13" Green $88.99

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NEC

JB 1206 Green $109.00

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JC 1460 Color $359.00

PRINCETON GRAPHICS

"AX IS Amber $199,00

HX-12 RGB $499.00

SR-12RGB $669.00

•Call on Titles

ANCHOR

Volksmodem $59.99

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Mark VII (Auto Ans/Auto Dial)$99.99

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9 Volt Power Supply $9.99

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Smartmodem 300 $199.00

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2010/15/30 $749.00

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Compact 2 $469.00

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500 Letter Quality $399.00

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TAXAN

210 Color RGB $269.00

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100 13" Green $125.00

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USI

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1400 Color $269.99

QUADRAM

Quadchrome 8400 Color $499 00

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ZVM122 Amber $99.99

ZVM123 Green $89.99

ZVM124 IBM-Amber $149.00

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MODEMS N0VATI0W

J-Cat $99.99

Cat $139.00

Smart Cat 103 $179.00

Smart Cat 103/212 $399.00

AutoCat $219.00

212 AutoCat $549.00

Apple Cat II $249.00

212 Apple Cat $449.00

Apple Cat 212 Upgrade $269 00

Smart Cat Plus $369.00

ZENITH

ZT-1 $339.00

ZT-10 $309.00

ZT-11 $369.00

west 800-648-3311

In NV call (702)588-5654.Dept. 100 Order Status Number: 588-5654 P.O.Box 6689 Stateline, NV 89449

Canada

Ontario/Quebec 800-268-3974 Other Provinces800-268-4559

In Toronto call (416)828-0866, Dept. Order Status Number: 828-0866 2505 Dunwln Drive, Unit 3B Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1T1

800-233-8950

100 In PA call (717)327-9575, Dept. 100

Order Status Number: 327-9576 Customer Service Number: 327-1450 477 E. 3rd St., Wllliamsport, PA 17701

No risk, no deposit on C.O.D, orders and no waiting period for certified checks or money orders. Add 3% (minimum $6) shipping and handling on all orders.

I

Larger shipments may require additional charges our catalog.

NV and PA residents add sales tax. Al] items subject, to availability and price change. Call today for

224 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

the best prices

TJEfiiTH

data systems

PC COMPATIBLE

16 BIT SYSTEMS

Call for price and configurations

APPLE/FRANKLIN DISK DRIVES MICR0-8CI

A2... $189.00

A20 Call

RANA

Elite 1 $879.00

Elite 2 $389.00

Elite 3 $569.00

INDUS

GT-Drive |Apple| $249.00

^ SANYO

HOME COMPUTERS

MBC 580 CALL

MBC 850-2 CALL

MBC 688 CALL

MBC 866-2 CALL

HEWLETT

ACE 1000 Color Computer CALL

ACE PRO PLUS System CALL

ACE 1200 Office Mgmt. SystemCALL ACE PORTABLES CALL

APPLE

APPLE He STARTER PACK

64K Apple He. Disk Drive Sc Controller. 80 Column Card. Monitor II & DOS 3 3

COMPLETE CALL

APPLE He CALL

APPLE He CALL

MacINTOSH CALL

HP 71B $419.99

41CV $189.99

41CX $849.99

HP 11C $62.99

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HP 16C $92.99

HP 75D $879.99

HPIL Module $98.99

HPIL Cassette or Printer $359.99

Card Reader $143.99

Extended Function Module $63.99

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DISKETTES

MAXELL

5'V MD-1 $21.99

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8" FD-1 $39.99

8" PD-2 $49.99

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63A" SS/DD $26.99

B'/t" DS/DD 34.99

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5'/i" Disk Head Cleaner $14.99

SHARP

PC-1B00A tl6B.99

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CE-125 Printer'Cassette $128.99

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CE151 4K RAM $29.99

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MP

NEC

PC-8221A Thermal Prlnter$149.99

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PC-8201-06 8K RAM Chips ...$105.00 PC-8206A 32K RAM Cartridge$329.00

5'/4"

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Fllp-n-File 10 $3.99

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Flip-n-File (400/800 ROM) $17.99

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IBM $99.99

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A

ATARI

("Ti LiJ UJ LV ifl IPj Ul JJ UJ CU lU 12)'Ml C£iaiJ CD ID SI CD El £3 CO £B E) O I'D EI G=3

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7097 Atari Logo $74.99

4018 Pilot (Home) $57.99

405 Pilot (Educ.) $99.99

8036 Atari Pilot. $77.99

5049 VisiCalc $139.99

488 Communicator II $119.99

MEMORY BOARDS

ATARI

Axlon 32K $59.99

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WHILE 8UPPLYS LAST

600XL $129.00

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4022 Pac Man $31.99

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8026 Dig Dug $31.99

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8034 Pole Position $37.99

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8043 Ms Pacman $37.99

8044 Joust $37.99

8045 Pengo $33.99

8052 Moon Patrol $33.99

4003 Assembler $44.99

8126 Microsoft Basic I or II....$64.99 Super Sketch Graphics Board..$39.99

DISK DRIVES TOR ATARI

INDUS

GT Drive (Atari) $379.00

RANA

Axlon 128K $299.00 1000 $299.00

APPLE/FRANKLIN TRAK

Axlon 128K $299.00 AT-D2 $389.00

Axlon 320K $849.00 AT-D4 $539.00

£t commodore

CBM 8038 $639.00

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CBM 9000 $999.00

B128-80 $769.00

8032 to 9000 Upgrade $499.00

2031 LP Disk Drive $299.00

8050 Disk Drive ■ ..,$999.00

8250 Disk Drive $1249.00

4023 Printer $399.00

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6400 Printer $1449.00

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PRECISION SOFTWARE

Superbase 64 $69.99

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Word Pro 2 Plus $159.00

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Word Pro 4 Plus/5 Plus each$279.00

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8X-84 Portable $839

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00 00

00 99 00

uu

00 00

99 99

pp 99 99 99 99 PP

no

0(1

oo

99 99

west 800-648-3311

In NV call (702)588-5654, Dept. 100 Order Status Number: 588-5654 P.O.Box 6689 Statellne, NV 89449

Canada

Ontario/Quebec 800-268-3974 Other Provinces800-268-4559

In Toronto call (416)828-0866 Dept. Order Status Number: 828-0866 2505 Dunwin Drive. Unit 3B Mlsslssauga. Ontario, Canada L5L1T1

east

800-233-8950 —

100 In PA call (717)327-9575, Dept. 100

Order Status Number: 327-9576 Customer Service Number: 327-1450 477 E. 3rd St., Williamsport, PA 17701

CANADIAN ORDERS: All prices are subject to shipping, tax and currency fluctuations. Call for exact pricing in Canada. INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: All

orders placed with U.S. offices for delivery outside the Continental United States must be pre-paid by certified check only. Include 3% (minimum $5) shipping and handling. EDUCATIONAL DISCOUNTS: Additional discounts are available to qualified Educational Institutions. APO 8c FPO: Add 3% (minimum $5) shipping and handling.

Circle 84 on inquiry card. SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 225

i

MICE-II

DEVELOPMENT/ DEBUGGING

It's powerful, portable, configurable.

Use it to turn your mini/micro computer into a cost-effective full-scale universal development system.

Use it to expand your full-scale development system into a multiworkstation system.

Use it with MULTIMICE to debug hardware/software in a multi processor environment.

Use it to evaluate different microprocessors at a minimum changeover cost.

It's easy to use. MICE I/O drivers are available for Apple II, IBM-PC, PDP-11, VAX, MDS, iPDS,TI Professional and all CP/M systems. And symbolic debugging is available for some models.

MICROTEK INTERNATIONAL, INC.

2-1 Science Road 1 Science-Based Industrial Park Hsinchu, Taiwan, 300, R.O.C. Telephone: (035) 772155 Telex: 32169 MICROTEK

226 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1984

TOOL YOU CAN BUY FOR

$4,200

It gives you all these features. Real time emulation with no wait state • Retain full memory and I/O space • Resident assembler/disassembler • Real-time forward/backward trace up to 2048 cycles • Instruction step, cycle step through program • Two hardware breakpoints • Interchangeable personality module • Up to 128K emulation memory. It supports all these microprocessors. 8048 • 8085 • 8086/88 (MAX) • 8086/88 (MIN) • 80186/80188 • 6809/6809E • 68000 • 68008 • 68010 • 6502 • 65SCXX Series • 65SC1XX Series • Z80R • NSC 800.

And it's programmer supported. GP-256 micro based, system/gang EPROM programmer for JEDEC pinouts. MICE I/O driver or master loading.

MICROTEK LAB, INC.

17221 South Western Ave. Gardena, CA 90247 (213)538-5369

Circle 2 54 on inquiry card.

GRAPHICS

COLOR CONSIDERATIONS

by Lee Baldwin

Understanding and choosing colors for computer graphics systems

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN in computer-graphics literature about the representation of colors in display systems such as color monitors and various forms of plots, prints, video, and film recording. The chief concern has been the computer-science aspects of color manipulations, with very little said about the use of color as an emotive and persuasive psychological force. Likewise, little has been written about the best uses of color in systems of modest capability, e.g., a medium-resolution display capable of 64 or fewer colors.

In this article, I will discuss color models, harmonic colors, descriptive color systems, and the user interface, in the context of the computer "paint" system.

Each of these topics covers a different aspect of the viewer's perception of visual messages and is therefore relevant to a proper paint system design methodology. The development of basic ideas is directed at the clearer understanding by artists and computer scientists of one another's discipline.

Color is not well understood. Whether from the standpoint of psychological effect, electrochemical reaction of the visual system, the eye's ability to match colors, or the mapping of color agents to color effects, there is currently no comprehensive color theory. A desir

able theory is one that would at least permit an explanation of the color phenomena in perceptual terms, distinctions between perceptual and descriptive models, and the matching of colors between media.

Color Models

A color model is a mathematical explanation of a color behavior context. Since color science is inexact, there are numerous models. Different models exist for input and mixing of colors, storage of color information, and output of colors to various media.

The range of natural colors that the eye perceives in nature is greater than the color range for photographic film dyes, which in turn is larger than the modern TV color gamut and the ranges for inks, dyes, and paint pigments. No artificial media approach the color acuity of human vision. Many of the existing compromises, such as TV, paint, and color photography, are nevertheless acceptable.

Since computer-generated pictures are first developed using color monitors and later translated into other forms,

Lee Baldwin [Suite 221, 119 West Pender St., Vancouver. BC V6B 1S5, Canada) is chief of software development for Vertigo imagery Systems Inc. His hobbies include jazz piano, creative writing, and painting.

the color subsets of human vision that are relevant to a discussion of computer graphics are the ranges for television, film dyes, and print media. Conversion between color media is difficult and inexact, and although none of these color subsets approach reality, practical conversion between them is still desirable. As background, we will first discuss the basis for color monitor displays: the RGB (red-green-blue) color space.

The RGB Color Space

Human vision achieves color effects partly through the presence of three known visual pigments in the eye. These pigments interpret light centered at three different points, the standard observer's range (360- to 830-nanometer (nm) wavelength). Peak sensitivities of the visual pigments, located in the cones of the retina, are located at 630 nm (red), 530 nm (green), and 450 nm (blue).

It is not the mixture of intensities taken at these three wavelengths but a comparison of intensities that determines our perception of color. This comparison is made via a field arithmetic performed by the retina and the cortex. The presence of three independent sensing modes leads to the representation of color ranges as three

{contmued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 227

CHOOSING COLORS

dimensional color spaces (see figure 2). This tristimulus theory of vision thus provides an imperative to construct colorreproduction methods involving three primary or basic colors.

Generally, any group of two or more colors will generate a color space. The only magic involved in the selection of primaries to form a useful color space is that three is the optimal number; the hues of the primaries (what most people think of as colors) are chosen to create the greatest range in their mixtures.

We refer to the color space defined by red, green, and blue phosphors on a monitor display as RGB, or the RGB color space. Color monitors use three separately controlled (and colorless) electron guns, each exciting one of the RGB phosphors, to achieve a mixture of colored light at the monitor's surface. These phosphors are chosen to produce the widest range of colors; in fact, the displayable colors for monitors span a greater range than those of color film or printer's inks. The modern broadcast TV gamut is, however, smaller than the range for film dyes, as shown in figure I, which depicts the color spaces of

television, film, and print media. The graph is based on the work of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), which was begun in the late 1920s primarily to create a pigment-matching methodology so that the color range perceived by humans might be depicted and understood, as well as to define several standard white-light illuminants and three primary light colors that span the color space of the diagram in figure 1. RGB monitors are calibrated according to a standard daylight white light known as illuminant D65, whose wavelength is shown in figure I.

Memory devices for computer graphics most often store digital color information in terms of red, green, and blue electron-gun intensity values for each physical point on the screen. Thus, much of the computation regarding color in computer graphics takes place in terms of intensities of RGB primaries.

The RGB mixing of colored light from a monitor is an additive-primary system, where red, green, and blue are primaries. The way light mixes is called additive: red light plus green light creates a yellow or orange light, while equal

amounts of red, green, and blue produce light gray or white light. The behavior of this system is unfamiliar to most people. Mixing and specification of color in RGB is nonintuitive and difficult.

Color mixing for film dyes and print media follows the secondary-subtractive system, in which the secondary colorscyan, magenta, and yellow—are mixed in a way that can be thought of as overlaying colored gels: magenta pigment mixed with yellow pigment produces orange, and the mix of all three is black. This system, termed CMY after its primaries, is familiar to painters, printers, and film processors.

It is not necessary or desirable for humans to think of color in terms of relative intensities of the RGB primaries, as it leads to awkward and nondescriptive color definitions. It is better to develop color models that can represent all of the colors available to an RGB display device while retaining descriptive factors already in common usage such as hue, color, intensity, brightness, lightness, saturation, tint, shade, tone, and value.

The following figures depict the RGB color space and its transformation into a more descriptive color space with which designers, architects, artists, and laymen will be familiar.

The RGB Color Cube

Intensities or voltages of the red. green, and blue electron guns of a color monitor are independently controlled, hence it becomes natural to think of the RGB system in terms of a three-dimensional space, a color space. The three color axes, representing intensity levels of the independent primaries, may be thought of as having values from zero to one, or from zero to 100 percent. Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of the RGB primaries, the CMY secondaries, plus black and white, on the RGB color cube.

All of the colors possible from the additive mixing of colored light from a color monitor can be represented somewhere in this color cube. (It is not the case that the colors from a monitor fill this space completely; actual monitor colors form a subset of this space known as the color gamut.) It is easy to see that people will have trouble achiev

(continued)

Figure I: A diagram indicating the color spaces, or "ranges',' of human vision, television, photographic film, and print media.

228 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

SPREADSHEET TO START ON.

TO GROW ON.

Introducing The VisiCalc Package

Here are two powerful spreadsheet programs for the Apple®// family in one pack age-VisiCalcf the standard by which all other spreadsheets are judged, and VisiCalc Advanced Version, a second generation spreadsheet < for advanced users. These two programs allow you to begin with a basic spreadsheet program and later move on to a more advanced spreadsheet as your business and home needs grow.

VisiCalc is the perfect tool for the single disk-drive Apple lie personal computer. Six home budgeting and planning applications have been programmed into the spreadsheet. They are: Checkbook Balancing, Home Budgeting, Analysis of an IRA, Future Value of an Investment, Income Averaging, and Loan Analysis.

This original spreadsheet program has been upgraded with Full Word Prompts, Variable Column Widths and ProDOS support to

make the best known software program ever, even better. VisiCalc Advanced Version is an advanced spreadsheet program for dual disk-drive systems. It contains sophisticated commands and functions to handle more demanding applications. Plus, an on line Introductory Guide to help you easily understand the program's capabilities.

Some of these advanced functions include Keystroke Memory™ On line Context-Sensi.tive Help, and Print Commands for Presentation-Quality reports, among others. And if two great spreadsheet programs aren't enough, The VisiCalc Package comes with comprehensive documentation and The VisiCalc Book by Donald H. Biel. The entire package is just $179. Stop by your nearest computer store today and get two great spreadsheet programs in one package. One to start on. One to grow on. At one great value.

Software Arts™

27 Mica Lane, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02181 Telex: 6502048741 MCI

Circle 326 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 229

CHOOSING COLORS

ing a particular color mixture by specifying percentages of three additive primaries.

Intuitive color interfaces must display a sampling of the available hue range on the monitor. The operator first points to a hue and then adjusts the purity of the hue (its saturation, or tint) and its value, or shade. Such a model is descriptive, as it uses concepts that are already in the language in a systematic way. This description fits the hue, saturation, and value color model, proposed by A. R. Smith at the New York Institute of Technology in the 1970s in a technical paper entitled "Color Gamut Transform Pairs."

The HSV Color Model

The hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color model is derived from the RGB model and has descriptive advantages over RGB for color mixing in computer graphics systems.

The advantage of descriptive color models can be suggested by two examples: pink is described as red light mixed with white light, and gold is described as desaturated (grayed) yellow. In the RGB color system, how does one mix white light with other colors if there is no explicit control for the amount of white light? How does one add gray to a color in RGB? How

would one find the gray to add?

In the RGB color cube of figure 2, note the diagonal axis extending from black (r.g.b = 0,0,0) to white (r,g,b, = 1,1,1). If the color cube is viewed along this axis looking from white to black, the projected shape will appear as a hexagon with the principal colors (the primaries and secondaries) situated at its vertices (figure 3).

The above shape is also the bottom of the hexcone shown in figure 4. This solid is a deformation of the RGB color cube with more potential for taking human factors into account, that is, improving the user interface.

The HSV color model can represent all hues and colors possible to the RGB model. Hues are laid out around the edges of the hexcone, arbitrarily defined as starting from red at zero degrees, progressing counterclockwise toward yellow (hue angle = 60 degrees), green (120 degrees), cyan, and so on. The value (V) of a color is the distance along the vertical axis from black (V = 0) to white (V = 1 or 100 percent). Saturation (S). the purity of a color as compared to its maximum purity at a given value, is the distance from the value axis radially toward the surface of the hexcone. Colors on the value axis itself (where S=0) are shades of gray. Pure hues are found at the edges of the hexcone where S= 1 and V=l.

The HSV system is descriptive in the sense that its axes are named for perceptual quantities. HSV offers more obvious ways to explain colors such as pink, gold, or light blue.

Selection of a pure hue, followed by adjustment of value and saturation, is intuitive. Tints and shades common to much artwork are produced by decreasing saturation (adding white) or decreasing value (adding black), respectively. Tints are located on the top plane of the hexcone with the pure hues; shades are found on the outside surfaces of the hexcone. Tones are everywhere within the hexcone's volume.

HSV is superior to RGB for at least the user interface of a system requiring color input/output (I/O). Thinking of HSV as a distortion of RGB space suggests conversion algorithms: linear transformations from RGB to HSV (and back) permit storage and display of pixel (picture element) values to be handled in

[continued)

Circle 384 on inquiry card. —►

a

CYAN

(1,0,0)

Figure 2: The RGB color cube, a model that allows for visualization and mathematical representation of color relationships. Points are plotted as (r. g. b).

YELLOW

RED-GREEN-BLUE COLOR CUBE

Figure 3: The RGB color cube, when viewed along the diagonal black-white axis appears as a hexagon, with primary colors (red. green, and blue] and secondary colors {cyan, magenta, and yellow) situated at the vertices.

230 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1984

DOSS (M)GDDD©©SI®Gfl

ProModem 1200A Apple Card Pack

It's the best 300/1200 baud 212A telephone modem for your Apple" II, II + , and He. "Best" because it's the easiest to install and use, provides more useful modem features for your money, and lets you add software capabilities as your needs grow.

We really do mean easy. Just plug the ProModem Card Pack into any expansion slot and connect the telephone cord. On-board intelligent software in ROM includes a simple but powerful terminal program. With a few keystrokes, you'll be "on line" and communicating.

ProModem 1200A offers you the best price-to-performance modem available with AutoAnswer and Auto-Dial, Programmable Intelligent Dialing, Built-in Speaker with Volume Control, Help Commands, Extensive Diagnostics, and more.

And when you need more sophisticated capabilities like Terminal Emulation, you're all set.

m

The 1200A is fully Hayes compatible. You'll be able to use most of the Apple II communications programs available.

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(1) ProModem 1200A Apple Card Pack, complete with on-board software and all necessary hardware List Price: $449

HAYES

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(2) Serial Card

(3) RS-232C Cable

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Total List Price: $957

Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc

The "Help" Screen and "Auto redial if busy" functions make the 1200A convenient to use. The second phone jack for the telephone handset allows switching from voice to data. You get all of this, ready to use, complete with easy to understand documentation, and a telephone cord for only $449.

See your local dealer for a demonstration. He'll show why ProModem 1200A is your best connection.

Prometheus Products, Inc. 45277 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 (415) 490-2370

CHOOSING COLORS

VALUE,V

11

GREEN

CYAN

YELLOW

V = l

4 (WHITE) > RED

BLUE

MAGENTA

HUE ANGLE, DEGREES

V = 0 (BLACK)

SATURATION. S

Figure 4: A hexcone representing the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color model.

ANY HUE

SATURATION AXIS TINTS

TONES

SHADES

WHITE

11

VALUE AXIS

BLACK

Figure 5: Cross section of the HSV hexcone showing tint, shade, and tone.

the RGB system, while input and computation may be done using HSV. Such transformation algorithms are discussed below.

An incorrect assumption in the use of RGB, HSV, and other color spaces is that they correspond to the complete range of human vision (see figure 1). There have been major efforts to measure and codify human color perception (e.g., the C1E), all of which have been done for reflected light, the light "given off" by ordinary objects when a light source shines on them). The emitted light of color monitors behaves differently from reflected light, and there is as yet no standard color range for monitors.

An HSV Interface

The implementation of HSV in a paint system user interface is straightforward. The object of any interface includes defining the most succinct input possible through a minimal set of operations, using the smallest number of input devices. We shall suggest a prototype interface such as seen in figure 6, using a color monitor, a keyboard, and a digitizing tablet and describe its operation for the selection and mixing of color (see figure 6).

The monitor operates in two modes, monochrome-alphanumeric display and color-picture display. To avoid repainting the picture each time a menu is accessed, separate memory segments for each mode must be provided. It must be possible to split the display screen under software control and to make selections from brief menus without obliterating the entire picture. This arrangement avoids the necessity of using an additional monitor screen as a command interface.

Also operating in two modes, the digitizing tablet offers a command input facility and a "paint" facility. In command mode, location of the screen cursor by moving the stylus allows pointing at menu options to select drawing operations. In paint mode, the tablet/ stylus/screen tool allows creation, selection, and storage of "brushes" (cursor shapes) and pictures.

Color Selection Using HSV

The implementation of HSV requires that certain color manipulations be available in the "paintbox," as described

(continued)

232 BYTE- SEFTEMBE

WHEN SPREADSHEETS DON'T GIVE YOU THE PICTURE...

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m umueiis Km in hhiwi sunt)

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Circle 146 on inquiry card.

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SEPTEMBER I984 • BYTE 233

CHOOSING COLORS

in the paragraphs that follow.

A smooth band of graduated hues from blue to cyan is displayed across the bottom of the monitor screen. (These are pure HSV hues of S= 1 and V=l.) If the display system is not capable of continuous hues, a number of discrete color boxes will allow the same activity. To select a color, the operator uses the stylus to signal Hue Select or Hue Range from the main menu. Hue Select is a direct choice, indicated by locating the color in the hue band and depressing the stylus at the desired point. Hue Range allows the indication on two points on the hue display, with the subsequent feedback of a new hue display using the selected hues as endpoints. Hue Range precedes Hue Select in cases where a finer choice of hue is desired. A second stylus "hit" on the Hue Range option returns the standard palette to the screen. Hue Select, triggered with the tablet stylus, allows selection of the next hue.

To complete the composition of a color, the hue must be modified by changing value and saturation. To accomplish this, the system displays a large swatch of the newly selected hue (see figure 7), with scales labeled Saturation and Value (or Tint and Shade) arranged along two edges of the swatch. Motion of the cursor within the swatch causes changes in its value and

saturation relative to the position of the cursor.

Depressing the stylus at any point within the swatch selects the value and saturation, thereby defining the color. The swatch and the value and saturation scales are wiped from the screen, and the system writes a small segment of the color at the left of the hue band, with an index beneath it to identify it. This process continues as long as the operator wishes, within the number of available indexes. (The number of available indexes, equal to the number of simultaneously displayable colors, is directly related to the word length or bit depth of the frame buffer. These hardware constraints are discussed below.)

Later references to a color are possible by pointing to any area of the screen where that color resides or by referring to the color's index via the keyboard. Indexing colors makes it possible to call particular ones to the screen for comparison to colors being mixed. As an option, mnemonics could be added to make the indexes easier to use.

Given one or two initial colors, the system should be able to suggest harmonic sets of up to six colors. Harmonic colors have a balanced, pleasing relationship with each other; harmonic relationships are discussed later in the section on color harmony.

System software should allow you to

MONITOR

COMPUTER

FRAMEBUFFER

SOFTWARE

STYLUS

Figure 6: Tools for the selection and mixing of color, as in a paint system.

select colors via some index system relating the monitor hues to the hues of other output devices, such as film recorders and color printers. This interactive procedure is tedious and dependent on the particular hardware chosen. Short of a one-to-one color mapping (in which every color on the monitor can be represented on another output device—a difficult task to manage), the most important factor is the preservation of harmonic relationships.

A most important capability of a color system is color mixing. User dialogue for mixing begins when the Mix option is chosen from the menu, followed by a Pick of two colors. The two selected colors are then displayed as shown in figure 8, with an equal space for their mixture between them.

Motion of the cursor on a line between the picked colors will result in a weighted mixing, with the (real-time) result shown in the intervening square. This method is superior to choosing all of the coiors from a predefined palette, as a definite relationship between selected colors is assured.

Another necessary feature of a color system is the selection of complementary hues. In HSV, complements of hue are opposite each other (180 degrees away) on the V= 1 plane (see figures 3 and 4). Choosing the Hcomp (hue complement) option followed by selection of a hue will instruct the system to compute and display the complementary hue. The distinction between an algorithmic color system, such as this one, and perceptual color systems, is a crucial one. As mentioned earlier, no truly representative model for human color vision exists.

Color Harmony

There are some simple and some very complex rules for selecting harmonic colors. A definition of harmonic color is imprecise at best, as color is highly subjective. As Johannes Itten states, "The idea of color harmony is to discover the strongest effects by correct choice of antitheses". It is a basic fact of human vision that colors are enhanced by their complements. Anyone who has stared at a color, then turned his gaze to a light-colored surface, has experienced an action of complementary colors called "successive contrast."

234 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

CHOOSING COLORS

The visual sum of the visible spectrum is white light. If the spectrum is divided at any point, the two parts will be perceived as complementary colors. The remixture of any such complementary pair will be white or light gray. (Therefore, the simplest harmonic choice is what Itten termed the dyad: the complement, or direct opposite on the hue hexagon.)

The simplest approaches to finding harmonic colors are based on a few rules. First, use a small number of colors. For most information graphics, four or five colors will suffice. Choose a background color that is either a warm gray or the complement of one of the foreground colors. Be aware that colors have different "perceptual depth," that is, some colors seem to advance while others recede, particularly on monitors and in slides made from film recorders. Perceptual depth is due to the fact that various wavelengths of light actually focus at different distances from the lens of the eye. Blue, for example, requires noticeable refocusing and tends to recede.

Strong differences in visual depth can be fatiguing and distracting. Use groups of colors from one-half (or less) of the hue hexagon. This will lend a predominant tone to your graph or picture. Throw in a single color from the other side of the hue hexagon. Avoid using all pure hues: tinted or shaded colors appear more sophisticated to the eye. A series of gray tones is eloquent in its simplicity.

It is far wiser to begin using shades or tones of a single hue than with the color scheme of a child's tricycle. One simple harmonic form is the tetrad, two pairs of complements that are 90 degrees apart. Evenly spaced triadic forms (e.g., the primaries) often appear garish. Of the 1983 crop of microcomputers, few have sensible color systems. The worst offer four or eight colors of dubious parentage while the better of them offer four or eight, chosen from a range of up to 4K, (4096) colors. The only real need for a high-resolution display featuring 16 million colors is in three-dimensional shaded graphics.

As an example of a harmonic set of colors that could be suggested by a color graphics system, an initial hue specified by the user would lead to a tetrad of hues plus a dark and a light gray. If two complementary colors (not pure

hues) were first specified by the user, such a tetrad could be chosen from an oblique plane intersecting the HSV hexcone.

We can now discuss some system methods for producing color groups. However, the notion of finding a color's complement at a point 180 degrees around an algorithmic model must first be made more precise. The user must be able to construct customized versions or adjustments of the HSV model. A graphics system with such an artistcalibrated color approach will allow the tailoring of key features of color operations. Such a procedure begins with the selection of perceived complements through the physical mixture of two colors on the monitor.

Since complementary colors of light mix to a light neutral gray or white, a pair of complements displayed from a common area of a monitor will have the same property. The system must, therefore, permit the direct mixing of actual colors on the screen for a determination of complements to take place. If a hue is specified through Hue Select, its complement can be found through invoking a Defcomp (define complement) option. The system then changes the hue band (figure 7) to a smaller range (some 30 degrees in hue) centered around the algorithmic complement. At the same time, a summing swatch will appear on the screen, an area in which both the original color and the complement

[continued]

VALUE AXIS ■ (SHADE)

CURSOR IN COLOR SWATCH

- HUE BAND

SATURATION AXIS (TINT ) '

Figure 7: Adjusting the value and saturation of a color from its basic hue.

- DIRECTION OF CURSOR MOVEMENT

- COLOR B

COLOR A

- PROPORTIONAL A+B MIX

Figure 8: Using the system's Mix option to mix two colors on the monitor.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 235

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* QUADRAM, Quadchrome 12" RGBColor $ 695

* Quadscreen 17" 968x512 $1995

* Quadchrome II, 14" RGB Color NEW $ 650

* Amberchrome, 12" Amber NEW $250 ZENITH. 12" Green, ZVM123 $200

12" Amber, ZVM124 $200 12" Color, ZVM135

Call $119 $149 $159 $249 $439 $685 $129 $499 $599 $199 $495 $1595 $450 $165 $ 89 -149

PRINTERS ACCESSORIES DOT MATRIX: Si

EPSON, LQ1500 200 & 67 CPS NEW $1395 Paratel Interface for LQ1500 NEW $ 100 RX80 lOOcps $ 399

RXIMF/T FX80.160cps FX100, ISOcps MX100F/T.80^w/t*altrax+ Apple II Graphcs Dump ftogram

* MANNESMANN Spint 80 cd 80cps TALLY, 16CL80col Ifcttps

180L132CO1 lottos OKIDATA, 80 8O00L 80 cos, para

82A.80coL120cps.para

834.132 coL 120cps.para

84136ccL2Mcps.pari

92 80 col.. 160 CPS. para,

91 136 col.. 160 cps, para.

2350P,Pacemark, 350cps.para

2410P,Pacernark. 350cps,para.

Accessories, Hug 'N F1ay.Tractors.Okigraph ORANGE MICRO.Grappler+. for Apple $ PRACTICAL, Microbuft In-Une 64K.Para $ Micmbuff In-Une 64K.Ser. $ QUADRAM, Quadiet Jet Color Printer $

* STAR MIC. Gemini lff'X, 120cps $

Gemini 15"X. 120cps $ LETTER QUALITY: AMDEK, 5040. 40cps.Paia. &Set.

* TTX 1014, 13cps,Para.&Ser,Pin&Fric,3p.

1114, same as 1014 witi T/f, 2 ooLSProp. MACpac, Interface TTX to Apple MAC

* JUKI 6100 18cps.Para3p«ch

PRINTER INTERFACES and BUFFERS:

IBM-PC Parallel Printer Cable $ 60 $ 35

Apple II l/F & Cable lor Epson or Gemiri $ 95 $ 59 QUADRAM.

Microlazer,w/Copy,PP.8K.«MP8w/PS $ 179 $139

Miciotoer,w/Copy.PP.64K.ltMP64w/PS $ 299 $ 229

Microtaer.w/Copy.PP. 128K.W/PS $ 375 $ 345

$ 699 $ 895 $ 995 $ 15 $ 399 $ 798 $1098 SPL $ 299 $ 349 $ 749 $ 1395 $ 599 $ 999 $2695 $2995

$1675 $ 499 $ 599

$ 599

OUR PRICE

$1195 $ 79 $ 299

Can $ 475

Calf $ 495 $ 9 $ 299 $ 568 $ 778 LOW! $ 319 $ 599 $1095 $ 469 $ 749 $2095 $2395

Call $ 119 $ 259 $ 259 $ 795 $ 289 $ 439

$1395 $ 365 $ 439 Cat $ 459

none Di ur liicnnuninuiiirirtnur Mail TO: 12060 SW Garden Place. Portland. OR 97223—Include teMvona numbw and doublt check your fipiies l« Shippirc Insurance I Handling) UKUtKltlu INrUKMAI IUN ANU I tKMo! All items usually in slock Cashiers Checks. Money Orders Fortune 1000Checks and Governmenl Checks. we immediately honor Personal or olher Company Checks allow 20days to clear No COO Prices reflect a 3'-* cash discount so ADO 3^ 10 above prices lor VISA, MaslerCaid oi American Eipress Fee U S Mainland, add 3*; |J5 mimmum| lor shipping, insurance and handling (SISH) by UPS UPS ground is standard so add 3°i (S10 minimum] more loi UPS Blue lor SISH Add 12* lotal |I1S minimum) loi SI&H for US Postal. AP0 or FPO For Hawaii. Alaska and Canada. UPS is m some aieas only, all others are Postal so call, wrrie. or speedy Postal Foreign orders eicept Canada lot SI&H add 18^ 1125 minimuml lor SISH eicepl loi monnois add 30% IJ50 minimuml loi SISH All puces, availacnlly and specifications sublet lo errors or chaoge without notice so call to verity All goods are new. include wairanty and are guaranteed to work Due to our low pnres and oui assuiance that you will gel oew unused products. ALL SAILS ARE FINAL Call before returning goods loi repair or replacement Orders received with insufficient SISH charges will be relunded ORDER DESK HOURS SAM to 6PM PSL Monday through Friday and 10 to 4 Saturday 6AM here is 9AM in New Voik

OUR REFERENCES: We have been in computers and electronics since 1958 a compuler dealer since 197a and in compuler mail Older since 1980 Banks 1st Interstate Bank. |5031 WJA678 We oeksng to the Chamber

CASH & CARRY OUTLETS:

Over-the-counter sales only. Open Monday through Friday. 1000 until 6 00 Saturday. lOOOuntil 6:00 PORTLAND. OREGON-NEW LOCATION! At Park 217. Tigard al intetsection of 217 and 99W Coming Irom Portland on 99W. take immediate left after 217 overpass and Texaco Station Call 620-5595. SEATTLE. WASH.-3540 128th Ave SE. Bellevue. WA 98006 Tel " 11-4736, in Loehmann's Plaza neat Factoiia Squate, SE ot Hwy 15 4 90 and at SE 3Sth S Richards

2J6 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Formerly

Computer Exchange

LOW PRICES TO PROFESSIONALS WHO KNOW WHA T THEY WANT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT!

SUPPLY CENTER for IBM-PC or XT

256KIBM-PCor XT

320/360K Disk Drives by CDC 90 Day Limited Warranty By Us Call for Details

' 1983 Conroy-LaPointe, Inc.

:i 1984 byConroy-LaPointe, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

lor the

IBM-PC Of XT

DRIVES

AND

ACCESSORIES

UST PRICE

ALLOY

PC-Backup, 16MB. Cartridge Tape Sys. $2195 PC-ST0R41MB/17MB Disk & Backup Sys $5995

y^MTJEK

Amdrsk V, tSliefltt internal. 320/36CK S 329 Anidisk III. 3" Dual floppirs.500K $499

CONTRPL DATA

OUR PRICE

Call Call

$ 249 $ 439

320K/360K DS/DD DISK DRIVES

With Detailed Installation Instructions 30 Day Limitec Warranty by Factory Authorized Distributor

Same as now 1 O C installed by IBM SI OD FULL HEIGHT

$165 HALF HEIGHT

CDC, ■. HOual Drive Installation Kit $ 30 $ 16

MAYNARD. Floppy Controller (w/Para.) % 300 $ 239 QUADRAM Quaddisk Internal Hard Disks w/Controller

6MB Removable NEW $2295 $1695

6MB Fixed NEW $1995 $1495

12MB Fined NEW $2250 $1650

27MB Fixed NEW $2895 $2195

72MB Fixed NEW $6500 $4795

10 MEG (XT) DISK KITS

Convert your PC to 10 meg and to be XT compatible with one ot the following INTERNAL HARD DISK SYSTEMS. Kits are quality engineered to work with DOS 2.0/2 1. Completely XT compatible All you need is your DOS manual. Easy to install. Includes 10 Megabyte Hard Disk. Controller Card and Instructions

ComX Internal lOmeg Hard Disk Kit NEW $ 869 \Jp Kamermon IX Labs

Megafiight 10Q 10 mbyte Hard Disk Kit NEW $ 869

MAYNARD

lOmeg Hard Disk Kit WS1 Sandstar Controller mil

accept 3 Sandstar modules $1395 $1150

OVERSTOCK SPECIALS

IBM HARDWARE

CCS. Supervision. 132 Col Mono Bd. $ 799 $ 399

CCS, Graphics Adaptec lor Supervision $ 250 $ 99

KENSINGTON, PC Saver $ 50 $ 35

KOALA. Graphic Pad w/PC Design $ 150 $ 89

Quadram, 25EX Quadboard 256K Max $ 595 $ 395

IBM SOFTWARE

ASHTON-TATE. dBase II $ 495 $ 349

DIGITAL RES. Access Manager (PC/DOS) $ 400 $ 175

DIGITAL RESEARCH, Full Line Call

FOX 8.GELLER.0Z (MS-DOS) $ 295 $ 185

HOWARD SOFT, '84 Tax Preparer $ 250 $ 145

MICROPRO, Option Pak MM/SS/SI $ 295 $ 145

OUR AD

#B8

MEMBER

AAnTiPk MAI 4-in-1 Multiple Board, Color HIVIUCIX GraphicsSMono. Para FwL $ 499

ComboPlus, 64K, S/P/CC ComboPlus. 256K, S/P/CC MegaPlus II, 64K S/P/CC MegaPlus II, 256K, S/P/CC 256K MegaPlus II Expander

$395 $695 $445 $695 $395

SixPakPlus, 64K, S/P/CC *S/W $ 395

SxPakHus, 256K.S/P/CC +S/W $695

SixPakPlus. 384K.S/P/CC +S/W $ 895

Game Port for SixPak $ 50

I/O Plus II. S/P/CC $215

I/O Plus II. S/P/CC/G $ 265

I/O Plus II, 2S/P/CC/G $ 315

MonoGraphFWP/CCIforLotus) $ 495 PCNet Starter Kit PC002 PCNet. Circuit Board, PC001

$399 $265 $495 $345 $595 $295 $265 $495 $595 $ 39 $150 $185 $215 $375 $1095 $495

399

VIS,

\

Supervision, 132col, mono, boaid $799

Graphics Adapter lor Supervision $250 $ 99

Chalkboard Power Pad (Requires M| $100 $ 73

uridlHUUdru, Qhalkboard Starter Kit $ 50 $ 34

*COITlX EcomRAM'^SoKRAMCardw/Tastiak'-RAMdrik emulator and sptyjler software. $ 495 $ 325 UNI-I. Monitor tit 8 swivel base 3to 9 loot keyboard cable Vertical CPU "System Sand" Monochrome Ext Cable Pair

CURTIS

50

$ $

$ 25 $ 50 $245 $499 $209

KB5151. Std. keyboard NEW $ 255 KBS151 ir. keyboard NEW $ 255 hnala Koala Pad™ w/PC Design $150 I lUdlcl Programmer's Guide $ 15

MAYNARD Multifunction |6) Card. MFC $ 89 ™" ''irnV Memory Card no RAM $ 199 SANDSTAR Memory Caro 256K $499 HardDisk l/FModule |HDM) $ 495

UCDPII1 CC CotorCardw/para nChtULCO Graphics Card, Mono

Kev Trnnir KB5150, Std. keyboard rwy IIUIIIu KB5151.Std.keyboard

SERIES

HardDisk Cable Para Port Module (PPM) Senal Port Module (SPM| Clock Cat Module (CCM| Game Adapter Module (GPM) Memory Module "0"K |MM0]

Memory Module 256K (MM256) » MAYNARD. XT 10 meg Hard Disk & I /F WS1 $1395 $1150

$ 122 $422

$ 39 $ 30 $ 19 $ 35 $169 $349 $159 $199 $199 $ 89 $ 14 $ 79 $169 $399 $395 $ 27 $ 49 $ 79 $ 48 $ 43 $ 99 $357

LIST PRICE

OUR PRICE

MICrH3SOFT~25wni!i«

MOUSE SYSTEMS, PC Mouse w/sattware $ 295 $ 195

MAGNUM, PC MasterCard'-, L536K. Multifunction S/P/G/CC with SolRAM''software which provides printer spooler, RAM disk & many other lunctions $4995 $3950

PLANTRONICS

Color Board & Cctamagic. 16cok>r.w/Para $ 559 $ 395 Color Board S, Draftsman, 16mJor. w/Para $ 559 $ 395 PARADISE, MutbOsplay Card NEW $ 595 $ 435

QULADRAM

. Quadlink NEWEST VERSION $ 680

Quadboard. no RAM, expand lo 384K $ 295

Quadboard 64K. expand lo 384K.S/P/CC $ 395

Quadboard 256K. expand to 384K.S/P/CC $ 675

* Quadboard, 384K, S/P/CC $ 795 Quadboard II, no RAM. expand lo 256K $ 295 Quadboard II. 64K.expand to 256K2S/CC $ 395 Quadboard II. 256K. 2S/CC $ 595 Quad 512 *64K plus serial port $ 325 Quad 512+ 256K plus serial port $ 550 Quad 512 + 512K plus serial port $895 Quadcolorl. board. 16colors $295

» Upgrade Quadcolor I to II kit $ 275 Quadvue. board. Mono/S/P/CC

* Quadchrome. 12" RGB Coloi Monitor $ 795 Quadchrome II, 14" RGB Color NEW $ 650 Ambeichrome. 12" Amber NEW $ 250 Quad 327a NEW $1195 Quadnet VI. NEW Quadnel IX NEW

$ 695

Tormar Graphics Master leiMKll 1st MATE. S4K. S/P/CC

1st MATE. 256K. S/P/CC Captain. 64K.S/P/CC Captain,384K.S/P/CC Wave. 256K (short board] Bosun, S/P/CC(short bid.

Titan Accelerator PC (8086

TG PRODUCTS

W1CO. IBM-PC Mouse

$ 389 $ 589 $ 424 $ 795 $ 499 $ 195 128KI $ 995 $ 45 $ 100

$ 480 $ 215 $ 265 $ 525 $ 625 $ 215 $ 265 $ 395 265 420 625 215 199 Call 495 450 165 Call Call Call 545 275 399 324 595 369 145 750 30

• 1983

Conroy-LaPointe, Inc. Prices and availability subject to change. Call

$49 ^a

Chip

Kit ^*t? Quantity Prices 9 Each, 64K, 200 ns, MEMORY CHIP KIT * 90 Day Warranty by us

$325 $295 Two or more. ★ComXEconoRAM'" 25GK BOARD

Wth Fastrak'" RAM Disk Emulator and Spooler Software Fully Compatible. 1 Year Limited Warranty by ComX Works on DOS 1.1,2.0012.1

★ MEANS A BEST BUY

SOFTWARE for IBM-PC or XT

BUSINESS & TRAINING

APPLIED SOFT. TECH., Versalorm $ 389 ARKTRONICS, Jane NEW $ 295

ASHTONTATE

Framework (avail. July/Aug] dBase III (avail. July/Aug]

* dBase II. (req. PC-DOS & 128K) dBase II to III upgrade dBase II User's Guide (Book) Everyman's DB Primer (Book] Friday

ATl.Trainmg Programs—wide line in stock $ 75

* BRODERFJUND, Bank Street Writer $80 BPI, Gen'l Acctg.AR,AP or PR, each $ 595 BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, Jack 2 NEW $ 495 CDEX Training for... (Large inventory) $ 70 CHANG LABS, Micro Plan $ 495

* CONTINENTAL. Tax Advantage

Home Accountant Plus FCM (Filing, Cataloging, Mailing) Property Management DOW JONES. Market Analy2er Market Manager Market Microscope FOX8.GELLER, Qutckcode. dGraph. Gralox or Oz, each dUtil (MSD0SorCP/M86.each) HARVARD. Harvard Protect Manager NEW HAYDEN, IBM Pie Writer $ 200

Pie Speller or Sargon IILeach $ 50 HOWARDSOFT,

Tax Preparer, 1984lor 1983year $ 295 HUMAN EDGE Management or Sales, ea $250 IUS. EasyWriter II System $ 350

EasySpeller II $ 100

Business System: GL+AP+AP $1495 GLAR,AP,0E or INV, each $595

* INSOFT, Data Designfeasy In use DBMS) $ 250

GraFORTH (animated 3D graphics) $125 KNOWARE, Knoware (teg. graphics) NEW $ 95 LIFETREE, Volkswriter 1.2 $ 195

Volkswriter Deluxe $ 295

* LOTUS. 1-2-3 $ 495

Symphony, (avail.July/Aug) NEW $ 695 1-2- 3 to Symphony, (aval July /Aug) NEW $200 QUE, Using 1-2-3 (Book) $ 15

LIVING V1DEOTEXT, Think tank NEW $ 195

NEW $695 NEW $695 $495 $200 $ 30 $ 15 $295

$ 70 $150 $125 $495 $350 $300 $349

$295 $ 99

MICROPRO, WordStar® MaiiMerge" CorrectStar'"

WordStar Professional, l Pak Preoptions. SS/MM/SI Starlndex™ InloStar'"

SPECIAL $ 495

SPECIAL $ 250

NEW $ 345

SPECIAL $ 695

SPECIAL $ 345

SPECIAL $ 195

SPECIAL $ 495

$265 $195

$465 $465 $269 $149 $ 20 $ 12 $199 $ 50 $ 56 $395 $335 $ 47 $335 $ 45 $ 89 $ 79 $329 $225 $195 $289

$195 $ 65 Call $135 $ 34

$220 $169 $259 $ 68 $995 $395 $125 $ 95 $ 64 $130 $195 $309 $465 $135 $ 12 $129 $239 $129 $125 $355 $155 $109 $259

BUSINESS & TRAINING

InloStar'- SPECIAL $495 $259

• MICRORIM, R base. Series 4000 $495 $299

Extended Report Writer NEW $ 150 $ 99

Riase Clout NEW $ 195 $129

MONOGRAM, Dollars & $ense $ 165 $ 110

MULTIMATE, Multimate $495 $295

NW ANALYTICAL. Statpak NEW $495 $345

OPEN SYS. GLAR.AP.PR.INV or PO.each $695 $429 » OSBORNE/COMX. (Book & Business, Statistics

8 Math Programs on DS/DD Disks)

Some Common Basic Programs(70ea.

$ 100

$ 69

Practical Basic Programs (40 each)

$ 100

$ 69

PBL Personal Investor 1.1

$ 145

$ 99

PEACHTREE Peach Pak (GLAR&AP)

$395

$239

Peach Text 5000

$395

$239

PERFECT. Perfect Writer '"

$349

$219

Writer S Speller. 2 Pak

$399

$249

Perfect Filer '"or Perfect Calc, each

$249

$149

Perfect Writer, Speller, Filer, Calc (4)

$699

$499

QUADRAM, Tax Strategy or Inv Strategy

$395

$295

SOFTWARE ARTS. TK! Solver

$ 399

$299

SOFTWARE PUBLISHING.PFSFlle

$ 140

$ 94

PFStReport

$ 125

$ 84

PFStWrite

$140

$ 95

PFSflraph

$ 140

$ 95

SORCIM. SuperCalc 2

$295

$195

SuperCalc 3

$395

$265

SSI/SATELLITE. WordPerfect

$495

$275

Personal WordPerfect

$ 195

$149

STC/SOFTEC. The Creator

$300

$195

STONEWARE Advanced D B. Master

$595

$395

SYNAPSE, File Manager

$ 100

$ 67

SYNERGISTIC, Dala Reporter

$250

$169

T/MAKER, T/Maker III

$275

$169

THOUGHTWARE, Mgt Series

33% off list

VISICORP, VisiCalc V 1.2

$ 99

$ 74

VisiFile, VisiSchedule or Desktop Plan 1

$ 149

$109

VisiWord with VisiSpeil (128K) SPECIAL

$ 195

$145

Vision Calc (XT Only)

$395

$265

UTILITY & SYSTEM

1983 CL SOFTWARE AWARD:

•■Copy II PC by Central Point Software is still one ot the best software buys available. It will copy more copy protected software and faster than any other backup system. Unlike other copiers it makes an exact duplicate ol your original and it does 100% verification of copy. Documentation is exceflent"

* CENTRAL POINT, Copy II PC. Backup $ 40 $ 30

* COMX, Fastrak'", RAM/Disk emulator and printer spooler program. Works on any

PC/DOS version or RAMCard. Menu Driven $ 100 $ 59

UTILITY & SYSTEM

DIGITAL RESEARCH,

LIST

OUR

Concurrent CP/M-86'"w/ windows

$350

$225

CP/M-86'" (PC/XT) CBASIC 86'" (CP/M86)

$ 60

$ 40

$200

$135

CBASIC Compiler CP/M-86 or PCD0&ea|

$600

$365

Pascal/MT+ (CP/M-86)

$400

$269

Pascal/MT* (PCDOS)

$600

$399

PL/1 (PCDOS or CP/M-86, each]

$750

$499

Access Mngt.|PCDOSor CP/M-86each)

$400

$269

Display Mngr (PCDOS or CP/M-86each)

$500

$339

Speed Prog. Pkg (CP/M-86)

$200

$135

CIS COBOL (CP/M 88

$850

$525

DR L0G0-86ICP/M86)

$100

$ 69

FRANK. Sideways NEW

$ 60

$ 40

HAYES. Smartcom II (Dala Com.]

$ 119

$ 89

* INSOFT, GraFORTHIanimaled 3D graph)

$125

$ 95

MICROSTUF. Crosstalk XVKData Com)

$ 195

$129

MICROSOFT, muMath/muSimp

$300

$199

Business BASIC Damp.

$600

$399

Pascal Compiler

$300

$199

C Compiler

$500

$329

BASIC Compiler

$395

$269

FORTRAN Compiler

$350

$250

COBOL Compiler

$700

$469

NORTON, Utilities 2.0. 14programs

$ 80

$ 54

ROSESOFT, Prokey

$130

$ 87

HOME & EDUCATIONAL

ATARI. Cenopede, PacMan or Donkey.each

5

35

$

28

EPYX/Auto. Sim.. Temple of Apshai

$

40

$

29

• ARMONK, Executive Suile

$

40

$

27

BLUE CHIP, Millionaire or Tycoon.each

$

60

$

39

BPI SYSTEMS. Personal Accounting

$

99

$

66

• BRODERBUND. Apple Panic (Color)

$

30

$

19

Lode Runner or Serpentine, each

$

35

$

23

CBS, Chas. Goren Learn Bridge NEW

$

80

$

54

COMPREHEN-. PC Tutortl.I or 2.0, ea.)

$

60

$

40

CONTINENTAL. Home Accountant Plus

$

150

$

89

DAVIDSON. The Speed Reader II

$

75

$

49

Word Attack! or Mathblaster. each

$

50

$

34

HAYDEN. Sargon III (chess)

$

50

i

34

INFOCOM, Deadline or Suspended, each

$

50

i

33

Zork 1 or Zork II or Zork III, each

$

40

t

27

* INSOFT, Mystrix.Wordtnx or Quotnx.each

$

35

t

25

MICROSOFT, Flight Simulator II

s

50

$

33

MONOGRAM, Dollars & Sense

$

65

$110

ORIGIN, Ultima III

$

60

$

40

PBL CORP.. Personal Investor

$

145

$

99

SCARBOROUGH, MasterType

$

50

$

34

SPINNAKER, Snooper Troops (1 or 2)

$

45

$

35

Story Machine or Face Maker

s

35

$

24

STRATEGIC, The Warp Factor

$

40

$

30

SUBLOGIC, Night Mission Pinball

5

40

$

27

NO SALES TAX

ORDER DESK TOLL FREE

(800) 547-1289

Order Desk Hours: 6AM to 6PM PST

Oregon TOLL FREE (800) 451-5151 Portland: 620-9877

Hot Line For Information On Your Order (503) 620-9878

FREE GIFT

Use ot our order forms qualifies you for a free gift with your order Get on our mailing list now for order forms, and our new newsletter and sales specials announcement. Our customers are already on our list,

COUPON

MAIL TO: 12080 SW Garden Place. Purtland. OR 972231

NAME 1

I

AODRESS |

CITY STATE ZIP 1

Circle 93 for IBM Peripherals. Circle 94 for Apple. Circle 95 for all others.

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 237

CHOOSING COLORS

"guess" are overlayed. As the stylus moves along the palette band, each color it picks (the current color) is physically added to the selected hue within the summing swatch. The system may achieve these mixtures by alternating the colors on successive pixels, as in dithering, or by altering the color map, which determines what the color will be. with each refresh cycle (every 1/30 second). These overlays are a step closer to producing an actual, rather than an algorithmic, color mixture. The operator's goal during Defcomp is to mix the sum swatch to a light neutral gray. The pick hue at that point will be the perceived complement of the color passed to Defcomp. (Defcomp produces a model that is more perceptual than the purely algorithmic Hcomp option.) Depressing the stylus selects the hue, assigns an index to it, and stores it in a file (Fitfile) paired with the algorithmic estimate of the complement. This file is used as described below to obtain a tuning of the HSV-to-RGB transformation.

The transformation (or "transform") of HSV to RGB begins with the arbitrary assignment of the most intense blue ((r.g.b) = (0.0.1)) as (h,s,v) = (240 degrees, 1,1). This point is chosen since one elec

tron gun is full on and the other two are off. The user interaction described in Defcomp will determine that the perceived complement of this blue is a yellow. Lying between red and green (figure 3), this yellow will require both the red and green guns to be turned on to some intensity. The blue gun will be turned off.

The Defcomp operation is then performed for red ((r,g,b) = (l,0,0)) and for green ((r,g,b) = (0,l,0)).

The system should provide for viewing the results of at least six completed Defcomp pairs simultaneously. This will allow comparison of the grays formed by mixing each complement pair and the adjustment of some of the pairs if needed (figure 9). Careful attention to this phase of complement definition will ensure that sensible color relationships are produced by the system and by the operator.

An option called Fitmodel, when selected, will perform a least-squares fit of the points in Fitfile and derive the tailoring function (the adjustment of HSV to perceptual behavior). An algorithmic HSV-to-RGB transform will operate as before, except that the initial HSV values will be tailored to account for the operator's complement choices.

Figure 9: The neutral grays produced by mixing six hues, A through F, with their complements, Ac through Fc.

Now that the HSV-to-RGB transformation is closer to perceptual behavior, an algorithm can find acceptable color harmonies. The operator can expect proper mixing of colors, and the system will produce sensible results when calculating or adding colors.

An example of computed color mixes is antialiasing. [Aliasing refers to the stairstepping of lines and edges on monitor screens.) To remove the aliased or stairlike effect, boundary pixels are repainted with color values that are stepped "averages" of the colors on either side of the boundary. What is meant by an average color depends very much on the color model in which computations are being performed and on the model's closeness of fit to perceptual behavior. If, for example, an antialiasing routine selects three colors as intermediates and the model being used is RGB. it is probable that the colors will not be of the same value, and their harmonies may suffer in comparison with HSV or other cylindrical model computations.

Once Fitmodel has been invoked, the operator should test some more hues by calling Hcomp and testing the results with Defcomp to see if their mixture produces the same neutral gray as the others. If they do not, a few more complement pairs should be created via Defcomp. With these new points in Fitfile, the Fitmodel option will likely do a better job.

Hardware and Human Factors

The display of color imposes definite requirements on the hardware and software of a graphics computer system. The diagram in figure 10 is a generic architecture for a graphics computer and, through software, can be customized to the needs of different users.

The frame buffer in figure 10 is a section of dual-ported high-speed computer memory that allows read/write access by the computer and read access by the display controller. The frame buffer holds one video frame in digital form. Sometimes called the picture memory, the frame buffer represents two dimensions of spatial resolution and one dimension of color resolution (the bit depth).

For example, a system capable of discontinued)

238 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 205 on inquiry card.

Now... Draw On Your Imagination

*

Introducing The Gibson Light Pen System™

The link between mind and machine has arrived. Suddenly you're free... free to translate your every thought into professional quality computer graphics... just by touching your screen.

The Gibson Light Pen System software features icon menus that offer easy access to powerful graphics tools such as symbol libraries, geometric shapes, mirror-imaging, magnification and complete color and pattern editing. Even if you're not a graphic artist, you can design, diagram and draw with precision at high-speed, in high-resolution, and in full-color... right on your screen.

COMPLETE WITH FIVE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CREATIVE OPTIONS.

The Gibson Light Pen System comes complete with all you need to draw, paint, design, score music and learn animation.

DRAW FREEHAND WITH PENPAINTER™

A full range of drawing tools, shapes, patterns and colors to draw or paint virtually anything on your screen.

DESIGN PRECISION DIAGRAMS WITH PENDESIGNER. Turn your computer into your own graphic design studio. A complete selection of templates make perfect business and architectural diagrams, technical drawings and engineering schematics a snap.

CREATE COMPUTERIZED ANIMATION WITH PENANIMATOR. All that you need to learn the basics of animation. Develop your own animation sequences, and bring your screen to life.

COMPOSE MUSIC WITH PENMUSICIANi"

Score computerized melodies with incredible ease at the touch of your pen.

CREATE YOUR OWN LIGHT PEN APPLICATIONS WITH THE PENTRAK LANGUAGE SYSTEM"'

Take advantage of the software features, and customize your own light pen programs.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE APPLE II SERIES Coming soon for the IBM PC and PCjr. "

} -f>l — — 1

In

Koala Technologies , 800-KOA-BEAR

The Gibson Light Pen System

Touch the Magic of Light

CHOOSING COLORS

playing NTSC (National Television System Committee) standard video format must store 640 pixels (picture elements) horizontally by 485 vertically, implying a memory capacity of 310,400 words. The size of these words (the "depth" of the frame buffer) governs the number of colors that may be shown. A frame buffer containing 4-bit words will thus be capable of displaying 2\ or 16, different colors or gray values simultaneously. This is the number of colors that may be shown, which is a subset of the total number available. The color information stored in a frame buffer is usually RGB. It is also possible to store HSV or other color values in the frame buffer.

Suppose you are designing a system or some software that will offer color choices. It is not enough to simply decide that 8 bits of your 24-bit frame buffer will be devoted to red. Human vision has certain characteristics of color discretion that, if observed, will make system design more cost-effective.

The eye can distinguish over 350,000 colors. If a color varies only in hue, about 128 steps can be perceived. If colors vary only in value, most people can distinguish a minimum of 16 steps at the blue end of the spectrum and up to 23 steps in the yellow range. In the direction of saturation (also termed

chromaticity or relative purity), the eye can distinguish some 130 gradations from gray to a pure hue. Multiplying 130x23x128 gives us a maximum of 382,720 visible colors, which leads to the need for a 19-bit-deep frame buffer with 219 color choices to span human vision. Since 19 bits is somewhat awkward for most machine architectures, high-end graphics systems work with 3-byte (24-bit) frame buffers to represent full color.

These measurements were derived using paint samples compared under CIE illuminant D65 (see figure 1), a standard white light. The TV and color monitor gamuts are much smaller, hence they require fewer memory bits to store their characteristics. A reducedcolor gamut for computer graphics having 128 hue gradations (requiring 7 bits), 16 value gradations (requiring 4 bits), and 8 gradations of saturation (requiring 3 bits) will adequately represent color behavior for most graphics applications. These 14 bits of HSV data translate directly into those needed by an RGB frame buffer. The total information capacity, the number of expressible colors (214, or 16,384) must be the same in both models.

On the low end of the scale, choosing HSV axis resolution for systems of fewer than 128 colors is fairly pointless.

Operators can soon learn the available colors by rote, and a model will be superfluous. For an 8-bit system, use 4 bits for hue and 2 bits each for saturation and value. The problems of "shallow" frame buffers (those with a small bit depth) can be alleviated through the use of a lookup table (or color map), as described below. Systems that will display more colors than the number of available RGB indexes are often able to provide good color results with as little as 3-bit (8-color) frame buffers. The term bit-mapped refers to systems with a 1-bitdeep frame buffer. Such systems provide only two tones (or black and white). Apple's Lisa and Macintosh are examples of bit-mapped systems.

The color lookup table, or color map. is often physically part of the frame buffer hardware. The function of a lookup table is to accept RGB information from the frame buffer, search a translation table, and output the digital value located. Lookup tables will not change the number of colors displayable at once, but they do allow more color choices. In figure 10, 4-bit RGB information comes into the lookup table and 6-bit RGB color information is read out. This configuration is referred to as a "4-bit in, 6-bit out" color map.

One advantage of color maps is the

{continued)

FRAME BUFFER

HORIZONTAL RESOLUTION

4-BIT

(16 COLORS)

6-BIT

(64 COLORS)

"~l

0000 0001 001 0 001 1 01 00

TABLE

000000 000001 000010 000011 000100

1111

111101 111110

111111

DAC

RED VOLTAGE

MONITOR

DAC

GREEN VOLTAGE

DAC

BLUE VOLTAGE

DISPLAY CONTROLLER

VIDEO STROBE TIMING INFORMATION

Figure 10: Basic graphics hardware architecture.

240 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

~—- ?J

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CHOOSING COLORS

ability to make global color changes. All the RGB indexes of a color in the frame buffer need not be individually located and recomputed to change the color: the color table's response to the index can simply be changed. The result is a global change of a particular color, which takes place within a screenrefresh cycle (the time it takes to "repaint" the screen, 1/30 second). Simple types of animation called color-table animation are also possible. And. as mentioned above, a lookup table will enhance the color model characteristics even in systems with shallow frame buffers by making a wider palette available. Remember that a good binary representation of HSV geared to human visual characteristics requires 14 bits. If a 3-bit system can map its frame buffer to a 14-bit RGB value, it will have eight simultaneous choices while maintaining a nearly optimal, artist-selected color range of over 16,000 colors. The display controller is all of the hard

ware that reads the color intensity values in the frame buffer, consults the lookup table, and sends the information on to the digital-to-analog converters (DACs). The display controller must supply timing and synchronization pulses so that the pixels that are read from the frame buffer are scanned onto the display screen at the proper location.

The digital-to-analog converters are hardware devices that transform the digital RGB information into the actual electron-gun voltages required to produce color on the monitor. DACs output discrete voltage increments, with increment sizes inversely related to the size of color word (bit depth) they are designed to accept: the larger the color word, the finer the increments. Thus, an 8-bit color word providing 256 different choices might require each DAC to have six to eight discrete levels. DACs limit the color range. A computation that places two colors 6 percent apart in the

red spectrum will have no meaning if there are only four steps in the (2-bit) DAC—the smallest increment acceptable to the DAC will be 100 percent + 4, or 2 5 percent. Important parameters of DACs are linearity and number of steps: 2Z distinct and equally spaced analog values are produced by a DAC of Z bits (or Z steps). For Z > 8, the color steps are fine enough to appear continuous.

The monitor includes electronics targeted at a particular task: scanning the entire surface of the screen with three independent electron beams and firing them at the RGB phosphor triads at each pixel location. Standard video refreshes (repaints) the screen approximately 30 times each second. Lower rates will cause the image to flicker, due to the fact that the persistence of the phosphors must be of short duration in order to allow clean movement. To refresh the entire screen, consisting of

[continued]

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SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 243

CHOOSING COLORS

640 by 485 (or 310,400) pixels, 30 times each second, requires a switching speed in excess of the product 640 x 485 x 30, over 9.3 MHz. With 16 color choices (which requires 4 bits or one-half byte for each pixel), the information rate of the display controller is 640 x 485 x 30 x 0.5, or 4.66M bytes per second. Slower monitors must sacrifice either color resolution or spatial resolution. Monitors of 1000-line resolution with greater color capabilities require frequency bandwidths in the 50-MHz range. The fastest video monitors now available allow switching rates of 180 MHz, fast enough for full-color, 2000-line resolution. Plasma or liquidcrystal displays may prove superior, since scanning electronics will be replaced someday by steady-state pixel cells.

Consider the case of a graphics system using a 1024 by 768 frame buffer that is 8 bits (1 byte) deep. The information rate of the refresh circuitry is

thus 23 megabytes per second (1024 x 768 x 30 x 1). Clearly, much information processing is required to merely refresh the display; flat-panel-type monitors will demand less processing.

Color Space Transformations

Conversion between RGB and other color spaces is simplified by the fact that RGB is linear: familiar linear algebra operations work in this space, which means that transformation algorithms between RGB and HSV will be computationally inexpensive.

HSV TO RGB

If an adjustment scheme such as Fitmodel has been invoked, it is understood that the inputs to the transformation below are outputs from a tuning of HSV.

For hue H from 0-360°, with saturation S and value V on the range of real numbers between 0 and 1:

fi - H/60

h* = greatest integer in h',

S = h'-h* (the fractional part of H)

p = (\-S)xV

q = (l-Sxf)xV

t = (\-(Sx(\-f)))xV

Next, if h* = 0, then . . . (r.g.b) = (V.t.p)

= 1 - Iq.V.p)

= 2 = (p.V.t)

= 3 = (p.q.V)

= 4 = (t.p.V)

= 5 = (V.p.q)

RGB-to-HSV Transform

To transform RGB color information into HSV;

MAX = maximum of R.G.B

MIN = minimum of R.G.B

d = MAX - MIN

V = MAX if MAX is nonzero, set

[continued)

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Circle 311 on inquiry card.

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CHOOSING COLORS

S - dlMAX for MAX = 0, set S = 0 and H = undefined and return these values. Otherwise,

r = (MAX-R)ld g = (MAX-G)/d b = (MAX-B)ld if R = MAX then set h if C = MAX then set fi if B = MAX then set h

if h < 0. set H if fi > 0, set H

b-g

r-b + 2 g-r + 4

60 x h + 360 60 x fi

Summary

This discussion has centered on a basic computer graphics architecture from the perspective of color information storage, computation, and transmission through the system. Concepts of human visual perception and the problems of representing colors in man-made devices have been introduced. Most of the ideas suggested may be implemented on currently available microcomputer equipment. Color representation is among the most difficult problems in an exacting field. The desire to bring more attention to issues of color has been the motivation for this article. ■

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Birren, F. "Creative Color." New York: Van Nostrand/Reinholt. 1961.

Catmull, E. "A Tutorial On Compensation Tables" SIGGRAPH 1979 conference proceedings. Computer Graphics 13(2), August 1979. pages 1-7. Christ, R.F. "Review and Analysis of Color Coding Responses for Visual Displays." Httraati Factors 17(61. June 1975. pages 542-570. Cowan. W. "An Inexpensive Scheme for Calibration of a Colour Monitor in Terms of CIE Standard Coordinates" SIGGRAPH 1983 conference proceedings.

Foley, I D., and A. Van Dam. Fundamentals of \nteractive Computer Graphics. Reading. MA: AddisonWesley, 1982.

Hunter, R. The Meast/remeiif ol Appearance. New

York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 197 5.

Itten, [. Tfte Elements of Color. Toronto: Van

Nostrand/Reinholt, 1970.

ludd. D„ and B. Wyszecki. Color in business. Science.

and Industry. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons, 1975.

Levoy, M. "Frame Buffer Configurations for Paint

Programs." Cornell University technical paper.

1979.

Smith. A.R. "Color Gamut Transform Pairs." New York Institute of Technology technical paper, 1978.

Smith. A.R. "Color Tutorial Notes" Technical memo no. 37. Lucasfilm Ltd., 1982. SIGGRAPH 1982. "Two-Dimensional Animation Notes" (Book 9), ACM, 1982.

Wasserman, G. Color Vision: An Historical Perspective. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 1978.

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Crosstalk is a trademark of Microstuf; Hayes and Smartcom II are trademarks of Hayes Microcomputer Products. Circle 358 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 247

Visual introduces the Commuter: It can take your business places it's never been before.

Heavyweight power, memory, and true IBM" PC compatibility in a portable 16 pound computer.

The portable computer can be a very powerful business ally.

But like any good business partner, the right one can be very hard to find. Some portables are powerful. Some are IBM compatible. Some are affordable. And some are actually portable.

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Put the power of a desk-top computer in your hands.

Introducing Commuter,'" the powerful portable computer. When you carry it, you're carrying all the capacity, capabilities, and features of a desk-top computer. Yet you're carrying only 16 pounds.

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248 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

VISUAL

Visual Computer Incorporated

While Commuter is powerful enough to stand alone, it can really grow on you. Because Commuter also features built-in ports for adding printers, hard disk, communications, external monitors, and yourtelevision set. Even a built-in portfor adding the IBM expansion chassis.

IBM® PC compatible. And downright sociable.

Many portable computers today call themselves IBM compatible. But before you buy one, ask if it can run IBM PC software. Business programs like Lotus®1-2-3,™ VisiCalc™ or Word PI us-PC.™ Exciting games like Flight Simulator.™ Oreducational games from Spinnaker™ You'd be surprised at the answers. But not with Commuter. In fact, think of it as an IBM PC to go. The IBM PC styled keyboard is only the start. Commuter comes bundled with the MS-DOS™ operating system and GW Basic.™ And at 5 'A", Commuter's double-sided double-density diskettes are directly transferable to and from the IBM PC. So you can take advantage of the hundreds of business accounting, word processing, financial planning and other software packages available for the IBM PC. Without having to modify a thing.

At $1,995 and 16 pounds, it's never been easier to pick up a portable computer.

At 15"x18"x3 ]h" with built-in handle and carrying case, the Commuter can go anywhere a briefcase can. It fits easily under an airplane seat. Because it weighs just 16 pounds (about half the weight of other portables in its class), Commuter is very easy to handle. And its $1995 price can save your business a small fortune even before you pick it up.

For more information on Commuter, the portable computer, call us today at 1-800-847-8252 (in Massachusetts, call 1-800-462-5554), or write Visual Computer Incorporated, 135 Maple St., Marlboro, MA 01752. Or visit your local Commuter dealer and weigh the differences for yourself. But hurry. At only 16 pounds and $1995, Commuters are definitely going to be picked up fast.

Commuter. It can take your business places its never been.

Visual Compuler Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Visual Technology Incorporated. COMMUTER is a trademark of Visual Computer Incorporated. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Lolus and 1-2-3 are trademarks of Lotus Development Corp. VisiCalc is a trademark of VisiCorp. WordPlus-PC is a trademark of Professional Software Inc. Spinnaker is a trademark of Spinnaker Software Corp. MS-DOS, CW Basic and Flight Simulator are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

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GRAPHICS

REALTIME 3-D GRAPHICS FOR MICROCOMPUTERS

by Marcus Newton

A simplified drawing algorithm coded in assembly language permits 3-D animation in real time

AMONG A MICROCOMPUTER'S many applications, those involving sophisticated displays for animated graphics require the most speed and memory. A TV camera, via the straight paths of light waves, transforms a set of three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates (the visible points) into a set of two-dimensional (2-D) coordinates (the picture elements, or pixels). If you can effectively represent a portion of the 3-D world within a microcomputer's memory, you can produce a sequence of 2-D perspectives on the screen as you adjust the position, yaw, pitch, and roll of your hypothetical camera.

Typically, the trigonometry and floating-point mathematics of 3-D representation lead to less than adequate results. With them, the speed at which perspectives are generated is often not fast enough to simulate real time. Now, the NEC 3-D Video Synthesizer (3DVS) attempts to solve this problem by eliminating trigonometric functions and writing the resulting algorithm in 8086 assembly code using only 16-bit signedinteger arithmetic (see listing 1).

The 3DVS is designed to run under a CP/M-86 DOS (disk operating system)

from Digital Research, it makes standard file and console calls that can easily be replaced by calls to another operating system. The code requires less than 3K bytes of memory and should be loaded as high as possible or put into ROM (read-only memory). The RAM (randomaccess read/write memory) data requirements depend on the size of the 3-D database, which can be saved and restored from disk. The target system also includes an NEC /xPD7220 Graphics Display Controller (GDC), as found in the NEC Advanced Personal Computer (APC). A second version of the 3DVS supports the Motorola 6845, as found in the IBM PC. The 3DVS's Include file, GRAPH1C.A86, provides the code to drive any such graphic display device. The graphic display device need only support the routines I NIT, CLEAR, SWAP, and PLOT. The PLOT routine can be as simple as an 80-character by

Marcus Newton is a senior software engineer at NEC Electronics, One Executive Park, Natick. MA 01760. He holds a master's degree in mathematics from Cornell University and has been involved in interactive computing for more than a decade.

24-line cursor-positioning routine, or it can be implemented via a standard graphics package such as Digital Research's GSX. The target PLOT routine, GDCPLOT, also provided clipping and more than one clearing method. The high resolution of the GDC proved well worth the extra effort required to drive it.

When you look at a 3-D object, your line of sight forms a bundle of vectors beginning inside your eye and pointing to the visible parts of the object (see figure 1). The usual way to compute this perspective is to find the intersection of these lines of sight by putting a flat screen between your eyes and the object. The resultant image is called a drafting perspective. A more natural perspective is obtained by finding the intersection of the lines of sight with a sphere centered on your eye. This way, an object distends equally all around the screen no matter where it is located on the screen.

True perspective introduces horizontal and vertical vanishing points. Both of these types of perspective, as well as isometric projection, have been incor

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 251

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3-D GRAPHICS

Listing I: Eliminating trigonometric functions and writing the resulting algorithm in 8086 assembly code using onlu \6-bit signed-integer arithmetic speeds the generation of three-dimensional perspectives to something approaching real time.

The 3-D Video Synthesizer (3DVS) allows the user to create and view a three-dimensional artificial environment (3DAE). Parameters entered at the keyboard manipulate two three-dimensional points within the environment: (A.B.C) is the position of the user's eye or camera, the coordinates represent right, up. and forward. (D.E,F) is the orientation of his camera or the point he is looking at. This point will always appear in the middle of the screen. It is also the point he writes when the W parameter is nonzero. The only inherent limitation is that the camera cannot look straight up or straight down (i.e.. A=D and C = F|. In this case the system would literally not know what is up.

The parameters IA-W| are entered by typing the letter and an equal sign, followed by up to four hexadecimal digits. Less than four digits may be entered by following them with a carriage return, the high-order digits will be set to 0. All input parameters use twos-complement notation. The current value of any parameter may be examined by typing the letter followed by a question mark.

The write parameter (W| indicates by nonzero digits from left to right: Draw a vector from this point to the next (0 for single dotl. Draw using RED. Draw using GREEN. Draw using BLUE. The color digits also indicate the pattern to be used (F = solid, etc.). Values higher than I in the first digit of W are reserved for higher-dimensional graphic primitives although not yet implemented.

For example, a YELLOW line may be drawn from (0,0.0| to (100,140.180) by the following two commands:

C = FA00|cr) W= IFFO(cr) Icr)

D=IOO|cr| E=l40lcr) F=l80(cr) W = FF0lcr| (CD

-to back off a little -yellow vector -do it

-yellow dot -do it

assuming all parameters were 0 to begin with.

Double letters may also be entered (AA - FF). These values are used to increment or decrement the corresponding single-letter parameters. The R parameter is used to indicate how many times to do so before further input is required. Thus, the camera or write point can be moved along any straight line unassisted. RR reverses the sign of the double-letter parameters on count. Triple letters (AAA - FFF) are also allowed, which increment or decrement the double-letter parameters. Their effect is to move the camera or the write point in a circular or elliptical path without further keyboard input using the period parameter (RRR).

Circular or elliptical paths may be obtained in the x.y plane by the following formula:

Given xO, yO. dx. dy and n such that

(xO.yO) = center tt'n'dx = x diameter H'u'dy = y diameter 4'n = number of points or vectors

Let X = x0+n'n'dxl2.

XX = 0.

XXX = -dx.

R = 4it. RR = 0.

Where X = A or D,

Y = yO + »'dyl2 YY = n'dy YYY = -dy RRR = 2h

Y = B. C or E. F

For example, the camera can be moved in a horizontal circle about (0,B,0) by the following:

{continued)

252 BYTE • SEFTEMBER 1984

3-D GRAPHICS

A = 480|cr) C = 60(cr) AA = (cr) CC = CO|cr| AAA = FFFOIcr) CCC = FFF0(cr) R = 30(crl RR = (cr) RRR= 18(cr|

A 3DAE file. SPIRL. which draws itself, may be produced as follows:

:A = 480(cr) D=l20(cr) FF=4(cr) DDD = FFFOIcr) R = C0|cr|

;C = CO(cr) E=30(cr| AAA = FFCO(cr) EEE=FFFOIcr) W=IOFF(cr)

;CC=l80(cr| EE = 60|cr) CCC = FFCO(cr) RRR = Clcrl |cr)

None of these double- or triple-letter parameters are displayed automatically, but any may be examined by typing the name followed by a question :mark.

; The rightmost digit of P. the perspective parameter, determines:

0 = true 1 = drafting 2 = isometric

The low-order 4 bits of P are reserved for use by the PERSP routine. The :high-order bits are available for controlling options within the display :driver. See GRAPHIC.DOC.

Two single-letter commands. Z and U. have specialized functions:

Z causes all double- and triple-letter parameters to be set to 0. This disables any real-time programmed motion.

U causes the last point written (via Wl to be deleted from the 3 DAE. This is always the last point in the file.

: The G and S commands, followed by a filename, allow new files to be appended to the current 3 DAE (G| or the 3 DAE to be saved (S) on disk under :a new name. VIDEO may be invoked with a filename, in which case the run-time parameters are also read from disk.

The 3DAE file DOTCUBE may be produced by the following:

C = FA00(cr|

EE = |cr)

FF = (cr|

EE= I0|cr|

Icr)

.W = F0(cr|

DD= lOlcr)

R=20(cr)

Icr)

D= lOOIcr)

:R = 20(cr|

(cr|

DD = FFFOIcr)

EE=lcr)

F = FF10|cr)

:D= I00(cr)

DD = lcr)

Icr)

R = IFIcr)

FF= 10(cr)

E= I00(cr|

EE= I0(cr)

DD = |cr)

D = FF00|cr)

|cr|

F= lOOIcrl

lcr|

EE = FFFOIcr)

F = FFI0(cr)

W = lcr)

DD = FFFOIcr)

EE = (cr)

Icr)

FF= lOlcrl

R=lcr|

|cr|

R= IF(cr)

EE = (cr)

Icr)

Zfcr)

DD = |cr)

F=F0(cr)

DD= 10|cr)

E = FF00(cr)

(cr)

EE = FFFOIcr)

FF = FFFOIcr)

Icr)

F = F0lcr)

SDOTCUBE(cr)

Icr)

Icr]

DD = lcr)

FF= FFFOIcrl

The 3DAE file SPHERE may be partially produced by the following:

C = FA00lcrl

R=(cr)

W= )FA5(cr)

RRR = (cr)

(cr)

W=lFA5lcr)

W = FA5|cr)

R= lOlcr)

D = 40(crl

R = (cr)

R= lOlcrl

Icr)

D= I00(cr)

E = 40(cr|

W = FA5(cr)

RRR = 8lcr)

W= IFA5(cr)

E=FFC0(cr)

F=IOOIcr)

EEE = FFEO(cr)

D= lOOIcrl

R= I0(cr)

F = 40lcr)

DD = |crl

(cr)

E=40lcrl

D= I00(cr)

DD = (crl

EE = 80(cr)

W= IFA5(cr)

F = 40(cr)

F = FFC0(cr)

EE = (cr)

FF = (cr|

R = 4(cr)

EE = 80(cr|

DD = (cr)

FF = 80(crl

DDD-(cr)

D = FFC0(cr)

DDD= FFEO(cr)

EE = 80(crl

EEE = (cr)

EEE = FFE0lcr)

E = 40(crl

EEE = FFEO(cr)

FF=(cr)

FFF=FFEO[cr)

FFF=FFEO(cr)

F= lOO(cr)

(cr)

EEE = FFE0(cr|

(cr)

(cr)

EE = 80(cr|

:EE=(cr)

FFF = (cr)

R=(cr)

FFF = 20(cr)

FF=|cr)

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 253

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■ Optionally display C source during execution

■ Breakpoint by Function and Line #

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FF = 80|cr) (cr) W = FA5|crl (cr) (cr)

EEE = (cr) R=(cr) (cr) EEE = 20(cr)

FFF = FFE0|cr| W = FA5(cr) W=IFA5(cr| (cr)

(cr) (cr) R = 4(cr| FFF = FFE0(cr| etc

Parameters may be entered only when the program stops. It may be exited by a Control-C ("cl (preceded by a BREAK f s) if running) and the 3DAE file may be edited by SID86 (or DDT86] at 200. It can then be saved in a VIDEO-compatible manner by W<filename>. 100. <length>. Or. having loaded VIDEO into memory, the program may be reentered at START by G13E (see also the utility programs MOVE and COLOR).

3DVS COMMAND SUMMARY

Invocation: enter VIDEOIcr) or VIDEO filenamelcrl

Control: enter < command >

< command > >.m Icrl | U(cr| [ Z(cr| | ("c| | ("s| |

<param>?|cr)| <param> = <hex>(cr) |

G< filenameXcrl | S<filenameXcr)

:= A|B|C|D|E|F|R|P|W|

AA | BB | CC | DD | EE | FF | RR |

AAA | BBB | CCC I DDD | EEE | FFF | RRR

:= | <hd> |< hdxhd> | <hdxhdxhd> | < hd >< hd >< hd >< hd >

: = 0 | I | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

A I B I C | D | E | F

PROGRAM INDEX

- Initialization and parameter input

- Display sequence of perspectives

- Apply OTM to all points producing perspective

- Find integer square root of double (32-bit) integer

- Normalize a vector component to unit sphere

- Move given filename into CP/M File Control Block

- Read given 3 DAE file from disk

- Write 3 DAE to disk under given filename

- Convert ASCII to HEX

- Convert HEX to ASCII

- Output the values A.B.CD.E.F.R.P. and W to the console

The following routines must be supplied by the user for the particular graphic display system employed (see GRAPHIC.DOC).

- Initialize the graphics display device

- Clear the inactive display area (previous picture)

- Start using other display area at retrace

- Plot current point or draw vector from previous point

•••••••••■•••■■■a**************

< param >

<hex>

<hd>

VIDEO

CAMERA

PERSP

ISQRT

INORM

SETFCB

INFILE

OUTFILE

ATOH

HTOA

PRINT

IN IT CLEAR SWAP PLOT

• •••••*****•••*•••••••••••••••••

INTERACTIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING SYSTEM NEC 8/18/83 M. Newton

BDOS

EQU

224

;CP/M BDOS INTERRUPT VECTOR

FOPEN

EQU

15

;FILE OPEN SYSTEM CALL

FCLOSE

EQU

16

:FILE CLOSE SYSTEM CALL

FDELETE

EQU

19

;F1LE DELETE SYSTEM CALL

FREAD

EQU

20

:FILE READ SYSTEM CALL

FWRITE

EQU

21

:FILE WRITE SYSTEM CALL

FMAKE

EQU

22

;F1LE CREATE SYSTEM CALL

FDMAO

EQU

26

:SET DMA OFFSET SYSTEM CALL

(continued)

254 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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3-D GRAPHICS

DIRECT

EQU

50

DIRECT BIOS SYSTEM CALL

FDMAS

EQU

51

SET DMA SEGMENT SYSTEM CALL

FEX

EQU

OCH

OFFSET OF CURRENT EXTENSION IN FCB

FREC

EQU

20H

OFFSET OF FILE RECORD COUNT IN FCB

FNAME

EQU

24H

OFFSET OF INPUT FILENAME IN FCB

COSTR

EQU

9

CONSOLE OUTPUT STRING SYSTEM CALL

CISTR

EQU

IO

CONSOLE INPUT STRING SYSTEM CALL

at

EQU

ODH

CARRIAGE RETURN

LF

EQU

OAH

LINEFEED

NORM

EQU

512

FISHEYE FACTOR

CCLIP

EQU

16

CIRCLE CLIP

CSEG

CODE SEGMENT

ORG

5CH

INPUT FILE CONTROL BLOCK

FCB:

;CODE SEGMENT

ORG

OOH

PUSH

CS

POP

DS.

MOV

DX. OFFSET GETBOT

MOV

CL.DIRECT

INT

BDOS :GET BOTTOM OF AVAILABLE MEMORY

INC

BX

MOV

DX.SS:|BX]

MOV

MEM BOT. DX

XOR

AX.AX

MOV

BXOFFSET FCB

CMP

FNAME|BX|,AL

3DAE FILE DESIRED?

JE

NOFILE

NO, START NEW 3DAE

MOV

FREC|BX|,AL

READ FROM FIRST RECORD

MOV

BXOFFSET A

STARTING AT FIRST VARIABLE

CALL

INFILE

IMPS

START

NOFILE:

MOV

DS.MEMBOT

MOV

BXOFFSET A

MOV

CX.80H

MOV

|BX|,AX

ZERO LOCAL VARIABLES

INC

BX

INC

BX

LOOP

$-4

MOV

BXOFFSET POINTS

MOV

6|BX|,AX

ZERO FIRST PIXEL

START

MOV

DS.MEMBOT

XOR

AX.AX

MOV

BXOFFSET POINTS

MOV

-2|BX|.AX

ZERO PREVIOUS PIXEL

MOV

BXOFFSET OUTBUFF ;CLEAR CONSOLE OUTPUT BUFFER

MOV

ax:

MOV

CX.40

MOV

|BX|.AX

INC

BX

INC

BX

LOOP

$-4

CALL

IN1T

INITIALIZE DISPLAY DEVICE

CALL

PERSP

GENERATE PERSPECTIVE

CALL

SWAP

FIRST DISPLAY REFRESH AREA

CALL

PRINT

PRINT PARAMETERS

VIDEO:

MOV

BXOFFSET INBUFF :INPUT PARAMETER FROM KEYBOARD

MOV

BYTE PTR IBXI.80 :INPUT STRING MAX

MOV

DX.BX

MOV

CL.CISTR

INT

BDOS

INPUT STRING FROM CONSOLE

MOV

BXOFFSET INPUT+ 1

MOV

AL.|BX|

CMP

AL.0

CONTINUE?

|NE

VIDIO

NO, SET PARAMETER

CALL

CAMERA

DISPLAY CAMERA SEQUENCE

IMPS

VIDEO

VIDIO:

XOR

AH,AH

MOV

SI.AX

INC

BX

[continued)

256 BYTE ■ SEPTEMBER 1984

//L" " ."..".''"■ljj-^Ulv\

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• "Automatic Order." Do nothing, and the Main selection will be shipped automatically! But ... if you want an Alternate selection—or no books at all—we'll follow the instructions you give on the reply form provided with every News Bulletin

• Bonus Books. Immediately get a Dividend Certificate with every book purchased and qualify for big discounts of 60% to 80%

• Extra Bonuses. Take advantage of added-value promotions, plus special discounts on software, games, and more

• Exceptional Quality. All books are first-rate publisher's editions selected by our Editorial Board and filled with useful, up-to-the-minute information

Circle 76 on inquiry card.

TtaQoTipjfar Kimk Sli t

P.O. Box 80, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214

Please accept my membership in The Computer Book Club* and send the 5 volumes circled below, plus my FREE copy of BASIC Statements, Commands and Functions, billing me $2.95 plus shipping and handling charges. If not satisfied, I may return the books within ten days without obligation and have my membership canceled. I agree to purchase 3 or more books at reduced Club prices (plus shipping/handling) during the next 12 months, and may resign any time thereafter.

1160 1195 1295 1389 1394 1398 1427 1428 1453 1501 1506 1533 1539 1607 1633 1637 1640 1707 1709 1710 1712 1722 1724 1743 1746 1748 1754 1840

Name _ Address

City

State

Phone

Zip

Valid lor new members only. Foreign applicants will receive special ordering instructions. Canada must remit in U.S. currency. This order subject to acceptance by The Computer Book Club*.

BY-984J

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 257

mscal-2

PROVING G

Pascal-2 Performs in Implementation of the Vision System for Robots at GMF Robotics.

ur hardware is very sophisticated and our process complex. We need machine access at bit level and the ability to access fixed addresses. Execution speed is critical to our process.

Cindy Bronsky

Research Software Analyst GMF Robotics Troy, Michigan

Cindy Bronsky is using Pascal-2 as the implementation language for new products. The current project, a vision system, enables robots to react to changes in the environment. By eliminating hard tooling, robots with vision systems will have the flexibility necessary to orient, assemble, and inspect parts in the manufacturing process.

Why is Pascal-2 Ms. Bronsky's choice in software? "Compile time error detection. Conformant array parameter passing. The CASE ■OTHERWISE1 clause. External subroutine compilation. Conformance to ISO standards. Pascal-2 documentation and customer telephone support."

To see how Pascal-2 meets your application needs, call 1-800-874-8501.

Oregon Software

2340 S. W. Canyon Road Portland, Oregon 97201 (503)226-7760

The Pascal-2 system is available on Digital's POP, VAX and Professional Computer systems running on the RSTS, RT-11, RSX and Unix Operating Systems.

Digital, POP, VAX, RSTS, RT-11 and RSX aw trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. Unix is a trademark of Bell Laboratories. Pascal-2 Is a trademark of Oregon Software.

Circle 283 on Inquiry card.

Circle 117 on inquiry card.

3-D GRAPHICS

VID15:

VID20:

VID30:

VID40:

VID50:

VID54:

VID55:

MOV

[BX + Sll.AH

;END OF INPUT

MOV

AL.|BX|

CMP

AL/G'

;GET ANOTHER FILE?

|NE

VIDI5

;NO

CALL

SETFCB

:PUT FILENAME INTO FCB

PUSH

CS

POP

DS

MOV

BX.OFFSET FCB

MOV

BYTE PTR FRECJBXJ.2 ;READ FROM THIRD RECORD

MOV

DX.ENDSEG

:APPEND TO CURRENT 3DAE

MOV

BX.ENDPOINT

CALL

INFILE

MOV

DS.MEMBOT

CALL

CLEAR

:CLEAR INACTIVE DISPLAY AREA

CALL

PERSP

;GENERATE PERSPECTIVE

CALL

SWAP

:SWAP ACTIVE DISPLAY AREAS

CALL

PRINT

;PRINT PARAMETERS

IMPS

VIDEO

CMP

AL.S'

:SAVE 3 DAE?

|NE

VID20

:NO

CALL

SETFCB

;PUT FILENAME INTO FCB

PUSH

CS

POP

DS

MOV

BXOFFSET FCB

MOV

BYTE PTR FREQBXI.AL WRITE TO RECORD ZERO

MOV

DX.MEMBOT

MOV

BX.OFFSET A

CALL

OUTFILE

MOV

DS.MEMBOT

IMP

VIDEO

CMP

al;w

;SET WRITE MODE?

JNE

VID30

;NO

MOV

SIOFFSET W

IMPS

VID70

CMP

AL.'R'

;SET REPEAT FACTOR?

|NE

VID40

;NO

MOV

SIOFFSET R

IMPS

VID70

CMP

al;p'

:SET PERSPECTIVE?

JNE

VID50

;NO

MOV

SIOFFSET P

IMPS

V1D70

CMP

ALU

;UNDO LAST POINT (ERASEI?

|NE

V1D55

:NO

MOV

ES.ENDSEG

MOV

Dl ENDPOINT

SUB

DI.8

MOV

ENDPOINT.D1

CMP

Dl -8

JNE

VID54

MOV

AX.ES

SUB

AX.IOOOH

MOV

ENDSEG.AX

MOV

ES.AX

XOR

AX.AX

MOV

ES:6|DI|.AX

;ZERO PIXEL

IMP

VIDEO

CMP

AL.'Z'

:ZERO 1ST AND 2ND DERIVATIVES?

|NE

VID60

:NO

XOR

AX.AX

MOV

BX.OFFSET AA

MOV

CX.16

MOV

|BX|,AX

;ZERO AA THROUGH RRR

INC

BX

INC

BX

LOOP

S-4

IMP

VIDEO

CMP

AL,A

JB

VIDERR

CMP

AL.'F'

IA

VIDERR

[continued)

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DISK CADDIES

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Brand new ribbons produced to manufacturer's specs.

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Shipping: 5»" DISKETTES—Add $3.00 per 100 or fewer diskettes. Other Items: Add shipping charges as shown in addition to diskette shipping charges. Payment: VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. COD orders only, add $3.00 handling charge. Taxes: Illinois residents only, add 6% sales tax.

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QISK Authorized Reseller

Information Processing B DACC

WORLD!MedlB °

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 259

MICROPROCESSOR COMPONENTS

Digitalker

I^^^^^I^WWr^

P»f1Hfl. "Pini Kit*

SN740QN 14

SN740IN 14

stmom 14

SN74Q3N 14

SNM04N 14

SN7405N 14

SN7406N 14

SH7407N 14

SN7408N 14

SU7409N 14

SN7410N 14

SN741 IN 14

SN7412N 14

SN7413N 14

SN7414N 14

Sfl7416N 14

SN7417fJ 14

SN7420N 14

SN7421N 14

SN7422N 14

SM7423N 16

SN7425N 14

5N7426N 14

SN 7*2711 14

SN7428N 14

SH7430N 14

SN7432N 14

SN7437N 14

5N7438N 1*

SfJ7439N 14

SN744QN 14

SN7441N IB

SN7442N 16

SN7443N 16 l

SN7444N 16 1

SN7445N 16

SN7446N 16

SN7447N 16

SN744BN 16

SN7450N 14

SN745tN 14

SN7453N 14

SN7454N 14

SN7459N 14

SN7460N 14

SN7470N U

74LS00 74LSDI 74LSQ2 741S03 74LS04 74LS05 7.1LS08 74LS09 74LS10 74LS11 74LS12 74LS13 74LS14 74LS15 74LS20 74LS21 74LSZ2 74LS26 74LS27 74LS28 74LS30 74LS32 7HS33 74LS37 74LS38 74LS40 74LS42 74LS47 74LS4B 74LS49 74LS51 74LS54 74LS55 74LS73 74LS74 74LS75 74LS76 74LS78 74LSB3 MLSB5 7-1LSBG 7JLS9U

74S15 74S20 74S22 74S30 74S32 74S38 74S40 74SS1 74564 74S65 74S74 74S85 74SB6 74S112 74SU3

CA3010H CA3039H

CA3D46N 14

CA3059N 14

CA3060N 16

CA3065E 14 CA3080E 8

C04000 14

C04001 14

CO4002 14

CD4006 14

CD4O07 14

C040O9 16

CD4QIQ 16

C04011 14

CD4012 14

CD4013 14

C04Q14 IE

CD40I5 16

C04016 14

CD4017 16

CD4018 16

CD4019 16

CD402Q 16

CD4021 IE

CD4022 1E

CD4023 14

CD4024 14

CD4Q25 14

CD4026 16

CD4027 16

CD4Q28 16

CC4029 16

CD4030 14

C04034 24

C04Q35 16

L (Mom in Calalr.

14

25

Part No. "f SN7472N

SN7473N SN7474N SN7475N SN747QN SN7479N SN7480N SN7482N SN74B3N SN74B5N SN74B6N SN7489N SN7490N SN7491N SN7492N SN7493N SN7494N SN7-19DN SN7496N SN7497N SN7410QN SN74104H SN74105N SN74107H SN741D9N SN741I6N 5N7-I121N SN74I22N SN74123N SN74125N SN74126N SN74132N SN74136N SN74141N SN74I42N SN74143N SN74144N SN74145N SN74I47N SN74146N 5N74150N SM74I51N SM74152N SNI74I53N SN741&4N SN741S5N

74LS92 74LS93 74LS95 74LS96 74LS107 74LSI09 74LS112 74LS1I3 74LS114 74 LSI 22 74LSI23 74LSI 20 74LS12C 74 LSI 32 74LSI33 74LSI36 74L5138 74LSI39 74LS151 74LS153 74LS154 74LSI55 74LS15G 74LSI57 74LSI5B 74LS160 74LS161 741S162 74LS163 74LS164 74LSI65 74 LSI 68 74LSI69 741SI70 74LS173 74LS174 741SI7S 74LSI81 74LS19D 74LS191

745114 74S133 74S134 74S135 74S136 74S138 74S139 74S140 74S151 74S153 74S157 74 Si 58 74S160 74S174 74S175 74S188* 74S194 74S195 74S196 74S240 74S241 74S242

CA—LINEAR

CA3081N CA3082N CA3083N CA3086N CA3083N CA309tiN

CO4040 CO4041 CD4042 CO4043 CD4044 CD4D46 CD4047 CO404B CO4049 CD4Q50 CD405I CD4052 CD4053 CD4Q5G CD4059 CD40GQ C04C6G CD4068 CD4069 CD4070 CO407I CD407? CD4073 CD4075 CD407G CO4078 CO408I CO4082 CD4093

SN7415BN SN74157N

SN7-1lliON SN7-116IN SN74162N SN7-1I63N SN74164N SN74165N SH74166N SN74167N SN74170N SN74172N SPI74I73N SN74I74N SN7417SN SN7417EN SN74177^ SN74179N SN74180N SM74181N SN74I82N SfJ74l84N SN74185N SHMI90N SN74I9IN SN74192N SN74193N SN74I94N SN74195N SN74196N SN74197M SN74198N SN74199N SN74221N SN74251N SN74276N SN74279N SN742B3N SN74284N 5U7-128SN SN743G5N SN74366N SN74367M SN743G8N SN74390N SH74393NI

74LSI9? 74LS193 74LS194 74LS195 74LS197 74LS221 74LS240 74LS241 74LS242 74LS243 74LS244 74LS24& 74LS247 74LS248 74LS249 74LS251 74LS253 74LS257 74LS258 74LS260 74LS2B6 74LS273 74LS279 74LS283 74LS290 74LS293 74LS298 74LS352 74LS353 74LS365 74LS36B 741.S367 74LS368 741S373 74LS374 74LS375 74LS386 74LS393 74LS399 74LS67D 8ILS95 81LS97

CA3I3UE CA3140E CA3160H CA3IG1E CA3162E CA3189E CA340IN

CD4D9B CO4506 CU4507 CD4508 CD4510 CD451I CD4512

16

CD4&H 24 2 49

CD4515 24 2 49

C04516 16 1 19

CD451B 16 1 19

CD4519 16 59

CO4520 16 1 19

C0452G 16 149

CD452B 16 1.49

C04529 16 1 69

CD4543 16 1 95

C04562 14 6 95

CD45BG 16 139

CD4583 16 2.49

CD4584 14 69

C04723 16 1 19

CD4724 16 1 19

MC14409 16 13 95

MCM410 16 13 95

MCI

24

MC14412 IE

MC14419 16

MC14433 24

MCM538 16

MZUW 14

MICROPROCESSOR CHIPS

Pan No. "Piiu Function

2650 40 MPU |2MH*)

7MS5501 40 Synchfanous Daia Inlertice (SlRCi

MCb6502 4D MPU w/Clock (I MH;)

MCSG502A 40 MPU wild Clock flnfl RAM l2Mh;|

MCS6502fl 40 MPU w/C!ockal3MHi

6809 40 CPU—B-tm (internal Clock) 1MH;

6809E 40 CPU-8-DiI lEnlernjl Clock) 1MM;

INS8035N 40 WftJ-8 Drt

INS8039N 40 CPU-Sgl chip8 Drl|12BbtS Ram)

INSBO40N-B 40 CPU (216 bytes RAM)

INSBO70N 40 CPU (64 bytes RAM)

INSB073N 40 CPU w/Eusic Micro IriterprElei

P80B5A 40 CPU

8086 40 CPU 16-b.l 5MHz

8088 40 CPU B/16-Dil

8155 40 HMOS RAM I/O Port-Timer

8748 40 HMOS EPROM MPU

ZBO. 280A. Z8DB. Z800D SERIES

4D CPU(MK38aON)(7aDC)2MHz

28 Counlfii Timer Circuil

780

ZBO-CTC Z80-DART 780-DMA 7BO-P10 2BO-S10/0 780S10/1 Z80-S10/2 280 S10/9 Z80A ZBOA-CTC .ViADAii: /W!ADf,!A /80A-PI0

40 Parallel I/O Interlace Controller

40 Serial I/O (TiCfl and RiCB flaaefl!

40 Serial I/O (Lacks BTflB)

40 Serial I/O (Lacks SYNCS)

40 Serial I/O

40 CPU (MK3880N-4)(;B0C-1} 4MH;

26 Counter Timer Circuil

40 1 >ir i i.r Mcnmry Access Circuit

40 Parallel I/O Inierlaco Coniroiler

Z80A-S10/0 40 Serial I/O (T.CB and RkCB Dondedi

ZB0A-S10/1 40 Serul I/O (Lacks DTHB]

7BOA-S10/2 40 Serial I/O | Lacks SVNCB)

7B0A-S10/9 40 Serial I/O

7808 40 CPU|MK38B0M-6i6MH;

780B-CTC 28 Counter Timer Circuil

780B-DART 40 DualAsyncli Receiver/Transmitter

Z80B-P10 40 Parallel I/O Interlace Coniroiler

28001 48 CPU Segmented

Z8002 40 CPU Non-SegmenleO

ZB030 40 Serial Comm Coniroiler

Z8036 40 Counler/Timer & Parallel I/O Unit

-6500/6800/68000 SERIES

1295 12.95 12 95 . 9.95 12.95 19.95 12.95 44 95 3-1 B9 44 95 29 95

MCG5Q2A

40

t.\I'll wild Urn k .mil HAM(2MHJ|

6.95

MCG520

411

PnripiiEuji initJ Adapter

4 95

.MCdBOO

40

MPU

2 95

MCGB02CP

40

MPU wild clock and RAM

7 95

MCGB09E

40

CPU (tMH2)Exlerrijl (Locking)

14 95

MCB821

40

Perinlieral Inler Adapt |MCGB?0)

295

MC6828

24

Pnorily Interrupt Controller

15 95

MC6B30LE

24

1024xB-CilR0U|MC68A30-8|

9 95

MC6B50

24

Asynchronous Comm Adapler

3 95

MC6852

24

Synduonous Serial Data Adapter

5 75

MCB860

24

0 GOODps Digital MODEM

7 95

MC68000L8

64

MPU U> [in |8MHZ|

49 95

MC68488P

40

Ceneral Purpose Inl Adapter

9 95

MCESS52P2

40

Muiti Protocol Comm Controller

24 95

MCf.-iCiiif-U

28

Enhanced Prog Comm In!

9 95

f.ii.:.MG37i..:

24

li IK ! I'HOM (450n£)

24 95

SV6522

40

Peripheral Inler Adapter

7 95

INSBQaOA

40

CPU

2 95

INS8154

40

128 Byla ham is-BHt/O

13.95

SI56

40

RAM wi!h I/O Port and Timer

. 6.95

INSB2C05

20

Octal !)FlioflopTn-Slalfl(74C374|

249

DP82I2

24

8'btMnpul/0ulpul(74S41?>

2 25

DP8214

24

Priority Interrupt Cotilrol

2 95

DP8216

16

Bi Directional Bus Driver

1 95

DP8224

16

Clock Generalor/Driver

2 25

DP8226

16

Bus Driver

225

DP6228

28

System Con! /Bus Driver (74S428I

349

DP8238

28

:iy:.lwi(;oriliolli;r(7.IS43B)

4.49

INS8243

24

1/(11 <|j,ini!w lur -It) Series .

3 95

INS8245

ta

If. hey ki;ytoiril lim.uM O'Wtt)

4.49

INS8246

20

^D-kiiyKtytKHrd Encotlw (7-ir'J73l

4.95

IN58247

28

Display Controller (74C911)

8 95

INS824B

28

Display Coniroiler (74C912)

8 95

INS8250N

40

Asyn Comm Elemen!

10 95

UPB251

28

Prog Comm l/0|USARTj

4 49

DPB253

24

Prog Inlerval Timet

695

DP8255

40

Prog Petipheral I/O (PPI)

4.49

DPB257

40

Prog DMA Control

595

OP8259

28

Prog interrupt Control

6.95

OP8275

40

Pmi) CRT Coniroiler

29 95

DP8279

40

Prgg Keyword/Display interlace

. 6.95

8284

IB

Clock Generator>Dintt

. 6 50

DPB303

20

8 Bil Tn-SUle B-Directional Trans

3.95

OP8304

20

8-6(1 Bi-Directional Receiver

2.95

0P8307

20

1! Inl f.!i-[f,ie!.1ion:,l R.^eiver

2.95

0P83Q8

20

II tut !ii l)iier:lrijii;il Rw.eiver . ...

2 95

OPB310

20

Dotal Latched Peripheral Driver

.4.95

8741

40

8-hil Univ. Peripheral Ifflaftacfl

29 95

8755

40

1GK EPROM with I/O

24 95

DISK CONTROLLERS

INS1771-I

40

Single Density

1695

FD1791

40

Single/Dual Density (Inv)

29 95

FDI793

40

Smgie/OouWe Density (True)

29 95

FD1795

40

Dual (X-nsiiy/Side Se«cl (Inv )

29.95

FDI797

40

Dual Density/Side Select True

29.95

SPECIAL FUNCTION

USO026CN

8

Dual MOS Clock Driver (5M7)

.1.95

INS2651

28

Ciuiiiiiiiiiicalion Chip

8 95

MC3470P

IB

Floppy Disk Read Amp System

4 95

MM54240N

24

AiyflCftfHIttH Trailbnnriei/Reccivei

. . 595

MM56167AN

24

Microprocessoi Real Time Clock

B95

MM58174AN

16

Micro CompaiiUle Time Clock

795

COP402N

40

Microc on Poller w/B4digil RAM and Direct LED Drive

5.95

COP402MN

40

M'i.uj|iKia-ssor w/64-digi! RAM & Direct LED Drive w/N Buss mi

5.95

COP470N

20

32 seg VAC Fluor Drvr (20-prnpkg )

3 25

1

Prog Oscillaior'Oivider (60tb|

. 1.79

MM5369EST

0

Prog Oscilia!or/Di«deniOOHi)

1.95

DYNAMIC RAMS

Price

1103

4027

■1II6N-2

■111GN-3

41IGN-4

4164N-150

4164N-200

MM 5261

MM5262

MM5270

MM52B0

41256

MM5290-2

MM5290-3

V!.'- :

MM^J'jfl-3

2.49

1 89-8/14.95 I 69 - 8/12.95 1.49-8/10,95 6 95- B/49.95 5 95-B/44.9S 49-8/1 95

1101

18 ID24«I (300ns)

16 4096x1 j250ns)

16 16.384x1 (150ns]

16 16.384x1(200nsj

16 I6,3a4»l(250ns]

16 65,53G«1 (150ns)

16 65,536.1 (200ns)

18 1024x1 [300ns)

22 2048x1 (365ns)..

18 4096x1 (250ns| MK4096 4 95

22 4096x1 (200nsl2l07 3.95

16 256i 1 HOOatl G5 00

16 16.384x1 (150ns) 189-8/(4 95

16 16.384x1 (200ns) 1.69-8/12 95

16 16.384x1 (250ns) 1 49-B/10 95

16 6192x1 (200ns) 169

STATIC RAMS

16 256xt (G50ns) 1 49 249

1.05

1 49-8/9.95

1 95-8/13.95 175-8/11.95

2 25-8/14 95 4.95

18 4096x1 (70ns) IB 1024x4 (70ns) IB 1024x4 (450ns)

IMS40L47-45 20 1024x4

5101 22 256x4

MM5257 18 409Gx

HM61 lb'P-3 24 2D48x

(450ns) (450ns) CMOS (450ns)4044 ISOnsjCMOS

4 95

3.95

HM6tl6M 24 204Bx8 (200nsjCM0S

HM611BLP-4 24 2048x8 (200ns] L P CMOS

HMB2B4M5 2B 8192.8 (150nsi CMOS

2B BI92<B H50ns)LPCM0S

16 256x1

16 16x4

22 256<4

18 256i

nMi>.-'<;4LM5 27LSOO 7489 74C920 74C92I 74C929 74C930 74S189 74S200 74S206 74S289 S2S10 82S25

(80ns)L P (50ns)3101 (250ns) (250ns) CMOS

16 1024x1 (26Ons)CM0S(6501)

18 i024«l (250ns) CMOS (6518)

16 16x4 (35ns) 93405

16 256x1 (80ns| 93410

16 256x1 (60ns)93411

16 16x4 (35ns]3101

16 1024x1 (50ns) O.C.(93415)

16 16x4 [!i()n:;)(lC |/4S;'ii'J)

— PRDMS/EPROMS

74 25GiU (lus)

24 1024x6 (450ns) .

24 1024x8 (550ns) SM0D24G

24 2048x6 (450ns)2716

24 4096x8 (450ns) NMC2532

28 8192xB (450ns)

24 2048x8 |450ns) 3 voltage

24 204fl<8 (450ns)

24 2048x8

24 2048x8 (350ns)

24 2048x8 (550ns)

24 4096x8 (450ns)

24 4096x8 1300ns]

24 4096x8 (450ns)21V

24 4096x8 (550ns)

24 1024x8 (450ns)

28 8192x8 (450ns)

28 8192x8 (300ns)

24 512x8 4 lus)

24 8192x8 <450ns|

" 15.384x8 (450ns) 12BK EPROM

5 95

6 95 14 95

6.95 5.95 2 95 9 95 10.95

16 32x8

16 256x4

16 32«B

16 256x4

2D 25GxU

20 512x8

20 512x8

24 512x8

24 512x8

1702A 2708 2708-5 TMS2516 TMS2532 TMS25G4 TMS2716 2716 27CI6 27161 2/160-5 2732 2732A-3 2732A-4 27320-4 275BD-A 2764-4 2764-3 MM',2040

MCMi;!!7.j.i

27128 74SI8B 74S287 74S288 74S387 74S47! 74S472 74S473 74S474 74S475 74S476 74S478 74S570 74S571 74S572 74S573 82S23 HSU'S 62S123 82S126 82S129 82S130 B2S165 B2S191

DMB7SI80N 24

DMB7SI81N 24 1024x8 PROM T S. (82S18 DMB7S18JN 18 2048x4 PHDM O.C (B2S184) 9,95 DMB7S185N 18 2048x4 PROM T S (B2SIQ5) 9 95 DM87S190N 24 2048x4 PftOM 0 C (B2S190) 14.95 DMB75191N 24 2048>B PftOM T S 18251911 14 95

DATA ACQUISITION

0C10 Mostek DC/DC Convert +5V10 -9V 2.95

MC3470P 18 Floppy Risk Read AMP System 4.95

MC1408L7 16 7-OHD/A Convener (OAC0807LCN) 1.49

MC1408L8 16 8-Gii DM Converter (DAC0808LCN) . 2.25

ADCiiafliLCN 20 8-OU A/D rjmiverier (r t/21 SB) 4.95

ADC0804 2D S bit A/D Converter (USB) 3 49

DAC0806 16 B-ril El/A Converter (0 78% Lin ] I 95

A0C0809 2B 8-OU A/D Cmiveilei (8-Ch Molli ) 4 49

40 8-tJil A/D Cunuerler {16-Ch Mulll ) 9.95 24 IQ-tjil D7A Conv Micro Cornp (0 05;A]7 95 20 10-UilU/AConv Micro Comp (0.20%) 6.95

16 10-fJll 0/AConv (0 05% Lin ) 7 95

1G 10-bH D/A Conv (0 20% Lin ) ,5.95

1812-ullO/ACQnv (0.20V. Lin) 6.95

Constant Current Source I 19 Temperature Transducer Temp Comp Prec Ret ( 5ppm/C°)

PRDMO C (6330-1) PROMT S (6301-1) PROM I S (6331-1) PROMOC (6300-1) PROM T S (6309-1) PROM T.S (6349-1) . .. I'llOMO C (G348) , . . PROMT S. DM87S296N) PROMO C (G340) 1024x4 PROMT S 1024x6 PROM T S 512x4 PROMOC. (6305) 512x4 PROMTS (6306) 1024x4 PROM O.C (6352) 1024x4 PROM T.S (82S137) PROMOC (27S18) PROM I S (27S15) PROM T S (27S19) PROMOC (27S20) PROMTS (27S21) PRDMOC (27S12] 2048x4 PROM T S (TBP24S8I] 24 204BxB (80ns) . 1

-■ '024x8 PROM O.C. (82S180)

16 32x8

24 512x8

16 32x8

16 256x4

16 256x4

16 512x4

DACI000 DAC100B DAC1020 DAC1022 OAC1227 LM3347 LM335Z LM399H

AY-5-10I3A 40 30H Baud Uafl(TH1602|

. .3.95

LOW PROFILE (TIN) SOCKETS

1-9

10-99

100up

8 pin LP

.18

.14

,13

14 pin LP

17

IS

16 pin LP

.19

17

.16

18 pin LP

.26

24

.13

20 pin LP

.30

.27

.»

22 pin LP

.31

.28

,28

24 pin LP

.33

.30

.28

28 pin LP

.40

,37

.38

3B pin LP

.46

42

.31

40 pin LP

.49

.46

.43

SOLDERTAIL (GOLD)

STANDARD

1-9

10-99

100 up

8 pin SG

.30

.27

.25

14 pin SG

43

.39

.37

16 pin SG

.47

.43

IB pin SG

.53

.49

47

24 pin SG

.89

.65

.61

2B pin SG

81

.76

.72

36 pin SG

1.09

1.03

.97

40 pin SG

1.21

1.14

1.0B

ST

WW

SOLDERTAIL STANDARD (TIN)

1-9

10-99

100-up

14 pin ST

29

,27

.25

16 pin ST

.34

.32

.30

18 pin ST

.38

.36

.34

20 pin ST

.45

.43

,41

24 pin ST

49

.46

.43

28 pin ST

.69

67

.63

40 pin ST

.99

.95

.89

WIRE WRAP SOCKETS

(GOLD) LEVEL tf3

1-9

10-99

100 up

8 pin WW

.49

.45

.42

10 pin WW

.66

.62

.59

14 pin WW

.65

.62

.SB

16 pin WW

.69

.65

.61

IB pin WW

.BO

.85

.79

20 pin WW

1 09

LBS

.99

22 pin WW

LIS

1.19

1.15

24 pin WW

1.19

1.13

LIB

2B pin WW

LS9

ISO

1.45

36 pin WW

LBS

1.75

1.69

40 pin WW

1.99

1.89

1-79

$10.00 Minimum Order — U.S. Funds Only California Residents Add 6Vi% Sales Tax Shipping — Add 5% plus $1.50 Insurance Send S.A.S.E. for Monthly Sales Flyer!

Spec Sheets — 30c each Send $1.00 Postage lor your FREE 1984 JAMECO CATALOG Prices Subject to Change

Mall Orrtu Elocnomcs ■ Worldwide

ameco

ELECTRONICS

VISA"

DT1050 — Applications: Teaching aids, appliances, clocks, automotive, telecommunications, language translations, etc.

The DT1050 Is a standard DIGITALKER kl I encoded with 137 soparalu and us8lul words, 2 lones, and 5 dltloroni silence durations, Trie words and tones nave been assigned discrete addresses, making it possible to output single words or words concatenated tnlo phrases or even sentences. The "voice" outpul ot the DT1O50 is a highly intelligible male voice. Female and children's voices can be synthesized. The vocabulary is chosen so that it is applicable to many pro. ducts and markets.

The OT1050 conslsls ol a Speech Processor Chip, MM54104 (40-ptn) and two (2) Speech ROMs MM52164SSR1 and MM52164SSR2 (24-pin) along with a Masler Word list and a recommended schematic diagram on the application sheet.

DT1050 Digitalker™ $34.95ea.

MM54104 Processor Chip $14.95 ea.

DT1057 - Expands the DT1050 vocabulary Irom 137 to over 260

words. Includes 2 ROMs and specs

Pan No. DT1057 S24.95 ea.

7045IPI

HM5EV/KH*

7106CPL

FE0203D

710BEV/Kif

7107CPL

7I07EV/KJ1"

M16CPL

7201IUS

7205IPG

7205EV/KH"

7206CJPE

7206CEV/KH*

7207AIPD

72Q7AEV/KII'

72151PG

7215EV/KH*

7216AIJI

721601 PI

7217UI

7217AIPI

7224IPL

7226AEV/KH*

CMOS Plosion Timor

Slopwjlch Chip. XTL

3Vi Digit A/0 |LCD Dtm)

3V(Digil LCD Display lor 71064 7116

IC. Cucuil Board, Display

3'ftOign A/D (LED Drive)

IC. Circuit Board. Display

3'frOigilA/DLCOD.s HID

Lew Ballery Veil Indicator

CMOS LED SlOpwatcrt/timei

Siopwaicn Cmp. < n

Tone Generator

ToneGerteraiorCriip. XTL

Oscillator Controller

Frcq Counter Chip. XTL

4Func CMOSSlopwaichCKT

4Func Slopwalch Chip. XTL

SDigilUmv CounierC A

S Digit Fieg Counter C C

4 Digit LED Up/Down Counter C A

4 Oigil LED Up/Down Counter C C LCD 4 Vj Digit UpCounler Ofti

5 Funclion Counicr Chip, XTl

19 95 34 95 11 » 29 95 16 95

13 95

14 95 29 95

130009 1983 INTERSIL Data Book H3S6DI $9.95 I

mSScj, 74HC High Speed CMOS

1355 SHOREWAY ROAD, BELMONT, CA 94002 9/B4 PHONE ORDERS WELCOME — (415) 592-8097 Telex: 176043

74HCOO

74HC02

74HCU3

/4HC04

74HCU04

74HC08

74IIC10

74HC11

74HC14

74HC20

74HC27

74HC30

74HC32

74HC42

74HC51

74HC58

74I1C73

7-1HC7J

74HC75

74HC76

74KC85

74IICS6

74HCI07

74IIC10'J

74HCII2

74HC113

74HC125

74HC132

74HC137

74HC13B

74COO 74C02 71 COt 74C08 74C10 74C14 74C70 74C30 74C32 74C42 7-1C48 74C73 74C74 74C85 74C86 7-ICB51 7.1C30 74C93

74HC139 16

74HC147 16

74HC151 16

74HC153 IS

74HC154 U

74HC157 16

74HC15B 16

74HC160 16

7JHCI6I 16

74HCI62 16

74HC163 IE

74HC164 14

74HC165 16

74HC166 IE

74HC173 16

74HCI74 16

74HCI75 16

74HC192 16

74HC193 16

74HC194 16

74HC195 16

74HC237 IE

74HC240 20

74HC241 20

74HC242 14

74HC243 14

74HC244 20

74HC245 20

74HC25I IE

7JC95 74C107 74C1S1 74C154 74C157 74 C160 74C161 74C162 74C163 74C16-1 74C173 74C174 74C175 74C192 74C193 74C195

74HC253 IE

74HC257 IS

74HC25I3 IE

74HC266 H

74HC273 70

74HC2B0 U

74HC299 20

74HC366 IE

74HC367 IS

74HC373 20

74HQ74 20

74HC390 IE

74HC393 M

74HC533 70

71HC534 !0

74HC505 IE

74HC6B8 20

74HC4002 N

74HC4017 IS

74KC4020 16

74HC402-1 H

74HC4040 IS

74HC40GO IE

74HC4075 14

74HC407B 14

74HC4511 IE

74HC4514 U

74HC4536 IE

74HC4543 IE

unLiultered All others are t

74C221 74C240 74C244 74C373 74C374 74C901 74C903 74C906 74C91T 74C912 74C9I5 74C917 74C922 74C923 7JC925 74C926 8DC95 80C97

16

IL071CP

TL072CP

TL074CN

TL08ICP

1L062CP

TL084CN

LM30ICN

LM302H

LM304N

LM305H

LM307CN

LM308CN

LM309K

LM310CN

LU310

LM312H

LM3I71

LM317K

LM3I8CN

LM3I«J

LM320K-5

LM320K-12

LM320K-I5

LM32UK-24

LM320T-S

LM32UT-12

LM320T-15

LM32DT-24

LM322N

LM323K

LM324H

LM329DZ

LM331N

LM3342

LM3352

LM33GZ

LM337MP

LM337T

LM338K

LM339N

LM340K-5

LM340K-12

LM340K-15

LM340K-24

LM340I.S

LM340T-I2

LM340T-15

LM340T-24

LM341P-5

LM341P-12

LM34IP-15

LINEAR

LM342P-5

LM342P-12

LM342P-1S

LF347N

LW346N

LM350K

LF351N

LF353N

LF355N

LF356N

LW358N

LM359N

IM370N

LM373N

LM377N

LU380CN

LM380N

LM38IN

LM382N

LU384N

LU366N-3

LW387N

LM3B9N

LM391N-80

LW392N

LM39BN

LM399H

a-194CN

TL496CP

NE531V

NE544N

NE550A

NE555V

XR-L555

LM556N

NE564N

LM565N

LM566CN

LM567V

NE570N

KE571N

LM703CN

LM709H

LM71W

LM711N

LM723N

LM733N

LM739N

LM741CN > 35

LM747N 14 69

LM746K B 59

LM1310N 14 149

MC1330AI I 195

MC1349 4 179

MC1350 t 1.49

MC13SB 14 195

LM1456V B 1.95

LMI4S8CN 0 ,59

LM148BN 14 .89

LM1489N 14 89

LU149CI 14 195

LH1605CK 995

LMlfiOON IE 249

LM1871N IB 295

LM1B72N IS 325

LM1877N9 14 249

LM1889N IS 225

LMI896N 14 295

LM2002T 1,95

ULN2003A IE 89

XR2206 16 395

XR2207 14 295

XR22D8 IE 249

XR221I 14 395

LM2B77P 195

LM2B78P 2.95

LM2901N 14 59

LM2902N 14 89

LM2907N 14 249

LM3900M 11 59

LM3905CM 8 1.19

LM390SN B 99

LM3914H IB 295

LM3915N IB 2.95

LM391GN IB 2 95

RC4136N It 1.25

HCJ'SINB B 195

RC4IQ4TK 4 49

RC4I951K 4 49

LNW250CN I 1.29

LM45O0A IE 195

NE5532 B 249

NE55-34 S 169

79M05 69

ta803HB 14 3.95

LM13080M I I 19

LM13B00H IB 119

76477 a 3 95 MORE AVAILABLE

30003 1982 Nat. Linear Data Book 11952 pgs | $11.95

260 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Commodore

RS232 ADAPTER FOR VIC-20 AND COMMODORE 64

ProModem 1200

The JE232CM allows connection of standard serial RS232 printers, modems, etc. to your VIC-20 and C-64. A 4-pole switch allows the inversion of the 4 control lines. Complete installation and operation instructions included.

• Plugs into User Port • Provides Standard RS232 signal levels • Uses 6 signals (Transmit, Receive, Clear to Send, Request to Send, Data Terminal Ready, Data Set Ready).

JE232CM $39.95

PROMETHEUS

Intelligent 300/1200 Baud

Telephone Modem with Real Time Clock/Calendar

The ProModem'" is a Bell 212A (300/1200 baud) intelligent stand-alone modem • Full featured expandable modem ■ Standard features include Auto Answer and Auto Dial, Help Commands, Programmable Intelligent Dialing. Touch Tone'" and Pulse Dialing S More ■ Hayes command set compatible plus an additional extended command set • Shown w/alphanumeric display option.

PM1200 $375.00

KEYBOARDS

VOICE SYNTHESIZER FOR APPLE AND COMMODORE

JE520AP

JE520CM

• Over 250 word vocabulary-affixes allow the formation of more than 500 words • Built-in amplifier, speaker, volume control, and audio jack • Recreates a clear, natural male voice • Plug-in user ready with documentation and sample software • Case size: 7'A"L x 3V«"W x 1-3/8"H

APPLICATIONS: • Security Warning • Telecommunication

• Teaching • Handicap Aid

• Instrumentation • Games

The JE520 VOICE SYNTHESIZER witl plug right into your computer and allow you to enhance almost any application. Utilizing National Semiconductor's DIGITALKER'" Speech Processor IC (with four custom memory chips), the JE520 compresses natural speech into digital memory, including the original inflections and emphases. The result is an extremely clear, natural vocalization. Pad No. Description Price

JE520CM For Commodore 64 & VIC-20 $114.95

JE520AP For ApplB II, II+, and lie $149.95

mm

13,V'Lx4,i"Wx3

New!

16-9/16"Lx6V"Wx 1VH

Nationally Known Manufacturer!

21VLx9.8"Wx3VH

New!

4telxS^,Wx1,i"H 1,H;'.M,I;I;I,

76-Key Serial ASCII Keyboard

■ Simple serial interface ■ SPST mechanical switching • Operates in upper and lower case - Five user function keys: F1 -F5 ■ Six linger edge card connection ■ Color (keys): tan • Weight: 2 lbs. - Data incl.

KB76 $29.95

106-KEY 8-BIT SERIAL ASCII KEYBOARD

• The terminals were designed to be daisy chained around a central host computer and used as individual work stations ■ Hall effect switching ■ numeric and cursor keypad ■ 10 user definable keys ■ 50" interlace cable with 9-pin sub-miniature connector

• 7 LED function displays ■ Security lock ■ N-key rollover ■ Automatic key repeat function • Cclor: (case): white w/black panel-(key caps): grey and blue ■ Weight: 6V2 lbs ■ Data included.

KB139 $59.95

68-Key Keyboard with Numeric Keypad for Apple II and II+

- Plugs direclly into Apple II or ll+ motherboard with 16-pin ribbon cable connector ■ 26 special functions • Color (keys): white/grey - Weight: 2 lbs.

KB-A68 $89.95

JE664 EPROM PROGRAMMER 8K to 64K EPROMS - 24 & 28 Pin Packages

Completely Self-Contained — Requires Na Additional Systems far Operation

■ Programs and validates EPROMs ■ Checks (or properly erased EPROMs • Emulates PHOMs or EPROMs • RS232C Computer Interlace lor editing and program loading ■ Loads data inio RAM by keyboard ■ Changes data in RAM by kuybunrd • Loads RAM Irom an EPROM ■ Compares EPROMs lor content dillcrencos ■ Copies EPROMs ■ Power Input: 115VAC. 60Hz. less man IOW power consumption ■ Enclosure Color-coordinated, light tan panels with molded end pieces in mocha brown • Siie 15VL x 8VD x 3VH ■ Weight lbs.

POWER SUPPLIES

TRANSACTION TECHNOLOGY, INC. 5VDC @ 1 AMP Regulated Power Supply

■ Output: +5VDC <B 1.0 amp (also +30VDC regulated) ■ Input: 115VAC. 60 Hz

■ Two-tone (black/beige) self-enclosed case ■ 6 foot. 3-conductor black power cord • Size: 6V L x V W x 2U" H • Weight: 3 lbs.

PS51194 S14.95

incJEOOJFPHOM Programmer emulates and programs various S-Bn Word EPHOMs from8X lo WK-fti memory capacity Data can be emered into tne JKW's interral BK * 8-Bil RAM in three ways fl) Irom a ROM w EPROM. 12) Irom an erternal computer via lfieoptionalJE665 RS232C BUS, |3) iron lis panel keyboard The JE664s RAMs may be accessed lor emulation purposes Irom itie panel's lest socket to an external microprocessor In programming and emulation, the JE664 allows lor ewmination, change and validation ot program content The JE6W's RAMs can be programmed quickly to all *'1"S lor any value), allowing unuseJ addresses in the EPROM id hi iirorjnmmed later wiihoot necessity ot "UY erasing The JE664 displays DATA and ADDRESS in convenient hexadecimal (alphanumencl format A 'DISPLAY EPROM DATA" button changes the DATA readout Horn RAM word to EPROM word and is displayed in both heiadecima and binary code Thehonti^lteaiijiesacurivenieniope'aiimjguide TheJEEW Prwjrammei includes one JM16A Jumper Module las listed Delowl

JE664-A EPROM Programmer $995.00

Assembled & Tested (Includes JM16A Module)

JE665 - HS232C INTERFACE OPTION - Ihe RS232C IntErtace Option implements com null! i access to Ihe JEGC-J's RAM This allows the compute! :o maiiipul.iHi, store and li.iiiMi'i fl'IIUM il.il.i Hi ami Irani Hie .IEGG4. A sample (uugram listing is supplied in MUAKIC lor CP/M i.Mnpviers Documentation is provided to adapt Ihe software loolher compulcrs with an RS232 pon 9600 Baud. 6-bit word, odd parity and 2 stop bits

FOR A LIMITED TIME A SAMPLE OF SOFTWARE WRITTEN IN BASIC FOR THE TRS-80- MODEL I. LEVEL II COMPUTER WILL ALSO BE PROVIOED.

JE664-ARS EPROM Prog. W/JE66S Option $1195.00

Assembled A Tested (Includes JM1GA Module}

EPROM JUMPER MODULES

JUMPER MODULE (Personality Module) is a

pttirj-in Module that presets the JE664 lor Ihe pr configures Ihe EPROM socket connections rg> lha

hper programming pulses lo the EPROM and particular EPROM

jeiu sum

M>U II

m

WW

JU0M

zm

2SV

AMD, Mem eta. HX. Mel. H 114 95

N1U

2716 TWSH16 mi

■■■■■ mt.wcn,

11495

JU1CB

lUWriSO-VJI S

■

MOWOUTI 114 95

WW

IV "

.-•,',<

Uawi Ti N.irii, W JU11,

Ma

mi

AM!: F.j..isu. NEC ituo. mid

UEubrsm. Noon* 11495

MIX

2732*

!!V

FujtU He! SI"

*IMA

Ml Ml ,n jT.-l

:iv

mmihoU 114 95

MCMT,8I F.V1

Power/Mate Corp. REGULATED POWER SUPPLY

■ Input: 105-125/210-250VACal 47-63 Hz • Line regulation: ^0.05%-Three mounting surfaces ■ Overvollage protection ■ UL recognized ■ CSA certified Part No Output Size Weight Price

EMA5/6B EMA5/6C

5V03A/6V62.5A 4%1x4"Wx 2Vk"H 2 lbs. 5V@6A/6V@5A 5WL x 4%"W x 2ft"H 4 lbs.

$29.95 $39.95

POWER SUPPLY +5VDC @ 7.6 AMP, 12VDC @ 1.5 AMP SWITCHING

•Input. 115VAC, 50-BOHz S 3 amp/230VAC, 50Hz cS t.6 amp. - Fan volt./power supply select switches (115/230VAC1 ■ Output 5VDC& 7 (lamp. 12VDC 6 15 amp ■ 8 loot black power cord - Sue HftT x 13*"Wx3*"H • Weight: 6 lbs

PS94VOS $39.95

KEPCO/TDK 4-OUTPUT SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY • Ideal for disk drive needs of CRT terminals, microcomputers and Videogames - Input: 115/230VAC. 50760Hz- Output: + 5V@5 Amp,+12V@ 1.8 Amp, +12V @ 2 Amp, -12V 8 0.5 Amp ■ UL recognized ■ CSA certified ■Size: 7WL x 6-3/16"W x 1VH - Weight: 2 lbs.

MRM 174KF $59.95

POWER PAC INC. REGULATED POWER SUPPLY

■ Perfect for computer systems ■ Output: +5VDC@ 11 Amps. -5VDC @ 1 Amp, + 12VDC S 2 Amps. -12VDC 6 0.5 Amp and +24VDC 6 3 Amps -Overvoltage protection - Size: 12VL x 6VWx 4VH • Weight: 17 lbs. ■ Spec incl.

PS2922 $69.95

4-CHANNEL SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY

• Microprocessor, mint-computer, terminal, medical equipment and process control applications • Input: 90-130VAC, 47-440H* ■ Output: +5VDC @ 5A, -5VDC® 1 A; +12VDC® 1A, -12VDC @ 1A - Line regulations: - 0.2%- Ripple: 30mV p-p ■ Load regulation: ' 1% * Overcurrent protection ■ Adj: 5V main output --10% -Size:6WLx 1VW x 4-15/16"H - Weight: 1% lbs.

FCS-604A $69.95 each

Switching Power Supply for APPLE II, 11+ & He'M

■ Can drive four floppy disk drives and up to eight expansion cards

• Short circuit and overload protection ■ Fits inside Apple computer

• Fully regulated +5V @ 5A, +12V @ 1.5A, -5V @ .5A. -12V @ ,5A

• Direct plug-in power cord included ■ Size: 97/e"L x 3'£"W x 2Va"H

■ Weight: 2 lbs.

KHP4007 $79.95

S10.00 Minimum Order — U.S. Funds Only Spec Sheets — 30c each

California Residents Add 6Vz% Sales Tax Send $1.00 Postage for your

Shipping — Add 5% plus S1.50 Insurance FREE 1984 JAMECO CATALOG

Send S.A.S.E. for Monthly Sales Flyer! Prices Subject to Change

Mail Order Electronics -Worldwide

ameco

ELECTRONICS

ViSA*

1355 SHOREWAY ROAD, BELMONT, CA 94002 9/M PHONE ORDERS WELCOME — (415) 592-8097 Telex: 176043

Mitsumi 54-Key Unencoded 1 Matrix All-Purpose Keyboard

■ SPST keyswilches ■ 20 pin ribbon cable connecI on ■ Low profile keys ■ Features: cursor controls, conlrol. caps (lock), lunclion, enler and shift keys •Color (keycaps): grey ■ Wl.: 1 tb. ■ Pinout included

KB54 $14.95

Fiberoptics

J The EDU-LINK Learning Kit

The EDU-LINK fiber optic system is a low-cost, TTL compatible data transmission system designed specifically as an educational tool for students and engineers working in many different industries. Includes: transmitter PCB, a re

| — i»*T. mr '1 ceiver PCB, one meter of plastic

optic fiber, and all the necessary electrical hardware • Complete step-by-step instructions, theory of operation, and tutorial information are included.

ELK-1 ONLY $19.95

APPLE ACCESSORIES

51A" APPLE™ Direct Plug-In Compatible Disk Drive and Controller Card

The ADD-514 Disk Drive uses Shugart SA390 mechanics-143K formatted storage • 35 tracks • Compatible with Apple Controller & ACC-1 Controller • The drive comes complete with connector and cable - jusl plug into your disk controller card • Size: 6"L x 3Vi"W x 8-9/16"D - Weight: 4» lbs.

ADD-514 (Disk Drive) $195.95

ACC-1 (Controller Card) $ 59.95

Also Available...

JE864 (80 Col. + 64K RAM lor »e| $124.95

JE614 (Numeric/Aux. Keypad lor He) $89.95

F051APC (Apple Compal. Hi-Hi Drive) $209.95

0 i^^^3Tflj£s Protect Yourself... ZJj** DATASHIELD*

Surge Protector

l^^^ie^^ ■ Eliminates voltage spikes and EMI-RFI noise

1 ^ft^V before it can damage your equipment or cause

data loss ■ 6 month warranty • Power dissipa1- lion (100 microseconds): 1.000,000 watts ■ 6

1 , sockets • 6 foot power cord • Normal line voll

i '** <flp age indicator light ■ Brown out/black out reset \ switch ■ Weight: 2 lbs.

Model 100 $69.95

Protect DATASHIELD

Yourself... BaCk-Up

Power Source

Provides up to 30 minutes of continuous 120 hJfej, j ! VAC 60Hz power to your computer system V,; ■ n || (load dependent) when you have a black out

\ or voltage sag - Output rating: 200 watts - Six

^ month warranty •Weight: 24 lbs.

Model 200 (PC200) $349.95

For more demanding systems (e.g. with hard disks) ' Output rating: 300 watts

XT300 $489.95

IBM MEMORY EXPANSION KIT COMPAQ COMPATIBILITY

SAVE HUNDREDS OF $$$ BY UPGRADING MEMORY BOARDS YOURSELF!

Most □( tho popular memory boards allow you lo add an additional 64K. 128K, 192K. or 25BK. The IBM64K Kit will populate those boards In 64K byte Increments. The kit Is simple lo Install — just Insert the nine 64K RAM chips In the provided sockets and set the two groups ot switches. Directions are Included.

IBM64K (Nine 200ns B4K RAMs) $49.95

TRS-80 MEMORY EXPANSION KIT

TRS-80 to16K, 32K, or 48K --Model 1 = From 4K lo 1GK Raqulres (1) One Kll Model 3 = From 4K to 48K Requires (3) Three Kits Color = From 4K 10 16K Requires (1) One Kit

"Modal 1 flqutppsd win Eipansion Band up Id 4BK Two Kits RoQUlrod — Ono Kll Roqulrod lot mod 16K ol Eipintion —

TBS-16K3 "200ns lor Color & Model III $12.95

TRS-16K4'250ns for Model I S10.95

TRS-80 Color 32K or 64K Conversion Kit

Easy lo install kits comes complete with 8 ea. 4164-2 (200ns) 64K dynamic RAMs and conversion documentation. Converts TRS-80 color computers with D. E, ET, F and NC circuit boards to 32K Also converts TRS-80 color computer II to 64K. Flex DOS or OS-D required to ulilize full 64K RAM on all computers. TRS-64K2 S44.95

UV-EPROM Eraser

8 Chips — 51 Minutes

| 1 Chip — 37 Minutes [

Erases 2706, 2716, 2732, 2764, 2516, 2532, 2564. Erases up to 6 Chips within 51 minutes (1 chip In 37 minutes). Maintains constant exposure distance of one Inch. Special conductive loam liner eliminates static build up. Built-in safety lock lo prevenl UV exposure. Compact — only 9.00" x 3.70" x 2.60'. Complete with holding tray for 8 chips.

DE-4 UV-EPROM Eraser .. .S79.95 . UVS-11EL Replacement Bulb $16.95^/

Circle 196 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 261

Circle 51 on inquiry card.

IBM-PC or PC compatible IEEE-488 INTERFACE BOARD

^ IEEE - 488

VERSATILE

• Implements the entire IEEE-488(GPIB, HP-IB) standard with high-level commands and standard mnemonics.

• Resident firmware routines support interpreted and compiled BASIC, Pascal, C, and other languages.

• Supports Lotus 123 and most wordprocessing programs.

• One board drives any combination of 15 IEEE-488 peripherals.

• Emulates most Hewlett-Packard controller functions and graphics language statements with single line BASIC statements.

• Supports Tektronix® Standard Codes and Formats.

• Small size - fits the PC/XT short slot.

FAST

• Burst DMA > 800KB/sec

• Continuous DMA > 300KB/sec

PROFESSIONAL

• Clear, concise documentation includes a complete tutorial and source code for interactive bus control, bus diagnostics, graphics plotting, and many other applications.

• $395 complete. There are no extra software charges.

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT CORP

10 Evergreen Avenue Burlington, MA. 01803 (617) 273-1818

IBM is s trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Lotus 123 is a trademark of Lotus Development

3-D GRAPHICS

XOR

AH,AH

PARAMETER A THROUGH F

MOV

Sl.AX

SUB

SI.4IH

SHL

Sl.l

ADD

SI OFFSET A

VID70:

MOV

AH.AL

:SAVE LAST LETTER

INC

BX

MOV

AL,|BX]

CMP

AL.?'

INE

VID80

MOV

al:='

MOV

IBXI.AL

CALL

HTOA

lOUTPUT CURRENT VALUE

INC

BX

MOV

al:

MOV

[BXJ.AL

INC

BX

MOV

AL.CR

MOV

AH.'S'

MOV

IBXI.AX

MOV

DXOFFSET INBUFF + 2

MOV

CLCOSTR

INT

BDOS

IMP

VIDEO

VID80:

CMP

AL.' = '

|NE

VID90

CALL

ATOH

:INPUT HEX WORD

IMP

VIDEO

VID90:

CMP

AH.AL

|NE

VIDERR

SI. 16

:AA THROUGH FF (OR BEYOND)

IMPS

VID70

VIDERR:

PUSH

DS

PUSH

cs

POP

DS

MOV

DXOFFSET WMSG WHAT?

MOV

CLCOSTR

INT

BDOS

POP

DS

IMP

VIDEO

- SUBROUTINES

CAMERA:

XOR

AX.AX

:DISPLAY SEQUENCE OF CAMERA ANGLES

MOV

K.AX

MOV

KK.AX

MOV

KKK.AX

CAM 10:

INC

K

INC

KK

INC

KKK

TEST

W,- 1

JZ

CAM20

MOV

ES.ENDSEG

MOV

DI.ENDPOINT

MOV

AX.D

WRITE POINT

MOV

ES: |DI|. AX

MOV

AX.E

MOV

ES:2|DI|,AX

MOV

AX.F

MOV

ES:4|DI].AX

MOV

AX.W

MOV

ES:6|DI|.AX

XOR

AX.AX

MOV

ES:!4|DI|,AX

CAM20:

MOV

AX.AA2

:AD|UST CAMERA

ADD

AA.AX

MOV

AX.BBB

ADD

BB.AX

MOV

AX.CCC

ADD

CC.AX

MOV

AX.DDD

ADD

DO.AX

(continued)

262 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 102 on inquiry card.—►

MEMORIES SHOULD - ALL — BEMADE-LIKE-THI S—

All memories are good memories when they come from Cumana. Available for the Apple, Dragon, British Broadcasting Corporation and IBM personal computers, Cumana slimline disk drives are designed and manufactured to the highest standards to give outstanding performance and quiet operation.

Supplied with an extended 12 months warranty and fully assembled and tested before packaging, Cumana slimline drives are available in single and dual versions. All power and interface cables are supplied with the drives to enable you to plug in, switch on and go!

CUMANA)

The best name in memory

Cumana, Inc., Orangewood Business Center, 1701 East Edinger, Suite E12, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Call: (714) 953-7622. Cumana Ltd., Pines Trading Estate, Broad Street, Guildford, Surrey, England. Tel: (0483) 503121. Telex: 859380. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. The British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer is manufactured under licence by Acorn Computers Limited. Acorn is a registered trademark of Acorn Computers International PLC.

Dragon is a registered trademark of Dragon Data Ltd. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

Circle I on inquiry card.

SHIPPING

WEST OF MISSISSIPPI EAST - V, UPS CHARGES

CALL FREE 1-800-841-2748

COMPUTERS

ALTOS 580-20 $3625

ALTOS 586-20 $5545

ALTOS 986-40 SCALL

APPLE LOOK-A-LIKE $CALL

COLUMBIA SCALL

CORONA SCALL

r-!"iC8201 $459

SANYO 550-555 SCALL

TELEVIDEO

803 $1769 1603 .

PORTABLE

NORTHSTAR

ADV . . . .$2135 15MEG

. $2019 . SCALL

$3799

PRINTERS

ABATI $389

BROTHER HR 15P $479

DAISYWRITER 48K $975

DATASOUTH DS220 $1575

GEMINI 10X $258

JUKI 6100 $429

OKIDATA {LOW PRICES) .... SCALL QUME 1140+W/INS $1365

CITOH

8510 $319 1550 . .

F10-40C PS .$899 F1055 .

DIABLO

620 $769 630 API

NEC

3550 ... .$1495 3510 $1235

7710 ... .$1645 2030 $659

TERMINALS - MONITORS

ALTOS II $755

QUME 102G $529

WYSE 50. $485

TELEVIDEO 924 $655

TELEVIDEO 950 $895

TELEVIDEO 970 $965

. .$499 $1179

.$1669

AMDEK 300G $129

AMDEK 300A $145

AMDEK COLOR l+ $275

AMDEK COLOR II+ $399

B.M.C. COLOR $235

PRINSTON HX12 $464

DISK DRIVES - MODEMS

INDUS APPLE $259

MICRO SCI A2 $185

ATARI 1050 $365

INDUS ATARI $345

RANA 1000 $299

PROMODEM 1200 $325

HAYS SMART MODEM $199

SMARTMODEM 1200 $475

SMARTMODEM 1200B $415

MICROMODEM II E $235

RIXON 212A $449

U.S. ROBOTICS PASSWORD $325

1st PLACE

COMPUTER SYSTEMS 13422 N. CAVECREEK RD.

PHOENIX, AZ. 85022

OTHER INFORMATION: 602-867 9897

^~~^-r~^ Free shipping Is on UPS ground only. l^5^^BJ

Sand cashier's chock or money order all other checks will

delay shipping two weeks. Prices & availability subject to change without notice.

264 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

3-D GRAPHICS

MOV

AX EEE

ADD

EE,AX

MOV

AX.FFF

ADD

FF.AX

MOV

AX.AA

ADD

A,AX

MOV

AX.BB

ADD

B.AX

MOV

AX,CC

ADD

CAX

MOV

AX.DO

ADD

D,AX

MOV

AX.EE

ADD

E,AX

MOV

AX FF

ADD

F,AX

MOV

AX.D

COMPHTF OTM

SUB

AX,A

MOV

X.AX

:X = D-A

MOV

ZX,AX

•7Y|(1 - D-A

NEC

AX

MOM

Y7 AY

•Y7/I1 -AH ,\L\\\ — A—U

MOV

AY F

m ir

AY R AA,D

MOV IV1U V

V A Y

,Y = t-D

IV|l_JV

7V A Y L V,MA

■7V/I1 C D

MOV

AY F AA,r

Q.I IR 5UD

AA.L.

MOV

7 AY

M — r—V

IVlKJv

YY A Y AA.AA

,aa| 11 = r — L

MOV

ZZ AX

■ 77/n — VC 1} — r —1_

IMUL

AX

MOV

Q AX

MOV

Q + 2,DX

MOV

AX,X

IMUL

AX

ADC

Q.AX

JNC

CAM40

INC

DX

CAM40:

ADD

Q + 2.DX

o - x*x+z*z

MOV

AX.Q

MOV

DX.Q + 2

CALL

1SQRT

MOV

XYI71 - QflRT D • AA(Z) — JUKI <J

MOV

Y7 4- 5 RY

AL t I . DA

■\7ti\ — ^nRT n

.A/-UI — OURI \J

MOV

VV DY

win — criDT r\ ,TY11J = aUKl U

lYlWV

A Y Y7 AA.Az,

IM 1 1 1

IIVIUL

v Y

IDIV

BX

MOV

YX.AX

,YX(I| = Y*XZ(I)/SQRT Q

tviVJv

A v Y V

Aa.aa

NEC

AX

IMUL

Y

IDIV

BX

MOV

YZ.AX

:YZ(l| = -Y"XX|1)/SQRT Q

MOV

AX.Y

IMUL

AX

ADC

AX.Q

JNC

CAM 50

INC

DX

CAM 50:

ADD

DX.Q + 2

;Q = X'X + Y'Y + Z'Z

CALL

ISQRT

MOV

YX + 2.BX

:YX|2) = SORT Q

MOV

YY + 2.BX

;YY(2) = SQRT Q

MOV

YZ+2.BX

:YZ|2| = SQRT Q

MOV

ZX + 2.BX

:ZX(2) = SQRT Q

MOV

ZY+2.BX

:ZY|2| = SQRT Q

MOV

ZZ + 2.BX

:ZZ(2| = SQRT Q

CALL

CLEAR

;CLEAR INACTIVE DISPLAY AREA

CALL

PERSP

;GENERATE PERSPECTIVE

CALL

SWAP

;SWAP ACTIVE DISPLAY AREAS

CALL

PRINT

:PRINT PARAMETERS

MOV

AX,RRR

[continued)

Circle 295 on inquiry card. —►

MAKE THE CONNECTION...IN THE SLOT

Now you can plug the ease of use and leadership features of a POPCOM personal communications modem directly into one of the expansion slots of your IBM PC, XT, Portable, or IBM slot compatible computer.

With the new POPCOM modem from Prentice Corporation...

• Your personal computer becomes essentially a voice and data workstation, and the need for costly extra telephone lines is eliminated.

• Activity on the phone line is detected (most modems don't do this) and the costly extra load placed on your company's internal phone system is reduced.

• You communicate at the fast, economical 1200 bps rate as well as the standard 300 bps rate.

• Telephone numbers you have selected are automatically dialed and redialed if busy, and incoming calls are automatically answered.

• You have compatibility with the popular communications software packages of today, and advanced features that will let you take advantage of the next generation of communications software as well.

• Only one slot in your PC, XT, or Portable is required.

With a suggested retail price of $445, the C100 means real price/performance. All of these leadership performance features are also available in the external POPCOM X100 modem so now you have a choice...inside or outside.

See your local dealer for more

information, or contact

PRENTICE Corporation

266 Caspian Drive

P.O. Box 3544

Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3544

(408) 734-9855

>PRENTICE

Corporation

POPCOM

MODEMS

POPCOM" is a trademark of PRENTICE Corporation

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation ■ 1984 Prentice Corporation

THREE WINNING DRIVES

Winner 1 —The AD-1 FLOPPY DRIVE for Appleone of the most succesful Apple compatible drives on the market. MITAC's highvolume, costefficient manufacturing, combined with proven technology licensed from Shugart, assures you of getting a low cost, reliable drive each time and every time.

Winner 2 —The new AD-3 SLIMLINE FLOPPY, also for Apple. MITAC utilizes a superior design and the finest components to bring you slim-line drive technology without the problems that have plagued other slimlines. Winner 3— AD-100A HARD DISK SUBSYSTEM—the ideal add-on for Apple users wanting the increased storage and rapid data access of Winchester hard disk. The AD-100A

features 10MB of formatted storage as well as software to configure the disk for Apple DOS 3.3, CP/M and PASCAL.

AD-1, AD-3 and AD-100A—another winning combination from MITAC, the long-term committed company. NOTE: A choice of two connectors are available so the AD-1AD-3 can be used with the Apple lie or the new Apple lie portable.

• Apple Is a registered Irademark ol Apple Computer Inc

• IBM PC is a registered Irademark ot Intemallonal Business Machines Corp.

• CP/M is a regislered trademark oi Digilal Research Inc

• Pascal is a trade mark ol UCSD

MODEL

COMPATIBILITY

CAPACITY

APPLE II SEP.IES

IBM PC

(FORMATTED)

•AD-1

•J

143.4KB

•AtXJ

V

160 KB

AD30

✓

720 KB

AD-100A

10 MB

AD1001

✓

10-33MB

For North America Inquiry:

American mi tan Carp.

3385 VISO CT. SANTA CLARA, CA. 95050

U.S.A.

TEL: (408) 988-0258; (408) 988-7508 TLX: 9103382201 MECTEL FAX: 408-9809742

For International Inquiry:

Inc.

3rd Fl„ 75 Nanking E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. TEL: (02) 713-6980; (02) 715-0940 FAX: 886-2-712-1449 TLX: 20261 MECTAC; 11942 TAIAUTO

Circle 21 on inquiry card.

Circle 236 on inquiry card.

-D GRAPHICS

CMP

AX.KKK

JNE

CAM60

NEC

BBB

NEG

CCC

NEG

EEE

NEG

FFF

XOR

AX,AX

MOV

KKK.AX

IMPS

CAM 70

CAM60:

SHR

AX.l

:AD|UST AA2 AND DDD AT HALF PERIOD

CMP

AX.KKK

|NE

CAM70

NEG

AA2

NEG

DDD

CAM 70:

MOV

AX.RR

CMP

AX.KK

|NE

CAM80

NEG

AA

NEG

BB

NEG

CC

NEG

DO

NEG

EE

NEG

FF

XOR

AX.AX

MOV

KK.AX

CAM 80:

MOV

AX.R

CMP

AX,K

(BE

CAM90

IMP

CAMIO

:NEXT PERSPECTIVE

CAM90:

RET

PERSP:

MOV

ES.MEMBOT

GENERATE PERSPECTIVE OF 3D POINTS

MOV

DIOFFSET POINTS

PER 10:

MOV

AX.ES:6|DI|

:NEXT PIXEL

TEST

AX, - 1

•.ALL DONE?

|NZ

PER20

:NOT YET

MOV

ENDSEG.ES

MOV

ENDPOINTDI

RET

PER20:

MOV

AX,ES:|DI]

;COMPUTE PERSPECTIVE OF NEXT POINT

SUB

AX.A

MOV

X.AX

:X = ES:|DI]-A

MOV

AX.ES:2|DI|

SUB

AX.B

MOV

Y.AX

:Y = ES:2|DI1-B

MOV

AX,ES:4|DI|

SUB

AX,C

MOV

Z.AX

;Z = ES:4|DI|-C

PER25:

IMUL

AX

MOV

Q,AX

MOV

Q + 2.DX

MOV

AX,Y

IMUL

AX

ADC

Q.AX

PER30

DX

r E.K3U.

ADD

Q + 2.DX

MOV

AX.X

IMUL

AX

ADC

Q.AX

INC

PER40

INC

DX

PER40:

ADD

Q+2.DX

:Q = X'X + Y'Y + Z'Z

MOV

AXO

MOV

DX.Q + 2

CALL

ISQRT

:BX = SORT Q

MOV

AX.I

MOV

II.AX

MOV

AX.)

MOV

II.AX

PER50:

MOV

AX.X

IMUL

XX

{continued)

Multi-function RS-232 Transfer Switches

MFJ-1240 $7995

Choice of 8 models

Multi-function RS-232 transfer switches let you

switch your computer among printers, modems, terminals, any RS-232 peripherals; monitor data/ line failure, protect data lines from surges, and use as null modem for less cost than a switch alone.

Switches 10 lines (2,3,4,5,6,8,11,15,17,20). LED data/line indicators monitor lines 2,3,4,5,6, 8,20. Metal oxide varistors protect data lines 2, 3 from voltage spikes and surges. Push button reverses transmit-receive lines (2,3). PC board eliminates wiring, crosstalk, line interference. Connects any one input to any one output.

Model Price In Out

MFJ-1240 179.95 1 2

MFJ-1241 $99.95 2 2

MFJ-1242 $119.95 2 3

MFJ-1243 $119.95 1 4

Model Price In Out

MFJ-1244 $139.95 3 3

MFJ-1245 $169.95 3 5

MFJ-1246 $199.95 5 5

IMFJ-1247 $99.95 1

Iswilches 20 lines

AC Power Centers

MFJ-1108 MFJ-1108, $99.95. Add conveni QQ 95 ience, prevent data loss, head _ bounce, equipment damage. Relay latches power off during power transients. Multi-filters isolate equipment, eliminate interaction, noise, hash. MOVs suppress spikes, surges. 3 isolated, switched socketpairs. One unswitched for clock, etc. Lighted power, reset switch. Pop-out fuse. 3 wire, 6 ft. cord. 15A, 125V, 1875 watts. Aluminum case. Black. 18x23/4X2 in. MFJ-1107, $79.95. Like 1108 less relay. 8 sockets, 2 unswitched. MFJ-1109, $129.95. Like 1107 but intelligent. Switch on device plugged into control socket and everything else turns on. Others available.

Acoustic/Direct Coupled Modem

Use with any $ fiWL phone anywhere I £Jo

MFJ-1233 Acoustic/Direct Coupled 300 baud modem. Versatile. Use with virtually any phone, anywhere. Use battery or 110 VAC. Direct connect mode: Plug between handset and base. Use with single or multi-line phones. Acoustic coupled mode: Use with phones without modular plugs. Quality muffs give good acoustic coupling, isolates external noise for reliable data transfer. Originate/answer. Self test. Carrier detect, ON LEDs. RS-232, TTL compatible. Reliable single chip modem. Crystal controlled. Aluminum cabinet. 9x1'/2X4 in. Other models available.

Order from MFJ and try it. If not delighted, return within 30 days for refund (less shipping). One year unconditional guarantee. Order yours today. Call toll free 800-647-1800.

Charge VISA, MC. Or mail check, money order. Add $4.00 each for shipping and handling.

CALL TOLL FREE . . . 800-647 1800

Call 601-323-5869 in MS, outside continental USA.

ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED

» leRoad^Storkvll^

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 267

FOR IS YEARS, WE'VE BEEN MAKING THE WORLD'S MOST POPIIAR MODEMS.

NOW YOU CAN DDY ONE.

Introducing the Maxwell Modem" from Racal-Vadic.

It's not your fault you didn't buy one sooner. You couldn't. Unless you happened to be a major corporation. They're the ones who buy the most modems. And the modems they buy most are ours.

Now we've taken everything we know about modems and made one you can buy.

The Maxwell Modem.

It's designed expressly for personal computers. And the people who use them. It's rugged. Reliable. And it even operates over low-quality phone lines that other modems can't handle.

But best of all, it's uncomplicated. So you don't have to know how one works to work one. There's no control panel to control. No switches to switch.

The Maxwell Modem and George are trademarks of Racal-Vadic. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. ©1984, Racal-Vadic. BYTE ■ SEPTEMBER 1984

Instead, every feature makes sense. Auto-dialing. Auto-answer. And complete unattended operation.

Our communications software is just as accommodating. It's called George.'" And we've made George so simple to use you may never have to open your manual.

The Maxwell Modem comes in two different versions and two different speeds: Internal modems for the IBM PC and compatibles, and desktop models for virtually every personal computer. Both are available with speeds of 300- or 1200-bps.

And every Maxwell Modem has diagnostic features built in. So we can test your modem right over the phone from our Remote Diagnostic Center. We'll even pay for the call.

So where can you get your hands on a Maxwell Modem? To find our dealer nearest you, just do what modems do.

Call 800-4-VADICS.

Racal-Vadic, 1525 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035.

IHE

MAYWFII

Circle 309 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 269

Circle 118 on inquiry card.

NOW, THE LOWEST PRICES EVER ON

3M Scotch®

DISKETTES

■SPECIAL SALE! 1 Prices good thru 9/30/84 only. I I

$149

■ Qty. 50

$2«

5W DSDD

$195

isdd | Qty-60

$975

5 V

SSDD-96TPI

5'A" m

DSDD-96TPI ™

SOFT SECTOR ONLY!

MINIMUM ORDER: 50 DISKETTES Add 10% for orders of less than 50. These are factory-fresh 3M diskettes packed in boxes of 10 with Tyvek sleeves, reinforced hubs, identification labels and write-protect tabs.

LIFETIME WARRANTY! ON ALL 3M SCOTCH DISKETTES!

SUPER SPECIAL!

Order 50 3M Scotch Diskettes on this special offer and you can get an Amaray Media Mate 50 for only $9.99 (shipping included). Normally, a $14.r "

%** ,

$14.95 retail value, this is one of _ ""^sS^V the best designed disk storage units we've seen. Special slots and ridges for stacking. A great buy.

With 50 3M Scotch 5 W Diskettes $9.99

Ordered alone: $10.95 + $2.00 Shpng.

V s

8" 3M Scotch Diskettes 8' SSSD $2.05 ea. 8" SSDD . $2.50 ea. 8" DSDD... $3.10 ea. SOFT SECTOR ONLY! MINIMUM ORDER 8" DISKETTES: 20 3M HEADCLEANING KITS Stop swearing and start cleaning. This non-abrasive cleaning kit has everything you C1Q fin 1 $1-50 need for 30 applications. $ 10. UU Shpng

^gttt DISKETTE 70 STORAGE: STILL A GREAT BUY ^^^^ Dust-fiee storage for 70 5'A" disk^S^.** #* ettes. Six dividers included. An exBL Vcellent value (h-H flC ; $3 00 Jk $ I 1.30 Shpng

tttr^^^^r DISK CADDIES

The original flip-up holder for 10 lAm*L 5'A" diskettes. Beige or grey only.

Til $1.65 ea. Shpng.

PRINTER RIBBONS AT BARGAIN PRICES!

Brand new ribbons produced to manufacturer's specs.

Epson MX-70/80 $3.58 ea. t .25 Shpng.

Epson MX-100 $6.99 ea. + .25 Shpng.

Okidata Micro 83 $1.48 ea. + .25 Shpng.

Okidata Micro 84 $3.66 ea. ► .25 Shpng.

Shipping: 5'A" DISKETTES—Add $3.00 per 100 or lewer diskettes 8" DISKETTES—Add $4.00 per 100 or lewer diskettes. Other Items: Add shipping charges as shown in addition to diskette shipping charges. Payment: VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. COD orders only, add $3.00 handling charge. Taxes: Illinois residents only, add 8% sales tax.

FOR ORDERS ONLY:

1-800-621-6827

(In Illinois: 1-312-944-2788) INFORMATION & INQUIRIES:

1-312-944-2788 only!

HOURS: 9AM - 5PM Central Time, Monday - Friday WE WILL BEAT ANY NATIONALLY ADVERTISED PRICE ON THE SAME PRODUCTS AND QUANTITIES!

DISK WORLD!, Inc.

Suite 4806 • 30 East Huron Street • Chicago, Illinois 60611

3-D GRAPHICS

IDIV

XX + 2

MOV

l,AX

MOV

AX.Z

IMUL

XZ

IDIV

XZ+2

ADD

I.AX

;] = XX"X + XZ'Z

MOV

AX.X

IMUL

YX

IDIV

YX+2

MOV

I.AX

MOV

AX.Y

IMUL

YY

IDIV

YY + 2

ADD

I.AX

MOV

AX.Z

IMUL

YZ

IDIV

YZ + 2

ADD

I.AX

;| = YX'X + YY'Y + YZ'Z

TEST

P.0EH

|NZ

PER75

:ISOMETRIC PERSPECTIVE

PER60:

MOV

AX.X

;COMPUTE H

IMUL

ZX

IDIV

ZX + 2

MOV

H.AX

MOV

axy

IMUL

ZY

IDIV

ZY + 2

ADD

H.AX

MOV

AX.Z

IMUL

ZZ

IDIV

ZZ + 2

ADD

HAX

:H = ZX*X + ZY'Y + ZZ-Z

TEST

P.20H

MOV

AX.H

CALL

INORM

:BX STILL = SORT Q

CMP

AX.CCLIP

|LE

PER90

:POINT NOT IN FRONT OF CAMERA

PER70:

TEST

P.0FH

1Z

PER80

TRUE PERSPECTIVE

MOV

BX.H

MOV

AX.I

CALL

INORM

MOV

I.AX

;1 = NORM"l/BX

MOV

AX.I

CALL

INORM

MOV

I.AX

;) = NORM*|/BX

PER80:

CALL

PLOT

:PLOT PIXEL OR DRAW VECTOR

PER90:

ADD

DI.8

:NEXT POINT

|NZ

PER95

MOV

AX.ES

ADD

AX.I000H

MOV

ES.AX

PER95:

IMP

PERI0

ISQRT:

MOV

BX.DX

RX - INTFf.FR SOIIARF RDOT OF DXAX

SHL

BX.I

OR

BL.AH

OR

BL.AL

ADD

BX.DX

:INITIAL GUESS

JG

ISQIO

INC

BX

:DON'T RETURN ZERO

|G

ISQIO

MOV

BX.7FFFH

RET

ISQI0:

PUSH

AX

PUSH

DX

DIV

BX

SUB

AX.BX

CMP

AX.l

|BE

ISQ90

CMP

AX. - 1

{continued)

DISK Authonzed Distributor

Information Processing

WORLD! "

270 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

. for I*8? To son*' . „ „ic*W «*?

Helix Laboratories, inc., 8123 Remmet Ave Canoga Park, CA 91304

(818) 710-0300—outside California, 800-468-0004 Dealer Inquiries Welcome

174 for Dealer inquiries. Circle 175 for End-User inquiries.

©1984, Helix Laboratories, Inc. SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 271

MULTI-CHANNEL current carrier transceiver 2-WAY COMMUNICATION with any BSR type device

■ Switch selectable for 8 channels transmit & 3 channels receive OR 3 channels transmit & 8 channels receive + 1 channel for on/off cmd.

■ Switch selectable for any of the 16 BSR 'house codes'A thru P.

■ To transmit a BSR signal, take the assigned TTL input port high momentarily^

■ Upon receiving a BSR 'on' signal, the TTL output port goes nigh and stays high until reset by BSR 'off' signal.

■ An interrupt driven Z-8 micro, complete with power supply (requires 24 vac ct

@ 200 ma) on a 4.5" card with 44 pin connector, $187.00.

■ Optional RS-232 interface capable of sending and receiving all 256 channels, $49.00.

HYDRUS CORPORATION "™? ,,,„,„ (214)350-8766 ▼ 0epl B

6218 Cedar Springs Rd Dallas, Texas 75235

Circle 182 on Inquiry card.

RAPID BASIC PROGRAMMING SYSTEM

SAVE VALUABLE TIME WITH EFFECTIVE TOOLS:

R REFERENCE LINE NUMBERS & VARIABLES USED; A ALTER OR FIND STRING IN PROGRAM FILE; P PERIPHERAL 1NFUTOUTPUT INTERCHANGE PROG;

I INCLUDE BASIC SUBROUTINE SOURCE MODULES; D DUPLICATE VARIABLES IN 2 MODULES LISTED.

SOURCE MICROSOFT BASIC FORMATS AVAILABLE IBM PC, CPM 8IN, TRSDOS1/2/12/16.

$49.95 PER SET

JAMES HALSTEAD & ASSOCIATES

1551 PLAINFIELD ROAD JOUET, IL 60435 PH (815) 725-0346 VISA MASTERCARD

Circle 197 on Inquiry card.

The best, best value, best reliability, or best feature on sale. OFFERING

THE BEST FOR LESS$

IBM PC

BEST PC compatible package BEST graphic card BEST VALUE word processing BEST VALUE spreadsheet BEST diskettes DS/DD 5V." PRINTERS Oki 92 par

Ricoh RP1200 RP1300 RPI6O0

Diablo

Call S2189 349

425

Call

759 Call Call

COMPUTER SALES (619) 576-9185

Mon.-Frl., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Paclllc Time.

P.O. Bo* 112425 San Dlorjo. CA 92111

Stow

8199 Clfllremont Mesa Blvd., wA-1 San Diego. CA 92111

visa. Mastercard. Prices may be different at the store.

Price reflect* caih discount, subject to change without notice.

3-D GRAPHICS

JAE

ISQ90

;0,l OR - 1 IS CLOSE ENOUGH

SAR

AX.l

ADD

BX.AX

;NEXT APPROXIMATION

POP

DX

POP

AX

IMPS

ISO 10

ISQ90;

POP

DX

POP

AX

.

RET

INORM:

MOV

CX.NORM

;AX = NORM*AX/BX

IMUL

CX

IDIV

BX

RET

SETFCB:

PUSH

BX

;MOVE FILENAME AT BX+ 1 INTO FCB

PUSH

CS

POP

ES

MOV

DIOFFSET FCB

XOR

BX.BX

MOV

ES:|DI|,BL

;DEFAULT DRIVE

MOV

ES:FEX|D1|.BL

;CURRENT EXTENT

MOV

al;

MOV

CX, 11

SETFIO:

INC

BX

;BLANK NAME

MOV

ES:|DI + BX|.AL

LOOP

SETFIO

POP

BX

INC

BX

MOV

AX,|BX|

CMP

AH,':'

|NE

SETF20

SUB

AL.40H

MOV

ES:|DI|,AL

;DRIVE DESIGNATION

INC

BX

INC

BX

SETF20:

INC

Dl

MOV

AL.|BX|

CMP

al;

IE

SETF40

CMP

ALO

IE

SETF60

MOV

ES:|DI|.AL

INC

BX

IMPS

SETF20

SETF40:

INC

BX

FILENAME EXTENSION

MOV

CX.3

MOV

DIOFFSET FCB+ 9

SETF50:

MOV

AL,|BX|

CMP

ALO

IP

SETF60

MOV

ES:|D1|.AL

IINV

BX

INC

Dl

l nnD

SETF50

3LI rou.

nrj

INFILE1

PUSH

DX

SEGMENT OF MEMORY AREA

BX

lOFFSET OF MEMORY AREA

MOV

DX.OFFSET FCB

MOV

CL.FOPEN

INT

BDOS

POP

BX

POP

DX

CMP

AL - 1

|NE

INF40

MOV

DX.OFFSET FNFMSG ;F1LE NOT ON DISK

MOV

CLCOSTR

INT

BDOS

RET

INF40:

PUSH

DX

PUSH

BX

{continued)

i«*52!3»

«IS18 SHOWN

$895.

00

IS00 • 10 Mega-Byte Winchester ^^S%c^ • Hard Disk Controller fO*Sf

UPGRADES FOR YOUR IBM PC IPC COMPATIBLES

10 Mega-byte Winchester Modular hard disk controller

$1095.00

10 Mega-byte Winchester Floppy/Hard disk controller $1295.00

Half-high tape drive XT-Power Supply $ 995.00

Half-high tape drive Half-high floppy drive

XT-Power Supply $1265.00 | X"01

Half-high tape drive Half-high 10 Mega-byte Winchester Hard disk controller

XT-Power Supply $2095.00 20 Mega-byte Winchester

Hard disk controller $1595.00

Half-high tape drive Half-high 20 Mega-byte Winchester Hard disk controller

XT-Power Supply $2495.00

40 Mega-byte Winchester Hard disk controller

XT-Power supply $2895.00

•IBM B a regMSfed Irodomartt

of International 8u*ie« Machine) Corporation

IS41 • Half-high tape drive Half-high floppy drive 40 Mega-byte Winchester • Hard disk controller

XT-Power Supply $

ISPS • XT-Power Supply $ 290.00

TAPE FOR YOUR IBM XT

Half-high tape drive Half-high floppy drive

$ 995.00

Micro Design International Inc. has been serving the computer industry for over 7V2 years, call us today for our complete catalog or to place your order.

TO ORDER CALL COLLECT (305) 677-8333

Master Card/Vlsa/Check/or Money Order

MICRO DESIGN INTERNATIONAL INC.

"Your internal solution" 6586 University Blvd. Suite 7 Winter Park, Florida 32792

INF50:

INF90:

OUTFILE:

3-D GRAPHICS

OUTF40:

OUTF50:

MOV

CL.FDMAS

INT

BDOS

;SET DMA SEGMENT

POP

DX

PUSH

DX

MOV

CL.FDMAO

INT

BDOS

:SET DMA OFFSET

MOV

DXOFFSET FCB

MOV

CL.FREAD

INT

BDOS

TEST

AL,- 1

|NZ

INF90

.END OF FILE

POP

DX

ADD

DX.80H

:NEXT RECORD

JNZ

INF50

MOV

BX.DX

POP

DX

ADD

DX.IOOOH

■

IMPS

INF40

ADD

SP.4

RET

PUSH

DX

;SEGMENT OF MEMORY AREA

PUSH

BX

:OFFSET OF MEMORY AREA

MOV

DXOFFSET FCB

MOV

CL.FDELETE

INT

BDOS

MOV

DXOFFSET FCB

MOV

CL.FMAKE

INT

BDOS

POP

BX

POP

DX

CMP

AL.-I

JNE

OUTF40

MOV

DXOFFSET NRODMSG :NO ROOM IN DIRECTORY

MOV

CL.COSTR

INT

BDOS

RET

PUSH

DX

PUSH

BX

MOV

CL.FDMAS

INT

BDOS

;SET DMA SEGMENT

POP

DX

PUSH

DX

MOV

CL.FDMAO

INT

BDOS

;SET DMA OFFSET

MOV

DXOFFSET FCB

MOV

CL.FWRITE

INT

BDOS

TEST

AL, - 1

JZ

OUTF70

:RECORD ON DISK

MOV

DXOFFSET NRODMSG

MOV

CL.COSTR

INT

BDOS

ADD

SP.4

IMPS

OUTF90

POP

DX

ADD

DX.80H

:NEXT RECORD

|Z

OUTF80

CMP

DX.ENDPOINT

)BE

OUTF50

MOV

BX.DX

POP

DX

CMP

BX.O

IE

OUTF85

CMP

DX.ENDSEG

]AE

OUTF90

ADD

DX.IOOOH

JMPS

OUTF40

MOV

DXOFFSET FCB

MOV

CL.FCLOSE

INT

BDOS

:CLOSE FILE

RET

{continued)

THE FORTH SOURCE

TM

MVP-FORTH Expert System lor development ol knowledgebased programs for Apple. IBM, or CP/M. $100

FORTH CROSS COMPILERS Allow extending, modifying and compiling for speed and memory savings, can also produce ROMable code. Specify CP/M, 8086, 68000, IBM. Z80, or Apple II. II + $300

FORTH COMPUTER

□ Jupiter Ace $1 50

Ordering Information: Check, Money Order (payable lo MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS, INC.), VISA, MasterCard, American Express COD'S $5 exlra Minimum order $15 No billing or unpaid PO's California residents add sales tax Shipping costs in US included in price Foreign orders, pay in US funds on US bank, include for handling and shipping by Air: $5 for each item under $25, $10 tor each item between $25 and $99 and $20 lor each item over $100 All prices and products subject !o change or withdrawal without nolice Single system and/or single user license agreement required on some products

MVP-FORTH

Stable - Transportable - Public Domain - Tools

You need two primary features in a software development package a stable operating system and the ability to move programs easily and <f* quickly lo a variety of computers. MVP-FORTH gives you both these features and many extras. This public domain product includes an editor. FORTH assembler, tools, utilities and the vocabulary for the best selling book "Starting FORTH'. The Programmer's Kit provides a complete FORTH for a number of computers. Other MVP-FORTH products will simplify the development of vour applications.

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Q Volume 5, File Management System with inletrupt security by Moreton $25

MVP-FORTH Software - A Transportable FORTH

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V* C TRS-80/100 $150 MVP-FORTH Cross Compiler for CP/M Programmer's Kit. Generates headerless code for ROM or target CPU $300 MVP-FORTH Meta Compiler lor CP/M Programmer's kit. Use for applicatons on CP/M based computer. Includes public domain source $150

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MVP-FORTH PADS (Professional Application Development System) for IBM PC, XT or PCjr or Apple II, II + or He. An integrated system tor customizing your FORTH programs and applications. The editor includes a bi-directional string search and is a word processor specially designed for last development. PADS has almost triple the compile speed of most FORTH's and provides fast debugging techniques Minimum size target systems are easy with or without heads. Virtual overlays can be compiled in objecl code. PADS is a true professional development system. Specify Computer. $500 MVP-FORTH Floating Point & Matrix Math for IBM or Apple $85 MVP-FORTH Graphics Extension for IBM or Apple $65 MVP-FORTH MS-DOS file interface for IBM PC PADS $80

FORTH DISKS

FORTH with editor, assembler, and manual.

ID APPLE by MM. 83 APPLE by Kuntze □ ATARI"' valFORTH il I CP/M"' by MM. 83

HP-85 by Lange I i HP-75 by Cassady -HD IBM-PC" by LM. 83

$100 $90 $60 $100 $90 $150 $100

NOVA by CCI 8" DS/DD$175

□ Z80 by LM. 83 ^ ^$100

□ 8086/88 by LM, 83 ^ $100

□ 68000 by LM, 83 & $250

□ VIC FORTH by HES. VIC20 cartridge $50

□ C64 by HES Commodore 64 cartridge $40

□ Timex bv HW $25

Enhanced FORTH with: F-Floating Point, G-Graphics. T-Tutorial, S-Sland Alone. M-Math Chip Support, MT-Multi-Tasking. X-Other Extras, 79-FORTH-79, 83-FORTH-83,

APPLE by MM,

F. G, &83

$180

ATARI bv PNS. F.G. & X, $90 CP/M bv MM. F & 83 $1 4U □ Apple, GraFORTH bv I $75 I Multi-Tasking FORTH by SL,

CP/M. X & 79 $395

LI TRS-80/I or III by MMS

F, X, & 79 $130

J C64 by ParSec. MVP, F. .^G&X

79 , $96

FDOS lor Atari FORTH's $40 Extensions for LM Specify IBM, Z80, or 8086 LI Software Floating

Timex by FD, tape G,X,

& 79

$45

Point

$100

□ 8087 Support

(IBM-PC or 8086)

$100

□ 9511 Support

(Z80 or 8086)

$100

□ Color Graphics

(IBM-PC)

$100

□ Data Base

Management

$200

□ Victor 9000 by DE.G.X $150

□ fig-FORTH Programming Aids lor decompiling, calllinding, and translating. CP/M. IBM-PC. Z80, or Apple

FORTH MANUALS, GUIDES & DOCUMENTS

$200

4T

ALL ABOUT FORTH by

Haydon, See above. $25 FORTH Encyclopedia by Derick & Baker $25 The Complete FORTH by Winfield $16 Understanding FORTH by Reymann $3 FORTH Fundamentals, Vol. I by McCabe $16

FORTH Fundamentals, Vol. II by McCabe $13 FORTH Tools, Vol.1 by Anderson & Tracy $20 Beginning FORTH by Chirlian $17 FORTH Encyclopedia Pocket Guide $7

I I And So FORTH by Huang. A college level text. $25

I ] FORTH Programming by Scanlon $17

I FORTH on the ATARI by E. Floegel $8 Starting FORTH by Brodie. Best instructional manual available, (soft cover) $18 Starting FORTH (hard cover) $23

! I 68000 fig-Forth with

assembler $25 Jupiter ACE Manual by Vickers $15

1980 FORML Proc. $25

1981 FORML Proc 2 Vol $40

1982 FORML Proc. $25

1981 Rochester FORTH Proc. $25

1982 Rochester FORTH Proc. $25

1983 Rochester FORTH Proc. $25 A Bibliography of FORTH References, 1st. Ed. $15 The Journal of FORTH Application & Research

Vol. 1,No. 1 $20 Vol. 1, No. 2 $20 METAFORTH by Cassady $30 A FORTH Primer $25 Threaded Interpretive Languages $23

Systems Guide to figFORTH $25 Invitation to FORTH $20 PDP-11 User Man. $20 FORTH-83 Standard $15 FORTH-79 Standard $15 FORTH-79 Standard Conversion $10 Tiny Pascal fig-FORTH $10 NOVA fig-FORTH by CCI Source Listing $25 NOVA by CCI User's Manual $25 $15

i I Installation Manual for fig-FORTH, Source Listings of fig-FORTH, for specific CPU's and computers The Installation Manual is required lor implementation. Each $15

111802 I I 6502 LJ 6800 □ AlphaMicro 13 IBM ^ I 8080 I I 8086/88 U 9900 □ APPLE II

I I PACE U 6809 □ NOVA LI PDP-11/LSI-11

I I 68000 I I Eclipse □ VAX [ ] Z80

MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS, INC.

PO BOX 4656 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040 (415) 961-4103

Circle 26! on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER I984 • BYTE 275

3-D GRAPHICS

porated into the 3DVS as a real-time switch.

Mathematical Solution

A 3-D artificial environment (3DAE), or database, must contain three numbers for each point it represents. These numbers, or coordinates, specify the location of the point within the environment. There may be other numbers associated with the point that indicate its color, or whether it and other points form a line segment, etc. For now, consider only three coordinates. Write them as an ordered triple (x.y.z).

Suppose that your camera or eye is situated at the origin (0,0,0) of your 3 DAE and that it is oriented so you are looking down one of the three major axes. Designate this as the z-axis and straight ahead as the positive z direction. Straight up is the positive y-axis, and the horizontal direction to the right is the positive x-axis. This yields a 2-D perspective that is oriented in the x.y plane. Your line of sight to a point in the 3DAE is just the vector, or ray, {x.y.z). Now, if you place the imaginary flat screen one unit away from the camera on the positive z-axis, the point of intersection with the vector (x.y.z) will be the point on the vector with its third coordinate equal to 1, [xlz.ylz.l). Likewise, in true perspective the intersection of this vector with the unit sphere about your eye will be that point (xlq.ylq.zlq) such that the distance to the origin is I, i.e., q = square root (x2+y2+z2).

Given that the camera is at an arbitrary position and oriented in an arbitrary direction, how do you get it into the standard position and orientation? The origin can be moved to the camera position by an operation called transformation. During a transformation you add the same three constants to every point in the 3DAE, which keeps the relative positions of the points and the camera unchanged. These three constants should be (-a.-b, -c), where (a.b.c) is the position of your camera. A point that was at [x.y.z) would be at (x-a, y-b.z-c) if the camera were at (0,0,0).

Once the camera is in standard position (0,0,0). its orientation can be adjusted via rotation. Any rotation about the origin can be broken down into no more than three rotations, one around each of the major axes. A rotation

(continued)

ATOH:

XOR

DX.DX :CONVERT ASCII AT BX+ 1 TO HEX AT SI

MOV

CL.4

ATOH 10:

INC

BX

MOV

AL,|BX|

SUB

AL.30H

IL

ATOH30

CMP

AL.0AH

IB

ATOH20

SUB

AL.7

CMP

AL.0FH

JA

ATOH30

ATOH20:

SHL

DX.CL

OR

DL.AL

IMPS

ATOH 10

ATOH30:

MOV

|SI|.DX

RET

:

HTOA:

MOV

DX,|SI| ;CONVERT HEX AT SI TO ASCII AT BX+ 1

MOV

CX.4

HTOA 10:

INC

BX

ROL

DX.I

ROL

DX.I

ROL

DX.I

ROL

DX.I

MOV

AL.0FH

AND

AL.DL

ADD

AL.30H

CMP

AL.'9'

|BE

HTOA20

ADD

AL,7

HTOA20:

MOV

|BX|.AL

LOOP

HTOA 10

RET

:

PRINT:

MOV

BXOFFSET OUTBUFF :PRINT PARAMETERS

MOV

SI.OFFSET A

MOV

AX.' = A'

PRI20:

PUSH

AX

MOV

IBXI.AX

INC

BX

CALL

HTOA

INC

SI

INC

SI

ADD

BX.4

POP

AX

INC

AL

CMP

ALT'

IBE

PRI20

MOV

SI.OFFSET K

MOV

AL.R'

MOV

[BXI.AX

INC

BX

CALL

HTOA

ADD

BX.4

MOV

SI.OFFSET P

MOV

AX.=P

MOV

[BXI.AX

INC

BX

CALL

HTOA

ADD

BX.4

MOV

SI.OFFSET W

MOV

AX,' = W

MOV

IBXI.AX

INC

BX

CALL

HTOA

INC

BX

MOV

AL.CR

MOV

AH.S'

MOV

|BX|,AX

MOV

DX.OFFSET OUTBUFF

MOV

CL.COSTR [continued]

276 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

GenTech

COMPUTERS

ALTOS

586-20 (6086, 5I2K, 5 Users. XENIX/RT, 20 MB

Hard Disk & 1 Floppy) SCall

986-40 (9 Users, 42 MB) SCall

COLUMBIA

1600-1 (128K. 2 Drives) SCall

1600-4 (10 MB Hard Disk) SCall

1600-VP (Portable) SCall

COMPUPRO All Models SCall

CORONA

PC-22 (256K. 2 Drives) SCall

Portable PC-22 (256K, MS-OOS 2.0) ... SCall

Portable PC-XT (256K. 10 MB Disk) SCall

DIRECT PC (128K. 2 Drives. 12" Amber) . . SCall EAGLE

PC-Plus 2/PC-Plos XL SCall

Spiril-2/Spirit-XL SCall

Turbo-XL (8086. 256K. 10 MB) S3995

FRANKLIN All Models SCall

FUJITSU MICRO 16s (8086/Z80A) SCall

NEC

PC-8201A (w/ I6K RAM) S479

PC-8801A (Z80A. 64K. 2 Drives. 12" Monitor.

WordStar, MailMerge, Multiplan, NBASIC) $1189 APC-H02 (8088,128K, 2 8" Drives).... S2649 PANASONIC Sr. Partoer (8088, 128K, Built-io

Priotet. Software Package) SCall

SANYO

MBC 550-2 (8088. 128K. 1 DSDD Drive (320K),

WordStar, CalcStar, EasyWriter) SCall

MBC 555-2 (550-2 Plus I Add. Drive. Mailmerge.

Spellstar & Inlostar) SEEOUA Chameleon Plus (8088,256K). SWP Micro Computer Products Co-Power-88 Board (8088 w/ 256K)

For KAVPRO 2, 4 & 10

For MORROW DESIGNS Micro Decision TAVA IBM Look-Alike (128K, 2 Drives) TELEVIDEO

1605 (8088.128K. 2 Drives. DOS 2.0) . TPC-II (Portable Version ol Above) . . TITAN TECHNOLOGIES OX-PC (8088 w/ 192K) For EPSON OX-10 VISUAL Commuter (IBM Compatible). .

SCall SCall

SCall

SCall SCall

SCall SCall

SCall SCall

ML

AST RESEARCH INC.

MEGA PLUS II (84K, Ser & Clk) S269

SIX PACK PLUS (64K, Ser/Par. Clk) $268

COMBO PLUS (64K, Ser/Par, Clk) $268

I/O PLUS II (Serial Port, Clock/Cal) Si 19

** OPTIONS**

Each 64k Increment Is S60 Installed.

Serial/Parallel/Game Port S45

QUADRAM

EXPANDED QUADBOARD (S. P, Clock. Game)

64K $278 384K $529

QUAD 512+ (Serial Port, Maximum 512K)

64K $239 256K $389

QUADCOLOR I (Video Board) $199

QUADLINK(6502 w/64K) S479

AMDEK MAI Board (128K. 640x 400) $389

CCS Supervision (132 Column) $489

HERCULES Graphics Board (720 x384) $339

Color Card (RGB, Composite, Parallel) SCall

INTEL B087 Math Co-Processor ... S249

KEWRONIC Deluxe IBM Keyboard (5151) S209 MA SVSTEMS PC Peacock (RGB S Composite,

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MICROLOG Baby Blue II (280B. 64K. Parallel &

Serial Ports. Clock/Calendar). $539

PARADISE SVSTEMS Multi-Display Card $409

PLANTRONICSColorPlus SCall

RANA 2.5 MB Disk Drive wf Controller. . . SCall

STB SYSTEMS Graphix Plus S268

TANDON TM 100-2 (DSDO Disk Drive) . . $199

TEAC FD-55B (DSDD Thinlioe Drive) .... S175

TECMAR Graphics Master (640 x 400 RGB) $519

The Captain (w/ OK) S259

1st Mate (w/ OK) S229

FOR APPLE ll/lle

ALS CP/M Card $279

Smarterm II (80 Column Card) S129

DIGITAL RESEARCH CP/M Gold Card w/ 64K $339

FOURTH DIMENSION 16K RAM Card $55

80 Column Card w/64K (lie Only) . S129

INTERACT. STRU. PKASO Universal S125

KOALA TECH. Koala Pad $85

MA SYSTEMS Omnigraph $79

MICROSOFT Premium Sottcard (lie) ... $279

Softcard (Apple/Franklin) S229

MICROTEK Dumpling-16 $148

ORANGE MICRO Grappler+ $109

Buttered Grappler + (16K) S169

PCPI Applicard 6 MHZ S249

RANA Elite I $249

Elite ll/Elite III S348/S429

TG Paddles S10

TRANSEND ASIO $125

HARD DISK

CORVUS

Omnidrive (11 MB)

Transporter .. S399 Printer Server. Network Mirror. $759 The Bank . . . DAVONG (Universal External) 10 MB $1925 21 MB

$1949 $7B9 Si 749

$2645

GREAT LAKES

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23 MB External (w/ Controller) S1799

MICRO SC110 MB Hall Height ... S879

acs

10/20 MB (w/ 5 MB Cartridge) S2995/S3495 TALLGRASS

12 MB External w/ Tape Back-Up . .. $2799

20 MB External w/Tape Back-Up $3149

TANDON TM 5112 (10 MB External) ... S1449 TECMAR

Remov Cartridge Winchester in PC (5 MB) S1529 10 MB w/ 5 MB Cartridge in Chassis $3149 THOUGHT WORKS tor SANYO: 10 MB. . . $1875 XCOMP 16 MB External (For IBM. Apple, Kaypro 8,

Morrow Designs) S1749

CALL FOR PRICES ON CONTROL DATA, DATAMAC, QUADRAM, RANA, SYSGEN

ANADEX

DP 9625B (60 CPS NLO)

DP 6500 (500 CPS, 15" Carriage) C-ITOH Prowriter I 8510 AP DATASOUTH DS 180

S1199 S2375 S349 $1149

LO-1500 . . $1149 RX-100

S509

RX-BO $279 RX-80 F/T

$329

FX-BO . . S459 FX-1D0

S689

FLORIDA DATA (600 CPS. 4 Fonts)

S2995

INFO RUNNER Rileman Plus

S279

MANNESMANN TALLY

MT 160L . . S599 MT 1BOL

S789

Spirit-80 , . . , S289 MT 1602

SCall

NEC

P2 Pinwriter (180 CPS. 10" Carriage)

S649

P3 Pinwriter (1B0 CPS, 15" Carriage)

$879

OKIDATA

ML 92 SCall ML 93

SCall

ML 84(P) SCall Pacemark

SCall

PANASONIC KX-P1090/ID91

S289/S339

SMITH CORONA D-200 (120 CPS. NLO 17x16) $459

STAR MICRONICS

Gemini 10X S285 Gemini I5X

$389

Delta 10 ... . S409 Delta 15 $549

Radix 10 ... . S589 Radix 15 S689

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

850 RO S4B9 855 RO S759

TOSHIBA

P1340 $789 P1350/1351 . . SCall

TRANSTAR T315 Color Printer $449

LETTER QUALITY PRINTERS

ABATI LQ-20 (18 CPS, 15" Carriage) ... $385 BROTHER/DYNAX

HR-15 (13 CPS, Diablo Compat.) S409

HR-25/HR-35 S699/S825

COMREX ComRiter II (5K Buffer) $449

ComRiter III (23 CPS, 15" Carriage) $709

DAISYWRITER 2000 EXP (48K Buffer) . . . $985 DIABLO

620 API .... $799 630 ECS/IBM. . $2049

JUKI 6100 (17 CPS, Diablo Compat.) ... SCall

NEC

2030 S685 2050 $815

3530 $1275 3550 S1595

7710 $1725 7730 $1725

OLYMPIA Compact RO/2 S459/S429

ESW 3000 (50 CPS. 15" Carriage) .... $1379 QUADRAM Ouadjet (Ink Jet Printer) , , , , $759

QUME Sprint 1140/1155 Si299/31479

SILVER-REED

EXP 500/550 Parallel S409/S519

EXP 770 (35 CPS, 15" Carriage) $869

STAR MICRONICS PowerType (18 CPS). . . S339 TRANSTAR T120/T130 $409/8569

PLOTTERS

AMDEK DXY-IOO/Amplot II $609/8879

ENTER COMPUTERS

Sweet-P . . . SCall Six Shooter. . . . $859 HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS DMP-40-2 . . . $779 DMP-28 .... $1849 DMP-41/42 S2399 DMP-51/52. . S3795

PANASONIC VP-6801A $1349

ROLAND DXY-101/DXY-800 S539/S709

STROBE Model 200/Model 260. . . . S529/S689

MONITORS

AMDEK

Video 300/300A/310A S135/S145/S159

Color 1+ ... S269 Color 11+ S419

Color III+ . . . S379 Color IV $709

MONITECH 9"/12" Green S85/S95

PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX-12 S479

SR-12 (690x 480) S639

Max-12 (12" Amber, TTL) $185

QUADRAM Ouadscreen (17." 968 x 512). . $1439

ROLAND

MB-121G . , , , S135 MB-121A . MB-122G. . . S155 MB-122A

CB-141 $279 CC-141 .

SAKATA SC-IOO/SC-300.

$145 $165 $559 $259/5699

TAXAN

KG-12N. . . S109 KG-12N/UY... $119

210 (380x 262) S259 420 (640x262) . $439

USI Pi-2/Pi-3 SCall

ZENITH

ZVM-123A . , . $99 ZVM-122A . . . , S105 ZVM-135 (13", RGB/Composite. 640 x 240) , $459

MUM

ANCHOR

Mark VII . . . S109 Mark XII S265

HAYES

Micromodem lie (w/ SmartCom I) $245 Smartmodem 300/1200 ... S219/S499

Smartmodem 1200B (IBM) $439

NOVATION

Access 1-2-3 w/Crosstalk XVI . .. $419

J-Cal (Auto Orig/Answer. 300 Baud) $99

Apple Cat II (300 Baud. For Apple) .. . S225

212 Apple Cat II (1200 Baud) $393

103 Smart Cat (300 Baud) S169

103/212 Smart Cat (1200 Baud) $399

TRANSEND

Modemcard w/ Source (For Apple) . . $239

PC Modem Card 1200 (For IBM) S419

U.S. ROBOTICS

Password (1200 Baud) $315

Auto Dial 212A $449

TERMINALS

ESPRIT

Esprit I SCall Esprit II S499

Esprit III . . . SCall ESP-6310 $583

QUME 102/1O2A S535/S549

103/108 (Green) S849/S549

TELEVIDEO 914/824 S519/S675

950/970 SCall

Personal Terminal $419

w/ 300 Baud Modem $528

VISUAL 50/55 $559/5689

WVSE

WY-50 $519 WY-75 $619

WY-100 $659 WY-300 $995

ZENITH

Z-29 $649 Z-49 SCall

ZTX-10 $329 ZTX-11 S389

SOFTWARE

ASHTON-TATE dBase ll/lll SCall

LOTUS 1-2-3/Symphony S319/SCall

MBSI, STAR Accounting Software SCall

MICROPRO WordStar Pro Pack (IBM) . . $399

MICRORIM R Base 4000 $309

MICROSOFT Multiplan $129

PSI WordPlus-PC w/ BOSS S349

SATELLITE SOFTWARE WordPerfect .... $259

SOFTWORD SYSTEMS Multimate $319

SORCIM SuperCalc 3 $239

SINGLE-SIDED DISKETTES

3M $23 Oysan $24

Maxell S26 Verbatim S23

DOUBLE-SIDED DISKETTES

3M S30 Dysan $32

Maxell S37 Verbatim S31

FOR C0MM0D0RE-64

CARD CO Card?+ G $69

ORANGE MICRO Grappler CD $98

PRINT BUFFERS

QUADRAM Microfazer Parallel/Parallel

16K . $138 64K. . . S185 128K . . $238 Serial/Serial. Serial/Parl. Parl/Serial BK. . S145 16K. . Si55 64K . . . $209 INTERACTIVE STRUCT. ShuffleBuffer 32K $219

SURGE PROTECTORS

EPD: Lemon/Orange S45/S99

ULTIMA SF-BOO S39

HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS

DT-11 Digitizer (1 -Button Cursor) $719

DT-114 Digitizer (4-Button Cursor) $779

RANA 1000 Disk Drive w/ DOS (For Atari) $309

CUSTOMER SERVICE

401-781-0020

ORDERS ONLY

800-843-4302

150 Broadway, Suite 2212, N.Y., NY 10038

Money Order, Cashier's Ck. Personal Ck (3 Weeks To Clear) Add 3% MC/VISA, 5% AMEX Charge Add 2% On COD Orders APO Orders Add 6%. Add 3% For Net Terms AN Returned Non-Detective Merchandise Are Subject To 20% Restocking Charge.

GenTech Rescues the Right to Change Advertised Prices

Circle I6I on inquiry card

3-D GRAPHICS

around a major axis is essentially a 2-D rotation; the coordinate along that major axis does not change. For example, the entire 3DAE can be rotated 30 degrees about the y-axis by the following:

x' = xCos30 - zSin30

If - y

i = xSin30 + zCos30

where [x.y.z] is any point in the 3DAE. The vector through 0 in figure 2 can be aligned with the positive z-axis by rotating around the x- and y-axes. You can apply the yaw rotation that will take the point at 0 to 1 to each point in the 3DAE; then you can apply the pitch rotation that will take the point at 1 to 3. Or, you can apply a pitch rotation first, taking the route passing through 2. The noncommutativity of matrix multiplication assures that the two cases require different amounts of yaw and pitch rotation.

If you let (a.b.c) equal the position of the camera, (Y.RR) equal yaw, pitch, and roll, and [x.y.z] equal an arbitrary point in the environment, you can obtain (i,/)—a position of a point in perspective—by the matrix multiplication in figure 3.

Since the three 3-by-3 matrices in figure 3 must be applied to each point [x.y.z] in the 3DAE, you will get a faster algorithm if you first multiply them into a single 3-by-3 orientation transformation matrix (OTM). You supply the values Y, P, and R (from which the OTM is constructed), as well as a. b. and c (the camera position), in real time. These values can be absolute or relative to your current position and orientation. If you save that current position (a.b.c], then, given a change [aa.bb.cc] in [a.b.c], you can use [a+aa.b+bb.c+cc] as the next absolute camera position. Similarly, if you save the current OTM, given a relative change in yaw, pitch, and roll (YYPRRR) you can update the current OTM by multiplying it on the right side of the equation by the OTM you could have generated if (YYPRRR) had been absolute.

Should a relative change in position (aa.bb.cc] also change the current (Y.RR)? What would a change in yaw (YY0.0) mean if you were looking straight up? It would be easier if you did not have to worry about yaw, pitch, and roll. After

[continued]

INT

BDOS

RET

MEMBOT

ENDPOINT

ENDSEG

GETBOT

WMSG

FNFMSG

NRODMSG

INBUFF OUTBUFF

A

B

C

D

E

F

R

K

AA

BB

CC

DO

EE

FF

RR

KK

AA2

BBB

CCC

DDD

EEE

FFF

RRR

KKK

W

X

Y

Z

V

p

Q

XX

XZ

YX

YY

YZ

ZX

ZY

ZZ

H

I

I

II II

POINTS:

IF ROMED. THE FOLLOWING 3 WORDS AS WELL AS THE FCB MUST BE MOVED INTO A DATA SEGMENT

RW

RW

RW

DB

DB

DB

DB

DSEG

ORG

RB RB

I

BOTTOM OF AVAILABLE MEMORY OFFSET OF LAST POINT IN 3DAE SEGMENT OF LAST POINT IN 3DAE GET BOTTOM OF MEMORY BIOS CALL

18.0.0.0,0

WHAT?XR,'S'

'FILE NOT FOUND'.CR.'S'

'NO ROOM ON DISK'.CR.'S'

THE FOLLOWING DATA IS ASSIGNED 0 TO THE BOTTOM OF AVAILABLE MEMORY

80H 80H

ORG

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

RW

00H

ORG 200H

INCLUDE GRAPHICDOC

:CONSOLE INPUT BUFFER :CONSOLE OUTPUT BUFFER

;CAMERA POSITION

:CAM ERA ORIENTATION

:REPEAT FACTOR ;STEP FACTOR ;POSIT10N CHANGE

.ORIENTATION CHANGE

:PERIOD FACTOR iSECOND DERIVATIVES

:2ND DERIVATIVE PERIOD

WRITE MODE (PIXEL CODE) WORKING STORAGE

TYPE OF PERSPECTIVE

LONG INTEGER, Q+2 = HIGH-ORDER BITS

FRACTION, XX + 2 = DENOMINATOR

FRACTION

THESE 8 FRACTIONS ARE THE NONZERO ENTRIES OF THE 3x3 ORIENTATION TRANSFORMATION MATRIX (OTM)

FRACTION FRACTION FRACTION FRACTION FRACTION FRACTION

DIRECTION OF SIGHT

II,)) = CURRENT DISPLAY POINT DISPLACEMENT FROM CENTER OF SCREEN

LAST I LAST I

:3DAE STARTS HERE 18 BYTES/POINTI

The Graphics subroutines: IN IT, CLEAR. SWAP, and PLOT must conform :to the following specifications:

[continued]

278 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Auto Cut Sheet Feed (option)

Tractor Feed (option)

We can't think of anyone who isn't better off with A DX-15 DAISY WHEEL PRINTER.

Keyboard (option)

Dynax's DX-15. And if you want the kind of printer that lives in the fast lane, the DX-15 is your printer. It does it all, certainly all that far more expensive models can do. The DX15 offers you some important options like Keyboard, Tractor Feed and Auto Cut Sheet Feed. Not only that, the DX-15 is a very durable unit, be it for business, home or word processing applications. And who says a great printer has to be expensive? Not us! What we say is you'll be dumbfounded when your dealer tells you just how inexpensive the DX-15 happens to be. Give him a call or drop by. Dynax's DX-15 says it ALL.

Dynax, Inc.

Circle 133 on inquiry card.

City of Commerce, CA 90040, 213-727-1227

Offices: (NJ) 201-471 0100 / (TX) 214-257-1700 / (IL) 312-981-5633 / (MA) 617-933-8162 / (N.CA) 408-730-1712.

Don't spend one more dollar on microcomputer hardware or software until you get Tony Webster's amazing new Buyer's Guides for the micro marketplace!

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3-D GRAPHICS

all, when you walk about, you do perhaps consider changes such as (aa.O.cc), but never the corresponding (YY.PRRR) required to keep your eyes on a given fixed object. You must already provide the coordinates for the camera. It might be more natural for you to also provide the coordinates of the focal point. This has another advantage in that the point of focus can be left fixed. You can then adjust the camera's position without having to update yaw, pitch, and roll each time to keep the focal point in the middle of the screen. See if you can reproduce the OTM in terms of camera position (a.b.c) and a focal point (d.e.f) only.

By adopting the notation \x.y,z] = square root (x2+y2+z2), you can rewrite the yaw and pitch components of the OTM as shown in figure 4. Note that the yaw matrix on the right is undefined if d=a and f=c. This is the case where the camera is pointed straight up or straight down. If you applied a pitch matrix first, it would then mean that looking to the left or the right would be undefined. A matrix for roll has not been included because there is no representation of roll in this two-point system. The point you are viewing remains the same. If you consistently apply the yaw matrix before the pitch matrix and avoid looking straight up or down, up will always be defined and unalterable. Thus, roll can be applied later, if desired, in terms of whatever parameters are convenient.

Microcomputer Solution

Having reduced the OTM to a two-point form, the only mathematical operation needed (other than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) is the square-root function. It can be computed in terms of the other four operations by successive approximation.

First, however, what sort of numbers have you assumed for your coordinates? The way a microprocessor performs arithmetic on real numbers is called floating-point arithmetic. It is quicker, even with a high-speed 8087type floating-point coprocessor, if you have to perform arithmetic only on integers. Since you are attempting to represent the real world with the coordinate system, it might at first seem useless to limit yourself to 16-bit integers. However, if you designate a unit to be the smallest distance you will want

IN IT takes no arguments and should prepare the display device to draw. IN IT might contain a complete initialization of the device or might suppose this to have already been done. INIT should also initialize any local variables of the Graphics subroutines. INIT must preserve the DS register.

CLEAR takes no arguments. If only one display area is used, CLEAR has no restrictions except that it return with the display device set in the same mode (ready to drawl as when called. If more than one display area is used, CLEAR may share data and flags with SWAP and PLOT. CLEAR must preserve the DS register.

SWAP is a switch PERSP throws whenever a new picture is ready. If two display areas are used, SWAP should wait until the next vertical retrace and then program the display device to begin refreshing the screen from the other display area. It must then set a flag directing PLOT to use the inactive display area in subsequent calls from PERSP. SWAP must preserve the DS register.

PLOT takes as arguments DS:1, DS:I, and ES:-2|DI| where DS is the segment of the bottom of available memory and ES is the segment of the current 3DAE point being processed by PERSP. 1 and J are the horizontal and vertical screen coordinates of the current 3DAE point in perspective. These coordinates may need to be scaled, inverted, or added to a constant before they can be plotted on any given display device. DS:1I and DS:||. the previous screen coordinates, are also available. The pixel codes of the current and previous 3DAE points are accessible at ES:6|DI| and ES:-2|DI|, respectively. PLOT must preserve the registers DS, ES, and Dl.

Any variable storage needed by PLOT, CLEAR, or SWAP is available at DS:180.

The conventions regarding the high digits of the perspective parameter P are as follows:

If the second digit from the right is odd (i.e.. P AND I0H NOT 0). then xy clipping is overridden. Clipping may be permanently disabled by reassembling with CL1PNAB EQU FALSE.

If the third digit from the right is odd (i.e., P AND 100H NOT 0), then full screen clear is invoked. This bit will come on automatically, in GDCPLOT, if the number of OUT instructions needed to draw the picture exceeds I6K. Full screen clear will result in no clearing if reassembled with SCLEAR EQU FALSE.

INCLUDE GRAPHIC.A86

SUBSTITUTE GDCPLOT, IBMPLOT, OR WRITE YOUR OWN

CSEG

S

INIT

RET

CLEAR:

RET

SWAP:

RET

PLOT

RET

CSEG

$ RESERVED CODE

ORG

OFFFH

DB

0

END

END OF ASSEMBLY. NUMBER OF ERRORS: 0. USE FACTOR: 4%

to distinguish, your representable universe will consist of 65,5363 cubic units. Thus, if you wanted to distinguish down to a millimeter in height, breadth, or width, you could represent a cube measuring 65 meters on a side. You could represent a small town (a cubic mile) with a resolution of 1 inch.

Therefore, each point in the 3 DAE will consist of four 16-bit words of memory. The first three words are the three ab

solute coordinates (x.y.z). The fourth word is interpreted as four nybbles (hexadecimal digits). The leftmost nybble (high-order digit) indicates the dimension of the graphic primitive. A 0 is a single dot, a I is a line segment, and so on. The three other nybbles indicate the colors and the patterns of the colors to be used. Hexadecimal F (or all Is) means a solid line of a given color, for

[continued)

282 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

icro>4ge*

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market. We anticipated that when they did, they would channel their products through a national organization. With MicroAge behind us, we're able to offer Milwaukee businesspeople and professionals such respected products as IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and most recently AT&T. And we have the technical expertise to provide service after the.sale."

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lb build your own professional computer sales organization with MicroAge requires an initial investment of $200,000 to $350,000 which includes $80,000 in liquid assets. Write to:

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MicroAge franchisees Ernie Venta and Elayne Kalman shown with an IBM Personal Computer.

3-D GRAPHICS

example. The 3DAE is loaded from disk (or built) at the bottom of available memory and can grow upward through multiple segments (8192 points, 64K bytes).

The 3DVS program is a loop within a loop. The larger loop. CAMERA, executes each time the camera's position or orientation changes. CAMERA may loop from 1 to 65,535 times, depending on the repeat parameter, R. The smaller loop, PERSP, must be as fast as possi

ble because it executes once for each point in the environment. PERSP in turn calls the GDC routine PLOT, which draws the points, line segments, etc., on the screen. In true perspective you can compute the length of the vector from the camera to the point before you apply the OTM. In drafting perspective you must rotate the z component as specified by the OTM before you can determine the intersection of the line of sight and the flat screen. The z component

(H) is useful for other purposes as well. It lets you measure whether an object is in front of you (H >0) or behind you (H<0). In either type of perspective, the equations involved yield an alternate set of solutions. A point behind you (i.e., that the camera is pointed away from) will also have a line of sight if you do not exclude it, intersecting the flat screen or the front of the sphere. Luckily, H (or H normalized with I and J) can be used to exclude such points via an operation called circle clipping.

The overhead of storing your 3DAE and the amount of time needed for PERSP to process it can be significantly reduced by using higher-dimensional graphic primitives. A one-dimensional line segment can be encoded as a pair of zero-dimensional graphic primitives, i.e., its endpoints. A polyhedron face can be encoded as a set of line segments, etc.

Using higher-dimensional graphic primitives with true perspective has some interesting consequences. A property of true perspective is that straight lines in the environment do not necessarily project into straight lines on the screen unless they cross the center. Projecting two endpoints and having the GDC connect them on the screen will always result in a straight line. This discrepancy can be minimized by using only short vectors. Long lines can be broken into connected short segments (using the repeat and the double-letter parameters) almost as easily as drawing the original line. Such a line will be indistinguishable from a single long line in drafting perspective but will follow the curves that true perspective implies. This will also guard against the entire line disappearing when one of its endpoints is circle clipped.

Two problems that are trivial when you're dealing with zero-dimensional graphic primitives become difficult in a higher-dimensional environment; they are clipping and hidden line (point, plane) removal. The target version of the 3DVS solves clipping for lines (the only higher-dimensional primitive supported). NEC ignores the second problem by contending that points and lines cannot hide anything. Adding such features presupposes that area filling could also be added, and the current hardware is too slow for that.

[continued)

Figure 1: True perspective and drafting perspective both depend on the intersection of a vector by a surface at some distance from the eye. Because the sphere is curved it presents a more natural view.

x AXIS

lZ AXIS

Figure 2: The vector represented by the dotted line can be aligned with the positive z-axis in either of two ways. The noncommutativity of matrix multiplication assures that the two cases require different amounts of yaw and pitch rotation.

284 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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SOFTWARE DIMENSIONS Accounting Plus

GL, AR, AP, PR, INV - Each 495 295

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Open Access 575 369

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Pfs: File

Apple 125 79

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Multimate 495 275

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SuperCalclll 395 275

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GL/AP/AR/INV/PR-Each 595 485

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VISICORP

Visicalc IV 250 175

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VisiWord w/free VisiSpell 375 285

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Tandon TM 100-2

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HARDWARE

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HAYES MICROCOMPUTER PRODUCTS

Hayes 300 Baud $289 $209

Smart Modem 'POOR 599 445

Smart Modem 1200 699 495

ADVANCED LOGIC SYSTEM (Apple II)

Z-Card 169 115

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Parallel Interface Card

(w/Cable) 90 68

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PC Mouse w/Software 295 219

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Apple - Cat II 389 275

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Applicard 6 Mhz 375 280

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S/S D/D 10 Pk 49 24

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Quadboard II 64K 395 285

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(64K/9 chips) 95 45

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NEC 3550 2299 1799

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Amdek 12" 310A 230 169

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Blossom 64K 395 265

International Dealer Inquiries Welcomed

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TERMS: All prices subject to change. Cashier's check/MO/ Bank Transfer. Allow time for company or personal checks to clear. Prices reflect cash prepaid discount. VISA/MASTER CARD/COD/PO's =3%. California residents add sales tax. SHIPPING: $4 per item for UPS surface (S8 for Blue Label); Monitors S20, Printers S25, within continental USA.

3-D GRAPHICS

OiCosR -iSinR o\ /1 0 0 \ /CosY 0 -SinY\ /xa\

ISinR CosR 0 110 CosP -SinPl 10 10 1 | y-b 1 lo 0 I 1 \o SinP CosP I IsinY 0 CosY / \z"c/

followed by normalization and dropping the third coordinate:

(!). (? i ;) (!)

where q = length of vector (i. \. k| = square root (i2 + p + k2) = square root (lx-a)! + (y-b)2 + (z-c|s) or q =k for drafting perspective

Figure 3: Since the three 3-by-3 matrices must be applied lo each point (x.y.z) in the 3DAE, a faster algorithm will result if they are first multiplied together into a single 3-by-3 orientation transformation matrix.

|d-a,f-c| b-e

f-c a-d

Id-a.f-cl (d-a.f~c|

[d-a,e-b.f-c| |d-a,e-b.f-c|

e-b |d-a,f-c| E \ d-a f-c

|d-a,e-b,f-c| |d-a.e-b,f-c| M \ |d-a.f-c| |d-a.f-c|

Figure 4: Note that the yaw matrix on the right is undefined if d=a and f=c. This is the case where the camera is pointed straight up or down.

To produce smooth motion, at whatever speed, you need to use more than one screen refresh area. That way, the most recent picture can remain on the screen while the next is being prepared. You can then switch the screen to the new refresh 'area during a vertical retrace period.

Another hardware-related feature that you might at first overlook turns out to be significant: clearing the display areas. Even though you need to clear only the area you are about to write into, this amounts to a hardware-bound task taking almost a second. For a reasonably small collection of points and line segments, it turns out to be quicker to "undraw" only the points last drawn. This has the desirable side advantage that the background can be painted with any colors not already present in the 3DAE and they will stay. Or, you can obtain a trace of the object by painting it with the same colors. (A positive trace can be obtained by assembling VIDEO with SCLEAR = FALSE and then invoking full-screen CLEAR.)

If you are using two refresh areas, you must "undraw" the picture you drew the time before last—not the one you just drew. In either case, you must save the points as you draw them. You could save just the previous OTM and recompute the previous perspective that, although light on storage requirements, is not fast enough. You could save the [J screen coordinates produced by PERSP. Note that you must save two copies at once because you will reuse the oldest perspective first. Alternatively, you could (and NEC does) save the individual instructions that are issued to the GDC to draw the picture—called OUT instructions. The 3DVS sets aside one segment of program RAM (64K bytes) to store two sets of 16K-byte OUT instructions. When this maximum is exceeded, the 3DVS will automatically shift into the more conventional fullscreen (display area) ERASE. If another 128K-byte bank of program RAM is added to the system, the 3DAE can grow to considerable complexity, and the speed of the 3DVS will slow proportionally. If you are willing to give up realtime control, the individual frames can be recorded on videotape and played back as fast as desired.

Many features such as screen erase and vector preserving x-y clipping,

which contribute the largest part of the code to the driver, may eventually be provided by the hardware. A couple of tricks that NEC purposely did not support are worth mentioning. You can test changes in the single-letter parameters by calling for (G)—a nonexistent file. This will produce a single updated perspective without starting the programmed sequence. The whole 3DAE can be purged without disturbing the run-time parameters by setting DDD...(I7)..D=0. The isometric scaling factor may be accessed at AA ... (7).. A. The hexadecimal I/O may be unnatural to some operators, but it was left that way because NEC felt that it made things easier for most people. The company also thought it lent itself well to joystick operations. The way it now stands, you might find 3DVS to be excellent prac

tice in hexadecimal arithmetic.

VIDEO, CAMERA, and perhaps PERSP could be written more concisely (and portably) in C. This first version of the 3DVS was designed to be as fast as possible so that it would compare well with other varieties of graphics packages. There is an older C version of CAMERA and PERSP, but it does not include VIDEO. There is also a GSXPLOT that replaces the complexities of GDCPLOT with Digital Research's standard AGSX calls. Both of these varieties are slower than the older custom-built versions, but the standardization of design has so many agreeable attributes that we can expect to see more of it in 3DVS version 2. There is also a multitasking version of the 3DVS that allows PERSP and CLEAR or PLOT to run concurrently. ■

286 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

<§§>

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TWO FREE

flexible diskettes with every box of ten.

Buy the specially-marked boxes of Control Datais new StorageMaster brand 5!4-in. double sided double density diskettes and get 2 extra floppies free during our special limited time offer. That's 12 disks-20% more-in every box, while supplies last

So plan to stock-up now on StorageMaster brand diskettes. Ask for them at your local computer store or call your local authorized Control Data Business Products distributor.

Premium Series 5.25-inch Flexible Disks

100% Certified 5-Year Warranty

Give him a calL.or call tollfree and we'll help you find the nearest source 1-800/328-6207 (In Minnesota call 1-612/835-8065).

Circle 96 on inquiry card.

CONTRPL DATA

HERE TODAY HERE TOMORROW

When buying a computer, you can't limit yourself to just satisfying today's needs. The best value in a system comes from its productivity ... both for today and tomorrow. CompuPro's System 816™ computer has that value. With all the power and capacity to handle your needs now and down the road.

System 816's longevity stems from top quality components ... high storage capacity ... the flexibility to handle a large variety of applications ... and the speed to get the job done fast. Upgrading is easy, and when it's time to expand from single to multi-user operation, it's as simple as plugging in boards and adding terminals. Your system grows as you grow.

CompuPro also provides a library of the most popular software programs with your system and because it's CP/M^ based, you have more than 3,000 other programs to choose from.

Even our warranty is for today and tomorrow. It spans 365 days —and includes the additional security of Xerox Americare™ on-site service nationwide for designated systems.*

What's more, CompuPro is one company you can count on to be around tomorrow. For more than ten years we've been setting industry standards, increasing productivity and solving problems.

For a free copy of our business computer buyer's primer, and the location of the Full Service CompuPro System Center nearest you, call (415) 786-0909 ext. 206.

CompuPro's System 816. The computer that's just as essential tomorrow as it is today.

A GODBOUTCOMPANY

3506 Breakwater Court, Hayward, CA 94545

'Available from Full Service CompuPro System Centers and participating retailers only.

System 816 and The Essential Computer are trademarks of CompuPro. CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research Inc. Americare is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.

System 816 front panel design shown is available from Full Service CompuPro System Centers only. (S1984 CompuPro

The Essential Computer

GRAPHICS

FROM PIXELS TO MICRODOTS

by Jane Morrill Tazelaar

The emergence of an exciting new technology

FOR SOME TIME, a movement in microcomputer graphics has been growing— a movement to increase display resolution and color availability and still maintain ■ a price in the microcomputer range. The problems are threefold and interrelated: monitor resolution, memory, and money.

Let's take these one at a time. If you significantly raise the resolution of the monitor, you have either a monochrome monitor or a far more expensive display device than microcomputer owners usually can afford. For example, the Hercules Graphics Card (Hercules Computer Technology, 160 Beechnut Drive, Hercules. CA 94547) lets you generate 720- by 348-pixel, highresolution, bit-mapped graphics on an IBM PC monochrome display with 64 K bytes for $499. Several other graphics cards let you do about the same thing.

If you want graphics in 16 colors along with better-than-average high resolu

Photo 1: The VideoShow 150 unit shown with its hand-held remote control and the Picturelt Series 100 software disk.

tion, you can choose from the following: Cono-Color 40 (Conographic Corp., 2268 Golden Circle, Newport Beach, CA 92660), which has a resolution of 512 by 512 pixels with 128K bytes for $995;

jane Morrill Tazelaar is a technical editor at BYTE. She can be reached at POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449.

IDEAgraph (IDEAssociates Inc., 7 Oak Park Drive, Bedford, MA 01730). which has a resolution of 512 by 512 pixels with 128K bytes, also for $995; Intelligent Hi-Res Graphics (Frontier Technologies Corp.. POB 11238, Milwaukee, WI 53211), which has a resolution of 1024 by 1024 pixels and 5I2K bytes for $1985 (including required modules for 16 colors); Artist I (Control Systems Inc., 2855 Anthony Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55418) with a resolution of 1024 by 1024 pixels and 512K bytes for $2195; and other available packages.

If you want more than 16 colors, one version of IDEAgraph has the same 512- by 512-pixel resolution with 256 colors and 2 56K bytes for $1895. As resolution and color availability—and thus memory requirements—increase, so does the price.

There is a fairly simple rule when it comes to memory: The more colors and

[continued]

<-For Dealer locations, see pg. 414.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 289

MICRODOTS

the higher resolution you want, the more memory you must have. First, you need 1 byte for each pixel on the screen (for 512 by 512, that's 256K bytes) and then you must account for the colors— but with bits, not bytes. To represent 16 colors, you need 4 bits or half a byte

(one-half of that 256K bytes is 128K bytes—the total memory needed for 512 by 512 pixels in 16 colors). IDEAgraph's 2 56-color version requires a full 8 bits for color determination and thus needs a total of 256K bytes of memory. This is the current microcomputer

graphics world. But things are changing; some of these restrictions are going away; the rules aren't the rules anymore. 1 recently attended the National Computer Graphics Association (NCGA) conference in Anaheim, California. NCGA is not really a conference for microcomputer users. But 1 saw a demonstration there that 1 think is one of the most exciting developments in microcomputer graphics in a long time.

The company is General Parametrics (1505 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94707); the specific product is called Picturelt. At first glance, this appears to be just another business-graphics package. But look below the surface. General Parametrics is using a brandnew technology. Instead of resolving pictures by the pixel, they are resolved by the microdot. With a standard IBM PC color monitor, a small unit called VideoShow (see photo 1) that is no larger than a normal floppy-disk drive, and the Picturelt program disk, this package displays graphics in much higher resolution than either the hardware or the IBM graphics card (320 by 200 pixels) is capable of. Sound impossible? 1 agree, but 1 have seen it. To look at the graphics (see photo 2), you would think that the monitor resolution was 2000 by 484 pixels, but it's not. The monitor hasn't changed.

This magic is the result of a process called MacroVision in which hardware and software combine to render the individual microdots within the pixel programmatically controllable. This level of control gives you 1000 (that's right, one thousand) available colors. The VideoShow unit contains 2 56K bytes of RAM, and the Picturelt software requires only 128K bytes of RAM on the IBM PC. According to the formula above, 2000- by 484-pixel resolution with 1000 colors would require 1182K bytes—more than a megabyte.

To quote General Parametrics' president, Herb Baskin, "MacroVision replaces pixels—the clusters of dots that form traditional video images—with variable-sized groups of dots that can be positioned to a much higher degree of accuracy. Eliminating the pixel triad restriction in this manner increases the possible shades and textures on VideoShow's displays to 1000—as opposed to a maximum of 16 in systems

[continued]

290 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

BASF QUALIMETRICFLEXYDISKS®

BUILT FOR ETERNITY - WARRANTED FOR A LIFETIME.

BASF Qualimetric FlexyDisks® offer you more...an extraordinary new lifetime warranty* The BASF Qualimetric standard is a dramatic new international standard of quality in magnetic media...insurance that your most vital information will be secure for tomorrow when you enter it on BASF FlexyDisks today.

We can offer this warranty with complete confidence because the Qualimetric standard reflects a continuing BASF commitment to perfection...a process which begins with materials selection and inspection, and continues through coating, polishing, lubricating, testing, and 100% error-free certification. Built into our FlexyDisk jacket is a unique two-piece liner. This BASF feature traps damaging debris away from the media surface, and creates extra space in the head access area, insuring optimum media-to-head alignment. The result is a lifetime of outstanding performance.

When your information must be secure for the future, look for the distinctive BASF package with the Qualimetric seal. Call 800-3434600 for the name of your nearest supplier.

Circle 39 on Inquiry card.

Enter tomorrow on basf today

BASF

• Contact BASF for warranty details. © 1982, BASF Systems Corporation, Bedford, MA

"Thoughtware, How Can I Help My Staff Manage Time More Effectively?"

c

MICRODOTS

Thoughtware is new, easy-to-use software that will help you and your staff see and understand how to become better managers. It's a unique series of personal, computerbased management diagnostic and training programs.

Time is a most precious commodity. Once it is lost, it can never be regained. How can you and your employees learn to manage time more effectively? Thoughtware Program 2.6, "Managing Time Effectively," will tell you. This three part program has been designed so that you and all the people in your organization can analyze the use and improve the management of time.

Unit 1 shows how to track the use of time and analyzes how time is currently being spent.

Unit 2 defines and identifies time-wasters. Users respond to on-the-job simulations that alert them to specific ways to use time more effectively.

Unit 3 offers guidelines and suggests techniques which have been used successfully to improve time management skills. Thoughtware Is The Future.

It's a new way to learn. It will revolutionize management training now, and in the future. Thoughtware utilizes the latest research in this field, and has been tested nationally.

For individuals and their organizations, the educational, economic and operational benefits of Thoughtware's computerbased learning programs are enormous.

Thoughtware Programs run on the following: IBM® PC and compatibles

with color graphics cant „

App^ ii pius and He. Expanding The Universe Of Learning.

Thoughtware Is The Present.

Here are some of the corporations and organizations that have purchased Thoughtware Programs:

American Express Hughes Aircraft Co.

AT&T IBM

Avon IRS

Bankers Life Johns Hopkins Univ.

Blue Cross Levi Strauss

& Blue Shield Mass. Mutual

Bank of Boston McGraw-Hill

Bureau of the Census U.S. Navy

Chevron USA NYU

Citibank Owens-Corning City of Dallas Fibcrglas

Dun & Bradstrect St. Regis Paper

Du Pont Tampax

Ernst & Whinney The Nestle Co.

Exxon 3M Corporation

Federal Reserve Bank TRW

Fireman's Fund Univ. of Illinois

General Electric United Parcel Service

General Foods United Way

Georgia-Pacific Westinghouse Corp.

Gulf Oil Corporation Xerox

And hundreds more. What they've learned, you and your people can now discover.

You can reap the benefits of Thoughtware by visiting your local IBM Product Center, computer dealer, or call toll-free 1-800-THT-WARE for the dealer nearest you. Or write:

Thoughtware Inc. Suite S, 2699 So. Bayshore Dr. Coconut Grove, Florida 33133.

General Parametrics new technology might revolutionize microcomputer graphics.

using pixel triads—and results in much higher image quality. A Horizontal Position Accuracy (HPA) of 1/2000 .. . assures sharp edge definition and slidelike clarity."

The Picturelt Series 100 software itself is an impressive and professional business-graphics package that is easy to learn and use through a simple menu-driven process. The documentation is straightforward and selfexplanatory—a thin manual with everything you need right at your fingertips. You can easily access and modify 2 5 different bar charts, graphs, pie charts, etc. The list price of this software (which produces this resolution only on the VideoShow unit) is $595.

VideoShow 150 is a 16-pound portable unit with a single floppy-disk drive and hardware support. It can connect to most computer monitors, a TV set, or a video projector. VideoShow 150 contains an Intel 8086 microprocessor. Its hand-held remote control device controls your presentation, moving forward and backward and jumping around from slide to slide, building slide overlays dynamically during your presentation, creating and moving a pointer, and more. It's as easy to use as you can imagine. The list price for this unit is $3295.

General Parametrics has produced a fine business presentation graphics package that should be well received. Its price might seem high to individual microcomputer owners, but for presentation graphics of this quality it is very low. As more and more programs are developed to use this exciting new technology, it should become available in one form or another at a lower price.

General Parametrics has introduced a new technology that might revolutionize microcomputer graphics. Goodbye, pixels! Hello, microdots! ■

I would like to thank Leslie Frohoff of Hardcopy magazine for notifying me of this exciting development. Cooperation among journalists is a valuable commodity.

292 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 375 on inquiry card.

Over one million

IBM PC

owners can now

own printers as good as their PCs.

C. ITDH

1

L I

1

Now, every IBM PC owner, as well as everyone who has an IBM PC lookalike, can own a reliable C. Itoh printer.

For dedicated compatibility choose from our EP Series of ProWriter™ dot matrix printers. Monochromatic or full color. Speeds up to 180 characters per second and up to 100 lines a minute throughput. And all with builtin graphics capabilities.

Or for the best in letter quality, choose any of our StarWriter™ daisy wheel printers. Speeds range from 20 to 55 characters per second.

Your C. Itoh dealer also offers you the flexibility of the PC Itoh Utilities. In inexpensive diskette form, the Utilities provide softwaredriven PC compatibility, along

with the ability to print Lotus 1-2-3® in full color, text and graphics screen dump capabilities, the ability to create custom character sets, and more.

For your PC, a C. Itoh is the perfect match, and one that's matchless in day after day performance. Nobody builds more reliable printers than C. Itoh. Nobody gives you a longer warranty— a full 12 months. Nobody provides better service—350 Authorized Service Centers coast to coast.

See your C. Itoh dealer. Or, for more information, write to C. Itoh Digital Products, Inc., 19750 South Vermont Avenue, Suite 220, Torrance, California 90502. Or, phone toll free 1-800-423-0300. In Massachusetts, call 1-617-769-8770.

C. ITOH

DIGITAL PRODUCTS

Circle 379 for Dealer inquiries. Circle 380 for End-User inquiries.

® IBM is a Registered Trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Lotus 1-2-3 is a Registered Trademark of Lotus Development Corp.™ ProWriter and StarWriter are Trademarks of C. Itoh Digital Products, Inc. ©1984 C. Itoh Digital Products, fnc.

How HP business graphics

Enhance your reputation for being more professional, persuasive, credible and effective than your competition with the new HP 7475A Business Professional's Plotter.

Make a first impression that lasts

The vital importance of graphics to today's business professional cannot be overstated. In survey after survey, statistics prove graphics can help you spot trends and relation- ^ ships quickly, analyze data accurately, and communicate your ideas with more

\4

T 1 A

clarity and power than in any other way.

Even more important, graphics can actually increase personal and company productivity. And create a first impression of quality and professionalism that lasts and lasts.

Graphics: the end to meetings that go nowhere

In a fascinating research project conducted by The University of Pennsylvania, 123 MBA candidates were involved in a study designed to test the effectiveness of business graphics in meeting situations. The results were startling. In the group where visual aids were used:

• Meetings were shorter: The study showed a 28% reduction in meeting length when transparencies were used.

• Group consensus was faster: Agreement was reached by 79% of the group using transparencies, compared with only 8% among the control group using no visual aids.

• The decision process was accelerated: 64% of study participants said they made their business decisions immediately after the visual presentation. When overheads were not used, the control group said they delayed decision-making until some time after the group

discussion following the presentation.

• Presenters with visual aids were perceived as being more professional, persuasive, credible and effective than those not using visual aids.

Now, with the new HP 7475A Business Professional's Plotter, your meetings can have immediate and productive results like these.

How the quality look of HP graphics can help

The way you present your information can be equally as important as the actual information you're presenting. And that's where the new HP 7475A Business Professional's Plotter lets your professionalism shine through.

Standards unsurpassed in the plotter business

The technical standards of the HP 7475A have no equal for producing quality graphics. With a resolution of one-thousandth-of-aninch, curved lines are smooth, not jagged, and straight lines are consistently straight. Its exceptional repeatability (the ability of a pen to return precisely to a given point) assures that intersecting lines and circular shapes will meet exactly. The result is high-quality charts and graphs you'll be proud to present.

Why 6 pens when experts say 4 will do?

Graphics industry experts maintain that good graphics contain four colors per chart. But Hewlett-Packard goes 1 experts two better by providing a six-pen carousel, so you can store and use pens of different widths —thick pens for bold headings and thin pens for details. And with six pens, you won't have to waste valuable time changing them. That's important when "the boss wants to see your presentation in twenty minutes!"

With the HP 7475A, you also get automatic pen capping to prevent pens from drying out between uses, and special "pen damping" (gently lowering the pen to the paper or transparency) to increase pen life and ensure better line quality... use after use after use. You also get a rainbow of 10 colors to choose from, in two line widths.

Your choice: 2 paper sizes and today's most popular graphics software packages

While most professional business applications will be satisfied with standard 8'/2 x 11" paper or transparencies, the HP 7475A adds the

294 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

;an be the key to your success.

capability of plotting on larger 11 x 17" media, too. The larger plots are especially well-suited for time lines, PERT charts, schematics and engineering drawings.

Best of all, you don't have to be a programmer to produce quality graphics on the HP 7475A. It's supported by a variety of professional graphics software packages for both HP and non-HP desktop and personal computers.

Naturally, speaking of software compatibility leads us to hardware compatibility....

Compatible with almost any personal computer in the marketplace today

With two interfaces available, the HP 7475A quickly "makes friends" with most models of today's most popular personal computers, including IBM* Apple,™ Compaq™ Osborne® and Commodore™ —as well as a host of HP computers.

The cost? Surprisingly affordable

The new HP 7475A Business Professional's Plotter is an amazingly affordable $1895. When you consider that a typical fee for a single five-color transparency from a graphics service is $50 —and that the same transparency can be prepared for about $1 in materials on the HP 7475A —the return on your investment is almost immediate.

Another choice: HP's low-cost, high performance Personal Computer Plotter

For the "business on a budget!' you may also want a look at our 2-pen Personal Computer Plotter, the 7470A. Its low cost (only $1095) is as remarkable as the quality of its plots. With many of the same features as the new HP 7475A, the HP 7470A plots on a single paper size (8lA x 11"). It stores and caps two pens,

and you can easily change the pens yourself for multi-color plotting. Best of all, the HP 7470A 2-pen plotter lets you turn your personal computer into a personal graphics workstation for only $1095.

Send for your FREE "Better Presentations Package" today!

For a FREE sample plot, overhead transparency, and more details, mail the coupon below today. We'll also enclose a list of software packages you can use with the HP 7475A or HP 7470A.

For the name of your nearest Hewlett-Packard dealer call toll-free 800-547-3400.

HEWLETT PACKARD

i 1

YES! I'm ready to gain a reputation for being more professional, persuasive, credible and effective than my competition. Please send me your FREE "Better Presentations Package," so I can learn more about the new HP 7475A Business Profes sional's Plotter and the HP 7470A Personal Computer Plotter. 1 understand I will receive this valuable package without cost or obligation.

Name Title

Company

Address

City/State & Zip

Phone Number (_ My computer is

-)

Send to: Hewlett-Packard

16399 W. Bernardo Drive, San Diego, CA 92127 Attn: Marketing Communications 11303.1

Circle 177 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 295

BYTE

Reviews

Reviewer s Notebook

by Rich Malloy 299

The Lilith Personal Computer

by Paul A. Sand 300

The Leading Edge Personal Computer

by ]effrey Mazur 312

The Morrow MD-I1

by }ohn Heilborn 325

Five Voice Synthesizers

by George H. Smith 337

Volition s Modula-2 on the Sage

by Edward \oyce 351

Review Feedback 355

LAST MONTH ANOTHER SECTION of this magazine ran a series of articles on Modula-2, a new language that is becoming increasingly popular. Some mention was made of the Lilith, a powerful Modula-2-based machine with an operating system that is derived from the same source as the operating system for the Apple Lisa and Macintosh. This month we start off with a review of a commercial version of the Lilith made available by Modula Computer Systems. Paul Sand takes a close look at the very impressive capabilities of this machine.

Somewhat later in this issue we again return to the Modula-2 world, this time as it relates to the powerful Sage 68000-based machine. Ed Joyce sets up Volition's version of Modula-2 on the Sage's p-System and examines the power of this combination.

For those of us who are more at home in the MS-DOS world, we have a review of a rather recent clone of the IBM Personal Computer (PC). Jeffrey Mazur takes a look at the Leading Edge Personal Computer. It seems as if it's not enough to be just a clone of the IBM PC anymore. You have to have something extra besides a lower price. The Leading Edge machine features good compatibility with the IBM and also has a faster processor. Jeff examines the compatibility and speed of this new system.

For the CP/M world also, new machines must boast something extra to be heard over the crowd. The Morrow MD-11 comes complete with a pile of software and a 10-megabyte hard disk—all for a very reasonable price. John Heilborn examines whether this is as good a bargain as it sounds.

Finally, we present a bit of a change. Most of our reviews are concerned with finished products (although a few products do not seem as finished as we might like). This month we are going to try something new and present a review of some specialized chips—voice-synthesis chips to be precise. George Smith takes a look at linear predictive coding chips, a version of which was used in Texas Instruments' Speak and Spell. Besides being Hollywood's preferred device for extraterrestrial communication, these chips have some interesting features.

—Rich Malloy, Product-Review Editor

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 297

Now you're a pioneer with a computer in a whole new dimension in communications.

COMPUTER GRAPHICS WORLD

is your magazine.

riding it or standing by the side of the road watching it. For riders, there are substantial advantages in terms of job performance, company growth and rapid career advancement.

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COMPUTER

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REVIEWERS NOTEBOOK

IN THE PAST YEAR, I've set up about 30 computers. Fortunately, almost all of them were very easy to get running. And last month, when a friend received a computer from a company down in Boca Raton, I offered to spend what I thought would be five minutes to set it up.

The IBM PC is, of course, a good, useful computer, but I had forgotten how difficult it is to get working. It has been on the market for about three years. You'd think that in all that time they would at least come up with an easy-to-read instruction manual, or maybe even an easy way to remove the cover.

A smaller and somewhat friendlier machine just arrived here from Epson. The folks who brought us the first briefcase computer—the Epson HX-20—have come out with their second briefcase unit-the Geneva PX-8.

This new machine, which sells for $950, offers several improvements over the previous briefcase machine. It features an 80-character by 8-line LCD (liquid-crystal display)—an 800 percent increase in size over the HX-20—a Z80-compatible microprocessor, the CP/M operating system (in ROM chips), 64K bytes of volatile memory, a 15-hour nicad battery, a microcassette data recorder, and an interesting bundle of software in interchangeable ROM chips. This software consists of four 32K-byte chips: one each for Microsoft BASIC, a word processor (WordStar), a combination of a spreadsheet and a scheduler program, and a group of CP/M utilities that includes communication software. These chips are set up as "ROM drives" from which programs can be called into system memory. The problem is that only two of these chips can be inserted into the machine at one time.

Options include a flat, half-inch thick, 60K-byte "RAM disk" that can be added to the bottom of the machine ($320) or a direct-connect modem of the same shape ($120). Also, a battery-powered,

31/2-inch floppy-disk drive is available (380K bytes per disk) but costs $595.

The only thing the system seems to lack is a parallel printer port and an option for a full-size display. The PX-8's display is not as fast as the TRS-80 Model 100's, but it is twice as large. This machine may prove to be a useful second machine for CP/M system owners.

And speaking of the Epson HX-20, Skiwriter, the word processor that came with the diminutive machine, is now available for other computers, specifically, the Commodore 64 and the IBM PCjr. (An Apple II version is supposedly on the way.) This new version is called Skiwriter II and is being published by Prentice-Hall. The cartridge version for the Commodore 64 is inexpensive ($50) and is faster than many programs running on the IBM PC. The PCjr version is a little more expensive ($70) but is even faster. In fact, I saw the PCjr version running on the Compaq and 1 was amazed at its speed.

Skiwriter II has some other amazing properties, including a telecommunica

tions program that can be accessed at any time while you are using the word processor. All three versions (Commodore, IBM, and Apple 11) were written in assembly code by one person (Ken Skier). And the entire package fits in 16K bytes of code.

In response to our video issue (July), we received an interesting product called the Telecomp 1000 from Valiant International Multi-Media Corporation (195 Bonhomme St., Hackensack, NJ 07602; (201) 487-6340). This relatively inexpensive product (approximately $320) allows you to insert signals from a video camera into your computer display. It attaches between your computer and your composite monitor and allows you to project the output from a video camera onto any part of your computer display. You could probably, for example, set up a promotional display with which a person could watch some videotaped material in one part of the screen while reading your promotional text on another part.

—Rich Malloy, Product-Review Editor

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 299

SYSTEM REVIEW

The Lilitk Personal Computer

High

performance results from

architecture built around Modula-2

ALilith computer has four hardware components: the system unit, the video display, the keyboard, and the mouse (see photo 1). The system unit is a nearly cubical box that houses the processor,

7 memory, peripheral interfaces, and disk drives.

3 COmpUter A black plastic panel on the front, above the disk drives, slides up to reveal a card cage with room for 14 boards. The version of Lilith reviewed in this article has eight boards installed (see photo 2). From top to bottom, these boards are a 256K-byte memory board; the display processor, which creates the video signals necessary to drive Lilith's display; the instruction fetch unit; another 2 56K-byte BY PAUL A. SAND memory board; the processor data port, which exchanges data between memory and the processor and also contains a real-time clock, interfaces for the keyboard and mouse, and a general-purpose RS-232C serial interface; the micro-control unit, the board that executes the microcoded instructions; the arithmetic/logic unit, which contains the bit-slice processor, barrel shifter, and fast evaluation stack; and the disk interface board, which controls Lilith's disk drives. Two fans on the left side of the system unit cool the boards in the system.

Screen Display

Lilith offers a high-resolution bit-mapped display. The video monitor is a Roland MB-122G character display; its green-phosphor screen measures 12 inches diagonally. (Actually, Lilith produces a TTL (transistor-transistor logic) video signal that's compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (PC), so any monochrome monitor that can be used on the IBM can also be used with Lilith.)

The display resolution is 594 lines by 768 dots per line, for a total of 456,192 pixels on the screen. This resolution is sufficient to display very detailed pictures and drawings (see photo 3).

Lilith's use of a bit-mapped display enables text and graphics to be freely mixed on the video screen; indeed, as far as Lilith is concerned, text characters are simply another kind of graphics. This flexibility means that Lilith can easily display characters in a variety of fonts: different shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and styles.

Paul A. Sand (10 Hemlock Forest, Dover, NH 03820) is a freelance writer and computer programmer. He is the author of Advanced Pascal Programming Techniques, published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill.

The software provided with the Lilith includes approximately 50 different character fonts stored on the hard disk; a typical font description takes up approximately 2000 to 3000 bytes. Utility programs exist to inspect these fonts, change them, and even create new ones. Library modules provide the programmer with the ability to use a variety of fonts in his own programs.

Another feature the bit-mapped display supports is windowing: the ability to simulate several independent displays on a single screen. As with fonts, Lilith uses windows to great advantage in many of its own programs. Library modules that are included with the Lilith computer system enable the programmer to make use of windowing as well.

Keyboard and Mouse

In contrast to Lilith's other components, the keyboard is completely conventional. It is a full ASCII (American National Standard Code for Information Interchange) keyboard with a numeric keypad similar to that found on a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VT-I00 terminal (see photo 4). There are four cursormovement keys and four special function keys on the keyboard, but as far as 1 can tell, they aren't used by any of the provided software. They aren't really needed, of course, because Lilith's mouse takes over many if not all, of the functions traditionally provided by such keys.

The three-button mouse (see photo 5) is hemispherical and about the size of half a softball. To use the mouse, you place your hand on top of the mouse and push it around your desktop; the buttons are operated by the middle three fingers of that hand. The mouse rolls on a spherical ball that detects the twodimensional motions of the mouse. This enables the user to manipulate the mouse as a pointing device: moving the mouse causes analogous movements of a "mouse cursor" on the screen.

Much of the software provided with Lilith makes heavy use of the mouse, although the details differ from program to program. As with the other hardware components, you must include the provided library modules to use the mouse in your programs.

300 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Mass Storage

Lilith's primary mass-storage device is a 15-megabyte Winchester hard disk, partitioned into a 10-megabyte region and a 5-megabyte region. When Lilith is turned on. the user may choose to boot up either the 10-megabyte or 5-megabyte partition. There are utility programs to transfer files between the partitions.

To provide backup for the hard disk, Lilith uses a 5!4-inch floppy-disk drive to which files can be read or written by utility programs. Interestingly, the floppy-disk format is Apple il compatible at the track/sector level. Although the floppy disks formatted by Lilith do not have a directory structure readable by Apple DOS 3.3, Apple Pascal, or CP/M, any of these operating systems can read and write the disks on a track-and-sector basis. (I was able to write a small program to transfer files from a Lilith disk to a normal Apple CP/M disk without much trouble.)

MEDOS-2

The philosophy of the Modula-2 language greatly influenced the design of Medos-2, Lilith's operating system. Essentially, the operating system is a collection of Modula-2 modules that perform hardware-dependent tasks such as drawing on the display screen or reading a file from disk. The Modula-2 language, of course, makes no distinction between operating-system modules and any other modules. Accessing operating-system functions within a Modula-2 program is thereby extremely simple: the program needs only to use Modula-2 FROM . .. IMPORT statements naming the relevant items from one or more operating-system modules and call the desired procedures. What could be easier?

An additional benefit of this organization is that only the operating system modules used by the current program need actually be present in memory. The module that enables communication over the RS-232C interface, for example, is brought into memory only if the program to be executed needs that function and therefore imports that module. The only elements of the operating system that are in memory all the time are ones necessary to

allocate memory, load programs from disk, and perform simple keyboard input and screen output.

Obviously, this organization makes it easy to add functions to the operating system; all that's involved is writing a new module. And because source code is provided for nearly all the library modules Lilith uses, a careful program

[contmued)

Photo 1: The Lilith Personal Computer. The four components of a Lilith are the system unit, the video display, the keyboard, and the mouse.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 301

REVIEW: LILITH

AT A GLANCE

Name

Lilith 2.1

Manufacturer

Modula Computer Systems 950 North University Ave. Provo, Utah 84604 (801| 377-3598

Size

System unit: inches wide, 15 inches deep, 1414 inches high Keyboard: 19 inches wide. 9 inches deep, 3 inches high

Monitor: 12 inches wide.

13 inches deep. 11 inches high

Processor

Custom instruction set implemented with AMD 2901 bit-slice processors and microcode in bipolar ROMs

Memory

2 56K (standard!

Display

Bit-mapped 12-inch monochrome display with 592 lines: 768 dots per line

Keyboard

VT-100-style detached keyboard with 83 keys, numeric keypad

Mouse

Roughly hemispherical with three buttons: 4-foot cord connects to keyboard

Mass Storage

15-megabyte 5!4-inch hard disk: 140K 5W-inch (Apple format) floppy disk

Software

Medos-2 operating system, Modula-2 compiler, debugger, editor, lara (document processor), sil (schematic editor), draw (graphics drawing editor)

Price

S8000

Expansion Options

Hardwood computer cabinet. $150: 512K memory, S450: 830- by 640-pixel display, SI020; laser printer with interface, $10,000

Documentation

Lilith handbook. 100 pages: Lilith computer hardware manual, 450 pages

mer can even change the functions provided by the operating system.

In order to execute a program under Medos-2, you simply type in the program's name in response to a prompting asterisk. While waiting for you to type successive letters of the program name, Lilith quickly scans the hard-disk directory for executable programs. You need only to type in enough characters in the filename to uniquely identify the program. For example, to execute the program directory you can simply type dir. If there is no other program on the hard disk with the first three letters dir, Lilith completes the command for you by displaying -ectory; you accept this by pressing the Return key or the space bar.

Lilith will also help you out if you have only a hazy idea of the name of the program you want to run. If you press the ? key while typing in a program name, Lilith displays all program names that match what you've typed in so far. For example, if you enter

*m?

Lilith displays all programs that begin with m and redisplays the m prompt:

matrix

makewidfile

memfilexfer

mia

modula ■, [continued]

Photo 2: 'Top view of the Lilith system unit with its front panel removed.

missle *m

You then can finish typing in one of the displayed program names or start over.

Lilith provides most of the common utility functions familiar to personal computer users as separate programs: there are programs to display the disk directory, make copies of files, rename files, delete files, back up and restore harddisk files to and from floppy disks, and so on. The source code for most of these utility programs is provided.

The edit Program

The edit program is used to create and modify text files; it is a simple but powerful program that provides basic text-editing functions and additional sophisticated features. I'll discuss the operation of the editor in some detail to give you an example of the way Lilith software uses the mouse and high-resolution display.

In most instances, edit splits the screen into three areas: a large text window that shows the text being edited, a horizontal message area at the bottom of the screen, and a vertical scroll bar at the left edge of the screen (see photo 6). As with many screen-oriented editors, you insert text at the current cursor position sim

302 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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You'll find it in the Olivetti Personal Computer. It's a complete system with some remarkable features.

Like a high resolution screen for clarity and superb graphics. Plus expandability to grow with your needs. It has optional storage capacity. You can choose either single or dual floppy disk drives. Even get a 10 megabyte disk drive for really large storage needs. All with a choice of transportable or desktop models. To please the hardcore computer buff, it has the flexibility to accept compatible expansion boards, plus the necessary printer and modem ports. And for computer beginners, you can get the PC Tutor program and a "Getting Started" booklet. So you don't have to be a wizard to use it.

In fact, the Olivetti Personal Computer is so complete, you can even get it bundled with five of the most popular business software programs.

And the Olivetti Personal Computer offers all this for a lower price than a comparable system from IBM®4.

How do we do it? Wizardry. Sheer electronic wizardry. See it all at the Olivetti dealer nearest you. He's a wizard.

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Call 1-800-447-4700 for the dealer nearest you. In Alaska and Hawaii call 1-800-447-0890.

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1 Lotus Development zAshton-Ta!e iMicroPro ' IBM Corporation Circle 124 on inquiry card. • SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 303

Circle 83 on inquiry card.

C_to _dBASE

The MISSING LINK

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dBASK is a trademark of AshtonTate

REVIEW: LILITH

Lilith was designed to be a programmer's workstation for software development, and it succeeds quite well

ply by typing it in; you delete characters at the cursor position by pressing the Delete key.

In edit, there are two cursors: the regular text cursor described above (a small triangle on the screen) and the mouse cursor (an arrow pointing up and to the left). If you want to move the text cursor somewhere else on the screen, simply move the mouse cursor to that point and press the leftmost mouse button. The text cursor then reappears at that location in the text so that you can insert or delete text there.

What if you want to modify a part of the file that isn't currently on the screen? You can scroll to another section of the text file" by moving the mouse cursor to the scroll bar; then, pushing either the left or right buttons on the mouse scrolls the text up or down, and pushing the middle button while the mouse cursor is in the scroll bar displays the portion of the file corresponding to the relative vertical position of the mouse within the scroll bar. Used this way, the mouse is a simple replacement for the cursormovement command keys in more conventional text editors.

The mouse is also used to select a block of text to be acted on by a subsequent command. You do this by moving the mouse cursor to the beginning of the text block and pressing the rightmost mouse button. Then, keeping the button depressed, you move the mouse cursor to the end of the text block. As text is selected, the editor displays it in inverse video. Release the mouse button when you have selected the desired text.

Additionally, the mouse can be used in the editor to display menus of possible commands and to select menu options. Pressing the middle mouse button and holding it down displays the editor menu, as shown in photo 6. You choose a menu option by moving the mouse cursor to it (the current option is dis

(continued)

PC FORTH ,M

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m

304 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 207 on inquiry card.

Condor's

IBM™PC-compatible file management software is one of the easiest and most complete MENU assisted file managers today, and for just $195.

Would you buy a file manager that can't add two numbers? Of course you wouldn't. PFS FILE™ contains no arithmetic capability and can't even balance a checkbookl

Condor jr. offers all the benefits of PFS FILE™ plus the ability to easily balance your checkbook, total your purchase orders, average grades and even monitor your tax deductible expenses. This is in addition to your normal mailing list and other file management tasks. Unlike PFS FILE ™, Condor jr. also offers report writing at no additional cost.

Condor jr. allows you to upgrade to Condor3 and save money as your needs grow. You can move to a fully relational database without redoing your system. A $195 discount off Condor3 also makes it easier.

Since Condor has years of data management experience — we have a proven growth path for you. Condor jr. has been especially designed for the first time user. Not surprisingly, it is designed directly from Condor 3 — a fully relational database that is being used in over 100,000 businesses today. To find out more about Condor jr. and the demonstrationpack software, see your personal computer dealer, or call 1-800-221-8479 (in Michigan call 0-313-769-3992 collect) for the dealer nearest you.

IBM is Ihe registered trademark ol International Business Machines Corp. PFS File is the registered trademark ol Software Publishing Corp.

Circle 92 on inquiry card.

~ 2051 South State Street Ann Arbor, Ml. 48104 313-769-3988

The next step, from AT&T.

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But, with everything I have to do today,

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GENESIS Telesystem.

It does what no phone ever did before. It remembers phone numbers. It makes calls with one touch. It has a built-in speaker, and it grows. Genesis lets you select optional features to custom tailor its functions just for you. For instance, the Universal Module memorizes and stores 75 or more names and numbers in alphabetical order. It also gives you a two-way speakerphone for hands-free conversation. Or add a cartridge that redials busy or unanswered numbers automatically, continuously. Or the Electronic Reminder Cartridge, to make sure you don't miss important meetings or special occasions.

Genesis telesystem. Today you may need more than a phone, but nothing less than an AT&T

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For the participating AT&T Phone Center nearest you call 1-800-222-3111.

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Save $75 or more on Genesis telesystem.

Buy a Genesis telesystem console, the Universal Module and any cartridge, and save at least $75.

Hurry, this offer is available only from August 23 to September 30,1984, at participating AT&T dealers.

Visit your AT&T Phone Center at the following locations:

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Bambergers Public Phone Stores John Wanamaker South Carolina

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REVIEW: LILITH

The editor lets you split the screen into independent windows to display different portions of a file simultaneously.

played in inverse video) and releasing the button. For example, you can delete an entire block of text by first selecting it with the mouse. You then activate the editor menu by pressing the middle button, highlight the Delete option by moving the mouse to it, and release the button to perform the deletion. Similar options within the editor menu let you move and copy selected blocks of text and search the file for a specified string.

The editor also lets you split the screen into two or more independent windows to display different portions of a file simultaneously. You may edit different files in each window.

Other Supplied Programs

A great deal of software is provided with Lilith; I'll briefly describe some of the major programs.

A program that can be of great help in software development is debug, the debugger. Whenever a program ends abnormally, Lilith automatically writes the contents of memory to the hard disk; you can then use the debugger to inspect this memory dump. Photo 7 shows a screen display generated by the debugger. Probably the first thing you notice is the multiple windows; each one tells something of interest about the crashed program. The "procedure call chain" window, for example, shows the calling sequence of the procedures active when the program stopped. You can inspect the program's source code in the "program" window, values of simple variables in the "data" window, and values of structured variables (arrays and records) in the "variable" window.

Another important program, lara. is a document processor. Unlike the no-frills text editor, lara is designed to edit documents that may use different fonts, underlining, various justification modes,

[continued)

Circle 32 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 307

REVIEW: LILITH

and so on. These options are displayed on the screen in true "what you see is what you get" fashion. If you specify that a phrase be italicized, for example, it is displayed in italics on the screen. (See photo 8 for a sample display.) A companion program called laraprint generates a printed copy of documents created by lara on a laser printer.

Lilith also provides two powerful "picture processors": programs that let you easily create and modify charts, drawings, and illustrations. The sil program is primarily meant for editing schematic diagrams and other line drawings. Related software includes libraries of predrawn logic gates and electronic symbols. The draw program handles more complicated illustrations (see photo 9).

Finally, the Lilith software includes a number of games, including Othello, pool, and versions of Pac-Man and Missile Command.

Options, Prices, Warranty

The basic Lilith machine costs $8000; this system has 256K bytes of memory. Expansion to 512K bytes costs an additional $450. Expansion to 1 megabyte of memory will be "available soon," according to Modula Computer Systems; the price is not yet established. A hardwood cabinet for Lilith costs $150.

In addition to the 592- by 768-pixel display, Lilith can support a "portrait" video display with even higher resolution. The monitor used has a white phosphor (instead of green) and measures 17 inches diagonally. The resolution is 832 lines of 640 pixels each, a taller and narrower display. This option is tagged at $1020.

A laser printer with a Lilith interface is needed (at least for now) to get printed copies of documents and drawings composed by lara, sil, and draw. The price is $10,000.

Source code for the major programs on Lilith is available at relatively low cost. For example, the compiler source code is $160, the source code for the editor is $40, and the source code for the debugger is $80.

As of this writing, all sales and service of Lilith computers are direct from the factory. Modula Computer Systems offers a 90-day warranty on the computer; repairs are handled by free replacement of any defective subsystem (disk drive, memory board, etc.). After 90 days, defective subsystems are replaced for $200 per subsystem.

Prominent Features

Lilith was designed to be a programmer's workstation for software develop

Photo 3: Lilith's high-resolution video display. This display was generated by digitizing the output from a video camera.

Source code for many utility programs, library modules, and system programs is on disk. This lets a programmer study examples of Modula code.

ment, and it succeeds quite well. The system is both easy to learn and easy to use. As I developed some simple programs in Modula-2,1 found that the usual edit-compile-debug process is straightforward: all components of the system work well together.

One of Lilith's most gratifying features is the consistent way the supplied software is implemented. When I was learning how to use the system, I was able to use many programs by simply trying things that had worked for me in other programs. I didn't have to try to remember different rules for different programs.

Lilith's mouse is also a plus. 1 have heard that there's quite a debate going on concerning the proper number of buttons on a mouse: Are three buttons too confusing? Is one button too limiting? I had no problems adapting to Lilith's three-button mouse, although occasionally 1 did press the wrong button. Fortunately, Lilith never does anything drastic or irrevocable when such errors are made.

Lilith's virtues include the power of the library modules provided for Modula programmers. The library modules make it relatively easy to write programs that take advantage of Lilith's outstanding hardware capabilities. A programmer can quickly construct attractive and sophisticated programs by simply utilizing library modules that let you use the mouse, different character fonts, windows, and so on.

Another uncommon feature of Lilith is that the source code for many utility programs, library modules, and major system programs is provided on disk. This lets an interested programmer study examples of Modula code and makes it easier to upgrade the system.

(continued]

308 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

01984 Cosmos Inc.

How long is an idea?

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customize and update your data base application without being an experienced programmer.

When you introduce your IBM "' PC or compatible to Revelation, you'll see it change into a friendly brute that can communicate with other computers. Also featured is a hybrid full-structured programming language with an interactive debugging tool for serious development work.

Besides bringing the power, speed and flexibility of a minicomputer to your PC, Revelation works with

COSMOS

Circle 98 on inquiry card.

MS/DOS™ so you can use all the popular microcomputer software packages with the applications you develop.

Indeed, Revelation is easy to get along with. A veritable gentle giant. But, you need to know more before you decide to buy what may become your most valuable business tool. So call us at (206) 824-9942 and let us arrange for you to see what we've got here.

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Seattle,WA 98188, (206) 824-9942

REVIEW: LILITH

Photo 4: A close-up of Lilith's keyboard.

Photo 5: Lilith's mouse

To find how Lilith compared to more popular machines. I translated three standard benchmark programs from issues of BYTE into Modula-2 and ran them. The first benchmark, the Sieve of Eratosthenes, tests the speed of integer arithmetic and looping. The Modula version of the Sieve benchmark was taken from reference 1, listed at the end of this article. The Lilith did 10 iterations in 4.7 seconds, versus (for example) 22.1 seconds for an equivalent C program on an IBM PC.

The second benchmark is the Fibonacci-number generation benchmark translated from a version in C (see reference 2). This benchmark measures the efficiency of recursive functioncalling. The Lilith ran the benchmark in 19.7 seconds, versus 72 seconds for a 4-MHz CP/M 8080 machine running an equivalent C program.

The third benchmark, intended to measure the speed of floating-point arithmetic, is an adaptation of the matrixmultiplication program from reference 3. The Lilith ran this in 0.633 second, compared with 16.8 seconds for a 6-MHz CP/M 8085 machine running Pascal/ MT+.

Limitations and Drawbacks

The documentation is the primary difficulty in using Lilith. Even for its presumed target audience of experienced programmers, much of the documentation is too terse, breezing over complicated issues and providing few examples. Some sections of the documentation are out of date, for example, referring to keys not on the keyboard or not

documenting features added to the latest version of the software; some of the newer programs and library modules have no documentation at all.

While working on a simple program that would display different character fonts on the screen, I needed to use a procedure called LoadFont, which was in the library module Screen. LoadFont loads a font from disk into memory; you may then call other routines to display characters in that font. You must provide LoadFont with the name of the file where the desired font is to be found, of course. Font files have names like OLDENGLISH20.SCF and Chess.SCF: the .SCF extension is standard. The documentation doesn't say so, but you must omit the .SCF extension when providing the font filename to LoadFont; otherwise, the procedure does not load the file and causes an execution error when you try to use the font.

1 ran into still another documentation problem when I wanted to use Lilith's real-time clock to time benchmarks: the documentation provides no information for accessing the clock, let alone how to use it as a timer. (I solved the problem by perusing the source code for a supplied program that used the clock.)

One regrettable feature of Lilith's operating system is that it imposes a limit of 768 files on the hard disk. (This limit is the cause of the Winchester disk being divided into 5- and 10-megabyte portions.) Since most files on Lilith tend to be relatively small, you'll reach this 768-file limit while there is plenty of unused space on the disk. Worse, when this limit is reached, the editor and com

piler start behaving strangely, refusing to create files and not saying why.

Several programs provided with Lilith aren't completely debugged; the most common problem is that they crash when provided with unexpected input. Fortunately, such problems are found largely in the games: the pool-playing program, for example, exits with a cardinal-overflow error if you hit the cue ball too hard in the wrong direction. A utility program to display fonts signals a range error if you forget to specify the normal .SCF extension for a font file. Such bugs mar an otherwise outstanding system.

My other complaints are of the "it would be nice if" variety. For example, it would be nice if the editor had a search-and-replace command in addition to the simple Find command. [Actually, a word processor is severely handicapped without a search-and-replace function. . . .G.W.|. Lilith has a one-level file directory structure; a hierarchical one would be easier to use. The cable connecting the video monitor to the system unit is much too short and severely constrains convenient placement of the video-display unit.

[Editor's Note: While using the Lilith during the editing of this review. 1 found most of the supplied programs hard to use or poorly documented. Of course, our definition of ease of use changes with the passing years. When the lara word processor was created, perhaps nobody minded having to type in the name of the font—TIMESROM AN 12 B. for example—to change the size and style of text. [However, this is what you have to do every time you want to change type fonts in lara.) Products like Macintosh and Lisa, which

310 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

REVIEW: LILITH

allow font selection from a pull-down menu, have increased our expectations of what makes a program easy to use.... G.W.]

Other quibbles speak to Niklaus Wirth's goal of rich interaction between Lilith and the user. A sound-generation capability would be a welcome addition to the Lilith's graphics-oriented display and its mouse pointing device. Unfortunately, no sound-generation capability is provided on Lilith, not even the usual Control-G beep found on most machines. A color display would also improve the user interface. Lilith is an openended system, fortunately; it should be relatively simple to add those capabilities to existing machines, if the hardware becomes available.

Summary

Lilith is a powerful and versatile computer system that's nearly an ideal tool for software development. The underlying soundness of Wirth's design goals is verified by the number of manufacturers coming out with machines with features similar to Lilith's: high-resolution bitmapped screens, a plethora of fonts that can be displayed, mice (and other pointing devices), windowing, and so on.

Lilith has the potential to be an excellent machine for people other than programmers. A computer that is easy for programmers to use can also be made to perform well for more general purposes. Lilith's success will depend

largely on how quickly high-quality (and well-documented) applications software becomes available. ■

REFERENCES

t. Gilbreath, |„ and G. Gilbreath. "Eratosthenes Revisited: Once More through the Sieve." BYTE, lanuary 1983, page 283.

2. Kern. C "Five C Compilers for CP/M-80." BYTE, August 1983, page 110.

3. Pournelle, J. 'A BASIC and Pascal Benchmark, Elegance. Apologies, and FORTH." BYTE. October 1982, page 254.

For more information on the history and design philosophy of Litith, see two articles in the August BYTE: "History and Goals of Modula-2" by Niklaus Vi/irth. page 145, and "Lilith and Modula-2" by Richard Ohran. page 181.

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Photo 8: A display generated by lara, a document processor.

Photo 9: A display generated by draw, an illustration editor.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 311

SYSTEM REVIEW

The heading Edge Personal Computer

A fast-running

desktop

system with an impressive wordprocessing program

by Jeffrey Mazur

Jeffrey Mazur (POB 636. Chatsworth. CA 91311). a videotape engineer with ABC TV, is the author of a book on the Timex 2068 to be published bu Howard W. Sams & Co.

Add the Leading Edge Personal Computer to the growing list of computers that are compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (PC). The Leading Edge is a three-piece desktop system similar in appearance to the IBM PC. It features 128K bytes of RAM (random-access read/write memory), dual disk drives, built-in parallel and serial ports, and a clock/calendar with battery backup. The central processing unit operates up to 50 percent faster than that of the IBM PC.

At $2695, the Leading Edge system compares favorably with similarly equipped IBM PCs and PC compatibles. While it does not offer an extensive array of bundled software like some others, the Leading Edge does come with MS-DOS, GW-BASIC. and a fine word-processing program. The machine wouldn't win any beauty awards, but it appears to be well designed, very reliable, and quite powerful. The Leading Edge is manufactured by Mitsubishi in Japan. This same computer, with a slightly different keyboard, has also been sold as the Sperry Personal Computer.

The only major feature missing on the Leading Edge is graphics capability. While the basic IBM PC doesn't have this either, most of the newer PC compatibles offer monochrome or color graphics as part of the standard system. Of course, if you want graphics, you can add one of the many graphics boards available for the IBM. Five empty IBMcompatible expansion slots are inside the main system unit. Leading Edge will soon offer a two-board, color graphics adapter with ultrahigh (640- by 400-pixel) resolution.

One thing this computer is not lacking is adequate ventilation. A large fan takes care of this and makes the power light somewhat unnecessary. You can easily tell if the computer is on by just listening. In a business environment this noise might go unnoticed. But in a quiet office or a den (this is a personal computer, right?), the noise level produced by this fan is almost objectionable. On the other hand, it seems safe to say that the Leading Edge will not suffer any heat problems, even after filling up its peripheral slots.

Hardware

Like any good "clone," the Leading Edge system tries to retain a high degree of similarity to the IBM PC while offering a number of improvements. As with the IBM. the Leading Edge consists of three separate units: the main system unit, a monitor, and a detachable keyboard. A three-foot monitor cable makes for a more flexible arrangement. The monitor even has a built-in stand, which lets you tilt the display for easy viewing.

As for the main system unit, it has roughly the same (oversize, in my opinion) dimensions as the IBM PC but is not as aesthetically pleasing as the IBM and some other similar machines. The front panel is made of plastic. The rest of the box is surrounded by a sheet-metal cover. The two disk drives are mounted horizontally on the right side of the machine. Just below the drives are the power switch and indicator. Hooray for an easy-to-find power switch; some manufacturers find the place that's hardest to reach on their machine and then put the power switch there. By the way. the power indicator is actually a little more than meets the eye; according to the manual, this LED (light-emitting diode) is software controlled, which means it can be used by a program to signal some condition. I doubt it will get much use, but it could prove handy for machine-language programmers.

On the left side of the box is the keyboard connector. This standard five-pin DIN (Deutsche Industrie Norm) connector supports compatibility with any keyboard designed for the IBM PC. The rear of the computer has the monitor and main power sockets, the serial port, the external drive port, the parallel port, and the monochrome video connectors. lust to the right of the serial connector are eight DIP (dual-inline pin) switches, which control the processor speed, hardware self-test, and boot device.

Video Display

The monochrome monitor that comes with the Leading Edge system retains hardware compatibility with the IBM; that is, it uses a TTL (transistor-transistor logic) interface with

312 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

separate video, sync, and intensity control and 18-kHz/50-Hz scanning frequencies. Each character is created within a 9 by 14 dot matrix. Subtracting spaces between characters and lines leaves a 7 by 9 character matrix (plus two more rows for descenders). The Leading Edge uses a sans serif font.

The literature on the Leading Edge specifies a green-phosphor monitor. I was pleasantly surprised when my unit came with an amber screen. Either the company is switching colors or it ran out of green screens. I found this amber monitor to be one of the best I've seen.

Keyboard

The Leading Edge keyboard is sort of a cross between the IBM PC and Key Tronic keyboards. Unfortunately, it incorporates the worst features of each. The layout of the keys is identical to the IBM (see photo 2), disregarding the complaints of touch-typists concerning certain key placements. Of course, this layout adds slightly to the compatibility with the IBM PC; for example, keyboard overlays designed for the IBM will work with this keyboard.

The feel of the keys is similar to the Key Tronic keyboards with no audible or tactile feedback. The keys respond to the lightest touch. Some people find these keyboards too sensitive and may require a little getting used to. I hunt and peck, so I think most of the new PC-type keyboards are a dream to use compared to some others. I wonder if we'll ever see variable "touch" controls on a computer keyboard like those on electric typewriters.

There are no indicators on the keyboard for the Num Lock and Caps Lock functions, and the Shift, Tab. and Return keys are denoted with arrows, as on the IBM PC keyboard. Automatic repeat is supported on all keys, as well as true N-key rollover (you can hold down as many keys as you like and the keyboard still reads each key correctly). Two little feet at the rear of the keyboard enable you to tilt it slightly.

MICROPROCESSOR

Inside the Leading Edge computer resides an 8088-2 microprocessor. This is an 8-MHz ver

sion of the chip used in the IBM PC. Normally, this microprocessor runs at 7.16 MHz, which is exactly 50 percent faster than the IBM's. When the processor is accessing motherboard RAM or ROM (read-only memory), it can run at the faster speed. During direct memory access, I/O (input/output) operations, or peripheral card access, it slows down to the 4.77-MHz speed used by the IBM. This assures compatibility for boards designed to plug into the IBM PC. You can also permanently switch the processor into 4.77-MHz

[continued)

Photo 1: The Leading Edge Personal Computer with a monochrome monitor.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 313

REVIEW: LEADING EDGE

The disk-drive MTBF (mean time between failure) is listed at 20,000 hours, compared to 8000 hours for the IBM PC.

operation with a DIP switch accessible from the rear of the machine. Two other switches indicate the presence of an 8087 numeric data coprocessor and select its clock speed.

Memory

Leading Edge is sure to draw criticism for its 128K-byte maximum motherboard memory. You must purchase an optional board to add memory—and you will want to add more. Of course, the benefit is that this board will let you easily increase the memory size up to the 640K-byte maximum. When 1 bought my machine, the Leading Edge memory board was being offered at a very reasonable price. Since the wordprocessing program (as well as many others) performs much better with 2 56K bytes, the additional board seems worthwhile. As with the rest of the electronics in the computer, this board is

obviously extremely well made.

The motherboard has 16K bytes of ROM that contains the bootstrap and BIOS (basic I/O system) for the DOS (disk operating system). Another 4K bytes of ROM provides a self-test procedure that automatically checks out the hardware every time the system is reset. This self-test can be defeated by one of the DIP switches on the rear of the unit. However, even with 256K bytes of RAM, it takes only about one second to complete the test—much faster than a comparably equipped IBM PC An empty socket is available for another 4Kbyte ROM that can be used for software-protection schemes.

Floppy-Disk Drives

The Leading Edge system comes with two half-height, double-sided, doubledensity floppy-disk drives. Under MSDOS 1.2 5, each drive holds 320K bytes. Storage will increase to 360K bytes when MS-DOS 2.0 is released for this machine.

Several types of disk doors are popular: the traditional one-piece, flip-up door; the sliding door; and the door with a locking lever. The drives on the Leading Edge use none of these mechanisms. Instead, the door consists of two parts. There is a pivoting push bar below the disk slot, and above it is a movable arm attached to the clamping apparatus. By pressing in on the lower

Photo 2: The keyboard of the leading Edge. Note that the key layout is identical to that of the IBM PC's keyboard.

piece, the upper arm snaps open, ejecting the disk in the drive. The new disk can then be pushed in until it seats. At this point, if you change your mind and want the disk back out. you simply tap the upper arm and the disk pops out. Otherwise, as you lower the arm to lock the disk in place, the drive spins momentarily. This assures that the disk is centered properly before it is clamped. These drives seem to be of excellent quality and have performed flawlessly to date. The MTBF (mean time between failure) is listed at 20,000 hours, which should give some indication as to their reliability. IBM's drives are rated at 8000 hours MTBF.

Power Supply

Leading Edge's system uses a switchingtype power supply capable of delivering approximately 100 watts. This is a considerable improvement over the IBM PC and should prove reliable with any combination of peripheral cards. Since a hard disk is not meant to be mounted internally, there should be no problems with the power supply. Thanks to the abundant cooling provided by the fan, which is mounted on top of the power supply, there should be little concern about overloading this computer

Interfaces

The Leading Edge computer uses a monochrome video/printer adapter card similar to the one in the IBM. The printer port is Centronics compatible but uses a female DB-2 5 connector. Cables are readily available to connect the computer and the printer. A serial port is also provided. The hardware is identical to the IBM PC's, and most offthe-shelf communications packages should work. Perfect Link ran perfectly; PC-Phone worked fine in the terminal mode but had a little difficulty during Christensen protocol transfers (the files eventually made it but not without a considerable number of time-out errors). 1 tested these programs using a direct serial link between an Eagle II computer (running Modem7) and the Leading Edge computer.

The floppy-disk controller card in the Leading Edge can handle up to four drives. Two external drives can be attached via a connector on the back of the machine. These drives (as well as the

[continued)

314 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

AT A GLANCE

Name

Leading Edge Personal Computer

Manufacturer

Leading Edge Products Inc. 225 Turnpike St. Canton. MA 02021 (617) 828-8150

Components

Processor

8088-2. 16-/8-bit. 7.1 55-/4.77-MHz Display

IP/2-inch diagonal green or amber external monitor; 80 characters by 25 lines Keyboard

83 keys: layout identical to the

IBM PC's

Storage

Two internal, half-height. 514-inch floppy-disk drives I/O Interfaces

Parallel printer port, RS-232C asynchronous serial port, floppy-disk connector for two more drives

Software

MS-DOS 1.25. GW-BASIC. diagnostic disk. Leading Edge word-processing program

Options

Memory board with 128K RAM, socketed to accept a total of 512K: ultrahighresolution color graphics board set: Multiplan spreadsheet program

Documentation

Operator's guide and technical reference manual, 300 pages: MS-DOS manual. 420 pages; BASIC manual. 270 pages: Leading Edge word-processor manual and training aids. 250 pages

Price

Standard system (128K), S2695: with 2 56K memory and graphics board, S3120

MEMORY SIZE

0 200 400 600 800 1000K

DISK STORAGE 0 500

1000 1500 2000K

12BK | eaoK

128K | 640K

1 1 "

/128

i I 640K |

360K 720K

«J 140

BUNDLED SOFTWARE

PRICE

10 $0 $ 2000 $ 4000 $6000 $8000 $10,000

$3354

$2099 |

LEADING EDGE PC J IBM PC

APPLE II E

The Memory Size graph shows the standard and optional memory available for the computers under comparison. The Disk Storage graph shows the highest capacity of a floppy-disk drive on each computer. The Bundled Software graph shows the number of software packages included with each system. The Price graph shows the costs of the Leading Edge and the IBM PC with two 5 W-inch. double-sided, double-density.

floppy-disk drives: a monochrome monitor with connection apparatus; color-display capability: a printer port and a serial port: 2 56K bytes of memory; the standard operating systems for the computers being compared; and their standard BASIC interpreters. The Apple lie includes a monochrome monitor, two disk drives. 64K bytes of memory, a printer port, and a serial port.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 315

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11:

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Tfe rear panel o/ t/ie Leading Edge. Note (fie serial connector and The inside of the leading Edge. The disk drives are al the upper ieft

microswilches in the lower center. (front) of the machine.

DISK ACCESS IN BASIC (SECONDS) 250

175

56

.46.

28.6

BASIC PERFORMANCE (SECONDS) 250

150

100

50

191

-69

.15.6

CALCULATIONS

SYSTEM UTILITIES (SECONDS) 50

40

30

25

" 12.8

9.6

FORMAT/ DISK COPY

5.8

FILE COPY | LEADING EDGE PC

SPREADSHEET (SECONDS)

25

8.1

5.9

-21.9

-6.9

LOAD RECALCULATE IBM PC ^ APPLE 11 E

The graphs of BASIC program performance and disk access in BASIC show the times for running the benchmark programs (see "The Chameleon Plus," by Rich Krajewski, lune BYTE, page 327). The Leading Edge used GW-BASIC running under MS-DOS 1.25, and the clock speed of the microprocessor was 7.16 MHz. The IBM PC was tested using BASICA running under PC-DOS 2.0 with a clock speed

of 4.77 MHz. The System Utilities graph shows how long it takes to format and copy a disk (adjusted for 40K bytes of disk data) and to transfer a 40K-byte file using the system utility programs. The Spreadsheet graph shows how long the computers take to load and recalculate a 2 5- by 2 5-cell spreadsheet. The spreadsheet used was Microsoft Multiplan.

3)6 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 282 on inquiry card. —►

REVIEW: LEADING EDGE

Software packages such as WordStar, CalcStar, VisiCalc, Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE II, and MultiMate all worked without a hitch on the Leading Edge.

two internal ones) can be either standard-density (320K-byte) or highdensity (1.3-megabyte) units.

The Leading Edge Personal Computer also contains a built-in clock/calendar circuit with battery backup. This circuit enables the computer to keep track of the current date and time, even when the computer is turned off. A small nickel-cadmium (nicad) battery keeps the circuit running for as long as two months without power. When the computer is turned on, this battery is recharged.

Software

No computer system is complete without software, and the Leading Edge comes with a small but powerful set of programs, including MS-DOS, the operating system necessary to make the computer tick, and GW-BASIC, a very extensive BASIC interpreter. Although MSDOS and GW-BASIC are not exactly the same as PC-DOS and BASICA, most programs are compatible with the two. Some programs, such as the IBM tutorial disk, refuse to work at all in the Leading Edge. A couple of BASIC programs written on the IBM PC also generated curious error messages when run under GW-BASIC. Software packages such as WordStar, CalcStar, VisiCalc, Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE II, and MultiMate all worked without a hitch. Also, PC-DOS 1.10 and PC-DOS 2.00 disks from IBM both booted and ran fine on the Leading Edge computer.

Leading Edge Word Processor

The Leading Edge word-processing program was actually written for the IBM PC and sells separately for $100. It is a wonderful program—one of the best

I've seen—and it influenced my decision to get this computer.

A thorough review of the Leading Edge word processor would fill another article, so I'll give you just a few reasons why I like this program. First, it seems to do almost anything I would ever want to do with a word processor (short of showing different fonts on the screen like the Macintosh). Special formatting and printer codes are not embedded in the text, which keeps the screen free of such clutter. Underlining is shown on the screen, and other attributes (italics, subscripts, superscripts, and boldface) are shown in reverse video. Text is automatically saved whenever you pause to think. This feature saved me a considerable amount of work one night when the power failed momentarily; I was almost in shock when I turned the computer back on and found every letter perfectly intact. The program supports multiple glossaries of frequently used text or keystrokes. With a feature called "archived delete" you can restore any deleted text. The list of features goes on and on.

MS-DOS

The Leading Edge personal computer comes with MS-DOS version 1.2 5. This version is quite similar to IBM's PC-DOS 1.1 and thus provides "disk compatibility" with the IBM and other similar machines. When MS-DOS is normally booted (after power-on or via the CtrlAlt-Del soft reset), a title message displayed on the screen is followed by prompts to enter the current date and time. Witjh most other MS-DOS machines, including the IBM PC, this is how you set the computer's internal clock. You have to repeat this procedure every time you turn on the computer or reboot a disk. What a pain! I will never understand why Big Blue neglected to include a battery-backed clock/calendar circuit on its PC. It certainly doesn't cost that much.

The only people who benefit from the lack of a clock/calendar circuit are the third-party manufacturers of PC-related hardware, most of whom have a clock/ calendar function available either as a stand-alone board or as part of a multifunction card. To use these clocks effectively, you must also add a utility program to each of your disks and then use the AUTOEXEC function to execute the

program automatically upon booting.

With the Leading Edge computer, however, the system date and time are automatically set by an internal batterybacked clock/calendar every time the system is booted. Thus the date and time queries after booting are usually superfluous (they can be used if the setting of the clock/calendar needs to be changed). You can bypass this portion of the booting process by having a file named AUTOEXEC.BAT on the disk. If such a file exists on the disk being booted, the contents of this batch file are executed immediately after the operating system is loaded. Therefore, it makes sense to create an AUTOEXEC file on every disk that might be booted on the Leading Edge. Even a null file (a file that contains no commands) avoids the necessity of hitting the Return key twice to bypass the date/time entry.

Using an AUTOEXEC file, 1 discovered a minor quirk in the implementation of MS-DOS on the Leading Edge. After creating an AUTOEXEC file on a disk, you may want to boot the disk without running the AUTOEXEC file. With other MS-DOS machines (including the IBM PC), if you want to prevent the AUTOEXEC file from running, you press Control-C while the disk is booting. This terminates the "batch job" and throws you back to the operating system with the usual A: prompt.

You should be able to press ControlC anytime while the disk is booting to halt the AUTOEXEC file before it begins. On the Leading Edge, however, doing this can cause the computer to hang up. If you press Control-C before the title message appears, the disk drive continues to spin and the keyboard locks up. The only recourse is to turn the computer off and then back on again. Of course, if you patiently wait for the title message to appear and then quickly type a Control-C, you can achieve the expected result.

DOCUMENTATION

Four manuals come with the Leading Edge system. A combination operator's guide and technical reference manual contains simple operating instructions and considerable hardware and software details. Two other manuals describe MS-DOS and GW-BASIC. (The MS-DOS manual includes information

{continued)

318 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

How to cure the, Presentation must

be ready 1 tomorrow" headache:

Authorized Dealerships available

Use one Penpad tablet.

It has great slide effects. Now, anyone can prepare 35mm

slides, overhead transparencies, or a whole presentatation on a video monitor by using the Penpad.

Penpad is the only graphics tablet in the world that lets you run your PC with one hand. Draw, paint, plot, cut, paste, and label your work in the easiest, most natural way possible—with pen and paper. Capture and personalize images from Lotus™ 1-2-3 and others. It can read your writing and display it in dozens of type styles.

With our custom graphics software, Pendraw™, an easy-to-use 4-color program, or our advanced, 16-color VIDEO GRAM™, you can do in hours what once took days or weeks. There is no better remedy for the pains of an upcoming presentation, so take two aspirins and call your IBM PC dealer in the morning.

Lotus'" 1-2-3 is a trademark of Lotus Development Corp.

Pencept, Inc. 39 Green Street, Waltham, MA 02154 617/893-6390 In Canada call, Scarsdale Technologies (416) 441-1900

7'

Circle 145 on inquiry card.

Call ELEK-TEK for

UNBELIEVABLE PRICES!!

on

EPSON PRINTERS

80 COLUMN PRINTERS

RX-80 100 c.p.s. Tractor only RX-80FT. 100 c.p.s. Tractor/Friction FX 80 160 c.p.s. Tractor/Friction

132 COLUMN PRINTERS

RX-100100 c.p.s. Tractor/Friction FX 100 160 c.p.s. Tractor/Friction

NEW Near Letter Quality PRINTER LQ 1500 200/67 c.p.s. Tractor/Friction

CABLES/ACCESSORIES

Cables for Epson

CB5622 10 ft. 36/36 pin standard parallal 32.00

CBS609 10 ft. 36/25 pin parallel for IBM 25.00

CB561B 6 ft. 36/16 pin parallel for TI-99/4A 25.00

CB5629 10 ft. 25 pin standard RS-232 (fully loaded] 25.00

CB5620 6ft. parallel for TPS BO Model I III IV 22.00

P.S1Y RS-232 Y cable for TI-99/4A 25.00

Interfaces

CARDCO G 65.00

APPLE DUMPLING GX 65.00

GRAPPLER PLUS 105.00

Buffered (16K) GRAPPLER PLUS 165.00

8146 Ser. [For RX or FX Models) 90.00

8161 IEEE-4B8 Interface 60.00

Ribbon Cartridges

□ PR 192 For EPSON 80 col. printers 4.00

□ PR 193 For EPSON 132 col. printers 6.00

Elak-Tek Dust Covers available for most models 5.00

CORP. ACCTB. INVITED. MIN. ORD. 115.00 Maatarcard or Viae by mall or phone. Mail Cashier's Chack, Money Ord. Para. Chack (2 wke. to dr.] Add 14 lot ■tarn. [AK, HI, P.P., CANADA ADO 110.00 FIRST ITEM) 11.00 aa. add'l ahpg. 6 hand). Shipments to IL addraaa add 7S tan. Pricaa aub|. to change WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG. RETURN POLICY: Raplacamant only for defective on arrival. Thereafter, MFR. Warranty appliaa. All ELEK-TEK MERCHANDISE IS BRAND NEW, FIRST QUALITY AND COMPLETE.

ELEK-TEK, inc.

6457 N Lincoln Av» . ChicagoII60645 (100)621 1269 (312)677 7660

Next time you shop for computer supplies, pick up a pack of Avery's new self-adhesive labels. By putting all your address lists on labels, you get more done in less time. Name badge labels, shipping labels, piggybacks and new clear labels are also available.

The labels are designed especially for micro computers. And they're packaged to fit neatly behind your printer. Look for them wherever you buy computer supplies.

REVIEW: LE PC

on the MS-MACRO86 Macro Assembler, MS-LIB Library Manager, and MSCREF Cross Reference Utility, but these programs are not supplied with the computer.) The manual that covers the Leading Edge word-processing program is written exclusively for inexperienced users. But just as people can sometimes get a bit too friendly, documentation can be overly user friendly to the point where important information is left out. I had to call Leading Edge's software hotline a couple of times to get information that should have been in the manual.

Support

Leading Edge's customer support is another selling point for its computer. Two toll-free numbers are available for technical help: one is for questions about the computer, the other is for questions about software. When I called the software hotline, the person who answered the phone actually knew what she was talking about and was able to quickly answer my questions. My experience with the technical hotline was not as pleasant. When I called about the Control-C problem, I talked to a guy who didn't know much about what he was doing. After I patiently explained the problem to him, he rudely refused to believe that the computer was doing what I said. When I asked to speak to someone else, it was suggested that I call the software hotline. Doing so put me in touch with a more courteous person who had a computer in front of him. After confirming the problem, he thanked me for bringing it to the company's attention and said Leading Edge would try to find a solution. I guess I know which number to call if l ever have any more problems.

Summary

As with all PC compatibles, you trade a little software compatibility and the letters IBM for extra features and stateof-the-art design. All of the built-ins on the Leading Edge (i.e., parallel and serial ports, clock, MS-DOS, word processor) cost extra with the IBM PC. The faster clock rate in the Leading Edge is certainly another point in its favor. And, of course, saving about $1000 off the price of a similarly equipped IBM doesn't hurt. The Leading Edge computer is a reasonable alternative to the IBM PC. ■

320 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 34 for Dealer inquiries. Circle 35 for End-User inquiries.

Sentinel

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Phone toll-free for the name of the dealer nearest you: 1-800-323-5005 (in Massachusetts 1-800-323-5001).

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TECHNOLOGIES

One Sentinel Plaza. Hyannis, MA 02601.

Circle 322 on Inquiry card.

Herbie Briggs has just destroyed the myth that all floppy discs are created equal.

They seem equal. Until you look at the seams.

That's where equality ends.

Most companies seal their discs with a spot here, a spot there. Leaving most of each seam not sealed at all.

Sooner or later, the seams might do what comes naturally: they bulge. Warp. Pucker. Open up.

Pens, pencils, fingernails—even a fouryear-old's, like Herbie—can catch and snag in those wide open spaces.

That's sloppy. And dangerous. Because if you put a sloppy floppy into your disc drive, it can jam your drive. Ruin your drive head. Lose your data.

So much for their seams. Ours are different.

THE SLOPPY FLOPPY:

Scaled with a spot here, a spot there. Leaving unsealed seams ,

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To resist bulging, warping, puckering, or opening up.

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Which proves that a Memorex floppy disc isn't equal to all the others. It's better.

Solid-Seam Bonding is just one example of the extra care that goes into every Memorex floppy disc. Be it 8" 5W or the new 3%." Extra care that lets us guarantee ever)' Memorex disc to be 100% error-free.

The next time you're buying a floppy disc—or a few hundred of them—just remember this:

It's always better to be safe than sloppy.

For more information on the full line of Memorex quality computer media products, including computer tape, call toll-free: 800222-1150. In Alaska and Hawaii call collect: 408-987-2961.

MEMOREX

Memorex is a registered trademark of Memorex Corporation. ' 1984 Memorex Corporation A Burroughs Company

Circle 232 on inquiry card.

Your Data. When it matters, make it Memorex™

MEMOREX

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 323

HOW 10 GET 10 LBS. OF DATA IN A 5 LB. BAG AND FIND IT FASTER.

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J24 BYTE • SEFTEMBER 1984

Circle 13 on inquiry card.

SYSTEM REVIEW

The Morrow MD-11

Featuring a large

library and unusual disk

controller

by John Heilborn

iven the proliferation of new com■E -wputer systems, the drive for market share may cause manufacturers to make marketing claims that require close exSOftWare amination. In the case of Morrow Designs' new MD-11. the company said it aimed to deliver an attractively priced computer with above-average operating speeds and a higherthan-normal number of bundled software packages. Relatively modest goals, to be sure; so let's see how close they came to the mark.

The MD-11 arrived in two boxes: one contained the MD-11, 13 software disks (8 applications programs and the operating system), and nine manuals; the other box held the MDT-60 terminal and its documentation.

The system unit consists of a 384K-byte floppy-disk drive, an 11-megabyte hard-disk drive, and 128K bytes of RAM (random-access read/write memory) run by a 4-MHz Z80A processor. The Z80A uses 128K bytes of RAM because the operating system is Digital Research's new CP/M Plus (also known as CP/M 3.0). Ordinarily the Z80A can access only 64K bytes of RAM, but by using bank switching, the operating system can handle 128K bytes of RAM by looking at it in 64Kbyte chunks. In fact, the MD-11 uses whatever portion of the bank is currently available as an intelligent RAM and thereby improves overall throughput.

A look at the back of the MD-11 reveals five I/O ports: auxiliary, RS-422, printer/modem, parallel, and terminal.

In reality, the auxiliary, printer/modem, and terminal ports are RS-232C serial connections. The RS-422 port uses the same address as the auxiliary port and is designed for high-speed communication with a mainframe computer. If you decide to use the RS-422 port you will need to get your own software to support it because the MD-11 operating system currently does not recognize it.

THE MDT-60

Video-Display Terminal

The MDT-60 keyboard has 91 keys including 9 function keys, and separate Set Up, Help, Home, and Erase keys. A smaller keypad holds the numeric keys. Although the arrangement

of the cursor-control keys is slightly unusual (see figure 1; note that the Up cursor key is in the center position and the Home key is to the left of the cursor cluster), it only took me a few minutes to get used to it.

The 12-inch green-phosphor display screen supports standard, reverse, and half-intensity video. You can also program the cursor to be either a solid block or a simple underline, steady state or flashing. Table 1 lists the commands that control these functions. In addition to these commands, you can toggle the entire screen between standard and reverse video by entering Esc-K-0 for standard video or Esc-K-1 for reverse video.

To enter either of these commands, simply type them in at any CP/M prompt.

Setting Up the System

After you unpack the system components (system unit, keyboard, and display screen), assembling them takes about one minute. The terminal is connected to the system by a single RS-232C cable that comes with the terminal. Both units plug into a standard wall outlet. If you have a printer, it connects to the back of the system unit and can be configured automatically the first time you turn on the system.

Once you connect and plug in these parts, switch them on and the computer begins a one-time-only self-check to confirm that the data on the hard disk arrived intact. The MD-11 then sets out to learn the software and hardware configuration you've established. This is a fairly long process, so the computer occasionally displays encouraging messages to let you know everything is okay.

The Co-Pi lot

When you turn on the MD-11. it first initializes and then goes directly into a program called Co-Pilot. Co-Pilot displays a hard-disk application-program menu (see photo 1). Pressing the number key that corresponds to an application program will cause Co-Pilot to immediately switch to the program and dis

{cont'mued)

)ohn Weilborn is a writer whose company. Think Works, is located in Castro Valley. CA 94546.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 325

REVIEW: THE MD-11

Figure 1: Morrow arranged the cursor-control keys in what might be termed an inverted-modified diamond and placed them at the upper right of the keyboard with Help to the left of Home and Erase to the right of Right cursor.

Table I: Not only is the cursor programmable {as shown here), but you can toggle

the entire screen between standard and reverse video by invoking the Esc-K-0 and the Esc-K-1 commands, respectively.

Cursor Programming Control Codes

Esc CO block, slow blink

Esc G 1 block, fast blink

Esc G 2 block, no blink

Esc G 3 underline, slow blink

Esc G 4 underline, fast blink

Esc G 5 underline, no blink

Esc G 6 no cursor

play the screen shown in photo 2. The program then takes over. After you terminate the application, Co-Pilot once again takes control, displaying the option menu.

CP/M Utilities

In addition to the eight application programs, Co-Pilot also gives you access to seven CP/M utilities and a training program. The CP/M utilities provide such standard housekeeping functions as formatting new disks, copying files, displaying the directory, and renaming or erasing files.

The Utility menu contains another feature of considerable merit—fundamental training in CP/M. If you enter item 8 from the Utility menu you can take a crash course on the operating system.

Customizing the System

When you first start up the system (either by turning it on or by hitting

Reset) it initializes itself and then looks for a file called PROFILE.SUB. PROFILE.SUB is a text program that automatically loads its cargo of characters into the MD-11 just as if the characters had been entered from the keyboard. In this respect the MD-11 uses PROFILE.SUB as if it were a command buffer.

When the MD-11 is shipped from the factory it is set up to enter the Co-Pilot menu right after initialization. This is because Co-Pilot is in the PROFILE.SUB file, which contains the following information:

setdef *.a:!order=(com,sub)| pilot go

The first line tells the MD-11 to set the search path for files on the hard disk; this line is best left unchanged. The second line specifies that after initialization the MD-11 will run the menu program called Pilot Go. If you modify PRO

FILE.SUB and change this entry to NW, the MD-11 will run the NewWord program every time it is initialized. If you delete the program name altogether, the MD-11 will go directly to the CP/M prompt after initialization. To test your changes, press Reset.

Because PROFILE.SUB actually enters characters into the MD-11, you can also set it up to enter the cursor and screen attributes at initialization.

IMS

Another way to predetermine the actions of the MD-11 is by using an IMS (In Memory Submit) file. An IMS can be entered directly from the keyboard, through a program, or from PROFILE.SUB (invoked automatically upon system initialization). The general form of an IMS file is:

A> IMS command string; command string ! command string

Note that the first and second commands are separated by a semicolon, while the second and third commands are separated by pipes (the vertical bar on the keyboard). The semicolon inserts a carriage return (<CR>) at the end of the command, and the pipes cause the MD-11 to hold the next command in jnemory until the next warm boot (i.e., C). This is handy because, for example, it lets you use the IMS to enter NewWord and then, after leaving NewWord, run a directory or set up new screen defaults. Without the pipes you would either have to enter a new IMS string or put the command characters into NewWord. When you execute an exit, most of the application programs will automatically cause the system to warm boot, thus activating the next IMS command, if there is one.

Programming the Function Keys

Another way you can customize your system is by redefining the function keys with the key program KEY.COM. To use this program, create a text file that defines the character string you want generated when you press a particular function key. This can be a single character or a string of characters.

Initially, the MD-11 key strings are defined by a file called DEFAULTKEY. This file gives the function keys defini

[conlimed]

326 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

AT A GLANCE

Name

Morrow MD-11 Hard-Disk Micro Decision

Manufacturer

Morrow Designs 600 McCormick Street San Leandro, CA 94577 (415) 430-1970

Components

System Box: 17 by WA by Vh inches; 4-MHz Z80A: 128K bytes (bank switched); one floppy disk (384K): one hard disk (II megabytes): three RS-232C ports; one highspeed RS-422 port; one Centronics-type parallel port. Terminal: Keyboard—18 by 7 by 2'A inches; detachable with sculptured keys; 17 programmable keys including 9 function keys; separate numeric keypad and flatteneddiamond-cursor pad. Video Display—12-inch (diagonal) green-phosphor monochrome display, 80 columns by 24 lines.

Software

NewWord, Correct-It, SuperCalc, Personal Pearl, Quest, MBASIC, Pilot, Backfield, CP/M 3.0

Options

Coprocessors: MDCP88-I28: 8088 coprocessor board with 128K bytes of RAM

S499

MDCP88-256: 8088 coprocessor board with 256K bytes of RAM

S699

Documentation

Nine manuals

Price

Terminal, software, documentation

$2995

MEMORY SIZE DISK STORAGE

0 ZOO 400 600 800 1000K 0 500 1000 1500 Z000K

W1

128K |

640 K

1 1"

(/128K

10MB

360K 720K

140K/280K

BUNDLED SOFTWARE PRICE

0 2 6 8 10 $0 $2000 $4000 $6000 $8000 $10,000

$2995

$3354

$2099

BORROW MD-11 | | IBM PC

APPLE HE

The Memory Size graph shows the standard and optional memory available for the computers under comparison. The Disk Storage graph shows the highest capacity of a single disk drive for each system. The Bundled Software graph shows the number of software packages included with each system. The Price graph shows the list price of a system with two

high-capacity floppy-disk drives; a monochrome monitor; graphics and color-display capability: a printer port and a serial port: 2 56K bytes of memory (64K for 8-bit systems); the standard operating systems for the computers being compared; and their standard BASIC interpreters.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 327

ZTr.~T""w "'bluest £. ! £

o

• •

HI

Rear of system unit reveals five 1/0 ports.

DISK ACCESS IN BASIC (SECONDS) 2501

200

150

100

50

175

56

■ 16.3

23.5

46

' 14.5

I

MD-11 system unit incorporates hard- and floppy-disk drives.

BASIC PERFORMANCE (SECONDS)

250 j

200

150

100

50

228

— 69.3 69

ffl

WRITE

READ

SIEVE

CALCULATIONS

SYSTEM UTILITIES (SECONDS) 50

FOR MAT/ DISK COPY

FILE COF

SPREADSHEET (SECONDS) 25

MORROW MD-11 HARD DISK

MORROW MD-11 FLOPPY DISK

LOAD

IBM PC

RECALCUL

APPLE HE

The Disk Access in BASIC graph shows how long it takes to write a 64K-byte sequential text file to both a blank floppy disk and a blank hard disk. Hard-disk tests were included for reading and writing in BASIC because the hard disk is a standard part of the Morrow configuration. No other benchmarks were performed using the hard disk since it would not affect their results. The Sieve column shows how long it takes to run one iteration of the Sieve of Eratosthenes primenumber benchmark. The Calculations column shows how long it takes

to do 10.000 multiplication and division operations using singleprecision numbers. The System Utilities graph does not include a column for format/disk copy because the Morrow has only one floppydisk drive. The File Copy column shows how long it takes to transfer a 40K-byte file using the system utilities. The Spreadsheet graph shows how long the computers took to load and recalculate a 2 5- by 2 5-cell spreadsheet where each cell equals 1.001 times the cell to its left. The spreadsheet program used was Microsoft Multiplan.

328 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

REVIEW: THE MD-11

tions that work fairly well with most of the programs. In addition to these generic default settings, the MD-11 has custom key settings that work specifically with individual application programs. Some of these key programs are NW.KEY (for NewWord) and SC.KEY (for SuperCalc). To set up the custom keys for NewWord, enter KEY NW instead of just NW.

To change the function keys, simply enter NewWord (or any other text editor) and type a new character string for each of the function keys you need. Those that are not redefined retain their default definitions.

The Morrow Disk Controller

The MD-11 has just one disk controller to handle both hard and floppy disks. Although it might seem like Morrow did this to cut the price of the system (possibly compromising performance in the process), this is not the case. The controller handles both floppy and hard drives with one set of circuitry and performs better than conventional dualcontroller systems (see the discussion on benchmarks later in this article).

Morrow divided the controller into three operational sections (see figure 2). The Z80A microprocessor handles one of the sections, the ROM (read-only memory) takes care of the second, and some PALs (programmed array logic) and support circuitry handle the third.

When the disk controller is in floppy mode, the Z80A sends addresses and disk-instruction code directly to the ROM and the PALs. The Z80A-generated commands and the ROM-produced code (when the Z80A addresses it) control the floppy-disk drive.

As the controller reads data from the floppy disk, the data goes into a buffer and is transferred to its destination. Most disk controllers perform one extra memory transfer but the MD-11 saves time because it doesn't have to do this.

The hard disk moves data much more quickly than the floppy disk. To operate efficiently, the Z80A would have to generate control codes at speeds that exceed its capabilities, So, instead of the Z80A actually producing the codes, the MD-11 uses the ROM and the PALs incombination when accessing the hard disk. To do this.the Z80A stops producing codes and simply produces ad

dresses for the ROM. The ROM then produces the codes for the PALs and their support circuitry, which then operate the hard disk.

When the MD-11 transfers data, it reads it only once, which saves the time that would be lost using conventional disk controllers.

The Software

Morrow bundles eight application programs with the MD-11.

NewWord

NewWord is a word-processing program similar to WordStar in both form and function. However, there are a number of notable differences between them.

The UNERASE command cancels your last command. For example, if you deleted a line by mistake or rewrote a paragraph and found you liked it better before you rewrote it, you can undo the damage. UNERASE is also an easy way to move a small text block. For example, if you delete a line using Y, it will be taken from your document and placed in the unerase buffer. If you decide that you really wanted the line after all, you can press U and the line will be restored. Alternatively, you can position the cursor in a new location before you press U and the text will be placed there.

The video-display enhancements in NewWord let characters you program to be printed bold, underlined, or enhanced be displayed that way on the screen.

NewWord has automatic ruler lines, which means that whenever the program encounters a ruler line in text, that line automatically becomes the current ruler line when the cursor passes it.

NewWord generally is faster than WordStar (see the benchmarks on the "At a Glance" page) because it doesn't use overlays during text editing. NewWord overlays are special segments the program must retrieve from the disk each time it uses them.

Currently, NewWord does not have a column-move function but sources at Newstar Software Inc. (the publisher) indicate that this function should be available very soon.

CORRECT-IT

Most people occasionally misspell a word. Correct-It is designed to fix spell

ing mistakes in NewWord and most other word-processing program text files.

Correct-It looks up every word in your text file and compares it to one or both of its two dictionaries. Its first dictionary has 36,000 words. If Correct-It cannot find your word in its main dictionary, it looks at an auxiliary dictionary containing words that you have entered. Any words that do not appear in either dictionary will be noted. If you want to correct a word you can, or you can leave it unchanged.

SuperCalc

SuperCalc is a popular spreadsheet program that has been around for a while. If you have not yet had a chance to use a spreadsheet program, you'll probably be struck by its visual similarity to manual spreadsheeting.

SuperCalc's display is set up to look like an accountant's worksheet. It has rows and columns that are divided into cells. It can contain more than 16,000 cells, each of which can reside in variable-width columns. Any of the cells can contain numerals, text, or a formula. If the cell contains text (such as a heading), the words will be displayed on the screen (or printed on the printer). Numbers will also be displayed; however, the numbers will be used to calculate values with the formulas that you insert in their respective cells. For example, let's say that you have a column of numbers. At the bottom of the column of numbers, you have a cell with the formula

SUM A1:A90

This would tell SuperCalc to place the sum of all the numbers in column A, rows 1 through 90, in the cell with this formula. If, after entering all this data, you find that you have made a few mistakes, all you have to do is correct them. The sum will be corrected automatically.

Personal Pearl

Personal Pearl is a database-management program. With it, you can produce data-entry systems (using custom forms that you create) and design reports presenting data in almost any way you like.

Basically, Personal Pearl consists of four interrelated programs: Design

[continued]

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 329

REVIEW: THE MD-11

Forms, to produce the data-entry system; Design Reports, which allows you to organize the data in your own custom forms; Enter Data, the data

entry routine; and Produce Reports, which puts your data into your custom forms and either displays it on the screen or prints it.

1 Newklorii Uord Processing

2 Superlalc Financial Analysis

3 Correct-It Spell ins Checker Corrector

4 Personal Pearl Data Base Manager

5 Quest Bookkeeper System

b Back field Hard Bisk Backup Programs

7 MBASIf. Microsoft BASIC

S BaZic North Star Compatible BASIC

9 POM Hard Disk Head Parking Utility

U UtlIIty menu

ESC Exit to CM

Photo 1: The Co-Pilot menu provides you with access to eight application programs. Additional menu options direct you to PARK (hard-disk heads) and the Utility menu.

Photo 2: Each of the application programs has an electronic filing cabinet associated with it. The drawers in each cabinet allow you to store different kinds of documents in different drawers or files.

Quest

The Quest bookkeeper system performs three bookkeeping functions. The first is accounts payable, which handles sales posting and journal, accounts receivable and reporting, and cash receipts posting and journal. The second is cash disbursements, which takes care of dispensed cash and checks, the cash disbursements journal, and vendor listings. Finally, the general-ledger function deals with trial balance reports, balance sheets, and income statements.

Quest also lets you produce checks directly from your data. To do this, however, you need specially printed checks.

As it comes with the MD-11, you can only use Quest for demonstration. To keep your books with it, you must send a $37.50 registration fee to Quest. They will send you a special code that allows you to fully access the system.

Backfield

As reliable as hard disks are, it is still possible that something (such as a power failure) could damage your data. Therefore, it is advisable to back up your data frequently.

The only problem with this is that the MD-11 disk has a capacity of 11 megabytes (equal to more than 2 5 Morrow-format, double-sided doubledensity floppy disks). Therefore, it could be both time-consuming and expensive to back up the hard disk daily.

Fortunately, Morrow includes a program called Backfield as part of the MD-11 software package. Backfield stores data in compressed form, which makes it easier to back up the entire hard disk. And only the files that were modified since the last time are backed up; individual large files (such as databases) are copied on a one-by-one basis. Backfield uncompresses the compressed data before you use it. It also can store noncompressed data with the normal space requirements of standardformat data.

Programming Languages

The MD-11 includes two very different programming languages; Pilot and Microsoft BASIC (MBAS1C).

Unlike many of the more popular programming languages (such as MBASIC),

(continued)

330 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1984

0 L Y M P I A

1

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Olympia USA Inc., Dept. 1-Y, Box 22, Somerville, New Jersey 08876

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Circle 281 on inquiry card.

REVIEW: THE MD-11

HARD-DISK DRIVE

Figure 2: Central to its bid for higher speeds is the MD-ll's controller, which, among other things, reduces the number of memory transfers required to deliver the data to its destination.

Listing 1: This Pilot program example demonstrates that the language is dialogue oriented and. as such, is useful in interactive-text programs.

T. This is a Pilot Example

T.

T. T.

T. In this example you will be able to choose one of three items T:

T. The items are: T.

T. II Bananas T. 2) Apples T 31 Oranges T T.

T. The program will give you the price of the item you select.

A:

M; 1

TY: Bananas cost 95 cents a pound. M: 2

TY: Apples cost 59 cents a pound M: 3

TY: Oranges cost 79 cents a pound END

Pilot is a dialogue-oriented language. As such, it makes it easy to produce programs that use a lot of interactive text; for example, the Co-Pilot menu program in the MD-11 was written in Pilot. See listing 1 for a simple Pilot program. The command T. tells the computer to "type" the line that follows on the display. It is similar to the PRINT command in BASIC.

The A: following the "typed" lines tells the computer to wait for some kind of "answer" from the keyboard. The answer must be followed by a <CR> and is similar to the INPUT command in BASIC.

M: tells the computer to "match" the keyboard entry with the preset response and TY: tells the computer to "type" the line that follows if the response matched the preset value in the M: command. Together these work a bit like the IF. . .THEN combination in BASIC.

Pilot originally was designed to be a teaching aid. Its interactive organization makes it ideal for question-and-answer routines. Pilot works well for this kind of routine because, once the program has been written, it is easy to change questions and answers while leaving the program otherwise unchanged.

Benchmarks

These tests were designed by BYTE to determine how quickly different computers perform different tasks. The benchmarks are divided into three sections: BASIC benchmarks, word-processing benchmarks, and spreadsheet benchmarks. The "standard" computer against which the test results are compared is the IBM PC. (In tests that use the MD-ll's hard disk, the IBM PC XT is used as the standard.)

BASIC Benchmarks

These four tests are represented graphically on the "At a Glance" page (page 328). For the program listings, see "The Chameleon Plus," by Rich Krajewski, June BYTE, page 327.

Writing to disk: This test creates a 64Kbyte random-access file and measures how long it takes to write the file onto a blank formatted floppy disk in 128byte blocks. I also did this test with the hard disk, which contained roughly 1

[continued]

332 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

993, SMA. All Right! Ratarvsd

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SEPTEMBER \9&A 'BYTE 333

REVIEW: THE MD-11

Table 2: Results of BYTE benchmark tests indicate that the MD-11 does well in disk-access tests while recording slower times when driving a display. (All results are in seconds).

BASIC Tests

Read/Write Floppy-disk write Floppy-disk read Hard-disk write Hard-disk read

MD-II

23.5 22.0 16.3 14.5

IBM PC/PC XT

28.7 32.1

8.0

8.0

Calculations Single-precision Sieve of Eratosthenes

69.3 190.7

69.2 158.3

Spreadsheet Tests Load

Recalculate

SuperCalc

5.4 10.1

Multiplan

7.2

6.2

Word-Processing Tests (on hard disk)

Disk Access Load file Save file

NewWord

3.3

6.2

WordStar

9.9 24.2

File Operations Search Scroll

4.0 83.2

10.5 41.2

megabyte of data. To run this on the hard disk, I changed the disk-drive designation from B to A.

Reading from disk: In this test, 1 read the data that was written in the previous test. The computer reads the 64 K bytes in 128-byte blocks. As with the first test. 1 also ran this on the hard disk. To do this, I again changed the disk-drive designation from B to A.

Calculating single-precision numbers: This test measures how quickly the computer can perform two multiplications and two divisions 5000 times. The test also shows how much error (if any) is introduced by the system.

Sieve of Eratosthenes: The last BASIC test determines how long it takes the computer to perform one iteration of the Sieve of Eratosthenes prime-number program.

Word-Processing Benchmarks

1 did the word-processing benchmarks with a standard document consisting of 40 paragraphs. Each paragraph contained 10 sentences of 10 words each: "One two three four five six seven eight nine ten." This produces a 4000-word document. The tests performed are: loading a document, saving a document, searching for a word, and scrolling. These tests were run on NewWord.

Spreadsheet Benchmarks

There are only two spreadsheet benchmarks. The first determines how long it takes to load the standard spreadsheet, and the other measures how long it takes to recalculate the entire spreadsheet.

The standard spreadsheet has a 25-cell by 25-cell matrix. Each cell is programmed to equal 1.001 times the

The Morrow MD-11 is generally a smooth, responsive computer.

cell to its left. The values for the first column are calculated on the 25th cell in the row above, and the first cell in row 1 contains a 1.

The Numbers

The results of these benchmarks are listed in table 2. As you can see, the MD-11 was faster than the IBM PC and/or the PC XT about half the time. The Morrow recorded its best results in the word-processing tests that required disk access. The better access times may be due to the design of the MD-ll's disk controller.

1 found that the MD-11 was significantly slower in the document-scroll test. This probably is due to the fact that the IBM PC drives the integral video display through a parallel port while the MD-11 sends data to a stand-alone terminal through a serial RS-232C port.

Conclusions

The MD-11 is generally a smooth, responsive computer and most of the functions I tested in the benchmarks (such as saving and loading) are fast enough that 1 rarely noticed them when 1 was using the system.

Unlike systems such as the IBM PC (which are typically sold a la carte), the MD-11 is a complete computer system including 128K bytes of RAM, a 384Kbyte double-density double-sided floppy-disk drive, an 11-megabyte hard disk, and a sharp, green-phosphor terminal. The bundled software includes a word processor and spelling-correction program, a spreadsheet program, a database-management program, a bookkeeping demonstration, two programming languages, and a hard-disk copy program in addition to the operating system.

The system is customized easily using the programmable keyboard, systemconfigurable program functions, and self-programmed start-up routines. With these and the Co-Pilot menu system, the MD-11 is a powerful yet simple-to-use computer, definitely worth a second look. ■

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HARDWARE REVIEW

Five Voice Synthesizers

predictive

LineST W inear Predictive coding (LPC) speech synthesizers have been around for ^■■years, but they haven't really penetrated our society yet. Many computer COdin§ ICS professionals don't understand what they're

— about or how to use them. In this article, I'll

nrOVlde discuss the advantages and problems of using

?77~ 7 7 LPC synthesizers and compare the architec

QUclllty OUtpUt ture, strengths, and weaknesses of five LPC

synthesizer ICs (integrated circuits) manufactured by U.S. companies. I've distilled information gleaned during the past two years BY GEORGE H. SMITH while implementing hardware and software

that encode- and synthesize voice for these devices.

I have neglected Japanese synthesizer manufacturers such as NEC, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi in this article because I wasn't able to get enough information about them to actually code voice for them, despite efforts to do so. I also omitted the Texas Instruments (TI) TMS 320 signal-processing chip; although it can do speech synthesis, it belongs in a different ball game. Even though its cost will drop from the current $150, it requires a separate digital-to-analog (D/A) converter, so the cost of this device will remain substantially higher than that of fully integrated synthesizer chips.

If you aren't familiar with LPC synthesizers, study figure 1, which shows how synthesized speech is made by stringing together short, 20- to 30-millisecond (ms) "frames" of sound generated by a simplified electronic model of human-voice production. For a general introduction to voice synthesis, see "Speech and Voice Synthesis" on page 340.

For each synthesizer reviewed, I'll describe the frame length, the coefficient precision, the method of voice-data input, the audio buffering and low-pass filter requirements, and the typical data rate.

Frame length: This is the number of times per second that the synthesizer coefficients are updated. Ideally, a synthesizer could accept new coefficients at very short intervals to track quickly varying sounds (with a higher data rate) or could be told to use the same coefficients for a longer time to keep the bit rate low when the speech sound stays the same.

Coefficient precision: This is the number of bits used to encode the various parameters. Having more bits to describe the filter coefficients sometimes can improve the speech quality at the cost of higher data rate.

Method of voice-data input: Three important questions relate to this topic. Does the synthesizer have on-chip ROM (read-only memory)? Does it need a special voice memory? Can a microprocessor send data directly to it?

Audio buffering and low-pass filter requirements: To avoid a mechanical sound, speech reconstructed from digital data must be smoothed with an analog filter. Some devices provide this on the chip.

Typical data rate: The data rate for any given chip can vary widely depending on, for example, how many coefficients you use and how much editing time you spend on data compaction. The "typical" rate reflects editing for intelligible speech without optimizing for throughput.

THE SP-250

The SP-2 50 from General Instrument (GI) was one of the early synthesizer chips. Its vocaltract filter is different from most of the other devices in that it uses a series of six cascaded simple digital filters, with each of these "second-order sections" specifying one resonance, or formant, of the voice sound.

One appealing aspect of this filter structure is that you can give an intuitive meaning to each of the parameters sent to the filter. Two bytes specify each filter section: one corresponds to the formant frequency, while the other corresponds to the formant's bandwidth and amplitude. This intuitive meaning might be useful for implementing special effects or for reducing the basic data rate by specially coding the frequency and formant values (which often change fairly slowly) and expand

[continued]

George H. Smith (POB 1364, Palo Alto, CA 94302) is the owner of hdisa Corporation. Adisa provides boards and software for encoding LPC parameters for those chips reviewed in this article. For relaxation. Smith enjoys picking Earl Scruggs tunes on a Gibson fivestring banjo.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 337

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

ing these coded values to their full values before sending them to the synthesizer.

Each coefficient in this device can be specified with 8 bits of precision, which is more than adequate for most speech. Coefficients are updated after each pitch period, so the frame rate and the final data rate depend on the number of filter sections you use, the pitch period, and how many times you repeat a given set of coefficients. As with most synthesizers, you can trade off bit rate for quality by repeating the same frame several times instead of tracking slow changes in the sounds produced. Sometimes this can have a beneficial effect for the SP-2 50—eliminating some small variations in a long "e" sound, for example, can make it a lot smoother. Carried to extremes, however, the result is speech that sounds very unnatural. The bit rate for the SP-2 50 is 350 to 600 bytes per second, depending on how many coefficients you use and how fancy you get in coding the coefficients. You can compress below this rate but the speech quality suffers.

The audio output for this chip is not an ordinary D/A converter output: it's a pulse-width-modulated, transistortransistor logic (TTL) signal (see figure

2). This signal must be low-pass filtered and sent through a power-amplifier IC before driving a speaker, but a simple RC (resistor/capacitor) filter and inexpensive LM386 IC amplifier are adequate for this purpose.

Interfacing a microprocessor to the SP-2 50 is simple: connect the eight Data lines, a Data Request strobe line, a Reset line, and let the SP-2 50 Data Request output interrupt your microprocessor when more data is needed. Due to setup and hold times on the Data lines, you'll need to latch data from the microprocessor to the SP-2 50, then generate the 1.5-jiS (microsecond) Data Request strobe either by toggling 1 bit in software or by using a one-shot multivibrator.

One nice feature of this device is the way it repeats the last sound it was making if new data is not supplied when requested. Consequently, if your processor is busy (servicing another interrupt, for example) and is slow getting data to the chip, the SP-2 50 just stretches a sound for an unnoticeably longer time instead of stopping altogether (as some other chips do). Unless you have a 3.12MHz signal to drive the external clock input, the device requires a physically large 3.12-MHz crystal to provide its

basic timing.

The SP-2 50 can sound quite good if you choose the talker very carefully, you don't try to get the bit rate too low, and you are willing to put considerable effort into editing the speech. Because its fundamental sampling rate is 10 kHz rather than the 8 kHz for most other chips, the SP-2 50 can get marginally brighter "s" sounds, but other advantages of this higher rate are hard to identify. The chip's main advantages are low cost, simple output buffering circuit, and a variable frame size that supports good tracking for quickly varying speech sounds at voiced-unvoiced transitions.

The SP-256

GI's SP-2 56 evolved from the SP-2 50. Although the internal speech-synthesis circuitry is identical to the SP-2 50, there are significant differences.

The SP-256 has an internal ROM that you can use for a custom vocabulary (if you're making tens of thousands of your widget). Of greater interest to less ambitious users is GI's version of the chip that has a phoneme library on this ROM.

Beyond the speech-synthesis circuits, this chip has a simple front-end micro

NUMBERS SENT

PITCH

VOICING

ENERGY

FILTER

TO

(INTERVAL BETWEEN

(VOICED OR

COEFFICIENTS

SYNTHESIZER

PITCH PULSES)

UNVOICED)

THE SYNTHESIZER NEEDS A NEW SET OF THESE NUMBERS EVERY 20 TO 30 ms

DIGITAL FILTER (REPRESENTS HUMAN VOCAL TRACT)

5

UNVOICED SOUNDS (WHITE NOISE SOURCE)

Figure 1: A linear predictive coding (LPC) model of the human voice.

338 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

t

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

SIGNAL A-DESIRED VOICE SIGNAL

SIGNAL B - ORDINARY DAC

SIGNAL C-PULSE-WIDTH MODULATED SIGNAL

Figure 2: Two alternate forms of synthesizer output that can be used to reproduce signal A: D/A converter [signal B), in which an amplitude proportional to the voice signal at some time is held constant until the next sampling time, and pulse-width modulation (signal C), in which the pulse width is proportional to the voice signal at the sampling time. When sent through a low-pass filter, both signals get smoothed into the desired voice signal.

processor controller. The controller enables you to embed commands in the data; for example, you can use subroutines to let several different phrases use the same word. The controller also unpacks compressed forms of the data; i.e., you can specify that some coefficients will be presented with fewer bits or that "differential" coefficient data will be sent (use the previous frame's coefficients but add the following numbers to them first).

The SP-2 56 can get voice data only from its internal ROM or from a special, external (serial) voice ROM. You can also use external byte-wide ROM or RAM. but you'll need Gl's special (40-pin) parallel-to-serial adapter chip to do this. A microprocessor can't send voice data directly to the device—it sends starting addresses to the chip, and the synthesizer then goes to its own internal or off-chip local memory to begin reading voice data.

A standby pin puts the chip in a power-down mode, which cuts its power requirements.

Besides these differences, the previous comments about the SP-2 50 apply to the SP-2 56.

I believe that GI intends for this chip to be used in cost-sensitive applications that have limited and unchanging vocabularies.

The TMS 5220

With the introduction of the Speak and Spell toy, TI established its reputation in speech synthesis and its commitment to this technology. A series of speechsynthesis products has sprung from Tl's initial synthesizer, culminating in the TMS 5220 and, soon, the TMS 5220A.

The 5220 uses the lattice form of digital filter to implement the vocal tract model. Unlike the coefficients for the SP-2 50, the "reflection" coefficients, or "K" coefficients, that control this filter don't lend themselves to a compact and useful interpretation. This type of filter does have some useful implications, however; the reflection coefficients can be interpolated from one frame to the next to ensure a smooth transition between frames. The TMS 5220 interpolates automatically, resulting in smooth voice quality.

The chip's judicious balance of frame rate and coefficient precision produces good speech quality at about 200 bytes

per second (or less if you want to invest the editing time). The frame rate for the 5220 is fixed: coefficients are updated every 25 ms unless you run the chip faster than an 8-kHz sampling rate, and there's no real advantage to doing so. The pitch parameter for the device is efficiently coded on a sort of logarithmic scale, with 63 values covering a range of 50 to 500 Hz. For voiced sounds, 39 bits are distributed among the 10 filter coefficients with Kl getting 5 bits and K8 through K10 getting only 3 bits. Omitting the last six K parameters for unvoiced sounds and using a special code for silent frames reduces the average data rate. Also, when the voice sound isn't changing, a "repeat" bit can be set to tell the chip to update only the pitch and energy parameters and use

the previous frame's filter coefficients.

The 5220 contains an 8-bit D/A converter, and the output must be low-pass filtered and amplified. For the filter, Tl recommends a third-order low-pass filter implemented with a quad op-amp, 12 resistors, and 3 capacitors.

Connecting to a microprocessor is complicated by two things. First, the chip is much slower than most microprocessors, so data and strobes must be latched. Second, to read all the status available from the chip, you need to implement a bidirectional data interface; unless you use an LSI (large-scale integration) parallel peripheral interface chip like the MC6821 or Intel 8255, this can get rather messy.

A few words of caution: TI chose to

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 339

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

Speech and Voice Synthesis

by Tom Clune

The sounds of speech are commonly divided into two types: voiced and unvoiced. Voiced sounds make use of vocal cords: say "ah." Unvoiced sounds are shaped by a rush of air: say "sh."

The vocal cords are a buzz source: that is, the fundamental frequency (typically approximately 100 Hz in a male speaker) and the harmonics of that frequency are of essentially equal amplitude. In unvoiced speech, the air from the lungs produces white noise in which no frequencies are favored over any other. The vocal tract (i.e., throat and mouth) is a resonating chamber that can be tuned to different sets of frequencies by moving the tongue and lips. Each resonating frequency of a sound is called a formant.

In meaningful speech, the voiced or unvoiced sound is shaped by the resonant formants into a complex waveform called an allophone. A more useful concept in ordinary usage is the phoneme, a vowel or constant sound. The "oy" in "foil," for example, is a single phoneme composed of more than one allophone.

Essentially, there are two approaches to synthesized speech. The first approach, waveform digitization, saves information on the waveform itself (i.e., voltage levels at any given time). We collect the synthesizing data with an A/D (analog-to-digital) converter and reconstruct the sound with a D/A (digitalto-analog) converter. Since audible sound includes components up to about 20 kHz, the amount of data collected can be problematically large. A variety of datacompression techniques can be used to reduce the amount of digitized data. These techniques generally involve either storing only the change in signal level between sampling intervals or using a transform of the signal. As compression techniques get more sophisticated, they tend to become more costly and difficult to use.

The second approach to speech synthesis stores the design of the circuitry needed to produce speech-like sounds rather than the speech waveform information itself. Linear predictive coding (LPC) is of this type. The model of speech

♦

synthesis from which it works is outlined in figure 1 of the main text. Encoding a circuit design for speech synthesis clearly requires more analysis than does simple waveform digitizing. First, you need information on the sound to be produced, and then you must sketch out the necessary circuitry to reproduce it. We will reconstruct the production of an "ah" sound on a simplified synthesizer as an example of the encoding procedure. A graph of amplitude versus frequency for the first three formants of a typical male speaker's "ah" is shown in figure 3 below.

First we must decide if the sound should be voiced or unvoiced. To make a voiced sound, we would use an astable multivibrator with a fundamental frequency of about 100 Hz. The key property of a free-running flip-flop in this context is that the fundamental frequency and its harmonics are all of about equal amplitude up to one-half the reciprocal of the pulse width. In other words, a multivibrator sounds like the vocal cords. For unvoiced speech, we could feed the output of a random-number generator into a D/A converter.

For the "ah" sound, we select voiced speech. Next, we must determine the design of the three resonators, or filters. Assume that we are using simple LC (inductance-capacitance) circuits sepa

750 1100 2450

FREQUENCY (Hz)

Figure 3: A graphic representation of the first three formants of "ah" as pronounced by a typical male speaker.

rated by isolation amplifiers to avoid overloading a stage. The output of one filter will be the input of the next. We see from figure 3 that we want the three stages to resonate at 750. 1100, and 2450 Hz. If each stage has a 1-Henry inductor, we solve the equation f = Vm ylUC to find the values of the three capacitors (0.04 5. 0.021, and 0.004 iiF. respectively).

We should consider one more complication. When we say that an LC circuit resonates at 750 Hz, we mean that there will be the least attenuation (loss of amplitude) for a 750-Hz signal, but signals of 740 Hz, for example, will also pass through the circuit to some extent. As the input frequency gets further away from 750 Hz, the attenuation increases. The frequency above or below the resonant frequency where the amplitude is halved is the filter's cutoff frequency. The difference in Hertz between the high and low cutoff frequencies is the bandpass of the filter.

Looking again at the figure, we see that we'd like to be able to select the bandwidth for our three filter stages. Let us suppose that we want a bandwidth of 50 Hz at stage one, 100 Hz at stage two, and 250 Hz at stage three. If we place a variable resistor in series with the components of each filter, we can control the bandpass in a straightforward way. For a series RLC (resistance-inductancecapacitance) circuit, the bandwidth in Hertz is just R/L (resistance to inductance). Thus, the resistor in stage one would be 50 ohms, in stage two 100 ohms, and in stage three 2 50 ohms. Increasing the bandpass of a filter also increases the damping (attenuation), so we would need to be able to adjust the gain for each filter segment to complete the synthesizer design. However, let's ignore this problem and consider the synthesizer complete.

The information we need to store is whether the sound is voiced and what the values of the capacitors and resistances are. If we output a stream of such circuitdesign information to the right circuitry, we could produce phonemic speech. But it sounds choppy and mechanical because the sound is discontinuous. LPC

340 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

smooths the speech by interpolating values between one phoneme's circuit and the next, gliding between sounds for more natural speech.

Clearly, if we had to construct each sound in the way 1 have just described, we would spend months constructing a simple sentence. But speech-encoding equipment and services that identify the circuit parameters are available commercially (see the box on page 346). Note that each LPC synthesizer manufacturer's product requires its own encoding algorithm. Not every company supports each of the chips discussed in the main article.

Commercial support for voice development comes in three forms: off-the-shelf vocabulary ROM (read-only memory) chips, studio parameter-encoding services, and hardware for do-it-yourself voice encoding. The least expensive option is off-the-shelf ROMs. However, the vocabulary available is limited and the quality of voice reproduction suffers because the unit of encoding is the word rather than the phrase or sentence. Inwell-defined contexts, however, the economy of ROMs may make them the most attractive option.

Parameter-encoding services provide the highest-quality speech with minimal effort, but this can be rather expensive when encoding a lot of speech (approximately $100 per second). However, if the length of the speech to be encoded is less than a couple of minutes, this approach may prove cost-effective.

Buying the hardware (priced from $2000 to $20,000) and encoding the speech parameters yourself involves the most effort. Besides learning to use the hardware, you must develop a good ear for speech editing. For example, if the voiced-to-unvoiced transition in the word "watch" is misplaced, the "t" becomes inaudible. Nonetheless, this option offers the greatest flexibility. Vocabulary choices that looked good on paper but don't work in practice can be changed with minimal additional cost.

Tom Clune is a BYTE technical editor. He can be contacted at POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449.

spice our lives with variety by numbering its Data lines with DO as the most significant bit. You'll probably forget this minor detail, but you were warned.

The 5220 can address special serial memories that TI manufactures, letting the microprocessor tell the chip: "Start talking, and interrupt me when you hit a stop code (energy = 15)." Fortunately, you also can send voice data directly to the chip from the microprocessor, so you aren't limited to the words that TI chooses to put in its special masked ROMs. To relax the timing problems of getting voice data into the device, an on-chip 128-bit first-in/first-out (FIFO) buffer is provided. When this FIFO is half empty, the INT output is asserted. If your microprocessor can't get more data to the chip before the buffer is empty, the chip stops talking and, if you don't detect the 5220's idle state, subsequent data sent to the chip is misinterpreted, generating squeaks and "raspberry" noises. Since you have at least 2 5 ms (and probably more) to get the data out after INT is asserted, you probably won't have to worry about this.

Data formatted for the 5220 does not end with frames neatly separated by byte boundaries; a new frame can start on any bit within a byte.

Two special aspects of this chip should be noted. First, due to the limited precision of the digital filter on the chip, some voiced sounds seem very fuzzy if the energy is too low. You can solve this by editing the energy for these frames: often just increasing the energy eliminates this quantization noise. Other times, you'll do better to just eliminate the fuzzy frames by setting the energy to zero.

The second special problem of the device is that it tends to make low-level noises during zero-energy frames unless you precede the zero-energy frames with a special low-energy voiced frame that lets the filter state settle. These socalled limit cycle oscillations are insidious: they won't necessarily appear all the time, and they can sometimes occur even if the special "quiet" frame is used. In this case, lowering the energy of the preceding frame or inserting two special "quiet" frames generally solves the problem.

It would be nice if the chip used modes with more precision in the coefficients and shorter frames to get bet

ter voice quality over a broader range of talkers. However, the 5220 provides a good compromise between bit rate and speech quality. It's currently a popular synthesis chip and can produce smooth, high-quality synthesized speech at 150 to 200 bytes per second.

The S3620

American Microsystems Inc. (AMI) makes both a male and a female talker chip. By tailoring the coefficient lookup tables for different types of talkers, the range of each parameter is smaller, so fewer bits are needed to code each frame. This lets you have more frames per second at a given data rate, which enables the synthesizer to track changes in the voice sounds more accurately.

Beyond providing male and female chips, AMI has done several other things differently. First, the S3620 is a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) device, so the chip itself doesn't consume much power. When it's not talking, it automatically goes into a power-down mode, dropping the power consumption to almost nothing.

Second, AMI uses "switched-capacitor" technology to implement the vocal tract filter instead of a digital filter like most other manufacturers use. This lets AMI include a low-pass output filter on chip (using the same switched-capacitor technique), minimizing the number of external parts. With its modest power amplifier, the S3620 can connect directly to a small speaker to provide 30 milliwatts (mW) of audio output.

The frame rate for this device is fixed at 20 ms. Like TI's 5220, this chip incorporates a lattice filter structure. Coefficients are interpolated between frames. The chip can handle only 16 different pitch values, and the filter coefficients get 30 bits per frame for voiced sounds (versus 39 bits per frame on the 5220). The total bit count for voiced frames is 40 bits, an even 5 bytes. Bits are saved by using only four filter coefficients and omitting pitch for unvoiced frames, and by having the synthesizer repeat the previous frame's filter coefficients. The maximum data rate for all voiced frames is, consequently, 250 bytes per second; an average rate of 150 to 175 bytes per second is typical.

The S3620 control-signal interface is

[continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 341

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

Table 1: A comparison oj features for the five LPC synthesizer chips.

Manufacturer Name

Package (DIP) Power supplies

Low-power

(standby) mode? Filter type

Number of filter

coefficients Number of bits for

filter coefficients Number of pitch

levels Frame size

Bit rate (bytes/ second) maximum

typical

On-chip low-pass filter?

Sampling rate

Price per chip

(100 quantity) Special features

AMI

GI

GI

GI

Tl

S3620

SP-250

SP-256

SP-1000

TMS 5220

22-pin

28-pin

28-pin

28-pin

28-pin

between 5 and

5V, 75 mA

5V. 90 mA

5V. 100 mA

+ 5V. 5 mA

8V at 25 mA

-5V, 35 mA

yes, 100 nA

no

yes, 21 mA no

no

lattice

2nd-order

same as

lattice

lattice

sections

SP-250

10

12

same as

10

10

SP-250

30

96

same as

90

45

SP-250

16

255

same as

255

63

SP-250

20 ms

one pitch

same as

one pitch

25 (to 20) ms

period

SP-250

period

250

700

same as

650

Ten (3111

SP-250

175

250

same as

depends

200

SP-250

on packing

technique

yes

no

same as

no

no

SP-250

yes, 30 mW

no

same as

no

no

SP-250

8 kHz

10 kHz

same as

programmable

8 kHz

SP-250

(to 10 kHz)

$17.20

$5.53

$7.60

$16.00

$13.50

CMOS,

PWM

PWM

PWM, feature

popular

switched

output

output.

estimation for

capacitor filter

on-chip

voice

technology,

phoneme

recognition

separate male

library,

and female

special

talker versions

on-chip

controller (see text)

optimized for the 68XX class of microprocessors. If you're interfacing to another microprocessor, you may want to latch the eight data inputs to the chip before you issue the data strobe in order to meet the 400-nanosecond (ns) data hold time relative to the trailing edge of the 1-jts (minimum) write strobe. The device comes in a 22-pin package and derives its timing from a 640-Hz ceramic resonator. These resonators are cheap if you buy oodles of them, but they're pretty expensive if you want just a few.

It's important in your design to ensure that the strobe to the chip is held inactive (high) immediately when power is turned on. If it's not high when the chip's oscillator starts ticking, the chip will get hung up.

Also, this chip doesn't have an on

board FIFO buffer like the 5220-when the S3620 signals that it needs data, your microprocessor must provide the data within 100 us or the synthesizer will turn itself off. If this happens, you will probably get a couple frames of weird sounds until the S3620 misinterprets some data as a stop code, stops issuing data requests, and hangs your system.

Since the chip generates a slight tick when it enters or leaves its power-down state, your software driver should provide several frames of silence before and after each utterance.

Unless you're driving an earphone, you'll probably want to provide an external power amplifier to drive a loudspeaker harder than the 30 mW that the chip provides; even AMI provides an LM386 on its evaluation board.

AMI also makes the S3610, which includes a 20k-bit on-chip data ROM for accessing up to 32 different utterances with no external memory. This chip was obviously designed for low-cost, massdistribution applications that have a limited and fixed vocabulary.

The S3620 also is probably targeted primarily for product applications that don't involve many voice-data updates. It's a slightly less general-purpose device than others. You must choose between male and female talkers and, because there are so few bits per frame for the pitch and filter coefficients, you need to take more care in selecting a talker. To add voice output to consumer products, though, this chip offers the compelling advantages of easy implementation, low standby power, and a very low parts count.

The SP-iooo

There's little doubt that GI intends to shake up the voice world with this chip: it does voice synthesis, can serve as a front-end for voice recognition, and is priced fairly competitively (see table 1).

This chip is highly programmable: you can change its sample rate, and you have a choice of several different pitch pulses. Unlike GI's earlier synthesizers, the SP-1000 uses a lattice-type vocaltract filter, accepting 10 filter coefficients that all can be set with 9-bit precision. As in earlier designs, the output is a pulse-width-modulated TTL signal, and you can use the same inexpensive RCfilter circuit recommended for the SP-2 56. Also, the frame length is an integral number of pitch periods, as is true for the other GI synthesizers.

The microprocessor interface apparently is optimized for the 68XX microprocessor series. The only special care you must take interfacing it to other processors is to set up the R/W (read/ write) input to the chip before the strobe that activates the read or write operation.

Fortunately, this chip requires a 7,16-MHz crystal instead of the 3.12MHz ones used with the SP-250 and SP-2 56. The higher frequency enables the crystal to come in a smaller package than the bulky HC-33/U that the 3.12MHz crystal requires.

Although I won't discuss the voice recognition aspects of the chip here, I'd like

(continued)

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persofr

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

The only good way to find suitable talkers is to encode their voices.

to say that you can feed voice into it (using an external A/D (analog-to-digital) converter such as National's ADC0831) and get out periodic measurements of energy and eight reflection coefficients. Software in the microcomputer must interpret this data in order to perform the actual voice recognition. You cannot use the reflection coefficients from the recognition mode for synthesis because there are only eight of them, and the technique that is employed to estimate them is not appropriate for voice synthesis.

With a basic data rate of approximately 100 bits per pitch period, the SP-1000 should be capable of reaching the limits of LPC speech quality. You'll probably

want to reduce this basic data rate, though, by not supplying full precision to all the coefficients; you need not specify K10 with a full 8 bits, for example. Your driver software will need to unpack the data from the storage format you use. You also might want to implement some kind of interpolation on the coefficients. You also can expect some help in these data-packing issues from suppliers of vocabulary-development equipment.

Gl's SP-1000 is a capable synthesis chip that will apparently be priced competitively with other synthesizers that lack voice recognition; even if you don't need voice-recognition capability, you needn't feel that you're paying for something you won't use.

The Steps to LPC Speech

Choosing effective words for an application requires effort and practice. It's important to pick the simplest possible way to express a thought while trying

to preserve an overall structure to the vocabulary. You can minimize dependence on one person's voice for updates by partitioning large vocabularies, which lets you make changes by altering only one section instead of the whole vocabulary. Also, consider the limits of the synthesizer: expect problems with the same words you have trouble distinguishing in a long-distance phone call.

1 don't know any way to predict whether a talker's voice will work well with LPC. Obviously, you want someone who articulates and doesn't talk loudly at the start of a sentence and trail off at the end. But beyond such commonsense techniques there remain considerable differences in quality between talkers. The only good way to determine if talkers are suitable is to try encoding their voices. To help talkers become aware of sounds that cause difficulty, let them get a taste of the voice-editing process and hear what happens to their voices after LPC encoding.

Ideally, you would record the vocabulary in a rented recording studio (about $30 to $50 an hour) to minimize the time spent avoiding traffic noise, squeaky chairs, buzzing fluorescent lights, and echoes from the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room. A studio also can provide a professional, efficient, business-like atmosphere to let your talker concentrate on the script and pronunciation. A studio isn't necessary, though, and you don't need extremely expensive audio equipment to get an adequate recording.

Record each utterance several times to let the talker get comfortable with it and have a chance to experiment with various inflections.

For frequently used phrases, it's best to plan on using the entire phrase as one utterance rather than stringing individual words together to compose phrases. Concatenating words that were recorded separately often results in the same timing and inflection problems that plague phoneme synthesis.

Systems for digitizing a recording and converting to LPC coefficients vary. Some systems change the voice immediately to LPC coefficients; others temporarily store the digitized voice in a high data-rate form and then reduce this data into LPC coefficients off line.

The coefficients generated in the

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344 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 360 on inquiry card.

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

preceding step usually need to be touched up manually. This interactive parameter editing is needed for several reasons.

First, the analysis procedure might make errors in pitch or voicing. These parameters are notoriously difficult to estimate with complete accuracy, and even a few errors can make the whole utterance seem "buzzy" or gravelly.

Second, sometimes (such as when a voice frame straddles a transition between voiced and unvoiced speech) the LPC model doesn't apply. The operator must take some fix-up measure that makes the speech sound the best, perhaps by deleting a frame or modifying the voicing or energy parameters.

Last, the operator may want to change the way the utterance was pronounced. For example, if the talker pronounced "green" as "green-uh," eliminating the trailing "uh" might make the speech sound crisper.

The time required to edit voice for LPC synthesizers depends on the talker and the skill of the editor. Budgeting about five minutes per word is not unreasonable. Editing is best performed in several passes because listening to an utterance can cause you to focus on some aspects of voice quality and ignore other aspects that can be obvious to fresh ears.

After developing the vocabulary and trying it in your application, get some "naive" listeners to evaluate your vocabulary selection and present their reactions to the voice quality. Revise your design accordingly, going back to step 1 if necessary.

Compatibility

You can't translate the code for one synthesizer chip into code for a different chip. This is understandable for devices with entirely different filter structures (lattice versus second-order sections), but it's rather frustrating for devices that use the lattice-filter approach. Differences of frame size, sampling rate, coefficient precision, and appropriate preemphasis (i.e., tone equalization for the input speech) seem slight, but they are big enough to make it impractical to try to translate codes from one synthesizer to another. Even beyond these issues, the special quirks in the different devices (such as the "quiet frame" needed by the 5220) block compatibili

ty. Such incompatibility is inevitable in a new technology because manufacturers are trying to both create and track new market demands. Still, it's frustrating; device compatibility could free software developers from having to bet on the success of one particular device and would reduce the risks involved in software development. In fact, an LPC standard already exists. The tax dollars of U.S. citizens paid for its development: the Department of Defense prepared LPC-10 for use in secure, digital-voice communications systems. (See T. Tremain's article, "The Government Standard Linear Predictive Coding Algorithm: LPC-10," in Speech Technology, April 1982, page 40.)

There are just two problems with the commercial application of this standard. First, it's designed to run at a fixed 300 bytes per second with no provision for a lower data rate during silent or unvoiced frames. This is almost twice the rate that commercial chips have been

seeking. Second, there might be legal problems involved because a special dispensation from a government agency is required to use LPC-10.

It's unlikely that the benefits of this standard will trickle down into the civilian economy, although the development of LPC synthesis ICs is a direct consequence of the groundwork laid by this standard.

What's Ahead?

Predicting the directions synthesized voice will take is tricky because so much depends on how hard the market drives the technology. It's fair to say that most players in the industry expected a lot more market pull than has developed to date: we've got a few talking cars, games, and telephone-response systems, but IBM settled for beeps instead of voice in its Personal Computer, and neither the Apple Macintosh nor the lie includes an LPC synthesizer.

(continued)

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 345

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346 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 128 on inquiry card.

REVIEW: LPC CHIPS

VOCABULARY-DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES

Adisa Corporation • POB 1364

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Texas Instruments a ■ • Box 226015 M/S 394 Dallas, TX 75266 (800) 232-3200

a supplies off-the-shelf ROM • supplies encoding hardware ■ encodes voice parameters

Customers aren't demanding synthesized voice because they haven't been exposed to a blockbuster application program that uses synthetic voice effectively; the public has seen only gimmicks. This situation will change in 1984 as synthesizer prices decline (this already has begun) and voice-encoding capability becomes more accessible to creative designers.

When semiconductor manufacturers start seeing a return on investments in this technology, they may turn to developing low-cost ICs that strive for highquality voice (in the range of 400 to 1000 bytes per second) and require very little manual editing. Perhaps these chips will use "multipulse" LPC, an extension of the LPC model that calls for sprinkling a few carefully chosen impulses into the excitation function for voiced speech. Multipulse LPC is fashionable in research circles.

Plain old LPC speech will be around for a long time, though. The synthesizers can be made inexpensively. They provide reasonably smooth speech with natural inflection and timing while keeping voice-memory requirements manageable. ■

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348

BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

SOFTWARE REVIEW

A programdevelopment

system

rooted in Modula-2

by Edward Joyce

Volition's Modula-2 on the Sage

For the programmer targeting heavy software development toward a p-System, Modula-2 on a Sage computer can be an enticing combination. Modula-2 is a state-of-the-art language from Niklaus Wirth, the developer of the Pascal language. Wirth's latest brainchild embodies low-level access to the machine, independent compilation of modules, and structured programming within a vocabulary of only 40 words.

Hosting the software is the Sage. P-code interpretation drags most computers to their knees, but the 8-MHz MC68000 of the Sage slices through the overhead to deliver reasonable response times.

The Modula-2 package sold by Volition Systems for the Sage resembles similar products the company markets for Apple computers and the IBM Personal Computer (PC). This similarity extends to price, module libraries, and 95 percent of the documentation.

The module libraries furnished with a language such as Modula-2 supply much of the processing power. Modula-2 relegates I/O (input/output), numerical calculations, and storage management, among other functions, to these libraries. Volition provides the minimal library that Wirth defines in his book Programming in Modula-2 (New York: SpringerVerlag, 1983). The vendor supplements this with extra library routines that, in the words of the user's manual, "provide a portable environment across all of Volition Systems Modula-2 implementations."

The standard library specified by Wirth covers terminal and file I/O and the math functions square root, exponentiation, natural logarithm, sine, cosine, and inverse tangent. Volition's augmented library adds several facilities to this core, most notably decimal arithmetic, string manipulation, and format conversion.

Decimal arithmetic is a boon to programmers writing financial applications. A variable type called Decimal specifies decimal integers up to 19 digits. Canned procedures may be invoked to add, subtract, multiply, and divide Decimal variables. The most convenient aspect of this mode of arithmetic is the

method for displaying or printing results. String parameters called pictures control the formatted output. Pictures take the tedium out of neatly presenting a numeric or dollar value by inserting decimal points, commas, leading blanks, and floating dollar signs.

Although the string-manipulation procedures of the extended library will be welcomed by many programmers, computer science professors may have mixed emotions. After all, one of the standard exercises in an introductory computer science course is to write routines for inserting, deleting, and comparing strings of characters. In Volition's Modula-2, this exercise is a simple matter of executing a one-line procedure call, hardly the intellectual challenge of writing the routine in FORTRAN, Pascal, or plain Modula-2.

Format conversion rounds out the augmented library. These procedures convert integer, cardinal, or hexadecimal values to strings. You can reverse the direction of conversion from string to integer, too.

Volition Systems' copious documentation for Modula-2 on the Sage mirrors its Apple and IBM PC counterparts. More than five hundred 8/2- by 11-inch pages describe the package. Wirth's Programming in Modula-2 is also included to clarify the finer points of the language.

The user's manual leaves no doubt as to its intended audience. It states up front that the explanations are geared to Pascal programmers. To this end, the author liberally sprinkles the text with source code illustrating side-byside implementations of algorithms in Pascal and Modula-2. Additionally, an 80-page section entitled "Differences from Pascal" lays out the precise areas where Modula-2 deviates from its predecessor. With this guide as a handy reference, Pascal programmers should have no difficulty adapting their vocabulary to Modula-2.

[continued]

Edward ]oyce [Route 9, Box 149, Charlottesville, VA 22901) is a freelance writer currently working on a book entitled Modula-2 Seafarer's Manual and Shipyard Guide. He earned an M.S. in computer science at Trinity University.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 351

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AT A GLANCE

Name

Volition Modula-2 System Type

UCSD p-System-type development environment

Manufacturer

Volition Systems POB 1236 Del Mar, CA 92014 (619) 481-2286

Format

Three 5!4-inch floppy disks

Computer

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Modula-2 compiler, library, run-time support utilities, editor

Documentation

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Circle 287 on Inquiry card.

Rio Plus II ™ For The IBM PC Or XT. The "One Slot" Winner.

All The Power & Performance You Can Handle In One Exceptional Multi-Function Board.

fcrftrsnuilCunixituw

When it comes to getting more usable features, greater performance, and better benefits into—and out of— your IBM Personal Computer... Rio Plus II is the very best multi-function board you can buy. Why? Because the Rio Plus II includes the very best features of two power-packed multi-function boards (the Rio Plus, and Super Rio)—conveniently built into one. Without a bet, the Rio Plus II offers the most complete one slot answer to your need for greater memory and additional ports.

"Pack" The Odds In Your Favor

Now, you can have almost everything you want or need. All in one slot. Rio Plus II gives you: One or two serial ports; a parallel port; an IBM compatible game port; the 'PC Accelerator' software (offering emulation of two RAM disks and a parallel print buffer); a battery operated clock calendar (remembers date/time even with PC turned off); and additional memory of up to 384K.

Using the RS-232C serial ports, you can easily connect

mice, modems, plotters, (serial) printers, or other necessary peripherals. With the parallel port, youH be able to operate any IBM compatible (parallel) printer, or SASI (Shugart Associates Standard Interface) hard disk ——■ controller. And courtesy of the PC Accelerator™, you get printer buffering and RAM disks which can even survive a warm boot. (For example, do an ordinary reset, and all the data entered on both RAM disks will still be there. Everytime.)

The Winning Combination

Rio Plus II is totally software compatible with IBM's hardware adapter boards. And, the Rio Plus II saves you time, money, slots ...and hassle. You'll have additional memory and functions available—exactly when you need them. At a price that's very competitive. And just think what you can do with all the other slots.

Rio Plus II. The only (card) game in town that consistently lets you win big. See your local dealer for the inside story. Or call or write STB Systems, Inc., 601 North Glenville, Richardson, Texas 75081 (214) 234-8750.

Expanding Microcomputing

PC Accelerator is a registered trademark of ResiCorp.

You'll find the excitement under the

covers.

The most exciting computer news since the micro: Framework.™

It's idea processing, word processing, electronic spreadsheets, database management and automatic graphics. With a unique outlining feature that allows you to put it all together more easily than ever.

Whether you're a novice or a techie, AshtonTate has a Framework book to explain the program, its language and application in the detail you require. Framework: An Introduction, by Bill Harrison

The first in a series of Framework books designed to show users how to take advantage of this new program's flexibility. Includes explanations of all of Framework's major features. A must for first-time users. Suggested retail price $15.95. Framework:

On-The-Job Applications, by Expert Systems, Inc. A collection of timesaving applications for those interested in putting Framework to use immediately. An ideal book for business professionals who don't have time to develop their own applications. Suggested retail price $19.95; with disk, $29.95. Available Fall '84.

Framework: A Programmer's Reference, by Forefront Corporation A reference source for programmers developing applications with Framework. Includes a programming tutorial and an extensive functions directory for the FRED™ programming language. Suggested retail price $24.95. Framework: An Introduction to Programming, by Forefront Corporation

A first-time-user's introduction to Framework prograrrvming. With an extensive tutorial on the functions and capabilities of the software. Suggested retail price $19.95. Available Fall '84. Framework:

A Developer's Handbook, by Forefront Corporation A complete handbook for the Framework program developer. Organized for quick and easy access. An invaluable addition

to any developer's library. Suggested retail price $24.95. Available Fall '84.

So if you're thinking of buying the program, buy the book, too. They're made for each other. And both are made for you.

And Ashton-Tate has a rapidly-growing library of microcomputer-related books for computer users of every level. To get a copy of our latest catalog, contact your local Ashton-Tate dealer. For the name and location of your nearest dealer, contact Ashton-Tate,10150 West Jefferson Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230. (213) 204-5570.

ASHTON -TOE

© Ashton-Tate 1984. All rights reserved. Framework and FRED are trademarks of Ashton-Tate.

Circle 30 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 359

¥£rnel

RED HOT SEPTEMBER SPECIALS!

SANYO 550-2 MS-DOS COMPUTER

With One Double Sided Drive and MS DOS " 2.11

$999

BIPDBSY0999

e Also Includes 12" Green Screen Monitor AND 80 cps Dot Matrix Printed

[Shipping charges: Outside CA Include $35.00; Inside OA Include $20.00) See Page 312 of last month's BYTE for different SANYO packages available!

DATACARD

Surge Suppressor

$29.95

BIW8RD6115S List Price: $49.95 (Sh. wt 8 lbs.)

• 6 AC Outlets » Noise Fitter » 6' Line Cord » 15A Circuit Breaker » Illuminated Power Switch » 6OO0V Spike Voltage Maximum

COMPUTER SYSTEMS

MORROW DESIGNS

MlcroDecisi(xiw/5Mbytehrd()sk&tflfminlBIMDSMD5 $1999 00 BasicflO.SuperCaScZ.Potsonal-Pnafland BIMDSMD11 SOFT S 350.00 Pilot software lor MD5 above

I DM PC

w/dual Vt height lloppies & 256K RAM BIIBMCP0256TEA $1999.00 w/dual IBM floppies & 256K RAM BIIBM51502562 $2150.00 w/dual 'A height floppies, 256K RAM & BIPDBIBMTEAX15 $3250.00 15 Mbyte external hart) disk

w/dual 'A heighl floppies. 256K RAM 4 BIPD8IBMTEAI1Q $3250.00 10 Mbyle Internal hard disk

SANYO

MBC550-2 MS-DOS 1 dbl/sd drive sys- BIPDBSV0999 S 999 00 tern w/Gm screen monitor & 60cps prmler

I DM PC" COMPATIBLE ADD-ONs

15M byte External hard disk oipobliiHDPCXi 5 $1295.00

& controller 18tbs.

HIXON 1200baud modem card lor 8IPDBRIXIBM $ 459.00 IBM with software Slbs.

64K RAM expansion lor IBM PC" BIPDBIBMMEM9 $ 54.00 contains 9-4164's 1 lb

VIDEO CARDS

IBM color video card 2lbs BIIBM1504910 S 244 00

IBM Monochaphcs 2lbs. BISTBGRPLS2 S 395.00

MONITORS

IBM 12" green screen monitor 1 Bibs BIIBM51510O1 $ 27500

TAXAN 12" green screen lc IBM 1Blbs.BITAX121 $ 16900

TAXAN 12" amber screen for IBM 18IUBITAX12Z $ 179 00

IBM 13" color RGB monitor 2Blbs BIIBM5153001 $ 6B0.OO

TAXAN 13" color RGB monitor 28lbs. BITAXRGB420 $ 495.00

STD CARDS (2 lbs. each)

Dual RS232. 1 cent parallel, clock cal. BISTBRIO $319.00 game paddle port and 256K RAM card (populated to 64 K)

1 cent parallel and 1 RS232 port ckxk/caLBISTBIO $ 199.00 and game port card

1-RS232.1-oentpar.Clock/cal.oameportBISTBRIOPLS $ 289.00 and 3B4K card (populated to 64K)

QUADRAM CARDS (2 lbs, each)

EXPANDE0 QUAD60ARD BIQORQDBRDXPD $ 239.00

QUADBOARD II BIQDRQDBRD1I0 S 229.00

QUADCOLORI" BIQDRQDCLRI $ 219.00

0UA0COLORII" BIQDRQDCLRII $ 449.00

QUAD 512 (64K Installed) BIQDRQD51 S 259.00

QUAOUNK BIQORQOLINK $ 539.00

Serial ml card I-RS232 BIQDRRS232 $ 89 00

Serial expansion lor above BI0DRRS232EXP $ 40.00

Parallel card BIQDRIPIC $ 89.00

APPLE ir COMPATIBLE ADD-ONS

DISK DRIVES

INDUS GT for Apple II w/software BIIN0GTAPPLE $ 269.00

CONCORDE Apple II disk drive add-on BICR0C111 $ 179.00

CONCORDE Apple II 4 drive controller BICRDC130 $ 75.00

CP/M* CARDS

MICROSOFT Premium card Ha BIMSF357760 $ 299.00

w/CP/M" and MBASIC™

MICROPRO ZB0B 6MHr card, 64k RAM.BIMPRWDSTRZA $ 299.00 CP/M". and Wordstar 33"

HAVES Mlcnxnodem He BIOCH701400 $ 249.00

DATASPEC 97 function key keyboard BIDSCAPLKB825 $ 199.00

PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS

Graphical BIPRPGRAPHICARD $ BS.00

Prkilerface BIPBPRINTERFACE $ 59.00

Mlcmoufror II (serial) BIPRPMB2PLUS16S$ 1B9.00

MicrobuflfKll (parallel) BIPRPMB2PLUS18P$ 189.00

VIDEO MONITORS

SANYO IBMHi 12' Green 24 lbs. B1SY0DMB112CX $ 129.00

SANYO 18MHz 12' Amber 24 lbs. BISYODM6212CX $ 129.00

TAXAN 1BMH: 12" Gteep 18 lbs BITAXKG12N $ 11900

TAXAN 18MHI 12" Amber IB lbs. BITAXKG12NUY $ 129.00

SANYO 13" RGB color 7MHl 30 lbs, BISY0DM7500 $ 399.00

TAXAN 12" RGB color 6MHz 50 lbs. 8ITAX210 $ 329.00

SANYO 25" RGB/NTSC color with dual BISY0AVM255 $ 649.00 sound amps (shipped freight collect)

SANYO TV tuner w/remote control 15 lbs.BISY0AvT95 5 349.00

PRINTERS

STAR

D—qiprtoo

Gemini 10X 20 lbs. BISTRGEM10X S 259.00

Gemini 10X tor IBM PC 20 lbs" BISTRGEM10XPCS 329.00

Gemini 15X26 lbs. BISTRGEM15X $ 399 00

Gemini 15X for IBM PC'S 26 lbs. BISTRGEM1SXPCS 449.00

Serial interlace for GEMINI X series 9ISTRSERINTX S 59.00

Serial Interlace with 4Kbufler BISTRSERINTX4KS 119.00

C0EXB0FT- parallel 21 lbs. BIC0X80FT S 179.00

OKJDATA

82A w/tractor leed 25 lbs. BI0KIDATB2AT $ 349.00

83A w/lractor leed 35 lbs. BI0KIDATB3AT $ 589.00

92A - parallel 25 lbs BI0KIDAT92AP $ 459 00

92A - serial 25 lbs. BI0KIDAT92AS S 610 00

93A ■ parallel 35 lbs. BIQKIDAT93AP s 699 00

93A - serial 35 lbs BI0KIDAT93AS S 925 00

64A ■ parallel 35 lbs. BI0KIDAT84AP S 895 00

84A - serial 35 lbs. BI0KIDAT84AS S 979 00

MANNESMAN N TALLY

MT160L 80 col. 21 lbs. BITALMT160L $ 575.00

MT180L 132 COL 28 lbs. BITALMT18QL $ 799.00

TOSHIBA

P1340 serial 30BH. BITSHPI340S $ 895 00

P1340 parallel 30lbs. BITSHP1340P $ 895 00

P1351 parallel 35lbs BITSHP1351P 11549.00

Bidirecwnl tractf forP1351 6lbs BITSHA04003 S 19500

Single bin cut sheet feeder BITSHA05OD2 $ 995 00 loi P1351 15 lbs.

DIABLO

630 60lb5. BIDBL630 SI695 00

630 RS232C cable BIDBL3207B101A $ 75.00

630 Centronics parallel cable BIDBL32083901 S 69.00

630 IBM PC* cable BIDBL3207B202 $ 69 00

PRINTER DUFFERS

64K Microbufler (seriaO 2lbs BIPRPMB1S64 S 249 00

64K Microbufler (parallel) 2lbs. BIPRPMB1P64 $ 249 00

Microbufler 11+ lor Apple (serial) 2lbs B1PRPMB2PWS16S $18900 Microbutfer 11+ for Apple (parallel) 2lbs BIPRPMB2PLUS16P $189 00

DISKETTES and ACCESSORIES

ULTRA MAGNETICS

40trk. 1sddbl'dens5'A", soft sector lib BIULT51401 S 19.95 2 ■ 9 boxes $16.00 each /10 or more boxes S1600 each

401rK 2sd dbVdens 5'/«", soft sector lib BIULT524Q1 S 29.95 2 to 9 boxes $28.00 each /10 or more boxes $25 00 each

MAXELL

8" dbVdens single sided lib. BlMXLFDn2BMi2noS 2750

B" dbl/dens double sided lit BIMXLFD2XDMI200 $ 34.95

ACCESSORIES

Fllp'n File 50 5'/." diskette holder 5lbs. BIINC03513139 $ 24.95

5W Diskette drive cleaning kit 11b. BIPDCFD05 S 14.95

8" Diskette drive cleaning kit 1 lb BIPDCFD08 $ 14.95

HEWLETT-PACKARD CALCULATORS

(3 lbs. each)

Bl HP-11C, $69.00 Bl HP-15C. $95.00

Bl HP-12C, $95.00 Bl HP-16C, $95.00

HP-41C Handheld computer/calculator Bl HP-41C S 139.00 HP-41CV with 5 times the memory Bl HP-41CV $ 1B9.00 HP-41CX with 10 limes the memory Bl HP-41CX $ 249.00 HP-71BNEWlPortabt8computersys1emBlbsBI HP-71B $ 449.00

MODEMS

DMolpfton

PROMETHEUS ProModem 1200 4 lbs. BIPRMPM1200 PROMETHEUS Alpha/num display BIPRMDISPLAY lor ProModem 1200 PROMETHEUS Options processor for ProModem 1200 ProModem 1200 Options processor 54 K memory exp

RIX0N R212A 1200 baud 4 lbs BIRIXR212A RIX0N PC212A 1200baud IBM PC" BIPOBRIXIBM modem card w/sottware 3 lbs HAYES 1200 Baud Smart modem 4 lbs. BIOCH040 0P HAYES 300 Baud Smartmodem BIDCH0200P HAYES Mcromcdm lie Apple modem cardBI0CH7Ol4O0 MURA 300 Baud modem 2 lbs BIMURMM100 CH SYSTEMS SLEUTH dial back modemBICHSSLEUTH security device 3 lbs

DISK DRIVES

B" DRIVES

$ 359 00 $ 79.00

BIPRM0PTPR0 $ 79.00

BIPDBPRMEXP64 $ 59.00

S 399.00

S 439 00

$ 519.00

$ 24900

S 24900

$ 75.00

S 42900

SIEMENS Single Side dbl/density IBibs BISIEFDD100B $ 125 00

2 to 5 Drives $110 00 each / 6 or more Drives S99 00 each WORLD DISK DRIVES Double Side BIWOD2008P S 219 00 dbVdensity tabs

2 to 5 Drives $199 00 each / 6 or more Drives $189 00 each OUME TRAK 842 bbl Side dbl dens l8lbs6IOMETRAK842 $ 45900 MITSUBISHI bbl side dbl dens 1 Bibs. BIMITM289463B $ 375.00 TANDON height sgl Side, dbl dens 9lbs BITNDTM8481E $ 319 00 TANDON V, height dbl side, dbl dens 9lhsBITN0TMB482E $ 389 00

SW DRIVES

MATSUSHITA 40trkVjheighL dbl side 3lt|BIPANJA5512N S 159.00

2 to 9 Drives S150 0 each / 10 or more Drives S 140.00 each TEAC 96lpi W height, dbl side 3lbs BITEA55F $ 179.00

2 to 9 Drives $170 00 each / 10 or more Orrves $16000 each TANOON 100-2 401rk full height. BITNDTM1002 $ 19900

dbl side 4 lbs

2 to 9 Drives $190 00 each / 10 or more Orrves $18500 each

5W HARD DISK

QUANTUM 42Mbyte Hard disk 9lbs BIQTMD540 $149500 TANDON 19 2Mbyte Hrd Disk BITND503 $ B95.00

DISK DRIVE ENCLOSURES

6" ENCLOSURES

ParaOynamcs dual desktop 35lbs BIPDN2200D $ 47900

ParaDynamics dual rack mount 35lbs BIPDN220OR $ 499 00

JMR Dual desktop 30lbs 81JMR2C8 $ 229 00

3V«" ENCLOSURES

JMR Single 5>bs BUMRtCS S 5900

JMR Dual lull heignt 9ibs 8UMR2CS $ B900

JMR Dual lull heignt w/mtemal data BUMR2C5C $ 9900 case Bibs

JMR Dual half height ven mint 7ibs BUMR2SV5 $65 00

III Single hard disk enclosure l6lbs BIIIIHD5001 S 23900

ill Dual hard disk enclosure 20lbs BIIIIH05002 $ 299 CO

S-100 ENCLOSURES

ParaDynamics 20 slot flow standing withBIPON3820S $1195 00 provisions lor 2 8" floppies and one B" hard disk with power up sequencer (shipped freight collect)

SDS SD300 6 slot low profile desk 20lbs BISOS5l052 $ 29900

S-100 HARD DISK SUBSYSTEMS

OCTAGON 19.2Mbyle w/cabinet and BI0CTHOSUBI9 $1699.00 data cables

S-100 CPU BOARDS

{Shipping weights on all S-100 boards 2 lbs. each)

Pan no.

CompuPro CPU-Z

CompuPra B0B5/88 dual processor

SDS SBC-300 4MHi

SDS SBC-300 6MHI

ADVANCED DIGITAL SuperSix w/floppy

controller, 128K RAM

ADVANCED DIGITAL 4MHz SBC 5!4"

floppy controller, 64K RAM

ADVANCED DIGITAL 4MH; SBC, 8"

floppy controller. 64X RAM

CR0MEMCO OPU 68000 and Z80A

CROMEMCO SCC

CR0MEMC0 ZPU

BIGBT51060 $ 26900

BIGBT510BO $ 399 00

BISDS3B095 $ 499.00

BISDS3B092 S 599.00

BtAOCsurem i &w :. \

BIA0CSBC15 BIAOCSBC16

$ 595.00 $ 595 00

BICRMDPU $ 79500 BICRMSCC $ 49500 BICRMZPU $ 395.00

S-100 RAM BOARDS

CompuPro RAM 21 I 128K BIGBT52021 $ 599.00

In quantities ol 2 or more. $549.00 each

SDS ExpandoRAM 111/696 8ISDS3B097 $ 499 00

SDS ExpandoRAM IV B1SDS3B088 S 899 00

CROMEMCO 512K MSU BICRM512M5U $249500

CROMEMCO MCU Memory control unit BICRMMCU $ 495.00

CROMEMCO 256KI BICRM256KZ $1295.00

CROMEMCO 64Ki 8ICRM64K2 $ 695 00

CROMEMCO 2MegaBy1e RAM CARD BICRM204BMSU $8995 00

S-100 RAM DISK BOARDS

CompuPro M-Orive/H' 5I2K SDS RAM disk 256K

BIGBT52012 8ISDS38082

$ 975.00 S 64900

S-100 I/O BOARDS

CompuPro Inlerfacer 1 CompuPro Inlerfacer 4 CompuPro SystBm Support 1 SOS 4 port Async serial SDS 8 port Async serial SDS 8 porM-Aaync 4-sync CROMEMCO TU-ART CROMEMCO QUADART CROMEMCO Intelligent C-BUS" I/O multiprocessor

CROMEMCO 4 port isolated parallel CROMEMCO B port parallel interface CROMEMCO GPIB IEEE-468 interface CROMEMCO DAC12 CROMEMCO ADC12 CROMEMCO D+7A

BIGBT133A

BIGBT53040

BIGBT56010

BISDS3S096

BISOS38093

BISOS38094

BICRMTRT

BICRM0ORT

BICRMIOP

8ICRM4P10

8ICRM8PI0

BICRMGPIB

BICRMOACI2

BICRMADC12

BICRMD+7A

$ 169.00 $ 349.00 $ 350.00 $ 449 00 $ 52900 S 59900 S 395 00 $ 695.00 $ 495.00

S 395.00 $ 295 00 $ 595.00 $ 495 00 $ 495 00 $ 295.00

S-100 CONTROLLER BOARDS

FOR FLOPPY DISKS

CompuPro DISK1 DMA

SDS VersaFloppy II with CP/M 30™

(a special implementation by SDS)

SDS VersaFloppy III

with 5Vi" unbanked CP/M 3.0" with 8" unbanked CP/M 3.0" with 5V<" banked CP/M 30" with 8" banked CP/M 3.0"

CROMEMCO 64F0C

BIGBT5401B $ 39900 BIPDBVF2CPM3 $ 29900

BISDS38099 S 599.00 BIPDBVF339145 $ 74900 BIPD8VF339146 $ 749 00 BIPDBVF339147 $ 74900 BIPDBVF339148 $ 74900 BICRMMfDC $WS«

FOR HARD DISKS

CompuPro 0ISK3 Seagate ST500 series BIGBT54030 $ 558 95 ADVANCED DIGITAL Seagate 500 BIADCHDC10015S 39900 compatible

CROMEMCO STDC Seagate 500 BICHMSTDC $ 795 00

compatible

CROMEMCO SMDI smd compatible BICRMSMDI $ 795.00 controller

MottwCarndl

PRIORITY ONE ELECTRONICS -TST

9161 Deering Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311-5887 ORDER TOLL FREE (600) 420-5922 - CA, AK, HI CALL C010) 709-5111

MINIMUM PREPAID ORDER $50.00. Terms U.S. VISA. MC, BAC, Check, Money Order, U.S. Funds ONLY. CAtesidemsadd6%%SaSesTa».\iKtaieWW>*ViWi SHIPPING & HANDLING ol $3.00 lor the first 3 lbs, plus 40« lor each additional pound (20t il within California). Orders over 70 lbs. sent freight collect Just in case, include your phone number. Prices subject to change without notice. We will do our best to maintain prices through September, 1984. Credit card orders will bo charged appropriate freighL We are not responsible for typographical errors Sale prices for prepaid orders only.

ORDER TOLL FREE (OOO) 420-5922 - CA, AK, HI CALL (616) 709-5111

Circle 298

COMPUTING

AT CHAOS MANOR

On the Road

COMDEX Spring IBM/S-100 Video CompuPro Goodies ThinkTank Copy Protection Ethics RCBS Blues PC Clones NewWord Star Fleet I Seybold Reports

by Jerry Pournelle

Ithink they're trying to kill me. During the month of May I was home for precisely 10 days; the rest of the time 1 was on the road: at conferences, meetings, the COMDEX in Atlanta, the New York meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a speech in Cincinnati, and heaven alone knows where else. They say travel is broadening, and I believe it: 1 put on 10 pounds during that last trip.

Not only that, but our novel, Footfall, is overdue, and ludy-Lynne Del Rey, our editor, is threatening to send hit squads, so I've been over at Larry Niven's house 8 hours a day since 1 came back. The blitz is working: we've done at least a chapter a day since we started that.

All this is by way of apology: my columns tend to ramble, and although I doubt this one is worse than most, there's a second difficulty. I wasn't here most of the time, so I'll have to include a show report as well as some of the doings at Chaos Manor. Fair warning on show reports: I can tell what I saw, but I make no guarantees on anything I haven't actually used.

COMDEX Spring

It was the first COMDEX in Atlanta and, incidentally, my first spring COMDEX, (ust as the hay-fever season ends in California, it begins in Georgia, so 1 try to stay out of that area in the spring. The really big announcements happen at the fall COMDEX in Las Vegas, or so I've been told. I wouldn't have gone to Atlanta if the AAAS meeting in New York hadn't come just then, but since I was supposed to be on the East Coast anyway, it seemed a good thing to do.

PC Compatible at Last

I'm glad I went, because it was my first chance to see the radical new S-100 board designed for CompuPro by my longtime friend and associate Tony Pietsch. Years ago, you may recall, I said that someone would get rich with an IBM PC-compatible video board to fit the S-100 bus. If anyone listened, they didn't tell me, so I changed tactics: I began to buttonhole the S-100 designers and suppliers. "Don't

you see?" I said to anyone who would listen. "There's just too much good software written for the IBM PC for us S-100 addicts to ignore. The S-100 bus is dead if we can't get it to run PC software, and the only way to do that is to have a PC-compatible video board." I must have said that to 50 people.

The only one who agreed was Dr. William Godbout of CompuPro, and he had so many other projects going that he didn't move very fast because all his in-house design people were tied up. Eventually, though, he decided that it was urgent and talked Tony Pietsch into designing it for him. It took longer than Tony thought it would—these things always do—but at the spring COMDEX it was running.

Fair warning: what was shown was a wirewrapped board. As I write this in early June, the first printed-circuit boards haven't been finished yet. I'm supposed to get a test copy sometime next month. It's scheduled to be delivered this fall, perhaps by the time you read this. I don't guarantee the schedule.

I can hardly wait, though.

Tony's board does both high-resolution (monochrome) and color output. CompuPro used a standard IBM color monitor for the display, but no one familiar with the PC was fooled for an instant into thinking a PC was hidden somewhere in the CompuPro booth. People would wander over to the exhibit, look for a minute, and then mutter, "OK, how did you do that? It can't be a PC. It's too darned fast" They were right, too: the board I saw had a rock-solid display, as steady as if it were painted on the screen, and it could completely rewrite that screen in the blink of an eye.

There was more: the board was running under Concurrent PC-DOS (Concurrent CP/M |CCP/M| plus the IBM PC emulation module). This addition to CCP/M has been rumored for months; apparently it's out now, or at least Dr. Godbout's people had one. I don't yet have mine and won't until I get my video board (CompuPro will be able to supply Concurrent

[continued]

jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psychology and is a science-fiction writer who also earns a comfortable living writing about computers present and future.

SEPTEMBER 1984 "BYTE 363

CHAOS MANOR

PC-DOS |CPC-DOS| with the board), at which time I'm going to have to do some hard thinking about what I use for a "terminal" for this system.

1 have little doubt that I'll change over to CPC-DOS just as soon as Len Ott, CompuPro's in-house software guru, and Tony finish the new BIOS (basic input/output system) and get it all implemented. My real question is what I'll drive it all with. I hope Tony's BIOS will be sufficiently versatile to let me cobble up a system making use of my Archive keyboard and a large video monitor, so that things won't be much different from what I have now.

There were more goodies at the CompuPro booth. A production model iAPX286 board was running at 10 MHz installed in the S-100 "boat anchor." (Those boards aren't cheap; the only reason you'd want one right now is if you were developing software or hardware addons.) The 286 drove the system with Tony's video board (but wasn't the reason his video board is so fast; the PC's I/O is slower than its central brain system). The 286 is upward compatible with the 8088 in the PC, so given the PC video board and CPC-DOS, all the PC software should run on it. The CompuPro people promised me they'll have Flight Simulator running on that system by year's end; I can hardly wait. Of course, if I use the 286, it will have to be artificially slowed down unless I want to practice hypersonic flight.

The final goody was a network of four Shirley machines (Shirley is officially known as the CompuPro System 10). Each Shirley has four users, each user with his own processor and memory. There's a fifth processor for traffic management. We've done little with ours here at Chaos Manor, but that's not Shirley's fault; we're rebuilding, and the place is about to be overrun with contractors and architects. When they're all done, Shirley will become the main machine for the staff, with a link to my own Zeke II system—unless I go all out and replace Zeke. We're still redesigning my final system. In any event, I have enough faith in Shirley to trust my business to her.

I don't have any need for a 16-user system, but if I did, I'd seriously consider linked CompuPro 10s: it's costeffective, there's a big software base to build on, and the network looked

awfully good, with every user having access to every disk drive and printer. Since each user can choose his own names for the other systems in the net—that is, you could call my disk the D: disk while I think of it as the A: drive—there's some possibility for confusion if you move from one workstation to another, but sane organization will take care of that; they don't have to have different names to different users unless you want them to.

ThinkTank

Living Videotext had a Macintosh version of ThinkTank at the spring COMDEX. ThinkTank is an excellent product. Indeed, it's one reason I insisted on converting to a PC-compatible system; the program is just too darned useful to do without. Any professional writer not using ThinkTank is probably working too hard.

It bills itself as an idea processor, which is no bad description. ThinkTank organizes outlines. I have a favorite cartoon: it shows a man splayed out in an office chair, foot caught in the wastebasket, arms terminally entangled in the telephone cord, file cabinets spilling papers onto the floor, desktop invisible under paper (in other words, much like a photograph of my office); the caption is, "Life is difficult for the organizationally impaired." It fits me perfectly. I can use all the organizational help I can get.

ThinkTank would be more useful if it were better integrated. The idea-processor part is great; the word processor, i.e., text editor, will never be my favorite for getting lots of work done. It's a bit clumsy, not to say awkward. Even so, the outline generator is well worth using.

You can also get ThinkTank for the Apple II and the IBM PC and close clones (including Zenith Z-150 but, alas, not Z-I00). 1 highly recommend ThinkTank except for one problem. It's the problem I want to write about.

Copy Protection and Piracy

The only trouble with ThinkTank is that it's copy protected. It's less obnoxiously protected than most: you can copy the program to a hard disk (which you ought to do), but it won't run unless the original distribution disk is in drive A. That's milder than some copy schemes. Even so, this converts ThinkTank from a

durable good into a temporary good, since coffee, kittens, telephones, dust, and stray magnetic fields eventually destroy all disks.

ThinkTank's publisher is Living Videotext; the inventors followed the hallowed micro custom of starting a new company to market their program. I asked the people at Living Videotext about copy protection and was told that they sell a lot of copies of trie VBW version to people who've seen it on another computer and decided they had to have it for themselves—but that didn't happen with the Apple version, which wasn't copy protected. They concluded that the Apple owners were giving copies to their friends.

The Macintosh version of ThinkTank is also copy protected. Their stated assumption is that Apple users gave away copies of the program. Their unstated assumption is that IBM PC and Macintosh users will do so unless physically prevented.

Of course, their price might have something to do with the user attitudes. They think they have little choice about the price: given the costs of advertising, of keeping an adequate staff to fill orders, and all the overhead of running a software publishing company, they have to charge a lot. They're probably right, too; but that's the fatal flaw in the whole micro tradition of starting your own company every time you write a new program.

There are economies of scale in publishing. It's not 10 times as expensive to publish 10 different programs as it is to publish just one. Since ideas aren't copyrightable—only the implementations can be protected—it won't be long before someone else comes up with an idea-processor program that does more or less what ThinkTank does. Indeed, I could write one myself, although I probably won't. Someone will; someone smart enough not to start up a new company but rather turn it over to a publisher who'll be able to sell it for a lower price.

The price of software will be driven down to about the cost of a hardbound book. That may take a while, but it's inevitable. When it happens, copy protection won't be so obnoxious: after all. reference books aren't eternal either. They can be lunched by kittens, dogs,

{continued)

364 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

HIGH TECHNOLOGY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES

Dot Matrix Printers

C. Itoh Prowriter (8510) $ 359.88

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Circle 45 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER I984 - BYTE 365

CHAOS MANOR

And Yet More Ethical Problems

I'm often asked which IBM PC clone to buy. It's a tough question, and like most tough questions the answer is, "That depends..."

I'm sure there are a lot of good PC compatibles out there. I saw so many at COMDEX that i can't keep track of them all. However, this column, for better or worse, is built around stuff we use here; and by use, 1 don't mean just uncrate it and run test programs. I mean use for productive work: creating programs, writing books and stories and columns and letters, making indexes, paying bills, doing my taxes, and generally getting the work done around Chaos Manor. We can't use everything. How, then, do we select what we do use, and is it fair?

I try to be fair. We select what we use by employing several parts science, a couple parts whim, and one part blind luck. The science comes in when 1 try to analyze what new machines are like: what chip, who designed the machine, etc. I may not do it all that well, but I do have some experience—besides, I hear from my correspondents and through the various nets 1 dip into for information (including one where I'm thoroughly anonymous), so by and large I get a good idea of which new machines are pretty good and which are turkeys.

Naturally I try to work with good stuff. I'm not interested in shooting turkeys. I don't have the column space: there's too much good software and equipment deserving praise to waste time on the dogmeat.

As to what I get: when we see a new product that looks good and hear good things about it, I or one of the assistants write a letter expressing interest. Often we don't have to do that: I'll already have got a letter from the company asking if I'm interested in testing a product.

I usually will, but on my conditions, which are pretty severe: we're going to use the stuff. Use is not test; thus I'll return evaluation equipment (or pass it along to an educational institution if the owner prefers); but I return it at my convenience,

not after some arbitrary time limit like 60 days. I may hang onto it for as long as a year. Some stuff stays longer than that, if I think it's still the best machine for the job it's doing.

Have I then been bribed by the use of the equipment?

No. I'm unbribable for two reasons. First, I have already bought and paid for enough computer equipment to keep me going a long time. Second, and more important, everyone—well, nearly everyone—wants to send me computers. 1 have, at last count, 34 of them, and we've long since run out of convenient places to put them, so that some end up on the floor. I have to step over two to feed the tropical fish. I don't need any more computers, and since I do have a strict rule that nothing sent to me is ever sold, it's usually more of an inconvenience than a joy to accommodate a new machine. Even so, I do spend a fair amount of time trying new stuff and making the staff swap the machine they're using for something else—in general, trying to keep up. because that's the job I undertook when I started this column.

1 also try to be fair, especially to small start-up outfits. BYTE's editorial staff gives me complete editorial freedom, just as McGraw-Hill gives BYTE's editors editorial freedom; so I'm under no obligation to say nice things about big advertisers. I love to discover something new before anyone else does. Probably my greatest satisfaction in writing this column comes from letters that say "I bought such-andso on your recommendation, and Wow!, thanks for telling me about it."

Alas, I can't look at everything, whether computers or software. The computer business isn't even my major occupation. 1 make my living writing books (and if Larry and I don't finish Footfall pretty soon. Judy-Lynne is going to see to it that I don't make a living at all). Try as 1 might—and understand. I like these little machines, and I like playing about with them, and I even like writing about them, so it's not really work at all—I can't get to all of them.

I really am dancing as fast as I can ...

children, the brotherhood of book borrowers, Coca-Cola, brandy, and coffee. I don't expect Chemical Rubber to furnish me a free copy of the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics just because my kid took it to school and spilled acid on it in chemistry class; and since I can't live without it, I just go buy a new one when something like that happens. 1 deliberately picked this as an example because it's about the most expensive vital book I own.

Until software costs come down, though, 1 just don't believe there's any justification for copy protection. Besides, it's so easy to defeat. The ThinkTank scheme was a bit more ingenious than most, but it can be overcome with a demon. A demon is a little program that monitors what's going on and does nothing until he's called into action; this particular demon sits up in high memory in the PC and listens for calls to the A: disk drive. When he hears one, he intercepts it, and if it was from ThinkTank, he feeds back the information the program was looking for. The A: disk is never disturbed, and ThinkTank never knows. We haven't developed a demon for the Macintosh version yet, and we probably won't until we can get a 512K-byte Mac; there's so little free memory in the standard 128K-byte Mac that even a small demon is a significant intrusion.

Incidentally, please don't write to ask for my demon; I haven't figured out what to do with him yet because I'm still thinking about the ethical implications.

More Ethics ...

On that score, I have another problem. There's a well-known method for patching Microsoft BASIC (for the PC or any other machine) to remove the protection scheme. Once the patch is done, you can edit and list any program, even those distributed in the "Run Only" mode.

One company I know of wants to market a product that does the patch: that is, you run the program; it loads in MBAS1C, makes the 2-byte change needed, and saves it back again as MBAS1C. That's all it does; once you've run the program, you're through with it. The company wants to market this for $100. That seems a bit steep for what it does.

(continued)

366 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

IT'S A SMALL MIRACLE HOW HEWLETT-PACKARD PUT656K OF MEMORY, LOTUS 1-2-3, WORD

PROCESSING, A TELECOMMUNICATIONS MODEM AND COMPLETE IBM CONNECTABILITY INTO

i i i i i'i t i i i i i i t .

I I I I III 1 1 1 ) I \ \

I I yjV.W.V.Y,' ,1

m 1 | 1 -.. ... J,.., I

THE PORTABLE.

For years business people had to choose between the power of a desktop computer and the limited capabilities of the first portables. That problem was solved when Hewlett-Packard introduced The Portable.

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1-2-3™ from Lotus™ America's most popular spreadsheet, file management and business graphics program, is permanently built into The Portable. So is Hewlett-Packard's word processing program, MemoMaker. Just press the key and you're ready to work.

The Portable even has a built-in modem and easy-to-use telecommunications software to send

or receive data using a standard telephone jack.

If you use a Hewlett-Packard Touchscreen PC, IBM® PC, XT or an IBM compatible you'll be glad to know that your desktop and The Portable can talk to each other with the simple addition of the Hewlett-Packard PortableDesktop Link.

The Portable's rechargeable battery gives you 16 hours of continuous usage on every charge.

Finally, you can work comfortably on a full size keyboard and an easy-to-read 16-line by 80column screen. And it all folds shut to turn The Portable into a simple nine-pound box.

The Portable. A small miracle...perhaps. But then consider where it came from.

See The Portable and the entire family of personal computers, software and peripherals at your authorized Hewlett-Packard dealer. Call (800) FOR-HPPC for the dealer nearest you.

PG02412

276 T

Setting You Free

K/jg HEWLETT "r PACKARD

IBM is a registered trad-emarV of International Business Machines Corporation. 1-2-3 and Lotus are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation.

CHAOS MANOR

This presents several problems. Are we justified in publicizing this information at any price? It seems to me that rather than advertise a product to do that job, I'd just as soon put the exact instructions into the column; it's not very difficult to patch MBASIC yourself. On the other hand, should we be telling people how to get at the source code of their various programs? After all, the publishers haven't copyprotected "Run Only" BASIC programs, they've protected only their sources. On the other hand, the patch locations are no great secret; they've been available on a number of computer bulletin boards, so anyone who really wants to learn them can find the information.

There's a lot of other—ah, interesting—information on remote computer bulletin-board systems, including the patch locations to allow you to remove the copyright notice from WordStar or, more ethically, change the timing loop so that the copyright notice doesn't stay on screen so long. Again, anyone really interested can find this information with little trouble.

Putting them on a bulletin board is not, however, the same as publishing them in BYTE.

I'm open to suggestions.

The RCBS Blues

The microcomputer revolution would probably have been stillborn without

hobbyists, particularly the public benefactors who wrote and distributed free software. Among those public benefactors, two sets really stand out: the people who founded and ran user groups and the hardy souls who set up and operated free computer bulletin boards.

This latter group has become an endangered species.

I'm sure you've all heard the story. Tom Tcimpidis for years operated a free RCBS, distributing software and information. Anyone could call in and post messages on his computer, and anyone calling in later could read those messages. Tcimpidis provided this as a public service, and his board wasn't essentially different from anyone else's. It wasn't filled with pirated software, it wasn't a phone phreak hangout. It was rather wide open, with little or no censorship.

In mid-May Tom was visited by a Los Angeles Police Department detective and two Pacific Telephone Company security officers. They had a felony search warrant. Tcimpidis says their knock at the door was the first he knew of any complaint against him.

They wanted to confiscate all his computer equipment. Since he makes his living with it, that would be tantamount to putting him on welfare. Eventually, the LAPD officer agreed to take only the equipment used for Tom's RCBS, but that was bad enough.

The charge was that telephone credit card numbers and access codes were posted on his bulletin board. I should say "had been"; they had timed out and were automatically removed before the telephone people showed up.

\nfcWorld's Peggy Watt quotes California Superior Court Judge Robert Fratianne (who issued the warrant) as saying he understands the complexities of the case because he's seen the movie WurGames. I guess that doesn't surprise me; lawyers typically pretend they understand everything, with about as much reason.

This gives me a wonderful idea. There's a local supermarket that I don't much like; I think I'll go down there and post some telephone access codes on its community bulletin board, then make an anonymous call to the local Phone Company. Perhaps they'll get the whole market impounded. To make sure, I'll paint the numbers on the store's wall, so that the whole wall will have to be removed for evidence.

Levity aside, there are some pretty sticky issues here.

Traditionally, both author and publisher are joint tort-feasors in an action at libel; and rightly so. Libel, though, is an action for damages after the fact. Although there have been many, many cases in which parties have gone to the law to try to prevent publica

[continued]

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368 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 132 on inquiry card

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For Dealer locations, see page 414.

SEPTEMBER 19S4 • BYTE 369

CHAOS MANOR

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370 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

By Trademark Software and Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Available for the IBM" XT.

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Circle 386 on inquiry card.

Hon of something they believe to be libelous and damaging, and many of them have been able to make very persuasive cases, both state and U.S. courts have always been extremely reluctant to exercise prior restraint.

They almost never prevent publication of stories, no matter how scurrilous, about "public or political figures," and indeed, as William F. Buckley has found to his sorrow, a sufficiently public figure (even if not in politics) has a very difficult time collecting damages after publication. This is probably as it should be: the framers specifically intended a free and independent press as one of the safeguards of the Constitution, and it is worth tolerating much mischief, not to say evil, to ensure a free press. Possibly the courts have gone too far in limiting damages in cases of libel of "public figures," but their reasoning, that the fear of damages will have a chilling effect on publications denouncing those who ought to be denounced, is meritorious if not convincing in every case. Buckley himself admits the principle.

Now, of course, the publication of access codes and credit card numbers is hardly an act of free speech protected by the Constitution. The framers had never heard of telephones, much less computers, but they weren't stupid; given a couple of weeks to understand the facts, they'd have agreed that such publication served no public interest while definitely harming legitimate property rights.

It is a fundamental principle of the English Common Law, and thus the American legal tradition, that "there is no wrong without a remedy." Granting that the Phone Company has been wronged, the remedy is not so obvious.

Collecting damages is likely to be impossible. If those access codes were on Tom Tcimpidis's RCBS. they were pvobbably on others, so that it is manifestly unfair simply to send him a bill for any misuse. Unquestionably, the Phone Company has a real interest in preventing publication of those codes—but that fact is not in dispute. Tom Tcimpidis never asserted a right to publish those codes. He insists that he didn't put them there, tried to discourage users of his RCBS from posting illegal or unethical information on it, and removed the access codes as soon as he knew they

{continued)

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'For your copy of the complete DIGITAL REVIEW report, attach your business card to this ad, and mail to Primages.

Circle 296 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 3^

1 1

a r

1 ,

>- «

> <

) '

1 1

"They're obviously not using the ETI Project Control System"

The ETI Project Control System Helps you keep All the pieces and people In Place, On Time and Within Budget

The ETI Project Control System is a visual project management tool. It allows the user to divide large, complex projects into individual tasks and operations.

Based on the proven CPM and PERT methodologies, the ETI Project Control System is available now and easy to use.

Compatible with IBM Personal Computers', it offers uncluttered displays, extensive user flex- /k^^-vp* ibility and a suggested Si/Q retail price of only *p£**J*J»

With a few keystrokes, the ETI Project Control System user can draw a task chart to fit nearly any project. Each task may include name, duration, capital cost, labor cost, overhead cost, person(s) responsible, manpower requirements or manpower mix, amount completed, starting and ending dates (including early and late dates) and a narrative description.

In addition to the task chart, which graphically shows task relationships and sequence, the ETI Project Control System features several management aiding displays. There are schedule charts that show the critical path, scope and complexity of the project. There are also personal

schedules for individuals or equipment, assignment lists and charts that show either budgeted or actual costs.

A change made in one chart is simultaneously made in all the charts. This feature can quickly and graphically show the schedule implications of any change in the project plan.

The ETI Project Control System puts the user in control. The information entered is not subject to any pre-set program of analysis. The user decides what variables are important and chooses the level of detail.

Better understanding and control of complex projects is only one result of using the ETI Project Control System. It can also help find schedule threats and test alternatives, or seek the best cost/time tradeoffs. As a communications tool, the Project Control System can be of great benefit. All displays are "what you see is what you get." Data developed and collected with the program can be printed and circulated in the same form as displayed on the screen.

The ETI Project Control System can help make you a better manager. Circle our reply number for more information.

ALSO FROM ETI

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Micro-Reminder $29.95

ETI

PROJECT CONTROL SYSTEM

ETI • 5848 EXECUTIVE DRIVE LANSING, Ml 48910 • (517) 887-2480

"All programs require IBM Personal Computer 1 28K ol RAM. monochrome or color display, one disk drive PC-DOS IBM and PC-DOS are trademarks ol Inlernational Business Machines All prices sub/eel to change without notice Shipping is additional. "Includes program diskette and User Manual

CHAOS MANOR

were posted on his system.

One obvious remedy was for the Phone Company to ask Tcimpidis to delete the codes; perhaps even to get him to sign an agreement to be more diligent in the future.

The Phone Company didn't do that; and while i don't know its true motive in bringing the police to confiscate Tcimpidis's computer. 1 have a pretty fair inference. I suspect it wasn't trying to stop Tcimpidis from publishing those codes; it wanted to put the fear of, if not God, then the Phone Company, into all RCBS operators, causing them either to monitor (and censor) what is posted on those boards or shut them down entirely.

The Phone Company was successful. A quick check after the word got around shows that at least 20 bulletin-board systems suddenly went off line. (At last check, though, you can still get "Free Phone Sex" by calling certain numbers. That generates lots of telephone use.)

Query: Is this situation a Good Thing for the Republic?

Clone of My Own

"Best machine" means many things to many people. For computer whizzes, "best" generally means the latest, with bells and whistles and superspeed; for beginners, "best" may mean a much more limited machine that's been around long enough to have the bugs knocked out. Since most computer company documents are atrocious, "best" to a very naive user may also mean a machine popular enough to have generated books, such as Peter Norton's excellent series on the IBM PC.

Latest and fastest isn't always bestbut sometimes it is. Best also changes every couple of months. I'm writing this in June 1984.

With all that out of my system, I can give a preliminary answer to the "which clone" question. I now recommend three systems.

For complete (I don't know of any PC program that won't work; for safety's sake, call it 99 percent) compatibility, a great keyboard, good color, good price, and good service, you'll go a long way before you beat the Zenith Z-150 PC. This machine is so nice that Mrs. Pournelle has claimed ours. The keyboard is excellent. It's so PC compati

[conlinued]

372 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 136 on inquiry card.

Get XT performance ata Jr price.

Now you can get the instantaneous response, massive storage, and easy operation of a hard disk in a truly affordable desktop computer system-the Morrow MD-11! At $2995, it's less than many floppy disk computers!

The Morrow MD-11 comes complete with monitor, keyboard, and computer with 11-megabyte hard disk and 384k backup floppy disk drive. Plus, the MD-11 price includes over $1200 worth of name-brand software: super fast CP/M* 3.0 operating system, NewWord™ word processor, Correct-It™ spelling checker, SuperCalc™ spreadsheet, Personal PEARL™ data base manager, Quest* business bookkeeping system, and 2 programming languages.

And now, affordable 16-megabyte ($3495) and 34-megabyte ($4995) Morrow systems are also available!

You've never been able to buy this eXTra measure of performance at such a JR. price. Come try the MD-11 for yourself at your nearest Morrow dealer.

Call us today for the name of a dealer near you. (800) 521-3493, or (415) 430-1970 in California.

600 McCormick Street San Leandro, California 94577

CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research Inc. NewWord is a trademark of New Star. Correct-It is a trademark of Morrow Designs. Inc. SuperCalc is a trademark of Sorcim Corporation. Personal PEARL is a trademark of Relational Systems, Inc. '$37.50 licensing fee required.

Circle 260 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 373

CHAOS MANOR

ble that when we got ours without software, Peter set it up and booted it with the work disk from our IBM PC; no problems at all.

If you build it from the kit model, it's just about the cheapest PC compatible on the market.

If compatibility isn't your main concern, you could do a lot worse than get a TI Professional. This machine isn't anywhere near 100 percent PC compatible and doesn't claim to be, but TI has versions of most of the really swell IBM PC programs. The Professional is newer and faster than the IBM PC

It has a great keyboard, I think marginally better than the Z-l 50 but not better than the Z-l00. We're down at a level where personal preferences and prejudices dominate; all three of these machines have wonderful keyboards, miles ahead of the IBM PC keyboard. (IBM says of its keyboard, "You can't satisfy everybody," to which the only reply is, "Yeah, but you've achieved the

astounding feat of satisfying nobody'.'} The TI Professional is fast, considerably faster than the PC, and has a better display. There are a bunch of features for it; some, like the voice recognition, are more toy-like than serious (but fun); others, like the communications system, are genuine improvements. I'm seriously considering teaching my Professional to be the "master system" that controls most of the other stuff here; if I have to abandon my Archive keyboard and 15-inch screen, the TI Professional (I'll have to find out its name; I'm weary of writing TI Professional) is a leading contender.

Finally, there's the Zenith Z-l00, which isn't as compatible as the Z-l 50 and doesn't have all the features of the TI Professional—but has a lot going for it, including price, lots of software, and the S-100 bus. Zorro, our Z-100, has been a major workhorse for well over a year and is Peter Flynn's main machine for writing letters, doing indexes, and

generally getting work done that doesn't require 100 percent PC compatibility. He likes it a lot.

More on all these machines in coming months; meanwhile, if you're in the market for a clone, look into these.

Macupdate

Last minute addition: I now have a second disk drive for the Mac. The machine is still too slow and severely memory limited, but with a second drive it becomes capable of supporting real business software. There's a minorly annoying bug in the copy software, but it doesn't hurt anything, and except for that the operating system handles a second disk quite elegantly.

At NCC I saw the beginnings of a flood of Macsoftware, all supposedly ready to ship by August I. The most important thing was a C compiler from Softworks Limited of Chicago. Given languages and useful software, the

(continued)

An excellent

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374 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 373 on inquiry card.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS

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Telecommunications j Future Takes a KfsTSterrwith Hayes

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p The commitment is here. The talent is here. The experience is here. And if the past is prologue, then 'other Hayes technological breakthroughs are close at hand. For years now we have been assembling the Hayes engineering and technical support team to lead a telecommunications revolution. Not simply to compete, but to set the Standard for others to follow. To that end, we have designed an engineering environment superior to any in the industry, and we have recruited some of the engineering world's best young talent and teamed them with seasoned professionals. The^ chemistry is right for those among you who have searched for just sujj" an opportunity. If you're ready to make a career comr

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There's a fururaMn it.

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ENGINEERS

Join Our New Lake Stevens Division of Hewlett Packard

The Lake Stevens Instrument Division ol Hewlett Packard develops and manufactures state-of-the-art measurement instrumentation in the fields of signal generation and analysis. Lake Stevens' Research & Development area has openings for unique individuals interested in:

Electrical Engineering, to design firmware and hardware for next generation instruments. Requirements are: BS or MS in EE, EE/CS or equivalent experience.

Computer Scientist, to develop tools and scientific applications programs for instrument systems. Requirements are: BS or MS in CS, EE/CS or equivalent experience.

Process Engineer, to design chip mount and new circuit implementation process technology. This includes electrical and mechanical process designs for broad frequency bands. Requirements are: BS or MS in EE, ME or equivalent experience.

CAE-Electrical Engineer, to develop and support the electrical engineering and printed circuit work station environment. The preferred candidate will have 2 years experience with CAE systems, PASCAL, and electrical engineering analysis (eg. SPICE, and schematic capture), BS or MS in EE, CS/EE or equivalent experience.

Applied Statistician, for design, test, and analysis of software metrics, QA process control, and support of the product development business planning activities. Requirements are: MS and applied statistics or equivalent combination of education and instruction skills.

Lake Stevens is located 25 miles north of Seattle. Washington, in the spectacular Northwest. If you are qualified and interested in spending your future with an exciting, fast-growing division of a dynamic electronics leader, send your resume to: Hewlett Packard Company, Personnel Services, Dept. 806, P.O. Box 69, Marysvllle, WA 98270.

We are an equal opportunity employer dedicated to Affirmative Action.

Software Engineers

Discover the opportunities available with Sperry in Albuquerque, where our Defense operation is growing rapidly to meet the needs of worldwide aviation.

In this position, you will participate in the development of new control and display systems for military helicopters and airplanes.

To qualify, you must have a BSEE/CS and a minimum of three years of experience. Your background should include design, test and integration of real-time software with emphasis on modular and structured programming. Experience with high order languages also desirable.

Sperry will provide you with a competitive salary and benefits package in a modern, professional working environment. For consideration, send your resume and salary information, in confidence, to Brandon Harwood, Sperry, P.O. Box 9200, Albuquerque, NM 87119.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. U.S. citizenship required.

CHAOS MANOR

Macintosh could yet become a computer for, if not the rest of us, at least a fair number. At student discount prices the Mac looks pretty good; I still wouldn't recommend buying one at full price.

NewWord

MicroPro, the outfit that developed WordStar, laid off a number of employees two years ago. Some of them went into business for themselves and formed Newstar Software Inc. The result was NewWord, which uses the same commands as WordStar. Peter Flynn, who uses WordStar a lot, describes NewWord as "WordStar without glitches."

Not that there are all that many glitches in WordStar 3.3. The latest WordStar release is a genuine improvement in both documentation and ease of use. WordStar isn't my favorite editor, but everyone ought to learn how to use it; nearly everyone has it, and it's been around long enough to have shaken the bugs out. MicroPro's Charlie Stevenson tells me that versions in which you can kill the entire status line are coming up.

We have both WordStar 3.3 and NewWord running on Lucy Van Pelt, our fussbudget IBM PC. Since Peter uses WordStar regularly, 1 let him take the first cut at comparing them. He mildly prefers NewWord, which has a number of features unavailable on WordStar.

Both programs were run with the Dilog DP-100 RAM (random-access read/write memory) disk; there was no perceptible difference in operating speeds. With a RAM disk both are very fast, with the notable exception of horizontal cursor movement. Files are easily and quickly interchanged.

NewWord's menu layout is a major improvement over WordStar's. Most of the screen is in normal intensity with significant parts highlighted. With NewWord you see the text as it will print, boldface in boldface; ditto for underline. You can even see double-struck characters on the screen.

Another notable feature is the greatly expanded Help facility. You can't quite learn NewWord without looking at the manual, but you'll get a lot farther that way than you will with WordStar. NewWord has a paging feature: that is, you can jump directly to, say, page 10

[continued)

376 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

i

Ca/cu/ator f^fon-Making

• ,»•«« a.oli/0„. SI. .. " ""a "•"•""'"•lie.

*»h lni«„, 2 ^''"B Hol.ilon.hlp. in o.i. aoltnwic Appiicnlion.

0

Howthen*554Imakes short workof long problems*

Whenever you can solve complex problems quickly and accurately, you're ahead of the game. And that's exactly what the TI-55-II does for you. By giving you 112 pre-programmed functions (like definite integrals), it allows you to take short cuts without losing accuracy. You'll accomplish a lot more in less time which means increased efficiency.

With our TI-55-II you can tackle problems you thought could only be solved with higherpriced programmables. You're not only getting the standard slide rule functions but also statistical

capabilities. This way you can work out linear regressions, permutations and combinations, just to name a few.

The TI-55-II also gives you enough programmability to eliminate a lot of repetitive key punching. Our Constant Memory ™ keeps programs and data on tap, even when the calculator is turned off. So once you've entered a formula, you can simply put in the variables to get your solution. The Liquid Crystal Display shows your answers in standard, scientific or engineering notations — clearly and precisely.

We also help you get the most

out of your calculator with the Calculator Decision-Making Sourcebook. It gives you stepby-step examples of the best techniques used for solving mathematical, scientific and statistical problems. And we've included a special section on how to program your TI-55-II.

So next time you're facing another time-consuming problem, cut it down to size with the TI-55-11.

Texas Instruments

Creating useful products and services for you.

Copyright © 1983 Texas Instruments

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 377

THE NEW CANON MICROCOMPUTER.

Its graphic system makes brilliant color more affordable.

983 ad

pulled 2,391 sales leads.

On page 489.

This is not an exception. In the same issue on page 409, WYSE Technology's ad generated 1,792 inquiries and the Prometheus ad-way back on page 495-garnered 1,588.

Advertisers in BYTE receive an average of over 1,000 inquiries per page of advertising, an average of 1,300 for full-page or larger ads. And not just in special, front-ofthe-book positions, but all through the pages of BYTE.

BOTE

Why? Because more than 430,000 hightech computer sophisticates pay to read BYTE — cover to cover every month - for the microcomputer information they want and need. They'll send advertisers over 6 million ad inquiries this year, and over a half a million BYTE readers will buy products from ads they've seen in BYTE.

Including yours.

Talk to us —we're the people who wrote the book on microcomputer marketing. Just call Pete Huestis, Advertising Sales

Manager, at (603) 924-9281.

THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

if" i

BYTE is published monthly by M^rvw-HiH, he., w+h offices 4+ 70 Main St, PeterbcuxjgJ-i, M-03H5&

378 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

CHAOS MANOR

without scrolling past the previous nine. Not even WRITE has that, and it's a feature I've often wished for.

You can embed "ruler lines" in NewWord, which is to say that you can change formats paragraph by paragraph, and when you reformat the entire document (there's a global command to do that), each will get its proper format. This will be good news for scriptwriters, who have to follow a rigidly structured (but weird) indentation scheme.

WordStar 3.3 had better scrolling than the original version of NewWord; but after I wrote this and sent them a copy, the NewWord chaps fixed theirs so that it's like WordStar 3.3.

NewWord comes with a mailing-list merge program. Unlike WordStar, the program is configured for a particular type of machine; you can reconfigure printers, but there's no installation routine for other kinds of computers, so if you bought NewWord for the Kaypro, you won't be able to run it on the Otrona. Apparently there is a generic version with an Install, but I'm not sure how to get it since configuring it for particular kinds of systems seems to be one of NewWord's piracy controls.

Peter likes the NewWord manual, and so do I. It's a big, thick book with an impressive number of examples, containing both a tutorial and an encyclopedic reference manual. The reference manual is better than the tutorial, but given the improved on-line help NewWord offers, it's good enough.

There is no spelling program for NewWord. That's a pity. The new WordStar spelling program is excellent, the first one I've seen that really competes with Wayne Holder's The Word Plus; but The Word Plus is darned good and costs less than the WordStar spelling program.

The bottom line is that NewWord looks to be at least competitive with WordStar in features, and the undiscounted price is lower; of course, almost no one pays list price for WordStar nowadays.

I always recommend that newcomers to the computer world learn WordStar, not because it will be their favorite editor, but because it's not bad, and it's so universally available. As far as I can see, the command structure of

(continued)

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SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 379

CHAOS MANOR

I call Star Fleet I the world's most elaborate star battles game.

NewWord is about the same as WordStar's.

Holy Wow, Batman!

A couple of months ago I said that I'd written the world's most elaborate Star Trek game. (Incidentally, it's no longer called Star Trek. Barry Workman received a polite but insistent letter. You can still get it as Star Kill.) Anyway, 1 should have known better than to say a thing like that. There is a star battles game that is not only more elaborate than the one I wrote but more elaborate than I'll ever write. In my defense, this one runs on the 16-bit IBM PC, and mine is an 8-bit game, although I recently recompiled it so that it will now run on MS

380 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

DOS and PC-DOS systems.

What I'm willing to call the world's most elaborate star battles game is called Star Fleet 1. It comes from a company called Cygnus, and it's not just a game, it's darned near a career.

I don't say that lightly. You begin the game as a recruit in the Star Fleet Academy. On graduation you get a test assignment. Your score on that is recorded, and you get promoted (or not; I flunked my first mission). The game keeps track of your service record, awarding your promotions according to your performance. You can even win decorations, such as Hero of the Alliance with Meteors and Diamonds. The program keeps track of that, too, writing it all on the disk so that when you come back to the game in a few days (and you will), it knows what rank you held when you left off.

The game itself has some of the flavor of the original Star Trek game, with galaxy and sector maps, phasers and

Circle 366 on inquiry card.

torpedoes, etc., but there are elaborate differences. For instance, both maps stay on the screen and are updated as needed. This is made possible by writing messages directly to the screen. There are sound effects, and you see the torpedoes move toward their targets.

There are many new commands, most very logically thought out. The game is darned complex. Incidentally, the player isn't expected to be a computer: if the ship's computer would logically do a task, then you merely order it done; you don't have to calculate torpedo tracks and such like.

The designers have been clever with sound, too. For instance: when the game initializes, it gives the message "Please stand by and in awe. The universe is being created." Then it plays the theme from Also Sprach Zamthustra, the one made famous in 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'll let you guess what music the machine plays when you send Marines to board an enemy ship.

The game is fun, but there are problems. The version I have is slow. The game is so elaborate that it has a number of overlays, and it must frequently access the disk. It doesn't check to see if you have lots of memory and load more of itself if you do; the result is that you wait quite awhile for navigation, for the Marines to reach the transporter room, and for other activities. They don't cache the overlays, either, so that it returns to the main program after each overlay command, which is maddening if the next thing you want to do also requires the overlay to load. The slow speed is bearable— but only just.

There are a few design flaws, too. There ought to be a warning message when you're about to run out of time. My Star Kill warns you, so that you know it's time to stop trying to capture enemies and get on with blasting them. In my first trip through Star Fleet I, I got so engrossed with capturing the other guys that I forgot the time factor.

I also managed to crash the game and get an error message, although I wasn't doing anything unreasonable. For some reason, you can't do a lot of backspaces when the machine is waiting for a command. That seems a bit silly. However, the game recovered; only once did I manage a fatal error. Alas, I don't

BIG TIME

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You get all this in one integrated, easy-to-use, fully documented package. For a Statpro demo, contact your local dealer. Or Wadsworth Professional Software, Inc., Statler Office Building, 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116.

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Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

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CHAOS MANOR

remember what I did.

Since Star Fleet I is written in BASICA, you must have BAS1CA.COM in order to play it. I suppose that most PC owners will have. BASICA. A letter from one of the game designers—they're all engineers in the space program at Houston—says they plan to compile the game Real Soon Now.

It's a lot of fun, and Wow! is it spectacular in color.

For Interested Professionals

I get about 20 pounds of mail from BYTE every week. One of the things that appeared in my BYTE mail was three issues of the Seybold Report on Professional Computing. I don't quite know why; if there was a cover letter, it got lost.

This publication is excellent. Whether it's worth the subscription price, $120 a year, depends on your needs; certainly it could be. There isn't much in it that you won't see if you read BYTE, Popular Computing, and ln/oWorM—but the Seybolds say it a lot sooner. They had an in-depth analysis of the November COMDEX in the December issue and a follow-up in January. Both were excellent. They hadn't selected the same topics that I did—given the size of COMDEX how could you?—but theirs were important enough. They did tend to stay with the "trendy" developments, like Microsoft Windows and Visi On, but they caught some of the less obvious things like the Canon laser printer, too.

The report on professional (as opposed to home or game) computers is one of three newsletters that the Seybolds publish. Their Report on Publishing Systems is widely regarded in the publishing field. They also have a Report on Office Systems. None of their publications accepts advertising. Interestingly, each issue contains the statement, "Permission will not be granted to suppliers to reproduce any part of The Seybold Report for commercial purposes," meaning, I presume, that you can't use a favorable review from them as a way to plug your products.

At $10 ($12 single-copy price) for a bJack-and-white 8'A- by 11-inch 32-page issue, this newsletter is hardly going to steal many subscribers away from BYTE; but those who need to know about

[continued)

Bomb or BMW?

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FOR FULL DETAILS, CALL 800 345 8500, EXT 144

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Circle 381 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 381

E3GLE PC-2

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DIST. WANTED

I.B.M. — APPLE AND CUSTOM PRODUCTS I.B.M. Compatible Apple Interface Card

miC Tester Card CALL Z-SO Card $30.00 SO Column Curd $40.00

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63xx 14" monitor $89.00 Disk Driver (for Apple or IBM) $175.00

Case fI25.H0 KqBoard $189.00 Mother Board with ICs

(no ram) $240.00 Mother Board with ICs

(1 m add. mi) $500.00 Power Supply $175.00 Multi Function Card $239.00 Color Graphic Board $229.00 Floppy Disk Driver Control

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Circle 399 on Inquiry card.

san

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Circle 287 on inquiry card.

:haos manor

ITEMS DISCUSSED

Star Fleet I

$49.95

postage and handling

$2

Numerous Items

Cygnus

CompuPro

POB 57825

3506 Breakwater Court

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Star Kill

$19.50 '

Millionaire $59.95

Workman and Associates

Pnmmnrinrp Atari Annlp II $49 9S

112 Marion Ave.

Blue Chip Software

Pasadena, CA 91106

6744 Eton Ave.

(818) 796-4401

Canoga Park, CA 91303

(818) 346-0730

ThinkTank Apple II $150

Macintosh

$145

NewWord $249

IBM PC

$195

Newstar Software Inc.

Living Videotext Inc.

1601 Oak Park Blvd.

2432 Charleston Rd.

Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Mountain View. CA 94043

(415) 932-2526

(415) 964-6300

PC Graphics Board $495

from $2495

CompuPro

Texas Instruments

3506 Breakwater Court

POB 402430

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Department DCA232BY

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Dallas, TX 75240 (800) 527-3500

Seybold Report on

Professional Computing. . $ 120/year

Zenith Z-150

from $2199

Seybold Publications Inc.

Zenith Data Systems

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1000 Milwaukee Ave.

Media, PA 19063

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small computers, in depth and quickly, may find it's a bargain.

I'm out of space and still not done. We've got a mess of ribbon reinkers for revivifying nylon printer ribbons. They range from a spray can you use after prying the top off the ribbon to a machine so elaborate I can't figure out how to put the ribbon in. Reinking is a good idea, provided you wear rubber gloves or don't mind being mistaken for a member of the Black Hand Society; I haven't found any nonmessy way to do it.

The game of the month is Millionaire by Blue Chip Software. If you've any interest at all in investments, you can learn a lot from this one—and it's fun.

The book of the month is Joe Campbell's The RS-232 Solution (Sybex, $16.95). It's by far the best book about serial interfaces, cables, protocols, and the arcana of computer interconnections that I have ever seen. If you want your computer to talk to something through an

RS-232C port, you desperately need this book.

Finally, we've got Savvy, the darnedest database program I ever did see; a new Modula-2 compiler; lots on the Modula-2 operating system, which, about the time you read this, will be available on Sage computers; no new Macintosh software but plenty more promises; and a whack of a lot of new software we're going to get at just as soon as Larry and I finish this novel, which, I promise you, will be Real Soon Now. ■

Jerry Poumelle welcomes readers' comments and opinions. Send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope to }erry Poumelle. do BYTE Publications, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. Please put uour address on the letter as well as on the envelope. Due to the high volume of letters, \erry cannot guarantee a personal reply.

••■•••■••••••••••••••••••••••••••••a

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'Excluding Eastern flights that begin or end in Kansas City, and unlimited mileage tickets.

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 383

CONVERT YOUR PRINTER INTO A DIGITAL PLOTTER

Scientific Plotting

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Symbol Sets

PLOTCALL is a graphics system that processes standard plotter instructions into a form that can be printed on over 20 dot matrix printers. This is not another print screen program; presentation quality graphics are created directly on the printer to achieve the maximum resolution possible. (120 x 216 dots per inch for Epson printers)

PLOTCALL includes 17 symbol sets for sign making and plot labeling. Symbol sets may be altered, or create your own! Character strings may be created from any symbol set, rotated to any angle, and scaled to any size.

Plots can be created from any language or from digitized data. An interactive plot debugging program allows you to preview a plot on the screen before sending it to the printer.

All plots in this ad were created with PLOTCALL on an Epson printer. No ad

ditional hardware is required, not even the color graphics card!

Also included are the following easy to use, interactive programs that utilize the PLOTCALL system:

SURF creates high resolution three dimensional surface plots with hidden line removal.

TOPO creates contour maps using the same data as SURF. TOPO uses the character routines in the PLOTCALL system to provide inline contour labels.

GRAFIT creates charts and graphs of all types - XY graphs, bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs.

IBM PC or compatible with a minimum of 128K of memory and a dot matrix printer with graphics option are required.

ENTIRE PACKAGE ONLY $199

DEMO DISK (include printer model) $10

Program Output

To order or obtain further information, contact:

Contouring

V\SA AND MASTER CARD ACCEPTED

GOLDEN SOFTWARE, P.O. Box 281, Golden, CO 80402 - (303) 279-1021

J84 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 164 on inquiry card.

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

Disappointing CalcStar

Dear Jerry,

I have used VisiCalc on my Atari 800 for some time for engineering work, and 1 naively assumed that the CalcStar bundled with my shiny new Sanyo would be similar. I was greatly disappointed. Some special problems include no trig functions, inability to raise a number to a power (x"2 does not play), and no auto-recalculate— this is a manual command.

In addition, the calculations are so slow that you probably could not get anything done at all if you did have auto-recalculate. Square roots, in particular, slow the calculations down horribly.

The only good thing 1 can offer is that the market apparently realizes this, as CalcStar sells for about half the price of other spreadsheets. I feel even this is overpriced, however, as it is only slightly more useful than Vu-Calc on the ZX81.

The surprising thing is that WordStar is a competent program; perhaps MicroPro has a lot of people who write but don't calculate.

Pat O'Neil Gilbert. AZ

I don 't know anyone who uses CalcStar; we certainly don't. Thanks for the comments. -lerry

Rejoinder

Dear lerry,

Thank you for printing my letter in the February "User to User" column (page 475). 1 have received favorable comment from some fellow OX-10 users.

I wonder why, however, you jump to conclusions. 1 do not now and have never owned a Selectric typewriter. That letter (and this one) were done on my QX-10 and Comrex CR-II printer.

Herbert Thompson Decatur. IL

My apologies. Colly, it sure looked like it was done on a Selectric. That's one nice printer. -Jerry

Multiuser Systems

Dear Jerry,

I am glad to see your prediction that Concurrent CP/M will replace PC-DOS in the PC world. In my work, 1 evaluate application software for use on a CP/M-compatible multiuser system. I am getting extremely tired of hearing from software companies that their CP/M or CP/M-86 ver

sions are at the bottom of the priority list, with MS-DOS at the top. Wouldn't you think they would at least realize that hundreds of thousands of CP/M systems out there provide a market for their software? Isn't CP/M-based Kaypro the third best-selling name in microcomputers? Isn't IBM now selling Concurrent for the PC XT? Wouldn't you think these companies would realize that the huge IBM PC market also has a huge number of competing companies writing software for it? IBM has turned the majority of the microcomputer industry into a herd of lemmings. (And IBM could well be excavating the cliff at this very moment!)

CompuPro is doing a PC-compatible video board so you'll be able to run PC-DOS software! (That is, unless its copy-protection scheme checks to see if it's running on a PC.) Once again. IBM leads us downward and backward onto the "following edge" of technology. Reminds me of seven years ago when we had to install video boards into the North Star to get Electric Pencil to work.

I can't agree with you that it's better to have one user, one computer. (I'll admit I'm biased, having used a multiuser system for some time now with a virtual terminal board in it, so that I by myself can run several tasks at once in multiple processors.) You're speaking of copying files around from one PC to another on your network, but on a multiuser system you just access them as if they were yours, provided that you are entitled by the password scheme to access that file or program. Furthermore, you are ignoring the situations where multiple users need to access and/or update the same database. Also, multiuser systems make better use of disk storage than multiple computers because you need only one copy of the program stored on disk for several users. And you may be able to network several different brands of incompatible computers together and transfer files around, but you still can't run all your programs on all your networked machines. Let's see you run Edword from the Apple node of your network!

Have you looked at the Wyse-50 terminal? Standard options are 16 programmable function keys (32 shifted), soft setup, emulation of every terminal I've ever used (Hazeltine 1500; TeleVideo 910, 920, and 92 5; and ADDS Viewpoint), and a 132-column mode. SuperCalc in 132 columns is much more useful. Not to mention that it runs at 38.400 bps if you can find a machine to support it. And a nice keyboard with the keys in the right places, including arrow keys where I like them. Two pages of memory, and programmable status line and programmable function-key labels (which I haven't had time to figure out yet). And it retails for S695! The function keys are done right, so it doesn't lose char

acters on multiuser systems, a rare feature.

Kaye K. Caldwell Oakland. CA

I wouldn't count CP/M out just yet. I know that a Concurrent that runs PC-DOS actually exists; why it isn't being marketed I can only speculate.

I too recall the old days when Electric Pencil was the best text editor around, not just for micros, but for any machine anywhere . . .

Thanks for the tips on terminals. I saw a lot of them at COMDEX Atlanta.—Jerry

Turbo Pascal Patches

Dear Jerry,

Here are the locations at which the stringcomparison and real-number patches need to be written in. First is the floating-point patch location and then the string-comparison patch location.

Floating-point patch: MS-DOS/IBM PC: location cs:0dbe (from 74 to 90) and cs:0dbf (from 15 to 90), MS-DOS/Generic: location cs:0dl6 and cs:0d!7, CP/M-86/IBM PC: location cs:0de2 and cs:0de3, and CP/M-86/Generic: location cs:0cl4 and cs:0cl 5.

String-comparison patch: MS-DOS/IBM PC: location cs:08e5 (from 73 to 76), MS-DOS/ Generic: location cs:083d, CP/M-86/IBM PC: location cs:07fc, and CP/M-86/Generic: location cs:073b.

These have all been tested individually to assure accuracy.

Borland International Scoffs Valley, CA

Another Pournelle User's Group Service.

You can use the Turbo debugger to install these patches; they fix bugs in earlier versions of Turbo Pascal. These are for the Z80 Turbo only; the 16-bit versions were fixed before shipment—Jerry

Technical Support

Dear Jerry,

We particularly enjoyed your comments on end-user support; it's very appropriate in our case. ("The Technical-Support Dilemma," April, page 64.)

We recently bought a Texas Instruments Professional Computer with a 10-megabyte hard disk, internal 300/1200-bps modem, 256K-byte RAM, 8087 option, three-plane graphics, MSDOS 2.1, WordPerfect, SuperCalc3, MSBAS1C compiler, macro assembler, Emulator 86, COMM TTY, and the noisy fan—our version of hackers' heaven after a year of trouble-free Atari

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 385

Would you hire an entire band when all you need is one instrument? Of course not.

So why use a whole orchestra of computers when all you need is one to develop software for virtually any type of micro-processor?

The secret? Avocet's family of cross-assemblers. With Avocet cross-assemblers you can develop software for practically every kind of processor — without having to switch to another development system along the way!

Cross-Assemblers to Beat the Band!

Development Tools That Work Avocet cross-assemblers are fast, reliable and user-proven in over 4 years of actual use. Ask NASA, IBM, Xerox or the hundreds of other organizations that use them. Every time you see a new microprocessor-based product, there's a good chance it was developed with Avocet cross-assemblers.

Avocet cross-assemblers are easy to use. They run on almost any personal computer and process assembly language for the most popular microprocessor families.

Your Computer Can Be A Complete Development System Avocet has the tools you need to enter and assemble your soft-ware and finally cast it in EPROM:

VEDITText Editor makes source code entry a snap. Full-screen editing plus a TECO-like command mode for advanced tasks. Easy installation - INSTALL program supports over 40 terminals and personal computers. Customizable keyboard layout. CP/M-80, CP/M-86, MSDOS, PCDOS $150

EPROM Programmers let you pro gram, verify, compare, read, display EPROMS but cost less because they communicate through your personal computer or terminal. No personality modules! On-board intelligence provides menu-based setup for 34 different EPROMS, EEPROMS and MPUs (40-pin devices require socket adaptors). Selfcontained unit with internal power supply, RS-232 interface, Textool ZIF socket. Driver software (sold separately) gives you access to all programmer features through your computer, lets you download cross-assembler output files, copy EPROM to disk.

Model 7228 Advanced Programmer —Supports all PROM types listed. Superfast "adaptive" programming algorithm programs 2764 in 1.1 minutes.

Model 7128 Standard Programmer —

Lower-cost version of 7228. Supports all PROM types except "A" versions of 2764 and 27128. Standard programming algorithm programs 2764 in 6.8 minutes.

Avocet

Target

CP/M-86

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Microprocessor

CP/M-80

IBM PC, MSDOS

XASM04

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XASM05

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200.00

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XASM09

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200.00

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XASM18

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200.00

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XASM48

8048/8041

200.00

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XASM51

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200.00

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XASM65

6502/65C02

200.00

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XASM68

6800/01, 6301

200.00

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XASM75

NEC 7500

500.00

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XASM85

8085

250.00

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XASM400

COP400

300.00

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XASMF8

F8/3870

300.00

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XASMZ8

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200.00

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XASMZ80

Z80

250.00

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XMAC682

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68200

595.00

595.00

XMAC68K

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68000/68010

595.00

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Model 7956 and 7956-SA Gang Programmers — Similar features to 7228, but program as many as 8 EPROMS at once. 7956-SA stand-alone version copies from a master EPROM. 7956 lab version has all features of stand-alone plus RS232 interface.

EPROM: 2758, 2716, 2732, 2732A, 2764, 2764A, 27128,27128A, 27256,2508,2516,2532,2564,68764, 68766, 5133, 5143. CMOS: 27C16, 27C32, 27C64, MC6716. EEPROM: 5213, X2816A, 48016,12816A, 5213H. MPU (w/adaptor): 8748, 8748H, 8749, 8749H, 8741, 8742, 8751, 8755.

7228 Advanced Programmer $ 549

7128 Standard Programmer 429

7956 Laboratory Gang Programmer 1099

7956-SA Stand-Alone Gang Programmer 879

PDV Driver Software 95

481 8748 Family Socket Adaptor 98

511 8751 Socket Adaptor 174

755 8755 Socket Adaptor 135

CABLE RS-232 Cable (specify gender) 30

HEXTRAN Universal HEX File Converter — Convert assembler output to other formats for downloading to development systems and target boards. Also useful for examining object file, changing load addresses, extracting parts of files. Converts to and from Intel, Motorola, MOS, RCA, Fairchild, Tektronix, TI, Binary and HEX/ASCII Dump formats. For CP/M, CP/M-86, MSDOS, PCDOS $250

Ask about UNIX.

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386 BYTE • SEPTEMBER I984

Circle 36 on inquiry card.

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

800 computing. We had to have something more than Atari could offer.

We seriously researched for about three months. The Tl Pro won out for several reasons: best color graphics with standard equipment, a rich library of software available, and hardware options (8087) that we were told were available now. There are also about 20 pages of third-party hardware options available. The closest competitors were the Fujitsu Micro 16s and the DEC Rainbow. The deciding factor was a substantial discount from a retail outlet.

Well, there are a lot of things Tl did not tell us. And whenever 1 try to find out anything, I get the feeling that no one is there.

A side note. When we were still shopping, we had some questions about the DEC Rainbow. 1 talked to a system engineer. He answered my immediate questions and sent me a technical manual. Gratis, even after I told him I was only shopping and did not know if I would buy.

I have gotten some support from the Tl regional sales office, but supposedly 1 am to rely on the dealer for support. The salesperson is trying hard to satisfy us, but he just does not have all the answers.

Allow me to elaborate on one specific example. 1 understand that a programming language must be able to support the 8087 chip. But which specific programs do the job? Will the Tl versions of the MSBASIC compiler or macro assembler do it? Microsoft doesn't know; it licenses the program to the OEM. Anyone at Tl who will even talk to me does not know the answer. I am supposed to get that kind of technical support from my dealer. The poor salesperson knows how to run the demos, be friendly, and look up prices. The poor guy does not have the technical information and does not understand why I need to know it. Therefore, he does not persist with his sources of support information, and 1, the end user, have to swallow another bitter pill.

I have had two Tl TTY Communications programs, and neither one was usable. Both disks had so many unrecoverable read errors that the programs would not run. copy, or transfer to the hard disk. With regard to the prices being charged for software, the end user is entitled to an absolutely error free product.

In spite of all our negative comments, we are slugging it out in the trenches and enjoying the learning process. Let's see. after two days now we can copy disks, transfer the invisible system command into the unknown (there should be a warning on that command), read the TTY manual, and look at the WordPerfect program. (The pieces I ordered to construct the printer cable have not arrived yet.) Oh yeah, we can run diagnostics. Ahhhh. but the possibilities . . .

V. A. AND DEBBI WALSER

Staten Island. NY

We just got our Tl Professional yesterday. It really looks well made, quite "professional." I hope we're not going to have the problems you did! Fortunately, I sit on a University of Texas Board of Visitors with a Tl vice-president, so perhaps f'fl be able to get some attention if it's needed.

More when I know more . . . — |erry

An Author Responds

Dear lerry,

I just read your negative review of my game Legionnaire in the May issue, and I wanted to shoot back at you.

I'll begin by pointing out that the game was designed on and for the Atari 800, and one of my primary goals was to make full use of the special capabilities of that machine. Avalon-Hill decided to translate it onto the Apple against my advice, and I am not surprised that this Apple version generates such a negative review; the Apple simply can't equal the performance of the Atari. Moreover, I did not execute the translation myself, so 1 cannot vouch for the quality of the programming work.

Thus, I am conceding that many of your complaints about the game are absolutely correct. I will take you to task for several sins.

First, why are you evaluating a secondary product? In fact, why are you wasting your time playing games on a secondary games machine like the Apple? If you want to see the game, why not get an Atari and play the real game on a real games computer? Games on the Atari are much better than games on the Apple. Try Legionnaire. Eastern Front (1941), or Excalibur on the Atari. It would seem that you have no problem stuffing Chaos Manor with lots of expensive hardware; can you not find the space for a cheap little Atari? I realize that a lot more people have Apples than Ataris, but a lot more people play games on Ataris than on Apples.

I'll also fault you for calling Legionnaire "an arcade game masquerading as a strategy game." In the first place, the verb "masquerade" implies something about the intentions of the designer, and you don't know those intentions, so you misused the verb. In the second place, I designed the game as a strategy game with a real-time element. Fast reflexes are not essential to winning the game. Good strategy is essential to winning the game. So how can you justify calling it an arcade game?

I agree with all your objections about the poor human engineering of the Apple version. That game is so hard to play that it loses its appeal. It's a great example of how you can ruin a good Atari game by translating it to the Apple.

Chris Crawford San Jose, CA

Well, we have an Atari, but I can only review what I was sent-which was the Apple version. Maybe you can talk Avalon-Hill into sending it for the Atari?

While I have the designer on line-why the devil did you use only part of the screen? One of the most annoying "features" of Legionnaire is having to move the map window around.

As to the rest, "masquerade" referred to the game, not to the designer. It sure felt like an arcade game to me! And you can say that fast reflexes aren't needed, but I thought so; if there'd been a way to slow it down, I would have done so. Perhaps I'll like the Atari version; certainly I thought I would like the game right up to the point when I began playing it—]erry

Technical-Support Ideas

Dear lerry,

I have a few solutions to the technical-support dilemma to suggest.

1. Supply with each software package the names and phone numbers of the last few local people to buy it. You can call them if you need pointers. This could start some new friendships and could also lead to some headaches for users who don't like to get calls.

2. Supply with each package 10 chits for general answers and 4 for technical answers. These could be in the form of randomly selected large numbers. When you call (toll-free number, of course), you would have to give a valid number or they would hang up. If the reason for the call turns out to be their error (software doesn't match advertisement or documentation), you get a replacement chit. This would supply an incentive to keep the documentation up to date. I suppose they might offer chits for sale. too.

3. Give you access to an expert system primed with answers to the most common questions. If it can't answer a question, it forwards it to a human who subsequently adds the answer to the system. This way, a computer handles the boring part of the job. Eventually, you could hope to get an initial expert system (on an optical disk?) with the software.

James R. Van Zandt Nashua, NH

Hah, Your first solution would, I suspect, lead to mayhem. Of course, computer clubs do provide something like that service.

I doubt that software, at least for machines available to most developers, is up to 3.

I like 2. Maybe somebody will adopt the idea.—Jerry

Publishing Delays

Dear lerry,

I enjoy your columns very much. In fact, they're the first thing I read when a new BYTE arrives. However, it's a shame that your column is nearly six months old when it finally gets printed. Can you explain why there's such an outrageous transport lag in the publishing system?

Tim Penner Wichita. KS

Consider: I send in an article. A technical editor has a go at it. It then goes to copy editing. Then typeset. Then proofed. Galleys are sent back to me. My corrections are sent back and inserted, and another typeset galley is output. Now the whole magazine has to be pasted up, proofread, and sent to the printer.

Then it's printed and put into the mail. While it's supposed to go out pretty fast, sometimes the letter carriers balk at hauling more than three or four copies at a time and thus spread out distribution.

Wish I had cheerier news, but I don 't—Jerry

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 387

2CflO programmers f Jvv depend on us.

... from giant corporations to small independents. There are many reasons why. First, THE PROGRAMMER'S SHOP provides the kind of personal service and support that is not available anywhere else: answers... technical literature .. newsletters... evaluation... special disk formats... rush delivery... andmore. But that's just the beginning. THE PROGRAMMER'S SHOP offers five times the product selection of any other supplier... at good prices. We are committed to helping you write better programs and get maximum productivity out of your software ... while saving you time, trouble and money. Here are a few examples:

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XENIX by Microsoft is a rich system, has applications available and a "High" 74 COBOL. $1325 UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs.

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C86 by CI ($339), Lattice ($359) from Lifeboat or Microsoft, and Williams C ($475) are in a tight battle. Which is best for integration with Fortran? 8087? support libraries? speed? debugging?

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LISP by Integral Quality ($155) is well rounded while GC Lisp ($465) supports syntax closer to "Common LISP."

Graphic "C" library with source-for PC, Corona, printers, plotters, Hi-Res, 8087option, with source $195

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Modula-2

Dear lerry,

Modula-2 is available on 8-bit machines through Volition Systems. According to information I received some time ago. Volition sells Modula-2 systems for Apple \\. Apple 111, Z80. 8080. IBM PC, and the Sage II and IV computers, some of which are 8-bit machines. I believe that in the case of the Apple versions you are required to have Apple Pascal.

I program in Pascal on an Apple 111 computer, and. like you, l look forward to the commercial success of Modula-2 as a successor to Pascal. I have programming experience in a couple of languages and a general familiarity with several others, and I don't see any weaknesses in Modula-2 on a theoretical or practical basis. Further, with new developments in memory availability and faster microprocessors, won't it be great when the speed and memoryspace advantages of low-level languages are negated and programmers can rely on highlevel languages like Modula-2 that are not machine specific?

Brad Reid Dallas. TX

New developments in computer speed coupled with good high-level languages will bring a new era in software: the return of the gifted "amateur" programmer. That is: most books are not written by salaried teams. They're written by individual authors.

I think we're headed for a time when most software will be written by individual authors not employed in computer companies— lerry

Turbo Pascal

Dear Jerry,

I've received Turbo Pascal from Borland. Although the disk was soaked in some kind of fluid in transit, it could be read without error after a few days of drying. I'm very impressed indeed. Turbo Pascal is extremely easy to use. Programs are easy to debug due to the fast compilation and the capacity for Turbo to "jump" to the place the error took place. No more waiting 20 seconds for the compiler to load, only to have "';' expected" flash on the screen.

There are some gripes, none of which even begins to outweigh the ease of use. First, the minimum length of a program compiled into a .COM file is about 8K bytes because Turbo tacks on its library whether you use all its functions or not. Second, the floating-point routines are very slow; a BASIC program in double precision (l 5 digits of accuracy) outperformed Turbo Pascal, which deals with only 11 digits! (The program calculated pi using the Leibniz series: pi = 4/1 - 4/3 + 4/5 - 4/7 + 4/9. . . It is a good test of floating-point speed.) Third, although execution speed is on par wtK sa^, Pascal Nil +, the code is quite untidy, as a disassembly of an empty FOR loop revealed.

Piracy is, as always, still the norm here. There are, as far as 1 know, exactly two people in my

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CHAOS MANOR MAIL

school who have access to computers but don't pirate software. Sometimes the legal (albeit immoral) "copying for personal use" gets out of hand some acquaintances of mine sell the copied software for a substantial profit. Our school computer club recently put out a publication on computers, of which 50 percent of the content was original. Most of the other articles were unacknowledged. They ran an "adapted" article on computer crime in the U.S. Unfortunately, 28 pages later, an article entitled "Pirate's Cove" appeared. It gave information on how to copy a game called Cannonball Blitz as well as how to duplicate Infocom's adventures. I found this extremely surprising, as the publication was endorsed by my school. And that's saying something.

I'm afraid that this is all I have time for. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter.

Victor Chua / Sunset Ave. Raffles Park Singapore 1128 Republic of Singapore

Once more, thank you for telling me what's going on in your part of the world. If your classmates are as concerned with computers as you are. Silicon Valley may find Singapore as formidable a rival as japan Inc. Mr. Chua is a high school student in Singapore and would appreciate American pen pals.—Jerry

Alpha Micro

Dear lerry,

In the May BYTE you make two references to Sage as the finest 68000-based system available. 1 would like to request that you investigate what Motorola has said to be the finest implementation of its MC68000: the Alpha Micro.

This computer is not only a fine machine, but it comes with tools that let developers work effectively: an extended BASIC (better than CBASIC, which is my favorite CP/M BASIC): a quite reasonable assembler with a full-screen debugger: a full-screen editor: three-level sort available from the monitor BASIC or assembler: ISAM from BASIC or assembler: many utilities: a multitasking, multiuser operating system: and a promise of UNIX.

Alpha Microsystems has been building S-I00 systems since 1977 and has developed the solid AMOS (Alpha Micro operating system). Version 1.0 on the 68000 did not have many bugs.

Phillip P. Lohnes Cambridge, MA

Alas. There's only one of me, and even if 1 cloned myself, 1 have only so much space in the magazine.

Formal BYTE reviews need to be arranged with Rich Malloy, BYTE's product-review editor. He has a whole bunch of selection criteria to help him decide what they'll review.

I go on whim and accident. As an example, 1 met Rod Coleman, president of Sage, at a West Coast Computer Faire. A few months later we met again at the Volition Systems

booth at the MiniMicro show. I ended up with the Sage in large part because 1 wanted to work with Modula-2, and that was the best machine for the job.

I don't know anyone at Alpha Micro. I dimly recall the company once had a two-board 16-bit S-100 system called the AM-1, which generated so much interest that the Byte Shop of Pasadena (where 1 bought Ezekial, my late friend who happened to be a Z80 computer) converted entirely to AM-1 sales. Alas, they are no longer in business, so there went another possible link to Alpha Micro.

I will try to look into this because I do try to find the best; but I hope my readers understand that I can do only so much— Jerry

Epson QX-io

Dear lerry.

As a long-standing admirer of your science fiction, 1 follow your monologues in BYTE with great interest. When you first chose the Epson QX-10 and Valdocs.as whipping boy it was ("alas"?) too late for me. I already had purchased a complete system. In the time since your first lambasting, you have repeatedly chosen Valdocs as an example of what software should not be. 1 agree wholeheartedly with you that Valdocs is a slow, simplistic approach to "personal productivity," but I fervently wish you would disassociate those comments from the QX-10 itself. It is a fine 8-bit machine, and Epson promises hardware and software updates that should put it on a par with any personal computer in the price range.

Rumors about the new Valdocs (2.0) have been surfacing with increasing regularity. As an insider in the National Epson Users Group, 1 know only that 2.0 has not yet reached beta test sites. Those who have seen it, however, say it has eliminated all the problems with the current version (1.18) and even has overcome the speed barrier by an order of magnitude. Many desirable features will be present. Hardware updates in the form of a hard-disk controller, an internal modem, and an MS-DOS coprocessor already are available, and more are on their way.

Regardless of what becomes available in the future, the fact is that the QX-10 is a dandy word processor as it stands, as long as one stays away from Valdocs. Unfortunately, it is hard for most people to disassociate the system from the software. By contributing to the misconception, I believe you do your readers a disservice.

Bill Brickley State College, PA

I thought I'd made it clear that one reason I'm so unhappy with Valdocs is that I think the QX-10 deserved a better fate. It's really well made, and with that bit-mapped screen (as well as a character generator), it could support some really nifty software.

The Epson people are working on updates; by the time this gets published, there may be some dramatic announcements. Epson America is in the computer business to stay.

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Finally. I keep hearing about Valdocs 2.0 but haven't seen it, nor have my spies within Epson.— Jerry

Foreign-Language Characters

Dear Jerry,

In the January BYTE's User to User column, two Jerters (Move That Key! and I'll Take Your Epson, page 453) discuss the issue of how to get foreign-language characters with the currently existing hardware and software.

It is a real problem, as any humanist knows! The Modern Language Association of America (MLA) published a note on it in the spring newsletter and was inundated with complaints and suggestions by members-so many that the Association has put together a summary sheet, available to members from MLA headquarters (62 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10011).

1 suggest using the word processor ProofWriter, available from Image Processing Systems, 6409 Appalachian Way, POB 5016, Madison. Wl 53705.

Humanities professors in Toronto were recently treated to a demonstration of the program by the author, and it does what it claims to do: with the proper hardware, it will put any char

acter you can dream up on your screen and print it out on your printer-not just German a's and fj's, or the /3, but Cyrillic, Arabic, Japanese, Middle Earth-you name it! Perhaps best of all: the company consists of a physics professor and his wife. Not being a megacorporation, they are in the strange habit of actually responding to criticisms and suggestions from users and incorporating the best of these into new versions of their software.

It presently is available for the IBM PC, some of the compatibles (but not the Corona, as yet), and the Tl Professional. I have not yet bought it for myself and so cannot say how user-friendly the program is as a whole; but it certainly is worth looking at by anyone who is frustrated with the parochial attitudes of most American hardware and software manufacturers toward non-English characters.

Alan D. Latta Toronto, Ontario, Canada

It sounds like a great program. I'll have to get a copy and have a look.—]eny

16081 Math Chip

Dear Jerry.

I noted with pleasure your comments in the

May BYTE regarding use of the 16081 math chip with the 68000. I was disappointed, however, to see that you didn't give proper credit for the idea. 1 believe the idea (or. at least, the first publicly announced working embodiment of it) originated with Hal Hardenbergh of Digital Acoustics, who made public the happy liaison several months ago. The detailed plans for a working prototype of a 16081-68000 coprocessor arrangement were published in issue #25 of the DTACK Grounded newsletter. Issue #24 had a picture of the prototype on page one. This newsletter, published by Digital Acoustics. 1415 East McFadden, Suite F, Santa Ana. CA 92705. (714) 835-4884, is a valuable source for 68000 and other microcomputer industry news. I had assumed you were already reading it. but since you didn't credit Digital Acoustics for the 16081 idea, I guess my assumption was wrong. You really ought to subscribe ($15/10 issues).

Terry M. Peterson El Cerrito. CA

Hmm. If "dtack grounded' means what I think it does, I need another endless stream of information like I need leprosy. I have heard good things about it, though.

I haven't the foggiest notion of who originated the idea; I'm not even sure where I first heard it.—jerry ■

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BYTE WEST COAST

News from All Over

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Defining the scope of a column called "BYTE West Coast" isn't easy; how do you determine where the West Coast ends and the rest of the world begins? There was a time, a couple of years ago, when Silicon Valley was a small community engaged in obscure pursuits well beyond the comprehension of the mass public. It had its own customs, its own language, its own culture. Toand Other nowever computer jargon has become

——-— part of everyday speech, and technology

tiODitS stories that were once ignored by the press scream in banner headlines across the front pages of every business section in the country. Most "West Coast" news now has national—even international—impact.

The concept of Silicon Valley has changed with the years, too. It used to mean a very specific locale slightly south of the San Francisco Bay, centered around San lose. Now the whole Bay Area is immersed in "high tech," and land in the region has become so expensive that miniature Silicon Valleys are springing up all over the country. Every state wants one, and microcomputer companies are besieged with offers of cheap labor and tax abatements from all quarters.

As West Coast editors, our beat now extends from Seattle to San Diego, and as the industry

by John Markoff and Ezra Shapiro

grows, it's rapidly moving inland toward the Mississippi.

Yet for all the expansion, there's still a unique flavor to what goes on in the Valley. There's an intensity of activity, a wild enthusiasm for the frenetic pace that colors daily life here where it all began. Casual conversation is riddled with gossip and innuendo, stories of comings and goings, news that will be stale by sunrise tomorrow. Washington, DC, may be the seat of government, but Silicon Valley knows—no matter what anyone else might think—that the really important stuff is happening out here.

With this issue, we're beginning to take a different approach to this column, one that we hope will reflect a truer picture of what's taking place on the West Coast. The column will focus on the products and companies and projects and people in our territory that are changing the face of the computer scene— usually as a potpourri of shorter items that suggest clues to the direction the industry will take in the future. What you see here will vary from month to month, ranging from previews to interviews to pure speculation, but our primary aim will remain constant—to analyze the trends that will affect your lives. We're interested to know what you think.

A Little Knowledge

While there has been a great deal of debate over whether current artificial-intelligence research will yield useful commercial products, there has been even more debate and skepticism over the possibility of making these products useful on desktop microcomputers.

One artificial-intelligence company isn't waiting for the dust to settle. Teknowledge inc. a Palo Alto-based corporation started by Stanford computer scientist Edward Feigenbaum, has announced M.l, a "knowledge engineering tool" written in the Prolog artificialintelligence language that's designed to be run in 128K bytes of RAM (random access read/write memory) on the IBM Personal Computer (PC). The announcement may be somewhat deceiving.

While M.l is intended as a microcomputer-based "exploratory" tool for investigating practical applications in this newly emerging discipline, Teknowledge stops short of claiming that M.l will allow you to build your own working knowledge systems, instead, they state that M.l is aimed at people and organizations that wish to determine the feasibility of applying knowledge-engineering technology to specific problems. Offering M.l on relatively inexpensive per

[amlmued)

BYTE West Coast is prepared monthly by BYTE's editors and staff in San Francisco and Palo Alto. Correspondence should be addressed to BYTE West Coast. BYTE Magazine. 425 Battery St.. San Francisco. CA 94111.

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 393

BYTE WEST COAST

M.l is designed to be applied to the category of what are known as "structured selection' problems.

sonal computers allows users to mock up these problems without resorting to the hardware expense involved in purchasing advanced workstations that are optimized for artificial-intelligence applications.

Teknowledge claims that they are attempting to alter many of the misconceptions about artificialintelligence research. According to Jerrold Kaplan, Teknowledge's chief development officer, "There is a common misconception that to do significant work you need a specialized machine. You can, in fact, do significant work in artificial intelligence in a microcomputer environment." Still, Kaplan acknowledges that Teknowledge does not consider M.l a personal computer product in the sense that they aren't seeking customers who merely own PCs and are looking for software. He contends that M.l will be of interest to corporations that are already Teknowledge clients, but are trying to lower the barrier to creating their own knowledge-engineering tools. (To date, the bulk of Teknowledge's revenue has come from developing knowledge systems for companies with corporation-size computers.)

"Before M.l, it was a couple of hundred thousand dollars," he says. "You had to go out and buy an $80,000 LISP machine, take two guys and set them to work on it for six months, in addition to buying some $60,000 software package." Kaplan argues that M.l is analogous to the field of knowledge engineering in the same way that BASIC is to programming in general. "It's designed to be easy to use, easy to get up to speed on, and simple, but it's still complete," he claims.

Artificial-intelligence researchers break down problems in their field into a series of categories. M.l is designed to be applied to the category of what are known as "structured selection"

394 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

problems. Such problems are characterized by having a limited set of possible solutions; they usually can be solved by using a structured reasoning process. In contrast, categories of problems that aren't appropriate for M.l include planning and design problems, among others.

The intellectual roots of M.l lie in several sources. One of these is the EMYC1N framework, a table of if-then rules for representing knowledge that has been widely applied. Another part of the foundation is the LISP language; M.l allows you to perform basic listprocessing operations. It also contains some aspects of Prolog, in particular, M.l's variable-binding mechanism. Generally, Teknowledge has adapted features of various symbolic programming languages and focused them on their uses for representing knowledge as rules in a rule-based system.

According to artificial-intelligence researchers, a knowledge system consists of two parts: a knowledge base containing facts and rules about a particular problem or application, and a program called an inference engine that interprets the knowledge base to create judgments and conclusions. To use M.l, a researcher first must create a knowledge base using a standard text editor on the IBM PC. The knowledge base is constructed using an "English-like knowledge representation language" that can specify a series of up to 200 facts and rules. After the knowledge base has been created, a "consultation" between user and program takes place. M.l poses a series of predefined questions and offers options based on its interpretation of the knowledge base. The researcher is able to follow the process on an "instrument panel" displayed in a window-based interface on the PC until M.l. reaches a conclusion. During the consultation process the researcher can interactively alter or add rules and facts to fine-tune the knowledge base.

Both the information in the knowledge base and, later, the answers that a user provides during the consultation, can have arbitrary "certainty factors" attached to them. Certainty factors are a way of emphasizing the importance of specific issues to determine an appropriate solution to a problem; this ranking scale enables the program to weight certain parameters more heavily than

others. Thus M.l can make judgment calls—the program can arrive at an answer that has some degree of uncertainty. A less sophisticated program would consider all facts as equally important, and its conclusion would be both absolute and quite possibly invalid. To illustrate the point with a hypothetical medical diagnosis, a patient's prior medical history might be far more significant in determining a course of treatment than his current observed symptoms.

Can useful artificial-intelligence research now take place on the IBM PC? Perhaps. Two of the simple demonstration knowledge bases that Teknowledge developed include a bank-services advisor and a wine-selection advisor, and they suggest a knowledge base that aids the photographer in determining the proper exposure settings when taking a picture—hardly the sort of artificial-intelligence applications that will make the world beat a path to Teknowledge's door.

Another of the demo systems that Teknowledge has implemented on the M.l illustrates the kinds of limitations faced when artificial intelligence is brought to the PC environment. The SACON (structural analysis consultant) system was originally created by researchers at Stanford University during the 1970s as a front end to give advice on setting up a batch-control job on a mainframe-based structural-analysis FORTRAN program designed to allow engineers to simulate stresses on the structures they design. In this case, while portions of SACON can be run on the IBM PC, the analysis package itself still needs a mainframe computer—it's just too big for a microcomputer.

In the long run, the success of any given knowledge base built with M.l probably depends more on the researcher's ability to limit the scope of his study to a reasonable size than on M.l's capabilities as a program.

Finally, although it's billed as a personal computer product, M.l is not being offered at personal computer prices. Purchasing M.I to construct your own knowledge base will cost a whopping $12,500—steep by most personal computer standards. Of course, the initial pricing of the M.I knowledge-engineering tool is meant to discourage all but

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BYTE WEST COAST

The next chapter in the ZCPR saga is about to occur. ZCPR3 supersedes ZCPR1 and ZCPR2 but retains their advances.

the most serious would-be knowledge engineers, and the price does include a four-day seminar with the Teknowledge staff in Palo Alto.

Z Whiz

ZCPR, the Z80 command processor replacement, has become something of a programming legend. Released to the public domain around 1980 (it's hard to peg an exact date for a program that took a group of volunteers months to develop and debug), the first version of ZCPR was a sophisticated patch to CP/M-80 that corrected what the authors saw as major flaws in CP/M's BIOS (basic input/output system).

ZCPRl's modifications to CP/M were revisions and additions to the list of resident commands (commands that are part of the operating system itself, rather than independent programs). The new ERA (erase) command displayed the names of files as they were deleted; TYPE stopped every 24 lines and waited for any keystroke before showing another screen: DIR (directory) alphabetized the list of filenames; and SAVE, the command to store the contents of memory to a disk file, gained the ability to accept hexadecimal numbers as input, as well as CP/M's standard decimal input. There also were some entirely new commands: LIST sent files directly to the printer; GO executed the program currently in memory; and JUMP moved to a specific address in memory and began program execution at that point.

The program appeared in the software libraries of the larger CP/M users groups and was distributed largely by the growing network of RCPMs (remote CP/M software databanks accessed by modem). However, the documentation was difficult for any but experienced Z80 assembly-language programmers to understand, and installation was a

painful process of assembly, reassembly, and debugging. No two makes of computer ran exactly the same CP/M. so installing ZCPR on each new machine usually produced unexpected results and weeks of headaches. For understandable reasons, ZCPR1 remained a hacker's tool.

In 1982, ZCPR2 began showing up on bulletin boards around the country. It incorporated ZCPR1 and a few new twists, largely a collection of transient utility programs. ZCPR2 was beginning to look a lot like UNIX; it could understand named directories. You could give a disk a name and then name a cottection of files and never have to cope with the standard 'A" prompt except when needed. Most of the ZCPR2 utilities were devoted to this process, though a few were self-contained (e.g., a powerful sorted directory program and a group of programs for compressing related archive files into libraries) and could run on a standard CP/M system. ZCPR2 established one byte in the BIOS as the "wheel byte" that could be used as the key to a password-protection system. Implementing named directories and file paths was a tedious processextremely valuable for owners of hard disks, but still quite a bit of work. The documentation had grown in proportion to the scope of the program and was still nearly unreadable, and installation remained a nightmare.

The next chapter in the ZCPR saga is about to occur. ZCPR3, written largely by Richard Conn, one of the original authors of ZCPR1, was scheduled to debut in the middle of 1984 with some interesting new features and an entirely new distribution scheme. It is. of course, an evolutionary product, superseding ZCPR1 and ZCPR2 but retaining all their advances.

The major improvement in the software is the capacity to build transient command modules that have to be loaded on start-up but remain resident until the machine is rebooted. The underlying idea is roughly the same as that of COMMAND.COM, the MS-DOS command utility, but users can build their own collection of utilities to be incorporated and configure their systems accordingly. A 64K-byte CP/M system rarely makes use of the entire mass of memory available for a single applications program; CP/M uses a few thou

BYTE WEST COAST

sand bytes for itself and even the most extensive applications rarely require more than 56K bytes. The amount of space in memory between CP/M and the application varies from computer to computer; ZCPR3 makes use of the gap.

Once again. ZCPR3 will be kicked into the public domain for single users. The installation, as always, will be beyond most users. However, this time around ZCPR is also going commercial. Conn and Frank Gaude have formed Echelon inc. in Los Altos, and the new company is trying to sell ZCPR3 to microcomputer manufacturers, corporations, and large groups of users as a CP/M enhancement, as well as selling a number of Conn's other programs. The documentation is still not easy, but it's been cleaned up to a level befitting a commercial venture, and Echelon plans to go all out to support ZCPR3 as a product, with updates, revisions, publicity, and telephone service.

At press time the ZCPR3 was not quite finished and we did not get a chance to work with the software. However, it's worth noting that this is not all radically new technology; the Z80 microprocessor chip. CP/M-80, and much of the ZCPR package have had a chance to mature, and there is little doubt that ZCPR3 will do all that it claims, which is to give the user of an 8-bit computer much of the same flexibility and power advertised for 16- and 32-bit systems.

There will obviously be a lot more to be said on the subject. Watch your local RCPM bulletin board, watch the CP/M users groups, watch BYTE, and watch Echelon.

To be continued.

Cloak and Dagger

Less than a mile as the crow flies from the garage where William Hewlett and David Packard got started is a brand new industrial park populated with a group of high-technology corporations all bent on supplying the next generation personal workstation.

Rubbing shoulders with each other are Grid, Sun Microsystems, and Metaphor. All three of these companies have roots that either directly or indirectly can be traced back to work done on user-interface design at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), which lies several miles away up in the hills over

{continued)

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397

BUILT TO

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That means continuous full speed printing for everything from correspondence and spreadsheets to reports with graphics. And when it comes to print quality, we couldn't have said it better than Interface Age:

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With word processing enhancements, easyto-use versatility and so much to choose from in paper handling, the Tally performance story goes on and on. Creative Computing came right to the point:

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The MT180 wide body printer. See your Tally dealer for the most convincing quote of all. Or call toll-free for information: 800-447-4700. In Illinois: 800-322-4400.

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398 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 223 on inquiry card.

BYTE WEST COAST

looking Silicon Valley.

Although Metaphor hasn't introduced a system yet and Sun is still working on an unannounced low-end version of their 68000-based workstation. Grid recently held a press conference to roll out the newest version of the Grid Compass.

The portable Grid Compass II is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. As such, it comes none too soon, for it's becoming apparent that the market for lap-size computers with desktop capabilities is set to burgeon momentarily.

Until now, Grid has had this slice of the market all to itself—in function if not in price. When the original Compass was introduced, it was widely perceived as being a technological leap forward. Grid was the first portable to use an 80-character by 2 5-line electroluminescent flat-panel display. It contained both the Intel 8086 microprocessor and the 8087 math coprocessor. And it included 384K bytes of bubble memory for permanent storage. Despite these impressive features, the Compass ran only proprietary Grid software and came with a stunning price tag of more than S8000, which—in the minds of manyconfined it to the category of highpriced toys for status-conscious CEOs.

Actually, although Grid has not yet obtained a significant commercial market, the company has found a major potential buyer in the military and intelligence communities. A special Grid Compass that is "Tempest" qualified has proven of interest to the National Security Agency. (Tempest standards for electromagnetic interference levels that fall below a classified cutoff point are designed to ensure that certain types of electronic equipment are undetectable in field operations.)

The addition of the Compass II to the Grid lineup has permitted the company to gracefully lower the price of the basic Compass by a full 30 percent to $42 50; S4995 with a built-in 1200/300-bps (bits per second) modem. This will place Grid at a more reasonable high end of the new lap-size market, less than $1000 higher than the new Hewlett-Packard 110, for example.

The Compass II, however, can add up to a half megabyte of ROM (read-only memory) in increments of 128K bytes. The uewer model will be priced at $6795 (the 512K-byte version will cost

$7995) and will come with one 128Kbyte ROM pack that contains system utilities. Additional ROM packs with different applications software will be available for purchase separately. Grid will be supplying the MS-DOS operating system and popular MS-DOS programs such as Multiplan, WordStar, dBASE 11, Condor DBMS, and Lotus 1-2-3. The

company acknowledges that each MSDOS program has to be rewritten for the Grid because its display has a 320- by 240-pixel resolution—completely unlike that of the IBM PC.

While Grid has only slightly altered the product design of the Compass, the original concept of support hardware

(continued)

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BYTE WEST COAST

for the "mobile professional" has altered dramatically. When the Compass was first introduced, Grid envisioned that each corporate customer would purchase a "Grid Central" IBM minicomputer to act as a remote host from which the Compass would download software. However, the Grid Central soon died from lack of interest and was replaced by the Grid Server and the concept of the remote-area network (RAN).

The Grid Server is a combination file, print, and communications-management system that uses the Intel 80186 microprocessor. It's designed as a base station to support a local-area network of up to 48 Compasses and IBM PCs, plus another 10 remote systems. It will run both Grid and MS-DOS software. Grid also has introduced a variety of other peripherals for the Compass including floppy and hard disks, printers, and plotters. They're also offering a Compass workstation model for the of

fice network configuration that comes with bubble memory and sells for $3450.

With the Compass II, Grid has lighted a small candle at the altar of IBM compatibility. Whether this is enough to develop a consumer market—given recent price cuts from IBM and rumors of other lap-size portables from Compaq and IBM itself—is yet to be seen.

But Grid seems to be in decent shape regardless of its fortunes in the commercial sector. There is a good chance the black, briefcase-style Compass with its sexy lines and "high-tech" styling will become the portable computer of choice for the Pentagon, intelligence agencies, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. In fact, SAL a San Diegobased defense contractor, is now working on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) version of the Tempestqualified Compass that will be perfect for banging around in hostile environments.

a

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Time and again, you've heard it said, "To make money, you have to have money." The truth is, you have to know how to save money before you can think about making more.

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Whatever you save for, Bonds are the safest, surest way to gain capital.

JxWl A public service of this publication £*}*J and The Advertising Council.

. stock

Briefs

If Ellis Computing's Nevada Pascal at $39.95 seems strangely familiar, that's because Chuck Ellis purchased the program from )ames R. Tyson, author of |RT Pascal. Tyson, who owns the copyright to |RT Pascal, version 4.1, as an individual, sold Ellis 5000 copies of a CP/M-80 product to be marketed as Nevada Pascal, and another 5000 for MS-DOS that will be called Utah Pascal.. . .

The war of words is getting worse. Having already reduced such choice phrases as "integrated," "user-friendly," "full-featured," and "environment" to meaninglessness, the software-promotion writers are moving to destroy new targets in the English language. "Intuitive," "idea processing," "natural language," "user interface," and "Englishlike" are growing in popularity and can be expected to become verbal rubble in a few months' time.. . .

Micom has introduced the DialNet3000 Model 3024, a 2400 bps autoanswer modem priced at $795. At the same time. Tymnet, the dial-up data communications network, was announcing expansion of 2400-bps service to a total of 16 major population centers. Will this be the next standard speed level for microcomputer data transmission? Hard to say, though many experts have been predicting a jump from 1200 bps to 4800 bps, ignoring the 2400 bps level. The 4800-bps modems are still hovering around $2000-well outside the range of most single-user budgets. Any definitive answer to the question will depend on the dance of the corporate elephants who determine price structures. Speeds above 9600 bps probably will have to wait until the telephone companies make the move to digital voice transmission, which they see happening in the early to mid-1990s.. . .

Research from Control Data Corporation, Sorcim, and CompuPro indicates that the size of the average office working group is approximately four people, which adds fuel to the argument that multiuser business computer systems make more sense economically than local-area networks, at least fox productive day-to-day file sharing. The companies with LAN-based products really

[continued)

400 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

CONNECTION

8" Diskette file exchange between the ibivi ai most micro-mini-mainframe computer systems.

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accept six each either 24 or 28-pin ROMs or EPROMs.

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If you would like to evaluate this single-board computer. . send order now with a $100 deposit tor this special one-time evaluation otter of $569 plus $15 UPS biue label shipping and handling charge to us, and we will send one in order of deposit received if you like it. contact us for inter mediate quantity prices. You also might be interested in our IBM-PC compatible keyboard and our ruggedized portable computer housing with 9" amber monitor and power supply 11 you require OEM or quanlily information, call our Marketing Department

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849 Independence Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043

Colby Computer is a rrade/nark of Colby Research Industries. Inc. ©Copyright 1984, Colby Computer.

IBM and PC-DOS are trademarks ol IBM Corp, MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp, CP/M is a trademark ot Digital Research.

BYTE WEST COAST

COMPANIES WITH NEW PRODUCTS OR SERVICES MENTIONED:

Echelon Inc. 101 First St. Suite 427

Los Altos, CA 94022 (415) 948-5321

Ellis Computing Inc.

3917 Noriega St.

San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 753-0186

Grid Systems Inc.

2535 Garcia Ave. Mountain View, CA 94043 (415) 961-4800

Micom Systems Inc. 20151 Nordhoff St. Chatsworth, CA 91311 (213) 998-8844

Teknowledge Inc. 52 5 University Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 (415) 327-6600

Tymnet Inc. 2710 Orchard Parkway San Jose, CA 95134 (408) 946-4900

haven't lost the round, however; they could point out that such multiuser groups should be linked in a star network to communicate with each other.

Watch for outline processing to become a significant new concept in integrated software. The incorporation of an outline processor by AshtonTate's Framework package may start a stampede to spread this application. AshtonTate has already decided, between announcement and release, to add communications software to Framework to make it more competitive with Lotus's Symphony. If outline processing is perceived by the software manufacturers to be an equally important feature, nobody will dare to be without it.. . .

One major Silicon Valley manufacturer intends to offer a computer with a mouse sometime early next year. However, the company has run into a slight snag in its overseas marketing efforts. "Mouse," unfortunately, translates rather poorly into Spanish. Their international packaging brightly carries a label that reads "El Raton—the rat. ■

402 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 62 on inquiry card.

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•Patent Pending

Modal DMEM Features 256K bytes of memory and either 8 or 16-bit data paths. 24-bit addressing, and parity checking on each byte. DMEM has no S-100 wait states. $1395.

Model EPROM Capable of either 8 or 16-bit data transfers, this 32/64K EPROM offers the versatility of running with 68000, Z-8000, 8086, 16000, and other 16-bit processors. It accepts industry-standard 2732 and 2716 EPROMs. 64K RAMS may be mixed with 2716 EPROMs for use as a RAM/EPROM board. $345.

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Model CLK-24C Clock-calendar features a LSI CMOS chip and on-board, long-life lithium battery. $325.

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Model AOM-12 This D-to-A converter offers I/Omapped port address, 12-bit ±Vz L.S.B. accuracy (0-70"C), and voltage outputs of 0 to 10 volts, ±5 volts, and ±10 volts. $675.

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Circle I27 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 403

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404 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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Circle 233 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 405

COHERENT™ IS SUPERIOR TO UNIX* AND IT'S AVAILABLE TODAY ON THE IBM PC.

Mark Williams Company hasn't just taken a mini-computer operating system, like UNIX, and ported it to the PC. We wrote COHERENT ourselves. We were able to bring UNIX capability to the PC with the PC in mind, making it the most efficient personal computer work station available at an unbelievable price.

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COHERENT on the IBM PC requires a hard disk and 256K memory. It's available on the IBM XT, and Tecmar, Davong and Corvus hard disks.

Available now. For additional information, call or write,

Mark Williams Company

1430 West Wrightwood, Chicago, Illinois 60614

312/472-6659

Mark

Williams

Company

COHERENT is a trademark of Mark Williams Company. •UNIX is as trademark of Bull Laboratories.

Circle 370 on inquiry card.

BYTE JAPAN

Seiko wrist terminal

Hitachi floppy disk

Sharp MZ-6500

Microfloppy systems: Fujitsu FM-77, Sony SM-777, and NEC PC-6601

Development systems

UNIX workstations

Optical filing system

by William M. Raike

Show Time

As cities go, Tokyo is more hectic than most. But hectic doesn't do justice to the inspired scheduling of the 1984 Tokyo Microcomputer Show and the 1984 Internationa] Business Show, the latter featuring extensive office-automation and computer-equipment displays. Both of these major shows took place during the same fourday period, from May 23 through 26, and both shows were attended by what looked like a sizable fraction of the population of Tokyo, encouraged by the balmy weather and convenient (but crowded) transportation. (The trip to the Microcomputer Show involves a ride of 10 minutes or so on the monorail, which swoops southward over the warehouse district and waterfront, clipping the corners of Tokyo Bay on the way out to Haneda, the older of Tokyo's two airports.)

It seems that at any computer exhibition a handful of really innovative products are introduced, together with a greater number that represent the evolution and refinement of earlier themes. These shows were no exception: the highlights include a new wrist terminal from Seiko: a new large-capacity floppydisk drive from Hitachi: the latest 16-bit system from Sharp: three new microfloppy-based 8-bit systems from Fujitsu, Sony, and NEC: and a large-capacity optical-disk system from Toshiba.

Wrist Terminal

1 reported on Seiko's UC-2000 wrist computer system in the July BYTE Japan. As a reminder, that consisted of a wristwatch with an LCD (liquid-crystal display) with four rows of ten 5 by 7 dot-matrix characters and 2K bytes of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) RAM (random access read/write memory) for storing things like memos and phone numbers, loaded by using a small separate keyboard. Seiko also sells a personal computer interface unit, the UC-2300, which enables you to make an RS-232C connection between the watch and a conventional personal computer. The interface unit, demonstrated at the show, sells for a little over $50, about half the price of the watch/keyboard combination, and lets you upload or

download data between the watch and a computer.

So much for the old stuff. Seiko chose the Tokyo Microcomputer Show for the debut of not only its new pocket LCD color television (about $380), but also the new RC-1000 wrist terminal (see photo 1). The black wristwatch/terminal has all the usual electronic watch functions (but unfortunately no calculator). The LCD consists of two rows of twelve 5 by 7 dot-matrix characters, and the on-board CMOS RAM holds 80 screens (about 2K bytes) of alphanumeric (or Japanese katakana) data.

The new wrist terminal and the older system have a number of differences: chief among them is that the new unit has a built-in RS-232C interface. It's supplied with a cable with a connector on one end that you clip onto the watch, while you plug the other end into a standard RS-232C serial connector on your computer.

In addition to storing memos and phone numbers, the watch has a world-time function besides the usual watch and alarm functions. It also has a schedule-alarm feature: the alarm sounds at any preset date and time and a corresponding screen full of data appears on the display. Along with the watch and cable, Seiko supplies downloading software for use on several of the most popular personal computer systems. The price? A little over $100.

I may be picky, but the RC-1000 wrist terminal seems to me to be almost a useful item. Most important, unlike the UC-2000, it has no pocket-sized keyboard for loading data, which means that it's impossible to add new memos or other information on the fly without a computer being handy. Also, the cable is only about 6 feet long. If Seiko had designed

(continued)

William M. Raike, who holds a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Northwestern University, has taught operations research and computer science in Austin. Texas, and Monterey. California. He holds a patent on a voice scrambler and was formerly an officer of Cryptext Corporation in the United States. \n 1980. he went to \apan looking for 64K-bit RAMs. He has been there ever since as a technical translator and a software developer.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 407

BYTE JAPAN

something like a separate portable infrared coupler instead, it would have provided a much more flexible, and slick, wrist terminal with walk-around LAN (local-area network) accessibility. The technology is certainly available, as demonstrated by the little Canon X-07 portable computer with its infrared coupler.

Disk Drives

Along with a lot of other people, I had been wondering just when hard-disk drives would make a noticeable impact on the personal computer scene here. This show made it more than clear that NEC and Fujitsu, the powerhouses in the upper end of Japan's personal com

Photo I: The Seiko RC-1000 wrist terminal.

Photo 2: Hitachi FDD-441 9.6-megabyte Photo 3: Sharps 16-ftt MZ-6500 floppy-disk drives. system.

puter market, are actively supplying hard-disk units as add-on options for their respective PC-9801 and FM-11 machines. Prices are not outrageous; for example, Fujitsu's 20-megabyte hard disk for the FM-11 (mentioned last month in BYTE Japan) lists for the equivalent of about $2150.

It's hard to stay excited about hard disks, though, when you see something like Hitachi's new FDD-441 8-inch floppy-disk drive (see photo 2). Indistinguishable in appearance from any other thin 8-inch single floppy-disk drive, the FDD-441 manages to pack 9.6 megabytes (unformatted) on a single floppy. The disk format is double-sided, with a total of 308 tracks (154 tracks per side). Each track has 78 sectors with 2 56 bytes per sector, giving a formatted capacity of over 6 megabytes. The trackto-track time is 2 milliseconds, and the real kick is that the drive has a peak data-transfer rate of 1.5 megabits per second. A disk drive like the FDD-441 makes me think twice about investing in a hard disk when this kind of capacity is available with changeable media.

There's more. Hitachi elected to use a 5'/i-inch Winchester (hard-disk) interface for the FDD-441, which means that a hard disk can be connected to the same controller, providing substantial potential savings in combined hard-/ floppy-disk systems. A system with one of these drives in combination with Hitachi's DK511 5/4-inch hard disk (with a capacity of 51 megabytes unformatted or 40 megabytes formatted) would be impressive.

The FDD-441 is available now as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) unit, but Hftachi probably will announce a separate consumer product later this year. Hitachi was a little coy about prices, but if the prices for single samples to OEMs are indicative—about $850 for the bare drive, plus about $650 for the controller—I'm getting ready to stand in line.

Sharp MZ-6500

The MZ-6500 is the newest 16-bit system from Sharp (see photo 3). (The MZ-5500 appeared in this column last month, along with the Fujitsu FM-11 BS.) The competition for 16-bit machines is tough in the Japanese market, which leads me to wonder why Sharp chose to introduce a system so similar to the

408 BYTE ■ SEPTEMBER 1984

BYTE JAPAN

Three new S4it

systems with VAAnch

disk drives

are directed toward

mid-level home

computer/personal

computer enthusiasts.

MZ-5500 in capabilities.

The MZ-6500 uses an 8086-2 running at 8 MHz as the main processor and incorporates an 80C49 keyboard coprocessor: standard RAM is 512K bytes, which is also the maximum. (The MZ-5500 has only 256K bytes of standard RAM.) An additional 192K bytes of video RAM is included. In order to provide complete compatibility with the MZ-5500. you can select a clock rate of 5 MHz. It has two RS-232C serial ports.

Two versions are available, one with two 514-inch floppy-disk drives and the other with one floppy drive and one 10-megabyte hard disk built in. The floppy-disk drive supports either a 640K-byte or a 1-megabyte format; in the 640K-byte mode it's possible to read 320K-byte disks, which provides more downward compatibility with the MZ-5500.

The software-bundling trend is appearing on the Japanese personal computer scene, although not to the extent attained in the U.S. Supplied with the MZ-6500 are the Today integrated spreadsheet/database and graphics package and a lapanese-language word processor, plus a communications support package that provides IBM bisynchronous 3270, 3780, and 3741 emulation, in addition to several flavors of BASIC. Sharp apparently decided to straddle the fence by offering both CP/M-86 and MS-DOS as standard operating systems.

The price of the MZ-6500 leads me to predict something short of a wildly enthusiastic acceptance for this system. The version with two floppy-disk drives lists for about $2800, while the version with one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard disk goes for about $4300. That compares with qtAnj about $1675 for the slower MZ-5 500 with 2 56K bytes

of main memory. My own choice for a 16-bit system probably will turn out to be the Fujitsu FM-11, which also sports twin 1-megabyte floppies along with a 68B09 video coprocessor, and which lists for only about $1700 with 256K bytes of RAM.

Microfloppy Systems

Three new 8-bit systems that incorporate 3 '/2-inch microfloppy-disk drives attracted considerable attention from showgoers. The Fujitsu FM-77; Sony SM-777. and NEC PC-6601 are directed toward mid-level home computer/personal computer enthusiasts, and all are being pushed to meet the growing demand for relatively inexpensive lapanese-language word processing, and to appeal to the game-playing, joystick-wielding public.

The NEC PC-6601 enjoys the advantages of NEC's top position in the Japanese personal computer industry as well as the lowest price of the three

systems. Priced at the equivalent of about $600, this 64K-byte machine is based on NEC's /*PD-780C-1 microprocessor, equivalent to the Z80, with an 8049 coprocessor. It has one 3'/2-inch microfloppy-disk drive built into the keyboard unit, providing 143K bytes of disk storage, operating under NEC's N66-BASIC. The lapanese kanji character support is good, with a standard character set of 1024 characters and the full JIS (Japanese industrial standard) 3000-plus character set available as an option. A two-octave voice synthesizer/music generator is standard and is supported by 16K bytes of ROM (read-only memory). Color graphics capabilities are good, and an optional RS-232C interface is available.

Sony offers the SMC-777 (and the SMC-777C. with added color graphics features). The main processor is a Z80A, with an 8041 subprocessor and 64K bytes of RAM standard. The built-in

(continued)

Security,,.

1orslngle-cnf'""^s250.00 SunUnstaHatlons.

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104

Circle 81 on inquiry card.

BYTE JAPAN

microfloppy-disk drive has a 280K-byte capacity. This machine also can incorporate color graphics capabilities and a music generator. Surprisingly, no serial interface is available. The list price of the SMC-777 is about $62 5.

One extremely attractive feature of the SMC-777 is that the operating system, called Sony Filer, is compatible with CP/M 1.4. In addition to BASIC, an assembler, debugger, and basic utilities, the system is supplied with a simple filing package called Memo and with Dr. Logo, Digital Research's version of the Logo language. Software options include SuperCalc, English and lapanese word processors, games, and several graphics packages, and Sony has announced that SMC versions of FORTRAN, COBOL, Pascal, and C will be available. (But they haven't said when.)

Fujitsu's entry in the microfloppysystem realm is the FM-77. Priced at about $850 for a one-drive version and $980 for a two-drive version, the FM-77 offers a number of features present on neither the Sony nor NEC machines, notably 320K-byte microfloppy-disk drives, RAM expandability up to 2 56K bytes (64K bytes is standard) plus 48K bytes of video RAM, full lapanese kanji character support, and availability of an extensive range of option cards, including Z80. RS-232C, 1-megabyte minifloppy-disk interface, high-resolution (400-line) graphics, and voice input cards. A mouse also is available.

The FM-77 uses an MBL68B09. running at 2 MHz, as the main processor; the optional Z80 runs at 4 MHz and is supplied with CP/M-80 on a 3 '/z-inch microfloppy-disk drive. Another MBL68B09 is used as a coprocessor (running at 2 MHz) for handling both keyboard and display-management chores in order to lighten the load on the main processor. The standard operating system is OS-9, a UNIX-like multiuser, multitasking operating system usually found on much more powerful systems. The FM-77 also is supplied with Fujitsu's versions of Logo and BASIC.

Unlike both the NEC and Sony machines, which incorporate their microfloppy-disk drives in the keyboard unit, the FM-77 has separate keyboard and processor/disk-drive units due to Fujitsu's desire to provide a two-drive version and due to the space needed to

accommodate the option cards most users will undoubtedly install.

Etc.

Space doesn't permit me to say very much about the hundreds of other features at the show. There was a plethora of microprocessor development systems (as I recall, one plethora = 0.3846 baker's dozen), including the BOX development system, PROM (programmable read-only memory) programmer and in-circuit emulator/debugger for both 8- and 16-bit systems, and the portable DUX Integral development system. The cost of these and other development systems indicated that the price of these tools is descending steadily.

I saw several UNIX workstations in the 8- to 16-kilobuck range, notably the Omron Super Mate and the Toshiba UX-300F. Toshiba also showed a largecapacity optical filing system, the Tosfile 3200, at the Business Show; the system

stores up to 60,000 pages (3.6 gigabytes) of extremely high quality (8 dots per square millimeter) picture information on optical disks. It incorporates a CCD (charge-coupled device) scanner and electrostatic laser printer, and it permits rapid document input and indexing as well as quick hard copy of the screen contents. It has RS-232C and IEEE-488 interfaces and supports facsimile transmission, with a high-speed facsimile interface to be available in the future.

Software vendors were there in force; the Japanese software industry, still comparatively infant, shows signs of maturing in a hurry.

Coming Up

Stay tuned for information about the NEC PC-8801 Mkll and PC-100 systems, a new portable printer/typewriter from Brother, and a revealing interview with Casio about its decision not to sell its 16-bit FP-6000 system in the U.S. ■

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 411

Until Nortronics, Heads Could Really

412 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Cleaning Read Write Be A Headache.

Now meticulous head care is easy as hading a program.

Take our word for it. We're the world's leading manufacturer of advanced technology magnetic recording heads. And we know, what you can't see can hurt you.

Dust, cigarette smoke and oxide contaminants can make a mess of your head. And that means data loss, downtime—and unnecessary service charges.

Unfortunately, cleaning read/ write heads can also be a headache. That is, until now.

We've developed user-friendly head care software that leaves our competition in the dust.

Nortronics has designed head care software that completely eliminates the hassles associated with cleaning floppy disk heads in word processors, personal and small business computers.

You can follow the user-friendly instructions in Nortronics' software booklet. Or make it even easier—and use Nortronics' software diskettes.

Just bad the program. And take a bad off.

Cleaning is simply a matter of loading the program into RAM— spraying a portion of Nortronics' nonabrasive cleaning disk with our special solution—inserting the disk—and following the friendly commands.

There's no guesswork. No danger of ineffective or improper cleaning procedures. No problems engaging secondary drives.

The program steps the read/ write head to a fresh cleaning bandspins the disk—and 30 seconds later, after all debris is safely removed, the drive automatically shuts off.

NORTBONJCS

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A free Flip'N'File/15* makes our smart cleaning kit an even smarter buy.

The Nortronics Diskette Head Cleaning Kit includes the software diskette—our special head cleaning fluid—two non-abrasive cleaning diskettes—and a reusable diskette jacket.

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Nortronics offers a complete line of computer care supplies.

In addition to the 5Yi" Diskette Head Cleaning Kit, Nortronics provides superior quality cleaning kits for 3y2" and 8" disk drives—for data cassette tape drives—and for data cartridge back-up tape drives.

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There's everything it takes to help you keep your system performing at its best.

For more information, call toll free. Phone (800) 328-5640. In Minnesota (800) 742-0687.

We'll help you discover Nortronics—before you discover your head's messed up.

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®Nortronics is a registered trademark of Nortronics Company, Inc.

NORTRONICS

Circle 275 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 ■ BYTE 413

CompuPro

formance, Quality and

Anyone can sell you a box full of hardware. But is it too much computer? Too little? Will it run the appropriate software? What about service? If you need the right answers both before and after the sale, call your nearest Full Service CompuPro System Center. For product information, see pages 288 & 369.

ALABAMA

Birmingham

CPC Computers (205) 879-5976

ARIZONA

Scottsdale

S-100

(602) 991-7870

CALIFORNIA Bakersfield

Creative Computing (805) 835-1118

American Computers & Engineers (415) 849-0177 Track Computer Center (415) 845-6366 Burllngame Mentzer Computer Systems (415) 340-9363 Canyon Country Creative Computing (805) 251-9877 Chatsworth

Priority One Electronics (818) 709-6789 Hayward Best Computers (415) 886-4732 Irvine

Priority One Electronics (714) 660-1411 Los Angeles American Computers & Engineers (213) 477-6751 Gifford Computer Systems (213) 477-3921 Mllpltas Pragmatic Test Systems, Inc. (408)943-3200 Mountain View ACC

(415) 969-4969 Oakland

Track Computer Center (415) 444-8725 Pasadena Omni Unlimited (818) 795-6664 Petaluma

Advanced Information Management (707) 763-7283 Pleasanton Best Computers (415) 463-2233 Sacramento Logic Systems (916) 922-3377

San Leandro

Gifford Computer Systems (415) 895-0798 San Rafael Computer House (415) 453-0865 Santa Barbara Data Bank (805) 962-8489 Santa Cruz Cochlin Computer Systems (408) 429-6728 Santa Maria Data Bank (805) 922-1333 Santa Rosa Matrix Computers (707) 542-0571 Slmi Valley Micro Power Unlimited (805) 584-6789

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FLORIDA

Gainesville

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Micro-Computer Technology (813) 985-0919 West Palm Beach

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HAWAII Kahului Maul

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ILLINOIS

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Lillipute Computer Mart, Inc.

(312) 674-1383

KANSAS Elllnwood

Genesys Systems, Inc. (316) 564-3636

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Bethesda

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New England Electronic Exch. (617) 491-3000 Chestnut Hill Key Micro Systems (617) 738-7306

MICHIGAN Ann Arbor

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Datapro Systems, Inc. (516) 595-1311 New York

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WASHINGTON Bellevue

North Ridge Computer Systems (206) 453-0596 Seattle

American Computers & Engineers (206) 583-0130

WISCONSIN Madison

Beam International (608) 233-2326 Milwaukee

Byte Shop of Milwaukee (414) 281-7004

AUSTRALIA Bankstown

Automation Statham Pty, Ltd. (02) 709-4144

CANADA

Coquitlam, B.C.

CSC System Center, Ltd. (604) 941-0622 Vancouver, B.C. Dynacomp Business Computers, Ltd. (604) 872-7737

THE PHILIPPINES

Quezon City

Corona International, Inc. 78-34-71

UNITED KINGDOM

Swansea

Comcen Technology, Ltd. (0792)796000

©1984 CompuP

BYTE U.K.

The Sinclair QL

A first look

baby

by Dick Pountain

For centuries, commentators in other lands have been trying to identify an "English disease" (or sometimes

"vice"). The diagnosis has moved, during the

68008"baSGQ latter half of this century, away from flagella

tion and toward excessive industrial striking

prCmatUrC ar>d unrest. However. I would like to propose a new candidate, the premature announcement of personal computers.

The U.S. personal computer industry does not have an altogether unblemished record; for instance, the Coleco Adam had a difficult birth, as documented in BYTE (April, page 206). But compared to the U.K. scene, that is nothing.

In 1981, Britain had Acorn's BBC Computer; some mail-order customers waited a year for the goods to arrive. Shortly afterward, Sinclair's Spectrum took a good six months to reach full production and went through traumas that resulted in smoking power supplies, recalled machines, and redesigned main boards.

Last year the U.K. witnessed the announcement of the Elan Enterprise, an ambitious design with 256-color graphics, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) BASIC, and a Z80 with a paged 128K bytes of RAM (random-access read/write memory). Delivery was to be May '83, then September '83, now September '84. But Elan did have the grace not to release it half-finished.

British home-computer manufacturers have stumbled upon a whole new manufacturing algorithm that I've summed up in the pseudocode shown in listing 1. (For any U.K. lawyers reading this listing: It's a joke, a funny, okay?)

All of this is by way of preamble to a rundown on Sinclair Research's new QL (Quantum Leap), which I've just managed to get my hands on (see photo 1).

Sinclair Research announced the QL in January of this year, just a week before Apple unveiled the Macintosh. Most observers here agree that the launch was timed to take some of the wind out of Apple's sails, for the QL features a 68008 processor, built-in mass storage. 128K bytes of RAM, and a suite of application programs for £400, whereas Mac is going to sell at nearer £2000 here.

Delivery was quoted as 28 days from the announcement. To no one's surprise (we do learn, if slowly) the machine was not delivered in 28 days; the first models finally emerged in April. By the end of May, rumor had it that some 300 or so machines had been delivered to mail-order customers, and it's one of these that I've tested. The waiting list, according to spokespeople at Sinclair, stands at around 13,000.

QL Overview

So what's the QL like? The question actually should be phrased "what will it be like?" because the machines currently being delivered are far from complete. Significant parts of the operating system are missing, and what operating system there is Sinclair has partly housed in a plug-in EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) because it won't all fit into the onboard ROM sockets. By the time you read this, though, Sinclair says that QDOS will be complete and that early customers will have a free upgrade to the onboard ROM version (and a free RS-232C cable by way of compensation).

The QL is packaged as a console unit that contains the processor and all electronics, the keyboard, and two Sinclair Microdrives in a box about the size of an IBM PC keyboard. The power supply is in a separate box, and you must add either a domestic PAL (phase alternate line) TV or an RGB (red-green-blue) monitor for display.

The keyboard looks very smart, with futuristic round, dished keys (like the NCR). Previous Sinclair computers had either membrane keyboards or the horrid rubber keys of the Spectrum, so this is a step forward. However, under those smart keytops lurks—a rubber membrane keyboard. I find the feel dead and unresponsive, while the space bar and carriage return keys have a tendency to stick if not hit squarely.

Microdrives are Sinclair's version of the

(continued)

Dick Pountain is a technical author and software consultant living in London. England. He can be contacted do BYTE, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449.

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 415

BYTE U.K.

"stringy-floppy" theme and were first introduced a year ago for the Spectrum. They differ from previous stringy-floppy designs mainly in their physical size; the tape cartridges are slightly smaller than those microcassettes used in pocket dictating machines and are filled with a 200-inch continuous loop of 2-millimeter wide video-quality tape. That's how two drives can fit into a space that would not accommodate one 3-inch floppy-disk drive.

The media hold around 100K bytes each, formatted in 512-byte sectors. The operating system performs errorchecking whenever a cartridge is formatted and locks out any bad sectors, so the capacity gradually decreases with age. As for speed, the loop takes about seven seconds for a round trip, so this is the maximum seek time to find a sector—much slower than a floppydisk drive, but very much faster than

audiocassette (most U.K. homecomputer buffs still use cassettes). When the Spectrum Microdrives were first shipped, tape friction led to an excessive wear rate and a short media life. Sinclair claims that better tape stock and improved lubricants have cured the problem, but 1 had 2 out of 11 tapes go bad on me during the test period.

The QL architecture is based on the Motorola 68008, the 8-bit data bus version of the 68000. It runs at a respectable 7.5 MHz. Supplementing the microprocessor is an Intel 8049 that handles the keyboard and sound generation, while four custom ULAs (gate arrays in U.S. parlance) look after memory management, display logic, Microdrives, and serial ports. Two of these ULAs, designed by Ferranti, are hybrid digital/analog devices (tradename Digilin) that perform motor-speed and signal-level control for the

Microdrives.

The standard memory complement is 128K bytes (in 64K-bit chips), but there is provision for a future 512K-byte expansion module.

The QL is well equipped with I/O (input/output), though it has no parallel printer socket. There are two RS-232C connectors, one wired as DCE (data communications equipment) and the other as DTE (data terminal equipment), and two jack sockets for Sinclair's twisted-pair network, which is not yet implemented. A bus extension socket lets you plug in ROM-cartridge software, but it's permanently occupied by the overspill operating system ROM on the early machines. An edge connector at the Microdrive end of the case lets you connect up to six more Microdrives (and possibly a Winchester drive later).

Color graphics are memory-mapped, with a maximum resolution of 512 by 256 pixels or 80 text columns: in this mode only four colors (red, green, white, and black) are available. In the half-resolution mode, 40 columns and eight colors are available (adding cyan, magenta, yellow, and blue). Also, an intermediate text mode has 64 columns.

Text size is variable, through software switching, providing character widths of 6, 8, 12, or 16 pixels and heights of 10 or 20 pixels, which allows big letters and a variety of condensed letters. The single typeface is provided by a character generator rather than the Macintosh/Lisa soft raster graphics approach.

The eight colors are supplemented by a large number of "stipples," which consist of a plain background color with horizontal or vertical stripes or checks in a second color. The stipples are too coarse to give the appearance of true tints, but they're quite attractive in their own right. In short, the color choice on the QL is fairly restricted compared to many of the more recent home machines—fat example, the Commodore 64 or MSX machines—though the resolution available is better than most.

The graphics commands available through SuperBASIC are quite rudimentary; the QL has no sprites or other hardware assistance, and only the simplest point-, line- and circle-drawing routines.

The QL operating system. QDOS.

Listing I: The new British manufacturing algorithm.

PROC New Home Computer IS Announce Product Announce Delivery Date Collect Customers' Money IF sufficient interest THEN /• pun intended •/ Design Product Manufacture Prototypes REPEAT Ship to customers Record complaints Fix bugs UNTIL it works

Sell it to W.H. Smiths /* U.S. readers substitute any large retailer •/ ELSE file for bankruptcy ENDIF END PROC

Photo 1: The Sinclair QL.

416 BYTE ■ SEPTEMBER 1984

BYTE U.K.

does provide direct support for screen windows, though. The operating system is channel oriented-all the physical devices are treated as files to which you assign one of 16 channels for communication. When you open a channel to the console or screen device, part of the file specification is the size window required, along with the amount of type-ahead buffer to allocate. This makes it very easy to open several different channels to different screen windows and redirect output to them using the standard I/O commands (PRINT # n sends its output via channel n). Windows can overlap each other but QDOS doesn't do anything about restoring the contents of overlapped windows; they're lost for good unless the application does something about saving them. Built-in PAN and SCROLL commands let you manipulate windows, with the same proviso that their contents are not buffered and will be lost if they leave the window.

The hot promise of QDOS is multitasking, but unfortunately this feature is not ready yet and wasn't working on the machine 1 used. It will work on a process model, creating a separate process, for each of a number of programs to be run in parallel. Combined with the windowing, this could permit some serious integration of applications. QDOS will directly handle communication between processes using pipelines.

SuperBASIC

SuperBASIC is a great improvement over previous Sinclair BASiCs, which were highly nonstandard. Most important, it has an excellent set of structured control constructs that make it a much better educational aid than its predecessors.

SuperBASIC procedures support full parameter passing, as well as multiline function definitions (with RETURN used to assign the result rather than assignment to the function name). IF. . .THEN. . .ELSE. . .ENDIF also is multiline and is complemented by SELECT ON, a variant of the Case construct, with a proper default clause called REMAINDER.

Two nicely symmetrical constructs do looping: FOR... END FOR and REPEAT. . . END REPEAT. Both of these use a loop identifier to clarify nested

SuperBASIC is very, very slow. With a 7.5-MHz 68008, you'd think it would take some effort to run that slowly.

loops, allow premature exits with EXIT, and use NEXT to force an immediate repetition (FOR is a counted loop and REPEAT is unbounded). They both have a single-line short form that requires no END statement, and these short forms allow neat coding of common operations such as filling an array or waiting for a keypress. The icing on the cake is that identifiers can be of any length (up to 255 characters) and all characters are significant.

Proper use of all these constructs gives programs a very clean, almost Pascal-like appearance; line numbers still are required but should be irrelevant except as references for editing.

SuperBASIC supports string, integer, and single-precision floating-point data types, along with the novel (for BASIC) idea of automatic "coercion." This means that, if possible, SuperBASIC will force data types into expressions of a different type, letting you, for example, add a string to an integer:

123 + "456"

This will give the answer 579, because you've coerced the string into an integer. Serious devotees of structured programming will be appalled by this liberty, which is the antithesis of strong typing. Other schools of thought, though (like the Logo community), will sympathize with the quest for an untyped language. Coercion doesn't go all the way—you can't assign a string to a numeric variable unless the string is the representation of a number, so LET A = "WOW!" fails.

A big problem with SuperBASIC is that it's very, very slow. Part of the problem is that, at present, the index of a FOR loop is coerced to floating point, when using integer would be much faster. This might change in later ver

sions. 1 ran the Sieve of Eratosthenes benchmark in SuperBASIC using both FOR and REPEAT loops with an integer count. The timings came out at 4480 and 5300 seconds, respectively, which puts SuperBASIC right down at the bottom of the BYTE hit parade. With a 7.5-MHz 68008, you'd think it would take some effort to get a language to run that slowly. Sinclair will be working on the problem and later versions should be better.

Another drawback for business users is that the single-precision arithmetic only has seven-digit accuracy, which is not enough for serious cash programs. Oddly, it supports an enormous dynamic range of 10±613 so you can represent numbers far larger than the number of quarks in the universe, but not the pennies on your balance sheet if your turnover exceeds £99,000.

Supplied Software

The QL comes with four bundled application software packages. Supplied on Microdrive cartridges, these were written by Psion, the U.K. software house that was previously better known for its Spectrum games. The four programs are the Quill word processor, Abacus spreadsheet, Archive database manager (dbm), and Easel business graphics. All four share a common user interface format that makes them collectively easier to learn. You select commands from pull-down menus by typing the first character of the name. As much as possible, the function keys have similar uses in all the programs. For instance, function key FI always retrieves on-line, context-sensitive help, while F3 pulls down the command menu.

The applications are not integrated; the multitasking operating system was not ready when Psion was developing them. You have a limited ability to transport data files among them—the database can import from the spreadsheet or graphics packages and export to all the others, for example.

Quill is a neat little editor in the whatyou-see-is-what-you-get mold. It includes all the basics and few frills. You can see superscripts and subscripts in place on the screen, with boldface type shown in a different color. The screen automatically is reformatted with

{continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 417

BYTE U.K.

reverse word-wrap, so you can indent a paragraph or alter the margins by merely "pushing around" the text with the cursor. Quill works in 40-, 64- or 80-character modes so you can use it on a domestic TV in an emergency. The main limitation of Quill is that it doesn't use virtual memory, so the largest document you can edit is what will fit into RAM. Surprisingly, it doesn't support split-screen windows.

Archive is a powerful dbm program that certainly is no toy. It incorporates an interpreted programming language with the same structured features as SuperBASIC but with ultrahigh-level verbs to do searching, sorting, inserting records, etc. The program is menu driven from a series of menus that are cleverly graded so a first-time user only needs to use the first one that appears after boot-up. To such a user, Archive appears to be a nonprogrammable menu-driven package. As you gain experience, you can move

on to the later menus that contain the programming-language commands. You can use a built-in structure editor to write procedures that you can add to the menus to extend the range of commands.

The vital statistics of Archive are quite grown-up too; you can open up to 255 files simultaneously (on a lOOK-byte Microdrive!), each with up to 64,000 records (variable length) of up to 2 55 fields of up to 2 5 5 characters. You can use a second built-in editor to design input and output forms based on an interactive "paint-a-screen" approach. Again, a first-time user doesn't have to take advantage of this sophistication but can use the defaults provided to produce simple card-index applications.

Abacus is a quite orthodox spreadsheet that lacks the more advanced features of Lotus 1-2-3 and Multiplan, though it does have some niceties of its own. For instance, you can use a builtin function to set up columns with

month headings, give names to columns and rows, and reference cells by a pair of names in expressions (for example, sales:region2, which is more meaningful than A12 or R2:C9).

Easel is the sexiest of the programs by a long chalk. It's a fully interactive graph-plotting system that accepts data straight from the keyboard or loaded from a file. The user interface is superb: You use a pair of cross hairs, like those in expensive CAD/CAM (computeraided design/computer-aided manufacturing) systems, to position objects and text. Easel is auto-scaling, so data always fits on the screen. The program has a large variety of different graph formats and colorings, and you choose them from a "shop window" of samples rather than from some dry menu. It's too limited for scientific use (no logarithmic scales, the x-axis always must be in even time periods, etc.), but it produces very professional business charts and is easier to use than just

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418 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 191 on inquiry card.

BYTE U.K.

about anything I've seen.

Taken all together, these applications cover most simple business needs, and they're very well designed. Indeed, Psion has plans to launch the whole bundle, fully integrated under a customwritten multitasking executive, for the IBM PC and MS-DOS systems.

Look Before You Leap

What's the overall verdict on the QL? Sinclair created a furor over here when it announced the QL; business folks who had resisted purchasing anything so far thought that they were going to get a first-class business system for a song, while the truly serious hackers were drawn to a 68000 as if by a magnet.

At £400, with usable software and mass storage thrown in, the QL certainly looks like a good buy for impoverished business users. How satisfied those users will be depends upon the longterm reliability of the Microdrive media (the signs are not encouraging); the keyboard is not going to win any friends either, when businessmen have to use it for eight hours a day. Sinclair has hinted that it plans to skip over the floppy-disk drive altogether and go straight to a mini-Winchester as the QLs upgrade path. Whether this would put a tiger in its tank or not depends on whether the extremely disappointing performance figures achieved so far are a real reflection of the chip's capabilities.

For the serious hobbyist, it's another matter. The QL costs the same as the (in my opinion, wildly overpriced) BBC Model B with its 6502 and 32K bytes of user RAM; and Microdrives beat the heck out of cassettes.

I have to confess to a certain technical disappointment though, both with the emasculated version of the 68000 and with the relatively uninspired systems software. A rival to Macintosh this is not. but then, you get what you pay for. Also, who's to know how the QL will perform once Sinclair finishes it and once the third-party software mob gets hold of it? A game that is popular over here at the moment, called 3-D Ant Attack, features full-color, animated, 3-D perspective graphics and runs fast as heck on a 48K-byte Spectrum. And what abouX ?\rfoaYi C_or\sUucX\au Set on the creaky old Apple. . .? ■

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SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 419

*0s

An Easy to Use Word Processor with the Power of BASIC

VEDIT PLUS will change your concept of what a word processor can do. It's a significant extension of VEDIT, acclaimed for the past 4 years by reviewers as the industry standard text editor. VEDIT PLUS makes other word processors or even program compilers seem obsolete.

Any system looks good at first, but down the road you may outgrow it. Not with VEDIT PLUS. It's not only easy to learn, but it can do things that other word processors can't:

• Sort a mailing list

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• Automatically search files for particular data

• Format text in any special way.

Actually VEDIT PLUS can do virtually anything, since it has the power of a high level programming language. Things you previously had to write complex programs for in BASIC, PASCAL or C can be done much more easily with VEDIT PLUS.

Sound Complicated? It's not.

VEDIT PLUS has two modes of operation. One mode offers what reviewers call the most intuitive style of editing of any package available - Full cursor control, single key search and selective replace, horizontal scrolling, printing, cut & paste and much more. Plus special features for program development.

V-PRINT - Print Formatter

For enhanced print formatting with VEDIT PLUS. Features automatic table of contents and index generation, underlining, overstrike, foreign character support, and more. V-PRINT is compatible with virtually all word processing systems; CP/M, CP/M-86, MS-DOS and CP/M-68K. $120

Z80 to 8086 Translator

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The second mode gives you extensive file handling capability. Merging sections of multiple files has never been so effortless. Any editing operation can be automated and run on multiple files - without intervention. On-line help is a keystroke away. Its programming language gives you:

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Leave Your Dictionary On the Shelf Where it Belongs

VSPELL Spelling Corrector vs. A Spelling Checker — No Contest.

Every spelling checker on the market today will point out the words that you have misspelled.

Then what?

You still have to look up the correct spelling in a dictionary and in most cases correct it yourself with your word processor. (Try looking up a number of words you didn't know how to spell in the first place.)

Introducing V-SPELL - the spelling corrector.

V-SPELL not only finds misspelled words, it highlights each word in context and immediately displays a choice of

correct spellings from its dictionary. Choose or enter the right spelling and V-SPELL will automatically make the correction. You won't have to spend time

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leafing through a dictionary.

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V-SPELL Spelling Corrector

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Displays words in context

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Automatically provides alternative spelling

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Corrects automatically

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No

Special use dictionary

Yes

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Yes

Size of dictionary

60,000

45,000

20,000

Expandable dictionary

Yes

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Yes

Dictionary hypenation

Yes

No

No

Technical Features

V-SPELL can ignore printer control characters and other non-ASCII characters in your document.

Any text can be hyphenated by V-SPELL for typesetting and other professional applications.

Parameters and options such as the number of lines of text displayed in context, character to use for hyphenation, and treatment of high-bit characters may all be customized.

V-SPELL runs on practically every computer made (CP/M, CP/M-86, Concurrent CP/M-86, MS-DOS, etc.) and is compatible with most word processing programs. To order, simply call (313) 996-1299 or ask for it from a reputable dealer $125

Circle 91 on inquiry card.

The Wool Plus is a registered trademark of Oasis Systems, tot. Super Spelkjuard is a registered trademark i>f Sorcim Corporation, CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, [nc, M5-D06 is a registered trademark of Microsoft. Inc.

CompuView

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Orders: P.O. Box 1349, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 421

PREVIEW: KAMAS

[continued from page 125)

new commands for Uservoc. Taken together, you can use the four vocabularies to create any sort of application you can imagine, all the way to new languages (FORTH has been used to write a BASIC interpreter; such a job is well within the power of KAMAS).

You enter programs as text in "leaves" of the KAMAS outline tree; should a program require more space than a single leaf, it can call a subsidiary leaf.

The job execution facility, lex, tells KAMAS to run the program.

To illustrate the language's power, the distribution disk contains a sampling of utilities written in KAMAS. One utility is a full electronic bulletin-board system that works with a D.C. Hayes Smartmodem set up to use the KAMAS outline-processing capabilities as a message center. Another program (see listing 1) gives a dump of RAM (randomaccess read/write memory) in both

Outline processing might be the next wave in software, and KAMAS

is a good place to start.

hexadecimal and ASCII (American National Standard Code for Information Interchange). Other utilities include a date-stamping system to attach a time of creation to each new leaf added to the tree, a topic copy utility, and a program debugger.

A Brief Evaluation

KAMAS has a very strong personality. It is not a pretty program, as it lacks many of the display characteristics and user-friendly niceties of the current crop of programs for the IBM PC. Its command structure offers a diversity of modes that can be confusing to a novice, and even an experienced user will have to take some time to figure out a comfortable way to work within the constraints of a strict hierarchy.

KAMAS also is largely a closed system—it can dump its text to the operating system as straight ASCII, but it cannot incorporate data produced with other application programs unless you write a utility to do so. The programming language is unlike any other; programs do not follow an English-like syntax, nor do they share much more than a stylistic resemblance to other threaded languages—the new vocabularies are alien even to the proficient FORTH user.

Yet KAMAS is without question an interesting addition to the world of CP/M software, and one capable of performing real work. It is one of the first—if not the first—outline processors for Z80 computers, which have been neglected by software developers in the past year or so. Outline processing might be the next wave in software, and KAMAS is a good place to start. Its language is certainly flexible and powerful, if difficult to learn. In short, KAMAS might not be for everyone, but its potential as an organizing and programming tool for serious users—who can work with its idiosyncrasies—is indisputable. ■

Listing t: A program written in the KAMAS programming language that displays RAM contents in hexadecimal and ASCII. Though KAMAS bears a resemblance to the structure and stack orientation of FORTH, the vocabulary is unique and the syntax does not follow FORTH conventions.

MDUMP — Utility to dump memory in hexadecimal LANG SYS

: lust lex this leaf to define the MDUMP command

eg: 0 100 MDUMP dumps the first 100 bytes of RAM

I WOVAR

BOOUTH : CHECKMOD RADIX SWAPW WOCVTDI SETHEX SPOUT FMT DIGIT DIGIT .FMT STOUT TO RADIX .

'WOOUTH : CHECKMOD RADIX SWAPW WOCVTDI SETHEX SPOUT FMT DIGIT DIGIT DIGIT DIGIT .FMT STOUT TO RADIX SPOUT .

DUMP8 : 7 0 COUNT DUPW IWO WO+ FETB BOOUTH COUNT DROPW SPOUT .

PRTCHR? : DUPW 32 WO SWAPW 126 WO WOR .

ADUMP8 :

7 0 COUNT

DUPW IWO WO+ FETB DUPW PRTCHR?

1FSO DROPW ' . ASCII .IFSO WCOUT .COUNT

DROPW SPOUT .

'DUMPLINE :

NEWLINE DUPW WOOUTH DUPW DUMP8 DUPW 8 WO+ DUMP8 SPOUT DUPW ADUMP8 8 WO+ ADUMP8 .

ALIGN :

SWAPW 16 WO/ 16 WO'

SWAPW 16 WO+ 16 WO/ 16 WO" .

MDUMP : : (woaddr wolen )

ALIGN WOI - 0 1 FOR I +WODO

DUPW 1 WO+ DUMPLINE 15 +TO I WODO DROPW .

422 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

CLUSTER ANALYSIS

{continued from page 130)

or measuring, you can see that the two closest points are the TI99/4A (hereafter just T199) and the TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo). These are used next to create a new point, called (TI99,CoCo), halfway between (figure 2b). Now there are only two points, and they are simply connected to give one all-embracing point, namely ((TI99, CoCo), Atari) (figure 2c). I've positioned this point closer to (TI99, CoCo), since it is composed of two other points and the "Atari" point is a single point. In other words, the new coordinates (step 3 of the algorithm) are a weighted average, and each point is given a weight equal to the number of simple points that it contains.

In figure 2d, a dendrogram has been drawn for this small example. The names of the points are listed in the same order as in the final composite name. It turns out that this order does the best possible job of avoiding crossed lines in the final dendrogram. Horizontal lines are drawn of the same lengths as those between the points (labeled d, and d2) and connected to produce the dendrogram.

The Linked List

It's probably clear by now why data of this type is easily handled in the form of a linked list. For cluster analysis, the algorithm says that each point is made up of only two other points at a time, so a binary linked list will do. In a binary linked list, each item (what I've been calling "points'—also called "nodes") has three pointers associated with it: one "above" to the next more complex node, and two "below" to the two nodes that it contains. In this spirit the ith node in listing 1 has pointers A(i) for "above" and Bl(i) and fi2(i) for "below." Each node also has its coordinates X(i,k), its weight W(i), and its name NN$[i).

The linked list is built in lines 400-730 in a straightforward application of the algorithm. The distance between a pair of nodes is calculated in lines 450 and 460 as the square of the geometric (or Euclidean) distance. The weighted average coordinates of the new node are calculated in lines 520-540, its weight in line 550, and its name—a concatenation of strings with the parenthesis and comma convention used in

(continued)

Listing 1: The cluster-analysis program in Microsoft BASIC.

10 ' cluster analysis 20 ' Rob Spencer

30 1

40 CLEAR 2000 50 DEFINT A-CI-N 60 READ NVNP 70 NM = 2*NP

80 DIM X(NM,NV),W(NM),XS(NV),XM(NV),X2(NM| 90 DIM BI(NM),B2|NM),A(NM),NNS(NM) 100 DIM PX(NM).PY(NM| 110 '

120 ' read data , do sums and sums of squares

130 '

140 FOR K=l TO NV:XS(K) = 0:XM(K| = 0:NEXT K

150 FOR 1= I TO NP

160 W(I)=1

170 FOR K= 1 TO NV

180 READ X(I.K)

190 XM(K) = XM(K) + X(I,K1 200 X2(K) = X2(K) + X(I.Kf 2 210 NEXT K 220 READ NNSdl 230 NEXT I 240 1

2 50 do means and standard deviations

260 '

270 FOR K= I TO NV

280 XS(K) = SQR((X2(K)-(XM(K)f 2/NP)/(NP- I)) 290 XM(K) = XM(K)/NP 300 NEXT K 310 1

320 convert data to normal form

330 '

340 FOR 1= 1 TO NP

350 FOR K= I TO NV:X(!,K) = (X(I,K)-XM(K))/XS(K):NEXT K 360 NEXT I

370 '

380 ' build linked list

390 '

400 N0=NP : NC = NP 410 DMIN= 1E + 06

420 ' find the closest pair of nodes

430 FOR )P = 2 TO NC 440 FOR IP= 1 TO )P- I 450 D = 0

460 FOR K= I TO NV:D = D + (X(IP,K|-X(JP,K)nX(IP,K|-X(JP,K)):NEXT K 470 IF D<DMIN THEN DM = D:I = IP:J = JP 480 NEXT IP

490 NEXT |P ' nodes i and j are closest

500 '

510 NP = NP+ 1 520 FOR K= I TO NV

530 X(NP.K) = (W(irX(l,K) + W(JPX(|,K)l/(W(l) + W())) 540 NEXT K 550 W(NP) = W(I) + W|J)

560 NN$(NP) = ,T' + NN$(1) + " , ■, + NNS(|| + ")"

570 1

580 ' swap the new node into list, old i and

590 FOR K= I TO NV 600 SWAP X(1,K),X(NP,K) 610 SWAP X(|,K),X(NC,K) 620 NEXT K 630 SWAP Bl(i) ,BI(NP| 640 SWAP B2(l) ,B2(NP| 650 SWAP W(l) , W(NP) 660 SWAP NN$(I|.NNS(NP) 670 BI(I) = NC 680 '

690 PRINT DM.NNS(I)

combine i and i, add to the bottom of the list

out

SWAP BID) SWAP B2||) SWAP W(|) SWAP NN$(|) B2(I) = NP

■ Bi(NC) .B2(NC) ,W(NC) ,NN$(NC)

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 423

CLUSTER ANALYSIS

700 ' count down; if not done, find the

710 ' next closest pair of nodes

720 NC=NC-I

730 IF NO I THEN GOTO 410 740 '

750 ' set the A pointers by recursion 760 1

770 CP= l:GOSUB 1060 780 '

790 1 print the linked list

800 '

810 PRINTPR1NT" pointers" 820 PRINT" i Bl B2 A":PRINT 830 FOR 1=1 TO NP

840 PRINT USING" ## ";I.BI(I|.B2(I).A(I);:PRINT" ";NNS(I| 850 NEXT I 860 1

870 ' build the dendrogram

880 '

890 Y = - I

900 CP= l:GOSUB 1120 ' set coordinates by 910 CP=l:GOSUB 1200 ' recursion 920 '

930 DEF FNPX(I|= I00-PX(I|/PX(I) +30 ' machine specific 940 DEF FNPY(il = 90-90*PY(l)/N0 ' functions 950 PX(0|= l.05'PX(l)

960 PRINT CHRS1I2I ' clear screen and draw dendrogram 970 CP=l:GOSUB 1310

980 LOCATE 0.23 ' put the cursor out of the way 990 END 1000 '

1010 '

1020 ' recursive subroutines

1030 '

1040 ' set upward pointers A(i) 1050 '

1060 IF BI(CP)>0THEN A(Bl|CP)] = CP:CP = Bl|CP):GOSUB I060:CP = AICP) 1070 IF B2|CP)>0THEN A(B2(CPll = CP:CP = B2(CP):GOSUB I060:CP = A|CP| 1080 RETURN 1090 '

1100' set Y coord's of simple nodes 1110

1120 IF BI(CP1>0 THEN CP = BI|CP|:GOSUB II20:CP = A(CP| 1130 IF B2(CP)>0 THEN CP = B2(CP):GOSUB II20:CP = A(CP| 1140 IF B1(CP|>0 THEN RETURN 1150 Y = Y+l:PY(CP) = Y.PX|CP) = 0 1160 RETURN 1170 '

1180 ' set X and Y coord's of other nodes 1190 '

1200 IF BI(CP|>0 THEN CP = Bl(CP):GOSUB 1200:CP = A(CP) 1210 IF B2(CP)>0 THEN CP = B2|CP):GOSUB 1200:CP = A(CP| 1220 IF B2|CP1 = 0 THEN RETURN 1230 D = 0:I = BI(CP|:1 = B2(CP|

1240 FOR K= I TO NV.D = D + (X(I.K)-X(J.K)|"2:NEXT K

1250 PY(CP)=(W(B1(CP))'PY(B1(CP))+W(B2(CP))*PV(B2(CP)))AW(BI(CP))+W(B2(CP))) 1260 PX|CP1 = SQRID) 1270 RETURN 1280 '

1290 ' draw dendrogram 1300 '

1310 IF BI(CP|>0THEN CP = Bl|CP):GOSUB 13I0:CP = A(CP)

1320 IF B2(CP)>0THEN CP = B2(CP):GOSUB I3I0:CP = A(CP)

1330 LINE(FNPXICP) ,FNPY(B1(CP)))-(FNPX(CP).FNPY(B2(CP))).PSET

1340 LINE(FNPX(CP).FNPY(CP|I -(FNPXIAICPl).FNPY(CP) I.PSET

1350 IF BI|CP)>0 THEN RETURN

1360 LOCATE 2.FNPYICP1/4

1370 PRINT NNS(CP);

1380 RETURN

1390 '

1400 '

1410 '

1420 DATA 9.12 [continued]

the discussion of figure 2—in line 560.

After creating a new node by combining nodes i and /. we don't really want to "discard" the separate nodes i and /'. since they'll be needed to draw the dendrogram. They are therefore swapped with nodes at the bottom of the list (lines 590-670) and removed from further clustering by decrementing the counter NC (lines 720,730).

Recursive Subroutines

The program has four separate recursive subroutines, beginning at lines 1060, 1120, 1200, and 1310. Each subroutine does a single task and is entered only once from the main part of the program. I'm sure there are more compact ways to do these tasks, but the recursive subroutines are fun to experiment with and difficult enough to decipher without combining their functions.

Two aspects of the linked list make recursive exploration of the list easier. First, there is always a simple entrance: the first node in the list will always be the most composite node, the one at the far right in figures 1 and 2d. This is also known as the root node. Table I, which is a printout from the program (with LPRINTs instead of PRINTS in lines 810-840), shows this. Second, there is a simple exit from recursion: the simplest nodes (at the far left in figures 1 and 2d) all have zero values for their pointers Bl and B2.

Note that the subroutines have a common structure that involves frequent resetting on the variable CP. This stands for "current point" and is the index needed to follow the linked list from node to node. The general form of the subroutines is written out in figure 3 in an expanded, heavily commented BASIC. It's worth following the recursive routine of figure 3 through part of the linked list (table 1) to see how the branches are traversed. A PRINT statement within a recursive subroutine is helpful. For instance, adding the following line:

1135 PRINT CP, NN$(CP)

will show the current point as it moves through the list. Another wav to visualize the workings of one of the subroutines is by inserting the statement PRINT "push" at the very begin

424 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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CLUSTER ANALYSIS

1430

data are

1440

' software, ME

-DOS. RAM.

disk, keypad, fn keys, columns.

1450

' portable, price

1460

1470

DATA 2. 0.

64,

140. 1.

0, 80, 0,

2058

,Ace

1480

DATA 0. 0,

64,

140. 0.

0, 80, 0.

1919

.Apple lie

1490

DATA 0. 0.

48,

0, 0,

0, 38, 0.

470

.Atari 800

1500

DATA 0. 0.

64,

0, 0.

4, 40, 0,

293

.Comm 64

1510

DATA 0. 1.

128,

320, 1,

10, 80. 1.

3010

.Compaq

1520

DATA 0. 1.

64,

180. 1,

10. 80. 0.

2558

.IBM PC

1530

DATA 3, 0.

64.

195, 1.

0. 80. 1,

1600

.Kaypro II

1540

DATA 2. 0.

64.

204. 1.

0, 80, 1.

1250

.Osborne 1

1550

DATA 0. 0,

16.

0, 0.

0, 28, 0,

205

,TI 99/4A

1560

DATA 0. 0.

16,

0, 0,

0. 32. 0.

385

,TRS Color

1570

DATA 0. 0.

64,

184, 1,

3. 80, 0,

1700

TRS 80-4

1580

DATA 0. 0.

5,

0, 0,

4. 22, 0,

193

,Vic 20

Table 1: The linked list as generated by listing 1.

pointers i Bl B2 A

1 2 23 0 (((((AceTRS 80-4|,Apple IleMKaypro TRS color)).Vic 20|,Comm 64)).(IBM PC. Compaqll

Osborne l||.l((Atari 800.ITI 99/4A,

2

4

21

1

(IBM PC.Compaq)

3

8

17

23

(KAtari 800.IT1 99/4ATRS ColorDVic 20).Comm 64)

4

0

0

2

Compaq

5

II

14

22

(Kaypro ll.Osborne 1)

6

0

0

20

Apple lie

7

0

0

19

TRS 80-4

8

0

0

3

Comm 64

9

0

0

17

Vic 20

10

12

13

16

(Tl 99/4A.TRS Colorl

11

0

0

5

Osborne 1

12

0

0

10

TRS Color

13

0

0

10

TI 99/4A

14

0

0

5

Kaypro II

15

0

0

16

Atari 800

16

10

15

17

(Atari 800.ITI 99/4ATRS Colorll

17

9

16

3

((Atari 800,(TI 99/4A.TRS ColorDVic 20)

18

0

0

19

Ace

19

7

18

20

(Ace.TRS 80-4)

20

6

19

22

((AceTRS 80-4j,Apple lie)

21

0

0

2

IBM PC

22

5

20

23

(((AceTRS 80-4|,Apple llel,(Kaypro ll.Osborne 1))

23

3

22

1

((((AceTRS 80-4),Apple lle).(Kaypro ll.Osborne l||.(((Atari 800,(T( 99/4A.TRS

Color)).Vic

20|,Comm64))

ning of the subroutine, and PRINT "pop" before each RETURN statement in that subroutine. This shows how the recursion generates a "stack" of pending business, and how it finishes in a flurry of "pops" that brings it back to the root node.

If you want to experiment more with recursion in BASIC. I'd recommend starting with shorter (and faster) programs. Leal (reference 3) has more discussion of recursion and two short examples.

Some Machine-Specific Notes

Since the desired output (see figure 1) involves drawing lines, listing I will require some modification to suit the graphics modes of different computers. The only changes should be in lines 930-980 and 1330-1370.

My computer, an NEC PC-8001 A. has 160 horizontal by 100 vertical graphics resolution. This is reflected in lines 930 and 940; these plotting functions will produce ^-coordinates from 30 to 130 and y-coordinates from 0 to 90. Change the constants in these lines to suit your machine's resolution and add statements as required to enter the graphics mode. Line 960 clears the screen and line 980 puts the cursor out of the way after the dendrogram has been drawn.

Lines 1330 and 1340 are the linedrawing statements, with the syntax

LINE (xa.ya) - (xfc.yf3).PSET

which draws a solid line between the points (xa.ya) and (xb.yb). Line 1330

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CLUSTER ANALYSIS

structured BASIC

comments

main program

CP = l GOSUB 2000

set pointer to root node enter subroutine

2000 If BI(CP|>0 THEN CP = BIICP)

GOSUB 2000 CP = A(CP)

begin: if not at the end of a branch, then

set pointer to left branch node

re-enter the subroutine reset the pointer

IF B2(CP|>0 THEN CP = B2(CP)

GOSUB 2000 CP = A(CP)

if not at the end of a branch, then

set pointer to right branch node

re-enter the subroutine reset the pointer

r-calculate distances,-\ I draw a line. etc. !

/-do the task of the^ j subroutine t

RETURN

return

Figure 3: The general form of the recursive subroutines.

draws all the vertical lines in the dendrogram, and line 1340 draws all the horizontal lines. Since the NEC can mix graphics and text on the screen, lines 13 60 and 1370 position the cursor and print the names of the nodes at the left of the screen.

For a hard copy of the output, 1 used a Hewlett-Packard 722 5B plotter. It took only a few changes to the lines discussed above so that the appropriate commands were sent to the plotter, which drew the dendrogram in figure 1.

Conclusion

I've discussed some of the subjective aspects of cluster analysis in the sections on input and scaling of data. These and other issues should be investigated before using cluster analysis for serious business. It is only one of several techniques used to find patterns in large amounts of data; these other techniques, such as factor analysis and multiple regression, can be used to ensure that cluster analysis is done fairly.

Hartigan (reference 2) is an excellent general reference. He gives many interesting and amusing examples. Hansch and Leo (reference 4) give several examples of cluster analysis in drug design. A very different clustering algorithm is used by Fitch and

Margoliash (reference 5), who show how cluster analysis applied to protein sequence data can create a good evolutionary tree.

Finally, about clustering your relatives: if the variables you pick to describe them are age and a series of yes/no variables to indicate whether or not each individual is related by blood to Grandpa Smith or Grandma Jones, the program will produce a fairly good family tree. It's much more fun, though, to use your imagination in variables such as height, weight, hair length, shoe size, smoker/nonsmoker, and beer consumption. You may find that you're much more or less like your relatives than you thought. ■

REFERENCES

1. Consumer Reports. September 1983, pages 461-488.

2. Hartigan, |.A. "Clustering Algorithms." New York: ]ohn Wiley & Sons. 1975.

3. Leal. A. "Recursive Programming in Basic," Creative Computing 7:12, December 1981, pages 187-191.

4. Hansch, C, and A. Leo. "Substituent Constants for Correlation Analysis in Chemistry and Biology." New York: |ohn Wiley & Sons, 1979, pages 48-63.

5. Fitch, W. M., and E. M. Margoliash. "Construction of Phylogenetic Trees," Science 155. 1967. pages 279-284.

THE 65816

[continued from page 136)

rive the other two signals from it. Most family members will accept an external <zJ0 clock in place of an internal clock, even if an internal clock is available on that particular version. This clock defines the processor speed. If <z>0 is a 1-MHz signal, the processor is said to be running at 1 MHz. Unlike the 8080 processor family, the 6502 executes a complete bus operation (i.e, the transfer of a full byte) in one clock cycle. On most other processors, a 1-byte transfer requires four or more clock cycles. This difference is the reason that a 6502 is almost always faster than an 8080 or Z80 running at the same clock speed and, conversely, why the Z80 usually uses a faster clock.

The <f>\ and 02 clocks are derived from 00. For most practical purposes, you can consider 01 to be an inverted 00 and 02 to be equivalent to 00. Phase one is rarely used in actual systems but is active when the address and data buses are making transitions in the first half of a bus cycle. Phase two is active during the second half of the bus cycle, when the address bus and data outputs are guaranteed to be stable.

Because the data bus is bidirectional, there must be some way for external logic to determine the moment-bymoment direction of data transfer. The read/write (R/W) line accomplishes this task. If it carries a "1" as defined above, the processor is attempting to read a byte of data from an external device. It could be fetching data or a program instruction from memory or reading data from an input port. If R/W is a "0," the processor has placed data on the bus for delivery to one (or possibly several) external devices. This transfer consists of either a write operation to memory or sending data to an output port. During any given bus cycle, data goes in only one direction. The address bus is used to signal which external device is to participate in the transfer. R/W determines the direction of the transfer, and the data bus carries the data either way. These signals all change state during 01 (when 01 is active). The address, R/W, and the data-output signals are stable for use by external devices during 02, and the processor latches input data at the end of 02. Input data must be stable sW^W^ befove the end of 02 so that values can be accepted by the

processor.

Three interrupt inputs are available on the 6502. These signals are sent by an external device, and they force the processor to stop what it is doing and execute a special routine that is logically related to the signal sender. For example, RST is the master reset signal to the processor. Although it may be used at any time, RST is normally utilized only to ensure that the processor starts in a known state after power is applied. For the 6502, this reset forces a minimal number of changes: the program counter is loaded from two specific memory locations containing the address of a "cold-start" routine and the interrupt mask flag is set, prohibiting interrupts via another command called IRQ. All other flags and processor registers are in an unknown state, and the cold-start routine must set any needed conditions before processing starts.

The NMI and IRQ interrupts are more

commonly used during normal processing, interrupting the task in progress in such a way that it can be resumed as if nothing had happened in the meantime. NMI is a nonmaskable interrupt, meaning that the processor will acknowledge this signal regardless of what it may be doing at the time. The processor saves sufficient information to permit resuming the current task later and then jumps to a routine that was previously designated as the interrupt handler. IRQ differs from the NMI interrupt in that the processor can choose to ignore it. If the "I" (interrupt mask) flag in the status register is a 0, the processor will acknowledge the interrupt just as it would have for a nonmaskable interrupt, using a routine designated for maskable interrupts. If the I flag is set to 1, however, the processor will ignore the interrupt request. The IRQ interrupt also has a lower priority than the NMI. If both types should be requested

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THE 65816

simultaneously, the processor will execute NM1. With the request of either type of interrupt, the interrupt mask flag is set, disabling further maskable interrupts. It is restored to its previous state after the interrupt-handling routine is done.

The 6502 also provides a few other less commonly used signals. The RDY (ready) signal provides a way to force the processor to wait for slow memory or peripherals. External logic forces this signal to 0 during a read cycle, informing the processor that data will not be available by the end of </>2. This pause in turn causes the processor to execute additional cycles while waiting for the data. External logic can drive the SO (set overflow) line to change the V (overflow) flag in the processor status register to a 1. The SO flag can be used as a low-priority interrupt, particularly during operations that need uninterrupted processor attention during some parts of the operation—with the pro

cessor deciding when to recognize the interrupt. It is used primarily in dedicated controller applications. The SYNC signal identifies bus cycles while the processor is fetching the op code (operation code) for the next instruction. It can be used to force single-step execution of a program, as it was on early microcomputers such as the KIM-1.

SYNC signals only the op-code fetch and not the operand fetch—the address or data to be used by the instruction, stored immediately following the op code in memory. If a SYNC signal were active during the operand fetch as well, it could be used as an extra address bit, placing the program in a memory area completely independent of data.

The final 6502 signal is available on only one of the processors in the family. DBE is a "data bus enable" signal forced to 0 by external logic. DBE makes the processor relinquish control of the data bus by turning off the processor's output buffers and letting

another device put data on the bus. This signal only affects the data bus, however. The 6502 always retains control of the address bus and all the control signals, which means that these signals need external buffers in multiprocessor systems.

Expanding the Address Space

The original 6502 address space is limited to 64K-byte locations by the fact that its address bus carries only a 16-bit address. This limitation can be overcome by external "bank-switching" techniques, as can be seen on several of the popular 6502-based computers that are trying to compete with 16-bit systems. Since the 6502 already uses a 40-pin package, it would seem that expanding the address bus would require a larger package for the additional pins that more address bits would need. The next larger standard size, however is a 64-pin package that is considerably more expensive to produce and in

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THE 65816

tegrate into a system.

Rather than move to a larger, more expensive package, the 65816 provides an additional 8 address bits by using the data bus only during the first half of each cycle. The 65816 puts the 8 highorder address bits on the data bus during the otherwise idle 01. The address information can be separated from the data near the processor, providing a full 24-bit address bus for the rest of the system. Alternatively, individual sections can demultiplex the address from the data bus on their own. On the one hand, demultiplexing the address at the processor simplifies the logic for the rest of the system. On the other, allowing individual boards to do their own demultiplexing has several advantages. It lets you add the 65816 and supporting memory to an existing system in such a way that 6502-compatible bus devices will also work with the 65816. Additionally, using a multiplexed address/ data bus keeps costs down since it re

quires less hardware but maintains the same throughput.

Bus Control

Systems with a lot of memory often use dynamic memory devices since they help keep costs down. Because the commonly available dynamic memories use a mulitiplexed address bus, systems with these dynamic memories must include logic to put the right address on the right lines at the right time. Most other processors have clocks that run at a mulitiple of the bus-cycle rate. These clocks ease the problem of designing logic to multiplex the address bus. The 6502 provides only one clock cycle per bus cycle, but certain versions of the 65816 provide an additional clock called phase four (04) to make external logic simpler. This signal runs at the same rate as the 00, 01, and 02 clock signals but is one-quarter cycle out of phase from them. Phase four switches to a 1 one-quarter cycle after the start

of 01 (at the midpoint of 01) and changes back to a 0 at the midpoint of 02. On the processor versions that provide the 04 signal, all signals except data are valid by the time they reach its rising edge, as shown in figure 1. Since the data bus is used for the high-order address bits at this point, the data is not valid until after the beginning of 02. Thus, dynamic memory controllers can pass half of the address to the memory devices at the rising edge of 04 and the other half at the rising edge of 02. The fact that 04 signals valid addresses much sooner than 02 permits the use of slower, cheaper memories than could be used for the same system speed if 04 were not provided.

The SYNC signal coordinates the bus cycles used by the processor to fetch an op code. On some versions of the 65816, this signal is replaced by two others that provide external devices with a much clearer picture of bus ac

{continued)

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THE 65816

tivity. VPA, "valid program address," includes op codes as well as the associated operands. In this sense, it incorporates the function of SYNC in that it indicates a fetch from program memory. VDA indicates a "valid data address," which would seem at first to be the exact complement of VPA and hence extraneous. During certain cycles, however, the 65816 (as well as the 6502) executes an internal operation and has no need for the external bus. When neither VPA nor VDA are active during <zJ2 of a bus cycle, the bus is available for use by other devices. In addition, since the 6502 cannot indicate an idle bus cycle, it must do either a read or a write during every clock cycle. As noted in my article, "The CMOS 6502" (December 1983 BYTE, page 443), this requirement can cause spurious-read problems unless the idle cycle is carefully controlled. For older designs that don't recognize VPA and VDA, the 65816 sets up the bus to refetch the last program byte retrieved during idle bus cycles, thus avoiding the problem of spurious reads. As shown in table I, VDA and VPA can be combined to synthesize the equivalent of SYNC externally, if required in a system.

The 16-megabyte address space of the 65816 may create the need for systems to include some external memory management to implement virtual memory or error detection. Im

plementing either of these with the 6502 is difficult because the 6502 continues executing the current instruction even after receiving an interrupt that signals a bus fault. It acknowledges the interrupt only when it starts to fetch the next instruction. In terms of error detection, this process leaves no way to correct the error and resume the process, since internal processor registers would have been altered by the invalid data. Therefore, external logic would have to handle the fault independently, requesting wait cycles until the problem could be corrected. Virtual memory would be even more difficult, since the processor could not be interrupted to move the desired memory into working memory. The 65816 provides an additional interrupt called ABORT which acts like NMI except that it stops the processor in the current cycle. ABORT guarantees that processor registers will not be altered by the instruction being executed at the time. After handling the interrupt, execution resumes by attempting to re-execute the instruction that caused the abort. In combination with VPA and VDA, this signal can be used to provide external caches for both data and program memory.

Multiprocessing

The 6502 is a difficult processor to use in systems that require multiple processors on a common bus. Only one

version can even release the data bus for control by another processor, and there is no version that permits external control of the address bus and the control signals. The 65816 family includes versions with either a DBE (data bus enable) or BE (bus enable) input, enabling external devices to force the processor to relinquish the data bus or the data, address, and control buses, respectively. These inputs can be used for direct memory access or a coprocessor on the same bus.

Where two or more processors share access to the same memory and peripheral devices, problems can arise when they attempt access in conflicting ways. In particular, read/modify/write instructions can cause serious trouble. Consider what happens during execution of an instruction to increment a memory location. Since memory devices typically do not include logic for increment operations, the processor must load the data from the memory location, add 1 to it, and store it back in the memory location. Even though the increment appears to the programmer as a single operation, it involves a minimum of two bus cycles: one to read the data and one to return the updated data to memory. If a coprocessor requests and receives use of the bus halfway through this operation, the coprocessor might attempt to store data

[continued)

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THE 65816

of its own into the same memory location. When the first processor regains control of the bus, it stores the original (now incremented) value back into the location, erasing the value stored there by the coprocessor. This deletion can be particularly disastrous if that memory location is utilized as a flag to signal that some system resource is in use.

Consider the following scenario. The coprocessor reads the flag indicating that the resource is available just before the first processor sets the flag to indicate that it is not available. But since the first processor found an "available" flag when it read the location, it too assumes that it has exclusive control of the shared resource. While this occurrence may seem extremely unlikely, Murphy's Law prevails to an extraordinary degree in such systems.

To prevent such an occurrence, the members of the 65816 family intended for multiprocessing have an ML (memory lock) output. This active-low signal is asserted during read/modify/write instructions, indicating to external logic that the bus cannot be reassigned to another master during this operation. ML is asserted from the middle of <z)l of the read cycle through the middle of <zH of the next op-code fetch, guaranteeing that any external processor that respects it will not interfere.

Some additional new signals on certain versions of the 65816 permit external logic to more closely monitor actions inside the processor. On some, for example, the E (emulation), M (memory width), and X (index register width) flags in the processor status register are available on external pins for use in memory and system management. VDA and VPA provide more complete control of bus activity as mentioned above. One additional signal, VP, or "vector pull," greatly simplifies implementation of a vectored interrupt system by signaling when the processor is fetching an interrupt, abort, or reset vector.

The 65816 manages to retain a hardware interface that is similar to the 6502, promising many applications in upgrading present systems. With additional versions providing new signals, it can expand into large systems that were previously impractical, using large system features such as virtual memory and multiprocessing. ■

432 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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For you the diskette buyer, it's a jungle out there. There are so many different brands to choose from, you need to go on a safari to find a good brand at a reasonable cost. Fortunately, CE has already hunted for the best diskettes and offers you an excellent choice at a CE price. To save you even more, CE also offers bulk product where 100 diskettes are packed in the same box without envelopes or labels. Since we save packaging costs, these savings are passed on to you. Diskette envelopes are also available from CE. These super strong and tear resistant Tyvek® envelopes are only $15.00 per 100 pack. Use order # TE-5 for a 100 pack of 51A" diskette envelopes.

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Our diskettes are packed 10 disks to a carton and 5 or 10 cartons to a case. The economy bulk pack is packaged 100 disks to a case without envelopes or labels. Please order only in increments of 100 units for quantity 100 pricing. With the exception of bulk pack, we are also willing to accommodate your smaller orders. Quantities less than 100 units are available in increments of 10 units at a 20% surcharge above our 100 unit price. Quantity discounts are also available. Order 300 or more disks at the same time and deduct 1 %; 500 or more saves you 2%; 1,000 or more saves 3%; 2,000 or more saves 4%; 5,000 or more saves 5%; 10,000 or more saves 6%; 50,000 or more saves 7%, 100,000 or more saves 8%, 500,000 or more saves 9% and 1,000,000 or more disks earns you a 10% discount off our super low quantity 100 price. Almost all our diskettes are immediately available from CE. Our efficient warehouse facilities are equipped to help us get you the quality product you need, when you need it. If you need further assistance to find the flexible diskette that's right for you, call the appropriate manufacturers compatibility hotline telephone number listed at the bottom of this ad. Dealer inquiries invited.

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To get the fastest delivery of your diskettes, phone your order directly to our order deskand charge ittoyourcredit card. Written purchase orders are accepted from approved government agencies and most well rated firms at a 10% surcharge for net 10 billing. For maximum savings, your order should be prepaid. All sales are subject to availability, acceptance and verification. All sales are final. All prices are in U.S. dollars. Prices, terms and specifications are subject to change without notice. Out of stock items will be be placed on backorder or substituted for equivalent product at no extra cost to you unless CE is instructed differently. A$5.00 additional handling fee will be charged for all orders with a merchandise total under $50.00. All shipments are F.O.B. CE warehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. COD terms are available, in U.S. UPS areas for$5.00 extra, and are payable with cash or certified check

For shipping charges add $8.00 per 100 diskettes and/or any fraction of 100 8-inch diskettes, or $6.00 per 100 diskettes and/or any fraction of 100 5Vi-inch or31/2-inch diskettesfor U.P.S. ground shipping and handling in the continental U.S. UPS 2nd day air rates are three times continental U.S. rates. For Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, or APO/FPO delivery, shipping is three times the continental U.S. rate.

Mail orders to: Communications Electronics, Box 1045, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 U.S.A. If you have a Visa or Master Card, you may call and place a credit card order. Order toll-free in the U.S. Dial 800-USA-DISK. In Canada, order toll-free by calling 800-CA1 -DISK. If you are outside the U.S. or in Michigan dial 313-973-8888. WUI telex anytime671-0155.Ordertoday.

Copyright© 1984 Communications Electronics Inc. Ad #080284

[COMMUNICATIONS I ELECTRONICS" Computer Products Division

Box 1045 □ Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1045 U.S.A. Call toll-free 800-USA-DISK or outside U.S.A. 313-973-8888

0

Valium;

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Verbatim diskettes %.% $1.59 each

Verbatim Part #

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Memorex diskettes w\ $1.59 each

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SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 435

FLOPPY DISKS

{continued from page 147)

compatibility with operating systems, and so on.

A floppy disk is made up of as many as 80 tracks, divided into sectors. Sectors isolate blocks of data and help you manage data more effectively. All aspects of a sector work together. Jf a single data bit is changed, then all the data in the sector must be rewritten. Without sectors, a 1-bit change would mean that every other piece of information on the whole track would have to be rewritten.

A cell is a division of a sector. It is the space wherein 1 data bit exists. Sector size and shape, as well as the number of bit cells (bit density), vary significantly from one format to another. They all depend on the chosen layout and encoding scheme. Most disks are divided into between 8 and 16 sectors, although division of up to 51 has been used.

Hard Sectors vs. Soft Sectors

Hard and soft formatting are the two techniques used to define sectors. In a hard format, holes are punched into the disk at the beginning of each new sector. In a soft format, a hole is punched only at the beginning of each track. North Star Computers Inc., one of the first companies to manufacture personal computers, used hard-sector formats. Back

then, hard sectoring was more economical than soft sectoring because it could be used with a less expensive controller. Technology has since changed. It is now possible to build an integrated controller on an IC (integrated circuit) chip, and a hard-sector format, for most applications, no longer has a price advantage. IBM, Apple, Commodore, and most other computer makers use soft-sectored formats.

Figure 1 illustrates a typical soft-sectored format. Each sector is divided into an identification (ID) field and a data field. Combined, the fields contain the following subfields: two gaps, two synchronization subfields, two marks, either an identification subfield or a data subfield, and one subfield of error-detection codes. The data subfield within the data field is the most important part of the sector. It contains the user's data. Typically, it holds from 128 to 1024 bytes of data. The ID subfield contains only permanent address and housekeeping data and is typically about 4 bytes long.

A gap is the space between fields. It serves as a buffer zone separating any two fields that might be rewritten separately. The size of a gap can vary. If the size of a gap is reduced, the number of sectors can usually be increased. There is a trade-off between disk-drive speed variation and gap size. The controller takes a fixed amount of time to rewrite a data

GAP 1 SYNC MARK (S) ID DATA

ERROR-DETECTION CODE GAP 2 SYNC MARK (S)

USER'S DATA

ERROR-DETECTION CODE

ID FIELD

> DATA FIELD

Figure I: The typical sector composition of a floppy disk. In soft sectoring, each distinct radial slice is divided into an ID field and a data field. Usually, the data field contains from 128 to 1024 bytes of data and is the most important part of the sector.

436 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

FLOPPY DISKS

field. If the drive turns more rapidly during rewrite than during original formatting, the controller could overwrite the next ID field. The smaller the gap, the greater the likelihood of an overwrite error.

The sync field alerts the computer to the kind of information that is coming. It is like a signpost that says, "Road narrows in 20 feet." The sync field enables the controller to adjust to the precise speed of the disk and to differentiate between data and clock transitions (discussed later). There are different kinds of sync fields, each designed for a particular data-reading technique. As a general rule, however, the greater the sync field's capacity to adjust for speed and offer increased reliability, the greater its length and, hence, the less room there is for storing data.

A mark is used to indicate how data is organized into a byte, i.e., 8 bits. It indicates where a byte begins and confirms that a sync field is in fact what it seems and not simply a data byte that resembles a sync field. A mark usually has a unique pattern so that the computer can distinguish it from everything else.

The identification subfield of the identification field contains addresses and other housekeeping information. It always carries the track and sector numbers. It might also carry information such as the size of the sector and the side of the disk. In soft-sectored formats, the ID field is formatted once and never rewritten. In many hard-sectored formats, however, the entire ID subfield is included in the data subfield because there is no separate ID field. This way, every time the user writes new data, the ID information must be rewritten.

The data subfield of the data field contains the actual information that is stored on the disk. This subfield is where the computer user can enter programs, text, or any other information. The amount of space available for the data field is determined by how much space is left after all the other format components have taken their share of the disk.

It is easy to make mistakes reading from magnetic media. A read error can occur in either the ID field or the data fields. The computer checks for blunders with an error-detection code (EDC) usually written into each field. It verifies the accuracy of the read operation and reports problems. There are many different ways to do this, but the two main methods of error detection are checksumming and cyclic redundancy checking.

With checksums, an entire block of data is added up and the resulting sum is written at the end of the block as a check byte. That check byte is compared with a separate check byte that was recomputed and generated during the read operation. If they are different, there is an error in the block. Additional checksum bytes can be used to increase the accuracy of the error detection.

A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is an algorithmic technique for verifying that information within a block is correct. The CRC word is usually at the end of every field and indicates the integrity of the preceding data. Special circuitry verifies the CRC by first recomputing it and then comparing that result to the CRC value that is read from the disk. [Editor's Note: For more information on error-detection schemes, see "The Theory of DiskError Correction" on page L45.J

[continued)

Figure 2: A typical eight-sector layout with radius sectors (a). Sector layout traditionally focused on the pie cut. Newer methods involving fixed-bit-cell sectors (b) enable a disk to hold up to 40 percent more data.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 437

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MODEL 7228 - $549 This model has all the features of Model 7128, plus Intelligent Programming Algorithims. It supports the newest devices available through 512Kbits; programs 6x as fast as standard algorithims. Programs the 2764 in one minute! Supports Intel 2764A & 27128A chips. Supports Tektronics, Intel, Motorola and other formats.

EPROM & PAL

PROGRAMMERS

—Hieee features are standard from GTEK— Compatible with all RS232 aerial interface porta • Auto select baud rate • With or without handshaking- Bkirrecticra] XorVXoff • CTSDTR supported • Reed pin compatible ROMS • No personality modules • Intel Motorola, MCS86 Hex formats • Split facility for 16 bit data paths • Read, program, formatted list commands • Interrupt driven — program and verify real time while sending data • Program single byte, hlock, or whole EPROM • Intelligent diagnostics discern bad and/or erasable EPROM • Verify erasure and compare commands • Busy right • Complete with Textool zero insertion force socket and integral 120 VAC power (240 VAOSOHz available) •

MODEL 7324 - $1199 This unit has a built-in compiler. The Model 7324 programs all MMI. National and TI 20 and 24 pin PALs. Has non-volatile memory. It operates stand alone or via RS232.

MODEL 7128 - $389 This model has the highest performance-to-price-ratio of any unit. This is GTEK's most popular unit! It supports the newest devices available through 256Kbits.

MODEL 7316 Pal Programmer $ 599

Programs Series 20 PALs. Built-in PALASM compiler.

DEVICES SUPPORTED

by GTEK's EPROM Programmers

NMOS

NMOS

2758 2764A 2508 68764

2716 27128 2516 8755

2732 27128A 2532 5133

2732A 27256 2564 5143

2764 27512 68766

CMOS

27C16

27C16H

27C32H

27C64

27C256

EEPROM

MPU'S

5213 I2816A 8748 8741H 5213H 12817A 8748H 8744

52B13 X2816 48016

8749H 8751 8741 68705 8742H

UTILITY PACKAGES

GTEK's PGX Utility Packages will allow you to specify a range of addresses to send to the programmer, verify erasure and/or set the EPROM type. The PGX Utility Package includes GHEX, a utility used to generate an Intel HEX file.

PALX Utility Package — for use with GTEK's Pal Programmers — allows transfer of PALASM® source file or ASCII HEX object code file.

Both utility packages are available for CPM,® MSDOS.® PCDOS,® ISIS® and TRSDOS® operating systems. Call for pricing.

AVOCET CROSS ASSEMBLERS

These assemblers are available to handle the 8748, 8751, Z8, 6502, 68X and other microprocessors. They are available for CPM and MSDOS computers. When ordering, please specify processor and computer types.

ACCESSORIES

Model 7128-L1, L2. L2A

(OEM Quantity) $259.

Model 7128-24 $329.

Cross Assemblers $200.

SIM48 Simulator Call for pricing

PGX Utilities Call for pricing

PALX Call for pricing

Cttex

XASM (for MSDOS) $250.

U/V Eraser DE-4 $ 80.

RS232 Cables $ 30.

8751 Adapter $174.

8755 Adapter $135.

48 Family Adapter $ 98.

68705 Adapter Call for pricing

Development Hardware/Software P.O. Box 289, Waveland, MS 39576 601/467-8048 , INC.

GTEK. PALASM, CPM, MSDOS, PCDOS, ISIS, and TRSDOS are all registered trademarks.

FLOPPY DISKS

To put digital information on any storage medium, the north/south magnetization on its coated track must be changed. This is called a transition and is done by an electromagnetic head.

The Dreaded BDOS Error

An error that terrorizes CP/M users is the BDOS (basic disk operating system) error. It is a flag that can indicate several possible system errors. Some of the candidates relate to disk formats (usually EDC errors), others relate to user errors. The most feared EDC possibility is one indicating that the sector cannot be read correctly. It means that the data field contains the error and that the data itself usually is unrecoverable. There are other possibilities: a sector's ID field cannot be read correctly or cannot be found at all, or the expected ID field track or sector number cannot be found, indicating a hardware failure or, in rare cases, a problem in the operating system or the application program.

Most BDOS errors occur during a read operation. If one occurs during a write operation, it is probably because a read error resulted from the disk controller having to read the desired ID field first and then write the user's data in the data field, the selected disk drive is not ready, or the user executed a read-after-write verification procedure and the read part of the procedure failed.

Writing Data

To put digital information on any storage medium, the north/ south magnetization on its coated track must be changed. This change is called a transition and is instituted by an electromagnetic head. On floppy disks, the electromagnetic head detects the transitions (reads the disk) by recognizing a small voltage surge when one passes by.

Computers work, of course, with Is and 0s. Generally, within a bit cell, a 1 is represented by a transition and a 0 by its lack. This is fine as long as there are few consecutive 0s. A string of naughts causes the detector to lose track of a cell's beginning, particularly if the disk's rotational speed varies. Several encoding schemes attempt to deal with the reliability problem. Most of them use an extra transition, called a clock, to mark the start of a cell. These clocks define the boundaries of a cell and prevent the detector from getting lost. Clocks ensure greater reliability, but not without a price. They take up valuable disk space.

The primary goal of any formatting scheme is balance between storage capacity and reliability. The two main factors that affect this goal are encoding types and sector layout.

Encoding Types

FM (frequency modulation) is the oldest and most reliable encoding type. It uses a clock between every data cell and

438 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 406 on inquiry card.

FLOPPY DISKS

a sync field consisting only of clocks. Using an all-clock sync field creates a distinctive section on the track, but if there happen to be all Os in the data, the data field could look just like the sync field. So a mark is used to confirm the sync field. In FM, a mark is made by violating clock rules. Unlike the rest of the data, its pattern contains some missing clocks.

[continued]

Table 1: \n group coded recording (GCR), a table translates the input combinations to or from the output combinations.

Input Combination

Output Combination

from/to Computer

to/from Disk

0000

01010

0001

01011

0010

01001

0011

01 1 1 1

0100

101 10

0101

10101

0110

11 101

01 1 1

101 1 1

1000

1 1001

1001

1001 1

1010

111 10

101 1

01 101

1100

01 1 10

1 101

11011

1 1 10

11010

1111

10010

Table 2: The basic difficulty with squeezing transitions closer together is bit shifting, which causes read-back errors.

Written transitions . . 1Read-back transitions .

-1-1—I

-1-1-1. . —I—1-1.

Table 3: A technique called precompensation compensates for bit shifting by taking advantage of the partial predictability of the read errors it produces, locations of probable errors can be known in advance and compensated for during writing.

-I.

-i-i—i.

Ideal bit positions . . 1 1—1 1—1

Precompensated write ..1 1-1

Read after bit shift . . 1 1-1 1-1—1. .

Transition number 12 3 4 5 6

Table 4: A pattern table is the mechanism by which bit shifting is predicted. It takes into account the amount of spacing between transitions and assigns the proper direction and magnitude to each compensating shift.

Transition

Number Magnitude Direction

1 0

2 150 late

3 150 early

4 150 late

5 0

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DT2801

12

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13.7

Purpose

1

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DT2801-A

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I

27.5

High

DT2801/5716

16

801

2.5

Resolution

Low Level

DT2805

12

13.7

Low Level,

DT2805/5716

16

2.5

High

Resolution

Simultaneous

DT2818

12

4

27.5

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12

10

33

16

yes

NOTES I. PCLAB software supporlsall models

2. Programmable gain is standard lor all DT2801 and DT2805 models.

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DATA TRANSLATION

World Headquarters: Data Translation, Inc., 100 Locke Dr.. Marlboro. MA 01752 (617) 481-3700 Tlx 951 646. European Headquarters: Data Translation, UrJ.. 130 Balh Rd.. Slough, BerkshireSL1 6BB England (06286)3412 Tlx 849 862.

In Canada: (4161625-1907 IBM ?C is a registered trademark of IBM.

Circle 106 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 439

FLOPPY DISKS

FM typically puts 6 bytes of sync field in front of both the ID and the data fields. FM is the most reliable encoding technique; however, it also wastes the most disk space because transitions can't be too crowded, and as many as half of them aren't storing data. FM, therefore, frequently requires twice as big a bit cell as other encoding techniques because every cell must have the capacity to contain both clocks and data. FM-encoded disks can, generally, store only half as much data as other types.

MFM (modified frequency modulation) resembles FM but differs in the way clocks are used. By eliminating unnecessary clock transitions, the data transitions can be twice as close together. MFM uses transitions only when they are needed.

A few rules determine when transitions are needed. For example, if there is a 1 in a previous or current cell, no clock transition is needed. A clock transition is used only when there is a group of Os. As a result, space is not taken up by unnecessary transitions and twice as much data can be stored on the disk. In MFM, the sync field is composed of either all clocks or all data; either can be designated. The host computer is preinstructed as to which method to use. A mark in MFM is made the same way it's made in FM: by violating the clock rules. MFM usually has 12 bytes of sync field in front of both data and ID fields.

MMFM (modified modified frequency modulation) changes the MFM rules somewhat. MMFM is similar to MFM except for the fact that it places clocks only after every other 0. This technique offers some slight theoretical improvements over MFM, but very few people use it.

GCR (group coded recording) eliminates clocks entirely. GCR is a self-clocking system. Instead of clocks, a change in bit grouping is used to eliminate consecutive 0s. Generally, 4 to 8 bits of input information are organized into a longer bit-length output combination. A table translates the input combinations to or from the output combinations. An example is shown in table I.

The GCR scheme avoids the problem of too many 0s because the transition table insures that there are never more than two consecutive ciphers, even when two 5-bit patterns are joined. Since no space is wasted on clock transitions, there is more room for data. GCR-encoded disks can store between two and two-and-one-half times as much data as FM types. Many different combination tables can be used. Commodore uses a 4- to 5-bit combination table similar to that shown in table 1. Apple Computer uses both a 5- to 8-bit and a 6- to 8-bit table, depending upon the operating system revision level. Sync fields are used to establish the size of a bit cell, as in FM or MFM, but are not necessary to differentiate between clocks and data. A mark is used in GCR to recognize the start of the byte organization. It is usually a unique pattern that is reserved within the pattern table and is used exclusively as the identifier.

Sector Layout

Sector layout affects as profoundly as encoding the amount of data that can be stored on a disk. Sector layout has traditionally focused on the "pie cut," or radius sector layout, method of dividing a disk (see figure 2). The ideal number of sectors in this method is a topic of much discussion. With

Table 5; Formatting families fall into natural family groupings, dictated by the controller, which also determines the disk's data

capacity, the error-detection code, the particular mark or unique identifier, and the pattern of the synchronization field.

Format

Encoding

Error

Sync

Family

Controller

Method

Detection Code

Field

Mark

IBM

IBM FM

Intel/NEC

FM

CRC-CCITT

6 bytes 0s

data FE or FB. clock C7

IBM MFM

WD 1771.

I79x, WD

2903

MFM

CRC-CCITT

12 bytes 0s

data Al, clock OA

Kaypro

MFM

CRC-CCITT

12 bytes 0s

Morrow

MFM

CRC-CCITT

12 bytes Os

Eagle

MFM

CRC-CCITT

12 bytes 0s

Apple

Apple II

proprietary

GCR

checksum

special

D5 AA

Macintosh

Franklin

proprietary

GCR

checksum

modified through software

D5 AA

Milliken

proprietary

GCR

checksum

D5 AA

Commodore

Commodore

proprietary

GCR

even parity

Is

07 or 08

Victor

proprietary

GCR

checksum (2-byte|

Is

07 or 08

Others

(Hard-sector

proprietary

FM, MR MMFM

many

0s or Is

varied

and other

CRC-16

AA.10I0

formats)

CRC-CCITT

varies according to initialization

Lanier (AESI

parity

and bytes included

Burroughs

checksum

DEC

FM/MFM mixed

error-correction code

Datapoint

FM/MFM mixed

CRC-CCITT

Os

FD, F9

440 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

FLOPPY DISKS

Although precompensation increases transition crowding and consequently is partially self-defeating, it is frequently used to improve reliability.

more sectors, the data is more manageable, but at the cost of capacity. Each sector needs space for gaps, sync fields, marks, and error-detection codes, which costs vital data space. In addition, there is the secondary problem of wasted space on the outer tracks of each disk. (While there is much more room to record data on outer tracks, controllers can handle only a constant number of bits, and the inner, smaller tracks usually determine the bit-cell capacity of all tracks.) This led to a new sector layout based on a fixed-size bit cell instead of the traditional fixed-radius sectors.

With the fixed-bit-cell sector method, sectors are added on the outer tracks to maintain an approximate bit-cell density over the entire disk. As the track size increases from the center of the disk, the outside tracks can contain more sectors than those on the inside (see figure 2b). A 5'/4-inch disk with this type of layout can record up to 40 percent more data than one with the fixed-radius format. The fixed-bit-cell method, though only a few years old, is now used by Commodore, Victor, and by Apple on its Macintosh.

Precompensation

More efficient clocking and sector layout has increased the amount of data that can be stored on a disk. Another way of increasing data storage is to squeeze the transitions even closer together. As transitions are squeezed, read-back degradations limit the amount of squeezing that can be tolerated. Bit shifting or, more accurately, transition shifting occurs. Bit shifting during the read operation is the apparent shift of the transition's location away from its written position due to crowding. As transitions are squeezed closer together, the percentage of shift increases and the probability of inaccurate transition detection occurs. An example of bit shifting is shown in table 2.

Fortunately, bit shifting is partially predictable, and it is possible to compensate for some of the bit shift. By using precompensation, either the transition density or the read reliability can be increased. An example of precompensation is provided in table 3. Precompensation increases the transition crowding and, consequently, is partially selfdefeating. Nevertheless, it is frequently used to improve reliability.

The amount of bit shift depends on the spacing between transitions. Different bit shifts occur for different pattern variations. When a pattern table is developed, each pattern is usually assigned a shift magnitude and direction. Using the example given in table 3. the pattern might look like that rep

{conlinued)

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SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 441

Circle 159 on inquiry card.

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PLASTIC BOXES Flip Pack 10 $1.99 Flip Sort 50 $15.99 Flip Sort 100 $24.99

Head Cleaners $4.99

All prices are per unit. Diskettes include Tyvec sleeves in 30 or 80 count cartons, specify size when ordering. Each order includes a 10% discount coupon good on the next order. We pay freight on all prepaid orders. Volume discounts are available. Club and Dealer inquiries are invited!!!!

Mastercard, Visa, Money Order, or Certified Check. Freight and Handling add $6.00 or 6% whichever is greater, for COD add $5.00. Orders less than $50.00 add $5.00 service charge. California residents add 6.5% state sales tax. Restocking charge 25%.

Call (408) 723-7700 NBS Diskette Sales

P 0 Box 24008

San Jose, CA 95154

I

UTAH

TM

FOR MS-DOS™

Order Now! All the elegant simplicity of Pascal is now affordable.

_

Diskette &

Manual

$

39°)

Requires 128K RAM IBM-compatible 8088 or 8086 system. You get 5W IBM-PC diskette and 134-page manual.

Advanced Features:

• 14-digit precision.

• BCD Math, no roundoff errors.

• Floating point +63 - 64

• TRACE style debugging.

• Arrays up to 8 dimensions.

• 64K strings.

• External procedures.

• Dynamic module auto-loading.

o

We Welcome C.O.D.'s

Ellis Computing, Inc. 3917 Noriege Street San Francisco, CA 94122

VISA

(415) 753-0186

FLOPPY DISKS

MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. U.ah Pasca! Is , .rademarK o, Hlis Compuling, ,nc.

The controller dictates

the number of bytes on a disk,

which EDC can be used,

the unique identifier used,

and the pattern of the sunc field.

resented in table 4.

In practice, tables are usually developed with a single magnitude; e.g., a precompensation of only 150 ns (nanoseconds) or 0. However, some machines have been developed that use as many as three different magnitudes; e.g., some patterns with 50 ns, others with 150 ns, and yet others with 250 ns.

Families of Formats

Technological developments have solved format problems and refined the formats themselves. Formatting characteristics fall into natural family groups (see table 5). The controller dictates the number of bytes on a disk, which EDC can be used, the particular mark or unique identifier used, and the pattern of the synchronization field. The controller dictates most of the format characteristics and therefore defines the major families.

Apple's controller is mostly a software program. Commodore's approach is similar to Apple's, but the formatting is controlled by firmware. The IBM format controller is in hardware, with some variation permitted by software. Tandy and Texas Instruments are in the IBM family. Victor is in the Commodore family because it uses many of the Commodore concepts.

A fourth family consists of hard-sectored formats and those that just don't fit in any of the other categories. This fourth family is used by North Star, some Hewlett-Packard equipment, Lanier, and Phillips.

IBM

IBM started with FM in the earliest floppy disks but chose MFM for its Personal Computer (PC). FM was, initially, the most widely used approach. The IBM family uses Intel/NEC 765 or Western Digital 179X and 2903 controllers. These controllers work only with FM and MFM. The controllers are designed to accommodate sector sizes of 128 to 1024 bytes. When using FM encoding, the IBM family uses FE and FB marks with C7 clocks. With MFM encoding, this group uses Al marks with OA clocks.

IBM adopted an error-detection code called CRC CCITT, a method more complicated than a checksum technique. The controller is actually designed to be able to handle this special EDC and cannot execute, for example, a checksum. The IBM family of formats uses the radius sector layout recording method, so the bit-cell densities are greater closer to the hub hole. As a result, the amount of desired precompensation is greater on the inside tracks. Most IBM PCs, however, do not vary the precompensation from track to track.

442 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 12 on inquiry card.

QUALITY PARTS AT DISCOUNT PRICES!

FLOPPY DISKS

Apple

Apple Computer chose GCR technology when designing its system. Apple's priority appears to have been economy. By using GCR it could put almost all controller functions in software, which doesn't have recurring costs. GCR also offers pretty good density, about the equivalent of MFM, and it uses hardware that's less complicated. Apple designs and manufactures its own controllers, which are dedicated to the GCR encoding scheme. They are designed to accommodate sector sizes of 256 bytes and utilize a checksum EDC. The Apple family uses D5 and AA marks. The Apple format family, with the exception of the Macintosh, uses the radius sector layout recording method. Apple adopted the fixed-bit-cell method when it developed the Macintosh. As a result, the Macintosh has more relative data-storage capacity.

Commodore

Commodore also chose the GCR method, but apparently not for economic reasons. It seems Commodore was most interested in squeezing more data onto the disk. Commodore uses a slightly different GCR conversion than Apple. By using a more expensive controller, Commodore sacrificed the economy Apple achieved. Both Commodore and Victor manufacture their own controllers, but the units are similar enough to be clearly related. They both work with sector sizes of 2 56 to 512 bytes and a checksum EDC. The Commodore family uses 07- and 08-type marks. Fixed-bit-cell sector families, such as Commodore, do not need to vary the precompensation from track to track.

Within the IBM PC family, there are three fundamentally different formats with 8, 9, and 10 sectors, respectively. While an IBM PC can read its own 8-, 9-, and 10-sector formats, it cannot read those of other families such as Apple and Commodore.

STANDARDIZATION

The floppy disk will probably be around for some time since nothing else can now challenge its cost-effectiveness. A floppy disk can store up to 1 megabyte for about $5. Winchester drives can store more than a floppy disk of comparable size, but the price is much higher. Winchesters are coming down in price but will always be more expensive. Price is also a parameter in terms of the controller that works with the floppy disk. Furthermore, the installed base of computers that use floppy disks is large, and most owners would be reluctant to change to a new type of disk if the cost is a new computer.

One of the areas currently being explored is data and format conversion. There is a great need for this technology but, as yet, it remains on the wish list in most cases. The lack of formatting standards is neither a minor nor a temporary problem. However, it is diminishing as IBM, Apple, and Commodore become dominant. IBM's presence has driven the industry toward IBM's format standards, but not all the way. The fact that Apple used a different format scheme in the Macintosh indicates that standardization is not on the horiion. Nobody seems to have the power or desire to compel standardization, and many companies face more pressing problems. Format standardization will have to wait. ■

SUB-MINIATURE D TYPE CONNECTOR

SOLDER TYPE SUB-MINIATURE CONNECTORS USED FOR COMPUTER HOOK UPS

DB

15 PLUG

$2.75 $4.00 $1.50 $2.75 $3.50 $1.25

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'PARALLEL" PRINTER CONNECTOR

SOLDER STYLE 36 PIN MALE USED ^ 1 ON "PARALLEL" iZsOEACH DATA CABLES.

FREE! FREE! FREE!

MINIATURE TOGGLE SWITCHES

KEY ASSEMBLY

CONTAINS 5 SINGLE-POLE NORMALLY OPEN SWITCHES MEASURES 3V LONG.

6 KEY

$1.25 EACH

CONTAINS 6 SINGLE-POLE NORMALLY OPEN SWITCHES MEASURES 4V LONG.

CRYSTAL

'CASE STYLE HC33/U o uu? I COLORBURST d Mni 3579.545 KC

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5 AMPS @ 125 S.P.D.T. VA9, (on-on)

SOLDER LUG TERMINALS Si (Hi EACH

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PC LUGS. THREADED , BUSHING I S 1 00 EACH

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USED TO POWER A COMMODORE COMPUTER. THIS SUPPLY DELIVERS BOTH 5 VDC @ 6 VA (APPR0X 1,2 AMPS) AND 9 VAC @ 5.4 VA. $10.00 EACH

48 PAGE CATALOG

EDGE CONNECTORS

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'DISKETTES'

West Coasf'Call" Central & East"Call"

1(800)621-6221 1(800)654-4058

Discounts Starting at 3 Box Quantities

3M

■5%'

1795 2395 2750 3395

s-side d-den. d-side d-den.

s-side quad

d-side quad

•8"»

s-side Ol 50

s-den. LL

s-side OCQP

d-den. CV

d-side 015P d-den. Oi

3M

DC100A....1395

DC300A...184? DC300XL 2025 DC600A..2415

Diskettes 10/Box

0 Dysan

•514'

s-side d-den.

d-side d-den. s-side quad d-side quad

•8

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d-den. OU

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22s* 305° 3450 4550

28

95

maxell

35 CALL

• 514"« s-side 1Q95 d-den. V3 d-side OC95 d-den. £.0 s-side OQ95 quad LO d-side Qfi9_5 quad OM

• 8"«

319-5

s-side d-den. d-side d-den.

AMARAY MEDIA MATE

Ok"...1195) (5ic.119-5)

DISK MINDERS (5V4"....16Z5) (8"...2150) BULK PACKED DISKS "CALL

\ferbatirn

•sVDatalife

s-side 1095 d-den. 10

d-side 0/1 95 d-den. £*f s-side Q/195 quad JU

d-side OQ9-5 quad OQ

•8'Datalife

s-side OA7-^ s-den. fc*t

s-side OC95 d-den. LV

d-side 019J? d-den. Jl

Head Cleaners

Kits 5§0

Refills... 955

Analizers 2500

Dealer Inquiries Welcomed

1(800) 654-4058

l» OKLAHOMA Hi & NEVADA

Hip's Delivery Only, Add 3^ on orders under 35°-° or 20 disk !

SEPTEMBER \984 "BYTE 443

The best values always come from a name you can trust.

APPLE/ FRANKLIN

Advanced Analytics Technology

the "Banner" $ 22

Ashton-Tate Call

Beagle Bros.

DOS Boss $ 21

Utility City 25

Broderbund

Bank Street Writer .... $ 45 Cdex

All Trng Prog's ea $ 49

Central Point

Copy II + $ 34

Continental/Arrays, Inc.

Home Accountant $ 59

Digital Research Call

Dow Jones

Market Analyzer $245

Market Manager 219

Spreadsheet Link 199

Krell Logo $ 75

Living Videotext

Think Tank $ 99

dBASE II CORNER

Anderson-Bell

Abstat $289

Ashton-Tate

dBase II $289

dBase III Call

Friday $179

Better Business Solutions, Inc.

dBase II Writes Checks $ 75

Data Based Solutbns

dNAMES $ 95

Fox & Geller

dGraph $199

Quick Code 175

dlltil 58

Global Technologies

dbLINK $ 69

Human Soft

DBPIus $ 90

Sensible Designs

dProgrammer $199

Software Banc

Advanced dBase II

User's Guide $ 27

Report Writing w/ purchase of

dBase II $ 10

All above available

MACINTOSH CORNER

Continental/Arrays, Inc.

HomeAcct $ 75

Living Videotext

Think Tank $ 99

Main St. Software

Main St. Filer $225

Microsoft

Microsoft Basic $ 99

Multiplan 159

Penguin Call

Software Publishing

PFS: File/Rprt....ea $ 95

Davong

Disk Drives Call

Kensington Microware

Swivel $ 29

Surge Suppressor... 45 Modem 399

Maxell

3'A" diskettes Call

Memorex

Diskettes $ 49

Micropro

Wordstar w/

Star CP/M $295

Infostar + w/Strbrst.. 299 Microsoft

Cobol-80 $499

Fortran-80 145

Peachtree Call

Penguin Software... Call

Software Publishing

PFS: File, Graph, Report ea $ 79

Visicorp

Visicalc (II or HE) $165

VisiOn Series Call

Xerox Education

Sticky Bear ABC $ 35

Sticky Bear Numbers. 35

CP/M SOFTWARE

Formats Available

All prices below are for 8" standard. Other formats are available. Some formats subject to "Download" fee and require minimum 2 weeks for del'y. Please inquire.

ATI

•All Trng Prog's ea $ 60

CompuView

*V-Edit 8080 280,

IBM/PC $130

*V-Edit CP/M 86 160

Systran 99

Digital Research

•Pascal MT+w/SPP... $389 DR Assembler & Tools 149

CP//M2.2 125

C Basic 95

PL/1-80 375

Personal Basic 120

CP/M Gold Card Call

Access or

Display Mgr. $299

C Lang/compiler 260

All 8"-86 Version

of Above Call

Infocom

•Deadline $ 49

"Starcross 39

'Suspended 39

•Zork, I, II, III ea 39

1 PEACHTREE (CORNER

Back to Basics

Acct'g System Call

Home Software Library Coll

PeachPak 4

(GL, AP, AR) $249

Series 8 (GL, AP, AR, Sales Inv., Inv. Control, Job Cost, Client Post. & Acct'g) Each Module $389

Mark of the Unicom

•Final Word $199

Micro Pro

•WordStar $250

•InfoStar + 265

•Pro-Pak (WS, MM, SI, CS) $359

All Others Call

Microsoft

Basic 80 $239

Basic Compiler 249

Fortran 80 330

Cobol 80 449

Macro 80 130

•Multiplan 149

Microstuf

•Crosstalk $109

Northwest Analytical

•Statpak $365

Oasis

The Word Plus $120

Punctuation & Style.... 99 Sorcim

•Supercalc II $189

Superwriter (w/ Speller, Mailer)... $189

Supersoft

Disk Doctor $ 74

Scratchpad Plus 129

T Maker III $195

IBM/PC

Please see CP/M listing. All products with an * in front are also made for PC/DOS and are priced the same unless otnerwise specified.

Alpha Software

Alpha Base V $359

ESP 579

Data Base Mgr II 179

Apple-IBM Conn 169

B&L Multi-Job (runs 9 programs at once)... $145 Central Point

Copy II PC $34

Continental/Arrays, Inc. Home Acct Enhncd....$ 89

CTek Call

Digital Research

Concurrent CP/M 86.. $225 Pascal MT+ CP/M 86.. 375

Pascal MT+ DOS 299

DR Logo 99

Dow Jones

Market Analyzer $245

Market Manager 219

Spreadsheet Link 199

Ecosoft, Inc.

Microstat $259

Enertronics

Energraphics $265

Fastware Thor (the thought organizer.... $245

Financier, Inc.

Tax Series $105

Financier II 119

Fox & Geller

Grafox $1 99

OZ Call

RGraph (for R-base 4000) $215

FYI

Superfile $149

FYI 3000 287

Graphic/Mosaic Software

Combo II & IV $350

Integrated 6 359

Lifetree

Volkswriter Deluxe $179

Lighthouse Software

Key II (Data

Mgmtfor 1-2-3) Coll

Living Videotext

Think Tank (256K) $139

Micropro

Starburst $149

Microrim

R-base 4000 $299

R-base Clout 169

R-Writer 119

Prog Interface 319

Morgan Computing

Prof Basic $299

Trace 86 99

Peachtree

PeachText 5000 $249

Satellite Software

Word Perfect w/ Sp...$255

Sorcim

Supercalc III $249

SP1 Open Access $399

Star Software Systems

Property Mgmt $787

Acct'g Partner 269

Supersoft

C Compiler - 8086.... $350 Basic Compiler 225

Visicorp Call

Wang Software

Grammatik $ 59

Proofreader 42

Warner Software

Desk Organizer (clears desk of 7

business tasks) $249

.. .and many more!

ENERGRAPHICS by Enertronics

Completely interactive

2&3D graphics program.

Cursor drawing,

flowchart programming,

symbol generator,

electrical circuit &

mechanical design,

architectural,

statistic/surface

drawing, more! $249

w/ Plotter Option... 299 (Prices good thru September, 1984.)

= ■ 1 -Pa*

m

444 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

APPLE/ FRANKLIN BOARDS

ALS

CP/M Card $259

Smarterm II 119

Z-Card II 119

CCS 7710 Asynch Serial $109

East Side

Wild Card II $ 99

Microsoft

16K Ramcard $ 69

Soflcard 249

Softcard + 449

Prem Softcard (IE) 335

Microtek

Printer l/F $ 75

Dumpling -16K 169

Dumpling-GX 89

Mountain

A-D/D-A Call

Music System $349

PCP

4 MHZ Appli-Card

+ 88 Card Call

88 Card 16 Bit + 64K.. $425

Prometheus

Versacard $159

SSM

ASIO Ser l/F w/ cable $129 AIO-2Ser/Par 179

Tymac

Par l/F w/ cable $ 79

Videx

Videoterm VT-600 $179

Videoterm VT-602 249

Ultraterm 249

DISPLAY CARDS

Amdek

MAI Card $420

Fredericks/Plantronics Colorplus... Call Hercules

Graphics Board $349

MA Systems

PC Peacock

Color Board $325

Paradise/USI

Display Card (clr/monochrome). $379

Quadram

Quadcolorl $199

Quadcolor II 389

Quadcolor I

(upgrade) $210

Tecmar

Graphic Master $499

IBM/PC BOARDS

AST Research

Six Pak + 64K (exp 384K, S/P, Clk)..$269

MegaPlus 64K, (Cl/Cal, S Port, 512K cap w/ Megapak) $269

Extra ports available for Megaplus and I/O Plus II (Game, P/S)...$ 40

5251 (PC to Syst/34, 36, 38 connection) ... Call

Megapak 256K upgrade for Megaplus. Call

I/O Plus II Cl/Cal and S Port $115

Maynard Electronics

Floppy Drive Cntrlr.... $169

w/ Par Port 219

w/ Ser Port 229

Sandstar Call

Quadram

Quadboard 64K, (exp

384K, Clk/Cal, S&P

Ports, Software $269

Quadboard 384 (OK). 239 Microfazer Stack Printer

-P/P 8K (exp 512K) $139

•S/P 8K (exp 64K) 149

-S/S 8K (exp 64K) 149

Quadlink 64K Memory

allows Apple SW to

run on IBM/PC) $469

Other Products Call

Tecmar Products Call

Xedex/Microlog

Baby Blue $325

Baby Blue II 525

MONITORS

Amdek

300A Amber $149

Color II + 429

NEC

JB1201-12" Green $169

JB1260-12" Green .... 119 JC1216 RGB 429

Panasonic

CT160 10" comp Call

PGS

HX12 RGB Color $499

MAX 12 220

SR12 (690x480 Res)... 639

Quadram

Quadchrome $495

Sanyo

8112 12" HR Green.... $195

SONY

Component TV System i

Profeel 19" Trinitron Color Monitor. (Analog digital RGB inputs for graphics and Teletext/ Videotex! applications. Built-in stereo amp w/

5 watt per channel

output) Call

VTX-100R - Profeel Access Tuner. (Cable ready express tuning, pay-TV ready, stereo ready, 10-key express cmdr, multiple video

6 stereo l/Os) Call

SS-X2A Speakers.. Call

Taxan

KG12N-UY

12" HR Am $129

KG12N 12" HR Gr 132

RGB Vision-1 12" Clr.. 319 RGB Vision-3 12" Clr.. 459

USI 1200A 12" HR Am $159

Hayes

Smortmodem 300 Call

Smartmodem 1200.... Call Smortmodem 1200B...$449 Novation

Apple-Cot II $259

Orchid Technology

the Orchid Blossom" (To 384K, Ok w/ alarm, S&P ports, ram disk, disk caching, upgradeable to PCNet) Call

Prometheus

Promodem $399

US Robotics

Auto-Dial 300/1200 ...$459 S-100 Modem 349

Zoom Telephonies

Networker w/ SW $109

SDI, Inc.

STOPLOCK II R

Completely STOPS computer in boot mode — LOCKS IT UP INTERNALLY. OPENS only to valid user with I.D. code. (Money-back guarantee by SDI, Inc.) Call

DISK DRIVES

CDC 1800 $229

Corona

5 MB Hdw/cntrlr....$1495 10 MB Hdw/cntrlr.. 1895

Corvus Hd Call

Davong Hd Call

l-Omega

Bernoulli Box (10 MB removable)... Call

Santa Clara Hd Call

Tandon TM-100-2 $199

Vista

Dynaframe Systems w/5-40MBPri DD.. Call

HALF HIGHS Matsushita Electric.. $199 Shugart 225

Super 5 (Apple) Call

Teac w/brackets $210

PRINTERS

Dana/Abati

LQ-20P $429

Diablo

630 ECS Call

SEPTEMBER SPECIAL! Diablo 630 API

40 cps, graphics, printwheels (200 available), word processing features, bidir., top/bottom feed, 1.344K std. buffer. $1799

Juki Industries

6100 $449

Mannesman Tally

MT180L $810

MT160L 595

Spirit 299

NEC 3550 $1625

Okidata 82-93 Call

Printek, Inc.

920 S/P $2099

Star Micronics Call

Teletex T1014 $499

Transtar

T-130 P&S $659

T-315 P - Dot Matrix.. 489 T-120 P&S 475

.. .and much more.

DISKETTES

3M 5" DS, DD Box ... $ 40

CDC $ 28

Maxell 5" DS,

DD MD2 Box $ 40

Verbatim

5" DS, DD, Box $ 35

Ultra Magnetics 5"

DS, DD, (box/10) $ 35

(3 Boxes Diskettes Min.)

PLOTTERS

Enter

P100 Sweet P $545

Sweet P Six Shooter... Call

Houston Instruments Call

Panasonic

VP6801P Plotter $1375

MISC.

Alpha-Delta ' MACC" Surge Protector $ 69

Computer Accessories

Power Director Call

Hauppage

87 Chip $169

Other Products Call

Keytronic

Keyboard 5150 $175

WP KB5151 219

WP KB5151 Dvorak... 219

Orange Micro

Grappler+ w/ buffer. $175

SGL Homalite

Optech CRT filters Call

Street Electronics Call

TG Coll

Versa Computing

VersaWriter $239

A variety of complete PC compatible systems are available at Oryx. For assistance in determining your needs, use our technical line? We will be happy to provide full support.

- Franklin

- Televideo

- NEC APC & 8800

- Columbia

POLICY:

Wisconsin residents odd 5% for sales tax.

Minimum $4.00 for shipping, handling and insurance for

orders to $200.

For orders over $200, add 7Vi% for shipping, handling and insurance.

Vi% discount for cosh payments.

Foreign — add 15% handling & shipping for prepayment. (Int'l money order.)

Prices are subject to change without notice. All items subject to availability

WE WELCOME!

► Visa, MasterCharge and American Express. (No charge for credit cards.)

► Corporate, government or educational volume purchases, please ask for special accounts desk for additional discount.

► COD (Add $2.00 per shipment. Cash or certified check required.)

► Checks. (Allow 1-2 weeks for clearing.)

WORKING HOURS:

Monday-Friday 8:30-6:00 • Saturday 10:00-2:00 • Central Time Circle 400 for Hardware inquiries. Circle 401 for Software inquiries. Circle 402 for September Specials.

ORYX SYSTEMS, INC.

CRAFTSMEN OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY

1 800 826-1589

425 First Street • PO. Box 1961 Wausau, Wisconsin 5440? "For technical assistance, order status and in Wisconsin: 715-848-1374

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 445

BIG PROJECTS

{continued from page 151| in one working day. 2. Quality—A team that designs, tests, codes, and reviews its own work is more likely to catch bugs early and test code thoroughly.

Of course, there are major disadvantages to teamwork. Two people working

together are not necessarily twice as fast as someone working alone because of the extra organization and discipline needed. A group of two or three is just about the right size for most microcomputer projects; more than three can spend too much time organizing and arguing. If you cannot find anyone who wants to work closely with you, at least

try to find a friend who is willing to look over your design and test the final product.

When you have an estimate of the size and difficulty of the project, it is a good time to ask yourself these questions: Do you have the time and resources to complete the project? Can you modify (or make do with) an existing software package? If you have doubts, develop a usable prototype first, before committing yourself to a full-scale project.

Before you start the project you should also consider what resources (hardware and software) you will need. It is vital to choose a good programming environment. If you do not have the right tools, the project will take far longer to develop and may be a flop.

Software Tools for Large Projects

Naturally, your choice of tools depends on your project, but it is better to be cautious and get all the tools you can.

You should have a reliable operating system that supports a good set of utilities and commands for systems programming (such as allowing you to create command abbreviations and execute files of commonly used sequences of commands). UNIX, or one of its look-alikes, is a good choice. For example, you can edit a program while waiting for a listing to be printed because UNIX supports concurrent user tasks. (On the other hand, if that's all you need multitasking for, perhaps it would be better to buy a good printer buffer.)

Simple operating systems, like CP/M, can hinder your productivity. More recent operating systems, like Concurrent CP/M, are evolving toward UNIX as microcomputer users and hardware become more sophisticated.

Another useful tool is a good screenoriented editor that supports global searches and changes. Preferably, it should be able to handle large files. If you use a "virtual" editor—one that buffers the text on disk during edits—you must have reliable disk drives. Virtual editors (which include WordStar and WordMaster) have been known to die right in the middle of the last correction in a 2000-line program.

You also need a production compiler for a high-level language that allows you to compile large programs in separate pieces. This separate compilation feature

LOCAL AREA

PERIPHERAL NETWORK

PRODUCTS

■

SHORT HAUL MODEMS (ASYNC & SYNC)

• 300 BAUD TO 19.2K BAUD FULL DUPLEX • 1 to 10 MILES ON TWO TWISTED PAIR • SWITCHABLE DTE-DCE • W/WO DTR/DCD HANDSHAKE • W/WO SIGNAL INDICATORS • OPTICALLY ISOLATED • STANDALONE & RACK MOUNTED • SELF/HOST POWERED* MALE/FEMALE CONNECTORS* DEC VT100 VERSION

• STANDALONE UNIT: 3.5" x2.2" x 1" • CUSTOM REQUIREMENTS INVITED

s

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BIG PROJECTS

means that you are not faced with a long, slow compilation each time you make a minor change in a large program. Know your compiler. If you're familiar with one brand and you plan on its features being available on a new computer, you may be disappointed. For example, we are familiar with several production CP/M Pascal compilers, and no two of them accept exactly the same language. This is a problem with other languages as well.

There are several things to look for in a production compiler. If the language in question has a test suite, can the compiler handle everything in it? Read the fine print carefully: some compilers will fail an entire list of tests just because a particular feature is missing. How long has the compiler been available? If it's new, worry. New compilers often contain large, hungry bugs. How well supported is the compiler? Often, the smaller the company, the better the quality of support. On the other hand, larger companies tend to stay in business longer and have a larger base of public-domain tools available for their products. If you're using a compiler you've been familiar with for a long time, make sure you know all of its features. If you're moving from one machine to another, find out just how similar they are. Run some small test programs, ask another programmer, and read the literature for reports on new compilers.

Some compilers for microcomputers are not designed to handle programs more than several hundred lines long. They may die mysteriously on larger programs as they run out of space for

names, tables, or code. If a compiler won't let you break the program into separate pieces, you probably will have to either scrap the compiler or stick to smaller projects.

Some languages, such as BASIC and Assembler, are not suited to large projects at all. If you are going to write hundreds of lines of code, use a high-level language so that you can implement algorithms and data structures without worrying about how to squeeze data into fewer words of memory.

With high-level languages, programs are more readable and errors can be caught before you even start testing. Familiar languages such as Pascal and C are good choices, especially if you have access to a "good" compiler (i.e., a fast compiler that generates efficient code and meaningful error messages). You should always try to use a portable language or language subset in case you later decide to move the project to a new environment.

There are many dialects of Pascal, all with different conventions for providing disk I/O (input/output). If your code is full of disk I/O calls and subtle assumptions about the way disk I/O works, transporting that code will be a nightmare. The best approach is to avoid using nonstandard features when possible, and isolate procedures using nonstandard features so that they are easily identifiable and replaceable.

Another useful tool is a word processor for documentation. It is a good idea to keep all documentation on line so that you can continually update it. If you rely on scraps of illegible handwritten notes to track design changes

To develop large programs you also need a good archival file system.

and testing, you will find the software much harder to maintain and debug.

To develop large programs you also need a good archival file system. Most large computer systems have schemes such as daily backups to enable you to recover from "crashes" and restore earlier versions of your software. It is up to you to make sure that your floppy disks remain readable—you don't want to have to retype 5000 lines of code from old listings. Make sure you have lots of spare floppy disks and a labeled rack or binder to hold them. (Some people even keep copies in different buildings just in case their houses burn down.)

Backups are useful for much more than just recovering from crashes. During testing, fixing one bug may mysteriously create another one. If you have been making a series of fixes, it is necessary to determine which fix caused the new bug. If you do not have copies of all the versions prior to each major fix, it can be difficult to find the cause of the new bug.

Some operating systems, such as UNIX, provide special tools to help you keep track of old versions of your software and easily remake new versions. Keeping track of versions is much easier

(continued)

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BIG PROJECTS

if you always place comments in your source code that explain the history of the code, and if you keep dated and time-stamped listings of old versions for security. A typical list of revisions might look like:

4.51 10 Oct 83 Fixed character I/O hangup bug in GET INPUT module.

4.51a 11 Oct 83 Really fixed 4.51 bug.

It was a problem in CHAR ACCEPT

procedure.

Debugging Tools

Some compilers and operating systems provide tools to let you locate bugs easily. Nothing is more frustrating than a program that mysteriously hangs or

crashes, leaving no clue to where it was before it died. Many microcomputer operating systems offer such helpful hints as "STACK OVERFLOW" or "ILLEGAL INSTRUCTION."

The ideal tool in such circumstances is a symbolic debugger, which allows you to step through your program an instruction at a time, set breakpoints at the start of procedures, and examine the values of variables while your program is executing. Of course, you can do the same tracing by hand by inserting print statements everywhere, but a symbolic debugger can make life much easier.

Check to see if debugging tools are available for your compiler, preferably before you buy it.

Machine-code debuggers that let you step through machine instructions and peek at memory are less useful than symbolic debuggers. To use them you have to learn irrelevant details like how the compiler allocates memory addresses for variables.

Another useful debugging aid is the ability to do run-time checks, such as array-bounds checking in Pascal. It is also a good idea to design similar consistency checks into your software to simplify debugging and testing later. Never turn off run-time checks just because your program is now "working." In a complex program, bugs may show up later.

Interpreters and operating systems that "dump," or let you examine the state of a program when it crashes, are also useful. However, don't rely on these tools too much. It's often better to throw out a module than patch the patches' patches.

Naturally, it also is important to have adequate hardware resources for the project before you get started. Developing large software projects is much more enjoyable if you have a good fast printer, a comfortable keyboard, a screen that is not hard on the eyes, and a hard disk or RAM (random-access read/write memory) disk to speed file handling. Nothing is more pointless than spending weeks trying to squeeze your software to fit into 32K bytes of RAM if more memory can be added to your system. Attempting to tailor your software to fit arbitrary machine constraints is like push-starting your car to avoid buying a new battery.

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448 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 25 I for Dealer inquires. Circle 252 for End-User inquiries.

BIG PROJECTS

modules, should be included in the specification. For example, the interface

for the module Update CRT might

look like the one shown in figure 2.

If you are short on cash, though, buying good software tools should have priority over fancy hardware. Crisp, clean listings will not help if you have to do battle with an incomplete, inefficient, or poorly documented compiler.

Specification-The Structure of the Software

The specification phase of software development consists of taking the description of what the software should do and splitting it into functions that are to be performed by separate components, or modules. Modules may be implemented as subroutines, or they may consist of a collection of data and subroutines (such as a UCSD Pascal unit). This process of breaking down the software into smaller components is often called top-down design. Eventually you end up with a hierarchy of modules that can be illustrated by a structure diagram.

For example, suppose you were going to develop your own version of a popular arcade game. During the requirements-analysis stage, you might have decided to develop and run the system using the UCSD Pascal Operating System for your IBM PC and to write the code in Pascal. The requirements also should describe what the CRT (cathoderay tube) display should look like and how players would enter moves.

As an example, consider a game we'll call Consumer. Consumer eats dots on a game board while being chased by demons. The game has three main operations: setting up the board. Consumer moves by a player, and moves by the demons chasing Consumer. Hence the initial specification might be that the main-program module has three other modules:

Setup, which resets the display for a new game,

Read Move, which checks if the

player has made a move, and

Demon Move, which generates

moves for the demons and perhaps other objects like fruit.

Each of these three modules then can be broken down into simpler modules, to form a hierarchy of modules. The subdivision process stops when a module performs a single simple operation; for example, a module Update

CRT, which draws a character at some

point on the display. The final specification might evolve to look like the structure diagram in figure 1. A structure diagram is not the same as a flowchart. A flowchart shows the decisions and operations within a module. A structure diagram shows the relationship between modules. All interfaces, or data passed between

Design-Algorithms and Data Structures

Once you have divided the system into

{continued)

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SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 449

BIG PROJECTS

Once you have a good design, coding should be the easiest part of the entire project.

a hierarchy of modules, you can design each module. Shared data structures should be designed first, using a highlevel description showing how the data is accessed. In selecting algorithms and data structures it is important that you pick the simplest workable approach. Often, designers are tempted to choose the fanciest or most efficient designs, which invariably take longer to code, test, and debug than simpler designs. For example, the board for Consumer

could be stored in a two-dimensional array of characters, where C denoted Consumer, W denoted a wall, etc. However, a hacker determined to save space might have encoded the walls as a twodimensional packed array of Booleans, where 0 denotes a corridor and 1 denotes a wall. The position of the Consumer, demons, etc., could all be stored in a short list of coordinates, thus saving hundreds of bytes of space. Unfortunately, the code to move Consumer and the demons is now much more complex and bug prone.

Once the system is up and running you can always go back and determine the most inefficient parts of the system and recode them. High-level language compilers are smart; don't try to do their jobs for them if you don't have to.

A good profiler helps determine where your program is wasting its time. Such programs can reveal the percentage of

processor time spent in each routine, giving you a guide to what needs to be optimized (rewritten in assembly language, if necessary). However, profiles can be deceptive. Most microcomputer programs are I/O bound, so faster I/O may be the key to improved performance.

Coding

Once you have a good design, coding should be the easiest part of the entire project (assuming you already know the programming language you are using— don't try to learn to use a programming language by starting on a large software project).

Naturally, you should try to use good programming style, such as meaningful identifier names, clear and consistent indentation, short simple procedures, etc. if the language makes it difficult to use good programming style, then you

CONSUMER: A GAME OF EATING DOTS AND BEING CHASED

SETUP

READ MOVE

DEMON MOVE

PE R FOR M_ PLAYER MOVE

PERFORM, FRUIT MOVE

PERFORM,DEMON. MOVE

DETECT COLLISIONS

5

HANDLE COLLISIONS

7

READ CONTROLS

UPDATE DISPLAY

LEGEND:

—Ky) MODULE CALLS UPDATE _CRT

■nfe- "CAPTIVE" MODULE: THIS IS THE ONLY CALLING MODULE

"COMMAND" MODULE: MORE THAN ONE MODULE CALLS THIS ONE

CALL TO REAL_CONTROLS

Figure 1: A structure diagram for Consumer. This is not the only "correct" version: many different organizational strategies would work just as well. Note that the higher a module appears in the diagram, the closer to the root module its priority.

450 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1984

BIG PROJECTS

Update_CRT

Description: Draws a new char at location (x-coord,i/-coord| on the screen. (0,01 is the top lefthand corner and (23.791 is the bottom right-hand corner.

Parameters:

DIRECTION NAME DESCRIPTION

IN x coord: the x-coordinate for the character

IN y coord: the ^-coordinate for the character

IN symbol: character to draw on the screen

OUT ok: false if the character could not be output at (x-coord.g-coord)

probably have chosen the wrong language.

Sometimes the major frustrations of coding come from the compiler's limitations. Most microcomputer compilers have severe limitations on the maximum size of programs they can handle, and they may mysteriously "blow up" near the end of a long compilation if you have too many identifiers, procedures, or nested loops. Try to use separate compilation and avoid monolithic programs.

On a large project you should avoid using programming "tricks" such as writing lots of assembly-language subroutines to make your code fast, or using overlays (reusing memory to save space). Debugging and maintaining tricky code is very difficult. And microcomputers are becoming faster with more memory, so the tricks may be unnecessary if you just upgrade your hardware.

Testing

Testing is much easier if you test each component of the software separately. For example, in developing Consumer you first should test the routine Update CRT, then Setup, etc. Such incremental testing makes it much easier to locate bugs when they occur.

Usually it is impossible to test every combination of inputs and events (imagine trying to test every possible move on every possible game board). The best approach is to test a selection of inputs including all exceptional cases, such as two demons colliding.

Once you have uncovered, or "localized," a bug in a particular module, there are two approaches to correcting the bug. The first is to make the minimum change in the code necessary to correct the error. This approach works well when the bug is small, simple, and localized, such as a typographical error.

The second way to correct a bug is to rewrite the entire module. If the bug is subtle or caused by design flaws or tricky code, then it may be better to recode the module. If it has been a long time since you wrote the module and it is poorly documented, then it may be easier to recode than to try to understand what the code is doing.

Never let your sense of pride prevent you from throwing out poor code. The

Figure 2: The Update_CRT interface.

tricky bug you managed to correct may not be the last or, worse, may introduce other subtle bugs.

One of the best strategies for testing is to get a friend to use your software after you are convinced it is working (in industry this is known as beta testing). Do this as early as you can. Often another person will attempt to use your software in ways you would never have expected and consequently uncover more bugs for you.

Maintenance

Maintenance consists of adapting the software to new environments (new user requirements, new hardware, or new software) and fixing bugs not found during testing (or ignoring them by considering them undocumented "features" of the software).

Even if you only intend to use the software yourself, you may face maintenance problems, such as moving your software to a new microcomputer. Maintenance of major commercial software products is a complex, expensive operation, involving hotlines for angry users, bug reports and fixes, and new versions and releases.

Fortunately, you can minimize the time you need to spend in maintaining software by following three simple principles.

First, document everything you do immediately! Documentation is not something you should ignore until the project is over or it will never get done properly. Documentation includes not only the user manual but also the design diagrams and design changes, commented code and data structures, and a progress log of testing and bug fixes. Without good documentation it is difficult for even the original software developer to remember how to modify the code or fix bugs easily without in

troducing new bugs. It's almost impossible for anyone else to do the job.

Second, do a thorough job of designing, coding, and testing in the first place.

And third, keep all your old test data and try every modified version of the software on all the old test data to make sure everything still v/orks.

If your software is to be marketed it is important to try to make the user interface foolproof and to provide good documentation for novice users.

What Now?

There is much more to the subject of software engineering than we've covered here. Many software-engineering techniques are mainly useful for large commercial projects. However, by learning more about the techniques applicable to microcomputer software projects, you can increase the chance of being successful in projects you undertake. The books listed in the References section provide good guidelines for developing software. Unfortunately, there is no one "software engineering bible" that contains everything you need to know, so you will have to pick and choose. Most of the books listed are in fairly wide circulation and are probably available in college libraries and bookstores. ■

REFERENCES

1. Brooks Ir, F. The Mythical Man-Month. Reading. MA: Addison-Wesley, 1975.

2. Kernighan. B.. and P. Plauger. The Elements of Programming Style. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1974.

3. Kernighan. B.. and P. Plauger. Software Tools. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1976.

4. Knuth. D. E. The Art of Computer Programming. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1973.

5. Myers, G. Composite/Structure Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1978.

6. Weinberg, G. The Psychology of Computer Programming. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1971.

7. Wirth. N. Algorithms + Data Structures - Programs. Englewood Cliffs. Nl: Prentice-Hall. 1976.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 451

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452 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

B O O K S R ECE I V E D

Ada Concurrent Programming. Narain Gehani. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 272 pages. 17.3 by 23.8 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-13004011-8. $24.95.

Advanced Programming in Microsoft BASIC. Gabriel Cuellar. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co., 1984: 176 pages, 15 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 08359-0059-2, S16.95.

Alan Hiring, the Enigma, Andrew Hodges. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1983: 600 pages, 16 by 24.3 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-671-49207-1, S24.95.

Apple lie User's Handbook, the staff of Weber Systems Inc. New York: Ballantine Books, 1983: 320 pages, 14 by 21.5 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-345-31594-4, S9.95.

At the Heart of the Mountain, A BASIC Adventure for the Commodore 64. Nathaniel L. Scrimshaw. Cambridge. MA: Birkhauser Boston, 1984: 182 pages, 16 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-8176-3186-0, S9.95.

At Your Fingertips, Jeff Berner. Glenview. IL: Scott, Foresman and Co., 1984: 208 pages. 18.8 by 23.5 cm, softcover. ISBN 0673-18049-2, S12.95.

Atari BASIC Programs in Minutes, Stanley R. Trost. Berkeley, CA: Sybex, 1984: 192 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-89588-143-8. $12.95.

BASIC Keywords. Eddie Adamis. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1983: 304 pages, 17 by 25 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-47186542-7. $14.95.

BASIC Keywords for the Apple 111. Eddie Adamis. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 1984: 160 pages. 17 by 2 5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-471-88389-1, $14.95.

BASIC Programming for the IBM Personal Computer with Technical Applications. Vincent Kassab. Englewood Cliffs. NI: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 256

pages. 17.5 by 23.5 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13-066218-6. $15.95.

The Best of VIC-20 Software. Thomas Blackadar. Berkeley, CA: Sybex, 1984: 192 pages. 15 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 089588-139-X. $7.95.

Business Decision Making for Higher Profits. William R. Osgood and lames F. Molloy Ir. Somerville, MA: Curtin & London, 1984: 158 pages, 21.3 by 27.8 cm, softcover. ISBN 0930764-89-7, $17.50.

C Programmer's Library, lack L. Purdum. Timothy C. Leslie, and Alan L. Stegemoller. Indianapolis. IN: Que Corp.. 1984: 384 pages. 18.5 by 23.5 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-88022-048-1, $19.95.

CAD/CAM. Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing, Mikell P. Groover and Emory W. Zimmers |r. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 514 pages, 18.3 by 24.3 cm. hardcover. ISBN 0-13-110130-7. $32.95.

CP/M for the Kaypro. lames T. Perry and Robert F. Mclunkins. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co., 1984: 272 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-83 591100-4. $16.95.

The Commodore-64, William B. Sanders, Ph.D. Chatsworth, CA: Datamost, 1983: 323 pages. 14.7 by 20.8 cm. spiral-bound. ISBN 0-88190-001-X. $14.95.

Commodore 64 BASIC Programs in Minutes. Stanley R. Trost. Berkeley. CA: Sybex. 1984: 190 pages. 15.3 by 22.8 cm. softcover ISBN 0-89588154-3. $12.95.

The Commodore 64 Experience, Mike Dean Klein. Chatsworth, CA: Datamost. 1983: 208 pages, 13.3 by 21 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-88190-230-6, $14.95.

Commodore 64 User's Handbook, the staff of Weber Systems Inc. New York: Ballantine Books. 1984: 312 pages. 13.8 by 21.5 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-345-31596-0, $9.95.

Compass Programming. Freeman L. Moore. Dubuque, 1A: Gorsuch Scarisbrick Publishers, 1983: 240 pages, 21.5 by 27.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 089787-400-5. $16.95.

The Complete Guide to Microsystem Management. Steven K. Roberts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 192 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-13-1605 56-9. $16.95.

Computer Algebra. [, A. van Hulzen, ed. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, #162. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1983: 320 pages. 16.5 by 24,3 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-387-12868-9. $14.

Computer Art and Animation, A User's Guide to TI-99/4A Color Logo. David D. Thornburg. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley, 1984: 224 pages, 18.8 by 23.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0201-07958-5, $12.95.

Computer Controlled Systems, Karl J. Astrom and Bjorn Wittenmark. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 448 pages, 18.5 by 24. cm. hardcover, ISBN 0-13-164319-3. $32.95.

Computer Ethics. A Guide for the New Age, Douglas W. Johnson. Elgin. IL: The Brethren Press. 1984: 120 pages, 13.3 by 20.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 087178-155-7. $6.95.

Computer Graphics for the Timex 1000 and Sinclair ZX-81, Russell L. Schnapp and Irvin G. Stafford. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 144 pages, 17.5 by 23.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-13-164278-2, $10.95.

Computer Graphics Theory and Applications. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, ed. New York: SpringerVerlag. 1983: 542 pages. 17 by 2 5 cm. hardcover. ISBN 0-387-70001-3. $45.

Computer in Your Pocket. Ed Faulk. Chatsworth. CA: Datamost. 1983: 160 pages. 13.3 by 20.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 088190-070-2. $14.95.

The CompuThIink Guide to: Spreadsheet Software. lesse Berst. Indianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams & Co., 1983: 168 pages, 20 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-672-22164-0, $11.95.

Crash Course in Microcomputers, 2nd ed. Louis E. Frenzel Jr. Indianapolis. IN: Howard W. Sams & Co.. 1984: 320 pages, 21.3 by 28 cm, spiral-bound. ISBN 0-67221985-9. $21.95.

Current Practices in Software Development, David King. New York: Yourdon Press. 1984: 230 pages, 17.8 by 25.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-917072-29-4. $28.

DIANA, An Intermediate Language for Ada. revised ed. G. Goos. W. A. Wulf. A. Evans Jr.. and K. J. Butler, eds. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, #161. New York: Springer-Verlag. 1983: 212 pages. 16.5 by 24.3 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-38712695-3. $11.

Data Processing Logic Laura Saret. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984: 336 pages. 18.3 by 23.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-07054723-8, $18.95.

Design and Implementation of Distributed-Processing Systems, C. Bradley Tashenberg. New York: American Management Associations. 1984: 256 pages, 15.8 by 23.3 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-8144-5780-0, $39.95.

Easy Programming with the TI-99/4A, Richard Guenette and lames Vogel. Cambridge, MA: Birkhauser Boston, 1984: 208

[continued)

THIS IS A LIST of books recently received at BYTE Publications. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, its purpose is to acquaint BYTE readers with recently published titles in computer science and related fields. We regret that we cannot review or comment on all the books we receive: instead, this list is meant to be a monthly acknowledgment of these books and the publishers who sent them.

BOOKS RECEIVED

pages, 16 by 23.3 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-8176-3166-6, $10.95.

The Electronic Money Machine, the Haven Group. New York: Avon Books, 1984: 240 pages, 13.5 by 20.3 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-380-86751-6. S5.95.

Electronic Systems Effectiveness and Life Cycle Costing, J. K. Skwirzynski, ed. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1983: 752 pages, 16.8 by 24.8 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-387-12287-7, $51.50.

THE Elementary Commodore 64, William B. Sanders. Chatsworth. CA: Datamost, 1983: 232 pages. 14.8 by 21 cm, spiral-bound, ISBN 0-88190001-X, $14.95.

Engineering Graphics, William P. Spence. Englewood Cliffs. N|: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 784 pages. 22 by 28.3 cm. hardcover, ISBN 0-13-278879-9, $29.95.

Everyone's Guide to BASIC, the editors of Consumer Guide. New

York: Beekman House. 1984: 80 pages. 21 by 27.5 cm. spiralbound, ISBN 0-517-41594-1, $4.98,

Financial Calcs for Lotus 1-2-3, Robert E. Williams. Englewood Cliffs. N|: PrenticeHall. 1983: 176 pages. 21 by 27.3 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13687732-X, $28.95. Includes floppy disk.

The First Family Computer Book, Ed & Stevie Baldwin and K. Bruce Fingerle. Radnor, PA: Chilton Book Co., 1984: 240 pages, 18.5 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-8019-7498-4. $12.95.

The Future of Videotext. Efrem Sigel, Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983: 208 pages. 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-13-345769-9. $9.95.

IBM BASIC User's Handbook. the staff of Weber Systems Inc. New York: Ballantine Books, 1983: 360 pages, 14 by 21.3 cm,

softcover. ISBN 0-345-31593-6. $9.95.

THE IBM/PC & 123, lames E. Kelly |r. Wayne. PA: Banbury Books. 1983: 318 pages, 17.8 by 23.3 cm, spiral-bound. ISBN 088693-032-4. $39.95.

IBM PC & XT User's Handbook, the staff of Weber Systems Inc. New York: Ballantine Books, 1983: 296 pages. 14 by 21.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-345-31592-8, $9.95.

INMOS Limited Occam Programming Manual, C. A. R. Hoare. ed. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall International. 1984: 96 pages. 15 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13-629296-8, $16.95.

An Information System Manifesto, lames Martin. Englewood Cliffs, N|: Prentice-Hall. 1984: 320 pages, 18.3 by 24.3 cm. hardcover. ISBN 0-13464769-6. $37.95.

Information Systems Security, Royal P. Fisher. Englewood

Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1984: 2 56 pages. 15.8 by 23.5 cm. hardcover. ISBN 0-13-464727-0, $24.95.

Information Technology and Civilization, Hiroshi Inose and John R. Pierce. New York: W. H. Freeman and Co.. 1984: 288 pages. 16.8 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-7167-1515-5, $9.95.

Introduction to Computers and Information Processing. Larry Long. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1984: 592 pages, 18.8 by 23 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13-480419-8. $24,95.

An Introduction to System Programming Based on the PDP-11, Derrick Morris. New York: Springer-Verlag. 1983: 200 pages, 15.3 by 23.3 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-387-91230-4. $16.80.

Kaypro User's Handbook, the staff of Weber Systems Inc. New York: Ballantine Books. 1983: 312 pages. 14 by 21.5 cm, soft

r ITn 1

■HB

LK

HCIJBJ8X MONDAY-rCIDAy 9$OC AM - «'*:€«

shipped in factory cartons with manufacturer's warranty. Please i I returned merchandise subject to a 20% restocking fee. Pric

:i cashier's check or money order-.. Personal checks acceptable.

BOOKS RECEIVED

cover, ISBN 0-34 5-31595-2, $9.95.

Kids to Kids on the Color Computer. Billy Sanders and Sam Edge. Chatsworth. CA: Datamost, 1983; 160 pages, 29.8 by 21 cm, softcover. ISBN 088190-231-4, S9.95,

Local Networks, William Stallings. New York: Macmillan Publishing. 1983; 400 pages, 16 by 24.3 cm. hardcover. ISBN 002-415460-1, $29.95.

Microcomputer Communications: A Window on the World. Barbara E. McMullen and lohn F. McMullen. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons, 1983; 160 pages, 17 by 2 5.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-471-87335-7, $14.95.

Microcomputers for Insurance Professionals. Christina I. McClung, lohn A. Guerrieri, and Kenneth A. McClung |r. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 1984; 144 pages. 17 by 2 5,3 cm. softcover. ISBN

0- 471-89721-3. $14.95.

Microcomputers for Investment Professionals, Christina I. McClung, lohn A. Guerrieri. and Kenneth A. McClung |r. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 1984: 160 pages. 17 by 25.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-471-89720-5. $10.95.

Microcomputers for Legal Professionals. Christina 1. McClung. John A. Guerrieri. and Kenneth A. McClung Jr. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 1984, 160 pages. 17 by 2 5.3 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-471-89723-X, $14.95.

Microprocessor System Design Concepts. Nikitas A. Alexandridis, Rockville, MD: Computer Science Press, 1984; 640 pages, 15.8 by 23.5 cm. hardcover, ISBN 0-914894-66-8. $32.95.

The Musician and the Micro. Ray Hammond. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.. 1983; 192 pages, 13.8 by 21.5 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-7137-1299-6. $8.95.

On Conceptual Modelling, Michael L. Brodie. lohn Mylopoulos, and Joachim W. Schmidt, eds. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1984; 528 pages. J 5.8 by 24 cm. hardcover. ISBN 0-387-90842-0, $28.

1- 2-3 for Business, Douglas

Ford Cobb and Leith Anderson. Indianapolis. IN: Que Corp.. 1984: 356 pages, 18.8 by 23.5 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-88022038-4, $14.95.

Overcoming Computer Illiteracy, Susan Curran and Ray Curnow. New York: Penguin Books, 1983; 462 pages. 14.3 by 21 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-14007159-8, $12.95.

p-Source, Randall Hyde. Chatsworth. CA: Datamost. 1983; 464 pages. 13.5 by 20.8 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-88190004-4, $24.95.

PCir. The Affordable IBM. A Guide to BASIC Programming. Robert W. Stat. Wayne. PA: Banbury Books. 1984; 318 pages, 18.5 by 23.5 cm, spiral-bound, ISBN 0-88693-004-9. $29.95. Includes floppy disk.

Pascal for the Apple, lain MacCallum. Englewood Cliffs. N|: Prentice-Hall. 1983; 512 pages. 17.3 by 23.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-13-652909-7. $24.95. Includes floppy disk.

Pascal for the IBM Personal Computer, Ted G. Lewis, Reading. MA: Addison-Wesley, 1983; 416 pages, 18.5 by 23.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-20105464-7, $15.95.

Portable Computers. Sheldon Crop and Doug Mosher. Berkeley, CA: Sybex, 1984; 128 pages, 15 by 22.8 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-89588-144-6, $17.95.

The Power of: Calc Result for the Commodore 64. Robert E. Williams. Englewood Cliffs, N): Prentice-Hall. 1983; 200 pages. 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13-687773-7, $14.95.

The Power of: Financial Calculations for Multiplan, Robert E. Williams. Englewood Cliffs, N|: Prentice-Hall. 1983: 184 pages, 21 by 27.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13-687724-9, $28.95. Includes floppy disk.

THE Power of: Multiplan. Robert E. Williams. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982; 176 pages. 21.3 by 27.3 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-13-687765-6. $28.95. Includes floppy disk.

Practical Pascal for Microcomputers, Roger Graham. New York: lohn Wiley & Sons. 1983: 240 pages, 17.3 by 25.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-471-88234-8, $14.95.

[continued)

64K S100 STATIC RAM

$19928

NEW!

LOW POWER! RAM OR EPROMI

BLANK PC BOARD WITH DOCUMENTATION $55

SUPPORT ICS + CAPS $17.50

FULL SOCKET SET $14.50

FULLY SUPPORTS THE NEW IEEE 696 S100 STANDARD (AS PROPOSED) FOR 56K KIT $185

ASSEMBLED AND TESTED ADD $50

FEATURES:

• Uses new 2K x 8 (TMM 2016 or HM 6116) RAMi.

• Fully supports IEEE 696 24 BIT Extended Addressing.

• 64K draws only approximately 500 MA.

• 200 NS RAMs are standard. (TOSHIBA makes TMM 2016s as last as 100 NS. FOR YOUR HIGH SPEED APPLICATIONS.)

• SUPPORTS PHANTOM (BOTH LOWER 32K AND ENTIRE BOARD).

• 2716 EPROMs may be Installed In any of top 48K.

• Any ol the top 8K (E000 H AND ABOVE) may be disabled to provide windows to eliminate any possible conllicts with your system monitor, disk controller, etc.

• Pertect tor small systems since BOTH RAM and EPROM may co-exist on the same board.

• BOARD may be partially populated as 56K.

256K S-100 SOLID STATE DISK SIMULATOR!

WE CALL THIS BOARD THE "LIGHT-SPEED-100" BECAUSE IT OFFERS AN ASTOUNDING INCREASE IN YOUR COMPUTER S PERFORMANCE WHEN COMPARED TO A MECHANICAL FLOPPY DISK DRIVE.

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* 256K on board, using + 5V 64K DRAMS.

Uses new Intel 6203-1 LSI Memory Controller.

Requires only 4 Dip Switch Selectable I/O Ports. Runs on 8080 or Z80 S100 machines. Up to 8 LS-100 boards can be run together tor 2 Meg. ot On Line Solid State Disk Storage. Provisions tor Battery back-up. Software to mate the LS-100 to your CP/M* 2.2 DOS is supplied. The LS-100 provides an increase in speed ot up to 7 to 10 times on Disk Intensive Software. Compare our price! You could pay up io 3 times as much for similar boards.

BLANK PCB (WITH CP/M* 2.2 PATCHES AND INSTALL PROGRAM ON DISKETTE)

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A LOW COST Z-80 BASED SINGLE BOARD THAT ONLY NEEDS AN ASCII KEYBOARD, POWER SUPPLY, AND VIDEOMONITOR TO MAKE A COMPLETE CRT TERMINAL. USE AS A COMPUTER CONSOLE, OR WITH A MODEM FOR USE WITH ANY OF THE PHONE-LINE COMPUTER SERVICES. FEATURES:

* Uses a Z80A and 6845 CRT Controller lor powerlul video capabilities.

* RS232 at 16 BAUD Rates Irom 75 to 19,200.

* 24 x 80 standard format (60 Hz).

* Optional formats from 24 x 80 (50 Hz) to 64 lines x 96 characters (60 Hz).

* Higher density formats require up to 3 additional 2K x 8 6116 RAMS.

« Uses N S. INS 8250 BAUD Rate Gen. and USART combo IC.

* 3 Terminal Emulation Modes which are Dip Switch selectable. These include the LSI-ADM3A. the Heath H-19, and the Beehive.

* Composite or Split Video.

* Any polarity of video or sync.

* Inverse Video Capability.

* Small Size: 6.5 x 9 inches.

* Upper & lower case with descenders.

* 7 x 9 Character Matrix.

* Requires Par. ASCII keyboard.

BLANK PCB WITH 2716 CHAR. ROM, 2732 MON. ROM

$5995

SOURCE DISKETTE - ADD $10

SET OF 2 CRYSTALS - ADD $7.50

WITH 8 IN. SOURCE DISKI (CP/M COMPATIBLE)

$12Q95

■ ZRT-80

(COMPLETE KIT, 2K VIDEO RAM)

Digital Research Computers

P. O. BOX 461565 • GARLAND, TEXAS 75046 • (214)271-3538

TERMS: Add $3.00 postage. We pay balance. Orders under $15 add 75$ handling. No C.O.D. We accept Visa and MasterCard. Texas Res. add 5% Tax. Foreign orders (except Canada) add 20% P & H. Orders over $50 add 85<t for insurance.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 455

Circle 388 on inquiry card.

HARMONY VIDEO & COMPUTERS

2357 CONEY ISLAND AVE., BROOKLYN, NY 11223

Bet. Ave. T & U OPEN SUN. 10-4 MON.-THURS. 9-6 FRI. 9-3

TO ORDER CALL TOLL FREE 800-441-1144 OR 800-VIDEO84 OR 212-627-1000

IBM-PC 64K

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TECMAO 64K

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PLANTRONICS

384

COMMODORE

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CBM 64

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1541 DRIVE

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MPS 801

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BOOKS RECEIVED

Programming Your Commodore 64 in BASIC. Mario [, Eisenbacher. Englewood Cliffs. N): Prentice-Hall, 1984; 2 56 pages. 15 by 22.8 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-13-729723-8, S12.95.

Proportional Spacing on WordStar, Fairport, NY: Writing Consultants. 1983; 88 pages, 2I.5 by 28 cm. spiral-bound. ISBN-none, $19,95.

The Radio Shack Notebook Computer, Orson Kellogg. Berkeley, CA: Sybex. 1984: 144 pages. 15.3 by 22.8 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-89588-150-0, $8.95.

Scientific PASCAL. Harley Flanders. Reston. VA: Reston Publishing Co., 1984: 578 pages. 17.3 by 23.8 cm. softcover, ISBN 0-8359-6931-2, $21.95.

The Secret Guide to Computers. Russ Walter. Cambridge, MA: Birkhauser Boston, 1984: 352 pages, 21.5 by 27.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-8176-3190-9. $14.95.

Self-Organization and Associative Memory. Teuvo Kohonen. New York: SpringerVerlag, 1984: 272 pages. 16 by 23.8 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-38712165-X. $29.

Standards and Procedures for Systems Documentation, Andrew W, Poschmann. New York: American Management Associations. 1984: 352 pages. 21.5 by 27.8 cm, spiral-bound, ISBN 0-8144-7015-7, $34.95,

THE SuperCalc Program Made Easy. Chris Wood. Berkeley, CA: Osborne/McGraw-Hill. 1984: 320 pages. 18.5 by 23.3 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-931988-88-8, $12.95.

Teach Yourself Apple BASIC, Peter Mears. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1983: 235 pages, 18.8 by 24.3 cm, spiralbound, ISBN 0-201-05218-0. $34.95. Includes floppy disk.

TIm Hartnell's Giant Book of Computer Games, Tim Hartnell. New York: Ballantine Books, 1984: 398 pages. 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-34531609-6, $7.95.

The Timex Sinclair 2068 Explored, Tim Hartnell, New York: lohn Wiley & Sons, 1984: 192 pages, 17.3 by 2 5.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-471-89099-5, $12.95.

Understanding dBASE II, Alan

Simpson. Berkeley. CA: Sybex. 1984: 288 pages. 17.8 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-89588147-0, $22.95.

Up and Running, less W. Curry )r. and David M. Bonner. Englewood Cliffs. N): Prentice-Hall. 1984: 160 pages, 17.3 by 23.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13937715-8. $9.95.

Using Apple Business Computers, Kenniston W. Lord Jr. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1984: 334 pages. 14.8 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 0442-25933-6. $14.50.

Using the Commodore 64 in the Home, Hank Librach and Bill L. Behrendt. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1983: 110 pages, 15 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13-940099-0, $29.95. Includes floppy disk.

Using Computer Information Services. Larry Sturtz and Jeff Williams. Indianapolis. IN: Howard W. Sams & Co.. 1983: 240 pages, 13.5 by 21.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-672-21997-2. $12.95.

Using the IBM Personal Computer: VisiCalc, Robert Crowley. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983: 240 pages. 17.8 by 23.5 cm, softcover. ISBN 003-062634-X. $19.95.

VAX/VMS Internals and Data Structures. Lawrence 1. Kenan and Simon F. Bate. Burlington. MA: Digital Press. 1984: 816 pages. 16.5 by 2 5.3 cm, softcover. ISBN 0-932376-52-5. $45.

VIC-20 User's Handbook, the staff of Weber Systems Inc. New York: Ballantine Books. 1983: 280 pages. 14 by 21.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-345-3159l-X, $9.95.

The Whole-Truth Home Computer Handbook, Charles Piatt. New York: Avon Books. 1984: 208 pages, 13.3 by 20.3 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-380-86736-2. $5.95.

Working with RT-11. David Beaumont, Anne Summerfield. and lulie Wright. Bedford. MA: Digital Press, 1983: 224 pages, 17.8 by 23.5 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-932376-31-2. $19.

A Writer's Guide to Word Processors. Shirley Blagi. Englewood Cliffs, Nl: Prentice-Hall, 1984: 176 pages. 15 by 22.8 cm. softcover. ISBN 0-13-971713-7. $6.95. ■

456 BYTE • SEFTEMBER 1984

Circle 110 on inquiry card.

PROGRAMMING INSIGHT

DICTIONARY COMPRESSION AND DECOMPRESSION

by Eric Dunn

An elegant algorithm

RECENTLY, I FACED the problem of developing an algorithm for manipulating a dictionary in computer-readable form. As you can imagine, standard ASCII (American National Standard Code for Information Interchange) text files for even a small dictionary can consume a lot of storage space. 1 needed a method for storing large numbers of alphabetically sorted words as efficiently as possible.

1 approached the problem with two goals: (1) to find a fast and simple algorithm able to reduce a dictionary to a compact form and then reconstruct it, and (2) to choose a compression scheme that produces a compressed file that is directly printable and editable as ordinary ASCII text.

Both these goals argued against schemes that reduce the number of bits used to represent an individual character. (Early teletypes, for example, used just five bits to code the alphabet and common punctuation.) Instead, I chose an algorithm that takes advantage of the fact that words in a dictionary, being in alphabetical order, tend to start with the same letters as their neighboring entries.

The compression scheme works as

follows: each word in the compressed dictionary starts with a digit that indicates how many characters should be copied from the preceding word in the dictionary. The rest of the letters for the word follow the digit. (The range of digits from 0 to 9 is extended in ASCII sequence with a colon (:) interpreted as 10, a semicolon (;) interpreted as 11, and so on.) For example, if the original dictionary contained only three words:

ant<CR><LF> apple<CR><LF> application < CR >< LF >

it would be compressed as follows:

Oant 1 pple4ication < CR >< LF >

The words are output on one line until a prespecified right margin is reached, so an additional savings of space is achieved from needing fewer <CR> < LF > pairs. Note that the compressed words are still legible, after a fashion.

The C-language program Compr (see listing 1) carries out this compression

Eric Dunn is a consultant with Bain and Company and writes programs using his Heath H-11. He can be reached at 2260 St. Francis Drive. Palo Alto. CA 94303.

algorithm on alphabetically ordered ASCII text files with one word per line. The dictionary must be all lowercase or all uppercase. The complementary program Dcomp (see listing 2) performs the inverse function—it produces an ASCII text file with one word per line from a file that has been compressed by Compr.

In the example shown above, the original dictionary contains 25 characters and the compressed version contains 19, for a space savings of only 24 percent. In practice, though, entries in an actual dictionary will be much closer to each other, lexicographically speaking, than those in this example, and the savings greater. In a dictionary of about 3000 words, I have observed a space savings of about 50 percent. With a larger dictionary, the compression ratio is even greater.

Naturally, if the goal of keeping the dictionary in readable form were abandoned, significant further reductions could be obtained. For example, representing characters and digits as six bits and eliminating all <CRxLF> pairs would compress the dictionary an additional 2 5 percent or more. Even fur

[continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 "BYTE 457

BAUD MODEMS BAUD

HAYES SMARTMODEM 1200 $479

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AUTO 212' dlxe $399

''PASSWORD' with cables, spkr . .. .$339

S-100 $319

"'Hayes Compatible'

DOT nnixircDC LETTER

MATRIX PRINTERS) QUALITY

GEMINI lOx 120 cps graphics $289 PROWRITER 120 cps hi density $359

COMPUTERS

IBM $CALL Columbia P.C.

Kaypro HARD DISKS Corona P.C.

Leading Edge PORTABLES TAVA P.C.

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SA" MDI-DDM SS/DD/96TPI .. $2.6S 5V4" MD2-DDM DS/DD/96TPI .. $3.30

8" FD-] SS/SD or DD $2.85

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Dealer inquiries invited. COD's and charge cards accepted. All orders shipped from stock within 24 hrs.

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Circle 273 on inquiry card.

A Spooler that will Spoil You

Addmaster Paper Tape Handler with Big New 71A" Reels

Optional serial interfaces for RS232C or TTY or parallel interface/TTL. X-on/X-off capability, bi-directional reading and slew, reads 150 CPS, rewinds 300 CPS. Stops on character, contains power supply and Addmaster Model 601 paper tape reader. Sensibly priced. Addmaster Corporation, 416 Junipero Serra Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (213) 285-1121.

PROGRAMMING INSIGHT

Listing I: The Compr program.

compr */

Reads an alphabetized file (I word per line) from stdin. Writes a compressed version of the file on stdout.

Words in the output file are preceded by a count of characters identical to the previous word + an offset of 48 (ASCII 0 ). and these identical characters are omitted. Multiple words are output on each line until column OUTWIDTH is reached: at this point, the current word is made the last on the line by printing 7n'

».**«. ..*».» + «

.,».*.+....

..............

■finclude <stdio.h>

#define INWIDTH 80 #define OUTWIDTH 60

/• INWIDTH is the maximum length of an input line •/ /' OUTWIDTH is the last column on which an output word will start '/

main ()

char save|INWIDTH|: char word|INWIDTH|; register char "s; register char *C int chrcount: int linelen;

save|0| = "\0*i linelen = 0;

/* Storage for previous word read •/

/• Holds current words */

/• Pointer to current word 'I

/• Pointer to previous word •/

/• Count of chrs same in save' and buffer' */

/* Length of output line "/

/" Initialize previous word to null */ /• Initialize output line length as 0 •/

whilelgets(word)) {

s = &word:t=&save: chrcount = 0: while (Ct != 01 && Cs+ + == •*++)) chrcount+ + ; printf("%c%s".chrcount+'0',&word|chrcount||; linelen += I + strlen(&word|chrcount|): If (linelen > = OUTWIDTH)

{linelen = 0; printfCVl:} strcpylsave.wordl: I

/* Get a line from /* stdinli.e. a word) /• Set pointers /• Clear counter /* Count . . . /* . . identical chrs I* Print code & word */ /• Count output width*/ /' At right margin . . V /• . . . print CR •/ /• Save current word */

Listing 2: The Dcomp program.

/• dcomp •/

/

/■ Reads a compressed file created by COMPR from stdin. /' /• /• /* /* /» /•

Writes a standard ASCII file to stdout. I word per line.

DCOMP is a complementary program to COMPR that decompresses the input file produced by COMPR to restore the original file.

...........

■ • 4

include <stdio.h>

PROGRAMMING INSIGHT

#define INWIDTH 80

/* INWIDTH is the maximum length of an input line which is expected 'I

main (I

!

char save180|: char word[80|: int samechr:

save|0| = \0':

while! (samechr = getw(&word)| > = 0| !

strcpy|&save[samechr|,&word);

printf("%s\n ",&save);

}

}

/• Storage for the previous word read •/ /" Holds the current word *J I' Number of characters in word returned */ /" by 'getw' identical to previous word */ /' Initialize previous word to null */

/• Call getw' for a word *i

/* Isamechr < 0 means EOF) */

/" Add non-identical chrs on *i

/• Print reconstructed word */

/• function GETW •/

^« »•»••*»•»•**•#•••••**••«*••«•••*«•••*«»«•••*••*•••••»*•«••***•••••••*»*•*•*/

/' Argument: pointer to buffer to store a word '/ /" Returns: No. of identical chars' code, or - 1 if EOF */ /' '/ /" Reads stdin to get compressed input. Ignores ' \n' */

^* ***.**.•«***•••** ••.•:«-**.*«'«•»*••••****•* ***«*•:* •***•• •>•»*:•:•'•'* •>«*4*4*'***y

getw(t| char 't:

{

register int chr.count;

while I (chr = getcharO) < A') {

count = chr - 0':

if (chr == EOF) return!-I);

i

ungetc(chr.stdin):

while ( (chr = getchar(l) > = A)

•t++ = chr: ungetc(chr.stdin): •t++ = '\0': return(count);

/* Ptr to word buffer*/

/* Find Ctrl, non-alpha chrs /* Last such character . . . /• ... is compression count /* If EOF. return - I

/• Put back the alpha char. /* Copy word until .. . /• ... a non-alpha is found /• Put back the non-alpha /• Null-terminate the string /• Return the compress, count

With 26 pointers into the file, one to the start of the a's through one to the start of the z's, the dictionary can be searched quite rapidly.

ther compression could be achieved by using a variable-length code, allocating fewer bits for common characters, but such a scheme would be considerably more complex and would execute more slowly.

A limitation of the dictionary compression scheme is that in order to decompress a word from the dictionary, you have to know what the previous word is, whose decompression in turn depends on the next previous word, and so on. In practice, though, dictionary access is not limited to serial searches from the beginning, since the first word starting with a new letter copies no letters from its predecessor. Thus, with 26 pointers into the file, one to the start of the a's through to one to the start of the z's, the dictionary can be searched quite rapidly. This pointer scheme may be extended with an index to the start of each two-letter pair (aa. ab through zy, zz) so that even less of the dictionary must be read to look up a given word. ■

Through the Trap Door Breaking the Sound Barrier

March1979-$35 September1977-$35

BYTE COVERS

The prints shown at left are beautiful Collector Edition Byte Covers, strictly limited to 750 prints each, and signed and numbered by the artist, Robert Tinney. Each print is 18 in. x 22 in., and is accompanied by its own Certificate of Authenticity. To order, use the coupon below.

Visa and MasterCard orders may call 1-504-272-7266.

._

I Please send Through the □ Visa fj MasterCard

I Trap Door prints ($35) CardNo

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. □ Please send me your color brochure.

Robert Tinney Graphics • 1864 N. Pamela Dr. • Baton Rouge, LA 70815 |

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 459

"We asked for an encore.

BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Lotus gave us a Symphony."

"We've been using 1-2-3™ from Lotus™ almost from the day it was introduced.

"It's the one software program we've tried that meets the analytical needs of almost every department. From Equity Research to Corporate Finance. Right now, we're using 1-2-3 for planning, forecasting, and decision support.

"With the success we're having with 1-2-3, we were naturally excited about new Symphony.™ Symphony's word processing simplifies our preparation or in-house reports and with Symphony's communication capability we can easily access a wide range of information sources.

"We also recommend Symphony to our clients because it's the idealcomplement to

Huttonline™—our online service that gives clients direct access to their portfolios, stock quotes and critical investment research. All this right on their own PC's.

"With Symphony, our clients can now get this information in really useable terms, and in exactly the format they want: spreadsheet, graphics, database, or words. And like 1-2-3, Symphony comes with everything in one package.

"In a business where timely information is everything, Symphony clearly meets our needs."

To find out which Lotus product is best for you, visit your authorized Lotus dealer.

P Lotus

One great idea after another.

1-2-3, Lotus and Symphony are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation.

© 1984, Lotus Development Corporation.

Huttonline is a trademark of E.F. Hutton & Company Inc.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 461

TECHNICAL FORUM

BUILD A REALTIME

MEMORY-ACTIVITY DISPLAY

by Robert Barns

Watch computer activity on an oscilloscope

A REAL-TIME MEMORY-ACTIVITY display is a simple attachment you can build for your microcomputer. Used with an oscilloscope, this device has several interesting applications. Here are some of the insights into memory activity possible when you can "see" your computer operating:

• You can see where a program loads into memory by visually observing the loading process.

• You can determine, at a glance, which machine-language routines are consuming the most time.

• The great complexity of apparently simple tasks is demonstrated.

• When troubleshooting your microcomputer proves difficult, this device can provide some useful clues to the cause of a problem.

• If your computer seems to have stopped for no discernible reason, you can see immediately what activity is going on.

• Certain types of programming errors can be seen.

• You can observe when monitor, DOS (disk operating system), buffer, page-zero, and stack routines are being used.

The principle behind this device is quite straightforward. Imagine a square array with 256 by 256 locations. This array contains 65,536 locations. The 2 56 positions along the x-axis represent individual memory locations in one page of memory and the 256 positions along the y-axis represent pages of memory (see figure 1).

If we superimpose this array of locations on an oscilloscope screen and create a bright spot on the screen every time each memory location is either read or written to, we can see, in real time, all of the activity in memory. This scheme is used in some highly expensive logic analyzers, but there is a simple and inexpensive way to approximate such a display. We need two 8-bit digital-to-analog (D/A) converters,

A D/A converter has one input for each digit of data. Its output is an analog voltage proportional to the value of the digital input. The 8-bit bytes of

Robert Barns (63 Martins lane, Berkeley Heights. NJ 07922) holds an M.S. in physical chemistry and is a member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell laboratories in Murray Hill. New lerseu. His interests include computers and automatic musical instruments.

data in a microcomputer represent (decimal) values from 0 to 2 5 5. For this application, we need a D/A converter that produces about 5 volts when the binary input is 11111111 (2 55 decimal) and 0 volts when the data is 00000000. A value of 01111111 (127 decimal) then produces about 2.5 volts.

We then connect one D/A converter to the lowest 8 bits of the address bus and connect its output to the x-axis of an oscilloscope. The other D/A converter is connected to the highest 8 bits of the address bus and its output to the y-axis.

The electron beam in the oscilloscope now will deflect toward the right by an amount proportional to the value of the lowest 8 bits of the address and upward by an amount proportional to the highest 8 bits. The brightness of the spot on the screen is determined by how often each spot is selected.

Photo 1 shows a photograph of the oscilloscope screen while an Apple 11+ is running the Grid program shown in listing 1. This program runs between hexadecimal locations 6060 and 606A and is seen as the bright band just below the screen center. The bright spots at the very bottom are references to zero-page locations FA and FB, the

462 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

TECHNICAL FORUM

indirect addresses used to point to the memory locations to be accessed. The fainter dots that form the square array are the "output" of the program and occur when the program reads individual memory locations.

This square array of dots can be used to set the gain and position of the display on the oscilloscope to provide a "logical" calibration. 1 set my scope so that the horizontal lines of dots are about 1 centimeter (cm) apart on the screen, and. because there are nine dots, they indicate the position of pages 00, 20, 40, 60, 80, AO, CO, E0, and FF. This program also checks the correctness of your wiring because most wiring errors show up as dots located at points other than those in the square array. You can further verify your wiring by running the program in listing 2, which should produce a diagonal line of eight spots at an angle of 30 degrees.

While running one of these programs, increase the brightness on the scope and you will see some wiggly lines connecting the bright spots. These lines can be ignored; they are probably due to slight speed differences between the xand y-axis sections of the D/A circuit.

I made a paper scale with labels 1 cm apart that I attached to the scope face. I also included the locations of the principal areas of memory on the scale. The y-axis scale for the Apple 11+ is shown in figure 2. A scale for the x-axis should also be made.

The Hardware

My first attempt at the complete D/A circuit used two inexpensive 8-bit Motorola D/A chips and a Radio Shack dual FET (field-effect transistor) operational amplifier (op amp). It worked poorly. I suspect that this arrangement is not fast enough. The circuit that works well uses an R-2R ladder with three 4050 hex CMOS (complementary metaloxide semiconductor) buffers. CMOS gates have a well-defined output voltage (near the supply voltage), which is not true of TTL (transistor-transistor logic) gates.

Figure 3 is a schematic of the D/A converter circuit with the peripheral socket pin connections for an Apple 11+. For other computers, connect these points to the indicated address lines.

The accuracy of the D/A converter (the

(continued)

PAGE

FF (255)

V

PAGE

80 (128)

Mill IIIII1IIIHIIIM Illlllllll

/ (65.

FFFF

535)

FF00 (65.280)

^8000 80FF-^ / (32.768) (33.023) \

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicni

,-0100 / (256)

ii i ' i ' i nrm

V,

V

00FF (255)

Figure I: The configuration of the memory-display array, locations are given in hemdecimal and parenthetically in decimal.

Photo I: The Grid program memoryactivity display.

Photo 2: The Keyin monitor routine memory-activity display.

Photo 3: The memory-activity display of a Photo 4: The memory-activity display of one-line BASIC program described in text. the game Crossfire.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 463

TECHNICAL FORUM

Be careful not to let a bright spot sit in one place for more than a few seconds.

R-2R ladder network) depends on the ratio of R and 2R (1 used R=4k). For this application. 5 percent resistors are perfectly adequate, although 1 percent metal-film resistors are not much more expensive.

I constructed my circuit on a printed wiring board that plugs into any one of the Apple's peripheral sockets. A prototype board can be purchased (Vector 4609, for about $20), but you also might be able to find a surplus board that has the required 50 ■ edge fingers with 0.1-inch spacing. Unused copper traces can be removed with a file, preserving only the fingers.

Connections to the oscilloscope should be made with lOx (attenuation by 10) probes to reduce the effect of probe capacitance. Set the scope for x-y display and adjust the intensity for a good display with the computer running, for example, the Grid program. You should be careful about the possibility of burning the screen by letting a bright spot sit in one place for more than a few seconds. If you turn off the computer, the high-intensity spot will sit at the lower left corner of the screen. The intensity control should be turned down until the computer is started again.

Experimenting

When you have checked out the hardware and can interpret the scope picture, here are some experiments you can try. Doing these may suggest others.

Keyin: A simple pattern, and the one you will see most often, is the one produced by the monitor routine Keyin. This pattern is shown in photo 2. This is always seen when the cursor is waiting, such as after the Applesoft, integer BASIC, or monitor prompt, and in many other instances. The uppermost bright spot is in the monitor at FD1B. The smaller one to the left is at C000 where the keyboard port is checked, and the bottom spot is at 004F in page zero.

This spot indicates the updating of the random-number seed.

The Keyin loop requires about 20 machine cycles, which means the scope pattern is being redrawn about 50,000 times per second. While you are trying to find the semicolon (;) key. there's a lot going on in your computer.

Machine-language program: Type in this BASIC program and run it.

10 PRINT "BOB"::GOTO 10

The scope display is shown in photo 3. Even this simple program requires a great deal of work by the computer. Now run the program X Y Rows shown in listing 3. This demonstrates another

BASIC program, one that includes a machine-language subroutine. The program uses POKE commands to insert jump instructions into memory locations starting at 8000 and going across a page at equal intervals. It then calls the first jump instruction 200 times, repeating at 7000, 6000, and so on, down to 1000. The execution of the machine-language instructions will be seen as a succession of horizontal lines of dots moving down the scope screen.

Booting a DOS: It is interesting to watch a DOS being booted. The process happens so fast that it may take you several trials to see most of it, but look

[continued)

TEXT AND LOW RES

B A S I

C

I/O

D 0

s

8K

PAGE

FF

MONITOR

EO

■CO

AO'

80

60

HI-RES PAGE 2

40

HI-RES PAGE 1

20

08

-04 00

Figure 2: The y-axis paper scale used to label the Apple 11+ memory-location display.

464 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

TECHNICAL FORUM

X-AXIS

Y-AXIS

R = 4K 2FU8K

AO Al A2 A3 M A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 All A12 A13 Alt A15

APPLE PERIPHERAL CONNECTOR

Figure 3: The D/A converter schematic diagram.

SEPTEMBER 1984 "BYTE 465

TECHNICAL FORUM

for specific stages.

The first stage of the bootstrap process loads code from the disk into memory from 800 to 900. but 1 haven't been able to see this. The second stage loads 9D00 to C000, but it loads from the top down. This appears as a horizontal line moving downward. Finally, you may see the Hello program load at 800. followed by a lot of activity in the BASIC ROM (read-only memory) area, in the low-resolution (low-res) text screen, and in page zero. Most BASIC programs show a similar pattern.

COPYA: When large blocks of code are repeated at a slow speed, you can see what is happening more easily. This can be demonstrated by running Apple's COPYA. You will see a horizontal line moving upward from about 800 to 9D00 as the first eight tracks are read. Because COPYA tells you what it is doing (reading, formatting, and writing), you can see without difficulty the memory activity corresponding to each operation. Note that all of the activity (except the reads and writes) is within DOS and in page zero.

Listing 1: The Grid program, which accesses art array of memory locations for display on an oscilloscope.

0800 0800 0800 0800 0800 0800 0800 0800

• • ********

GRID

TO ACCESS AN ARRAY OF MEMORY LOCATIONS FOR USE WITH THE REAL-TIME MEMORY-ACTIVITY DISPLAY R. L. BARNS 1983

0800

9

*

0800

10

********

*******

********

******************

6060

11

ORG

$6060

6060

12

OB)

$800

00FA

13

ADRL

EQU

$FA

00FB

14

ADRH

EQU

$FB

6060

18

15

CLC

; PART OF THE RITUAL

6061

A9

00

16

COHERE

LDA

#$00

6063

8D

FA

00

17

STA

ADRL

: INITIALIZE ADDRESS LO

6066

8D

FB

00

18

STA

ADRH

; DITTO HI

6069

20

90

60

19

JSR

DOIT

: DO PG. 0 AND 20

606C

A9

40

20

LDA

#$40

: ADDR FOR NEXT TWO LINES

606E

8D

FB

00

21

STA

ADRH

6071

20

90

60

22

JSR

DOIT

6074

A9

80

23

LDA

#$80

: DO PG. 80 AND AO

6076

8D

FB

00

24

STA

ADRH

6079

20

90

60

25

JSR

DOIT

607C

A9

CO

26

LDA

#$C0

607 E

8D

FB

00

27

STA

ADRH

6081

20

90

60

28

JSR

DOIT

6084

A9

FF

29

LDA

#$FF

; DO TOP LINE

6086

8D

FB

00

30

NEWPG

STA

ADRH

6089

20

90

60

31

JSR

DOIT

608C

4C

61

60

32

IMP

COHERE

; RUN FOREVERIUNTIL RESET)

608F

00

33

BRK

6090

AO

00

34

DOIT

LDY

#$00

: INITIALIZE Y

6092

18

35

CLC

; GET READY FOR ADDITION

6093

Bl

FA

36

NEXT

LDA

(SFA).Y

; ACCESS THE MEM. LOC.

6095

A5

FA

37

LDA

$FA

6097

69

20

38

ADC

#$20

; BUMP ADDR BY 20 PAGES

6099

85

FA

39

STA

$FA

609B

BO

04

40

BCS

LSTLOC

: ALMOST DONE?

609D

4C

93

60

41

IMP

NEXT

; NO. DO SOME MORE

60A0

60

42

RTS

; YES. RTN. TO MAIN PROG.

60AI

AO

FF

43

LSTLOC

LDY

#$FF

; DO TOP LINE OF DISPLAY

60A3

Bl

FA

44

LDA

($FA|,Y

60A5

60

45

RTS

60A6

46

END

END OF ASSEMBLY

About five seconds are required to read or write eight tracks. Because there are about 5000 bytes per track, the data transfer rate is about 64,000 bps (bits per second). I was a bit disappointed to see from the scope display that there is no visual evidence that COPYA verifies a track after it has been written.

Move operation: The speed of a machine-language program is interesting to observe. A simple way to see this is to execute a move operation as provided by a monitor routine (see page 44 of the Apple II Reference Manual. Cupertino, CA:

Listing 2: A machine-code listing that produces a diagonal line of eight spots to test the display circuitry. Run this program with 1000G; stop with Reset.

I000:4C

24

20

IMP

$2024

2024:4C

48

30

/MP

$3048

3048:4C

6C

40

IMP

$406C

406C4C

90

50

IMP

$5090

5090:4C

B4

60

IMP

S60B4

60B4:4C

D8

70

IMP

$70D8

70D8.-4C

FD

80

IMP

$80FD

80FD:4C

00

10

JMP

$1000

Listing 3

• A display-demonstration pro

gram that includes a machine-language

call routine.

100

For M = 8 To 1 Step - 1

120

D = 0

140

1 = 16

160

AA = 4096*M

180

A = AA

B = AA+ I

C = AA + 2

200

If D + l>255 Goto 320

220

Poke A.76

240

Poke B.D+ 1

260

Poke C. l6'AA/4096

280

A = A + I

B = B + l

C = C+l

D = D + l

300

Goto 200

320

Poke A-1,96

340

For R = I To 200

360

Call AA

380

Next R

400

Next M

420

Goto 100

466 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

TECHNICAL FORUM

When large blocks of code are repeated at slow speed, you can more easily see what is happening.

Apple Computer Inc., 1979).

Go to the monitor with the statement CALL -151. type 4000<0000.4000M (without any spaces) and watch the scope while you hit Return. Two horizontal lines moving upward will appear. The lower one is the memory being read, and the upper one is the memory being written. This move of 16,384 bytes takes about 1.5 seconds, which gives a transfer rate of about 87,000 bps. You will also see that, in addition to the monitor routine, page zero is used.

Memory overwrite: Load Applewriter II and then bring up the menu with Control-Q. Select 0 (quit), answer Y (yes), and watch the scope. You will see a fast wipeout of all of memory including DOS. I also have seen other programs do this, and I suppose that it is part of the scheme to prevent copying. Applewriter seems to overdo it, though, because it tries to overwrite ROM too.

Some potential dangers exist in overwriting all of memory; writing to the I/O (input/output) area (from C000 to CFFF) might set some soft switches or some peripheral cards to wrong values.

Game programs: Finally, run some of your favorite games and watch the scope. Photo 4 shows the memory activity while Crossfire is running its demo. Three bright spots are in page zero. Above them are seven parallel vertical bars. These bars are in the high-resolution (hi-res) graphics page, and they flicker and move as various features of the screen are written.

Pac Man is also a good example. You can see where the code is running as well as frantic activity on hi-res page one.

Another interesting game to run is Falcons. You will see a prominent bar in the hi-res page as the formations of bogeys move from side to side. The patterns produced by the spectacular sound effects also are clearly visible.

Summary

While this project in no way can compete with commercial logic analyzers, it does, nonetheless, provide an inexpensive means of "viewing" the activity within your microcomputer. As you experiment, perhaps other uses will become apparent. ■

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to thank David Horn for

suggesting this memory-activity display and

for his lucid description of the R-2R ladder

network.

DATA ACQUISITION AND CONTROL

NO PROGRAMMING NECESSARY,

READY TO USE For Apple and IBM

ANALOG CONNECTION

NOU 14.1983 I

1Ml

PRESS-MENU KEY. 'ESC'-HEHU

ANALOG INPUTS

thermocouples pressure sensors strain gauges flow meters current loops voltages currents potentiometers

DIGITAL (CONTROL) OUTPUTS

relays

solid state relays anunciators lamps LEDs

DIGITAL INPUTS

switches level sensors TTL, CMOS

own s-o

5?"5 6B-3

47-* 47.I

73b.8 u

35.32 0

69-SB 66.91

Km" 5i-"

7*. 36 ?|fM

THHi'

ti2o temp

AIR FLOW

1IUMIDI TV PHEON POWER VENT POSN AVERAGE/NO AIR TEMP. 6a'~o H2Q TEMP. 47 * AIR FLOW 628 A IUO FLOW 2 9 A? HUMIDITY GH 35 EREON U4 . 9S

POWER J 3li ,

VENT POSN 59.43 OIGITAL l/o

m on

pya# 0N eoHPiu&'H ot'f

VENT MUTH OFF U20 LEVEL OFF UHIt SW OFF

KOV l-i iuHI , . *f« TEHf. 6W<?

SAMPLES " 719 719 719 719 719 719 719 7i»

Al

t'U. I J.UK

<> 'JH . 2

laboratory-process control-engineering-heating wtv\attn(j, and air conditioning-solar energy-chemistry

Setup data logging, process monitoring, process control, in simple menus! Don't spend 100s of hours programming.

The Apple becomes a conirol panel from which you can monitor ovens, control tesls, log data, sound alarms, or control processes. Monitor and control temperature, pressure, flow, strain, or any other parameter. All you do is connect the sensors. Specify (he input ranges and engineering units (such as degrees, volts. PSI) in easy to use menus.

Low cost, but high performance: high accuracy, high noise rejection, protected inputs, ten input ranges, 8 to 48 inputs. 8 to48digital l/O'S, Automatic compensation for 10 different thermocouple types.

Starts at $490 including the data acquisition and control software. For Apple II. II + , or lie, IBM PC. and IBM XT computer.

no ZongeA a my&tviy to me"

Tn6pe.ctoi Fiee. Saul Call or Write to:

Strawberry Tree Computers

949 Cascade Dr. Sunnyvale, Ca. 94087 (408) 736-3083

Circle 332 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 467

WHAT'S NEW

8031-Based Single-Board Computer

The FX-31 single-board computer from Allen Systems is based on the 8031 microprocessor, which is a ROMIess 8051 chip. The 8031 comes with a full-duplex UART. two 16-bit counter/timers, a Boolean processor, two 8-bit parallel ports. 128 bytes of RAM. hardware multiply and divide, and a 1-microsecond cycle time.

In addition to the 8031. the FX-31 comes with three parallel ports. RS-232C buffering, and up to four 24- or 28-pin IEDEC memory devices. Memory abilities comprise up to 32K bytes of EPROM or RAM on the lEDECs. Two of the JEDECs must be EPROM; the other two can be EPROM or RAM.

Its serial I/O provides both TTLr and RS-232C-level communication. Its 2- by 20-pin I/O

connector brings out the four parallel ports, TTL and RS-232C serial data, and a +5-V ground.

The FX-31 measures 4H by 6'/2 inches. Board expansion is

available by means of a 22/44-pin finger connector. The finger connector brings out all processor lines, including address, data, and control, and

the board's power connection. Power requirements are + 5 V at 500 mA, + 12 V at 50 mA. and -12 V at 50 mA.

A variety of optional software packages for development and applications is available. The SM-31 System Monitor EPROM is $30. A TB-31 tiny-BASIC EPROM is priced at $40. and the SX-51 Apple ll-based 8051 cross-assembler can be purchased for $60.

The FX-31 is available from stock within four weeks. A bare board with documentation is $30. while a kit version with 4K bytes of EPROM and a 2K-byte RAM is priced at $125. Assembled and tested, it's $160. For more information, contact Allen Systems, 2151 Fairfax Rd„ Columbia, OH 43221. (614) 488-7122.

Circle 625 on inquiry card.

Dual Processors, 80286 and 80186, Heart of Poppy

Durango has announced the Poppy II multiuser business computer, which incorporates an 80286 central processor and an 80186 for I/O control and port expansion for up to 12 users.

Priced at $997 5, the basic Poppy 11 comes with 384K or 640K bytes of RAM. an 8I9Kbyte floppy-disk drive, a monitor, a 10-megabyte hard-disk drive, and the XENIX operating system. A choice of transmission protocols for the RS-232/ RS-422 is offered, and a Centronics-compatible parallel I/O port is standard.

The Super 186 is a 16-bit S-100 single-board computer constructed around Intel's 80186 microprocessor. It can be configured as a stand-alone bus master or as a bus slave to serve single and multiple users.

It comes with 2 56K bytes of RAM. expandable to I megabyte. Its floppy-disk controller

The monitor is a 14-inch P-31 green-phosphor unit with a format of 24 by 80 or 132 and a 7- by 9-dot character. It uses a 2 56-member character set that includes 64 extended plotting and business graphics characters and 9 resident international character sets. Screen and character-field attributes are software-selectable.

The low-profile DIN-standard keyboard is detachable. It has 94 keys, n-key rollover, 16 soft function keys, an inverted Tshaped cursor group, and a numeric pad. The 10 international character sets are sup

can simultaneously support both 5/4- and 8-inch drives. Four serial RS-232C and two parallel ports are standard. It's supplied with a DMA controller, parity, and a monitor EPROM.

Super 186 is compatible with CP/M-86. Concurrent CP/M, and TurboDOS. and it will emulate PC-DOS and MS-DOS. Under

ported by key-top changes only.

Options include three additional 10- or 20-megabyte hard disks (60 megabytes maximum), up to II RS-232/RS-422 ports, and up to II more workstations. Software such as MS-DOS and Concurrent CP/M-86 and a variety of languages are available. A serial printer and communications protocols can be obtained.

For full details on possible configurations, contact Durango Systems Inc.. 3003 North First St., San lose, CA 95134, (800) 327-6779: in California, (408) 946-5000.

Circle 626 on inquiry card.

TurboDOS. it can function as an 8-/16-bit bus slave.

The suggested retail price is $1995. Quantity discounts are available. For details, contact Advanced Digital Corp.. 5432 Production Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649, (714) 891-4004.

Circle 627 on inquiry card.

Low-Cost PC Compatible

American Micronics' AMI PC is nearly 100 percent compatible with the IBM PC. A 16-bit 8088-based microcomputer, the I28K-byte AMI PC is priced at $1795.

A pair of slimline 320K-byte double-sided, double-density floppy-disk drives are standard. It also comes with a color graphics adapter, a green monitor, and an 83-key keyboard with cap-lock and numeric-key indicators. Two RS-232C serial and one parallel interface port are supplied.

The AMI PC runs under MSDOS. CP/M-86. UCSD p-System. or PC-DOS I.I. 2.0. and 2.1. It runs most programs for the IBM: the only exceptions are those programs that do not use normal BIOS call routines.

A second parallel port that rides on top of the floppy-disk controller and hard-disk drives with capacities o\ 5, \D, or 15 megabytes are optional. Contact American Micronics Inc.. Suite H, 17811 Skypark Circle. Irvine. CA 92714, (714) 261-2428. Circle 628 on inquiry card.

Single-Board S-100 Computer Based on 80186

468 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

WHAT'S NEW

W SYSTEMS

WBamm

Computer Trio Targeted at System Integrators

International Quartz Ltd. has introduced a trio of 16-bit computers aimed toward OEM. system integrators, and thirdparty resellers. The line, comprising a notebook computer and two portables, is based on Intel's 80186 microprocessor. All units come with 128K bytes of RAM. upgradable to 640K bytes, two RS-232C serial ports, and a Centronics-type parallel interface.

The Model 9240 notebook computer features a 2 5-line LCD and a 360K-byte floppy-disk drive, it measures 15$ by I2H by Vh inches. A strap-on printer is optional.

With two 360K-byte floppydisk drives and the 25-line LCD, the Model 9230 portable computer comes with a built-in 80-column dot-matrix printer. It has a detachable, intelligent keyboard with a 3-line LCD that displays computer functions.

This IBM PC-compatible keyboard is powered by six 1.5-volt AA-size rechargeable nicad batteries. The central processor is the Hitachi CMOS HD 6303R. augmented by 8K bytes of CMOS RAM.

A word processor is built into firmware, and its function keys are user-definable. An optional ROM/RAM cartridge provides the Model 9230 with extra memory or storage. Other options include a built-in modem. Its dimensions are I89/10 by 13% by 9^o inches: it weighs less than 35 pounds.

The Model 9231 comes with a CRT display and two 360K-byte floppy-disk drives. It's available with or without the intelligent keyboard. Weighing the same as the Model 9230. its dimensions are slightly smaller.

International Quartz Ltd. is located at 24-26 Sze Shan St.. Yau Tong. Kowloon. Hong Kong:

The Model 9240 notebook computer.

tel: 852 3-403769: Telex: 35454 XTAL HX. In the United States, contact lack Carroll. 23505

Crenshaw Blvd.. Torrance. CA 90505, (213) 539-8944. Circle 629 on inquiry card.

Eight Sensors Monitor Temperature

The Sabre Temperature Monitoring and Management System is available from the Temptron Systems Division of Bear Electronics Corporation. This multifunction, multiprogrammable system gathers data from eight all-weather temperature sensors that can be positioned up to 1000 feet away from the control console.

Sabre combines software, the temperature sensors, and a microprocessor-based component board with nine separately controlled relays. The sensors are accurate to within ± I degree Fahrenheit. The system is said to be particularly suitable for such applications as energy consumption and conservation and solar energy

management.

The software lets you program several parameters for each sensor. Three of the parameters program the control ports: the other four parameters are location, minimum and maximum temperature, and delay time.

The Sabre System is currently available for the Apple II series and will soon support the IBM

PC and the Radio Shack TRS-80. it requires 64 K bytes of memory, an RS-232C serial I/O port, and an 80-character card. A tested system costs S495. Contact Temptron Systems. Suite F. 1595 West Amador. POB 16008. Las Cruces, NM 88005. (505) 524-9531: or for orders only. (800) 824-7888, operator 603. Circle 630 on inquiry card.

Low-Cost 10-Megabyte Disk

The Megaflight 100 is a 10-megabyte IBM PC and PC-compatible hard-disk drive that sells for S895. It uses PCDOS 2.0 or 2.1 software drivers, which gives it full compatibility with most IBM PC and PC XT software, including Lotus 1-2-3 and MicroPro WordStar. Megaflight has low power: it typically does not require an external power supply. It is sup

plied with a manual that defines the disk format and I/O and provides installation instructions. Installation is said to require approximately 20 minutes.

For more information, contact Kamerman Labs. 7787 Southwest Cirrus Dr., Beaverton, OR 97005. (800) 522-2237: in Oregon (503) 626-6877. Circle 631 on inquiry card.

[continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 469

WHAT'S NEW

Internal Video Port

Provides External Mac Monitor Emulator Port for PC XT

The CineMAC is a standard Apple Macintosh computer with an added internal video port that allows the screen image to be transmitted to a larger external monitor. A CineMAC upgrade kit is also available.

The display produced through the video port is identical to the standard Macintosh screen, differing only in size. All portions of the CineMAC are located inside the Macintosh. The video signal can be displayed on most monitors with a

horizontal scan rate of 22 kHz or higher.

The price for the full system is $32 5 5, which includes the CineMAC, a Macintosh, the Imagewriter, and an accessory kit. An upgrade kit can be ordered through Apple Dealer/Service Centers for $195. (The kit must be installed by an authorized Apple service center.! For more information, contact MicroGraphic Images Corp.. New Products Division. 19612 Kingsbury St., Chatsworth. CA 91311. Circle 632 on inquiry card.

Kontron Electronics has introduced an emulator port that converts the IBM PC XT into a universal development system for the design, testing, debugging, and implementation of hardware and software.

The Kontron PC Interface is made up of hardware and a set of development-support software that includes a crossassembler, linker, emulation software, and CP/M utilities. An optional emulator subsystem and Pascal compiler are available.

Programmers can use the Pascal compiler or the assembler to process edited source text. The source-text processors can develop object code for various microprocessors including the Z80, MC68000. 8086/8088, and 80186/80188.

When text editing is complete, programs can be developed as a single large module or

divided into smaller modules. The linker combines smaller modules in a large module and. in the process, resolves external memory references, including the access and addition of specified library modules. The final load module becomes an absolute binary module for loading and executing in the target system with the support of the Kontron emulator.

The optional emulator provides the means by which designers can perform controlled tests. It has a connector to hook directly to the PC XT. When executed, software to control emulation automatically loads in the correct microprocessor support code.

The Kontron PC Interface is $1500. For further information, contact Kontron Electronics. 630 Price Ave.. Redwood City. CA 94063, (4151 361-1012.

Circle 633 on inquiry card.

Portable Drive Boosts PC-5000 Memory

The CE-513F is a portable microfloppy-disk drive for Sharp Electronics' PC-5000 portable computer. Weighing 6 pounds and measuring 53/5 by 2% by 8% inches, the CE-513F adds 360K bytes of formatted storage (500K unformatted) to the 128K bytes of bubble memory built into the PC-5000.

This drive uses double-sided, double-density disks, with nine

sectors per track and 80 tracks overall. An optional rechargeable battery gives you one hour of continuous use, and the drive will operate off the standard PC-5000 AC-power adapter.

The CE-513F costs $699. Contact Sharp Electronics Corp., Systems Division. 10 Sharp Plaza. Paramus. NJ 07652, (201) 265-5600.

Circle 634 on inquiry card.

Fax Machine Wears Many Hats: Printer, Copier

Ahigh-speed digital facsimile transceiver is available for $695. complete with a modem, from Image Communications. This fax machine can serve as a photocopier, computer printer, and optical scanner. It provides for simultaneous voice and data transmission on ordinary telephone lines.

This machine has a Z80A and interfaces that link with a computer through RS-232C or Centronics-type parallel ports. It

can be used for scanning graphs and line drawings, which can then be transmitted through the interface ports to a computer for digitizing. An ASCII character generator or highresolution dot graphics generator can be built in. It uses 8'/2-inch-wide roll paper.

For full details, contact Image Communications Inc., 511 Danbury Rd., New Milford, CT 06776, (203) 355-3747. Circle 635 on inquiry card.

Microfloppy for Apple

he Shamrock Professional Utility Drive (SPUD) is a

3'/!-inch floppy-disk drive for the Apple II. It offers 328K bytes of formatted storage on 80 tracks. It plugs directly into the Apple's controller card and is built with analog read/write electronics that facilitate the interface.

Among its features are an optical sensor for track-zero positioning, a flashing LED that warns you when a disk is not write-protected. and a detachable shielded cable. The trackto-track access time is 6 milliseconds; the average access time is 158 milliseconds. The

track density is 135 tracks per inch, and the data transfer rate is 2 50.000 bits per second.

SPUD is based on the Shugart SA-300 mechanism, which features a 300-rpm direct-drive motor, screw-thread read/write head positioning, and vertical clamping for proper media

insertion.

The suggested retail price for SPUD is $600 (Canadian). For further details, contact Shamrock Computer Inc., 89 Telson Rd„ Markham, Ontario L3R 1E4, Canada. (416) 474-0113.

Circle 636 on inquiry card.

470 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

WHAT'S NEW

:1

PERIPHERALS

Four Modems, Telecomm Software from Racal-Vadic

Racal-Vadic, Milpitas, California, has entered the persona] computer market with four modems and a telecommunications software package. The Maxwell Modem line, available in 300- and 1200-bps versions, comprises two add-in boards for the IBM PC and two desktop units that can be driven through an RS-232C port. Prices are S32 5 for the 300-bps IBM card, $595 for the 1200-bps IBM card. $350 for the 300-bps stand-alone unit, and $595 for the 1200-bps stand-alone. All

prices include George, the telecommunications software package.

Although Racal-Vadic has established its own protocols for data transmission, its new line of modems conform to the AT&T 103 and 212 protocols and are compatible with virtually all other modems used on small computers. In addition, the 1200-bps units use RacalVadic's "coherent detection" techniques, which the company claims allow operation over telephone lines that other

modems could not use. The modems will configure themselves automatically to the computers that are driving them, eliminating switch-setting problems during setup.

Other features of the modems include call-progress detection and reporting to inform the user if the line is busy, ringing, answered, or unanswered; automatic selection of pulse or tone dialing; and automatic detection and selection of Racal-Vadic or Hayes Microcomputer Products' software protocols.

George, the communications software, is available separately for $95. It has a text editor for writing or editing messages without leaving the program, single-keystroke auto-dial, several file-transfer methods including X-modem. unattended file transfer, and intelligent "close-enough name" access to the user-created dialing directory.

Contact Racal-Vadic. 152 5 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035. (408) 946-2227. Circle 637 on inquiry card.

Voice-Command System for Hero

Micromation's VOREC voice-command system for Heath's Hero-I robot is a microprocessor-based speechrecognition board with a recognition accuracy of approximately 98 percent. Its speakerdependent voice recognizer has a 2 56-word vocabulary of 16 word groups of 16 words each in 14K bytes of battery-backed static RAM.

VOREC uses high-speed CMOS chips and the 65C02 CMOS microprocessor to minimize battery consumption. Speech recognition is achieved by means of a software algorithm contained in a 2Kbyte EPROM. An external speaker provides audio input, which is accurate up to 15 feet.

The board is equipped with an RS-232C serial port for receiving and transmitting commands and data to the host robot.

A high-level software package, called Vocol, supplies immediate and deferred execution modes for the robot. Vocol has similarities to BASIC, except that it's speech dependent.

The Hero MEMCOM board, which lets you develop programs for the Hero, is required. The VOREC board costs $595. MEMCOM is available for $34 5. VOREC and MEMCOM together are $920. The source code is offered separately for $5 5. Contact Micromation Inc.. 9104 Red Branch Rd., Columbia, MD 21045, (301) 730-1237. Circle 638 on inquiry card.

Rangefinder Interface Priced Less Than $100

The Polaroid Rangefinder interface for the Hero-1 robot is available for $89 from Interface Technology. The interface includes the Polaroid ultrasonic transducer, the Polaroid circuit board, and the interface in a plastic housing that mounts on the Heath robot.

Software for entering data, converting data to distance, and displaying data is supplied. The

software can be used as a subroutine. All distance timing is performed in software. The range is 3 5 feet, with a resolution below a fraction of an inch (set by the software timing).

It comes fully assembled and tested. Contact Interface Technology Inc., POB 745, College Park, MD 20740, (301) 490-3608. Circle 639 on inquiry card.

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 ■ BYTE 471

WHAT'S NEW

■

ROBOTICS

Remote Operating System Provides Radio Link

Menos 1 is a hardware and software combination that lets you program Heath's Hero robot in conjunction with a personal computer. Hero and the computer communicate by an error-corrected two-way digital radio system, which provides both immediate execution and remote programming commands. This system lets you write a

program on your computer, download it to the robot, and communicate with the robot while the program is in progress. You can observe the motor positions and sensor readings while Hero is moving. In the software's simulation mode, you can watch on screen the results of what the robot will do at each step of the program. Programs can be written,

simulated, and stored for later use.

Specifications for the remote computer include a 6801-type central processor, three support devices, 8K bytes of static RAM, 8K bytes of ROM, and an RS-232C port and/or radio link. Four expansion slots give you room for additional memory, interfaces, and library. RAM and ROM can be increased to up to

16K bytes.

Menos 1 comes with software on disk, a remote computer for the Hero, required hardware, and manual. With the radios, it's $795. With a cable link, the price is S595. Contact Virtual Devices Inc., Suite 104. 4801 Montgomery Lane. Bethesda. MD 20814, (800) 762-7626: in Maryland, (301) 986-1702. Circle 640 on inquiry card.

Mi

.-INS

■HI

Grafyx Solution Works on Model 4

The Grafyx Solution board gives the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4 the ability to produce a resolution of 640 by 240 pixels for a total of 153,000 accessible points. It comes with graphics software on disk, and Grafyx Solution fits into the TRS-80's graphics connector.

An Extended Graphics BASIC is supplied with the Grafyx board. It adds more than 20 commands to BASIC for setting, clearing, or complementing lines, boxes, circles, ellipses, or arcs. Areas can be filled in with 2 56 patterns. Sections of the screen can be saved and returned using four logical functions. The viewing area can be changed, and dot densities of 160 by 120, and 640. 320. and 160 by 240 are provided.

The disk software contains more than 40 programs and

files. It's compatible with TRSDOS 1.3. 6.1, LDOS, NEWDOS80, and DOSPlus.

Grafyx Solution lets you print a high-resolution screen on any of 20 printers or save or load the screen to disk without leaving BASIC. Labels can be

printed in any direction.

The suggested retail price for Grafyx Solution is $199.95. A version for the Model III is available. Contact Micro-Labs Inc., 902 Pinecrest. Richardson. TX 75080, (214) 235-0915. Circle 641 on inquiry card.

Apple Bisync Communications to Mainframes

Urgeo Software has a hardware/software combination that lets the Apple II or He communicate as a binary synchronous terminal with IBM mainframes and other bisynchronous devices.

Apple-Bisync allows the Apple to function as an IBM remote job-entry workstation. Files or job streams on an Apple disk can be transmitted directly into mainframe operations systems

such as FES and RSCS. They can also be sent to other mainframe programs that use standard bisync protocols. Files can be received and stored on an Apple disk.

An editor helps you create and edit AppleDOS files. Files can be transmitted or received under the control of an executive file or proc, which permits multiple files to be transmitted or received on different drives.

Optional record compression, truncation, blocking, high-speed modems, and bisynchronous protocols allow data files to be exchanged between the Apple and mainframes reliably. Communications can be performed in an unattended mode.

The full Apple-Bisync system is $750. Contact Urgeo Software Inc., POB 305, Cheney. WA 99004, (509) 838-6058. Circle 642 on inquiry card.

128K Memory Expanders for Color Computers

Aline of 128K-byte memory expanders for the Radio Shack Color Computer is available. These expanders mount inside the computer and are compatible with existing software. They consist of two banks of 64K bytes that are selected by a three-position switch or through software. Each bank is independent, which allows separate programs to be loaded and run in either bank. When banks are switched, the unused bank is powered down, but all variables and vectors are preserved. Control can be passed from one bank to the other by moving two values into a memory location with a POKE statement. Variables can be transferred from one bank to another.

The expanders consist of a control circuit mounted in a module that plugs into the MC6821 PI A socket and the MC6883 SAM socket, two banks of 64K-byte RAM. and the toggle switch. The Model ME-128D for the earlier model D and E boards is $269. The ME-128F upgrade for the 285-type boards is $2 59. and the ME-128-64 for upgrading all 64K-byte Color Computers is $199. Contact Dynamic Electronics Inc.. POB 896, Hartselle, AL 35640. (205) 773-2758. Circle 643 on inquiry card.

472 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

WHAT'S NEW

Phosphor Burn-in Protection

The Screen Boss is a circuit board that protects Apple II and 11+ monitors from screenphosphor burn-in, which results from prolonged display of a single image. It works by interrupting the video signal if the keyboard is not used for a useradjustable period of time. Screen Boss connects easily and does not use an I/O slot. It costs S22.95, plus $2 postage. Contact CIRFAB Electronics, 558 Scarlett Rd.. Toronto, Ontario M9P 2S2, Canada, (416) 248-0344.

Circle 644 on inquiry card.

80 Columns of Text on Apple He

The XB-7 80-column board for the Apple lie computer is designed for use with Sakata's SC-200 RGB high-resolution color monitor. It's software-compatible with AppleDOS. Apple Writer lie, Quick File lie, Applesoft, Pascal, and CP/M. Text colors can be selected through switches; color selections are green, blue, amber, or white with highlighting always in white.

The XB-7 provides 16-color 40-column foreground and background text and 16-color low-resolution with optional mixing of 40-column foreground and background color text. In the medium-resolution (80 by 48) mode, it gives you the option of mixing 80-column switch-selectable color text. Other modes include highresolution with 16 colors and 16-color 80 by 192 displays with the option of mixing 80-column switch-selectable color text.

The XB-7 comes with a manual, Apple lie Rev B molex connector, and an RGB cable kit. The suggested price is $249. Contact Sakata U.S.A. Corp.. 651 Bonnie Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007.

Circle 645 on inquiry card.

8087 Chip Can Be Used in PCjr

TIAC has created a small circuit board adapter that lets you plug an 8087 microprocessor into the IBM PCjr. The jr-87 adapter is designed to plug directly into the 8088's socket, and the 8087 is then plugged into the adapter.

The TIAC board does not modify the PCir, and it does not interfere with the operation of the PCjr's peripherals. The 8087 operates at the same speed on the PCjr as it does on the fullsized PC. Any software designed to run on 8087-based IBM PCs will run unmodified on

the PCjr.

The price for this board is S89.95, without the 8087. For complete details, contact TIAC Manufacturing inc.. 3084 Spring St., Port Moody, British Columbia V3H 1Z8, Canada, (604) 461-1626.

Circle 646 on inquiry card.

Data-Communications Products from Anderson Jacobson

Anderson Jacobson has announced the availability of a pair of data-communications products: the PC Connection and the A| 1212-AD2 auto-dial modem.

The PC Connection, a plug-in modem card for the IBM PC and PC XT, works with both AT&T 103 (0 to 300 bps) and AT&T 212 (1200 bps) protocols. It is fully compatible with Smartcom from Hayes Microcomputer Products and most major communications software. The PC Connection's setup is simplified by use of internal switches as well as software instructions. Simultaneous printing

and communications are possible through use of two I/O ports. Additional features include a speaker to monitor calls in progress, a built-in asynchronous communications adapter, and selectable COM1:. COM2:. COM3:, or COM4: serial and modem port communications.

The AI 1212-AD2 auto-dial modem offers computer log-on and two-level security with password protection. A multispeed asynchronous/synchronous modem compatible with AT&T 103 and 212 in a switched-telephone operation, the A) 1212-AD2 can dial a

computer upon receipt of a code name rather than a telephone number. A second-level password is required before allowing access to the modem's memory. Up to sixteen 37-digit numbers for automatic pulse- or Touch-Tone dialing can be stored in memory. A prefix of up to 19 digits can be added for speed-dialing to carrier networks. Comprehensive diagnostics are provided.

The PC Connection costs $495, and the A| 12I2-AD2 is $695. Contact Anderson Jacobson Inc., 521 Charcot Ave., San lose, CA 95131, (4081 945-9030. Circle 647 on inquiry card.

Hard-Disk Controllers with Encryption Option

SIGEN's DC-6 series of harddisk controllers for the IBM Personal Computer provides error-correction techniques and backup and data-security options. The series can range as high as 16 heads and 200 megabytes of storage. It uses a proprietary "self-adjusting" technique that stores drive parameters and media information on "private" disk sectors so that once initially formatted, the drive can be used with any operating system.

The DC-6 series includes multiple-burst error correction, which is implemented through a combination of hardware and microcode. This arrangement enables error handling that's independent of the operating

system.

An encryption/decryption facility is optionally available. The encryption option is based on the NBS Data Encryption Standard.

The Standard DC-6 hard-disk controller costs $395. With the encryption option, the price is

$495. The DC-6 with a tape backup and the encryption option is $567. For further information, contact SIGEN Corp.. Suite 7. 1800 Wyatt Dr., Santa Clara. CA 95054. (408) 988-2 527.

Circle 648 on inquiry card.

(continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 473

WHAT'S NEW

Database Handles 2 Billion Records per File

The Keystroke Database for the Apple Lisa can handle 2 billion records per file. It lets you store, find, update, and print information rapidly and easily.

All references to storing and retrieving data are in English; common business terms are used throughout the program. A find/update function lets you locate and recall stored information by individual records, all records, or records with specific sets of conditions. Among the search formats are exact matching, greater and less than values, ranges, and such partial matching as "beginning with," "ending in," and "contains." Up to four search/sort fields can be defined within in a file.

As you design your files. Keystroke lets you specify computed fields that automatically do arithmetic calculations based on any available data within the file. A field-formatting capability lets you preformat types of data to be entered for consistent data presentations. A default response automatically enters constant data. A cross-reference feature can find and enter infor

mation from another file into your working file.

A report generator lets you translate input data into rows and columns. Reports can be sorted in up to 4 rows with 28 columns. Report features include boldface highlighting of user-defined conditions, summary-only reports, and statistical

calculations in 10 columns with counts, averages, and totals.

Keystroke requires a 1-megabyte Lisa, a hard disk, and the Lisa Office System or Workshop. The suggested price is $595. Contact Brock Software Products Inc., POB 799, Crystal Lake, 1L 60014, (815) 459-4210. Circle 649 on inquiry card.

Macintosh C Development System

Manx Software Systems has released two C compiler development systems for the Macintosh: Aztec C68K-p and Aztec C68K-C. A set of development utilities, called the Aztec C68K Toolbox, is also available.

Aztec C68K-p, designed for personal use, comes with a C compiler, a 68000 relocating macro assembler, a UNIX system library, an editor, and a shell environment.

The C68K-C is intended for commercial applications. It comes with all the features of the personal version and with support for the Macintosh toolbox, including windows, an overlay linkage editor, and dynamically relocatable code with unlimited code size.

The Aztec Macintosh C compiler's code size and execution speeds are said to outperform any native development system

currently available for the Macintosh.

The Aztec C compiler is also available as a cross-development system from PC-DOS, MS-DOS, CP/M-86, and Lisa. Prices begin at $199 for the personal C system. Contact Manx Software Systems Inc.. POB 55, Shrewsbury. N) 07701, (800) 221-0440: in New lersey, (201) 780-4004. Circle 650 on inquiry card.

Mega Merge Extends MacWrite

MegaMerge gives MacWrite mail-merge capabilities and unlimited document lengths. When used in conjunction with MacWrite. MegaMerge lets you produce form letters,

mailing lists, and labels from a single master document and list. It gives you the ability to merge large blocks of information into printed documents, and you can link separate documents into a

coherent whole.

MegaMerge sells for $12 5. Contact Megahaus Corp., 5703 Oberlin Dr., San Diego, CA 92121, (619) 450-1230. Circle 651 on inquiry card.

Design Program for Apple Finds Use in Many Fields

You can create architectural designs, bar graphs, circuit and electrical diagrams, organizational and flow charts, floor plans, forms, office layouts, schematics, and project schedules with Quick-Draft, a computer-aided design program for the Apple II series.

Quick-Draft lets you use the Apple's keyboard, a joystick, or the KoalaPad to draw on the high-resolution screen. You can draw ellipses, circles, arrows, arcs, and polygons or use predefined shapes in any size, rotation, or color. You can fill closed areas with any one of 22 colors. Depending on memory, complicated designs can use 2 or 4 screens or up to 30 screens with additional memory.

Uppercase and lowercase text can be printed in 19 different fonts. A macro facility lets you define as many as 20 objects, each constituting multiple lines, figures, and text.. These objects can be repositioned anywhere on screen and saved on disk. Hard-copy printouts of any screen or four contiguous screens can be obtained from a variety of dot-matrix printers.

Quick-Shape is a $2 5 option that helps you create custom shape tables of up to 127 members for use with QuickDraft. It lets you edit shapes bv enlarging any portion of the display screen from two to four times its normal size. Thirteen proportionally spaced text fonts and shape tables for mathematics, music, and electronics are provided.

RAM cards with 16K, 64K, and 128K bytes of memory are optional. On an AppleDOS 3.3-formatted disk, and with documentation. Om'k . Draft is $50. For further information, contact Interactive Microware Inc., POB 139, State College, PA 16804-0139, (814) 238-8294.

Circle 652 on inquiry card.

474 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

WHAT'S NEW

OptionWare Runs Under Lotus

Modula-2 Compiler Runs Under CP/M-86K

The DSS OptionWare line of application programs runs under Lotus 1-2-3 on the IBM Personal Computer. The DSS line comprises more than 55 programs and embraces such areas as financial statistics, sales, marketing, organization, budgeting, personnel management, sales aids, asset and cash management, personal management, and desktop organization.

Each application features menus and option lists, parameter setting screens, modifiable column and row headings section, calculation formulas, pro

gramming macros, summaries, and concise print formats. You can create comparative variance analyses, component analyses and subanalyses, and color or black-and-white graphs. Information can be swapped between OptionWare packages, and five main commands are consistent across all 56 applications.

OptionWare packages are priced at $130 each. Contact DSS Development Inc., Corporate Place, 4 Barnard Lane, Bloomfield, CT 06002, (203) 243-5554.

Circle 653 on inquiry card.

Freehand Color Art Program

The Vectrix Paint Program lets you draw freehand color graphics on your IBM PC or PC XT. A VX384A color graphics processor or the Vectrix Midas Color Card, a monitor, and the Summagraphics MM1200 series graphics tablet are required. With the VX384A, the Paint Program gives you a basic color palette of 16.8 million colors. Using the Midas Card, it provides a standard palette of 4096 colors. From either palette, you can work with 512 colors on any image.

Once you've selected your colors, the Paint Program offers you an icon menu of work options. Program features include air brushes, color mixing. 20 user-definable brushes, screen dump, disk storage, and rectangle filling. You can draw

circles and horizontal and vertical lines and work with straight line, triangular, square, and circular brushes.

The Paint Program has a text submenu that contains both size and character modes. The size mode lets you pick a character size, and the character mode transfers control back to the PCs keyboard. Ten different fonts are provided, including script, italics, simple, duplex, and triplex.

The Paint Program for the Midas Card is S500; for the VX384A, it's S900. The manual alone is $45. The Midas Card is priced at $2995, while the VX384A is $4995. Contact Vectrix Corp., 2606 Branchwood Dr., Greensboro, NC 27408, (919) 288-0520. Circle 654 on inquiry card.

Integrated Package Tailored for Executives

Micro Architect's IOAS-1 for the IBM PCjr is made up of two modules: Exec-1 and Word-X. It requires 128K bytes of RAM and is priced at $99.

Exec-I is an executive information system consisting of seven applications: appointment, stock security, mailing list, checkbook, personal finance, personal inventory, and memo. The Word-X word processor has a full-screen

editor, word wrap, and on-line help. It uses function keys and simple commands, and it can merge data files from Exec-I and produce form letters.

A version for the IBM PC XT is available: however, it requires an 80-column monitor. Contact Micro Architect Inc., 6 Great Pine Ave.. Burlington, MA 01803, (617) 273-5658. Circle 655 on inquiry card.

Volition Systems released a Modula-2 compiler for the CP/M-68K operating system on September 1. The compiler is available for an introductory price of $495.

The Modula-2 compiler generates optimized machine code: one well-publicized benchmark executes in 1.74 seconds, which is said to be two to three times faster than other high-level languages on

LISP for CP/M

the 8-MHz 68000 microprocessor.

Volition Systems' Modula-2 compiler offers interrupt handling and the ability to produce ROM-based code. You can disable code optimization and execute programs without linking.

For full details, contact Volition Systems, POB 1236, Del Mar, CA 92014, (619) 481-2286. Circle 656 on inquiry card.

Computing Insights is marketing a version of LISP for Z80-based computers running CP/M 2.2. iLISP, founded on the LISP dialect called Scheme, features stack-free execution of "tail recursive" functions. It provides complete access to the CP/M file directory and sequential and byte-addressable random I/O to disk files.

iLISP has run-time LISP macro instructions and input-time READ macros. Both floatingpoint and integer arithmetic, including sine, cosine, arctan, and random, are standard. It gives you control over the executive, error-handling, and start-up functions. An assemblylanguage interface and trace

and debugging utilities are provided.

Documented source code for all iLISP utilities is standard. Among those supplied are the ' LISP list editor, a print utility, and a function library system for maintaining random-access libraries of documented LISP code and values.

iLISP comes with a 165-page user manual and a 60-page introduction to iLISP programming. Formats available include 8- and 5 ^-inch disks for Kaypro, Morrow, and Zenith computers. The suggested price is $49.95. For further information, write to Computing Insights. POB 4033. Madison, WI 53711. Circle 657 on inquiry card.

IEP Structures

Educational Programs for Disabled

The IEP Management System lets you structure a personalized individual education program (IEP) for a disabled child. It works on any microcomputer using CP/M and on Apple II + , Apple lie, and Franklin computers.

Available options enable you to print out multiple lEPs and generate progress reports.

Foreign-language translations of reports or educational programs can be generated.

The IEP Management System is available on 8-inch singlesided, single-density CP/M disk formats and on 5'/4-inch formats

for the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4 and Zenith Z-89/Z-100 systems. It includes modifiable disk-data files, an operator's manual, and two training cassettes.

The basic IEP System, Level I, is priced at $3 per enrolled student (minimum $895). A 90-day license for the fully operational system, complete with options, is $50. For further details, contact Creative Educational Services, 36 River Ave., Monmouth Beach. NJ 07750, (201) 870-6543.

Circle 658 on inquiry card.

[continued)

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 475

WHAT'S NEW

The FullView word processor from Mitek Systems for the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III or 4 is designed for large document preparation. Made up of separate textediting and text-formatting programs, FullView features automatic section and subsection

numbering, printer controls, and automatic generation of tables of contents, lists, figures, headers, and footers.

The full-screen text editor can load 6000 text characters in 3 seconds, scrolls at 50 lines per second, and permits cursor movement at up to 200 charac

ters per second.

The FullView text formatter supports 65 directives that give you control over a document's specifications. It can format text at up to 100 pages per minute. It can handle impact and dotmatrix printers, as well as some of the new laser printers.

System requirements are 48K bytes of memory and a disk drive. Each program costs $49.50. which includes a manual and quick-reference card. Contact Mitek Systems Inc., 9580 Black Mountain Rd.. San Diego. CA 92126.

Circle 659 on inquiry card.

Structured Programming Language

Allegro Software has introduced pC. a programming language and compiler for the Radio Shack TRS-80 Models 1 and III. The pC compiler translates source programs into Z80 instructions that can be executed directly on the TRS-80's Z80 processor, which is said to yield programs up to 50 per

cent faster than comparable BASIC programs.

pC uses structured programming techniques. It comes with a library of more than 60 functions, some of which permit access to the TRS-80's ROM and TRSDOS. Other functions support disk files, graphics, memory management, and strings.

I/O files can be redirected when a pC program is running. You can create your own libraries. pC subroutines can be called from assembly-language subroutines and vice versa.

A 100-page manual, complete with a tutorial on structured programming, comes with pC. The full pC package is $99.95.

which includes the compiler, a utility for merging library files, the run-time library, a utility library, and the source code for an arcade game. For further information, contact Allegro Software, POB 6593, Station |, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 3Y7. Canada.

Circle 660 on inquiry card.

+ CODA+ Uses Stream-Cipher Encryption

Adata security program, +CODA+ version 4.1 uses the stream-cipher technique, which combines text input with a stream of pseudorandom characters that are generated by the interaction of an internal key and an external, userselected key. The internal key is specific to each +CODA+ program used: the external key consists of an 11-character keyword and a 2-digit page number. In a stream cipher, the corruption of a single character in an encrypted text results only in the corruption of that character and not in a block of text.

+ CODA+ can be used with any type of data-storage or transmission system; no special error-checking precautions are required. It features a 48-character Teletype-compatible character set and a 10.000-member key library, which is accessible by library/page number.

A machine-code program and a BASIC program form the +CODA+ base. The machinecode program provides high speed and security for the encryption and decryption processes. It also contains the

routines for subdividing encrypted data into five-character blocks, removal of spaces between words or blocks, keyword and page-number entry, and a number of other procedures. The BASIC program handles the I/O functions. An exit routine that wipes out both programs and a text buffer are included.

Available for the TRS-80 Models I and III. +CODA+ is normally supplied on a TRSDOS data disk. It requires 32K bytes and a disk drive. The list price is $100. Contact +CODA+ Data Security, 17 Douglas Ave.. Newcastle upon Tyne. NE3 4XD. England: tel: 091 285 8667. Circle 661 on inquiry card.

User-Supported PC Software

Adirectory of more than 100 public-domain and usersupported programs for the IBM PC can be purchased from the PC Software Interest Group. Listings include word processing, communications, database. DOS and BASIC utilities, games, graphics drawing utilities, turtle graphics, spreadsheet templates. RAM disks, and spoolers. Language programs include Pascal. C. assembly, and FORTH.

The programs are said to have been written by people who have opted not to market their work and who will allow others

; WHERE DO NEW PRODUCT ITEMS COME FROM? ; ; The new products listed in this section of BYTE are culled from the ; : thousands of press releases, letters, and telephone calls we receive ! '• each month from manufacturers and distributors. The basic criteria I

• for selection for publication are a) does a product match our readers' ; : interests, and b) is it new or simply a "reintroduction" of an old item. ; I If you want your product to be considered for publication (at no ! ' charge), send full information about it. including its price and an ad- j | dress and telephone number where a reader can get more informa-';

• tion. Send this to the New Products Editor. BYTE. POB 372. Han- ; I cock, NH 03449, 1

to copy it free of change. Authors of user-supported programs provide documentation and request a donation from satisfied users. Most of the public-domain programs come in source code.

The directory is $4.95. plus S\ postage and handling. A set of introductory disks can be obtained for $59. A complete set. comprising 135 disks, is $814 Contact PC Software Interest Group, Suite I30S, 1556 Halford Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051. (408) 730-9291. Circle 662 on inquiry card.

Books on Apple

Afree catalog of computer books of interest to Apple users is available. Subjects include programming, games, selfhelp, writing BASIC programs, hardware and software sourcebooks, and graphics. Contact Sinequanon. POB 23 5, Cedarhurst, NY 11516. Cirde bbl on inquiry card.

476 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

CALL 1-800-222-2602

MONITORS

AMDEK COLOR I PLUS AMDEK COLOR II PLUS AMDEK COLOR IV AMDEK VIDEO 300 (GREEN) AMDEK VIDEO 300 (AMBER) AMDEK VIDEO 310 (AMBER) BMC 12" GREEN BMC 13" COLOR BMC 13" RGB COMREX 13" COLOR W/SOUND COMREX 12" HI-RES AMBER HI-RES GREEN RGB CR-6600 RGB CR-6800 AMBER GREEN HI-RES GREEN ECONO GREEN

COMREX 12" COMREX 13r COMREX 13' GORILLA 12 GORILLA 12 NEC 12r" NEC 12'

NEC 12" LO-RES COLOR NEC 12" AMBER SCREEN NEC 12" COLOR - IBM PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX-12 PRINCETON GR. 12" AMBER SAKATA 13" COLOR SAKATA 13" RGB COLOR SAKATA SUPER RGB SAKATA 12" GREEN SANYO CTR-36 GREEN TAXAN 12" GREEN TAXAN 12" AMBER TAXAN RGB 210 MED RES TAXAN RGB 415 HI RES TAXAN RGB 420 IBM ZENITH 12" AMBER ZENITH 12" GREEN ZENITH RGB ZVM-135 COLOR USI 9" AMBER PI-4 ' USI 9" GREEN PI-1 USI 12" AMBER PI-3 USI 12" GREEN PI-2 USI 13" LO-RES COLOR

MODEMS

ANCHOR MARK VII (RS-232) ANCHOR MARK X (RS-232) ANCHOR MARK XII (RS-23 2) APPLE-CAT II MODEM KENSINGTON MODEM 1200 NOVATION J-CAT RIXON R212A 1200 BAUD SMARTCAT 103/212 SMARTCAT 103 HAYES MICROMODEM lie SKARTMODEM 300 BAUD SMARTMODEM 300 for //c SMARTMODEM 1200 BAUD SKARTMODEM 1200B - IBM US ROBOTICS PASSWORD

DISKETTES

SS/SD ELEPHANT #1 SS/DD ELEPHANT #2 DS/DD ELEPHANT #5

PRINTERS

AMDEK 5040 40CPS DAISY ANADEX DP-9501B ANADEX DP-9625B ANADEX DP-9620B ANADEX WP-6000 ANADEX DP-6500TR 500CPS 2529.95

309.95 454.95 694.95 139.95 154.95 169.95

89.95 239.95 259.95 2B9.95 119.95 114.95 274.95 489.95

84.95

79.95 154.95 109.95 294.95 159.95 434.95 509.95 189.95 294.95 549.95 749.95 119.95 169.95 124.95 134.95 309.95 439.95 519.95 109.95

99.95 524.95 129.95 119.95 144.95 124.95 309.95

119.95 124.95 289.95 244.95 429.95 119.95 409.95 429.95 199.95 234.95 219.95 274.95 4B4.95 419.95 379.95

16.95 19.95 25.95

1439.95 1099.95 1299.95 1179.95 2299.95

ANADEX 9725B COLOR 1394.95

C.ITOH A10 DAISY WHEEL 509.95

C.ITOH 8510SP 489.95

C.ITOH 8600BP 799.95

C.ITOH 8510 SCP COLOR 569.95 COMREX CR-II OAISY WHEEL 499.95

COMREX CR-III DAISY 819.95

DAISYWRITER 2000 48K 1129.95

DELTA-10 424.95

DELTA-15 624.95

EPSON FX-80 W/TRACTOR 519.95

EPSON FX-100 F/T 719.95

EPSON MX-100 F/T 449.95

EPSON RX-80 284.95

EPSON RX-80 F/T 339.95

EPSON RX-100 579.95

EPSON LQ-1500P COMPLETE 1189.95 284.95 409.95 129.95 1659.95 449.95 279,95 639.95 879.95 319.95

GEMINI 10X GEMINI 15X GORILLA BANANNA IDS PRISM 132 JUKI 6100 PRINTER (P) LEGEND 800 80CPS MANNESMANN TALLY MT160L MANNESMANN TALLY MT180L MANNESMANN TALLY SPIRIT

NEC 3550 SPINWRITER-IBM 1769.95

OKIDATA PACEMARK 2350P 2279.95

OKIDATA PACEMARK 2410P 2569.95

OKIDATA PACEMARK 2410S 2639.95

OKIDATA 82A 334.95

OKIDATA 83A 629.95

OKIDATA 84P 874.95

OKIDATA 84S 994.95

OKIDATA 92P 474.95

OKIDATA 93P 709.95

OKIDATA 93S 819.95

PANASONIC P1090 264.95

PANASONIC P1091 329.95

PRINTMASTER (DAISY) 1319.95

PROWRITER I (8510P) 344.95

PROWRITER II (1550P) 564.95

QUME SPRINT 11/40+ 1439.95 SANYO PR5000 DAISY WHEEL 499.95

STAR POWER-TYPE DAISY 409.95

STARWRITER DAISY WHEEL 1039.95

TOSHIBA P-1351 LP 1479.95

TRANSTAR 315 COLOR

499.95

MICROBUFFERtEPSON RS232) 124.95

GRAFITTI CARD (APPLE) 89.95

GRAPPLER + (APPLE) 114.95

BUFFERED GRAPPLER+ (AP) 169.95

MICROBUFFER 11+ 16KP(AP) 199.95

PRINTERFACE CARD (APPLE) 59.95

PKASO PRINTER I/F(APPLE) 139.95

WIZARD BPO 16K (APPLE) 139.95

WIZARD SOB 16K (APPLE) 199.95

OTHER PRINTERS AVAILABLE

I

APPLE

4TH DIMENSION DRIVE-ONLY 199.95

4TH DIMENSION DRIVE+CTRL 299.95

ALS CP/M CARD 299.95

d-BASE II (REQ Z-80) 356.95

DOLLARS & SENSE (MAC) 109.95

GIBSON LIGHT PEN 179.95

GRAPHICS MAGICIAN (MAC) 39.95

HOME ACCOUNTANT (MAC) 74.95

MACH II JOYSTICK He 34.95

MACH III JOYSTICK He 41.95

MANAGEMENT EDGE (MAC) 179.95

MICRO-SCI A2 DRIVE-ONLY 194.95

MICROSOFT BASIC (MAC) 119.95

MICROSOFT CHART (MAC) 99.95

MICROSOFT WORD (MAC) 149.95

MILLIONAIRE (MAC) 49.95

MOUNTAIN MUSIC SYSTEM 299.95

MULTIPLAN (MAC) 144.95

PFS:FILE 89.95

PFS:FILE & REPORT (MAC) 149.95

PREMIUM SOFTCARD He 299.95

QUAD RAM 64K80COL CRD He 124.95

RANA ELITE I 274.95

SOFTCARD II 354.95

SOUNDCHASER MUSIC KEYBRD 634.95

TAXAN 410-64 80 COL.He 249.95

VIDEX VIDEOTERM W/SFTSW 239.95

VIDEX ULTRATERM 294.95

WILDCARD II 129.95

WS/MM/SS/SI w/STARCARD 459.95

ZORK I (MAC) 29.95

XBM

IBM PC 256k 2-DS/DD 2149.95

dBASE III 499.95

ACCESS 1,2,3 469.95

DR DRAW PC DOS 199.95

DOW JONES MARKET ANALYZE 249.95

HERCULES GRAPHICS CARD 389.95

KOALA PAD TOUCH TABLET 119.95

KRAFT JOYSTICK 39.95

KGRAPH 164.95

KPAINT 79.95

MEGA PAK 256k 399.95

MICROPRO PRO PACK 419.95

MICROSOFT SYSTEMCRD 256K 479.95

MICROSOFT MOUSE 139.95

MOUSE SYSTEMS PC MOUSE 219.95

MULTIPLAN 139.95

PFS:WRITE 99.95

PLANTRONICS COLORPLUS 439.95

QUADCHROME MONITOR 589.95

QUADLINK APPLE EMULATOR 519.95

QUADRAM QUADBOARD I 64K 299.95

QUADRAM QUADCOLOR I 229.95

R:BASE 4000 359.95

RANA DS/DD DISK DRIVE 274.95

SIX PAK PLUS 64k 309.95

STB SUPER I/O MULTIFUNCT 184.95

TG JOYSTICK W/TOGGLE 44.95

TRANSEND P.C. MODEM 1200 439.95

VERSAWRITER GRAPH TABLET 249.95

VISI-ON MOUSE 194.95

WIZARD SPOOLER P/S 16K 249.95

COMPUTERS

ALTOS 586-40 16-BIT ALTOS 986-40 16-BIT APPLE He APPLE He

ATARI 800XL COMPUTER ATARI 850 INTERFACE

8229.95 9899.95 LOW! ! LOW! ! 309.95 199.95

BMC 800-GREEN COMPUTER 1424.95 Z80A, 64K, PRINTER, MONITOR, RS-232, WORDSTAR, CALCSTAR, CPM2.25, MAILMERGE, SPELLSTAR

COMMODORE 64 COMPUTER LOW!I

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EAGLE PC PLUS-2 SYSTEM 3399.95 128K, 2-DS/DD DRIVES, MONITOR, EAGLEWRITER, MS-DOS, EAGLECALC, & CP/M-86 EAGLE SPIRIT-II 2264.95 EAGLE SPIRIT-XL 3354.95 PORTABLE 128K EXPANDABLE TO 640K ON BOARD, 1 320K FLOPPY, 10 MEGABYTE HARD DISK, IBM COMPATABLE KEYBOARD, 2 SERIAL 1 PARALLEL PORT, MS-DOS 2.0, MONOCHROME MONITOR, CP/M 86

NEC APC-H01 NEC APC-H0 2 NEC APC-H0 3 NEC APC-H04 NEC 8201 COMPUTER

2239.95 2799.95 3524.95 2939.95 449.95

SANYO 550-1 1SS/DD DRIVE 769.95

SANYO 555-1 2SS/DD DRVE 1079.95

SANYO 550-2 1DS/DD DRIVE 829.95

SANYO 555-2 2DS/DD DRVE 1249.95

ZENITH IBM COMPATABLE 2649.95 ZENITH W/10 MEG DSK 3999.95

TAVA PC -IBM COMPATIBLE 1999.95 128K-RAM, 2 SERIAL PORTS, PARALLEL PORT, 2 DS/DD DRIVES, COLOR GRAPHICS CARD, & MORE.

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IQ TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

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For order status, technical assistance and California calls (619) 765 0239 Apple Country, Ltd., P.O. Box 1099, 2602 Washington St., Julian, Calif. 92036

We accept AmEx. Prices reflect 2% discount for VISA/MC cash & check (2 weeks to clear). S&H in continental US 5% ($5 min) Monitors $10 min. APO/ FPO & others call. Calif add 6% tax. P.O. must include check. No COD. All orders prepaid. All items a with Mfgr's warranty. Prices, products & ter subject to change without noti Returns req Volume dis

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Apple Count

for the micro computer industry and is a Calif corporation not affiliated with Apple Compute Apple is a tradem

■ ■

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S335

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Circle 43 on inquiry card.

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4.99

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EPROM

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32Kx8 300 ns

$55.97

27128

i6Kx8 250 ns

27.50

2764

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10.65

2732

4Kx8 450 ns

5.40

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Heath

Users

Double Your S%" disk storage capacity without adding a drive.

Get twice as much from your H88 or H89 microcomputer. Our FDC-880H floppy disk controller, in conjunction with your 5%" drives, for example, expands memory capacity from 256 bytes to 512 bytes per sector.

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Circle 27 on inquiry card.

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Circle 287 on inquiry card.

EXPERT COMPUTERS often saves system integrators, software consultants, and small dealers thousands of dollars. And not just with low pricing.

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IBM

# 1 PC: 256K, 2 drives, graphics adaptor $2000

2 PC: 256k, 2 drives, monochrome/printer port S2100

PC PORTABLE: 256k. 2 drives S2500

# 1 XT: 256K. 1 drive. 10MByte Fixed, graphics adaptor... 53900 #2 XT: 256k. I drive, 10MByte Fixed, mono/printer 54000

JAM

Why we recommend TAVA:

11 TAVA is CO compatible, the only sacrifice is you have to shave your Charlie Chaplin moustache.

21 TAVA has continually upgraded. The keyboard is improved. The drives are thinline TEAC's. The new COLOR is SPECTACULAR. IBM. Columbia. Compaq. Corona, and others have made almost no changes over the past year.

31 The power supply is strong enough to add a hard drive or other internal option.

4| TAVA is not afraid to compete on PRICE and features.

# I TAVA: 256k, Serial. Parallel. 2 Drives. Graphics Video, 12" Green CRT 51725

#2 TAVA: 256k. Serial. Parallel. 2 Drives. Monochrome, 12" Green CRT SI 725

#3 TAVA: 256k. Serial. Parallel, 2 Drives. 640 x 400 Color. 26 MHz RGB Color Video S2196

Our TAVA's have the improved keyboardl

LINKNET (tm)

PC Network Terminal

This is an IBM-style computer with NO DRIVES, 128k lexpandable to 256k on-board). 5 expansion slots |! used for video interfacel. printer port, and serial port. Why buy a computer with NO DRIVES7 Because It is the perfect NETWORK DESKTOP WORKSTATION.

Add any NETWORK CARD to make an inexpensive full-featured workstation. Then, if you like, you can still exchange VIDEO cards, add HARD DISk. ext. For speed, add an 8087 CO-PROCESSOR or a RAM DISk.

J995 (includes 12" Green CRT|

SANYO

SANYO MBC 550-2 S 915

SANYO MBC 555-2 S1220

SANYO SERIAL PORT S 65

I 0 MBYTE EXTERNAL HARD DISk 51 265

DUMP: Graphics to printer S 45

ADD-ON TEAC DSDD DRIVE with instructions 5 I 65

NEC APC

#H01 I DRIVE, GREEN 52135

#H02 2 DRIVES. GREEN 52625

#H03 2 DRIVES. COLOR 53235

#H04 1 DRIVE. COLOR 52635

NEC APC-lll

#H 102M 2 DRIVES, mono 51916

#H 1 02C 2 DRIVES. COLOR S23 I 6

#H I I IM ioms. MONO S3196

#HI 1 IC I0M8. COLOR S3596

UNIX SPECIAL-MONO: 256K RAM, PC-UX,

#H1 I IM, PC-UX BOARD S4255

UNIX SPECIAL-COLOR: WITH #H1 1 IC S4655

NEC PC8Z01

The "lap computer" that beats Radio Shack $455

IBM OPTIONS

VIDEO CARDS

MA PEACOCK with printer S265

PARADISE Multidisplay 5295

PLANTRONICS Colorplus S365

PERSYST BoB with taxan #440 RGB S975

TECMAR Graphic Master S485

EVEREX Graphic Edge S420

TSENG LABS UltraPAK S485

PROFIT SYSTEMS Multigraph S395

CCS SUPERVISION with Graphics 5725

HERCULES Graphics Card S325

STB Graphic Plus 5375

PRINCETON GRAPHICS Scan Doubler 5175

QUBIE PC ACCESORIES

INTERNAL MODEM S275

EXTERNAL MODEM S310

200 W STANDBY POWER S345

300 W STANDBY POWER S455

IMPROVED KEYBOARD SI65

3COM PC NETWORKS

Recommended network for dBase III I

ETHERLINK Card for each PC S595

ETHERSTART Bootless ROM S90

ETHESHARE Software for file server S445

BNC TERMINATOR KIT 5 35

CABLES: 10' = S36 50' = 539 100' = 549

ORCHID TECHNOLOGY

BLOSSOM-64 64k. par. serial, clock.... 5255 PC-NET piggybacks onto Blossom S405 BLOSSOM-64 WITH PC-NET both above items S595

CH/ADVICE (818) 344-6063 SALES (800) 528 9538

VIDEO MONITORS

PRINTERS

AMDEK

300G 5135

300A 5145

310A 5180

COLOR CRT'S - not recommended PRINCETON GRAPHICS

SR-12 5615

HX-12 S465

MAX-12 5190

SCAN DOUBLER 5175

ROLAND

Green MB-I22G SI65

Amber MB-122A SI75

SAKATA

SG-1000 Green SI 05

SA-1000 Amber. SI 15

SC-100 13" Composite S245

SC-200 RGB for IBM S455

TAXAN

# 1 15/# I 16 We recommend Sakata

#121 llike IBM greenl SI50

#122 |like #121, amberl S 1 60

#4 I 5 RGB with cable for Sanyo S395

#420 RGB with cable for IBM 5435

#440 RGB for Persyst BoB S575

RAM SETS 64K (200ns) . $49

EXPERT COMPUTERS

TECH (818) 344-6063 SALES (800) 528-9538 17314 CRENSHAW BLVD.

:e, O

Prices may change - confirm by phone, 2% fee for VISA/MasterCasrd. 4% fee for American Express. 20% non-refundable deposit required on COD orders. California resident add sales tax. 15 DOA warranty: Call TECH/ SERVICE to obtain return authorization - we will repair or replace at our option. This warranty is in addition to manufacturer's warranty.

Circle 149 on inquiry card.

D ■ DAI5YWHEEL M = DOT MATRIX

HOW TO CHOOSE A MAIL ORDER COMPANY:

Consider comparing a company's ad, month to month.

EXPERT'S ads show a variety of new products, progressively lower prices (generally indicating higher volume purchasing power), and a willingness to "endorse" products before they become "the standard".

THE BEST

COMPUTER NEC APC

DBMS dBASE III

FLOPPY DISK DRIVE TEAC 55B

INTEGRATED PACKAGE FRAMEWORK

MODEM PROMETHEUS

NETWORK 3COM

PRINTER -MATRIX IDS PRISM

PRINTER -DAIST C. ITOH F-10

PC VIDEO-COLOR PERSYST BoB w/TAXAN

#440

PC VIDEO-MONO TSENG LABS

ULTRAPAK

PC COMPATIBLE TAVA

VALUE EXPERT

BMC CP-80

S265

BROTHER HR-15 Id)

S395

TRACTOR

SI 05

CUT SHEET FEEDER

C ITOH 1 YEAR WARRANTY

F-10-40

mi

S 930

F-10-55

mi

SI 275

TRACTOR

S 175

#851 OP

N

S 345

#1550P

M

S 575

DAISYWRITER

5 675

EPSON

FX-80 |m|

S 410

FX-100

(m)

S 695

LQ-1500

Ira)

SI 295

IDS PRISM 132C

W

S1375

JUKI 6100

mi

S 425

OKIDATA #92-PC fml

5 415

#93-PC

[ml

S 685

SILVER-REED

EXP400

mi

S 325

EXP500

mi

S 375

EXP550

mi

S 440

TRACTOR

S 145

CUT SHEET FEEDER

S 295

STAR MICRONICS ISO DAY WARRANTY

GEMINI-1 OX

|m|

S 255

GEMINI-15X

|m|

S 385

DELTA-10

|m| 160cps. parallel and serial, 8K

buffer

S 395

DELTA-15

M

S 550

PC GEMINI-1 OX

|m| Wore PC compatibfe than Epsonl.

5399?

PC GEMINI-15X

(ml With Corrected graphicsl

5549?

PC DELTA-10

N

S549?

PC DELTA-15

(m|

S799?

PC RADIX-10

(m|

S849?

PC RADIX-15

(ml

S9957

POWER TYPE

|dj 18 cps, parallel and serial, Qume

S 385

Tractor

S 59

RADIX-10 (m| 200 cos, parallel and serial, 16K buffer .

S 585

RADIX-15

(m)

5 650

MACINTOSH INTERFACE Full support.

S 119

TOSHIBA #P-1340

S 775

#P-1351

SI 275

RAM SETS

64K (200ns) S49

64K |150ns) S55

dBASE III AND FRAMEWORK

When you buy a fresh copy of dBASE III or FRAMEWORK for the low price of S485, we will include at no extra charge, a copy program to make functional backup copies, rr WILL ONLY COPY AN ORIGINAL, NOTA COPY.

MICROSOFT WORD WITH MOUSE

When you buy a fresh copy of WORD WITH MOUSE at the low price of J285, we will include without extra charge a copy program which makes functional backup copies. IT WILL ONLY COPY AN ORIGINAL, NOTA COPY.

MODEMS

HAYES 1200 SMARTMODEM HAYES 1200B w/Smartcom HAYES MICROMODEM ll/E W/

SMARTCOM NOVATION ACCESS 1-2-3 PROMETHEUS PROMODEM 1200 QUBIE 1200B QUBIE 1200 SIGNALMAN MARK XII

external PC external .

Apple internal. PC internal. . ..

external

PC iternal

external

external

PC KEYBOARDS

. S450 S395

. S245 . S435 S375 S275 S310 S240

KEYTRONIC 5150

KEYTRONIC 5151

QUBIE FINGER FRIENDLY..

. SI 75 SI95 . SI65

GILTRONIX A-B SWITCH

Cable 2 printers to one computer port- This unit switches all 25 lines, making it compatible with parallel and serial peripherals. Price includes one cable with male DB25, usually for IBM printer port.

$155

TEAC S5B

DOUBLE SIDED THINLINE 5-'A" DRIVE..

S155

DISKETTES

PLATINUM (Capitoll DSDD

540

532

DYSANdsdd

S34

SOFTWARE

dBASE III

S485

FRAMEWORK

S485

SYMPHONY

S485

COPY DISK

S 55

MJA ACCOUNTING - 5 MODULES

EACH S395

WORD WITH MOUSE

S285

Circle 63 on inquiry card

mEDR-BYTES FDR fTllCRD-BUDGETS EHpand your system...shrink your cost.

Why pay more for top quality products when our prices are consistently among the lowest anywhere? We invite you to compare prices, then call us.

MISC. PERIPHERALS

SALE PRICE

HAYES SMARTMODEM 1200B (IBM-PC)

$399.50

HAYES SMARTMODEM 1200 (RS-232)

489.50

HAYES CHRONOGRAPH

189.50

ROLAND DG XY800 6 PEN PLOTTER

799.50

BAUSCH&LOMB DMP-29 PLOTTER

1885.00

PENCEPT PENPAD 320

EPSON PRINTERS

SALE PRICE

MX-100

r-x-100

RX-80

RX-80 F/T

LQ-1500

COMPUTERS AT LOW PRICES

CALL FOR CONFIGURATIONS AND OPTIONS

MEMOTECH MTX-512 SHARP PC-5000 PORTABLE LEADING EDGE PC IBM PC-XT

PRINCETON GRAPHICS SYSTEMS

HX-12 Limit - One to a Customer Cash Price $459.00

DYSAN DISKETTES (Boxes of 10 each) SALE PRICE

104/1 5W SINGLE SIDE, SINGLE DENSITY $31.20

104/1D 5W SINGLE SIDE, DOUBLE DENSITY 32.98

104/2D 5W DOUBLE SIDE, DOUBLE DENSITY 38.99

3740/1 8" SINGLE SIDE, SINGLE DENSITY 32.39

3740/1D 8" SINGLE SIDE, DOUBLE DENSITY 40.19

3740/2 8" DOUBLE SIDE, SINGLE DENSITY 40.19

3740/2D 8" DOUBLE SIDE, DOUBLE DENSITY 46.89

GREAT LAKES (PEGASUS) HARD DISK SYSTEMS SALE PRICE

10 MEGABYTE INTERNAL $1149.00

10 MEGABYTE EXTERNAL 7295.00

23 MEGABYTE EXTERNAL 1895.00

40 MEGABYTE EXTERNAL 2449.00

65 MEGABYTE EXTERNAL 3249.00

140 MEGABYTE EXTERNAL 4995.00

TAPE DRIVE 23 MEGABYTE INTERNAL 950.00

TAPE DRIVE 23 MEGABYTE STAND ALONE 1249.00

ORDERS ONL Y 800-858-4810 IN CALIF. 800-821-6662

COMMERCIAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS

2858 S. ROBERTSON BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA 90034

IN FORMA TION (2131 559-0596

Phone orders accepted on Visa and Mastercard only. California residents add 6.5% sales tax. No C.O.D. Actual shipping and handling charge added to all orders. Prepaid orders as follows: Money orders or cashier's check-merchandise shipped upon receipt. Personal checks must clear before shipping. 20% restocking fee.

Prices and availability subject to change. $100 minimum order.

slJiyTPlQiyiGS CD.JftiQ. 1 -800-421 -5775(ORDERS ONLY) (213) 644-1140(CA. Order & INF.) 12621 Crenshaw Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250 STORE HOURS : 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.(Mon.-FrL) 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.(Sat.)

IBM™ Compatible XT

Features:

lintel 8088 CPU

^ Intel 8087 Math Co-Processor (Option)

^Expandable on-board to 256K

^•128K RAM w/Parity

^8 IBM Compatible Expansion Slots

s4 Channel DMA 8237

^8 Channel Interrupt 8259

^Mother Board dimension same as IBM PC

Price:

□ Mother Board W/128K

RAM and ROM $475.00

□ Computer Cabinet $99.00

□ 83 Key full-funtion Keyboard $120.00

□ 100 WATT Power Supply $130.00

□ Monochrome Graphic Card

w/Printer Port $350.00

□ Color Graphic Card

(Display 16 colors) $199.00

□ FDD Controller Card w/Cable .... $149.00

□ Parallel Printer Card $75.00

□ Dual ASYNC & RS232 Port $99.00

□ 320KB DS/DD Slimline

Disk Drive $149.00

□ SAM WOO IBM Style Amber or Green

Monitor (Composite Video) $99.00

□ IBM Parallel Cable 10' $29.95

D IBM Prototype Board (SUN-208) . . $19.50

□ MICROLQG Z-80B Co-Processor,

Multi-funtion (Run CP/M80 Software) $499.00

□ Apparat EPROM Blaster $129.00

□ IBM Up-Grade Kit (4164)

$44.00/per kit

Apple Compatible Products

SUNZ80 Card (w/o Software) $55.00

SUN 80 Column Card (w/Soft switch) . $97.00

Power Supply (5 Amp) $59.95

Cooling Fan $42.00

Apple Compatible Disk Drive (slimline)$175.00

Parallel Printer Card $39.00

Floppy Disk Controller $47.00

EPROM Programmer (2716, 2732, 2764)

$75.00

APPARAT PROM Blaster $119.00

ALSZ-Card(Z80CPU) $149.00

ALS 80 Column Card $159.00

AFDC-1 Floppy Disk Drive Controller , .$55.95 Run DOS 3.3 with any standard Shugart compatible 5Vt Disk drive (2 drives per card, Does not read V4 track) Apple Prototype Board (SUN-722) $5.95

S-100 Products

64K Static Memory Board (6116)

w/o RAM A & T $155.00

64K Static Memory Board (6116)

w/RAM A&T $339.00

Uses 6116 CMOS RAMS, VS> Amp Max, w/64K @6MHz Extended Addressing, Bank. Select 4-16K Blocks, 2716 EPROM can' replace any 6116RAM, 8 Bit IEEE 696. UFDC-1 5'/4 and 8 Floppy Disk Controller

(BIOS available) A & T $245.00

Clock/Calendar A&T $115.00

Prototype Board (SUN-721) $9.95

Mother Boards/Card Cages

(6, 8 & 12 Slots) are available Call

General Products

SAM WOO HIGH RESOLUTION DISPLAY

^22 MHz Bandwidth ^Composite Video ^Anti-glare Screen ^•Passes FCC & UL Approved ^1000 Lines or 132 Charactors Across

AMBER or GREEN $99.00

RAM4164-150NSor200NS $4.95

5Va Diskette SS/DD Soft sector

Box of 10 ea $15.50

5V4 Diskette DS/DD Soft sector

Box of 10 ea $23.00

80 CPS Dot Matrix Printer (CP-80) .. $245.00

TTL IC, ROM, RAM & CPU CHIPS, CONNECTORS & IC SOCKETS ARE AVAILABLE, PLEASE CALL !!

TERMS : VISA, MASTER Card, C.O.D (Cash or Certified Check Required). Check (Allow 2-3 WKS for Clearing) Shipping & H/C $3.00 for 3 Lbs plus $0.50 for each add Lb. Calif, residents add Calif. Sales Tax.

IBM & Apple are registered trade marks of IBM & Apple

480 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 336 on inquiry card.

Byte BookClub"

i/VERFUL TOOLS! /ERFUL SAVINGS!

Take any 3 books for $4 |oo

leach

(Values up to $79.501

If you join now for a trial period and agree to purchase three more books—at handsome discounts—during your first year of membership. (Publishers' prices shown)

DATA STRUCTURES AND PROGRAM DESIGN By R. L.

Kruse

583036-1B $28.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

INTERACTIVE PROGRAMMING ENVIRONMENTS By D.

R. Barstow

038/856B $34.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

GUIDE TO THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER By W. Si

konowiz

574/847 $19.95

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES: Design and Implementation, 2/e By T. W. Pratt 582879-0B $29.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

THE CP/M BIBLE: The Authoritative Reference Guide to CP/M By M. Waite 582917-7B $29.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

COMPUTER GRAPHICS FOR THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER By D. Hearn 582941-X $24.95

APPLE PASCAL By P. Luehrmann 491/712 $20.00

BUILD YOUR COMPUTERMANUAL. By S. Ciarcia & J. Carr 582337-3B $29.90 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

MICROCOMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS By M. Dahmke 150/710 $16.95

THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPUTER HANDBOOK By H.

Helms

279/721A $79.50 (Counts as 3 of your 3 books)

SYSTEMS PROGRAMMING FOR SMALL COMPUTERS By

D. H. Marcellus

582937-1B $26.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

MICROCOMPUTER GRAPHICS AND PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES By H. Katzan. Jr. 582576-7 $22.50

BASIC: GETTING STARTED By

W. S. Davis

582355-1 $6.95

PRINCIPLES OF INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS, 2/e By

W. M. Newman & R. F. Sproull 463/387B $38.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

USING dBASE II By C. Townsend

583038-8 $18.95

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FOR GRAPHICAL DISPLAYS

By D. Ryan

582931-2B $26.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR,

Volume 3 By S. Ciarcia

109/656 $15.95

A PROGRAMMER'S VIEW OF INTEL 432 By E. Organick 477/191B $32.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

INTRODUCING THE MACINTOSH By C. Duff 180/245 $14.95

THE BYTE GUIDE TO CP/M-86 By M. Dahmke 150/710 $16.95

THE C PRIMER By L. Hancock & M. Krieger

259/81X $16.95

INTRODUCING THE UNIX SYSTEM By H. McGilton & R. Morgan

450/013 $19.95

ADA: An Advanced Introduction Including Reference Manual For The Ada Programming Language By N. Gehani 583037-XB $28.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books)

Why YOU should join the Byte Book Club now!

• Best and newest books from ALL publishers! Books are selected from a wide range of publishers by expert editors and consultants to give you continuing access to the best and latest books in your field.

• Big savingsl Build your library and save money too! Savings range up to 30% or more off publishers' list prices—usually 20% to 25%.

9 Bonus books! You will immediately begin to participate in our Bonus Book Plan that allows you savings up to 70% off the publishers' prices of many professional and general interest books!

6 Convenience! 14-16 times a year (about once every 3-4 weeks) you receive the Club Bulletin FREE. It fully describes the Main Selection

and alternate selections. A dated Reply Card is included. If you want the Main Selection, you simply do nothing—it will be shipped automatically. If you want an alternate selection—or no book at all—you simply indicate it on the Reply Card and return it by the date specified. You will have at least 10 days to decide. If, because of late delivery of the Bulletin you receive a Main Selection you do not want, you may return it for credit at the Club's expense.

As a Club member you agree only to the purchase of three additional books during your first year of membership. Membership may be discontinued by either you or the Club at any time after you have purchased the three additional books.

■lrirdj FWl out the card and mail today! If the card is missing, write to:

linii BYTE BOOK CLUB, P.O. Box 582, Hightstown, New Jersey 08520

SEPTEMBER I984 -BYTE 481

a

message to our subscribers

■ ROM TIME TO TIME WE MAKE the BYTE subscriber list available to other companies who wish to send our subscribers material about their products. We take great care to screen these companies, choosing only those who are reputable, and whose products, services, or information we feel would be of interest to you. Direct mail is an efficient medium for presenting the latest personal computer goods and services to our subscribers.

M

I ANY BYTE SUBSCRIBERS APPRECIate this controlled use of our mailing list, and look forward to finding information of interest to them in the mail. Used are our subscribers' names and addresses only (no other information we may have is ever given).

w

HILE WE BELIEVE THE DISTRIBUtion of this information is of benefit to our subscribers, we firmly respect the wishes of any subscriber who does not want to receive such promotional literature.

m

Should you wish to restrict the

use of your name, simply send your reguest to the following address.

BYTE Publications Inc. Attn: Circulation Department 70 Main St. Peterborough, NH 03458

Power Supply

Compatible

#HSC 130-40 130 W. Switching Mode $179.00/ea.

•130 Watt Maximum •Built-in Fan

•Cable w/Connector for 4 Disk Drives

•2 Switched AC Outlets for Printer & Monitor

•One Year Warranty

(Cabinet only)

FC-630 $99.00/ea.

•Accepts Most of the Compatible Level CPU Board

on the Market •Provides Completed Installing Accessories •Bracket Holding 2 Full or 4 Half Height Drives

Included

•IBM® Look-alike |C'S

IBM® PC Upgraded to XT Power Supply now available. Please call for information.

DEALER & OEM's INQUIRY INVITED

WE HAVE MOVED

FORTRON CORE

3797 YALE WAY FREMONT, CA 94538

Dealer S. OEM 415-490-8403 415-490-8171 TLX 17BB32

800-821-9771

64K D-RAM $43.00/9 pes.

8284A 7.00 8275 15.00 8086-2 15.00 8237A-5 12.00 2764 250 ns 6.50 TMS 9980 9.00 74LS...

Terms: Shipping immediately from stock usually, or within 4 weeks if run out of inventory. Minimum $5.00 shipping + handling. Personal check requires 2 weeks clearance before shipping. 6.5% sales TAX required for CA. residents.

Circle 376 for Dealer inquiries. Circle 377 for End-User inquiries.

482 BYT E • SEPTEMBER 1984

STOP AND LOOK!! LOWEST PRICES IN BYTE

PRINTERS

OKIDATA

ML82A, 10"carriage $ 289

ML83A, 15" carriage 535

ML92P, 160 cps 419

ML92S, 160cps 499

ML93P, 160cps 639

ML93S, 160 cps 769

ML84P,200cps 959

ML84S,200cps 1049

STAR MICROIMICS

Gemini 10X, 10", 120cps $ 265

Gemini 15X, 15", 120cps 379

Delia 10,10", 160cps 399

EPSON

RX80,120cps $ 289

RX80FT, Friction &. Tractor 349

FX80,10"160cps 450

MX100,15" Carriage 469

FX 100,160 cps 661

C. ITOH

Prowriter8510AP, 120cps $ 323

Prowriter8510BGD, 120cps 439

Prowriler8510SP, 180cps 455

Prowrilerll 1550P, 15" 120cps 527

Prowriterll 1550BCD, 15"120cps .. 557

StarwrilerF10-40PU.40cps 949

PrintmaslerF10-55PU.55cps 1199

BROTHER

HR15 $ 459

HR25 769

DYNAX

DX15 By Brother, Same as HR15 ...$ 389 JUKI

6100, L.Q. 18 cps w/proporlional spc.S 439

TOSHIBA

P1351 Dot Matrix, 192 cps, letter quality 100 cps, does graphics. 3 in 1 printer $1345 TRANSTAR

T315,Colorprinter,50cps $ 439

MANNESM ANN-TALLY

160L,160cps $ 575

180L, 180cps 795

PANASONIC

1091 wfTractor.120cps.1yr.war. ..$ 369

MODEMS

ANCHOR

Mark XII $ 239

U.S. ROBOTICS

Password 300/1200 $ 335

Auto Dial 212A 459

HAYES MICRO

300 Baud Smart Modem $ 205

1200 Baud Smart Modem 467

1200BtorlBMPC 409

MicroModemllEw/Term.pkg 259

Chronograph 189

ACCESSORIES

KOALA TECHNOLOGIES

Apple/Franklin $ 89

Atari 75

Commodore64 75

IBM PC 89

PRINTER ACCESSORIES

ORANGE MICRO

Grappler + $ 112

Buffered Grappler + , 16K exp. 64K . 169 Bufferboard 119

WIZARD

Par. Card & Cable for Apple $ 89

MICROTEK

Dumpling GX (same as Grappler +) $ 68

Dumpling GXW/16K buffer 149

Dumpling GX W/32K buffer 165

Additional Buffering 16K 16

FOURTH DIMENSION

Par. Card&Cable for Apple $ 49

OKIDATA

PlugandPlayforlBM $ 49

Okigraphlfor82A 43

Okigraphllor83A 43

Tractor for82A&92 49

PRACTICAL ACCESSORIES

MIC/Buf IIP, 16K '.$ 145

MIC/BufMS. 16K 149

CABLES

IBM PC to Parallel Printer $ 16

Serial Cable 18

DISPLAY MONITORS

NEC

JB1260,12"Green $ 109

JB1201M,80col 146

JB1205MIA) 12" Amber 149

JC1215ColorCompositw/audio. . . 269 JC 1216 RGB, Hi-Res/IBM 389

USI

P11(9" Green) $ 110

PI 2 (12" Green) 110

PI 3(12" Amber) 110

PI4(9" Amber) 110

AMDEK

V300 $ 11

V300A 139

V310AforlBMPC 159

Color I + , Composite 13" 284

Color II+ , Hi-Res. 13"/IBM 399

TAXAN

IBMGreenMonochrome#121 $ 145

IBM Amber Monochrome #122 149

RGBIBMw/Cable#420 469

RGBSuperHi-Res.#415 425

RGB/Comp.Med.Res.#210 299

BMC

12UW(12"Green) $ 89

12 EUN (20 MHz, Hi-Res) 115

9191 ColorComposite 239

PRINCETON GRAPHICS

HX-12forusewithlBMPC $ 469

★ BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIALS *

IBM PC 64K, 1 DRIVE

C. ITOH 8510 AP

S1495

$323

TANDON TM 100-2

TAXAN 12" GREEN

$163

FOR IBM PC

RANA ELITE I

S145

$213

AST SIX PAK + 64K

TEAC 55B

$263

FOR IBM PC

EPSON FX80

$146

$447

IBM PC ACCESSORIES

PARADISE

Multi-function Card $ 273

PLANTRONICS

Color + Board $ 379

PC PEACOCK

Color Graphics Card w/Par. Printer Port, Compat. w/AII IBM Software, 2 yr. war. $ 269

64K MEMORY UPGRADE

64K(9chips) $ 45

AST RESEARCH

SixPak + $263

Mega Plus II 279

Combo Plus 269

I/O Plus II 129

□UADRAM

ColorGraphicsCard $ 215

VUTEK

Vutek ■ CPS, Fully IBM PC Software & Hardware Compatible. RGB & Composite Outputs. Parallel Printer Port. Serial Port 50-9600 Baud. Two Year Warranty ..$ 299

APPLE & FRANKLIN ACCESSORIES

ACCESSORIES

System Saver $ 69

Fan lor Applell&HE 37

MICROMAX

Viewmax 128K extended 80 col. card

lorApplellE $ 129

80 col. card for Apple 11 & II + 139

SOFTWARE

ASHTON-TATE

dBase III $ 425

LOTUS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Lotus 1-2-3 $ 309

MICROPRO INTERNATIONAL

ProPak(WS/MM/SS/Star Index) $ 399

OplionPak(M/M,C/S,S/l) 199

MICRORIM

R: Base Series 4000 $ 289

INFORMATION UNLIMITED

Accounts Receivable $ 349

Payroll 389

PERSONAL SYSTEMS

APPLE

Apple HE Starter System incl: Apple HE, Tilt Monitor, 1 Drive w/conto!ler, 80 col.

card $1249

IBM

IBM PC64K, 1 Drive . ...$1495

IBMPC64K,2Drives 1664

IBM XT 3695

KAYPRO

Kayproll $1179

Kaypro4 1695

Kaypro 10 Call

SANYO

MBC 555-2 W/1 320K Drive & sftwr. ..$ 945

MBC 555-2 w/2 320K Drives &

more software 1250

TAVA

1 Par. & 2 Ser. Ports, 128K, 2-320K Drives, Color Card $1699

NEC

PC8800, 2-320K Drives, TB1205 Amber Monitor, FREE Software, Wordstar, Mailmerg, Multiplan $1145

COLUMBIA

VP Portable 8D88, 16 bit cpu, 128K, 2-320K Drives, 9" Monitor, RS-232-Port, Parallel PortPlus$3000ofFREESoftware . $2245 COMPAQ

256K, w/2-320K Drives $2229

DISK DRIVES

SIEMENS

FD10O8 $ 145

TANDON

TM100-2forlBMPC $ 163

TM65-2,'/* Height, 320K 189

CDC

9409.320K.IBMPC $ 229

Controller add Call

TEAC

Quad Density Call

55B Double Sided 320K 146

PANASONIC

1/2 Height, 360K $ 149

Drives For Apple & Franklin RANA SYSTEMS

Elitel $ 213

Elite II 349

Elite III 399

Controlleradd /5

SUPER 5

Sup-5(Vi Height) $ 199

Controller Add 65

MICRO SCI

A-2 $175

Controller Add 80

JMR

JMR100% Apple Comp. Drive $ 179

GIVE US A CHANCE TO BEAT THE COMPETITION'S ADVERTISED PRICE.

IF YOU SEE IT ADVERTISED FOR LESS, CALL COMPUTER CONNECTION FIRST FOR LOWEST QUOTE!

MAIL ORDER:

12B41 S.Hawthorne Blvd., No. 585 Hawthorne, California 90250

We accept VISA, MaBterCard, COD [w/deposit], Certified Checks or Wire Transfers. Minimum Shipping Charge 54.00. Some items subject to back order. California Res. add 6'/.% Sales Tax. Prices subject to change without notice.

TOLL FREE ORDER LINE [800] 732-0304

(Outside CBliforn.a]

[anaj sii-sois

(Inside California]

TECH. SALES & INFO. : [S13] 514-9019

Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Circle 78 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 483

The Micromint Collection

Micromint. Supporting the varied projects that appear in Steve Ciarcia's monthly article in BYTE Magazine, "Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar." Offering a wide range of computers and peripherals designed to meet the exacting demands of the hobbyist as well as worldwide corporate clients.

AL BOARD

As teatured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine, January 4 February 1984

All you need to build a Smart Video Terminal equivalent to the types advertised for $1,000.00 or more is a Term-Mite ST circuit board, scanned or parallel keyboard, video monitor and power supply.

• Uses brand new Nat'l Semi NS455A Terminal

• 24 lines by 80 characters, 25th reverse-video status.

• Upper & lowercase. Line (block) graphics.

• Selectable data rale, parity & display options.

• Reverse video, half intensity, double height £ width, underlined, blinking and/or blank character.

• Separate sync or composite video output. Self Test. Term-Mite ST Video Display Terminal Board

BCC22 Assembled & Tested $284.

BCC23 Complete Kit 244.

MPX-16 MICROCOMPUTER IBM PC COMPAT

As featured on (fie cover ol BYTE Magazine. Also lealured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar November, December 1982 & January 1983

The Computer With A Split Personality.

—Use it as an IBM PC look alike that directly boots PC DOS 1.1 and accepts all expansion boards designed for the IBM PC

—Use it as a powerful 8088 single board computer for all your OEM applications. Just add serial terminal, disk drive and power supply. Directly boots CP/M-86.

Buy the MPX-16 in the torm that best meets your needs or budget As a bare board, as a wave soldered board that contains all components less ICs, as an assembled and tested circuit board or as a complete system.

• Directly boots PC DOS 1.1 and CP/M-86.

• Most IBM PC software executes with no modifications.

• IBM PC bus compatible + 9 expansion slots.

• Intel 808816-bit microprocessor.

• Optional Intel 8087 math coprocessor.

• 256K bytes on board memory.

• Up to one megabyte of system memory.

• Up to 64K bytes of system ROM/EPROM.

• 2 RS-232C Serial & 3 Parallel I/O ports.

• Disk controller for 5W or 8" drives.

• Sixteen levels ot vectored interrupts. MPX-16 Circuit Board Assembled

W/64KRAM $1,200.

OEM 100 quantity price 900.

MPX-16 Circuit Board Asembled

W/256K RAM 1,400.

MPX-16 Semi-Kit (wave soldered circuit

board w/all components) Less ICs 595.

Complete Kit of ICs W/256K RAM 595.

MPX-16 Unpopulated (bare) PC Board.... 300. CP/M-86 Operating System + Manuals ... B0.

MPX-16 Switching Power Supply 300.

MPX-16 Technical Relerence Manual 50.

MPX-16 Metal Enclosure with Fan 300.

Tandon TM100-2 Double Sided/Density

Drive 300.

IBM PC Keyboard Interface Adapter 100.

Shipping & handling additional on all

MPX-16 orders.

IBM PC is a trademark ol International Business Machines Inc. CP/M-86 is a trademark ol Digital Research Inc. Z8 is a trademark of Zilog tnc

Circle 249 on inquiry card.

Z8 BASIC SYSTEM CONTROLLER NEW!!!

Asleatured in Ciarcia s Circuit Cellar. BYTE Magazine, July & August 1981

The Z8 Basic System Controller is an updated version of our popular BCC01 The price has been reduced and features added. The entire computer is 4" by W and includes a tiny BASIC interpreter, up to 6K bytes of RAM and EPROM, one RS-232C serial port with switchable baud rales and two parallel ports. BASIC or machine language programming is accomplished simply by connecting a CRT terminal. Programs can he transferred to 2732 EPROMs with an optional EPROM programmer for auto start applications. Additional Z8 peripheral boards include memory expansion, serial and parallel I/O. real time clock, an A/D Converter and an EPROM programmer.

• Uses Zilog Z8 single chip microprocessor.

• Data and address buses available lor 124K memory.

• Can be battery operated.

• Cross assemblers for various computers.

BCC11 Assembled & Tested S149.

New Low Price

Z8 MEMORY. I/O EXPANSION. CASSETTE INTERFACE

• 8K bytes ol additional RAM or EPROM.

• Three additional 8 bit parallel ports.

• Cassette interface—300 baud K.C. Standard

• Software real time clock.

BCC03 w/4K RAM Assembled & Tested $150.

BCC04 w/8K RAM Assembled & Tested 180.

Z8 EPROM PROGRAMMER

• Transfer BASIC or Assembly Language application programs from RAM to 2716 or 2732 EPROM.

• Comes with programming & utility routines on EPROM.

• Requires BCC03 Z8 Expansion Board tor operation. BCC07 Assembled & Tested $145.

EXPANSION

• Add up to 16K of additional memory RAM or EPROM, to your Z8 System Controller in any multiple.

• Accepts 2016, 6116, 2716, or 2732 memory types,

• Four 16K cards may be installed on the Z8 System bringing the total memory to 64K.

BCC14 Assembled & Tested w/8K RAM $120.

BCC16 Assembled & Tested w/16K RAM 155.

COMING SOON!

FORTH LANGUAGE VERSION

OF THE Z8

With the new Z8 with on board 4K FORTH you can program high speed control functions in a few simple high level language commands. Perfect for data reduction, process control and high speed control applications.

BCC20 Z8F FORTH Microprocessor chip .... S150. BCC21Z8F FORTH System Controller

(This board is a BCC11 with a BCC20

installed)

Assembled & Tested 280.

Z8 CROSS ASSEMBLERS

From Micro Resources

IBM PC, APPLE, 6502 Systems 5W,

CP/M2.28" $ 75.

Fmm Allen Ashley

TRS-80 Model I, III. Northstar5V4" 75.

CP M 2.2 8 150.

Z8 FIVE SLOT MOTHER BOARD

• Expand your Z8 BASIC System with minimum effort.

• Contains live slots complete w/44 pin connectors. MB02 Assembled & Tested S69.

TRIPLE VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLIES

+5V@300 ma. + / -12V @ 25 ma.

UPS01 Assembled & Tested $35.

UPS02 Complete Kit 27.

+5V@1Amp. + 12V@.5Amp. -12V @ 50 ma.

UPS03 Assembled & Tested 60.

UPSD4 Complete Kit 50.

SPEECH SYNTHESIZERS

MICROVOX TEXT-TO-SP SYNTHESIZER

Z8ANALOG 1 CONVERTER

• Uses Analog Devices 7581 IC. 8-channel 8-bit.

• Adds process control capability to the Z8 system

• Over 1,000 conversions per channel per second.

• Monitors 8 analog signals in one ot two 10v ranges 8CC13 Assembled & Tested $140.

Z8 SERIAL EXPANSION BOARD

• Adds additional RS-232C and oplo-isolated 20 ma. current loop serial port to the Z8 System.

• Runs at 75 to 19.200 baud in all protocols.

• Comes with listings ol sample serial I/O routines. BCC0B Assembled & Tested $160.

As featured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine September, October 1982.

Microvox is a second generation professional voice quality text-to-speech synthesizer that is easily interfaced to any computer, modern. RS-232C serial or parallel output device and provides speech of unbelievable clarity.

• Unlimited vocabulary

• 64 programmable inflection levels.

• 6K text-to-speecri algorithm.

• Full ASCII character set recognition and echo.

• RS232C and parallel output.

• 1000 character buffer. 3000 optional.

• Adjustable baud rates (75-9600).

• Spelling output mode.

• 7 octave music and sound effects.

• On board audio amplilier & power supply.

• X-On X-Ofl handshaking

MV01 Assembled with 1K buffer $299.

MV02 Complete Kit with 1K buffer 219.

Add $15.00 for 3K buffer option.

VOTRAX SC-OIA PHONETIC SPEECH SYNTHESIZER IC

The SC-01A Speech Synthesizer is a completely selfcontained solid state device that phonetically synthesizes continuous speech ol unlimited vocabulary. Used in our Microvox and Sweet-Talker. SCB1A Quantity 1-99 $44. ea.

100+ 32. ea.

WOO i 24. ea.

MICRO D-CAM DIGITAL TV CAMERi

As lealured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine. September & October 1983

GIVE YOUR COMPUTER THE DIMENSION OF SIGHT

• Interprets, enhances and stores images.

• 256 * 128 digital image sensor.

• Plug-in boards lor the IBM-PC, APPLE lit or e

• Soltware includes utilities lor auto exposure, multi-level greyscale. screen dump and image enhancement.

• Includes interlace card, 4 foot extension cable, camera assembly, manual, and software on diskette

DC01 IBM PC Assembled & Tested $299.

DC02 IBM PC Complete Kit 264.

I DC03APPLEIIAssembled*Tested 299.

DC04 APPLE II Complete Kit 264.

TiTii!T:tTI>f J iRiVJ 3 tfl

ORIGINATE MODEM KIT

As lealured in Ciarcia s Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine, March 1983

Micromints latesl 300 Baud Modem Kit is crystal controlled, uses the Tl TMS99532 IC, contains just 25 parts and requires no calibration or adjustments Use with acoustic coupler or in direct connect mode

MD04 Complete Kit as shown $60.

MD05 Transformer tor Direct Connect Mode .. 9.

E-Z COLOR GRAPHIC INTERFACE WITH SPRITES

APPLE IIE Z Color plug -in board with Graphics Editor on 3.3 disk

EZ01 Assembled* Tested $150.

EZ02 Complete Kit 125.

APPLE II E-Z Color Plus

• Allows the use ot a single monitor or TV set.

EZTI Assembled & Tested w Graphics Editor . $200. KBELL LOGO tor E-Z Color and E-Z Color Plus

Supports Sprite Graphics

EZ21 Krell LOGO witalt documentation $89.

Animation Soltware lor E-Z Color Plus

• Draw with Sprites using Joystick or Koala Pad.

• Animate Sprites from your own BASIC program EZ21 Animation Software $49.

S100 E Z Color Graphics Board

• With sound generator 8, pystick interlace.

• MBASIC Graphics Editor on 8" diskette.

EZ04 Assembled & Tested $289.

MICROMINT INC. 561 Willow Avenue. Cedarhurst. NY 11516 To Order: Call Toll Free 1-800-645-3479 For Information Call: 1-516-374-6793 Call: Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM

74LS00

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22

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30

74LS175

90

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.30

74LS181

2.50

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.95

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.95

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.95

.75

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1.55

74LS153

.75

74LS379

1.55

74LS154

.95

74LS381

1.95

74LS155

75

74LS385

1.95

74LS156

75

74LS386

74LS157

75

74LS390

2.55

74LS158

.75

■7a\ ciao I4Lbjyj

1 55

74LS160

75

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1 55

74LS161

75

1.95

/41_b ib<;

75

74LS640

1.95

74LS163

75

74LS668

2.75

74LS164

95

74LS645

1.95

74LS165

95

74LS670

1.50

74LS690

1.50

74S00

74S00

74S02

si

74S03

.30

74S04

.35

74S05

.35

.65

74QnQ

7^Qin

74S11

74S15

95

74S20

.95

74322

74S30

.95

74S32

74S38

QC

74S40

95

74551

95

74S64

95

74S65

74S74

95

74S86

95

74S112

74S113

74S114

25

743124

743133

743134

1 25

743135

1.65

74S136

2.25

74S138

1.25

74S139

1.25

74S140

1.25

74S151

1.25

743153

1 g5

743157

1.95

743158

1.95

743150

7d^1RT

1 95

2.95

_

2.25

_

2.25

3.55

74S194

2.55

74S195

2.55

743225

7 75

2 95

74S241

2 95

743242

743243

2.95

745251

2.25

743253

2.25

743257

1.95

743258

1.95

743250

1.25

743280

2 95

743283

3.95

743287

3.95

743289

4 95

745373

3.95

743374

3.95

74S387

3.95

74S471

4.95

74S472

7.95

74S473

7.95

74S474

9.95

74S475

9.95

MOSS EPRON

2708 2716-450 2732-450 2732-250 2764-450 2764-250 2764-300

27128-250 25.95

TMS2516 4.95

TMS2716 7.95

TMS2532 5.95

5.95 3.95 5.95 6.95 7.95 9.95 9 95

1984 IC Master Manual

$79.95 plus $5.00 shipping

MISC

8031

8035

8039

8085

8086

8087

8088

8155

8212

8237A

8250

8251

8253

8255

8257

8259

8279

8284

8286

8288

8748

6502

68000

STATIC RAM

2101 5101

2114-450

2114-200

2147

6116-4

6116-3

6116-2

6116LP-4

6116LP-3

6116LP-2

2 95 4 95

1 95

2 15 4.95 5.75 6.75 7.95 6.75 6.95 8.95

DYN. RAM

4116-200 4116-150 4116-120 4164-200 4164-150

1.95 2.25 2.95 6.75 6.95

24.95 5.95 12.50 14.95 24.95 189.00 24.95 12.95 3.25 22.95 14.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 5.95 5.95 9.95 9.95 24.95 21.95 55.00 4.95 39.95

SOUND CHIPS

76477 2.95

76489 8.95

AY3-8910 9.95

AY3-8912 12.95

CRYSTALS

32.758khz

1.75

1.0mhz

3.95

1.8432

3.95

2.0

2.95

2.097152

2.95

2.4576

2.95

3.2768

2.95

3 579535

95

4.0

2.95

5.0

2.95

5.0688

2.95

5.185

2.95

5.7143

2.95

6.0

2.95

6.144

2.95

6.5536

2.95

8.0

2.95

10.0

2.95

10.738635

2.95

12.00

2.95

14.31818

2.95

15.0

2.95

16 0

2.95

17.430

2.95

18.0

2.95

18.432

2.95

20.0

2.95

22.1184

2.95

32.0

2.95

GENERAL PURPOSE BOARDS BLANK BOARD — HOLES ON 100" GRID, No ETCHED CIRCUIT EXCEPT CONTACT FINGER

No Conlacts

Size

Contact Centers

Price

P 441-1

22/44

4.5" X 6"

156"

9.95

P 442-1

22/44

4.5" x 9"

.156"

10.95

P 721-1

36/72

4.5" x 6"

100"

995

P 722-1

36/72

4.5" x 9"

.100"

10 95

D— SUBMINIATURE CONNECTORS

Description

Solder Cup

Right Angle PC Mounting J Hood

Pin

Socket

Pin

Socket

Grey

Black

Part No.

DXXP

DXXS

RDXXP

RDXXS

DXXCGY

DXXC

Contacts 9 15 25 37

2 05

2.05 2.50 4.75

2.65 3.60 3.25 7.10

3.90 3 70 4.50 940

3.20

5.40 4.80 10.95

1.55 1.55 1.55 2.95

1 25

50

6.00

925

350

MODEMS

IBM PC SMARTMODEM 1200B. Plug-in 449.00

SMARTCOM II COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE 99.00

SMARTMODEM 300. AUTO ANS/DIAL. 300 BAUD. RS232 199 00

SMARTMODEM 1200. AUTO ANS/DIAL. 1200 BAUD. RS232 475.00

SMARTMODEL lie. 300 BAUD. AUTO ANS/DIAL. Plug-in 249.00 SMARTCOM I COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE 79 00

RESISTORS

V, WATT 5% CARBON FILM FROM 1 OHM TO 10M OHM

50 pes 100 pes 1000 pes 5000 pes

It WATT

50 pes 100 pes 1000 pes 5000 pes

.99

I. 89 9.50

42.50

CARBON FILM

1.25 2.35

II. 50 52.50

.02 ea .019 ea .010 ea .009 ea

.025 ea .024 ea .012 ea .011 ea

Apple Il/lle Compatible Disk Drive

$139.00 CONTROLLER CARD $44.95

JOYSTICK FOR APPLE II $19 95

Joy Stick for IBM P/C

$22.

8087 MATHEMATICS CO-PROCESSOR

$189.

FOR APPLE II & He

16K RAM CARD

Compatible with □OS 3.3 CP/M Visicalc. PASCAL 1 YR WARRANTY

S39.!

Speedy EPROM Programmer lor Apple II $149.00

Programming 2716, 2732. 2732A, 2764. 27128. 2516, 2532, 2564 in 30 seconds, soltware control programming, no additional hardware required.

New Multichannel Hobby Microwave Antenna System Freq. Range: 2.1 - 2.7 GHz

Includes:

1. Wide Band Probe With Down Converter

2. 20" White Painted Dish

3. 60' and 3' Coax Cable Set

4. Steel Case 5 - 20 DCV Tuneable Power Supply

5. Mounting Accessories and Instructions

ALL FOR $97.95

IC SOCKETS

WW = WIRE WRAP

1 -99

100

8 PIN WW

55

.45

14 PIN WW

65

55

16 PIN WW

65

55

18 PIN WW

89

79

20 PIN WW

1 00

90

22 PIN WW

1.15

1.05

24 PIN WW

1 19

1 09

28 PIN WW

1 45

1.35

40 PIN WW

1 89

1 69

LP

LOW PROFILF

6 PIN LP

.10

.09

8 PIN LP

12

10

14 PIN LP

14

.12

16 PIN LP

16

.14

18 PIN LP

18

.16

20 PIN LP

28

26

22 PIN LP

28

24

24 PIN LP

30

26

28 PIN LP

40

32

40 PIN LP

48

38

64 PIN LP

4.10

U/V EPROM ERASER General Industries $37.50

SUPER COOLING FANS For APPLE

WITH SURG $37.50

Build Your IBM™ PC/XT Compatible

DEALER AND at

OEM ARE ^ . .. .

invited Competitive

Completed Pi*! C©5 Unassembled

System aq7

Hardware Only «j> | jQg /

MULTIFUNCTION BOARD

• 2 serial ports. 1 parallel porl real time clock, 64k RAM up to 256k RAM 249.00

• Floppy disk drive controller board 169.00

• Hard disk controller board/OTC 5150BX 299.00

• Color graphic board 219.00

• Monochrome + color + graphic board 299.00

• Panasonics disk drive. 320k, half height 159.00

• Hard disk drive 10 MB/Shugart SA712 699.00

• 100W power supply with fan 169.00

• Case 119.00

• Manual 25.00

• Keyboard 149.00

• High resolution color RGB monitor/Taxan 449.00

• High resolution green monitor/Taxan 129.00

• Monitor stand 19.95

• Hayes 1200B modem 449.00

• Hayes 1200 modem 475.00

• Tandon TM100-2A 199.00

• 64k Memory Expansion Kit 44.95

• 50 5%A Diskeet Store 19.95

MOTHER BOARD:

• 8088 CPU with socket for co-processor 8087

• 8088 is supported by 8259A interrupt controller and 8237 DMA controller

• 2 (two) 28 pin sockets for ROM

• 8 (eight) expansion slots

• No RAM on board (RAM is on multifunction board)

Bare Board 69.00

Ready Board 199.00

(With IC sockets, resistors, capacitors, connectors, crystals, transistors soldered)

Tested Board (w/o ROM) 399.00

IC kit 199.00

IBM is the trademark of International Business Machines. Prices subject to change without notice.

7400 SERIES CALL FORI PRICE

TERMS: For shipping include $2.50 for UPS Ground or $3.50 for UPS Blue Label Air. Items over 2 lbs. require additional shipping charges $10.00 minimum order. COD Additional $2.00 Fee.

IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Apple is a trademark of

Apple Computer.

CAPACITORS

* Ceramic Disc

* Electrolytic

* Tantalum

* Mylar

* Monolithic

Price is subject to change without notice

1-(800) 821-3628

Honilwcllcorp

4962 EL CAMINO REAL • LOS ALTOS. CA 94022 • (415; 962-9265 I TELEFAX (415) 962-8249 TXL 171947 HANDWELL LTOS

Circle 167 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 485

More Computet for Your Calculating Dollar**

Try the New

W&W*na

Introductory Offer

SYS-81 00-00

Standard Features:

•PC-DOS™ Operating System Vers. 2.1

•64K of parity checked RAM, expandable

on-board to 256K •8088 16-bit CPU •5 IBM compatible expansion slots •4 DMA and 3 Timer channels •Up to 32K of EPROM (supplied with full 8K) •DOS BIOS on EPROM •Full size capacitance touch keyboard with

10 function keys and calculator type

numeric keypad

•8087 Math Co-Processor ready

•110-220 VAC, 50-60 Hz

•High resolution, 12" Monitor with Green

Screen and 18MHz bandwidth. •Two Slimline 5Va " DS/DD 48 TPI Floppys

@ 360K storage each. •Floppy Disk Controller expansion card,

runs up to four SS or DD Floppys *ALS0 supports MS-DOS'" and

CP/M-86® Operating Systems •Power Supply is Hard Disk ready, no need

to add-on additional power •Full One Year Parts and Labor Warranty

on all XDS Manufacturing products! '

"Need a 16-bit IBM-PC™ to process your data?"

The first IBM™ compatible that IS compatible! A complete system including the PC-DOS™ operating system from IBM™. Two thinline doublesided 5%" Disk Drives hold 360K of formatted storage each, the othei drive opening is fitted with a close-out plate. Removal of the plate will allow room for a Winchester Hard Disk. The Power Supply is like that of an IBMPC XT™..Hard Disk ready! How compatible is the XPC-XT? It will run 1-2-3™, Flight Simulator™, dBASE II™, WordStar™, SuperCalc™, VisiCalc® and hundreds of others, The system will also support MSDOS™ 1.1 and 2.1, PC-DOS™ 2.2, CP/M-86™ and Unix Operating Systems. Add-on an additional 192K of RAM for a full 256K of on-boarc Memory for only $195.00. This computer comes standard with 2 Seria and 1 parallel ports (IBM™ COM1 and COM2). No need to purchase Add-On cards.

BASIC XPC SYSTEM

If that incredibly LOW Total System price doesn't suit you, try this "Do It Yourself Systam" and take your pick of the wide range of options listed below. The Features: «64K RAM 'Expandable to 256K •4 DMA channels »5 Expansion Slots •Runs MS/DOS™ and CP/M-86™ (not included) •Multi-function Keyboard and Cable _ . •Hard Disk Ready Power Supply Oftly •2 Serial and one Parallel Port •and MORE! •SYS-8000-00

The following are registered Trademarks and their Companys: 1-2-3-Lotus Development Company; MS-DOS PC-DOS. Flight Simulator-MicroSoft; dBase ll-Ashton-Tate; WordStar-MicroPro International Corp.; SuperCalc Sorcim, Inc.; VlsiCalc-VlsiCorp, Inc.; CP/M-86-Digital Research Inc.; IBM, IBM-PC IBM-PC XT-lnternationa Business Machines.

$895

Call or Write for Nearest Dealer and Full Catalog

IBM-TYPE KEYBOARD

IBM-type keyboard. Super touch! (Even nicer than IBM!) L.E.D. indicator for CAPS and NUM LOCK. Also different layout available to conform with Selectrlc.

KEY-1000-00 $139.00

KEY-1024-00 (SEL) $195.00

POWER SUPPLY

Linear Power Supply with fan and power filter. Fits in case above. Uses 140 watts and runs Hard Disk. Mounling hardware and power cord included.

POW-1030-00 $175.00

Also IBM replacement type for Hard Disk. POW-1040-00 $175.00

XOR DATA SCIENCE

MOTHERBOARD

Two IBM-style mother boards, 5-slot and 8-slot. Five-slot has two serial slots and one parallel. Both 256K expandable.

BOA-6000-00 5-slot BOA-6050-00 8-slot

$450.00 $465.00

FLOPPY DRIVES

Your choice; Panasonic or Hitachi. 48-TPI double-sided. Perfect for your IBM-type systems. 90 day warrantee! Shipped same day as ordered! Cables too!

(PAN) DRI-6600-00 $175.00

(HIT) DRl-6650-00 . . $170.00

HARD DISK ADD-ON

Complete Packages

Includes BIOS Software, 5'A" Winchester Hard Disk, mounting hardware, Interface P.C.B. for expansion slot, and all the necessary power and data cables (the Power Supply in the XPC-XT is Hard Disk ready).

10 Megabyte

$995

20 Megabyte

$1295

40 Megabyte

$1795

65 Megabyte

$2495

105 Megabyte

$3295

140 Megabyte

$4195

10-MEG TAPE BACKUP

***$395.00***

Vi" high cassette type tape backup can be added to any HD system by removing one floppy. File managed software includedl Circle 374 on inquiry card,

IBM-TYPE CASE

Two styles to choose from, 5-slot and 8-slr Includes hardware to mount drives and IBI type circuit board, but no Power Supply.

CAB-3050-00 5-slot $110.1

CAB-3060-00 8-slot $110.1

COLOR

M0N0CHR0M

MON-1500-00 $345.00 MON-1000-00 $

(Three models of Color to choose from, each with higher and higher resolution. Price from $345.00 to $750.00. Monochrome Unit Is outstandingly clear and easy on the eyes. In Green or Amber screens.

99.1

BOARDS

FLOP/SCSI/RTC _ COLOR/MONO

19!

BOA-8648-00 {149

MODEM

BOA-8725-00".. .'..$i>8: HARD DISK

BOA-8050-00 .... $325 MEMORY 512KW/64K

BOA-8650-00 .

$195

BOA-8410-00 $289

PROM BURNER

m

BOA-8640-00 $129

MULTIFUNCTION

BOA-8680-00 \TL\

CALENDAR CLOCK

Wm

BOA-8700-00 $99

ufacturing ■ 5791 Machine Drive ■ Huntington Beach, CA 92649 ■ 714/898-033

HOW TO AVOID AN UGLY BOTTOM LINE.

We realize buying a computer is feasible only if it pays for itself. The best way to cost-justify a computer is to have less cost to justify. Our business is supplying your business with the best computing products and services available. Why continue paying more and getting less? If you're not buying from us, you're not taking advantage of the lowest prices, the best technical support and one of the largest inventories anywhere in the nation. The bottom line is: We'll help make your bottom line look even better. CALL US NOW AT 1-800-446-7995 and we'll show you why we're called PROGRESSIVE.

Ef PRICE \3f STOCK Bf SERVICE BT SUPPORT

IBM PC enhancement products. Call for APPLE product prices.

, IBM's 1sl<MQQ

Disk Drives For Less: TANDON TM100-2'*^

HEY XT OWNERS!!! Add a B drive with our HALF HEIGHT SPECIAL!)! Two half height drives, cable, brackets, 1 year

warranty all tor just...,. $329 00r>h <MRQ

Individual HALF HEIGHTS 63011 $103

PEACHTBEE PERIPHERALS P-10 . $1049

This Is the best qualitylOMB half height in the market! Specially designed for the PCs power supply. Comes wit' ROM, 2 year

Printers:

PSON FX-80 (160cps, 10") $499

PSON FX-100 (160cps, 15f') $699

PSON RX-80T (100cps, 10'') $279

PSON RX-100 (100cps, 15") $499

KIDATA ML92(160cps, 10") $439

KIOATA ML93 160cps, 15" $729

KIDATA ML84 200cps, 15") $889

KIDATA PACEMARK 2410 (350cps, 15") $2299

IABL0 P38 (400cps, 15") $1699

EMINMOX (120cps, 10") $279

EMINI15X (120cps, 15"). $429

ATAPRODUCTS 8000 SERIES (dot matrix, LQ) CALL

DSHIBA P1340 (LQ dot matrix, 10") $799

3SHIBA P1351 (LQ dot matrix, 15") , $1499

1-855 (LQ dot matrix w/font cart) $799

PSON LQ-1500 (LQ dot matrixjcomplete $1299

IABL0 630API (40cps LQ) $1699

IABL0 630ECS (192 chars on wheel) $1999

EC 2050 (Durable, low cost LQ) $929

EC3550(33cps LQ) $1699

EC 7730 55cpsLQ $1999

.ITOH STARWRITER (40cps LQ) $1049

.ITOH PRINTMASTER (55cps LQ) $1449

UME SPRINT 1140 (40cps LQ) $1399

UME SPRINT 1155 (55cps LQ $1599

ROTHER HR-25 (20cps LQ, 15") $699

YNAX DX-15 (17cps, LQ, 10") $499

iard Disk Drives:

YSGEN10MB HARD DISK (w/streamer) $2399

YSGEN 20MB HARD DISK (w/streamer) $2899

YSGEN IMAGE (Back-up for XT) $849

ECMAR10+ 5,15+ 5,33 +5MB exp chassis) from $2699

EACHTREE PERIPHERALS 10MB internal hard disk $1049

AV0NG10, 20, 30, 40MB from$1599

IFAX removable 10 & 20 MB flexible media drives CALL

Multifunction Boards:

ItraRAK by TSENG LABS BEST PRICE

RCHID BLOSSOM (64-384K S.RC/C, opt PC Net)... from$269

ST 6-PAK (64-384K,S,P,C/C,opt G) from $279/524

ST MEGA + (64-512K*,S,C/C,opt S.P.G) from $269

3T I/O PLUS (S,C/C,opt S.P.G) from $129

UADMASTER ll(64K-384K,S,P,G,C/C) from $289/534

ECMAR CAPTAIN (64-384K,S,P,C/C) from $269

ABY BLUE II (64-256K,Z80B,2S,P,C/C) from $499

ERSYST Time Spectrum (64-384K,S,P,Cc, 2 yr. wrty) ... $269

Display Cards:

PERSYST BoB (finally clear text on a color monitor) CALL

STB GRAPHIX PLUS Mono, color, par) $389

PROFIT MULTIGRAPH (Mono, color, opt par) $379

TECMAR GRAPHICS MASTER (640x400 + mono) $499

QUAD COLOR I and II (Color, hi/res opt)ea $219

AMDEK MAI (Mono, color, par, w/HALO) $369

PARADISE (Mono, color, par) $399

HERCULES (Hi/res mono, runs LOTUS) $349

AST MonoGraphPlus (New from AST) $379

PLANTRONICS Colorplus (Hi/res w/color magic) $379

Monitors:

AMDEK COLOR IV (720x480 bright colors) $549

AMDEK COLOR II + (Color monitor) $399

AMDEK 300 A and G (Amber or Green) $149/$139

AMDEK 310A (Ambers IBM's price) $179

PGS SR-12 690x480 non-interlaced) $599

PGS HX-12 (690x480 interlaced) $479

PGS MAX-12 (720x350 mono) $189

TAXAN RGBvision (Hi/res color monitors) BEST PRICE

Modems:

HAYES 300 baud external $209

HAYES 1200 (300 or 1200 baud ext) $489

HAYES 1200B (300 or 1200 baud int w/soft) $419

HAYES Compatibles CALL

CIP (New and fantastic!) CALL*

DAYFLOW (New type of database) CALL*

LATTICE C COMPILER (Version 2.1) $299

DIGITAL RESEARCH (All products) CALL

MICROSOFT (All products) CALL

DOW JONES All products) CALL

IUSA/R,A/P,G/L $299

FINANCIER II $119

DECISION RESOURCES CHART MASTER $259

BPS BUSINESS GRAPHICS $259

Z-SOFT PC PAINTBRUSH w/FRIEZE GRAPHICS $99

PROKEY VERSION 3.0 $99

SET-FX for your EPSON $45

NORTON UTILITIES $59

COPY II PC by CENTRAL POINT $35

COMPUSERVE STARTER KIT $35

SIDEWAYS by FUNK SOFTWARE $49

HAYES SMART COM II $89

CROSSTALK XVI by MICROSTUF $109

NEW MACINTOSH PRODUCTS CALL

Chips (Always in stock):

64K RAM CHIP MEMORY UPGRADE (set of 9) fcil ft

full 90 day warranty 0*+3

WE ARE CHIP BROKERS, ASK FOR QUANTITY PRICES

I ; : :

Networks:

ORCHID PC NET PLUS NODE CARDS $399

OTHER BRAND NAMES AVAILABLE BEST PRICES-CALL

Miscellaneous:

INTEL 8087 COPROCESSOR (High speed math) $199

ISOBAR SURGE PROTECTORS (4 & 8 plug) $59/$79

KEYTRONIC 5151 KEYBOARD (Sep. cursor keys) $199

IRMA by OCA (3278 Terminal Emulation) $949

IRMALINE (Remote Emulation) CALL

MOUSE SYSTEMS (Optical mouse, runs LOTUS) $199

POWER BACK-UP (200 & 425 watts) $269/$499

ORCHID PC TURBO (80186 coprocessor) CALL

NEW IBM PRICES!!

IBM PC W/64K, 1 360K drive, controller $1650

IBM PC W/256K, 2 360K drives, controller,

IBM PC W/256K, 2 360K drives, controller, Monochrome/Printer adapter, Amdek310A.

IBM PC W/256K, 2 360K drives, controller, Color/Graphics adapter, PGS HX-12

$1995

IBM PC W/256K, 2 Yi ht. 360K drives, controller, Peachtree Peripherals 10MB hard disk

(These systems are brand new, shipped fully tei in, fully warranteed for 90 days AND ARE AIWA'

.$2995

PROGRESSIVE MICRO

DISTRIBUTORS

"IBM PC System Enhancement Is Our Business ...Personal Service Is Our Commitment."

FOR ORDERS ONLY

ORCHID PC TURBO (80186 coprocessor) CALL -i Ann MAC f ft ft C

MICROFAZER (8-128K print buffer) from $139 1 -OUU"440- / HSIU

BRET SALTER'S new debug board w/software CALL " Z. JLX-T^

Software:

SYMPHONY (New from LOTUS) BEST PRICE

FRAMEWORK (New from ASHTON-TATE) CALL

MULDMATE (Emulates WANG dedicated WP) $299

SAMNA ("Ultra-WANG") BEST PRICE

WORDSTAR PRO-PAK (New version) $349

PFS Write, Report, File and Graph each $99

OPEN ACCESS (Proven Integrated Package) CALL

dBASE IIA III (From Ashton-Tate) $299/CALL

KNOWLEDGEMAN (Version 1.06) $299*

RBASE 4000 & 6000 (Enhance them w/CLOUT) .... from $329* POWER BASE (Relational, hierarchical) $379*

for further information and technical support

1-404-446-7995

HOURS: 9AM to 9PM EST (Sat/Sun-10AM to 6PM EST)

7000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Norcross, Georgia 30071 All prices are subject to change.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Macn/nes.

*New dBASE alternatives

Circle 300 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 'BYTE 487

FUJI FILM FLOPPY DISK

The Heavy-Duty Disks

MD1D-Single Sided-Double Density

box of 10 ea.

Special 17.95 A

Reg. $46.50

MD2D- Double Sided-Double Density

box of 10 ea.

21.90A

Reg. $70.50 Special

Precision Data Products

P.O. Box 8367 Grand Rapids, Ml 49508 Outside U.S.A. (616) 452-3457 Michigan 1-800-632-2468 Outside Michigan 1-800-258 0028

C.O.D. fiES/

r

Add 10% surcharge for less than 50 diskettes. Shipping and Handling $3.00/100 or less diskettes. Ml residents, add 4% sales tax. C.O.D. add $2.00.

Scotch Diskettes

Rely on Scotch* diskettes to keep your valuable data sale. Dependable Scotch d iskettes are tested and guaranteed error-tree. The low abrasivity saves your read/write heads. They're compatible with most diskette drives

(800)235-4137

Dealer Inquiries Invited

PACIFIC EXCHANGES

KM) FfNJthill Blvd San Luis Obispo OA 4 14(11 In Oil cM

iWKiiS'i2.ym

• ROBOTS

• PROCESS CONTROL

• CONVEYORS

• ONE PORT RUNS UP TO FOUR MOTORS

"Use your computer with "the CDFR controller to com" mand speed and direction of two independent motors from a single output port For robot drive motors or any two functions requiring proportional bipolar control of 15 Vdc up to 12 Amps each Normally the controller installs between the computer, a 12 Vdc battery, and two DC PM motors mounted right and left on a robot. Simple software commands set speed and direclion latches in the CDFR thus freeing your computer for other tasks. Two CDFR's control four motors with a single port The CDFR speed control uses CMOS, optoisolators & relayless PWM power circuitry One year limited warranty. Buy now with parallel interface for $225.00, or serial for $315.00. Other robotics components available. MC, VISA. MO, or check.

VANTEC

15445 VENTURA BLVD.. SUITE 10-281 ■MB SHERMAN OAKS. CA 91413 !■£■» (818) 9934073

1

Circle 390 on inquiry card.

Circle 287 on inquiry card.

Circle 357 on inquiry card.

INGENIOUS ONE-WORD COMMANDS Save Unbelievable Time and Programming For Managers, Programmers

diak/prep/pontagF/rundliriR charge* from etery price belov! Add it back OHLY (MCE per order, and you SAVE

— Postpone computer-bound talks (Hating!, I you go to lunch. Type "H3V", and the cob put doea the* all. Send all console output to plinti

PlPa, ccapilea) r rennbera and

r if deaircd.

leatructure old data Eilea. inaert deu characteri tod quotes Eor Hail Merge), etc. Print formatted reports to 1ST: in under one ■ inuie. Shuffle keyboard data into £>r)"7 ructured filea within aeconda of deaiRn. IWTJIED1BLT VEHSATtLK! oZ/ rm «.PBO "T/?T/BA" "July" "tv" "teleriaion"

1

propnaala (com July to ae ■ >wer-caae, in amltipl li. Ifileal lexcepi

"[den

ltiple phra

ill

itches anything. $17

1 igs; ggj gfij -1 mtm<m

COHMAMD LIKE to do thioga like this: "FOSALL file* changed 1*0), list thea, copy tbew to B:. and auirk them archived." M». liata of changea, transcription logs, vera100 liita,

With ANY teat editor, construct aiiaple free-fo™ nenua for any aequence or type* of coaandi, chaining to subordinate

. loop., cond it inula, etc. Training courses, S45 deu>, or nor on-friendly application* AHYDHE can CURATE I HI BIT B:«.MS ^ WordStar turned on parity b:

rind thcai PAST, ■

$22

*$12

— Put diaka in A: with no CP/H, or different-aim CP/K. Crut for a ingle-floppy ayscess, hsrd-disk ayagen and backup, ■tc. Or juat to keep CO" resident snd faster, or Ctrl-P turned ■1 throughout s SUBMIT, or aee CCP under EOT. nothing kill a it. $45

...AH) HOUt CLEW CCKVBIUKXS rUM $7 to $45!

■id back Sl'l JUST CPCE for product ion/ order pmceaaing/abippirsj: C 1 Q ■Id }(. sore Lf oweraeaa. kts reaideata add 41. s* I at

315-564-6213 Donohue&Ca

1 ok S3

COMPUTER SERVICES P.O. Box 255 Hannibal, Kew York 13074

Logic

Simulation System

Type: 4 state unit delay

(l,0,unknown,hi-z) Input: ASCII files or keyboard entry

User defined macros

Circuit description

Named nodes

Signal sources, patterns

Full editing

Output: Timing diagram {screen/printer) Loading report (fanout) Circuit listings

For MS-DOS, CP/M

Price $175

Tatum Labs

P.O. Box 698

Sandy Hook, CT 06482

(203) 426-2184

CONVERSES COMPUTER

AT LAST! A FULL IMPLEMENTATION ol Ihe original ELIZA program is now available to run on your microcomputer!

Created at MIT in 1966. ELIZA has become the world's most celebrated artificial intelligence demonstration program. ELIZA is a non-directive psychotherapist who analyzes each statement as you type it in and then responds with tier own comment or question—and her remarks are olten amazingly appropriate!

Designed to run on a large mainframe. ELIZA has never before been available to personal computer users except in greatly stripped down versions lacking the sophistication which made the original program so fascinating.

Now. our new microcomputer version possessing the FULL power and range of expression of the original is being offered at the introductory price of only J25. And if you want lo find out how she does it lor teach her to do more), we will include the complete SOURCE PROGRAM for only S20 additional.

Order your copy of ELIZA loday and you'll never again wonder how to respond when you hear someone say. 'Okay, let s see what this computer of yours can actually do!"

ELIZA IS AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING FORMATS: 1.5X inch disk for the 48K Apple II. II Plus, lie or III $25 lor Protected Version-S45 for Applesoft Source Version

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH GROUP

i^^sbi 921 North La Jofla Avenue. Dept. B r^mtmmmmmt )

^TJ!^^ Los Angeles. CA 90046 rflRHbt

mmJ^^^ 1213)656-7368 {2131654-2214 ,Ujjjgj||j|pr

t^^^^^H.1 MC, VISA and checks accepted L^^^^??_J

Circle 391 on inquiry card.

Circle 343 on inquiry card.

Circle 28 on inquiry card.

MEMORY MODULES

8Kx8 CMOS RAM

Radio Shack Model 100 NEC PC-8201A Olivetti M10

j Suggested List $120.00.

Purple Price $59,95

j Low power CMOS design. j Simple installation.

j 30 day satisfaction guarantee or your money back. j 1 Year warranty.

j Next day shipment via UPS included in price. j Optional Memory Test program $15. (Cassette) j No trills direct connect Modem Cable - $9.95 Shipping: From stock. Free UPS surface Cont. USA — Add $4.00 for UPS 2 day Air - Add $7.00 for Canada — Payment VISA. Master Card, or American Express. Checks held 14 days — Tai: 6% (Calif only).

CALL NOW visa

Master Card

PURPLE COMPUTING American Express

2068 Ventura Blvd. 1 -1800)732-5012 Camarillo, CA 93010 Calif (805) 987-4788

• FULL C COMPILER PER KS.R

• Inline 8087 or Assembler Floating Point

• Full 1 MB Addressing for Code or Data

• Transcendental Functions

• MSDOS 1.1/2.0 LIBRARY SUPPORT

• Program Chaining using Exec

• Environment Available to Main

• c-windowTM C SOURCE CODE DEBUGGER

• Variable Display S. Alteration Using C Expression

• FAST 8088/8086 ASSEMBLER Combined Package — S199

Call or write:

c-systems

P.O. Box 3253 . TM c-systems

Fullerton, CA 92634 714-637-5362

51/4" DISK DRIVES

TANDON: TM 100-2

Double Sided. 40 TRK/Side "209

TANDON: TM 100-1

Single Sided. 40 TRK 81 69

CDC: 9409

Double Sided, 40 TRK/Side '209

• 120 Day Warranty

• Free Shipping

• No Charge For Credit Cards

• Order Toll Free

1-800-531-5475 (Outside Of Texas)

(512) 250-1489 (In Texas) Texas Residents Add 5% Sales Tax.

CompuRdd co-p

12103 Technology Blvd. Austin, Texas 78727

Circle 304 on inquiry card.

Circle 69 on Inquiry card.

COMPUTER DISCOUNT PRODUCTS

Stocking HUGE Inventories of APPLE & IBM Products SINCE 1977 ★ GUARANTEED Fair Pricing Is Our Policy *

DISKETTES

10

1M

DYSAN 5' SS/DD

31.99

299.99

OYSAN 5' DS/DD

38.99

3E9.99

MAXELL 5' SS/DD

27.99

259.99

MAXELL 5' DS/DD

37.99

359.99

VERBATIM 5' SS/DD

24.99

235.99

VERBATIM 5" DS/DD

35.99

344.99

MEMOREX 3Vi'

(MAC)

41.99

ALPHABET ZOO. HEY DIDDLE

U19.99

DELTA DRAWING

32.99

FACEMAKER

21.99

FRACTION FEVER

21.99

KINDERCOMP

19.99

MOST AMAZING THING

26.99

RHYME S RIDDLE

19.99

SNOOPER TROOPS I 5 II

27.99

STORY MACHINE

21.99

^^■1 J' ] i H 1 j [ -11 i f^T

FCM/FLIsl CLASS MAIL (AP)

59.99

FCM/FL Isl CLASS MAIL (IBM)

71.99

HOME ACCOUNTANT (AP)

44.99

HOME ACCOUNTANT* (IBM)

84.99

PROPERTY MGMT (AP. IBM]

299.99

TAX ADVANTAGE (Ap)

39.99

TAX ADVANTAGE (IBM)

49.99

ULTRAFILE (IBM)

119.99

HOME ACCOUNTANT

lle/c 57.99

| Mac 75.99

SYSTEM SAVER

• Surge Suppression

• Fits Apple Sti d

• Dual Outle U.L Listed

inFocom

65

DEADLINE. ENCHANTER

ea32.99

PLANETFALL

32.99

SUSPENDED, WITNESS

6832 99

ZORK MII/STARCROSS

ea24.99

SEASTALKER

31.99

SORCERER

37.99

DlSKBANK

DAPPLE

= SOFTWARE

1 BPI (GL AP, AR. PAY, INV)

88275.99 1

1 BRODERBUND Arcade Machine

39.99 1

1 Bank Street Writer

44.99

1 Drol, Loderunner

8824,99

1 Prim Shop

SCALL

1 DLM Alien Addition. Alligator Mix

ea27.99

1 Demolition Division

27.99

1 Dragon Mix

27.99 1

1 Meteor Multiplication

27.99

1 Minus Mission

27.99 1

1 Verb Viper/Word Invasion

ea37.99 1

1 Word Radar/Spelling Wi2

ea37,99 1

1 EDUWARE Algebra Mil

ea31.99

1 Counting Bee

23.99 1

1 Decimals / Fractions 3 0

e.134.99 1

1 Hands on Basic

S1.99 1

1 PSATWordAtlack

19.99 I

1 SAT Word Attack

39.99 1

1 JACK REPORT

74.99

1 KENSINGTON Format II

109,99 1

1 LEARNING CO Bumble Games

2S.99 1

1 Bumble Plot/Magic Spell

6126.99 1

1 Gertrudes Puzzle/Secret

0829.99 1

1 Moptown Parade/Hotel

ea26 99 1

1 Rocky's Boots

34.99 1

1 MASTERTYPE

31.99 1

1 MICROLAB Miner 20-49er

27.99 1

1 MICROSOFT Mulliplan

165.99 1

1 ODESTA Chess

45.99 1

1 Odin

37.99 1

1 PFS Report

95.99

1 File

95.99 1

1 Graph

85.99 1

1 Write

85.99 1

1 SENSIBLE SPELLER

79.99 1

1 SUBLOGIC Nighl Mis. Pinball

32.99 1

1 Flight Simulator II

37.99 1

ULTIMA III

39.99 1

| DOLLARS & SENSE (lle/c)

75.99 |

SYSTEM

51/4"

£p HOLDS 50

s $22

ACCESSORIES

1 FLIP'N FILE (original)

14.99

1 FLIP'N FILE w/Locklray (25)

17.99

1 FLIP'N FILE w/Locklray (50)

27.99

1 HAYES 300 Baud Smartmodem

199.99

1200 Baud Smarimodem

474.99

1 LIBRARY CASE

1.99

1 KENSINGTON PC Saver

29.99

1 PRINTERS C-ITOH

379.99

1 Epson FX80

549.99

| Epson RX80

329.99

1 Okidala 82-93

SCALL

1 PRINTER STAND Sm (plxgls)

24.99

1 PRINTER STAND Lg (plxgls)

29.99

1 RIBBONS-Brolta

SCall

MX & FX 80

4.99

MX & FX 100

7.99

OKI 82. 83. 92. 93 & Gemini

2.99

FINGERPRINT: Epson Upgrade

RX, FX, MX 44.99

^APPLE ^HARDWARE

Vi HEIGHT DRIVE AUTO REPEAT KEY BASIS 108

DAN PAYMAR Lower Case l (rev 1-6)

Lower Case 2 (rev 7) EASTSIDE Wildcard II HAYES Micromodem lie KOALA PAD KRAFT Joystick

MICRO-SCI A-2 Drive MICROSOFT Soltcard MOUNTAIN Ramplus t 32K MOCKINGBOARD ORANGE MICRO Grapplet 4

Buflerboard

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Salum 64K

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Neplune 64K TG Joystick

Paddles THUNDERCLOCK

219.99 19.99 SCALL 25.99 19.99 111.99 235.99 85.99 44.99 31.99 209.99 229.99 159.99 109.99 119.99 119.99 179.99 24.99 379.99 279.99 449.99 199.99 34.99 25.99 99.99

RECENT RELEASES — $CALL

Pricing Not Available At Press Time! ORANGE MICRO For Your IBM PC Mr. Chips - 4 Func. Board • Chipmunk - 9 Func. Board TRILLIUM Adventure Games For Apple Farenheit 451 • Rendezvous with Rama • Shadowkeep WINDHAM CLASSICS Adventure Games For Apple & IBM Wizard of Oz • Gulliver's Travels • Swiss Family Robinson

ALPHA Typelaces 79.99

ASHTON TATE dBase II 399.99

Friday 164.99

Encyclopedia 59.99

AST I/O Plus SCALL

Mega Plus 289.99

Six Pack Plus 279.99

BRODERBUND Serpentine 26.99

Lode Runner 24.99

CAI Masle-s oa31.99

Subiecls ea16.99

CROSSTALK 139.99

EDUWARE Algebra I 34.99

HAYES 120OB Modem 439.99

JOYSTICK Krall or TG 44.99

LIFETREE Volkswriter 119.99

LOTUS 1-2-3 SCALL

MASTERTYPE 34.99

MICROIA8 Miner 20-49er 27.99

MICROSOFT Flighl Simulator 35.99

Mouse 129.99

Mulliplan 165.99

MONOGRAM Dollars 8 Sense 119.99

NORTON Utilities 55.99

PC CRAYON 49.99

Tutor 47.99

PFS Write 99.99

File 99.99

Report 89.99

Graph 99.99

SIERRA ON-LINE Frogger 26.99

SIR-TECH Wizardry 44.99

SUBLOGIC Night Mis. Pinball 32.99

TEAC V, Height DS/DD Drive 239.99

TITAN 64K BOARD 499.99

VISICORP. Visicalc 164.99

Schedule. ea199.99

PLANTRONICS ColorPlus 375.99

Siena

ON-LINE f/M

FROGGER (Ap)

L?

21.99

GENERAL MANAGER

146.99

HOME WORD

49.99

SCREENWRITER II

81.99

ULTIMA II

36.99

BC QUEST FOR TIRES

27.99

OILS WELL

23.99

ALPHA PLOT

24.99

APPLE MECH.. FLEX TEXT

aa19.99

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M24.99

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15.99

FRAME-UP

16.99

GPLE

32.99

PRONTO DOS

19.99

TIP DISK #1

14.99

TYPEFACES

14.99

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19.99

QUADRAM

APIC (APPLE /// PARALLEL) 129.99

eRAM 80 column 64K HE SCALL

MICROFAZER 8K Parallel 139.99

MICROFAZER 8K Serial 159.99

QUAD512 + 164K) 219.99

QUADBOARD I or II (No K) 219.99

QUADBOARD I 0/ II (64K) 269.99

OUADCOLORI 205.99

QUADCOLOR I UPGRADE 209.99

Quality

Memory Chips! SCALL

ENHANCER II FUNCTION STRIP HARDSWITCH MICR0MODEM CHIP PSI0

PRE-800TS Apple Writer Apple Writer tor Ullraterm Visicalc

Visicalc/Memory Expansion Visicalc lor Uilrale/m

SOFTSWITCH

ULTRAPLAN

ULTRATERM

VIDEOTERM w/SS + INV

99.99 34.99 16.99 24.99

169.99 14.99 23.99 39.99 71.99 54.99 25.99

SCALL

MONITORS

AMDEK300A Apple

159.99

USIPM

9 "Green 20 mh

99.99

AMDEK 310A IBM

179.99

USIPi2

12" Green 20 mh

119.99

PRINCETON Max-12

189.99

US! Pi 3

12" Amber 20 mh

129.99

PRINCETON RGB HX-12

475.99

USI Pi 4

9" Amber 20 mh

109.99

1 TAXAN 420 RGB

489.99

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279.99

. ■ , ' ■ ■

-SINCE 1977RETAIL SHOWROOMS IN CALIFORNIA:

San Jose* (408) 241-2300 San Mateo* (415) 571-1658 San Francisco • (415) 626-2244

INFOSTAR MAILMERGE SPELLSTAR WORDSTAR WORDSTAR PRO PRO OPTIONS PACK

Novation

103 Smart Cat 103/212 Auto Cat J Cat

Access 123 (IBM)

169.99 Applecatll 249.99

399.99 Applecat Upgrade 1200 Baud 309.00

99.99 Cat Modem 135.99

454.99 Expansion Module 29.99

COMPUTER DISCOUNT PRODUCTS

860 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose, California 95128

MAIL, PHONE, WILL-CALL SERVICE FROM FROM 6AM (PST)

- CALL (408) 985-0400

• No Charge For Credit Cards

• Prices Subject To Change

• Software Sales Are Final

• International Orders Welcome

• Min. UPS Chg. $4 + Ins.

• Min. US Postal Chg. $10

• P.O's Welcome - SCALL

AJVIbplCAMl

§00

Circle 79 on inquiry card.

Maxell Floppy Disks

The Mini-Disks with maximum quality.

II! I

Dealer inquiries invited. CO.D's accepted Call FREE (800) 235-4137.

PACIFIC EXCHANGES

100 Foothill Blvd.. San Luis San Luis Obispo. CA 93401. InCal. call (800) 592-5935 or (805)543-1037.

Circle 287 on inquiry card.

—

Custom Wire Your RS-232 Interface

B&B's RS-232 JUMPER R0X is a compact unit with male and female connectors, each with 25 pins going to 25 solder pads. Custom wiring permits building of many different interfaces, null modems, pin reversers, etc. Unit has 20 jumper wires.

ORDER NOW. Only $24.95. Add $1.75 for shipping (IL res. add 6% tax). MC, Visa accepted. Ask for Free Catalog. Phone: (815)-434-0846. Make checks payable to:

&B electronics

MANUFACTURING COMPANY

P.O. Box 1008B, OTTAWA, IL 61350

IBM® PC Compatible

Cue

E-PROMS — Call1 Lowest Prices Anywhere

*4164-150/200 480

2764-250 675

6116-LP3 4"

HMM256K Call for quote

TTL Paris —now avail Call

Disk Drives: (FO.B. Tampa)

*TM-100-2 16995

*Half-Heights-2 16995

*10 mb Microscience w/cable & controller 959"

Add $3.95 shipping to all orders • Prices subject lo change • PO.'s on approval • C.O.D. OK • All new. no

surplus, no seconds, QUANTITY DISCOUNTS. 4920 Cypress St., Ste. 100, Tampa, FL 33607

In FL and for info, call 813-875-0299 FOR ORDERS ONLY, 800-237-8910

8AM-7PM EDT

Circle 38 on Inquiry card.

Circle 288 on inquiry card.

Apple ll/lle®

Robotic Development Package jg£

$365

2 Axis ™P Stepper Motor System

• A6 T/D Plug-in Interface (PMS 23)

• R2 D23 Driver with (2) Size 23 Motors (35 oz. in.)

• Positioning Command with Ramping from Applesoft* BASIC

Also Available with: OCQC

• (2) Size 34 Motors (220 oz. in.) & QUSU R2 D34 Dual Axis Driver (PMS 34)

• Power Supply for PMS 23 System, 12/24V-2A/5V-1A Reg

$145

ROGERS LABS (714)751-0442

2710 S. Croddy Way, Santa Ana, CA 92704

Apple ll/lle®

Industrial Control Plug-In Boards

(SOFTWARE INCLUDED)

Opto Isolated A32 I/O Board

• Individually Configurable ^

• Compatible with SSR Modules JKj/S

• Opto-lsolated Interrupt Inputs V*» ■ V

2 Axis Stepper Motor Interface

• Positioning Control Ana*

• Pulse Counting/Timing iDtoU

• Frequency Measurements ▼■•if V

ROGERS LABS (714)751-0442

2710 S. Croddy Way, Santa Ana, CA 92704

State-Of-The-Art

INTELLIGENT PRINTER BUFFE

*TWO printers controlled simultaneously lists and buffer)

Circle 312 on Inquiry card.

Circle 3I3 on inquiry card.

INTELLIGENT, mi 'ABORTSajobinsti

instantly 'CHECKS status of avail, memory 'TWO-WAY communication unique ASCII command structure.

SMARTY is available with either Centronics or serial interface and 64K or 256K of RAM. SMARTY is also available as a board level product for integration into your system or in an attractive 5" x 7" box with its own power supp ly. Suggested retail price: $349.00. Major credit cards accepted. Call for dealer and OEM discounts!

Phoenix Electronic Development Corporation 618 Venice Boulevar Marina del Rey, CA (213) 827-2511

Circle 291 on inquiry card.

Are You Interested In

COMPILERS

And How They Operate?

Edison-80: A CP/fvT-80 compatible system based on Per ESrinch Hansen's Edison compiler, includes:

• Complete run time source and execution code

• 8" SS/SD Diskette

• Edison-80 User Manual

• Hansen's "Programming A Personal Computer" (Including complete compiler source)

$49.95

Available Only From SEQUITUR SOFTWARE

P.O. Box 411 Excelsior, MN 55331

IlllBSw 179 00

TAND0N 100-2 V g oQ

COC9409 Q0 SHUGARTSM55

COLOR GRAP«,C 159 00 BOARD

VERBAL DISKETTES

SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER

ZINGER ONE

INS 8073 CPU WITH TINY BASIC INCL. 2K RAM EXPANDABLE TO 12K ON BOARD

RAM/ROM INTERCHANGEABLE EXPANDABLE TO 56K RAM/ROM OFF BOARD EEPROM PROGRAMMER ON BOARD 24 LINE 3 PORT PARALLEL I/O (8255) REQUIRES + 5V @ 300 MA ONLY ON BOARD SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY EIA - RS 232 I/O PORT IDEAL FOR CONTROL OR ROBOTICS **** $119.95 ASMBLD & TESTED ****

ZINGER INTERFACE BOARD

MAY BE PURCHASED WITH ANY OR ALL COMB. 276 WORD SPEECH SYNTHESIZER 8 CHANNEL A/D CONVERTER REAL TIME CLOCK WITH BATT. BACKUP 24 LINE 3 PORT PARALLEL I/O (8255)

64 KEY KEYBOARD INTERFACE 8 CHAR ALPHA/NUMERIC DISPLAY INTERRUPT REGISTER ON ALL DEVICES COMMODORE VIC 20 ADAPTER AVAILABLE

SCHULZ ENTERPRISES INC

1285 LAS TUNAS DR. SAN GABRIEL, CA 91776 (818) 287-5067

Circle 286 on inquiry card.

Circle 318 on inquiry card.

ue - We Did It!

on't be foolish. Buy Direct!

g for a printer? The OK I DATA 82A for $300 will put an end to that!

OUR PC FLYS

IBM Compatible'

Simply a better PC All models

available for immediate delivery

Call Lowest S

SPIRIT Call Best Seller

Mannesmann Tally

. Standard — 7x9 160 CPS

• NLQ — 40 x 18 40 CPS

• 2K Buffer and Tractor Standard

160 L 80 col. Call Best Seller

180 L 132 col. Call Best Seller

LOWEST Price In U.S.

IDS

• Proportional Spacing

• 8 Character Styles

• 200 CPS Bi Directional

• Color Optional

• Sheet Feed • Graphics

• 3.4K Buffer Prism 80

Prism 132 and Micro Prism S Call

Red Hot Special I

Novation J-CAT

. 300 BPS Modem

• Originate/Auto Answer

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ALTOS PANASONIC

SANYO TOPAZ TRANSTAR

FREEDOM HAYES NOVATION VDS EAGLE RITE MAN

OMNITEC VENTEL AMDEK

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TAXAN DIABLO

NEC EPSON STAR GEMINI

ERA-2

OKIDATA SOFTWARE COMREX DAISYWRITER JUKI WYSE

Use Your AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD!

For Price Quotes and Ordering Call:

1-800-328-8905

For Technical Information and Arizona Orders, Call: 602-949-8218

For Shipping and Order Status Information, Call: 602-990-7556

LIBE

WIDGET ADDS DEC C. ITOH SILVER-REED MANY OTHERS

Everything in computer related products:

• Computers

• Modems

• Printers

• Software Monitors Terminals Accessories

GROUP, Inc.

4226 N. Saddlebag Trail • Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Pncei listed reftea a cash discount and are subject to change without notice We welcome Certified and Cashiers Checks, Bank Wires and Money Orders C O D s are shipped with a minimum COD charge Allow 3- 7 days for personal checks to clear Product is subject to availability Equipment is in factory sealed boxes with manufacturer's warranty There will be a re-stockmg charge for returned merchandise Call first tor an RMA number Software not warranteed for suitability No return of Software which has been opened Add 2% for shipping & handling charges fmirnmum $2 50) Ali equipment smpped F o B Scotodale. A* 8S25, ^ 2Q9 Qn inqu|ry ^

S

SOFTWARE TRA1N1NQ

ON VIDEO TAPE

CPM IBM-PC TRS-DOS XENIX

Multiple Regression

Stepwise

Ridge

All Subsets

Backward Elimination Time Series Analysis Descriptive Statistics Transformations

* Survey Research " Nonparametrics

* X-Y Plots

* ANOVA

* Random Samples

* Data Base

* Search & sort

* Hypothesis tests

Please call TOLL FREE 1-800-334-0854 (Ext. 814)

a

for more information or write: Quant Systems Box 628 Charleston, SC 29402 VISA-M/C Accepted

Circle 393 on inquiry card.

Circle 306 on inquiry card.

Serial Parallel

Convert What You Have To What You Want!

' RS232 Serial * Centronics Parallel

* 9 Baud Rales * Handshake Signals

• Latched Outputs ' Compact 3Y, x 4\ x 1!4

No longer will your peripheral choices be jlmlled by the type of port you have available! Our new High Performance 700 Series Converters provide the missing link. Based on the latest In CMOS technology these units feature full baud rate selection to 19.2K, with handshake signals to maximize transfer efficiency. Detailed documentation allows simplified installation. Order the Model 770 (Ser/Par) or Model 775 (ParVSer) Today!

Bulfar Products Coming Soon!

J/iiEiTranfcs

y*89.

95

1501-8 Pino Slrasl Poit Office Box 2233 O.naid. California 33030

Connaclor Option ilO.OO CA Raaldanta 6% ux UPS Shipping 13.00

CALL (805) 487-1665 or 487-1666 For FAST Delivery ,

Circle 147 on inquiry card.

MICROEAR

VOICE COMMAND FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS

MICROEAR is a speech recognition unit that allows you to talk to any personal computer with an RS232 serial port. It comes with a wall mount power supply and microphone.

MICRO*EAR features include: ■CMOS 65C02

• 4K of CMOS ROM contains all programming •Speaker dependent with 98% word recoginition

accuracy (training required)

• Upload/download word groupings

• 255 words

•16K of fast battery backed CMOS RAM •Words recognized in milliseconds •Automatic 110/300/1200 baud rate selection •Complete instructions, schematics, operational hints, and demo software included

arctecjsustems' Ca// or write tor information rnniirnlu I about this and other products.

HJHMtHLY

MICROMATION INC. Master Card/Visa/Check/

9104 Red Branch Rd. Money Order

Columbia, MD 21045 Add $3 for shipping

(301)730-1237 Allow 3 weeks for delivery

Circle 394 on inquiry card.

FREE SOFTWARE

RENT THE PUBLIC DOMAIN!

User Group Software isn't copyrighted, so no fees to pay! 1000's of CP/M and IBM software programs in .COM and source code to copy yourself! Games, business, utilities! All FREE!

CP/M USERS GROUP LIBRARY

Volumes 1-92, 46 disks rental— $45

SIG/M USERS GROUP LIBRARY

Volumes 1-90, 46 disks rental —$45 Volumes 91-172, 40 disks rental-$45 SPECIAL! Rent all SIG/M volumes for $8S MOST FORMATS AVAILABLEI SPECIFY.

IBM PC-SIG (PC-DOS) LIBRARY

Volumes 1-135, 554" disks $135

Public Domain User Group Catalog Disk $5 pp. (CP/M only) (payment in advance, please) Rental is for 7 days after receipt, 3 days grace to return. Use credit card, no disk deposit. Shipping, handling & insurance—$7.50 per library. (619) 941-0925 information, (619) 727-1015 anytime order machine Have your credit card ready!

Public Domain Software Center

1533 Avohill Dr.

Vista, CA 92083

"BASF

DISKETTES

BASF Diskettes at competitive price. Call TOLL FREE (800) 235-4137 for prices and information. Visa and Master Card accepted.

PACIFIC EXCHANGES

100 Foothill Blvd San Luis Obispo. CA 9:5401 (In Cal call (805) 543-1037 I

Circle 287 on inquiry card.

THAI 11

Our UNIFORTH Systems are used on computers from the VlC-aO* to the VAX® , and now are available specifically customized for your DEC* mini- and microcomputer. All ol these features are standard with UNIFORTH: enhanced FORTH-79 (strings, arrays, etc.); a full macro assembler; video editor (string functions, line stack); complete DOS interface (uses standard files for I/O): primitive disk utility (R/W any sector); IEEE-compatible floating point with all trig functions; single-step tracing; decompiler; text file support; vectored I/O; and an excellent 200-page User's Manual.

Prices: '

Floaling

Poini Version'

Rainbow 100 (MSDOS* or

CP/M86* ) S 100 S 160

Professional 325 or 350 [P/OS) 300 400

LSI/PDP-11 (HT-11) 150 220

LSI/PDP-11 (RSX-11} 300 400

VAX-11 (VMS-11) 600 800

■ specify 8087, KEV-11 (FIS). FP-11 or software floaling point.

North American postage is included; foreign orders add $10. Maryland customers add 5% tax.

Unified Software Systems

P.O. Box 2644, New Carrollton, MD 20784, 301/552-9590

DEC. VAX.PDP.RT-11,RSX-11 (TM) Digital Equipment Corp, CP/M (TM) Digital Research. MSDOS (TM) Miaosofi. VIC-20 [TM, Commodore.

DUST COVERS

For Personal Computers and Small Business Systems, Peripherals, Game Units - Protective, Long-Lasting Vinyl Resists Both Dust and Liquids.

-CHOICE OF COLORS

Amdek Apple Atari BMC

Columbia

Commodore

Corona

Eagle

Epson

Franklin Ace

IBM

Kaypro

Okidata

Rana Systems

Star Micronics

Televideo

Texas Instruments

PLUS OTHERS

GROUP/VOLUME DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

FOR FREE BROCHURE WR\TE.

ENCHANTED FOREST P.O. Box 5261, Newport Beach, CA 92662 (118 Onyx)

Dealer Inquiries Invited

LINE CONDITIONER

• PREVENT "BROWN OUTDATA LOSS SURGE, EMI & RFI DAMAGE

LC automatically corrects both high and low input voltages to protect your computer. 98% efficiency, lower wave form distortion. RFI, EMI and noise suppression plus isolation from load to load on 3 filter banks.

$198.00

VISA |

312-490-9239 SHEPHERD MARKETING

P.O. BOX 941339 SCHAUMBURG, IL 60194

'Add $5.00 for shipping & handling

Circle 302 on inquiry card.

Circle 352 on inquiry card.

Circle 323 on inquiry card.

e6fr 31A9 • fr86l M3gW3id3S

pjB3 Ajtnbui uo spin

"WE TURN AROUND FOR YOU

24-HOUR ORDER LINE 300 528 8960 ln°luding Alaska and Hawaii

All Other Calls Including our CANADIAN FRIENDS (602) 482-0400 • 2017E.CACTUS • PHOENIX, AZ 85022

All prices are for cash, cashiers check or money order. Allow 4 weeks bank clearance for personal checks. C.O.D.'s. Visa/MC. and P.O.'s accepted at additional charge. Prices subject to change.

Returns must have authorization number and are subject to a restocking charge.

COMPUTERS

Altos

580-20 $3629

586-20 5549

586-40 Call

986-40 Call

Columbia Call

Eagle Call

Franklin Call

NEC Portable Call

Northstar

Advantage 2160

Advantage W/5MB 3345

Advantage w/15MB .... 4315

Sanyo 555 Call

Televideo Systems

802H 4210

803 1815

1605 IBM Compatible .. Call

806/20 4640

800 A (user station) 999

Teleport Call

Zenith Call

TERMINALS

Adds

A-1 Green

A-2 Green

Viewpoint 60

Hazeltine

Espirit I

Espirit II

Espirit III

Qume

QVT 102 Green .

QVT 102 Amber

QVT 103 Green .

QVT 103 Amber Televideo

910 +

925

950

970

Wyse

Wyse 100

Wyse 300

Expirit III

Visual

Visual 50 Green .

Visual 55 Green . Zenith

Z-29

475 490 619

445 435 575

535 550 840 850

519 699 899 975

.. 680 1020

.. 735

599 720

639

MONITORS

Amdek

300 GREEN

300 AMBER

310 AMBER

Color 1 Plus

Color II Plus

Leading Edge

Color RGB

NEC

JB 1201

JB 1260

Taxan

12" Amber

Zenith

12" Green Screen .

12" Amber Screen

129 145 159 249 425

399

155 115

125

... 95 120

FOR IBM PC

IBM PC Call Save $

AST Research

Six Pak Plus—from $279

Combo Plus II—from 279

Mega Plus—from 309

I/O Plus—from 139

Quadram

Quadlink 489

Quadboard 289

Quad 512 Plus 249

Quadcolor 229

Lotus

1-2-3 .

SOFTWARE

319

Micropro

WordStar/MailMerge 349

InfoStar 299

SpellStar 159

CalcStar 99

Microstuf Crosstalk 105

Microsoft Multiplan 159

Ashton Tate

Framework Call

Friday! 185

Ram Memory 4164-150 59/9 per set

$63oo

Transient Protection With A Solid Reputation "

>1k'. General

(2f Semiconductor Industries, Int^

iqunitn coup*

Electripak Suppressor $34.95

PRINTERS

Blue Chip

M120/10 279

M120/15 349

C.ltoh

1550 AP 499

1550 BCD....549

8510 AP 319

8510 BC2 419

8510 BPI 389

A10-20 449

F10-40 899

F10-55 1199

Comrex CRN 439

Daisywriter 2000 985

Diablo

620 API 739

630 API 1699

630 ECS ... 1999

Epson

All models Juki

6100

NEC

2050

3510

3550

7710

Okidata

All models Panasonic

All models Qume

Letter Pro .

11/40 WIBM IF.

11/55 WIBM IF.

Call

. 439

.. 779 1214 1499 1649

. Call

. Call

. 629

.1369

.1569

Silver Reed

EXP 400 Call

EXP 500 385

EXP 550 429

EXP 770 Call

Star Microtronics All models .. Call

Tally

Spirt 80 289

160L

w/Tractor....559 180L w/Tractor....779

Toshiba

1340 749

1351 1359

Transtar

120Ltr. qual..,395 130 Ltr. qual...549 1351 449

Sheet Feeders

High quality mechanical single bin feeders for Diablo, Qume, NEC, C.ltoh, Ricoh, Daisy, Daisywriter, Juki,

Dataproducts and others (specify type) 429

Electronic Dual Bin sheet feeders for most printers Call

Tractor Feeders

High Swiss quality bi-directional tractors for Diablo, Qume, NEC, C.ltoh, Ricoh, Radio Shack and others,

(specify type) 199

Silver Reed 125

Print Wheels & Ribbons Call Save $

'STRONG ENOUGH TO STAND ON"

LOCKING FILE CASE

Can Stack, Hang on Wall, and Has Carrying Handle.

REDUCED

$

15

90

MODEMS

Novation-Access 1-2-3

w/Crosstalk XVI Call

Smart Cat 300/1200 Call

Hayes

Smart Modem 300/1200 $212/499

1200B Call

Netmaster (Apple) 179

Anchor Volksmodem Call

Signalman Mark

VII/XII Call

Microcom Era 2

w/Software 349

DISK DRIVES

ACI 5, 10, 20 MB Hard Disk

System w/6 MB Cartridge

Back-up Call

TEAC 55B

slimline DSDD 179

TEAC 55F

slimline DSQD 249

Maynard 10MB-WS-1 999

Maynard 10MB-WS-2 1149

Tallgrass Tech

Hard Disk System Call

Tandon

51/4"TM 100-1-SS/DD

160K 150

5V4" TM 100-2A DS/DD 320K 199

TM101-4

(96 TPI Quad Den) .... 339

8" TM848-2

(DS/DD) 1.2 mg 400

Indus

GT—Apple 239

GT—Atari 349

Micro-Sci

A-2 (35TR) 189

A-20 (35TR) 169

A-40 (40TR) 269

Rana

Elite I 249

Elite II 399

Elite III 509

1000 319

ACCESSORIES

3M

51A"SS/DD 19/Box

51/4" DS/DD (96TPI) . 45/Box

Memorex

5'/4" SS/DD 19/Box

51/4" DS/DD 24/Box

Elephant

51/4" SS/SD 16/Box

5V4" SS/DD 22/Box

51/4" DS/DD 28/Box

Head

5V4" Disk Head Cleaner

(2 Disk) 14

5V4" Disk Head Cleaner

(1 Disk) 9

Kraft

Joystick 39

Standby Power Sys Save

Switch Boxes

Parallel & Serial Save

Chips 64K (4164-150) 55

Koala Pad

w/Graphics Illustrator 74

COBOL

CROSS REFERENCE

_

Network Computers

for only

H49f!

shipping

Now, get a Cascade Biplexer and hook-up two computers to a Corvus or Sunol hard disk.

It's switch selectable and they can work together to network four computers. Call today, (509) 466-0396.

PSA

Professional Software Associates, Inc.

^ E-Z TOUCH /11 FULL JP CONTACT

NEW! TOUCHDOWN" KEY OVERLAY KITS - $18.95

Re-assign commands on your PC key tops for Dvorak,* Wordstar, DlspIayWrite 2 and other software. Also for 5250/5251 or 5520* emulation. Overlays are transparent: original commands show through. Rigid, non-glare overlays look and feel like original keytops. Do-it-yourself and blank overlay kits are also available.

TOUCHDOWN CUSTOM KEY OVERLAYS Re-word key tops to match your software package. Choose your colors! Call or write for info.

ASK FOR TOUCHDOWN KEYTOPS OR TOUCHDOWN OVERLAY KITS AT YOUR NEAREST COMPUTER DEALER OR ORDER DIRECT: $18.95 ('5520 and Dvorak kits are $24.95). U.S. orders add $2.00, 1ni'ladd$3.50$/H: AZ residents add 5% salestax.

C CALL (602) 634-4507 or 634-4503

Dealer and Custom Order Hotline: 634-7517 £5 HOOLEON COMPANY

e«Mriw «••* Dept. B — ^ PO Box 201

ST .„ ■- ■ Cornvllle, Az. 86325

Circle 180 on inquiry card.

'/. U S. orders add add 5% sales tax.

134-4507

634-7517 IN COMPANY

201

e. Az. 86325

FREE CATALOG

LOWEST PRICES

»3M DISKETTES AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR

"SSDD$16"

"DSDD $21" "DSDD (96TPI) «33"

CHECKS. MO, VISA. M.C. P.O. TO RATED COMPANIES

ALMANAC

eee* *«ee»v m m *■» m ■ ■ ■ I'M' ■>

' m m i vi ' ■ i

—^ SUPPLY COMPANY 521 Front St., Santa Cruz CA 95060 (408) 425-1980 EXT. 25

Circle 14 on inquiry card.

IBM-PC DISK DRIVE $144995

APPLE 2e drive $83995 SANYO 555 dsdd $99995 COMMODORE 64 *18995

JUKI 6100 OKI DATA 92 BROTHER 15

$37495 $37995 $34995

HARMONY VIDEO & COMPUTERS

2357 Coney Island Ave . Bklyn.. NY 11223 Call Toll Free 800-VIDEO84 or 800-441-1144 or 212-627-1000 ALL PRICES AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

Circle 169 on inquiry card.

Required:

BM-PC, DOS-2.0, 128K memory, & one disk drive. Limits:

1,400 data names & 11,000 references.

Prints cross reference and/or source code. Accepts most versions of COBOL as input. This is a stand alone program which will Hag duplicate data names and invalid references.

Your name will appear in the report heading. Please print your name and address distinctly. Send a check or money order ($95.00) to:

META SYSTEM 2806 Iris Drive Anchorage, AK

Circle 235 on inquiry card.

HOFxAOKI

Books • Software • Hardware Add 0ns • for vout ATARI &O0XL/ BOO XL, Commodwe-M. VIC 20.SincUit.Timei. Apple ll.Oiborne+OSI

ler, terminal loliwair included electronic anil and networking The belt wordprocmor lor the C-64. Onto. No. 4965 S09.OO MACROFIRE - Editor/Ataembler (or the C-64

The Mft meeroa item bier you can buy' OrderMo.4963 IB9.00

SUPERBOOKS lot your C-64 The Great Book ol G»m«. Vol. I 46 programi lor the Commodore 64 Order No. 181 89.95 Program from thit book on dtt 119.95 MORE ON THE SIXTYFOUR Tips, tricki, hinti. very Important tub

Wnrdprooeoor toi all ATARI ownpuwi

No one can proiide baiter performance

ATEXT-1

Thu wndproceiio' n in excellent buy lor your money ll features icreen oriental editing, icrol'ing. uring tearcti (even neiied). left and right margin implication Over 30 commandi Tent can be tev*d on

BASIC * Order No!

cauertt 129.96 d.ek 134.96 cartridge IB 9.00

i GUNFIGHT

How to program ir Language on your C-64 Order-No. 1f

Commodore-64 Tune-up. \ . . How to expand your C-64. Order-No. 185 812.96 Small Butineit Proorami lor the C-64 Order-No. 1B6 812.96 HARDWARE ADD ON. lor your C-64

(7.85

S9.95 How to program your ATARI in 6502 diik I1S.9S Machine language

Introduclion to machine language lor the BASIC programmer.

Order-No. 169 89 95

FORTH on lh* ATARI - Learning by

6502 Machine 812.95

Introduction, programi. Order-No 170 Ord«"No,73t,9'r

application!.

17.96

book No. 170 on diik S2I.00 only'

HACKERBOOK lor your Atari computer

Tipi'tricfci-Very important tubroutinei in 6502 machine language How to make bootable ceiietiei. diik*. and EPROMi Complete construction article and »t| ware on how to build an EPHOM burner 829 95 Order No. 172 89.96 Cooy>.,m C n, F name <W.|fi:ig i«c

Dealer end Oitlrioutor mouirrea are rnviied,

ELCOMP PUBLISHING, INC. PAYUINT: Check, vim, mc. C* nuewm

S3 Rerirock Lane -W*S«iei«ia. Cut.*. UiA eM lfl% i«

Pomona. CA 91766 con.eci Mee Ht 114U

Phone: 1714) 623 33 14.11, 79 8 1 91 Ik r*m-,» ..>.,

Order-No. 4990

Univerul EaperimenlH Order-No. 4970 Eapanuon Board KIT Exp boardi (bare bo.,r Order-No. 4992

119.95

Board

89.95

- Holds up to 4

Circle 143 on inquiry card.

Powerful Single Board Computer Includes CP/M Plus (3.0 banked)

$599

Assembled, Tested Includes CP/M 3.0 on disk with all manuals

Model MSC-ICO

All Features Fully Supported By CP/M Plus

• Z80A, 4 MHZ, No wait states

• 128Kb Banked RAM, 60Kb TPA

• 80 x 24 line high speed video

• Disk Controller (up to 4 drives) 8"SS/SD, DS/DD|1.2 Mb)

5" SS/DD, DS/DD, QHD11.2Mb| Use 5" and 8" simultaneously Both 5" and 8"connectors built-in ■ Two programmable RS232C ports

• Centronics printer port

• 16 bit TTL I/O port

• Parallel keyboard Input port

• Clock calendar with battery backup Expansion bus for enhancements

■ Req

IIA

I

wabash

When it comes to Flexible Disks, nobody does it better than Wabash.

MasterCard, Visa Accepted. Call Free: (800) 235-4137

PACIFIC EXCHANGES

100 Foothill Blvd San Luis Obispo. CA 93401 (In Cal call (805) 543-1037 )

S t IMMEDIATE \ X % DELIVERY % \

MODEMS* MODEMS* MODEMS

•UDS 103-O/ALP, 300 bps, full duplex,

manual originate or answer modem

•UDS 212LP, 1200 bps, full duplex, manual

originate or answer Modem

•Other models are available upon request

ORDER TODAY: 1-800-323-2666 or 312-459-8866

i.e.

Circle 29 on inquiry card.

Circle 287 on inquiry card.

Circle 341 on inquiry card.

Lyco Computer Marketing & Consultants

toll free 800-233-8760

TO ORDER

CALL US

In PA 1 71 7-327-1 824

MANNESMANN TALLY

SPIRIT 80 $299.00

MTL-160L S559.00

MTL-180L S775.00

NEC

NEC8023 $369.00

NEC8025 S699.00

PRINTER INTERFACING

AVAILABLE FOR COMMODORE VIC. APPLE. ATARI. IBM-PC. TRS 80. Tl. AND OTHERS

STAR SAVE

MICRONICS

ON THESE IN-STOCK

GEMINI 15X S379 00

DELTA 10 S449 00

DELTA 15 S525.00

RADIX 10 S575.00

RADIX IS S675 00

POWERTYPE SCALL

SWEETP(ModeHOO) S549 00 STX80 SI 49.00

GEMINI 10X $259.00

BLUE CHIP

M12010 $279.00

M12010 C-64 $279.00

D4015 $1399.00

CARDCO

LQ1 $449.00

LQ2 $279.00

LQ3 $339.00

PRINTER INTERFACE $39.75

PRINTER INTERFACE WITH

FULL GRAPHICS $65.75

LIGHT PEN $29.75

5 Slot Expansion 64 $54.00

64 Write NOW $39.00

64 Mail NOW $29.00

2j Write NOW $29.00

64 Keypad $29.00

Universal Cass. Int $29.75

Printer Utility $19.75

6 Slot Expansion $79.95

3 Slot Expansion $24 95

PRINTING PAPER

3000 SHEETS

FANFOLD $42 75

1000 SHEETS

FANFOLD $19.75

1000 SHEETS LETTER...S21 95

200 SHEETS LETTER S8.99

150 RAG STATIONERY... S10.99 MAILING LABELS (1 in) S9.75 14x11 1000 FANFOLD . .S24.75

CITOH

GORILLA GX-100 . S169.00

GORILLA SERIAL S199 00

PROWRITER 8510. ... $335.00 PROWRITERII S575 00

8600 S899 00

STARWRITER $929.00

PRINTMASTER $1199.00

SHEET FEEDER S425 00

620 S929.00

630 S1699 00

851 OSP . S499 00

P510SCP S559.00

A10 LETTER OUAL S499 00

PANASONIC

1090 $279.00

1091 $309.00

1092 $459.00

PRINTERSI

EPSON

RX-80 $269.00

RX-80FT $299.00

FX-80 $439.00

FX-100 $639.00

OKI DATA

80 $199.00

82A $299.00

83A $569.00

84 $959.00

92 $409.00 |

LEGEND

880 $259.00

1000 $279.00

1200 CALL

1500 CALL

1018 CALL

MODEMS

ANCHOR MARK I $45 75

ANCHOR MARK II $45.95

HAYES SMART $239.00

HAYES MICRO II S309 0O

MICROBIT 10O0C $129 00

CAT $144 00

O CAT SI 55 00

J-CAT $115 00

APPLE CAT II S279 00

212 APPLE CAT $589 00

Mitey Mo's

MITEY MO $79.95

OVER 2000 SOFT-WARE TITLES IN STOCK

CATALOG AVAILABLE

HARD DISK DRIVES

-FOR

IBM, APPLE, TRS80

10 MEG $975.00

20 MEG $1399.00

30 MEG CALL

* D.O.S. EXTRA

DISKETTES

ELEPHANT

5V„" SSSD $16.75

BW SSDD $19.95

5V«" DSDD $25.95

MAXELL

5V MD-1 $24.75

5VV MD-2 $34.75

CERTRON CASSETTES

CC-10 (12) SI 5 99

CC-20 (12) S1 7 99

AMDEK

VIDEO 300 $139.00

VIDEO 300A $149.00

COLOR 1+ $269.00

COLOR 11+ $399.00

GORILLA

12" GREEN $82.00

12" AMBER $89.00

NEC

JB1260 GREEN $99.00

JB1201 GREEN $145.00

JB1205 AMBER $145.00

JC1215 COLOR $269.00

JC1216 $399.00

SAKATA

SC1 00 COLOR... $229.00

SG1000 GREEN $99.00

SA AMBER $109.00

MONITORS

TAXAN

100 GREEN $115.00 I

105 AMBER $125.00

210RGBCOMPOSITE. .. $269.00

400 RGB MEDRES $295.00

410 RGB HI RES $349.00

420 RGB HI RES (IBM).. .. $475.00

121 GREEN $145.00

122 AMBER $149.00

ZENITH

ZVM 122A AMBER $95.00

ZVM 123G GREEN $85.00

ZUM 124IBM-PC $129.00

ZUM COLOR $275.00

ZUM 133 RGB $389.00

ZUM 135 RGB $449.00

ZUM 136 $589.00

PERCOM

AT88S1 ....$249.00 AT88S1 PD $299.00

ADD-ON DRIVES CALL

AT 88 DOUBLER $119.00

RANA 1000 INDUS GT.

.$299| .$325

INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS

FLIP-N-FILE 10 $3.75

FLIP-N-FILE 15 $8.95

FLIP-N-FILE 25 $18.95

FLIP-N-FILE 50 $17.75

FLIP-N-FILE(RomHolder). ..$17.75

CONCORD

ATARI 176K MASTER $289 00 ATARI 348K MASTER $369 00 ATARI ADD-ON DRIVES SCALL

TRACK DRIVES

AT-D2 $329.00

AT-D2 TURBO PAK $22.95

AT-DH CALL

PRINTER CABLE $22.95

CSr'

TO ORDER

Circle 219 on inquiry card.

POLICY

CALL TOLL FREE

Ot send order to Lyco Compute' P O Box 5088

Customer Service 1-71 7-327-1 825 Jersey Sri ore pa i 7 740

800-233-8760

Risk Free - No deposit on C.O.D. orders. Free shipping on prepaid cash orders within the continental U.S. APO and FPO, order

add $5.00 plus 3% for priority mail service. PA residents add sales tax. Advertized prices show 4% discount offered for cash. Add 4% for Master Card or Visa.

PRINTER CABLES

$30.00

SHIPPING INCLUDED

INTERFACE CABLES

INTERFACE CABLES

Parallel Printer

RS232 Serial

Interface Cable

Interface Cable

Apple

TCI cwincrt 1 bLbVIUbU

Centronics

Columbia

DB 25

Epson

Male/Female

Eagle

IBM PC

Cable Length

Kaypro

up to 10 feet

NEC

WANG

Zenith

SPECIAL PRICING AVAILABLE TO DEALERS CUSTOM CABLES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

FABRICATION CONCEPTS, fi INC. 8

8230 Miralani Drive • San Diego, CA 92126 (619) 271-4522

Circle 152 on inquiry card.

i

CO

<

O

< Z

C

PI-01S Two-way . $ 59.95

PI 035 Three-way 5 89 95

P105S Five-way S109 95

— PI-08S Eight-way S209.95

O PARALLEL TWO-WAY S 94 95

| TRANSFER SWITCH FEATURES

§ • PI-SWITCH lets you SAFELY SHARE

O multiple SERIAL (RS-232) devices.

!jj • Greal for printers, modems, etc.

O • Handsome black and beige

q case female DBC-25 connectors

2£ • Switches pins 1-7 ft; 20 or set any

a> way you need before shipping,

o • Male connectors available.

g ONE ID YEAR WARRANTY

S TERMS: MO. Check. Mastercard. O Visa.COD.

UPS ground S2/ each. 2nd air

S4/each COD add S2 per order.

Pleaie call for your CUSTOM

switch needs., . .

oo

SAB-LINK. Inc.

7301 N.W. 41 Street. Miami. FL 33166 (305) 592-6092 Duhr Ingulf In wtlctmi!

Circle 3I6 on Inquiry card.

WHY PAY MORE?

ORDER DIRECT AND SAVE$$$ 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL ITEMS

IBM

KYB-1 83 Key Keyboard for PC PX-IV .31mm Pitch RGB 13" Monitor (Better than Princeton Graphic System's HX-12) w/Green Text & Tilt Swivel CGA Color Graphics Adoptor Bd

ComboPX-IV/CGA

APPLE

KYB-2 90 Key Detachable Keyboard w/user defined Keys for ll/lh , Franklin

Our Price

sgg

List $149

$469 $699

S160 S599

$244 $943

$99 $149

COD, VISA/MC ACCEPTED

SYSTEMS

INCORPORATED

27 Station Square, Bergenfield, N.J. 07621 201-387-1109

HALF HEIGHT DRIVES

SHUGART: SA 455

Double Sided. 40 TRK/Side s1 89

CDC: 9428

Double Sided, 40 TRK/Side S1 89

TEAC55B

Double Sided, 40 TRK/Side 51 79

• 120 Day Warranty

• Free Shipping

• No Charge For Credit Cards

• Order Toll Free

1 -800-531 -5475 (Outside Of Texas)

(512) 250-1489 (In Texas) Texas Residents Add 5% Sales Tax.

[CompuP. dd

Corp

12103 Technology Blvd. Austin, Texas 78727

Circle 70 on inquiry card.

CALL 818-706-8602

jl Credit For USA Direct Dial Call jl With Any Disk Order.

Disks *n Things

5505 Softwind Way Agoura Hills, CA 91301 HB^I :—I Free Price Lis! Available I—il

Circle 115 on inquiry card

Marymac

3

Pan American

ELECTRONICS

800-231-3680

800-531-7466

Radio Shack TRS-80'« ■

People you Trust to give you the very best!

Lowest Price

fflS,

' Reliable Service

■ Quality Products

22511 Katy Fwy., Katy (Houston) Texas 77450 (713) 392-0747 Telex 774132

THE OFFICIAL NUMBER TO CALL TO FIND OUT M0REAB0UT THE UNOFFICIAL APPLE LOGO: 617-492-8816

Terrapin"

The Logo People

Terrapin, Inc., 380 Green Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 492-8816

Circle 348 on inquiry card.

-PC: An Allordable IBM PC-Compatible System for $1361

■ PC-88 CPU card

• Color/Graphic card

■ Disk adapter with cabls

• Monochrome card

• Keyboard

• System Enclosure

• 100W Power Supply & Ian

3XE MICRO SYSTEMS, INC. 2350 WALSH AVE.. SANTA CLARA, CA 95051 14085 9B0-9866 TLX 3719075 EDGE UB

$349 $139 $120 $189 $149 $119 $139

Circle 141 on inquiry card.

PAL, EPR0M

liiWrlkfiuJ III-*

& UV ERASERS

from $49.95

LOGICAL DEVICES INC.

Wlt&ie, lleiicMLf, and

GtUtomeb Support U- o£ utmost 9mfurttance,

SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 32

ORDER TOLL FREE

1-800-EE1-PROM

(1-800-331-7766)

Circle 15 on Inquiry card.

Circle 227 on inquiry card.

Circle 213 on Inquiry card.

MEM-BOfKD

Ideal for

• COMPUTERISTS

• OEM MANUFACTURERS

• DEVELOPMENT LABS

• UNIVERSITIES

• INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

THE ULTIMATE OEM/PC COMPATIBLE SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER

FULL IBM - PC* COMPATIBILITY!

DEALERS AND OEM MANUFACTURERS QUANTITY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

Standard Keyboard Interface

(Full PC compatible)

Eight Compatible I/O Interface Connectors

(Full PC compatible) (compatible with all IBM-PC* plug-in cards)

Special J1 Interface

(Allows horizontal mounting of compatible expansion cards for easy bus expansion and custom configuring) (Board has 62 pin gold plated compatible connector)

Extended ROM Capability

(Runs all compatible PC ROMS) (Jumper programmable to accommodate all popular 8K, 16K, 32K and 64K ROM chips and NEW EE ROMS! VPP power pin available for EP ROM burning!) (External VPP voltage required)

Board Size

10.5 inch X 13.5 inch

Hardware Reset

(Overcomes reset flaw in PC)

Power Connector

(Full IBM* pinout compatible)

8088 Processor

(Same as PC)

8087 Numeric Processor

(Same as PC)

Peripheral Support Circuits

(Same as PC)

Configuration Switches

(Same as PC)

Speaker/Audio Port

(Same as PC)

Wire Wrap Area

To facilitate special custom applications!

ORDER NOW!!!

Full Mega-Byte Ram Capacity! On board!

(With parity)

□ 256K Bytes using 64K chips

□ 1 Mega Bytes using 256K chips

Evaluation Board Kit!

(Blank board with full assembly instructions and parts list.)

Includes highest quality PC board with gold plating, silk screen, solder mask

□ MEGA-BOARD™ with full assembly instructions $99.95|

□ USERS MANUAL with theory of operation, schematics, block diagram, application notes $19.95|

□ MEGA-BIOS™ fully compatible MS-DOS/PC-DOS BIOS $29.951

ORDER NOW!!!

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! 10-day money back guarantee if not completely satisfied

TM

> I | TELECOMMUNICATIONS Q W NZZ^CORPORATION

4100 SPRING VALLEY ROAD SUITE 400 DALLAS, TX 75234 (214) 991-1644

TERMS: Shipment made 2 to 5 weeks from receipt of order. VISA, MC, money order, company check accepted. COD'S require $25 deposit. Balance UPS COD. Please add $2.00 shipping and handling per order.

*IBM and IBM PC are trademarks of International Business Machines Circle 123 on inquiry card.

©1983 Display Telecommunications Corporation

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE Y»

GILTRONIX SWITCHES ARE THE BEST CHOICE.

Guarantee +

Savings NEW Memorex DISKETTES

19 29 42

One side, double or single density. lO per box. All soft sector. Min. 2 boxes. Two sides, double density. lO per box. Soft sector for IBM and compatibles. New 3 in. microdisk cartridge. One side, double density. Macintosh, Lisa, H-P.

Orders shipped same day received Priced per box—minimum 2 boxes Visa, MasterCard, checks accepted Money-back guarantee Order with confidence! All prices for box of JO Add S2.S0 shipping & handling

1-800-292-1492

Nationwide

312-726-7879

In Illinois

DISK WORKS

131 W. Madison St.- P.O. Box 11375 Chicago. IL 60602

Cut your IBM-PC debugging time in half.

Mylstar Symbolic Debugging Program For IBM-PC DOS VI.I, 2.0 and 2.1

□ Uses same command structure.

□ Substitute symbol names and math expressions for hex values.

□ Gives you batch files, multi-command macros, on-line help, break point editing, repeal loops, inpui/ouipul redirection and much more.

□ Debug more programs than with any other current debuggers.

□ Free brochure available.

□ Send $125 check, or money order, to Dept. 1I5B, Mylstar Electronics. Phone orders accepted with Master Card or Visa number.

MYLSTAR

ELECTRONICS

INC.

Dealer & Distributor

165 West Lake Street Northlake, Illinois 60164 Inquirie Tel(312| 562-7400 Invited. Telex 72-8463

A Columbia Picture. Industrie. Company

.. and here are 10 good reasons why:

IBM PC APPLE

1. Serial (RS232) or Parallel (Centronics)

2. Pfompl Deliveries

3. Nationally Advertised Products

4. Broad Product Line

5. Over 30,000 Units Sold to Date

6. Sales and Technical

7. F.C.C. Approved Units

8. Manual and Aulomatic Units

9. Highest Oualily PC Board Switch Technology

10. Buy Direct From Giltronix. or From Any Authorized Distributor

Manual Unlts-2 to 6 Ports Automatic Units—3 to 15 Ports

COGiltronix

.'jfHU Fabian Way Palo Aitu. ca !id;to:i

(415) 493 UOIJ

ORDER HOT LINE: 1-800 531-1300 (Outside ol California)

Circle 113 on inquiry card.

Circle 266 on Inquiry card.

Circle 163 on Inquiry card.

IBM*

XT COMPATIBLE OEM COMPONENT SALE

Computer Case $150.00

Key Board-KT5150 $199.00

Power Supply $225.00

Mother Board-Bare $ 95.00

Mother Board without ICs . . $225.00

Mother Board with ICs $525.00

Dealers/OEM Buyers Quantity Discounts Available.

All items are 100% XT compatible as replacement kits. Boards with ICs are tested and burn-in. Evaluation units are available at $3,500 with 128K RAM, 10M Hard Disk, Floppy Drive, RGB Card, RS232 Serial, Parallel and Game Ports.

Subject to stock on hand Price change without notice IBM is a trademark of International Business Machine

HiTech International, Inc.

1180 Miraloma Way. Suite M

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

(408) 738-0601 TLX 171854 IIM

Circle 178 on inquiry card.

□

WE SELL WHAT YOU NEED... NOT JUST WHAT WE STOCK. PLUS... LOW PRICES, TECH SUPPORT AND RELIABILITY.

DISKETTES SSSD 8 IN SSDD 8 IN SSDO ■ V, IN

dsdd - p. In

OS00 - 9G TPI 5', PLASTIC STORAGE BOX WITH KEY TOR I Oil OISKETIES S24 00

3M MEMOREX

S2 20/50 S2 15/100

S! TO/SO S2 50/100

S190/S0 SI 90/100

SMO/SO S? 40/100

S3.50/50 S3 00/100

TAPES AND CAflTRIOGES |3M] DC100A S16.2/M0 S14 10/10 • DC300KL $2475/1-10 $21 10/10 * 2400 FT TAPE SIAL $15.00/10-50 $14 35/50BLACK WATCH

2400 FT TAPE SEAL $16 25/10-50 $15.60/50

WINCHESTER DRIVES

10MB |FORMATTED!

$535

tSMS (FORMATTED)

$750

20MB |FORMATTED!

S9S0

32MB [FORMATTED.

$1155

DDT MATRIX PRINTERS

HAHNESMANN TALLY SPIRIT MAHHESMANN TALLY I6DCPS FACIT 120 140CPS

B0 COL 132 COL

sm.

S5B5 SB20 $450 SB2D

HARD OISK SUBSYSTEMS

21MB $1750 $1750

PRINTER RIBBONS

PRICE PER PER

RIBBON DOZEN

ANADEX 9500 10,50 109.80

APPLE DMP 5.25 52.20

C. IT0H PROWRITER 5.25 52.20

EPSON MX FX 70/80 5.00 48.00

EPSON MX-FX 100 6.75 69.00

GEMINI 10-10X-15-15X 2.50 23.40

IBM HARMONICA W 6.75 78.00

IBM HARMONICA %" 7.95 92.40

IBM 4-COLOR 15.75 180.00

IDS MICR0PRISM-480 5.75 58.80

IDS PAPER TIGER 460/560 6.75 78.00

IDS PRISM 7.95 92.40

IDS 4-C0L0R 15.75 180.00

NEC - 3500 M/S Non Flip 6.25 69.00

NEC- 3500 NYLON 9.00 96.00

NEC PC-8023A 5.25 52.20

OKI DATA 80/82/83/92 2.50 23.40

OKIDATA- 84 5.00 57.00

RADIO SHACK DMP-2100 7.50 87.00

RADIO SHACK LP VI & VIII .... 5.75 58.80

SILVER REED EX 550 S/S 5.00 57.00

SILVER REED EX 550 NYLON .... 9.00 105.00

TOSHIBA- 1350 7.50 87.00

XEROX 610/620 M/S 5.95 66.00

Add $3.00 Ship. & Hand. — To Order Call Toll Free 1-800-742-1122 In Ml (313) 569-3218 or Write for our Catalog

DWIGHT COMPANY, INC.

15565 Northland Drive - West Tower Southfield, Michigan 48075-6496

Circle 130 on inquiry card.

ft TeleVideo USERS

RETAIL

• Fast Dump/Restore CP/M, TurboDOS

over 600k per disk $90.00

• Basic/7 with Graph/Z $345.00

• TurboDOS for Wideo from $300.00

• LYNC Communications Package $195.00

• 8" Disk Drive lor 802 and 800A

Drive, board and software $1200.00

• RM/COBOL Systems from $250.00

• Dataplex 2.0 from $750.00

• 803,803H, TPC-1 and GRAPHIC programs:

Draw! $90.00

GamesPakl $34.95

• 816 and 806C Tape Backup from $175.00

• Saft Standby Power Systems:

200VA/400VA from $575.00

• Anti-Static Products from $39.95

PC & COMPATIBLE USERS1

Run your PC as a slave to your 8-Bit TurboDOS System! Also see our ad on Page 459. Available soon: Backup (or TELEVIDEO PM & 1608. PLUS OTHER GOOD TELEVIDEO & PC STUFFI

COGITATE, INCORPORATED

SPECIALISTS IN UNIQUE SOFTWARE 24000 Telegraph Road, Southfield, Ml 48034 (313) 352-2345 Telex 386581

VISA/MASTERCARD Accepted

FLEXIBLE DISCS

WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD!! Call Free (800)235-4137

for prices and information. Dealer inquiries invited and CCD's accepted.

PACIFIC EXCHANGES

100 Foothill Blvd. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. In Cal. call (800)592-5935 or (805)543-1037

In addition to receiving a monthly newsletter containing latest computer information and sales, membership allows you 1 free ad plus additional ads at reduced prices. Buyer selects ad, sends purchase price to Computer Swap Shop who holds same in escrow and notifies seller who ships to buyer. Buyer has 7 days to examine the equipment and if satisfied, seller receives sales price less small commission; otherwise, money is refunded. You must be a member to buy or sell with Computer Swap Shop Inc.

NO RISK! BONDED. Send $20 subscription fee to: Computer Swap Shop, Inc. Box 2988 Delray Beach, FL 33444

f!l Alef-Gliem BL

~_ Mel-Chem International Corporation \ \

2911 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden. Conn. 06518 iBl \ Phone: (203) 24B-3212 or 1-800-63B 2436

Circle 234 on inquiry card.

Circle 61 on inquiry card.

Circle 87 on inquiry card.

TOLL-FREE ORDERING: 800-222-8686

FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT/ SERVICE / IN ARIZONA: 602-282-6299

CCT

CUSTOM COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

1 CRAFTSMAN COURT - BOX 4160 - SEDONA, ARIZONA 86340

Purchase your Hardware and Software directly from an OEM / Systems Integrator. Take advantage of our buying power! We stock a full line of Board Level Components, Software and Peripherals. Call for your needs. We'll give you the Lowest Prices, and the Technical Support and Know-How we are quickly becoming well-known for. Satisfied Customers Nationwide. The Nation's Custom Systems House for Business, Education and Science. Call for a system quo";. CCT implements tomorrow's technology today!

• FOREMOST QUALITY • ADVANCED SUPPORT • REASONABLE COST

CCT

| CompuPro

80286 NOW!

□ CCT-286Z is our modified version of theMI-286 dual processor board from Macrotech. It features a Z-80H and the I ntel 80286, with socket for the 80287. Directly replaces 8085/88 under MP/M 8-16, at throughput increases of 3 to 5!

□ Introductory price - $1099.

□ Call about the new CCT-4 machine using this board.

• 8" CP/M SOFTWARE SPECIALS •

dBASE II - Latest Version 2.4 $349

Supercalc86-forCP/M86&MP/M .. $ 99

Wordstar $299Pro-Pak $429

Microsoft BASIC .. $299 Compiler .. $339 Supersoft FORTRAN IV $339CComp $399 Peachtree Series 8 Modules .... each $599

• TOP SELLING PERIPHERALS •

CCT-90K Parallel S-100 Terminal

Amber Screen -90K Baud $749

$699 $ 75

Wyse 100-14" Green

Wordstar Prom Option ..

Wyse 50 $529 75

200/300 $1069

Visual 50. 950 .

$599 Televideo925... $749 ... $950 970 $1099

Liberty Freedom 100-$479 200-$679

Okidata 82 — $329 83-$619 84-$899 92 $459 93 $719

NEC 7710 $2150 7730 $2150

Diablo 620 $969 630 ...

INDUSTRIAL GRADE SUPERIOR QUALITY

CCT DISK DRIVE SYSTEMS

S-100 HARD DISK SUBSYSTEMS

ROLLS ROYCES OF THE INDUSTRY

Professionally engineered ST-506 type systems for the business market S-100 Computer user. Includes industry top quality drives, CompuPro Disk 3 DMA controller, all cabling, A&T, formatted, burned-in. Provisionsfor up to two hard disks in each system. We include operating system update. CP/M 80, CP/M 86, CP/M 8-16, MP/M 8-16, CP/M 68K. (/1 Systems are CCTinnovated hard/floppy combinations, with Mitsubishi DSDD 8" drive.) 12 month warranty.

CCT-10(11 + MEG) $1799 CCT-10/1 $2349

CCT-20(22+ MEG) $2319

CCT-40(36+ MEG) $2799

CCT-60(58 + MEG)(New) $3999

CCT-90(87 + MEG) (New) $5209

CCT-125(123 + MEG) (New) $6399

CCT-20/1 $2869

CCT-40/1 $3349

CCT-60/1 $4549

CCT-90/1 $5759

CCT-125/1 $6949

Drive capacities shown are after formatting! We are working on tape cartridge back-up units.

FLOPPY SYSTEMS CCT-2.4 • Dual 8" DSDD CCT-5 • 5y4" DSDD

Mitusbishi 2.4 Megabyte in Extra Heavy horizontal enclosure, IBM Compatible Tandon 320K. Extra Heavy Cabinet removeablefilter airsystem, allcabling, A&T, Burned in. The accommodatestwodrives.hardorfloppy. All cabling, A&T, fastest system available: $1229 Burned-in. Perfect for our MS-DOS Package $399

* SUPER PRICES * COMPUPRO COMPONENTS * IN STOCK ★

CCT-2-$6799 • CCT-3-$6699 • Disk 1Aw/CP/M-$619 • CPU 8086/87 - $819 • M-Drive/H - $1099

CPU 8085/88-$349 • CPU 8086 - $559/10Mhz - $599 • CPU 68K - $519/10Mhz - $639 CPU-Z-$249 • Disk 1A-$519 • Disk 3-$499 • RAM 16 (12Mhz) - $389 • RAM 21 (128K) - $749 RAM22(256K)-$1319 • Interfacer 3 - $459 • Interfacer 4-$349 • System Support 1 - $329 Enclosure 2 Desk-$649/Rack-$699 • CP/M 80 (CCTHMX) - $125 • I CP/M86(CCTTMX)-$175 CP/M 8-16 (CCTTMX)- $199 • MP/M 8-16 (CCTSX) - $499 • CP/M 68K (CCTCX) - $279 CP/M 86 Upgrade Kit: CP/M 86, RAM 16, Sys. Supt. 1, Cablej-$849 Call for CSC Boards — New Releases — CCT Mods Updates ■ $30/O.S.

CCT-1 - ENTRY LEVEL S-100 BUSINESS SYSTEM

• Enclosure 2-Desk-20 Slot Mainframe < ■ CPU 8085/88 - 6Mhz 8085/8Mhz 8088 •

• Disk 1A - DMA Floppy Disk Controller <

• RAM 16 - 64K Static RAM - 12Mhz •

• Interfacer 4 - 3 Serial/2 Parallel I/O •

• CCT-2.4-Dual 8" Mitsubishi DSDD Drive System - 2.4 Megabytes •

• CP/M 80-2.2 HMX - CCT Modified •

• All Cabling, Complete CCT Assembly, Testing, and Minimum 20 Hour Burn-in •

SPECIAL PRICE

$3,699

RUNS ALL STANDARD 8" CP/M SOFTWARE - INCLUDES OUR EXCLUSIVE 12 MONTH DIRECT WARRANTY

OPERATING SYSTEM NOTE: Latest CP/M, CP/M 86, MP/M 8-16, CP/M 68K, have each been restructured and optimized by CCT, for utmost flexibility, power and speed. All CCT products are supported.

MS-DOS FOR COMPUPRO - IBM COMPATIBLE CCT MODIFIED SYSTEM

For any CP/M 86 CompuPro System - Includes MS-DOS Version 2.0 and 5W DMA Disk Controller, All Manuals - $699

Prices & availability subject to change. All products new, and carry full manufacturer's warranties. Call for catalog. Free technical help to anyone. All products we sell are CCT individually tested and set up for your system - Plug-In & Go! Arizona residents add sales tax CCT © Trademark - Custom Computer Technology; MS-DOS© Trademark - Microsoft; IBM© Trademark — International Business Machines; CompuPro© Trademark — W.J. Godbout; CP/M© MP/M© Trademarks — Digital Research

Circle 103 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 499

EPROM PROGRAMMER KIT-MODEL 1409

•Programs, lists, reads and verifies 2508, 2516, 2532, 2564, 2758, 2716, 2732.A, 2764, 27128, 68732, 68764, 68766,8741, 8748,H,9,H

• RS 232 interface, supports XON-XOFF and/or hardware handshaking (RTS, CTS, DTR)

•Auto baud rate select (300-9600 baud)

•Accepts keyboard entry with tine editing capability, ASCII,

INTEL, MOTOROLA, or HEX files

•User friendy monitor tor easy I/O debugging

•On board power supply

• 1403-1-RC. hoard, Xlormer, software(4KEPROM) &

documentation: $89.50

•1409-2:1409 1 + full set of parts: $199.50

•1409-3:Assembled and tested unit: $299.50

■Communication software for IBM PC, APPLE, CPM,TRS80: $35.00

B&C MICROSYSTEMS

6322 Mojave Dr., San Jose, CA9512D Tol.(4Q8) SS7-7SB5,Tx.49S5363

S-100 COLOR GRAPHICS!

• Field-proven board meets IEEE-696 standard; fully socketed with solder masks, silkscreen and gold contact fingers.

• Prioritized display with backdrop and pattern planes plus 32 sprite planes; each pixel in a plane can be colored or transparent

• Three graphics and one text display mode; maximum graphics resolution is 256H x 192V in 16 colors.

• Composite video output.

• On-board 16K RAM is separate Irom system memory.

• Vertical retrace interrupt for real time clock capability.

• 0-4 wait states for use with fast MPUs.

• All board options are DIP switch selectable

• Professional quality documentation with BASIC demonstration programs and Tl's TMS9918A manual

• Exclusive Graphics Editor available on 8" SSSD

CP/M-compatible diskette $199.95

(AST)

MkroPunomks

Corporation

Suife 245 • 1355 Lynnfield Road • Memphis. TN 38119 (901,-682-4054

' Price includes MICROSPRITE with documentation. Graphics Editor diskette—S9.95. UPS ground—$2.00, UPS air—$4 00, C0D-S1.65. foreign add SI5.00. VISA & MC welcome.

AFFORDABLE At 68000 COMPUTER SYSTEM

M68KCPU 6-10 MHz CPU, 20K static RAH. 16K EPROM, on board monitor, two R5-232 serial ports. 16-bit parallel port, 5 timer/counters expansion bus.

Bare board » 99.95

Complete Kit S595.00

MD512K 128-512K static RAM, floppy disk controller

& hard disk interface Bare board $ 99.95

Complete Kit (128K) 9725.00

M60KK Enclosure with power supply, fan. filter. 4 slot card cage

SZ49.00

M68KASM M68000 Macro Cross Assembler for CP/M80. IBM PC. TRS-80 and Apple II computers

S199.00

UPS shipping & handling 3 4.00

COD orders add 8 3.00

Foreign orders add $20.00 California residents add 6.5% tax

EMS «t=cX*ite, (714)553-0133

Sytemi

P.O. Box 16115 ■ Irvine. CA 927 13

Circle 37 on inquiry card.

Circle 247 on inquiry card.

Circle 142 on inquiry card.

BDysan.

•^/corporation SPECIAL DISKETTE OFFER

age 65 years worked 40 retirement benefits 0

The U.S. Department of Labor has a free booklet that will help you answer these questions and a lot more. Send for it today.

Write: Pensions, Consumer information

Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009

U.S. Department of Labor

IBM SIZE PAPER, BINDERS, SLIP CASES

•Continous paper fits IBM Manuals 5K>W x 81/2H. 3 large holes turn easily in D-ring binders. Sturdy 20# paper. Only $40 for 2500 sheets. 5+, $35.

• D-ring binders to exactly match IBM's Cloth. Only $5.00. Ask about custom imprinting.

•Matching slip cases only $5.50. •Floppy disk pages for IBM's size binder. Three pockets. Only $1.00 each.

• Portfolios for games, utilities, etc. Clear plastic pocket on front, pockets for disk and manual inside. $3.00

•Function key cards. You write on key uses. $5/20, $20/100.

• Index tabs for IBM BASIC and DOS 2.1 manuals. Mylar reinforced. $7/manual. •Plus shipping. Minimum order $35. Add 6.25% sales tax in IL

Anthropomorphic Systems

376 E. St. Charles Road Lombard, IL 60148 to [312] 629-5160

The Dysan quality difference is yours to try with advanced production techniques that assure every diskette to be 100% error-free. PLUS! If you call, write, or utilize reader service in response to this ad—we'll send you our full-range catalog of computer supplies with Special Offers good for further savings on Dysan diskettes and many other quality products.

LYBEN COMPUTER SYSTEMS

1250-E Rankin Dr., Troy, Ml 48083 Phone: (313) 589-3a«0

Simply #1 in Service & Reliability

DISCOVER THE DYSAN DIFFERENCE

Circle 397 on inquiry card.

Circle 2I8 on inquiry card.

Apple Macintosh IBM, XT, Hard disks Eagle, Compaq, Columbia NCR, Olivetti, Leading Edge Multiusers up to 16/TermSyst. Printers/Plotters Monitors, Disk Drives Modems, Diskettes

Software for PC & Multiusers Printers: Epson, Okidata Gemini, Radix, NEC, HP

COMPUTER EXPO INC. SOURCE COMPUTERS

(213) 208-0352 208-0259 (213)906-1984 906-1634

controls up to 4 motors from any CRT, terminal or computer

STEPPING MOTOR

CONTROLLER

powerful "motion • acceleration/ commands deceleration • RS232 interface • 4 axis moves

STEPPING MOTOR TIPS COOKBOOK $8 BIG STEPPER Standard Version $935 • with on-board BASIC $985 - with on-board CNC commands $1950

CENTROID (814) 237-4535 Box 739, State College, PA 16804

wabash

Flexible Diskettes

6 Year Warranty-100% Certified

FREE m DELIVERY

5V4" $1

SmQLE DENSITY '

35

each

GTYJO

BULK t>< in SSSD 9 1 !»

BBS*. each

51/4" $1

SINGLE SIDE T DOUBLE DENSITY

it t pi wihub Ring

PteMK ro per Soft ft

155

51/4" $189

DOUBLE SIDE T ■ „„ _. DOUBLE DENSITY eaCtl 48 rPIW/HUBniNG QTY30

BULK §| 5Q

JjfjjjjjjP J each

W/HUB ftlHO

24 Hour Order Desk

1-800-634-2248

TOLL FREE NATL.

Visa, MasterCard. Cerl. chk., M/O, CO D. cash. Get immediate shipment. SchooIsS govt, on P.O. #. Personal or company checks held 14 days. APO. FPO. Can. and other non-UPS delivered, add $5.

"Free ttatnaty an minimum orders at (50 or mora Others adaS2 for Si H

Software Services'

1326 25lhSt. S„ Suite H. Fargo. ND 5B103 1 -701 -280-01 21

Circle 405 on inquiry card.

Circle 55 on inquiry card.

Circle 327 on inquiry card.

NEW! EPSON LQ-1500 200 CPS & letter quality!

24 pin head. 200 CPS draft mode, 67 CPS

letter quality mode LQ-1500

TRACTOR

SHEET FEEDER

SAVE 200.00

LIST JADE

_ 89 54.95 499 439.95

EPSON

Call us for our best price!

EPSON RX-80 100 CPS w/tractor. graphics CALL FOR BEST PRICE

EPSON RX-80FT 100 CPS w/FREE graphics

Friction & tractor feed SAVE 150.00

EPSON MX-80FT 80 CPS w/FREE graphics

Friction & tractor feed SAVE 150.00

EPSON FX-80 160 CPS w/FREE graphics

Friction & tractor feed SAVE 150.00

EPSON FX-100 160 CPS 15 inch platten Friction & tractor feed SAVE 150.00

OK I DATA Fu§5 Prices slashed! rOMs

760 CPS, Correspondence Quality list jade

OKI 92 parallel 599 409.95*

OKI 93 parallel FREE tractor _ 995 649.95*

2K serial board 120 99.95

IBM PC ROMS for 92 59 49.95

IBM PC ROMS for 93 69 59.95

Extra 82/93 Ribbons (2) 19 9.95

82/92 tractor 89 54.95

120 CPS & 200 CPS OKIDATAS

OKI 82 120 CPS

OKI 83 120 CPS

OKI 84 parallel 200 CPS OKI 84 serial 200 CPS _ 2K serial board

IBM PC ROMS for 82/83 IBM PC ROMS for 84

. 499 . 775 1395 1495 . 750 _49 _99

350 CPS. Near Letter Quality. High-Resolution Graphics

OKI 2350 parallel

OKI 2350 serial

2695 2775

299.95 569.95 849.95" 999.95 119.95 39.95 89.95

1899.95 1999.95

* FREE Plug-n-Play option with purchase of 92. 93. or 84

A-B PRINTER SWITCH

Allows your computer to run either of two printers. Standard parallel switch box

LIST JADE

Printer Switch 749 89.95

Extra Cable 40 29.95

mm

LETTER QUALITY PRINTERS ON SALE!

Diablo 630 40 CPS Tractor for 630

Starwriter F-10 40 CPS Starwriter F-10 55 CPS _

Tractor for F-10

Comrex CR-II 5K parallel Comrex CR-II 5K serial _

Tractor for CR-II

Keyboard for CR-II

Sheet feeder for CR-II

Silver Reed 500 14 CPS _

Tractor for 500

Silver Reed 550 18 CPS _

Tractor for 500

Silver Reed 770

Tractor for 770

Juki 6100 18 CPS

Tractor for 6100

NEC 3550 33 CPS

Tractor for 3550

LIST

2340 _ 250

1895

1995 _ 250 _ £99 _ 644 _ 120 _ 799 _ 259 _ 599 _ 149 _ 699 _ 759

7295 _ 759 _ 599 _ 749

2250 265

JADE 1699.95 219.95 999.95 1299.95 219.95 489.95 589.95 99.95 179.95 199.95 499.95 124.95 599.95 129.95 999.95 139.95 449.95 124.95 1699.95 229.95

PRINTER ACCESSORIES

IBM PC style cable

STANDARD parallel cable

APPLE Card & Cable

TRS-80 MDL-3 cable

COLUMBIA MPC cable _

RS-232 serial cable

PRINTER stands

RIBBONS

SPECIAL SALE PRICE! EPSON MX-100FT FREE! Graftrax-Plus

With FREE! GRAFTRAX-PLUS

100 CPS, friction and tractor feed, 15 inch

platten, one year warranty

List Price 749

SALE PRICED AT

$479

95

NEW! 80 CPS DIABLO daisywheel printer

80 CPS, serial and parallel interfaces, extended character set, fully IBM compatible, built-in buffer, computerized front panel

FREE AUTOMATIC DUAL BIN SHEET FEEDER!

LIST JADE

DIABLO 80 CPS 3495 2995.00

CABLE Specify 70 59.95

MICROFAZER BUFFERS Quadram

Expandable to 64K (parallel model expands to 512K)

Parallel in/Parallel out LIST jade

8K 769

32K 225

128K 445

139.95 164.95 269.95

Seriaf in/Parallel out

8K

32K

Parallel in/Serial out

8K

32K

Serial in/Serial out

8K

32K

799 260

199 260

199 260

169.95 199.95

169.95 199.95

169.95 199.95

MICROBUFFER

Practical Peripherals

TOSHIBA P1351

High speed & letter quality!

High quality 24 pin head. 192 CPS dratt mode, 96 CPS letter quality LIST JADE

P1351 1895 1299.95

TRACTOR 795 174.95

SHEET FEEDER 7095 899.95

Stand alone Microbuffers

Parallel, 32K

Parallel, 64K

Serial, 32K

Serial, 64K

64K add-on board

LIST

299 349 299 349 179

Microbuflers lor Apple It

Parallel, 16K

Parallel, 32K

Serial, 16K

Serial, 32K

259 299 259 299

Microbuflers lor Epson Printers

Parallel, 16K

Serial, 8K

759 759

JADE 229.95 269.95 229.95 269.95 149.00

189.95 229.95 189.95 229.95

129.95 129.95

LIST

54

40

709

709

50

30

AS LOW AS 19.95 AS LOW AS 4 99

JADE

28.95 28.95 49.95 49.95 39.95 24.95

STAR MICRONICS

Lowest prices!

269.95

GEMINI 10X

Call lor prices on Gemini 75X, Delta 10 4 75, Radix 10 & 15 Power Type LQ

Continental USA Inside California 800/421-5500 800/262-1710

Los Angeies °rie 94°n»*«**«* Computer Products

213/973-7707 4901 West Rosecrans Ave, Hawthorne, California 90250

fig-M PRICES

ASHED'

NETWORKS

NEW! FROM JADE IBM Multifuntion Card

Up to 384K. parallel printer port. RS-232 serial port, FREE serial cable, clock/calendar, RAM Disk/spooler and diagnostic software package

OK

64K .

256K

384K

LIST JADE 349 SALE 198.95

.449. .549. . 649.

243.90 372.90 458.90

10 MEGABYTE HARD DISK For IBM PC

Plug-n-Run, ready to go. complete with controller card, data cable, and mounting hardware, totally PC/XT compatible, faster than XT. handles 4 different operating systems, streamer tape back-up available. External model includes cabinet & power supply

LIST JADE

10 mbyte internal 1795 899.95

10 mbyte external 2095 999.95

15 mbyte internal 1995 1299.95

15 mbyte external 2295 1399.95

22 mbyte internal 2495 1699.95

22 mbyte external 2795 1799.95

HI-RES MONITORS

AMDEK 300G

AMDEK 310A

AMDEK 300A

AMDEK COLOR I _ AMDEK COLOR II . AMDEK COLOR IV

PGS MAX-12

PGS HX-12

PGS SR-12

QUADCHROME _ COMREX CR6800

LIST

179 230 199 379 559 995 269 699 799 795 649

JADE 129.95 169.95 149.95 279.95 419.95 649.95 199.95 469.95 649.95 499.95 499.95

KEYTRONICS KEYBOARDS

KEYTRONICS KEYBOARD

LIST

209

JADE 149.95

HIGH SPEED 8087 APU

L,sl Price 293 SALE PRICE 199.95

STB BOARDS For IBM PC

LIST JADE

395 329.95

495 349.95

595 449.95

795 549.95

419 329.95

579 379.95

619 479.95

RIO PLUS 64K _ RIO PLUS 128K RIO PLUS 256K _ RIO PLUS 384K _ SUPER RIO 64K _ SUPER RIO 128K SUPER RIO 256K

320K DISK DRIVES For IBM PC

Double-sided, double-density

TANDON 100-2 Two for 175.00 each TEAC 55B Two for 149.00 each

FOR JUST ONE DRIVE ADD 4.95

SOFTWARE For IBM PC

MICROSOFT WORD

R-BASE 4000

SMART KEY

MOVE-IT

MULTIPLAN

ACCOUNTING PARTNER

CROSSTALK

PROKEY

MULTI MATE

SUPERCALC III

TRANSEND PC

LIST

395 495 _89 _ 725 250 395 795 _ 75 495 395 189

JADE 249.95 319.95 69.95 89.95 169.95 249.95 129.95 54.95 299.95 249.95 139.95

MICROSOFT For IBM PC

MOUSE w/WORD

MOUSE

SYSTEM CARD 64K SYSTEM CARD 256K

LIST JADE

495 339.95

199 129.95

395 279.95

625 429.95

LOCAL AREA NETWORKS For IBM PC

QUADNET II

QUADNET VI

QUADNET IV

AST-PC net II

ORCHID TECHNOLOGY

LIST

_ 995 7995 2295

_ 495

. 595

JADE 879.95 1659.95 1989.95 399.95 499.95

DISKETTES For IBM PC

High quality d o u b le-sided, doubledensity diskettes, certified to be absolutely error free. Box of 10, warranteed for one year

LIST JADE

Box of 10 w/FREE plastic case _ 39 19.95

AST For IBM PC

SIX PAK PLUS 64K _ SIX PAK PLUS 256K SIX PAK PLUS 384K

MEGA PLUS 64K _ MEGA PLUS 256K MEGA PLUS 512K

I/O PLUS

LIST

_ 395 _ 695 _ 945

. 395 . 665 7095

MP PLUS 64K _ MP PLUS 128K MP PLUS 192K MP PLUS 256K

MP II 64K _ MP II 128K MP II 192K MP II 256K MP II 384K

295 395 495 595

345 445 545 645 845

IBM VIDEO BOARDS

HERCULES COLOR

JADE 269.95 489.95 589.95

269.95 429.95 799.95

765 119.95

199.95 249.95 299.95 349.95

249.95 299.95 349.95 399.95 499.95

LIST JADE

245 189.95

HERCULES GRAPHIC 499 339.95

PLANTRONICS COLOR PLUS 549 379.95

QUADCOLOR I 295 209.95

QUADCOLOR II 275 209.95

AMDEK MAI 649 449.95

AST MONOGRAPH PLUS 595 449.95

64K RAM UPGRADE For IBM PC

High speed RAM upgrade kit with FREE' parity terror detection) and one year warranty

LIST JADE

64K KIT For IBM PC 90 44.95

128K KIT For IBM PC 7S0 88.95

192 KIT For IBM PC 270 131.95

256K KIT For IBM PC 360 173.95

384K KIT For IBM PC 540 259.95

QUADRAM For IBM PC

QUADBOARD Wo RAM

QUADBOARD 64K

QUADBOARD 128K

QUADBOARD 256K

QUADBOARD 384K

QUADLINK

QUAD 512 PLUS 64K 1. QUAD 512 PLUS 256K QUAD 512 PLUS 512K

QUADCOLORI

QUADCOLOR II

LIST

269 395 495 595 . 795 . 680 . 325 . 550 . 895 _ 295 275

JADE

234.95 275.95 339.95 339.95 595.95 449.95 239.95 389.95 549.95 209.95 199.95

We accept cash, checks, credit cards, or purchase orders from qualified firms and institutions.

Minimum prepaid order $15.00 California residents and 6'/2% tax. Export customers outside the U.S. or Canada please add 10% to all prices. Prices and availability subject to change without notice. Shipping and handling charges via UPS Ground 50c/lb. UPS Air $1.00/lb. minimum charge $3.00 Prices quoted are for pre-paid orders only.

Continental U.S. Inside California Los Angeles

300/421-5500 800/262-1710 213/973-7707 aide !95 on inquiry card.

TIT"

it*

.06

as

HAYES Smartmodem

Sophisticated direct-connect auto-a dial modem, touch tone or pulse RS232C interface programmable list

Smartmodem 1200 699

1200B lor IBM PC 599

Smartmodem 300 289

Hayes Cronograph 249

Mlcromodem 100 399

Micromodem lie 299

PLEASE Software 395

Smartcom II 149

wer/auto dialing. JADE 475.00 399.95 199.00 199.95 299.95 239.95 299.95 99.95 |

£UM2

COMPLETE COMPUTER *1095.

with FREE! SOFTWARE

4MHz Z-80A, 64K RAM. 9-inch hi-res non-glare amber monitor, composite video output, two 180K disk drives, full size 63 key keyboard with separate numeric keypad and 16 programmable function keys, speech synthesizer, two serial ports, Centronics parallel printer port, bit mapped graphics, sculpted high-impact plastic case, only 26 lbs. (sale subject to FCC approval)

FANON BW-14 with twice the storage 1395.00

RAM CHIPS ON SALE!

64K D-RAMS _ 256K D-RAMS

J-Cat modem

1/5 the size of ordinary modems, Bell 103, manual or, auto-answer. Automatic answer/ originate, direct connect, built-in self-test, two LEDs and audio beeps provide status information list jade

Novation J-Cat 149 $114.95

ISOBAR

The ISOBAR looks like a standard multioutlet power strip but contains surge suppression circuitry and built-in noise filters, plus 15anip circuit breaker list I jade

4 receptacle 89 59.95

8 receptacle 99 69.95

Complete Computer under 400.00

THE LITTLE BOARD with FREE! CP/M 2.2

Minature single board CP/M computer designed to mount directly on top of a 5'/4 floppy disk drive (7.75" x 5.75"). Contains Z 80A, CPU. 64K RAM, Boot Eprom, terminal port, modem port, parallel printer port, floppy disk controller, and CP/M 2.2 included FREE! list JADE

Little Board with CP/M 400

Support package 50

Serial Cable 13

Diskless Monitor Eprom 30

190K Disk Drive 350K Disk Drive

249 399

348.95 48.95 11.95 24.95 99.95 149.95

ULTRA-VIOLET EPROM ERASERS

Inexpensive erasers for

Spectronics w/o timer Spectronics with timer Logical Devices

ndustry or home

LIST I JADE

99 69.95

139 94.95

89 49.95

DISK DRIVES

SIEMENS FDD 100-8 SS/DD

List 399 149.00 ea 2 for 139.00 ea

SHUGART SA 801R SS/DD

List 502 355.00 ea 2 for 349.00 ea

SHUGART SA-851R DS/DD

List 605 459.00 ea 2 for 455.00 ea

TANDON TM 848-2 DS/DD thin-line

List 599 439.00 ea 2 for 435.00 ea

NEC FD1165 DS/DD thin-line

List 599 450.00 ea 2 for 440.00 ea

Handsome metal cabinet with proportionally balanced air flow system, rugged dual drive power supply, cable kit, power switch, linecord, fuse holder, cooling fan, nevermar rubber feet. All necessary hardware to mount two 8 inch disk drives, power supply, and fan. Does not include signal cable

Duaf 8" Sub-Assembly Cabinet LIST JADE

Bare cabinet 75 49.95

Cabinet Kit 299 199.95

A & T 349 249.95

8" Sub-System—Single sided, double density

Kit w/2 Siemens FD100-8Ds 950 479.00

A & T w/2 Siemens FD100-8Ds 995 529.00

Kit w/2 Shugart SA-801RS 7 795 939.00

A & T w/2 Shugart SA-801RS _ 7295 969.00

8" Sub-Systems—Double sided, double density

Kit w/2 Shugart SA-851RS 7495 1199.00

A & T w/2 Shugart SA-851RS 7595 1219.00

Dual 8" Slimline Cabinet list JADE

Bare Cabinet 75 59.95

A & T w/o drives 249 164.95

AST w/2 DS/DD drives 7495 1099.00

■^Wordstar <Mailmerge <Calcstar ■*Datastar ■4Reportstar 4CP/M & BASIC 4KAYPR0 compatible <Speech Synthesizer

90 day warranty 30 day exchange Local service through nationwide field service team.

kWe Now Havel PRINTERS &

ACCESSORIES for APPLE lie

& MACINTOSH

ICaU For Prices^

APPLE ACCESSORIES

ON SALE!

Full Height Disk Drive Half Height Disk Drive Controller

8 inch 2 Mbyte system

CP/M 3.0 Card

Z-Card with CP/M

16K RAM Card

Best 80 Column Card _ Printer card 81 Cable — Fan w/surge protect _ Koala Pad

Grappler Plus ,

Buffered Grappler/16K Buffered Grappler/64K

LIST

_ 299 . 249 _700 2495 _ 399 _ 769 _ 99 _ 279 _709 _ 99 — 725 _ 775 _ 245 _ 345

JADE 179.95 184.95 59.95 1395.00 199.95 139.95 39.95 139.95 49.95 59.95 89.95 119.95 175.95 239.95

Better than Radio Shack and H.P.!

NEC LAP SIZE 8201 A COMPUTER

240 x 64 LCD display, full keyboard with function and cursor control keys. 16K RAM expands to 96K, standard serial and parallel ports, FREE! software included list JADE PC-8201A 799 598.95

We have showrooms in—

Los Angeles, Wood/and Hills, Santa Ana, San Diego, Sunnyvale, and Dallas

(Prices will be slightly higher in our retail stores— But we're still the best deal in (ownl

Serving Your Computer Needs Since 1975

Circle I95 on inquiry card.

Computer

Mappki computer

Authorized Dealer

lADVANCED

COMPOTEfi iQDUCTS

64K RAMS

IBM PC MULTICARD™

'MULTICARD" multifunction card for the IBM PC & XT expandable to 256K. Thousands of this popular card have already been shipped by ACP.

• 64-256K • Disk Emulator Software

• Parallel Port • Printer Spooler Software

• Serial Port • Clock/Calendar

• 1 Year Warranty • Clock Software

'22900 w/64K '229™

S-100 64K cmos RAMCARD

Unbelievable Price!

5249c

jOO

Assembled and Tested

ACP has sold over 1000 of these IEEE compatible, low-priced, high-reliability 64K Static RAM Cards.

Single 5-Volt operation.

SIEMEN'S SALE

You can now purchase Shugart compatible 8" Disk Drives below your existing factory direct pricing These Prices are the lowest ever published 'Siemen's DSDD FDD200-8.. $199.00

Also, with purchase of Disk Drives you can buy the Vista V-1000 Dual Case wilh Power Supply and Cable

for only $375.00 Regular Price $495.00

Offer LimilBd! Factory Warranty 90 Days! Shipped Immediately from Stock! 'OEM Quantities

DOT MATRIX PRINTER

C0EX 80-FT

f 9x7 Dot Matrix.80 CPS. Bi-Directionil

Printing *» 2K Buttered Memory

80. 96. 132 Columns. Graphics and

Block Printing f Selectable Char Pilch, Line Spacing

and Feed

C0EX Interface Card to Apple {49.95

ACP HAS DISK DRIVES

APPLE II COMPATIBLE

APPLE COMPATIBLE

DISK DRIVES STANDARD HEIGHTS

Thin Line Drive

$17goo

VISTA Solo 5%" Std $199.00

FOURTH DIMENSION .... 199.00

QUENTIN 209.00

Compatible Disk Controller 49.95

to

TAND0N 100-2

PC Compatible • Double Sided

$iggoo

TM100-1 $169.00

$50.00

Apple Compatible Software

TOSHIBA Half-High

PC Compatible • Double Sided

"169

00

ACP PRICE

APPLIED SOFTWARE Versaform $299.00

Versaform Hard Disk 399.00

ARTSCt Magic Window II 95.00

Magic Combo 149.00

ASHTON-TATE dBASE II (CP/M) 385.00

Friday (CP/M) 198.00

BPI (GL. AR. AP. Pay. Inv) 299.00

BRODERBUND Bank Street Writer 49.00

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS The Incred Jack .149.00 CONTINENTAL (GL. AR, AP. Pay) ...M. 189.00

Home Accounlanl 49.00

OATAMOST Real Eslata Inv 99.00

DOW JONES Market Manager 229.00

Market Analyzer .. 269.00

Market Microscope 499.00

EAGLE Money Decisions Vol. Ill 149.00

FOX A GELLER Quickcode 199.00

d Utility 69.00

d Graph 199.00

HAYDEN Pie Writer 99.00

Compiler Plus 79.00

Basic Compiler 45.95

HOWARDSOFT Tax Preparer 199.00

Real Estate Analyzer 139.00

KENSINGTON Format II 99.00

LIGHTNING Mastertype 35.00

LIVING VIDEOTEXT Think Tank(ll.lle,lll).. .119.00

MICROPRO WordStar 249.00

Mallmerge or Spellslar. 139.00

Wordstar Prof. 4 Pak 449.00

Into Pak or InfoSlar Call

MICROSOFT Mulliplan 179.00

Multilool Financial 79.00

Multitool Budge! 119.00

MEGAHAUS Megawriter 69.00

PEACHTREE Series 40 (GL. AR. AP) 379.00

Series 9 (Text. Spell. Mail) 239.00

PERFECT SOFTWARE Call

QUARK Word Juggler (He) 199.00

Lexicheck (lie) 99.00

Call for Apple III SIERRA ON-UNE

Screenwriter II 99.00

Screenwriler Professional 149.00

General Manager II 169.00

Dictionary 79.00

SOFTWARE PUBLISHING PFS/Fila 89.00

PFS'Graph or PFS/Report 89.00

STATE OF THE ART Call

STONEWARE DB Master 4.0 249.00

BB Utility 1 or 2 89.00

SYSTEMS PLUS Acd Pius (GL, AP, AR) Set 599.00

VISICORP Visicalc3.3 179.00

Vlslcalc Enhanced 199.00

Visilila or Visidex 179.00

HOME & EDUCATION

BRODERBUND Choplifier $28.00

Drol or Lodemnner 28.00

Arcade Machine 44.00

Apple Panic 24.00

BUDGECO Raster Blasler 24.00

Pinball Construction Sel 29.00

COUNTERPOINT SOFTWARE

Easy Games tor Young Children 26.00

DATAMOST Aztec 29.00

Pig Pen or Shark Attack 23.00

DATASOFT Zaxxon 31.00

EDU-WARE Compumath 37.00

Algebra I, II or III 30.00

Compuread or Compuspell 23.00

EINSTEIN Memory Trainer 73.00

ELECT. ARTS Music Conslruclion Call

HARCOURT Computer SAT Call

HAYDEN Sargon II 29.00

INFOCOM Zork I. II or III 29.00

Deadline 36.00

KOALA Modules (6 available) Call

LEARNING COMPANY

Juggles Rainbow 30.00

Bumble Games 40.00

Gertrude's Secrels 45.00

L & S Crossword Magic 41.00

MICROFUN Miner 2049er Call

M1CROLAB Call

MICROSOFT Decathlon 25.00

Typing Tutor II 19.00

MONOGRAM Dollars & Sense 74.95

ORIGIN Exodus: Ultima III 41.95

PENGUIN The Quesl 16.00

SENSIBLE Sensible Speller 99.00

SIERRA/ON-LINE Frogger 28.00

SIRTECH Legacy ol Llylgamya 29.00

Knight ot Diamonds 29.00

SOUTHEASTERN Dala Capture 4.0 54.95

SPINNAKER Alphabet Zoo 20.00

Delia Drawing 35.00

Fraction Fever 23.00

Kindercomp 21.00

Facemaker 28.00

SUBLOGtC Flight Simulator or Pinball 40.00

SUNDEX-No. 1 Rated Home Finance

CPA Personal Accountant 74.95

CPA Personal Investor 74.95

Porsonal Payables 42.95

TERRAPIN Logo $119.00

TRANSEND Transend I 75.00

VIRTUAL Micro Cookbook 29.00

UTILITIES/SYSTEM

BEAGLE Apple Mechanic $30.00

Apple Plot or Pronlo DOS 30.00

Beagle Basic 30.00

DOS Boss 20.00

Double Take or Utility City 30.00

CENTRAL POINT Filer 18.00

Copy II Plus 31.00

LOCKSMITH 79.00

MICROSOFT A.L.D.S 85.00

Cobol 80 575.00

Fortran 60 155.00

PENQUIN CGS System 65.00

PHOENIX Zoom Graphix 31.00

SOUTHWEST Merlin 49.95

Send lor Complete Catalog ol Software

APPLE COMPATIBLE

DISK CONTROLLER

Only

$4Q95

Apple Compatible

Printer Interface $4Q95

w'Apple to Epson Cable 15J

Apple lie Compatible $gg95

80 Column Card W/64K

APPLE COOLING FAN

QUENTIN/ FORTH DIMENSION

S4Q95

QUENTIN

DUAL DISKS

PRO DOS COMPATIBLE

Dual Half Height Drives w/Controller

Only

$2gg95

Apple II lie Compatible Disk Drive

Totally compatible to Apple Drives.

Only $19995

Controller $49.95

Just plug in and run.

Apple II16K RAM CARD

Compatible with Z80 Softcard " . PASCAL CP/M '"

Full 1 year Warranty. Top Quality by COEX

NEW LOW ACP PRICE

Also from COEX, NEW EPSON Parallel Interface for Apple. With cable $49.95

CLEARANCE SALE

ACP has on hand several hundred demo 51A" and 8" Disk Drives

from virtually all manufacturers. Most are priced at $99.00 ea.

CALL FOR CURRENT AVAILABILITY.

Complete Apple Support Facility Complete Apple Service Center We service most Floppy Disk Drives "^^nC^ J' ACP PRICE

Apple llew/64K $895.00

Apple lie Business System 2995.00

Includes: Apple lie w/128K. Dual Disk. 80 Column

Card, Monitor II. Profile Extension Option Apple lie Enlry System 995.00

Includes: Apple lie w/64K. Disk II w/Controller Apple lie Professional System 1795.00

Includes: Appla Me W/128K, Dual Disk. 80 Column

Card Monitor II

Imagewriter Doi Matrix Printer 545.00

Apple Color Plotter 779.00

Apple Modem 1200 495.00

Apple III 256K System 2895.00

Apple III Plus 256K System 2995.00

Apple III Pius Business System 4495,00

Lisa 2 3495.00

Macintosh System 2495.00

Apple He System 1295.00

"Apple Products Available In-store Only"

Aoole Compatible Hardware

UST

ALS CP/M 3.0 Plus Card $399.00 COMPUTER ACCESSORIES Power Control Center P12

COEX 16K Ram Card 99.00 Parallel Printercard w Cabio 99.00

Apple tl Prototype Card 29.00

Apple I Extender Card 29.00

64K Extended 80 Column 199.00 CORVUS Hard Disk Omninet EASTSIOE Wildcard (11+ w/64) Wildcard 2 (lie) Wildcard Plus (64K in 10 sec) FINGERPRINT Epson Enhancer GIBSON Light Pen

IS PKASO Interlace (ll/lle) 199.00

PKASO Interface (III) 199.00

KENSINGTON System Saver 89.95

PC Saver 49 95 KEYTRONICS KB200 II + Keybd 29B.00

KOALA Graphics Pad 125.00

KRAFT Joystick 49.00

Game Paddles 49.00

MCT Speed Demon 295.00

MPC 128K Bubble Memory 875.00

M&R Sup'r Mod II RF Modulator 69.00

Sup'r Fan 50.00 MICROPRO 6MHz Appiicard + Word

MICROSOFT Z-80 Softcard 395.00

Z-80 Softcard Pius 645.00

Softcard Premium Pak (II +) 695.00

Softcard Premium Pak (He) 495.00 MOUNTAIN COMPUTER

Music System 395.00

A/0 Plus D/A 350.00 MICROTEK Dumpling Buf. W/64K 349.00 ORANGE MICRO

Grappler Plus 175.00

16K Buffetboard 175.00

Grappler Bultered w/16K 245.00

PCPI Appiicard W/12BK. 6MHz 595.00

Appiicard W/128K. 4MHz 495.00

PERISOFT (All w/1 Year Warranty) Printerlink Inlell. Printer I/O 99.00

Messenger Univ. Serial I/O 135.00

Timelink Realtime Clock 110.00

Graflink Graphics l/o 175.00

Bufferlink W/16K Buffer 189.00

PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS Microbuffer 16K (Epson Parallel) 159.00 MicrobuHer 32K (Epson Parallel) 199.00

Microbuffer 16K (Epson Senal) 179.00

MicrobuHer 32K (Epson Serial) 219.00 Microbuffer In-line 64K (Parallel) 349.00

Microbuffer In-line 64K (Serial) 349.00

PROMETHEUS Versacard 4 in 1 199.00

QUADRAM Ouadlink 680.00

Microfazer t6K (Parallel) 189.00

Microfazer 16K (Serial) 220.00

Microlazer 32K (Parallel) 225.00

SATURN/TITAN

32K Ramcard 219.00

64K Ramcard 349.00

128K Ramcard 499 00

Accelerator II Card 599.00 Neptune 64K + 80 Neplune 128K + 80 Neptune 192K + 80

STREET Echo II (Apple) 149.00

Echo II Serial (In-line) 249.00

SYNETIX Sprite I 149.00

Sprile II 249.00

Supersprite 395.00

Flashcard 144K 449.00

Flashcard 2B8K 629.00

TG PRODUCTS Joystick 59.95 Select-a-port 59.95 Trackball 64.95 Joystick w/Toggle He 64.95

VIDEX Videoterm (80) 345.00

Ultraterm (132) 379.00

Enhancer II 149.00

VISTA COMPUTER

ABOO 8* Disk Controller 379.00 A500 5W Disk Conlroller 99.00

V1200 Amlyn 6 2Mb 1549.00

VOTRAX Type N Talk 259.00

Personal System 395.00

149.00 49.95 49.95 20.00 20.00 99.95 Call 89.00 119.00 149.00 59.00 199.00 139.00 159.00 69.95 39.95 225.00 95.00 36.00 36.00 249.00 899.00 49.00 38.00 Call 249.00 479.00

129.00 129.00 199.00

429.00

79.00 109.00

89.00 139.00 159.00

149.00 179,00 159,00 199.00 279.00 279.00 166.00 499.00 169.00 195.00 199.00

189.00 289,00

299.00 389.00 99.00 199.00 129.00 224.00 359.00 389.00 549.00

49.95 54.95 54.95 229.00 279.00 129.00

239.00 49.95 1099.00 199.00 329.00

64K RAMS

Set of 9 Pes

$5Q00

Apple" Apple Trademark ol A IBM" IBM Trademark of International Business Machines

TEH MS: We accept VISA. MC. MO. Caihsrs and Personal Checks, School and Company PO's. We do not charge your card until «v -.N.p Personal checks tequire drivers license and credit cart 0 He Surdurgi Added on VISA or MC COO'S over 1500 required deposil with order Add 3% shipping and handling lor UPS. We offer someday srupmen! Prices subject !o change without notice. We reserve the right to substitute manufacturer. Wo are not resporwt* for typographical error},

OTHER DRIVES WE STOCK TOLL FREE Mail Order: P.O. Box 17329 Irvine, CA 92713

800 854 8230 ',! 13,08 E EiliiTr■san,a Ana< CA 92705

TWX 542 W. Trimble, San Jose, CA 95131

910-595-1565 l4oai 946 7010

504 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 8 on inquiry card.

IAEMVNCED n COMPUTER

I ST l\V/l/\J A V—J Circle 8 on inquiry card.

I Serving Computer Professionals Since 1976

TOLL FREE 800-854-8

- mm

HARDWARE

AST Sixpakplus w OK(SPC) S269.00

Megaplus II w/0K(SC) 269.00

I/O Plus II (CS) 139.00

Game.Serial/Parallel Options 39.00

Monographics Graphics Card 445.00

CHALKBOARD 99.00

COEX IBM PC Extender Card 29.00

IBM PC Prototype Card 36.00

DAVONG Hard Disk Drives Call

KENSINGTON PC Saver 39.00

KEYBOARD IBM PC Compatible 149.00

KEYTRONICS 5150/5151 (PC8XT). , , .199/219

KOALA 89.00

KRAFT or TG

IBM PC Joystick 59.00

Game Paddles 29.00

MICROSOFT Mouse 169.00

MAR PC/XT Exp Chassis (6 slots) 439.00

MOUSE SYS Mouse lor PC 196.00

PERSYST Time Spectrum w 64K 289.00

PT1 Back up Power 200'400W 328.00

OUADRAM Ouadboard II w/OK 229.00

Ouadlink (Apple Prog.) 479.00

Quaddisk (up lo 72Mb) Call

Microlazer MP64 w,64K ,,., 179.00

VISTA Multicard Plus OK 199

Maxicard W/64K (up lo 576K) .229.00

PC Master (10 I/O) 329.00

Diskmasler (Floppy Com.} 169.00

Dynalrame Hard Disk Call

PC Clock I O 129.00

BROTHER HR-25P 25S $799:819

HR-15P I5S 479/499

HR-35P or 35S 1089.00

COEX 80FT (80cps) Sale $169.00

DAISYWRITER 2000 (40cps) 1199.00

DTC Daisypnnter 380Z 11.59

OYNAX DX-15P 15S 529549

DIABLO 630API Serial 1890/2650

630 IBM 620 Ser 2290.995

EPSON FX-80 100 449/649

RX.80 80FT 299/399

1249.00 1885.00 339629 995/1049 525/575 769/869 1039.00

LOP-1500 NEC Spinwriler 3550 OKIDATA Model 82AP 83AP Model B4P<84S . Model 92P 92S Model 93P 93S

Model 84 IBM

Model 92 93 IBM 549/

SILVER REED EXP500P 490.00

EXP550P 630.00

EXP770P 1049.00

TRANSTAR 315 (4 Color) 499.00

STAR Gemini 10X 15X 299/429

Delia 10 15 (160cps) 529/679

Radix 10 15 720/850

Powerlype LQP 409.00

Call (or New Star PC Compatible Family

TOSHIBA Call

SANYO PP5000LQ 399.00

AMDEK Video 300G A 145.00/155.00 Video 310A amber (IBM) 159.00 Color I (composite) 299.00 Color I Plus learphn nonglare) 329.00 Color II RGB (IBM) analog 449.00 Color II Plus .... 479.00

Color III RGB (IBM) 399.00 Color IV RGB (IBM) analog 779.00

BMC or ELKA 12 Green

PGS HX-12 RGB (690x240)

SR-12 RGB (690x480) Call

MAX-12 Amber Call

SANYO 6500 Med-Res 269.00

7500 Hi Res 389.00

TAXAN 400 RGB Med-Res 329.00

420 Hi-Res IBM 559.00 121 TTL Green/Amber. 179/189 ZENITH 2VM-122 Amb/123 Grn 109/105 ZVM-131 13' Color 379.00 ZVM-135 Color Hi-Res 499.00

89.00 499.00

DISKETTES

| DYSAN 5'V SS DD

10 $55

$28

DYSAN 5". DS DD

10-65

36

IBM 5VV SS DD

10-60

43

IBM 5V«- DS DD

10-65

47

VERBATIM 525-01 SS DD

10-45

20

VERBATIM 550-01 DS DD

10/55

29

MAXELL MD1 SS DD

10/50

22

MAXELL MD2 DS DD

10'60

32

Rip Storage Box 57*' (80 disks BULK SPECIAL SS

18

10/25

16

With Sleeve and Box 1

00/195

149

IBM ACCESSORIES

COMPUCABLE

Keyboard drive dusl covers (set) $16.00 CURTIS Tiit'swivel Monilor ped 43.00 PC Pedestal (IBM Mono) 58.00 PGS Ouadchrome disp Adapler 9.00 Vertical PC Stand 20.00 Mono Extension Cable 43.00 Keyboard Exl Cable 35.00 AC Plug Adpt (any mon lo PC) 8.00 EDP PROTECTION DEVICES The Lemon/Peach 39.00/63.00

The Orange-Lime 94.00/58.00

OILTRONIX SWITCH BOXES

2 Way 8 Lines 90.00

4 Way 8 Lines 179,00

2 Way Centronics 199.00

RIBBONS Each Dozen

Epaon MX SO 5.75 59.00

Epson MX'100 10.95 130.00

Star Gemini 10 15 2.50 26.00

Otudcia 80 02 83 3.95 44.00

4.96 55.00 1146 136.00

■■■■I

SOFTWARE

dBASE III

$49900

dBASE Upgrade $15900

Multiplan Vers. 1.1

*13800

Microsoft Mouse/Word

$319°7Call

Wordstar 3.3 $25300

Micropro Pro Pak $37300

PFS

File 88.00 Graph 88.00 Write 88.00 Report 78.00

Context MBA Call VisiOn Call

Lotus 1-2-3/Symphony

Call!

Bank Street Writer 58.00

Home Accountant Plus 88.00

Sideways 48.00

Volkswriter 114.00

Knowledge Man 274.00

Crosstalk XVI 108.00

Multimate w/spelling 348.00

Compuserve Subscription 38.00

Executive Info Serv 78.00

Vidtex Software 58.00

Executive + Vidtex 118.00

Source Subscription 68.00

Source w/source link 108.00

Copy II PC 32.00

Norton Utilities 65.00

Send for Free

Catalog 96 Pages of Selected Values

MODEMS

BIZCOMP Model 2120 (Internal) ... 449.00 HAVES Smart modem 1200 $525.00 Smartmodem 1200B

(w'S mart com II) 445.00

Smartmodem 300 229.00

Smartmodem II 109.00

Smartmodem IBM Cable 25.00

NOVATION Access 1-2-3 388.00

COLOR

s229°°

★ COLOR SPECIAL ★

THE COLOR GRAPHICS CARD

(same designer as Colorplus Card)

$OOQ00 BREAKTHRU! $OOQ°U <£aC«7 lyearWarranty L-t-Xj

MULTI CARD II )$199

(INTRODUCTORY OFFER) • »

exp. \S1( Q00

0K-384K

(INTRODUCTORY OFFER)

Advanced Computer Product's best selling multifunction card for the IBM PC & XT (plus compatibles) now has been improved with expansion capability to a full 384K and at no charge an additional game port. You also get Print Spooler and Disk Emulation Software plus a full year SWAP-OUT Warranty at no extra charge. Why pay more when you can get the same function and performance as Quadboard II™ and AST Sixpak Plus'" for substantially less money. You compare! Try it at no obligation, 10 day no questions asked return privilege.

FUNCTION

Multicard II

Quadboard II

Sixpak Plus

Memory

0 to 384K

0 to 384K

0 to 384K

Parallel/Serial

Yes

Yes

Yes

Clock/Calendar

Yes

Yes

Yes

Game Port

Yes

Yes

No ($50 list Opt.)

Software

Yes

Yes

Yes

Warranty

1 Year

1 Year

1 Year

ACP Price with OK

199.00

229.00

229.00

EXPANSION MEMORY

• 64K Upgrade (Set of 9 64K rams) ... .s50°°

• 256K RAM's (256Kxi) *7922

• 16K RAM's (16KX1) lO/^99

• 8087 CPU (Arithmetic Processor) $199°°

I0/XT

(Serial, Parallel, Clock/Calendar)... $129

The most popular expansion card for the short slot of your IBM XT. All these functions on one card optimized to fit in one slot. 1 year warranty.

00

COLOR/GRAPHICS/COLOR/GRAPHICS

> Plantronics COLORPLUS'" '399"

> Hercules GRAPHICS CARD '369™

> Graphics X Software '42"

> Quadram QUADC0L0R l&ll '199/Cail

> Scanoptik COLORGRAPHICS '269"

• Amdek MAI M38"

• Hercules COLOR CARD w/Par. port .'229"

• Paradise MULTIDISPLAY WD"

• C0N0GRAPHIC CARD >895"

• MA Sys PEACOCK >299"

IBM PC COMPATIBLE DISK DRIVES

Tandon TM-100-1 Single Sided (160K) .. Tandon TM-100-2 Double Sided (320K).. Control Data 9409 Double Sided (320K). TEAC* 55B iA high Double Sided (320K) ..

Toshiba* '/= high Double Sided (320K)

•IBM PC Mounting Hardware lor V4 highs

Vista "Diskmaster" 5'A" S 8" Diskconlroller..

ACP has on hand several hundred demo 5Vi" drives from virtually all manufacturers. Most are priced at $99.00 ea. Call for current

s-,6900!

199°°i 22400 18900 169Mj 495 15900

and 8" disk availability.

TERMS: We accept VISA. MC. MO. Cashiers and Personal checks. School ..... , . p., 171» l.l.. PA QOT10

anrj Company PO's We do not charge your cam unlit we ship Personal mML WHICH. r.U. BOX l/ola Irvine, LA 9Z713

checks require drivers license ana crecM card # No Surehiroe Added on n-i.ll. iem c Erfl.. M«c

VISA or MC. COD s over SSOO regime 20% deposit with orde. Add 3'.. IHHWI. 1JIO C. tdlliger, Santa Ma, CA 92705

(714) 558-8813

542 W. Trimblti. San Jose, CA 95131 (408) 346-7010

0 requite 20% deposit with ordei I snipping and handling, lor UPS We ottei sameday shipment Pnees subpet o change without notice We restive the right to substitute manufacturer [ We are not responsible lor typographical errors Ratail Silt Prim Miy Vary IBM '"trademark ol Inter rufonal Business Machines Ouadooarcf M" I iJabomiiV of Quadram Corp Sop* Ptus™ trarJenuriio* AST Reseaitfi l(X

K CABLES • RIBBONS • DISKETTES • SPARE PARTS

rnic

LETTER QUALITY

■JUKI

The JUKI 6100 is the ideal low cost daisywheel printer. This economical printer features a standard Centronics interface, 18 characters per second, bi-directional printing and a print buffer expandable to 8 K/bytes. The JUKI 6100 uses IBM Selectric II ribbons and Royal Triumph Adler Daisy wheels allowing the purchase of supplies Hfctx locally. Printing enhancements include 10, 12, 15 •■^■V. characters per inch, with proportional spacing, bold jH^. print, super script, subscript, under lining, as well as line spacing in 1 /48 inch increments. Because of a computer manufacturers over purchase we are able to sell these printers for only $319. The 6100 typically retails for $599. The printer was private labeled by Juki for this major computer manufacturer.

Five Inch Single Sided Drives

TEAC FD-54A half height SHUGART SA400L full height TAN00N TM100-1 full height

Five Inch Double Sided Drives TEAC FD55B half height CONTROL DATA 9409 IBM/PC CONTROL DATA 9428 halfht. SHUGART SA455 Half Height PANASONIC JA551/2N (SA455) SHUGART SA465 Half Ht. 96TPI TAND0N100-2 full height TAND0N101-4 96TPI80 Track MITSUBISHI 4851 half height MITSUBISHI 4853 96/TPI. Vi Ht. MITSUBISHI 4854 8" interface QUME142 half height

REMEX

One Two

Ten

109

99

95

189

179

175

169 165

179

Drives

139

135

129

219

199

195

219

199

195

199

189

175

139

135

129

289

279

269

197

193

185

369

355

351

169

159

155

179

169

165

395

385

375

219

hs

199

Eight Inch Single Sioifl

"Drives

SHUGART 801R

385

375

365

SIEMENS FDD 100-8

129

125

119

TAND0N 848E-1 Half Height

369

359

349

Eight Inch Double Sided Drives

SHUGART SA851R

495

485

475

QUME 842 "QUME TRACK 8"

459

459

449

TAND0N 848E-2 Half Height

459

447

435

REMEX RFD-4000

219

219

209

MITSUBISHI M2894-63

447

439

433

MITSUBISHI M2896-63 Half Ht.

459

449

409

Three Inch Disk Drives SHUGART SA300 with diskette 229 219 209

Five Inch Winchester Hard Disk Drives FUJITSU M2235AS 27 M/Bytes 999 959 889 R0DINE RO-208 53 M/Byte 158914931427 MAXTOR XT1065 65 M/Byte 199519651939 SHUGART 712 13 M/Byte, % Ht 795 765 725 TANDON 503 19 M/Byte 795 775 755

Upon request, all drives are supplied with power connectors and manual

MEMORY

4164 EStfgn 50ns

'S.95

DYNAMIC MEMORY

4027 4K dynamic 250ns.

ICM-4027250

4116150ns. 16K

ICM-4116150

41.6 200na.16K

ICM-4116200

4164 150na.64K 128 refresh

ICM-4164150

41256 150na. 256K

ICM-41256150

DP8409 dynamic controller

ICT-B409

EPROMS

2700 4SOnr. IK i 8

ICE-2708

2716 450ns. 2K X B

ICE-2716

2716TMS 450ns. Tri-voltage

ICE-2716TMS

2732 450ns. 4K x8

1CE-2732

2732 350na. 4K x 8

ICE.2732350

2532 450ns. 4K * 8

ICE-2532

2764 350na.8KxB

ICE-2764

27128 350ns. IfiK x 8

ICE-2712B

STATIC MEMORY

21L022O0n>. IKsUtlc

ICM-21L02200

21L02 450na, IK static

ICM-21L02450

2112450ns. 2K static

ICM-2112450

2114 3O0ns.1Kx4

ICM-2114300

4044TMS 450ns. 4Kx 1

ICM-4044450

52S7 300ns. 4K xl

ICM-S257300

6116 P4 2O0n!„ 2Kx8

ICM-6116200

6116P3 150ns. 2KXB

ICM-6116150

6167/2167 100ns. 16K x 1 (20 pin)

ICM-6167100

1.99 1.75 1.7S 5.95

39.00 35.00

4 SO 7.95 4.50 B.50 10.50 6.95

3.49 2.50 4.85 5.25 9.95

4.25 7.65 3.75

1.15 2.85 1.85 3.25 2.25

3.97 7.25 3.55 7.60 9.50 6.95

Plastic library case supplied with all diskettes purchased from LCalifornia Digital.

ABC'26$

SIX PAK PLUS

ASTSixPackPlus 64K ASTSixPackPlus 384K ASTMegaPlusll 64K AST MegaPak Persyst Board Quadboard STB RIO Plus STB Super I/O AST Monograph Plus Hercules Graphic PC Peacock Color Plantronics ColorPlus Quad Color I STB Graphics Plus

256K 64K 64 K 64 K

with software fully populated board to 512K with MegaPak piggyback / MegaPlus with software with six functions with PC accelerator serial/par'l/game port monochrome/graphic two year warranty mono. RGB. graphics printer port / software expandable, high res. with software

4

265.00 499.00 269.00 279.00 319.00 249.00 279.00 184.99 449.79 339.89 269.00 379.98 209.75

DISKETTES t m.SO

FIVE INCH SINGLE SIDED DOUBLE DENSITY

tSISS Each box 10 Boxes 100 Boxes

Sixteen

f\L DIGITAL^?; 18.95

CAL-516

SCOTCH VERBATIM MEMOREX MAXELL

VRB-525/16 MBX 3401

OS 24-95

MXL'MDI _ . — _ MXLMHI/10 24.95 MXL-MM1/16

DYSAN

DYS.104MD

DVS-107J1D 35.00

17.50 22.75 22.75 21.75 22.75 33.00

16.50 21.75 21.75 17.75 21.25 30.50

FIVE INCH DOUBLE SIDED DOUBLE DENSITY

CAL DIGITALci!::!o!

24.95

SCOTCH VERBATIM MEMOREX MAXELL MAXEL1 DYSAN

DYS204/2D

DYSAN/96 Ki

MMM-745/0 _ _ MMM-745/10 3 7.95 MMM-743/16 " VRB-550/01 —_ _ _ VBB-550/10 37-95 VRB-550/16 ** '

K5S:ISIJ 32.95

MXL-MD2

MXL-MD2.1 0 17 QC MXLM02I96

45.00

DYS104/2D

DVS-107I2D Mty f-** DVS-105/2D 4j£.DU

49.95

22.75 35.95 35.95 31.25 35.95 43.00 40.50 47.95

20.50 31.25 32.75 26.25 33.75 41.25 35.50 45.75

EIGHT INCH SINGLE SIDED SINGLE DENSITY

SCOTCH mmm-740/o 28.50

MEMOREX mrx 3062 27.75

VERBATIM, i . 31.50

DYSAN dys-3740/1 35.75

27.50 26.60 29.50 32.75

23.80 22.25 25.60 29.75

EIGHT INCH SINGLE SIDED DOUBLE DENSITY

SCOTCH MMM-741/0 MEMOREX MRX 3090

VERBATIM vim-34'sooo

DYSAN DYS-3740/1D

MAXELL mxl-fdi

33.95 31.75 31.95|27.75 35.25 33.25 40.75 38.75 45.50 39.75

29.15 26.15 28.75 32.25 35.15

EIGHT .INCH DOUBLE SIDED DOUBLE DENSITY

SCOTCH MMM-743/0 MEMOREX MRX-3102

VERBATIM. • r

DYSAN DVS-3740/2D

45.95 43.25 37.95 36.75 41.75 37.50 54.65 49.75

37.50 31.50 32.25 40.50

MAXELL mxl-fd2 52.50 48.75 40.45

Macintosh Diskettes

ounds $3.00, each additional pound S. Foreign orders: 10% shipping, excess will be refunded. California residents add 6V2% sales tax. • COD's discouraged. Open accounts extended to state supported educational institu

California Digital

Street • Carson, California90248

NEC RGB..

color fz%y

MONITOR

Return of a Smash HHSetouf

DRAGON

The NEC JC-1401D is a 13" medium/high resolution RGB monitor suitable for use with the Sanyo MBC-550/555 or the IBM/PC. The monitor features a resolution of 400 dots by 240 lines. Colors available are Red. Green, Blue. Yellow. Cyan. Magenta. Black and White. These monitors are currently being used in applications far more critical than microcomputers.

The NEC monitor carries the Lttlon-Monroe label and was originally scheduled for use m their "Office of the Future" equipment. A change in Monroe s marketing strategy has made these units excess inventory which were sold to California Digital. We are offering these prime "new" RGB monitors at a fraction ol their original cost. Sanyo compatible NEC-1401 /S; IBM/P/C Computer compatible NEC-1401 /PC

MONITORS

BMC 12A green phosptior 15MHz composilvideo BMC 12 high resolution. 20MHz Amc.k300G 12 green phosphor AmdekUOOA 12 ambc'phos .hi-rcsolufon AmQek 310A designed tot IBMrPC amDor ZcnnhZVM122 Amber Phosphor 12 40/80 column switch 2V;rntiiZVM123g't!en phosphor 12 40/00 column switch NEC JB1201 green pho'.rjhoi 18MHz composit video NEC JB1260 commercial grade compos.1 Motorola 23 open frame hlh'wriito compos-! video Conrac 9 Open frame requires horz sync & 12v supply

COLOR

NEC JC1401D Medium/High 13 RGB

CMC AU9l91UColi!'composii viijeo with sound

BMC 9191M RCU designed liif use with Ihe IBM computer

NEC JC1203DM RGB color monitor

NEC JC 1201 color composil

Zenith ZVM135 RGB & composne suifaole lor IBM PC AmdekCoforl 13 composil video -vnv. i ■ ■ 11■ .J-■ ' ■ ri- . .

■VmdeK Color III ■ 13 RGB. medium resolution Princeton HX-12 1GB IBM'PC corncalible

BMC-12A

BMC-1 SEN

AMK-3O0G

AMK-300A

AMK-3I0A

ZTH-122

ZTH-Z123

NECJB1201

NEC JBIP60

MOT-BW23

CON-BW9

78 95 119.00 128.95 138 95 158.95

94 95

OA 95 159 00 119 00 159 00

59 00

NEC- M01/X

BMC-9191

BMC-9191M

NEC-1203

NEC-JC1201

ZTH-Z135

AMK-100

AMK'200

259 00 238 95 379 00 699 00 339 00 475 00 299 00 419 95 359 95 478 95

The CTS212AH Modem .s 300/1200 Auto Answer/Aula Dial. Hayes Compatible Mycrolt Labs Companion communications sollware $35 00 additional

CTS 212AH I200baud. autodial CTS-212AH 319.00

Signalman Mark '2 1200 baud. Hayes compatible SGL-MK12 259.00

lli'ir'.alnianf.fari. ■ ■ v.. : < ;jr=.-,.-■■:r .'.iin ;.rv v.- f;-,-,:.;: !> jl_ MX 1 -'5 00

Hayes Smart Modem 1200baud autoanswer, autodial HYS-212AD 479 00

Hayes 1200Blor use wilh me IBM/PC. 1200baud HVS-1200B 429.00

Hayes Smartmodem. 300 oaud only, auio answer, auto dial HYS-103AD 229.00

HayasMkromoctemil tra Ai^**ctconnea hvs-mmz 279.00

H.iyes Chronograph .tmoadale HYS-CHR23S 19900

US Robolics2t2A300/1200baud.aulodial/answer U5R-212A 43900

□ h Robotics Password 300/1200 baud USR-PW212 389 00

Penn! 300/1200 industrial quality PEN-12AD 595 00

Universal Data 1C3LP hnepower answer & originate UDS-103LP 16900

Umversa(Oata202. l200D.iL!d nan Cup'e>only U3S-202LP 219.00

Universal Daja 2121.P CI 1200 baud duplet, trie power UpS-212LP 359.00

Novation J CaLdirect connect, auio answer NQV JCAT 115.00

Novation SmnnCi 103/2)2 i,''()(.'haud auto dial NOV-SC212 529.00

'389

TANDON

603SE

These Tandon 14.2 Megabyte hard disk drives are the excess inventory of a major computer company. Each unit has

California Digital has agreed to assist in the liquidation of approximately 1000 Eagle IIE/2 Computers.

These units features a 12" non-glare green phosphor CRT. typewriter style keyboard with separate numeric cluster This unil provides two 5 11A" drives for a combined storage capacity of 780 K/Byte. The Eagle II contains a 4Mhz Z-80A. DMA disk interface, two RS-232C serial ports. Centronics printer interlace, along with an auxiliary parallel port. Software included consists of ULTRACALC electronic spread sheet SPELLBINDER word processor. CBASIC2. CP/M 2.2, and an exclusive Eagle menu driven utility package

These units are all "factory new" and are being offered far below their suggested price of Si 995. This is your opportunity to purchase a complete CP/M system for only S895. EAG-2E2

Epson Comrex

PLOTTER

'189

The Comrex Comscriber I is the ideal solution to make short work of translating financial and other numeric data into a graphic presentation. Complete with menu driven software for use with either IBM/PC or Apple II. Along with this are included multicolor plotter pens, demonstration software

The Comscnoei I was originally priced to sell at $795. This is your opportunity to purchase a high value graphic plotter at only $189. IBM/PC COM-C1 PC; Apple COM-C1A2

PRINTERS

MATRIX PRINTERS

Star Gemini- 10X120 char/sec STR-G10X 279 00

Star Gemini-15X. 100 char/sec 15' paper STR-G15X 389.00

Star Gemini Delta 10. i60Char/sec STH-D10 399 00

Star Coex SOFT Indian 4 tractor VST-C80FT 195.00

ToshibaP1351. 192char/sec lellerquality TOS-1351 149500

Okidala 82A serial & parallel 9'paper OKI-B2A 347.00

Oktdala 92A paraSol interlace. 160 char* sec OKI-92A 427 00

Okrdata S3A & parallel 15" paper OW-83A 567.00

Okiriaia84AS parallel 15 paper OKI-84A 99700

Okidala 2350 |new| 350 char/sec OKI-2350 1995 00

Epson RX-6010 120 Char/sec EPS-RX80 317 00

Epson FX30. 10 160 char /sec with graphtrax EPS-FX60 529.00

Epson FX 100 15 160 Char /sec wilh graphirax EPS-FX100 719.00

Anaden 9501B hfgti speed wilh graphics ADX-9501B 1029 00

Anadex 9G2GB 200 char/sec. par 1 & serial ADX-9620B 1129 00

Prowriler8510parallel9'.- paper PRO-8510P 359 00

Prownterll. parallel 15 paper, graphics PRO-2P 689 00

Dataproducts B-600-3. band printer 600 LPM DPS-3600 69B5.00

Printronix P30O high speed punier 300 l;nes par minute PTX-P300 3995.00

Prmtronix PGOO ulna high speed 600 lines per minute PTX-P600 5795 00

WORD PROCESSING PRINTERS

NEC-7710 179500

NEC-7730 1795.00

NEC-3550 1599 00

NEC-2050 995.00

SRD-EXP500 459.00

SRDEXPS50 659.00

DBL-630 1765.00

I. DBL-620 879.00

JUK-S6100 319.0C

BTH-HRiS 695 00

PROF10S 1125.00

PRO-F10P 1125.00

CHX-CR2P 495.00

NEC7710 55 char/second, serial mierlace NEC7730 55 cliai, sec. par I interlace NEC3550 popular printer designed for me IBM'PC NEC2050 designed tor IBM'PC 20 char'sec pari Silver Reed EXP500. l-i char/sec par I interlace Silver Reed EXPfjf.fi : 7 Ci\-.i .■ par I mlerface Diablo 630 40 char/sec serial

Diablo 620. proportional spaci™. hor;&uen tab 20c Juki 6100, 18 char /sec SPECIAL Brother HRIA serial interface Starwriler FtO serial. 40char/soc Slarwriler FlOf Comrex CR2. 5

TERMINALS

Freedom 100. split screen, del ai chad I e keyboard LI3-F100 495.00

Qume 102 green phosphor terminal QUM-102 539.00

Ampex Dialogue 125 green screen, APX-D125G 675.00

Ampex Diatouge 175 amber screen, two page, tunc keys APXD175A 719.00

Wyse50.14 "greenphosphor WYS-50 595.00

Wyse 300, Eight color display, spill screen. vVYS-300 1159.00

Zenith 29 terminal. VT52 compatible delatch ble keyboard ZTH-Z29 765.00

Televideo 910 Plus, block mode TVI-910P 575.00

TeteWdeo 925. delatchable keyboard. 22 tunclion keys TVI-925 759 00

Compatible with the Radio Shack Color Computer. The world famous Dragon computer is now available in the United States. Manufactured by the Tano Corporation under license of the British Broadcasting Company. The Dragon comes complete with 64K Byte of memory, serial modem port along with a Centronics printer interface. This unique microcomputer features Motorola's advanced 6809E microprocessor and comes standard with Microsoft Color Basic, data base manager, and a complete word processing package. The computer outputs color composite video along with R.F. video that allows the unit to be used in conjunction with any color television. This is the Ideal low cost computer to be used with any dial up information system such as the Source, Western Union's EasyLink or any other time share service. California Digital has agreed to act as exclusive agent for North America in an effort to assist The Tano Corporation in reducing their overstock. For a limited time California Digital can offer the Dragon computer for only $139.

The Sanyo MBC-550 Microcomputer includes 128K byte of memory, a 5Va" disk drive along with a parallel printer port. The computer outputs both RGB color and monochrome composite video. Extensive software such as Sanyo Basic, Wordstar, Calcstar and Easy Writer I is included with the MBC-550.

Along with all this California Digital offers "FREE" your choice of either a second disk drive, or a high resolution green or amber screen monitor. All at the super low price of only $895. Double sided 320K/byte disks drives are available at only $99 per drive additional

Advanced Logic Systems

CP/M 3.0 CARD

Includes Digital Research C/PM Plus

We have just purchased from Digilal Research over eighl hundred of the Advanced Logic Systems CP/M 3.0 cards. This unique product offers performance upto 300% taster than existing Apple CP/M cards. I

Featuring a 6 MHz. Z80B micro-processor, 64K/Byte of on board memory, with CP/M 3.0 along with GSX 80 graphics and CBasic. The ALS card supports larger programs jP/M editing features.

Manufacturers suggested price on the CP/M board is $399.

TOLL FREE ORDER LINE

Mil1

TECHNICAL & CALIFORNIA

(213) 217-0500

SEPTEMBER WM • H Y I L 507

# ADVANCED1 DIGITAL

SUPER SIX 128-6MHZ SUPER SLAVE 128 6MHz SUPER 186 266 SLAVE CP/M 3.0

TURBOOOS MULTI USER HDC-100-6 B'/4" H.D. CONTROLLER

W/ S.W. DRIVES SUPER STAR SYSTEM: SUPER SIX 128K,

5Mb FIXED. 6Mb REMOV. CART.,

DSDD FLPY. 2 SUPER SLV-128-6.

TURBODOS 1.3 MULTI-USER

S595 8570 81.450 8360 (650

8450

CPZ 48006 6MHz MASTER 8739

266KMB MEMORY BOARD 8709

CPS-MX 64K RAM SLAVE 4MHz 6339

CPS MX 64K RAM SLAVE 6MHz (389

CPS-BMX 128K RAM SLAVE 4MHz 8496

CPS-BMX 128K RAM SLAVE 6MHz 8529

lEIectralOQicsJ

QUASI DISK 612K RAM-DISK W/ON-BD. DRV. STATUS LED'S WRITE PROTECT. DMA E-Z INSTALL W/SAMPLE CP/M BIOS 8895 512K PIGGY-BACK EXPANSION »696 BA TTERY BACK-UP W/PWR. SUPPL Y »169

MFIO ALL-IN-ONE I/O BD. IEEE S-100/696 8 ASYNCH. SERIAL, 2 PARA.. BAUD RATE GEN.. CLOCK-CAL/BATT.. PROG PRIORITY INTERRUPT W/8 LEVEL CTRL PERSONALITY BDS & CBLS OPTIONAL 8469

SERIAL OPTION BD. FOR MFIO CENTRONICS PARA OPTION FOR MFIO STD PARALLEL OPTION BD. FOR MFIO

SYNTECH

DATA.

SYSTEMS

SBC 300 MASTER OR SLV-6MHZ, 64K,

1S. 1P. SASI PORT VERSAFLOPPY II 4 FLPY CTRL 6V." 8> 8" EXPANDORAM IV 266K W/ PARITY EXPANDORAM IV 266K W/ EDC I/O 8 W/8 ASYNCHRONOUS RS232 I/O 4 ANYNCH. I/O 4 SYNCH/ 4 ASYNCH.

OCTAGON

CPU 8/16 EXECUTES Z80 & 8088 CODE.

6%" & 8" FLPY CTRL. 2S. 8

VECTORED & REAL TIME INTERRUPTS 266K STATIC RAM/ CLK/CAL. BATT. HDC UP TO 4 6'/4 H.D. W/ 2S. IP.

CP/M 80 & 86 BIOS INCLD. DYNAMIC RAM 51 2K (2Mb W/ 41266)

825 639 825

8696 8296 6825 61.435 8436 8605 8676

6689 61.426

6468

81,132

Cromemco

ZPU 2 80 CPU EXC S 100 EXTENDER BD. SMDI SMD HARD DISK I/O DPU 68000 & Z80A FFP FAST FLOATING POINT MCU MEMORY CONTROL/FOR 512MSU 512MSU ERROR CORRECTING MEMORY

Datacom Northwest, Inc.

SOLUTION FOR SERIAL l/F PROBLEMS TRI-STATE RS232 V.24 BREAKOUT

8. ACTIVITY TESTER W/9V BATT. S166

8299 849

8676 8669

82.369 8419

82.119

Litton

ffl

JEFFERSON' ELECTRIC

TRUE SINE WAVE, 100% BATTERY OPER. W/NO SWITCH OVER. BYPASS STATIC SWITCH 750 WATTS @ 15 MIN. B370-811 100 81,575

< 1 HR. W/AUXILIARY BATTERY 8149

^^^^

STAND-BY POWER W/ YUASA BATTERY EXCELLENT FOR SWITCHING P/S PC'«

SB 400 LVC 1HR- ( SB-1000 1/2HR+ (a

) 400 WATTS 1000 WATTS

ISOBAR LINE FILTERS: IBAR 2-6 2 OUTLETS 8, 6 FT. CORD (BAR 4-6 4 OUTLETS 8. 6 FT. CORD IBAR 8-16 8 OUTLETS & 16 FT. CORD

8395 6696

640

855 865

PRINTERS

BROTHER HR 15 8426

BROTHER HR-26 8695

BROTHER HR-36 8975

BROTHER M-2024 MATRIX L.Q. 81.099

DAISYWRITER 2000 W/48K 6976

EPSON RX80FT CALL

EPSON FX80FT FOR

EPSON FX100 LOW

EPSON LQ1600 W/ CENTRONICS l/F PRICE

OKIDATA 92P 8419

OKI DATA 92S 8489

OKIDATA 93P 8650

OKIDATA 93S 8749

TALLY SPIRIT - 80 PARALLEL 8289

TALLY SPIRIT - 80 2K SERIAL l/F 886

TALLY MT-160L P&S W/TRACTOR 8595

TALLY MT-180L P&S W/TRACTOR 8795

TALLY MT 1805 SERIAL "DEMO SALE" 8995

TALLY PIXY-3P PLOTTER 8489

NEC 2010-1 20 CPS SERIAL/FRICTION 8707

NEC 3610-1 35 CPS SERIAL/FRICTION 81.339

NEC 7710-1 66 CPS SERIAL/FRICTION 81.819

mmPRACTICAL 3PERIPHERALS

MICROBUFFER EPSON -CARDS":

MBP-16K PARALLEL

MBS 32K SERIAL MBS 64K PARALLEL

MICROBUFFER IN-LINE STAND ALONES":

MBIS SERIAL 64K 8244

MBIP PARALLEL 64K 8244

APPLE II. II*. HE MICROBUFFER II* 16K 8181

PROCLOCK/APPLE II, II+, ME 8119 SERlALL APPLE II, II+. ME W/ RS232,

COMMUNICATIONS & GRAPHICS 8119 GRAPHlCARD W/ ON-BD S.W. FOR 35 PRT. 869

——^Z UNIVERSAL 64K BUFFER jT "IN" S OR P

J * "OUT" S OR P 8209

$65

8153 8195

terminals:

:& monitors:

QUME QVT 102G

FREEDOM 200 TERMINAL - AMBER (EMUL TELEVIDEO 960 8> ADM 31) LIBERTY FREEDOM 220G DEC VT220 EMUL. W/ FULL SUPERSET OF VT100 PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX12 HI-RES RGB TAXAN RGB 420 (IBM LOOK-ALIKE) USI AMBER 12" HI-RES MONITOR (20MHz) WYSE-50 14". 132 COL.. EMUL. TVI 910, 920, 925. ADDS VP 8, HAZELTINE 1500

$519

CALL

CALL 6496 6495 8109

8519

PERSONAL SPEECH SYSTEM

6286

IDISKETTES:

■A. MD1D 6V«" SSDD BOX/10 lQ||k MD2D 5%" DSDD BOX 10 ■J5r"l MD2D 96TPI 6V." DSDD

~^|Pi 80 TRACKS BOX/10 FD2D 1024N 8" DSDD BOX/10

619.95 826

836.95 833.96

maxell

ITSWNTHri:

FD-18"SSDD 835 FD-2 8" DSDO 839

MD-15"SSDD 623 MD-2 5" DSDD 835

MD 200 (96 TPI| 5" DSDD 842

Data Mag "dysan quality" economic price

5V4" SSDD SOFT BOX/10 816.95 5V." DSDD SOFT BOX/10 821.96

:disk drives:

6 MONTH WARRANTY

CALL FOR LOW, LOW PRICES ON SUBSYSTEMS

landon 100-2 s'vdsdd

Qurne

142 DSDD 6'/4"-V2 HI 8179 242 DSDD 8" Vz HI 6396 842 DSDD 8"-STD HI 8465

NATIONAL/PANASONIC

6'/4" VjHI FLPY. DIRECT DRV. 1 YR. WARR 8139

TOSHIBA

FOR IBM-PC 8c PORTABLE

RATED HIGHEST ENGINEERING QUALITY

6'/4" ViHI FLPY. DIRECT DRV. 1 YR. WARR. 8166

ST506 5V4 INCH BARE HARD DRIVES.

Seagate

ST212 12.76Mb 65m SEC ACCESS ST419 19.14Mb 85m SEC ACCESS

ounmum

8596 8995

81.395

Q540 42.66Mb 46m SEC ACCESS

Mqp^or

XT-1065 66.99Mb 30m SEC ACCESS 82.049 XT-1106 105.27Mb 30m SEC ACCESS 62.996 XT-1140 143.55Mb 30m SEC ACCESS 83.749

ZINDUSTRIAL QUALITYZ parinfts

DUAL ViHI HORIZ. 5'/4" FLPY. SINGLE STD HI HORIZ. S'/i" FLPY 5'/4" H.D. CABINET. P S. & FAN

875 869 8225

INTEGRAND

800 DB2F W/ NECESSARY OPTIONS 6495

1100D W/ OAK SIDE PANELS 8446

2906 DUAL S'/l" W/ 1 SLOT 8179

2908 DUAL 5V4" FLPY & H.D. W/ 3 SLOTS 6219

PARA DYNAMICS

2818 PRONTO 18 SLOT. 2X8" FLPY BAYS 8696 3820S PRONTO W/ SEQUENCER 81.169 2810 MINI-PRONTO 10 SLOT 2X8" BAYS 8749 3610D 10 SLOT W/ 2X5'/4" FLPY BAYS 8669

WORLD'S LARGEST SELECTION OF S-100 PRODUCTS

®

CompuPro

SYSTEM 816 A SINGLE-USER SYSTEM 816/B TWO-USER SYSTEM 816/C MULTI-USER SYSTEM 816/D 8086 10MHz SYSTEM 816/Dd W/O M-DRIVE/H SYSTEM 816/E 68000 10MHz SYSTEM 816/Ee W/O M-DRIVE/H

TO ADD 40Mb, H D TO ABOVE ADD:

SYSTEM 816/10 4 USERS SYST 816/10-H20 20Mb H.D. SYST 816/10-H40 40Mb H.D.

QUANTUM 40Mb W CABINET. CABLES. AND DISK 3 FOR ALL ABOVE SYSTEMS 82,249

S4.299 8 4.999 $6,399 S9.299 $5,699 $7,099 $5,099

$1,900

$4,296 $6,399 $7,096

CPU 286 A&T

CPU Z 6MHz A&T

CPU 8085/88 A&T

CPU 8086 10MHz A&T

CPU 86/87 5MHz A&T

CPU 68K W/MMU OPTION A&T

CPU 68K IOMH2 CSC

RAM 16 64K STATIC 8&16 A&T

RAM 17 64K STATIC A&T RAM 21 128K STATIC 8&16 A&T RAM 22 256K STATIC 8&16 A&T M-DRIVE/H 512K RAM-DISK INTERFACER 3-8 SERIAL A&T INTERFACER 4-3 SERIAL/2 PARALLEL SYSTEM SUPPORT 1 A&T DISK 1A 5'/.- & 8" FLPY CTRL DISK 2 A&T 8" H.D. CNTRL SET DISK 3 A&T 5'/4" H.D. CNTRL W/CP/M 80&86

$1,395 $229 $349 $569 $739 $629 $600

$309

$295 $595 $1,229 $895 $489 $319 $319 $489 $559

$559

ncpi

$67 $165 $146 $119

TB-4 EXTENDER BD. W/LOGIC PROBE ICB-10 OPTO ISOLATOR CNTRL A&T ICB-10K OPTO ISOLATOR CNTRL KIT ZB-1 EXTENDER BD. W/ZIF & SWITCH

MORROW

MD2 SYSTEM W/ MDT60 TERMINAL

& EPSON RX80FT PRT.

MD3 AS ABOVE W/ PEARL DBMS MD-3E AS EQUIP. ABOVE WITH ONLY CPM 2.2 NEW WORD CO PILOT

MD3-MDCP88-256 as above w/

8088 CO-PROC & 256K RAM UPGRD. MDP-3 PORT. SAME AS MD3 EXCEPT WITH 5X7" SCREEN

& EPSON RX80FT PRT. SUPER WORD PROCESSOR SALE

MD3-E PLUS W/ 2 DSDD DRVS.. TERMINAL. NEW WORD, CO-PILOT MENU SYSTEM. SPELLING CHECKER. PLUS BROTHER HR-15 PRT. $1,499

MDII SYSTEM w/HMb h.d.. 128K.

1 DSDD DRV.. TERMINAL, CP/M 3.0, ALL MD3 SOFTWARE EPSON FX80 160 CPS DOT MATRIX OR BROTHER

HR-15 13 cps daisy PRINTER $2,995

MD-16 SAME AS MDII W/ 16.44Mb $3,495 MD-34 SAME AS MDII W/ 34Mb S4.995

$1,599 $1,999

$1,499

$2,498

$1,899

1FLUKI

FLUKE 77

DVO METER S-|19 0.3% DC ACCURACY

COLUMBIA

1600-1 W/ KEYTRONICS 5150 K B

U.S.I. 12" AMBER MONITOR $2,195

1600-4 ABOVE W/ 12Mb H.D. $3,696

1600-VP PORTABLE $1,995 PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX 12

HI-RES RGB MONITOR $496

Pro Modem 1200 from...

RROMEiTtHEUS]

HAYES COMMAND COMPATIBLE W/HELP MENU

$329

■ n\ U.S. ROBOTICS >SZU FREE TELPAC INCLD.

PASSWORD 1200 AUTO ANS./DIAL $369

AUTO DIAL 212A (HAYES COMPAT.) $469

IBM PERSONAL MODEM W/ SOFTWARE $297

IBM PERSONAL MODEM W/ 64K,

PRT PORT. CLOCK. S.W. $469

IBM PERSONAL MODEM W/ 256K. ETC. $759

TELPAC MSDOS/ CP/M 80 $79

.software:

SOFTWARE IS NOT RETURNABLE

BDS "C" COMPILER $99

C86 C COMPILER $299 COMPUVIEW TRANSYS MS-DOS

CP/M86 FILE TRANSFER $159 COMPUVIEW VEDIT-86=$156 MS-DOS $120

KNOWLEDGE MAN 86 8" DBMS $345

K-PAINT $75

SORCIM SUPER CALC-3 IBM-PC $245

PERSONAL PEARL DBMS IPC) $215

ACCOUNTING PEARL (PC) $636

DATAFLEX MULTI-USER

FILE & RECORD LOCKING DBMS

AVAIL. FOR MOST O/S FORMATS CALL NEWWORD WORD PROCESSOR W/

MERGE PRINT. WORD STAR

COMPAT.. SINGLE/MULTI

USER 80 or 86 PC-DOS $169

m DIGITAL RESEARCH

"C" LANGUAGE COMPILER-86 $229 CP/M PLUS |3.0) $246

ACCESS MNGR. 80= $195 86 S260

DISPLAY MNGR. 80 = $260 86 = $325

SPEED PROG. PKG. 80 = $130 86 = $163

GSX 80 =$55 86 = $65

C BASIC COMPILER 80 = $325 86 $390

PASCAL MT+ 80 = $226 86 = $390

PL/1 W/ UTILITIES 80 = $359 86 = $488

ASMBLR t TOOLS 80 = $130 86 = $130

MicroPro

MICRO PRO PRO PAK

W.S., S.S.. M M., STAR INDEX MICROPRO CORRECT STAR

MAYDAY!

$399 $135

TM $149

The Software Support Service 120 MINUTES OF SOFTWARE SUPPORT ON FREE PHONE CALL—IF THEY CAN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN 2 MIN. OR LESSTHEYLLCALLBACK. FULL SUPPORT FOR OVER 350 SW PROGRAMS, LANGUAGES AND OPERATING SYSTEMS.

BUILD YOUR OWN P C.

IBM-PC W 64K RAM. PC-DOS 2.1.

1 DSDD DRV. & CONTROLLER W/ K B. $1,825

1 TANDON TM 100-2 DSDD DRV. $175 STB GRAPHICS PLUS II MONO. & COLOR

GRAPHICS W/ CLOCK. PRT PORT $322

64K RAM 4164-160 NS 9 CHIPS/SET $49.95

U.S.I 20MHz 12" AMBER MONITOR $109

PCS HX12 HI-RES RGB MONITOR $496

INTEGRATION. BURN-IN & TEST $96 6Mb REMOV. CARTRIDGE H.D. IN P C.

(WILL BOOT FROM THE HARD DISK) $1,396

10Mb PC-INSIDER" H.D. SUBSYS. $888

16Mb '■PC-OUTSIDER" H.D. SUBSYS. $1,495 10Mb> 10Mb "PC-OUTSIDER"H.D.SUBSYSS1,649

26Mb "PC OUTSIDER" H.D. SUBSYS. H.D. CTRL ST506 l/F

$1,849 $295

FOR IBM-PC

CAPTAIN 64K, IS, IP, CLK/CAL

CAPTAIN ABOVE W/ 384K

1«t MATE 64K, IS, IP, CLK/CAL

lit MATE ABOVE W/ 266K

WAVE 'XT' MEMORY BD 64K

DYNAMIC MEMORY W/ 256K

INTERNAL REMOV. H.D. IN PC - INSTALLS

DIRECTLY INTO PC. STORES 30X MORE

THAN FLPYS & IS 9X FASTER 10Mb H.D. IN MINI-CAB. - HIGH DENSITY

PRIMARY STORAGE. 4 CONFIG. POSS..

STORES 30X MORE THAN FLPYS. 6Mb REMOV. H.D. & 33Mb IN EXPAN.

CHASIS - HIGH DENSITY PRIMARY

STORAGE. MANY CONFIG. POSS..

STORES 100X MORE THAN FLPYS..

5 ADDITIONAL SLOTS FOR OPTS. EXPANSION CHASSIS W/ 8 SLOTS GRAPHICS MASTER - HIGH RES. COL.

(640X400), MONO (720X700). RGB. NTSC COMPOSITE & IBM MONO. MON.. 128K. LT. PEN INTERFACE SCRIBE TENDER - IP & IS CABLE. IP

6 2S PORTS. MULT. I/O CAPABILITIES TIME MASTER - SETS TIME/DATE AUTO..

5 YR BATT, ALARMS AVAIL. EXTENDER BD.

jrCAPTAIN 64K P, C. 1 YR BATT LIFE jrWAVE 64K

jrCADET 64K ADD ON PIGGYBACK BD.

FOR jr CAPTAIN/WAVE jr 2ND MATE 64K. P. C. 1 YR BATT LIFE

$269 $549 $269 $405 $210 $336

$1,595

$4,009 $689

$495

$169

$99 $59 $265 $239

$169 $119

Mac Drive

73200 - 10Mb FIXED H.D.

73020 - ABOVE W/ 6Mb REMOV. H.D.

73010 - 5Mb REMOV. H.D.

73210 - 2 6Mb REMOV H.D.'.

$1,496 $2,468 $1,496 $2,468

RIO PLUS: RS232 S. P I/O. G. CLK/ CAL. 64K & PC ACCEL. STB-RIO+64

GRAPHIX PLUS: RGB & MONO.. P, LT.

PEN INTER., CLK OPT. STB-CLR GRAPHIX PLUS II: RGB & MONOCHROME

PRINTER & LT. PEN PORTS

SUPER RIO: RAM-IO MULTI-FUNC. W/ 64K (UPGRD TO 768K). 2S, 1P (IBM COMPAT.) 1G. CLK/ CAL.

STB SRIO-64

STB PB 64 PIGGYBK (EXPAND. TO 612K)

MEMORY EXPAN. BD: 64K (EXPAND TO 384K) STB-1-64

$269

$273 $162

Circle 3I5 for End-User inquiries.

SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE Q HRS: 8:30AM - 5:00P

PRICES INCLUDE CASH DISCOUNTS fi MAY CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. SHIPPING & INSURANCE EXTRA

Computer Components unlimtied

SYSTEM "CHALLENGE"

we Guarantee the Lowest Prices on All complete Systems =THIS MONTH ONLY SYSTEM DISCOUNTS=

Apple lie

Sanyo System

* ★ ★ ★ ★

★ MBC 555-2

★ 2 - 360K Drives

IBM System

★ PC 256K

List $1495 $1275

★ 2 - 360K Drives

■ I

Franklin

★ Color Card

★ Ace 1000 ★ 64K ★ Apple Compatible

List $999 $675

★ Hi-Res. Monitor

! . - J * ' !

★ Lotus 123

★ Epson RX80FT

★ Printer Cable

★ 6 Month Warranty w/CCU

List $4399 $2795

Compupro

★ 816A

■X- A- ± -4

★ Complete Software

***★★*

List $4999 $41 50

COMPUTER systems:

Apple

IIEcpu S 749

Macintosh 1995

lie Portable 999

Portable (PC compatible) 2, 360K Drives

256K of Memory $2195

call for all new Compaq's

Columbia VP $2395

Columbia MPC 2595

columbiaMPCw/HardDisk 3995

Ace 1000 $ 675

Ace1200OMS 1395

Kaypro

Kayrpoll S1119

Kavpr04 1695

Kaypro 4 + 88 2195

Kaypro 10 2350

call for new model pricing

PC 64K,No Drives $1250

PC64K,1 Drive 1499

PC 64K, 2 Drives 1679

XTw/10Meg,256K 3695

Additional Memory 64K 49

MD-2w/Terminal $1399

MD-3w/Terminal 1699

MD-11 w/Terminal 2399

Epson

QX-10 $1995

HX-20 690

816/A $4150

816/B 4850

816/C 6100

MBC 550-2 $ 979

MBC 555-2 1275

Optional Serial Port 79

Optional 360K Drive 159

PC Compatible w/Monitor $1779

WE ACCEPT ANY UNIVERSITY OR QUALIFIED FIRM'S PURCHASE ORDER — CALL TOLL FREE FOR CORPORATE ACCOUNTS (800) 847-1718

Apple is a Trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. IBM is a Trademark of International Business Machines.

5 IP B Y T E • SEPTEMBER W Circle 66 on inquiry card.

Disk Drive Head Cleaning Kit with All Orders Over $500

or

box of Diskettes with All Orders Over $1000

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIALS

icJek Monitor

★ Color l + :omposite Color

List $349

$249

m

Drive

★ 55B 360K Slimline

Tandon Disk Drive

★ TM100-2 ★ 360K

★ The PC Drive

$299 $169

Fuji Disks

★ The Olympic Suppler ★ Lifetime warranty

★ Reinforced Hub

★ Single/Double

10 for $19 100 for $180

IBM DOS

★ DOS 2.1

List $65 $55 RF Modulator

★ 1 Year Warranty ★ Fully Apple Compatible

$29 $14

Microsoft Mouse

★ Mouse w/Word List $495 $325

Mouse $119

zenith Monitor

★ ZVM 122 or 123 Hi-Res. Green or Amber

Hi-Res. Gree List $139

$99

Anchor Automation

★ 1200 Baud Modem

★ Hayes Compatible

List $349 $239

CCU YOUR LARGEST DISK DRIVE SUPPLIER

we Also Have used Drives Available - Call

Apple Compatible Drives

QUANTITY

1 2 10

Micro Sci

A-2,35Track S200 S190 S180

Controller 70 60 50

Rana Systems

Elite I S235 $230 S225

Elite II, DDI. Head 355 345 335

Elite III, Quad Density 455 445 435

ControllerControls4Drives ... . 90 80 75

Half Height

FD525AFullyApplecom S140 S130 5120

il 11 m

Mill

ed

5v„" Disk Drives

QUANTITY

1 2 10

Teac

FDS5A.160K S160 S150 $140

FD55B.360K 170 160 150

FD55F, Quad Density 200 190 180

All Teacs are Half Heights

Tandon

TM100-1.160K $200 $190 S180

TM100-2,360K 169 165 160

TM101-4, Quad Density 280 270 260

TM55-2,360K1/2 Height 220 210 200

MPI

B-52,360KPCCOtnpatible $200 S190 $180

Shugart

SA400,160K $190 $180 $170

SA455,360K1/2 Height 200 190 180

SA465, Quad Den. Vi Height 230 220 210

Mitsubishi

4851,% Height $220 $210 $200

4853, Quad Den. Vi Height 169 169 169

Control Data Corp.

CDC9409.360K S200 S190 S180

CDC 9409T, Quad Density 300 250 200

Matsushita

JA-155 $150 $140 S130

Chinon

FD55A(sameasTeac)l60K S140 $130 S120

RETAIL STORE:

11976 Aviation Blvd. inglewood, CA 90304

MAIL ORDER:

P.O. BOX 1936 Hawthorne, CA 90250

No Surcharge for

Credit Cards This Ad Supersedes All Others

8" Disk Drives

QUANTITY

1 2 10

Siemens

FDD-100-8 S119 $115 $110

FDD-200-8 180 170 160

Shugart

801R.Sgl./Dbl $340 $330 $320

851R,Dbl./Dbl 430 420 410

Tandon

TM848-1,Sgl./Dbl.V5Ht $240 $230 $220

TM848-2,Dbl./Dbl.1/2Ht 390 380 370

Mitsubishi

M2894-63,Dbl./Dbl $400 $390 $380

M2896-63,Dbl./Dbl.'/iHt 400 390 380

Qume

DT8,Datatrak8 . . . . : S450 S440 $430

51/4" & 8" Power Supply & Cabinets

QUANTITY

1 2 10

PC Products 5%"

Singlecabinetw/pwr S 70 $ 60 $ 50

DualThinlinecabw/pwr 80 70 60

Dual Cabinet & Power 80 70 60

All have 6 month warranty

PC Products 8"

Sgl.Cabinetw/pwr&fan ...... S220 S210 $200

Dualw/pwrfor2thinlines 230 220 210

Dual w/pwr& fan 270 260 250

(800)8

outsioj

Sales Desk

1718 (21

Customer Service & Tech

(213) 643-5191

All merchandise new. We accept MC, Visa, Wire Transfer, cod Call, Certified Check, P.O. s from qualified firms, APO accepted. Shipping: Minimum $4.50 first 5 pounds Tax: California Res. Only add 6Vi% sales tax. All returns subject to 15'.'>. restocking charge. Prices Subject to Change.

i„ $4.50 first 5 pounds Tax: California I

les 6Vi% sales tax. All returns subject to

ing charge. Prices Subject to Change.

SEPTEMBER 198)4 • B V

(800) 847-1718 Your Largest Computer De;

APPLE ADD ON'S

ALS

ZCard S 119

CPM 3.0 Card Call

Astar

RFModulator S 15

Fanw/Surge 29

Kensington

System Saver S 69

Koala

Graphics Tablet S 89

Kraft

Joystick S 44

Micro Max

Viewmax80,80col.card S 139

Viewmax80E(FforllE)64K 129

Micro Soft

16KCard S 69

Premium Soft Card HE 369

Multiplan 189

Soft card (Z80) 239

Micro Tek

Bam 16,16K Memory S 59

serial interface 89

TC

Joystick S 39

Select-A-Port 31

Paddles 34

Ast Research

Six Pack + S 265

Mega+ 265

IBM

Monochrome Adapter S 229

ColorCard 239

Plantronics

PC+ w/software S 389

Quadram

Quad ColorCard S 219

Quad Link 459

64K upgrade

64K of Memory S 47

usi Research

ParadiseSystemsmulti-displaycard S 329

PC Products

PC Peacock S 219

Anchor

Mark vii 300 Baud S 139

Mark XII, 1200 Baud 249

Hayes Micro Computer

Smart Modem 300 Baud S 199

SmartModeml200Baud 489

Smart Modem 1200B for PC 399

Micro Modem HE 239

Novation

J-Cat S 119

Apple Cat II 259

PRINTER INTERFACES

PRINTERS

Dynax

DX15,LetterQuality S 399

DX25 729

Epson

RX-80(120cps) S 299

RX-80FT (120 cps) Friction & Tractor . 319

FX-80(160cps) 459

FX-100 (160 cps) 15" carriage 699

Okidata

82A1120cps) Par &Ser inter S 299

83A (15" Carriage) 569

84P (200 cps) Frictions Tractor .... 849 Okidata 90 Series

92PI160CPS) S 419

93PI15" carriage) 669

Star Micronics

CeminilOXd20cps) S 269

Geminil5X(120cps)l5"Carriage.. . 399

Powertype(18cps)Ltr.qual 399

Cables

IBM to Printer S 29

Kaypro to Printer 29

RS232 Cables 29

Fourth Dimension

Card & Cable S 49

Microtek Dumpling CX(CrapplerCompatible) S 89

Dumpling CXexpto64K 149

DumplingGX16KW/16Kexpt064K . 169

foreachadditionaH6K 15

Okidata Options

Tractorfor82&92 S 59

Serial Interface 99

Orange Micro

Grappler + S 114

Grappler + W/16K 179

Star or Epson

Epson Serial Interface S 119

StarSerialInterface 59

Amdek

colon + Composite video S 249

Colorll + RGBVideo 419

300G. 12 Green 139

300A, 12" Amber 149

310A. Monochrome Amber 179

BMC

9191 color New version s 239

IBM

MonochromeHi-ResGreen S 239

Princton Graphics

PGSHX12, IBM Copy S 469

PCSSR-12, Hi-Res Color 649

PGSMAX-12,12" Monochrome 199

USI - New version

P11,9" Green, Hi Res, 20MHz S 129

Pl2,l2"Green,HiRes,20MHz 129

PI 3,12" Amber, Hi Res, 20MHz 129

PI4,9"Amber,HiRex,20MHz 129

Zenith

ZVM122, Hi-Res Green S 99

ZVM123, Hi-Res Amber 99

5%" DISKETTES

ecu

Sgl/Dbl reinforced hub. .S16 100forl40

Dbl/Dbl reinforced hub . 19 100forl70 Not Bulk Packed

Dysan

Sgl/Dbl S33 100for300

Dbl/Dbl 39 100for370

Fuji

Sgl/Dbl Si 9 100 for 180

Dbl/Dbl 25 100for230

Maxell

MD1 Sgl/Dbl S25 100fOr235

MD2Dbl/Dbl 38 100for360

verbatim

Sgl/Dbl S26 100 for 240

Dbl/Dbl 36 100for340

8 DISKETTES

Dysan

Sgl/Sgl S34 100for320

Dbl/Dbl 53 100for480

Maxell

Sgl/Dbl S44 100for380

Dbl/Dbl 50 100for469

verbatim

Sgl/Sgl S30 100 for 280

Dbl/Dbl 40 100for360

DISK ACCESSORIES

verbatim

8" or 51/i" Head Cleaning Kit S 9

Flip Tub

5V4" Holds50disks, plexiglass 17

5Vt" Holds 70 disks, plexiglass 21

The ecu Guarantee

we will Not Be Beat on Price or

Satisfaction!!

we will Beat All Prices in the world s Best Computer Magazine...

BYTE.

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5 MINUTES FROM LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Apple is a Trademark of Apple Computer. Inc. IBM is a Trademark of International Business Machines.

512 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984 Circle 67 on inquiry card.

SOFTWARE AND TEGRATED CIRCUITS

At the Same Low, low Prices

SOFTWARE SPECIALS

LOtUS123

The spread Sheet

$299

D Base n

★ By Ashton Tate

$379

★ For PC

Your Choice

$87

IBM SOFTWARE

Ashton Tate

DBaseII S 389

Bottom line Strategist 239

Financial Planner 420

Friday 158

Broder Bund

Bank Street Writer S 58

Continental

Home Accountant Plus S 87

Digital Research

Move It S 87

CPM86 49

Fox & celler

Call

MicroPro

word Star 3.3 S 295

Pro Pack 369

Call for More

Microsoft

FlightSimulator S 40

Multi Plan 165

Peachtree

call

Software Publishing

File S 87

Graph 87

Report 77

Write 87

Sorcim

Supercalc S 79

SuperCalc2 155

Super Calc3 225

Visi Corp

Call

Ashton Tate

DBaseII S 369

Friday 158

Symphony Call

Beagle Brothers

call

Broder Bund

call

APPLE SOFTWARE

Continental

Home Accountant S 59

Digital Research

CBasic S 109

Fox & Celler

DCraph '. S 179

Quick Code 179

D Utility 59

MicroPro

Wordstar S 249

Call for More Low Pricing

Microsoft

Multi Plan S 159

Basic Compile- 279

Cobol Compiler 499

Peachtree

call

Silicon Valley

List Handler S 39

Word Handler 49

Software Publishing

File S 89

Report 89

Graph 89

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT SPECIALS

****

★ 9-4164

$47

per set

$179

Static Rams

21011450ns) S1.90

2114L-2 1.75

TMS4044-2 4.20

6116-4 4.70

Co-Processor

8087 Intel $ 179

Dynamic Rams

4116-2 S150

4164-250 5.10

4164-200 5.20

4164-150 5.40

Eproms

1702 . . . S4.30

2708 3.80

2716 3.80

TMS2716 7.80

TMS2532 5.80

2732 4.80

2764 6.80

A California Corpi

Circle 67 on inquiry card.

RETAIL STORE:

11976 Aviation Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90304

MAIL ORDER:

P.O. Box 1936 Hawthorne, CA 90250

No Surcharge for

Credit Cards This Ad Supersedes All others

Outside California

inside California

Customer Service & Technical

74LS00

7400

74S00

2101

256 x 4 |450n»

1.90

5101

258 x 4 (450m] (emu)

3.90

2102-1

1024 I 1 |450in|

.88

21021-4

1024 x 1 |450u|(LP)

.98

21021-2

1024 1 1 |250m) (LP)

1.45

2111

256 X 4 1450m]

2.45

2112

256 i 4 1450m)

2.95

2114

1024 I 4 (450m)

.90

2114-25

1024 i 4 (250m)

1.10

21141-4

1024 I 4 |450m| IIP]

1.20

21141-3

1024 i 4 |300in) (LP)

1.30

2114L-2

1024 I 4 IZOOu) (LP)

1.40

2125

1024 i 1

2.49

2147

4096 I 1 (55m)

4.90

TMS4044-4

4096 > 1 (450m)

3.45

TM84044-3

4096 > 1 (300ni|

3.95

TM84044-2

4096 x 1 |200bi|

4.45

MMI1I

1924 1 8 (250m)

9.90

TNM201B-200

2048 I 8 |2D0u|

4.10

TMMZ01B-1BO

2048 I 8 |l 50m)

4.90

TMM2016-100

2046 I 8 |IOOn|

0.10

HM011B-4

2048 i 8 |200m| [emu]

4.70

HM0U0-3

2048 i 6 (150ml (emu)

4.90

HM611B-2

2048 x 8 (120m) (cmas)

8.90

HM61IBLP-4

2048 I 8 (200m) (c«l|

5.90

HM6116LP-3

2048 > 8 (150ml OMfflfl

8.90

HH6116LP-2

2048 x 6 (120m) |cmi||LP|

9.95

Z-6132

4096 i 8 (300m) IOiUII

33.95

HM6264P-I5

8192 i 8 1150m) lentil

38.95

HM6264LP-15

8l92)6|l50m)|»u|

48.95

LP = L» Pmr Oibt = Quisl-Stillc

DYNAMIC RAMS

TM84027

4096 i 1 |250m|

1.95

IIP 04II

4096 i 1 (300m)

2.95

MM6260

4096 1 1 |300m|

2.95

MK4106

819211 |200m)

1.90

MM529B

8192 t 1 |250m)

1.80

4116-200

16364 x 1 1200m)

.71

4110-160

16384 x 1 1160m)

1.20

2111

16364 x 1 |l60m| (Bt)

4.90

4164-250

65630 1 1 |250m|

4.4S

4164-200

05530 1 1 |200m) 15.)

5.46

4104-160

65536 1 1 |160m)|5i|

6.46

5V = SI.)!. 5 Voll Supply

EPROMS

1702

256 I 9 (In]

4.45

2700

1024 I 8 (450ul

2.49

2758

1024 x 8 1450m)

2.49

2766

I024 x 8 |450m||5«)

5.90

2718

2046 I 8 |460m| |5«)

2.95

2716-1

2046 i 8 (360m| |5i)

5.90

THS2516

2046 i 8 |450m| (6i)

5.45

7M82710

2048 I 6 1450.1)

7.90

TMS2532

4096 I 8 (450.il (5|)

5.90

2732

4096 x 8 (460.il (5i|

4.45

2732-260

403111 (250a) |5i|

8.45

2732-200

4006 x 8 (200.i) |5V)

11.45

2764

8192 I 8 (460n) |5l)

6.45

2764-250

8102 I 8 (250.1) (5«|

7.45

2764-200

8192 x 1 [200.il |5i|

16.45

TM82564

8192 x 8 (45 Oil) |5«)

14.45

KC66764

8l92l6|450m)|5l) |24 ill) 36.95

27126

16384 i 8 Call

24.45

5i = Sl.gli 8 nit Onply

514

BYTE • SEPTEMBt

74LS00 74LS01 74LS02 74LS03 74L804 74LS0S 74LS08 74LS09 74L810 74LS11 74LS12 74LSI3 74LSI4 74L815 74LS20 74LS21 74LS22 74LS26 74LS27 74LS28 74LS30 74LS32 74LS33 74LS37 74LS38 74LS40 74LS42 74LS47 74LS48 74LS49 74LSSI 74LS54 74LS55 74LS63 74LS73 74LS74 74LS75 74LS7B 74LS78 74LSB3 74LS85 74LS86 74LS90 74LS91 74LS92 74L893 74L89S 74LS96 74LS107 74LS109 74LS112 74LS113 74LS114 74L8122 74LSI 23 74L8124 74L8125 74LS126 74LS132 74LS133 74LS136 74LS137 74LS138 74 LSI 39 74LS145 74LS147 74LS148 74L8151 74L8153 74LS154 74LSI55 74LSIS6 741S1S7 7418158 74LS160 74LS16I 74LS162 74L8I83 74LSI64 74LS165 74LS166 74LS168 74LS1B9 74LS170

.23

74LS173

.68

.24

74LSI74

.54

.24

74LS175

.54

.24

74LS181

2.10

.23

74LS189

8.90

.24

74LS190

.88

.27

74L8191

.88

.28

74LS192

.78

.24

74LS193

.78

.34

74LS194

.68

.34

74LS195

.68

.44

74LS196

.78

.58

74LS197

.78

.34

74LS221

.88

.24

74LS240

.94

.28

74LS241

.98

.24

74LS242

.98

.28

74L8243

.98

.28

74LS244

1.25

.34

74LS245

1.45

.24

74LS247

.74

.28

74LS248

.98

.54

74LS249

.98

.34

74LS251

.58

.34

74LS253

.58

.24

74L8257

.58

.48

74LS258

.58

.74

741S259

2.70

.74

74LS260

.58

.74

74LS266

.54

.24

74LS273

1.45

.28

74LS275

3.30

.28

741S279

.48

1.20

74LS280

1.95

.38

74LS283

.68

.34

74LS290

.88

.38

74LS293

.88

.38

74LS295

.98

.48

74LS298

.88

.59

74LS299

1.70

.68

74LS323

3.45

.38

74LS324

1.70

.54

74LS352

1.25

.88

74LS353

1.25

.54

7418363

1.30

.54

74LS364

1.90

.74

74LS365

.48

.88

74LS366

.48

.38

74LS367

.44

.38

74LS368

.44

.38

74LS373

1.35

.38

74LS374

1.35

.38

74L8377

1.35

.44

74LS378

1.13

.78

74LS379

1.30

2.85

74LS3B5

1.85

.48

74L8386

.44

.48

74LS390

1.15

.58

74L8393

1.15

.58

74L8395

1.15

.38

74LS399

1.45

.98

74LS424

2.90

.54

74LS447

.36

.54

74LS490

1.90

1.15

7418624

3.95

2.45

74LS640

2.15

1.30

74LS645

2.15

.54

74L8668

1.65

.54

741.8669

1.B5

1.85

74L8670

1.45

.68

74LS674

9.60

.68

74LS682

3.15

.64

74LS683

3.15

.58

74LS6B4

3.15

.68

74LS685

3.15

.64

74LS6BB

2.35

.68

74L8689

3.15

.64

74LS783

23.95

.68

81LS95

1.45

.94

81LS96

1.45

1.90

81LS97

1.45

1.70

81L898

1.45

1.70

25LS2521

2.75

1.45

25LS25B9

4.20

7400 7401 7402 7403 7404 7405 7406 7407 740B 7409 7410 7411 7412 7413 7414 7416 7417 7420 7421 7422 7423 7425 7426 7427 742B 7430 7432 7433 7437 7438 7440 7442 7443 7444 7445 7446 7447 7448 7450 7451 7453 7454 7460 7470 7472 7473 7474 7475 7476 7480 7481

.18 7482

.18 7483

.18 7485

.18 7486

.18 7489

.24 7490

.28 7491

.28 7492

.23 7493

.18 7494

.IB 7495

.24 7496

.29 7497

.34 74100

.48 74107

.24 74109

.24 74110

.18 74111

.34 74116

.34 74120

.28 74121

.28 74122

.28 74123

.28 74125

.44 74126

.18 74128

.28 74132

.44 74136

.28 74141

.28 74142

.18 74143

.48 74145

.64 74147

.68 74148

.68 74150

.68 74151

.68 74152

.68 74153

.18 74154

.22 74155

.22 74156

.22 74157

.22 74159

.34 74160

.28 74161

.33 74162

.32 74163

.44 74164

.34 74165

.58 74166

1.05 74167 74170

6500

1 Mhz

6502 4.90

6504 6.90

6505 8.90

6507 9.90

6520 4.30

j 6522 6.90

6532 9.90

6545 21.50

6551 10.85

2 Mhz

6502A 6.90

6522A 0.90

' 6532A 10.95

6645A 26.95

655 U 10.95

3 Mhz

6502B 9.90

.94 .49 .58 .34 2.10 .34 .39 .49 .34 .64 .54 .69 2.70 1.70 .29 .44 .44 .54 1.50 1.15 .28 .44 .48 .44 1.44 .54 .44 .49 .64 2.90 2.90 .59 1.75 1.75 1.30 .54 .64 .54 1.20 .74 .64 .54 1.60 .84 .68 .84 .68 .84 .84 .95 2.90 1.60

74172 74173 74174 74175 74176 74177 74178 74179 74180 74181 74182 74184 74185 74190 74191 74192 74193 74194 74195 74196 74197 74198 74199 74221 74246 74247 74248 74249 74251 74259 74265 74273 74276 74279 74283 74284 74285 74290 74293 74298 74351 74365 74366 74367 74368 74376 74390 74393 74425 74426 74490

5.90 .74 .88 1.75 .88 .74 1.10 1.70 .74 2.20 .74 1.95 1.95 1.10 1.10 .78 .78 .84 .84 .78 .74 1.34 1.34 1.34 1.34 1.24 1.80 1.90 .74 2.20 1.30 1.90 1.20 .74 1.95 3.70 3.70 .94 .74 .84 2.20 .64 .64 .64 .64 2.15 1.70 1.30 3.10 .84 2.50

6800

68000 58.95

6800 3.90

6802 7.90

6808 12.90

6B0BE 18.95

6809 10.95

6810 2.90

6820 4.30

6B21 3.20

6828 13.95

6840 11.95

6843 33.95

6844 24.95

6845 13.95

6847 10.95

6850 3.20

6852 15.70

6860 9.90

6862 10.95

6875 6.90

6880 2.20

6883 21.95

68047 23.95

68488 18.95

1 Mhz

68B00 9.95

68602 21.25

G8B09E 28.95

8BB09 28.95

68B10 6.90

68B21 6.9B

68B45 18.95

68B50 5.90

71900

M5UU

91 .01

7J C1R9

MS 1 03

i on 1.8(1

7 A c no Mailt

91

.04

71CI BO Mb 1 00

3.9(1

MSUd

.34

74S169

3.90

7 jen j 745D4

.34

74S174

.94

74S05

.34

748175

.94

74S08

.34

74S1B1

3.91

M5U9

90

.39

148)82

2.9C

7iQ in

/'loll)

91 .04

710100

MS 100

i an I.9U

MSI 1

91 .04

71C100 MS 1 08

r on D.bU

MS 10

91 .04

710101

MS 194

i ii 1.44

7 A 0 9(1

91 .04

7101 OR Mb 1 30

i ii 1.44

71699

91 .04

7161 OR

MS I IB

i ii 1.44

7 A C 1 n

1450U

91

.04

74S197

1.44

71009 Mo oi

90 .00

74S201

6.90

71097 1450/

07

.0 1

7i049C

74SZZ6

7.90

7J090

/ 45oo

0 J

.84

7 A P 0 J fl

74SZ40

2.15

71010

MS4U

91

.34

7JO 9 J 1

74SZ41

2.15

710R 1

74561

91

.34

7104j i

74SZ44

2.15

719R1

MS04

90

.39

7J09C1

74SZ61

n j .94

710RK

M5D0

90

.Ob

745Z53

.94

71C71

145141

ID .49

71Q9R7

.94

71GBR MoOO

1 01

1.94

7JQ9C0 MSlOO

.94

719RR 1 4000

10

■4b

7109R0 MStOU

70

.la

719919 MO£ 1L

AO

.4b

719.971 Mot M

i a on 19,9(1

719111 /10 1 Id

10 .4 b

71C97C

i a do 1 b.bU

719111 Mo 1 14

Rl .04

710900

i on 1.9U

718.1 91 MB 114

9 70

719997

1 OR

1.86

719199 MO 1 at

i on

71C900 MoloO

1 OR 1.00

71C199 /4o1oo

.44

7JC9Da

6,84

710191 Mo 1 o4

.49

74S301

6.90

71919R

Mo 109

00 .00

74S373

2.40

710190 MS 1 00

.84

74S374

2.40

71C190 1451 Ob

01

.04

710901 MSOOl

7.90

Tip l in MO 1 411

Rl .04

719907 MSOOf

i an I.8U

74S151

.94

71SU?

1*104 1 L

9 01 eve

74S153

!B4

748471

4.90

74S157

.94

748472

4.90

74S15B

.94

748474

4.90

74S161

1.90

748482

15.20

74S162

1.90

748570

2.90

8000

8035 .... 8039 .... INS-8060 . IN8-B073 8080 ....

8085 .... 8085A-2 .

8086 ...

8087 ... 80B8 ...

. 5.90 . 6.90 . 16.95 . 49.95 . 3.90 . 5.90 . 10.95 . 28.95 199.00 . 38.95

8200

8089 88.95

8155 6.90

8155-2 7.98

8156 8.90

8185 28.95

8185-2 38.95

8741 38.95

874B 49.95

8755 23.95

Z-80

8202 23.95

8203 38.95

8205 3.45

8212 1.75

8214 3.80

8216 1.70

8224 2.20

8226 1.75

8228 3.45

8237 18.95

8237-5 ... 20.95

8238 4.45

8243 10.95

8250 16.95

8251 4.45

8253 6.90

8253-5 .... 7.90

8255 4.45

8255-5 .... 5.20

8257 7.90

8257-5 .... 8.90

8259 6.85

3259-5 .... 7.45

8271 75.00

8272 38.95

8275 28.95

8279 8.90

8279-5 .... 9.00

8282 6.45

8283 6.45

8284 14.95

8286 6.45

8287 6.45 ZILOG

8288 24.00 _„.

8289 48.95 HJH

8292 16.95

INTERFACE CHIPS

2.S MHZ

Z80-CP0 3.90

290-CTC 3.05

Z80-DMT 10.95

Z80-DM* 13.95

Z80-PIO 1.95

Z80-8IO/0 11.95

Z80-SIO/1 11.95

Z80-8I0/2 11.95

Z80-SI0/9 11.95

4.0 MHZ

Z80A-CP0 4.29

Z80A-CTC 4.10

Z8OA-0AHT 9.96

Z80A-DMA .... I2J6

Z80A-N0 4.29

Z80A-SIO/0 .... 12.95 Z80A-8IO/I .... 12.95 Z80A-8IO/2 .... 12.15 Z60A-SI0/9 .... 12.96

6.0 MHZ

Z80B-CP0 8 9;

Z80B-CTC 12.95

Z80B-N0 12.95

Z80I-DART .... 12.01

13.91 11.9

8T26 . 68T28 8T95 . BT96 . i 8TB7 .

1.54 8T98 88

1.84 DM8131 2.90

.88 DP8304 2.24

.88 088835 1.94

.88 088838 98

Circle 125 on Inquiry card

DISC CONTROLLERS

1771 ...

14.95

2797

84.95

17m

23.95

6843 ....

33.95

1793

25.95

8272

38.95

1785

4S.95

UPD765 ..

.. 38.95

1797

48.95

MBB876 ..

.. 28.95

2791 ...

79.95

MB8877 ..

.. 33.95

2793 ..

79.95

1691 ....

16.95

2795 .

84.95

2143

.. 17.95

CRYSTALS

1.9909 MHz 1.8432 MHz 2.0000 MHz 2.0972 MHz 2.4576 MHz 3.2788 MHz 3.6795 MHz 4.0000 MHz 4.1943 MHz 4.9169 MHz 5.0000 MHz 5.0688 MHz 5.1650 MHz 5.2429 MHz 5.7143 MHz 6.0000 MHz 6.1440 MHz 6.4000 MHz 6.5536 MHz

.... 3.69 .... 3.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 ,.... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.89 .... 2.89 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69 .... 2.69

... 2.69

32.768 KHz.

8.0000 MHz. 10.0000 MHz. 10.7386 MHz. 12.0000 MHz. 14.3182 MHz. 15.0000 MHz. 16.0000 MHz. 17.4300 MHz. 16.0000 MHz. 18.4320 MHz. 19.6606 MHz. 20.0000 MHz 22.1184 MHz 32.0000 MHz. 36.0000 MHz 48.0000 MHz 49.4350 MHz. 49.8900 MHz. ...1.69

.. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.89 .. 2.69 ..2.89 .. 2.69 .. 2.89 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.68 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.69 .. 2.69

CRYSTAL CLOCK OSCILLATORS

PART NO.

FREQUENCY

PRICE

1.000

1.0000 MHz

9.95

1.843

1.8432 MHz

9.95

2.000

2.0000 MHz

9.95

4.000

4.0000 MHz

9.95

8.000

8.0000 MHz

9.95

10.000

10.0000 MHz

9.95

18.000

16.0000MHz

9.95

18.432

18.4320 MHz

9.95

19.660

19.6608 MHz

9.95

20.000

20.0000 MHz

9.95

32.000

32.0000 MHz

9.95

7805T... 78M05C . 7808T... 7812T... 7815T... 7824T... 7805K.

7905T

, 84

7908T

B4

79I2T ,

,.. .84

7915T

.84

7924T

... .84

7905K

1.44

7912K

1.44

79I5K

1.44

7924K

1.44

79L05

78

79L12

,. .78

79L15

... .78

LM323K ...

4.90

UA78S40...

190

VOLTAGE REGULATORS

. .74 . .34 . .74 . .74 . .74 . .74 1.34

7812K 1.34

7815K 1.34

7824K 1.34

78L05 68

7BLI2 88

78L15 68

78H05K 9.90

78H12K 9.90

C,T = TO-220K = TO-3 L = TO-92

DIP SWITCHES

4 POSITION 84

5 POSITION 89

6 POSITION 89

7 POSITION 94

8 POSITION 94

IC SOCKETS

(1 to 99)

8 pin ST 12 8 pin WW 58

14 pin ST 14 14 pin WW 68

16 pin ST 16 16 pin WW .... .68

18 pin ST 19 18 pin WW 98

20 pin ST 2i 20 pin WW... 1.64

22 pin ST 29 22 pin WW ... 1.34

24 pin ST 29 24 pin WW ... 1.44

28 pin ST 39 28 pin WW ... 1.64

40 pin ST 48 40 pin WW ... 1.94

ST = Soldertall WW = Wlrewrap

1984

- THE IC MASTER

Your ticket to fast and easy IC selections

$ 89_95

ZIF SOCKETS

16 pin ZIF 5.90

24 pin ZIF 7.90

28 pin ZIF 8.90

TL\f =TEXTQQ\_ (Zero IriMrtlon Forcel

5 on Inquiry card.

IBM Expansion KIT

Upgrade Chips 4164 200ns 9 @ 5.45 ea.

micromax

VIEWMAX-80

149

95

• 80 Column card for Apple 11+

• Video Soft Switch

• Inverse Video

• 2 Year Warranty

VIEWMAX-80e 129.95

• 80 Column card for Apple HE

• 64K RAM expandable to 128K

64K RAM Upgrade 43.60

QUV-T8/1

EPROM Eraser

QUV-T8/1 Economy Model:

Low cost EPROM eraser in plastic enclosure. The UV element is in the lid and you place the EPROMS in the bottom half. No timer or switch option.

• Erases up to 8 EPROMS in 15 - 20 minutes.

• 12,000 uWatts at 1" distance.

• 90-Day Warranty 49.95

The FLIP SORT™

The new Flip Sort~ has all the fine qualities of the original with some added benefits: a new design and 50% greater capacity. Holds 75 diskettes and the price is now lower than ever— $"J 6.95

ATHANA BULK 5V4" DISKETTES

SS/SD 15.90 (NO LABEL)

SS/DD ... 16.90 SS/DD... 10/14.90 DS/DD ... 22.90 100 up — CALL

APPLE ACCESSORIES

80 Column Apple 11+ ... 149.95 80 Column Apple ME ... 129.95

Z80 Apple II+ 89.00

Z80 Apple HE 89.00

16KCard 39.95

Cooling Fan 38.95

Power Supply 74.95

Joystick 29.95

RF Modulator 13.95

Disk Drive 199.00

Controller Card 59.95

APPLE COMPATIBLE

DISK DRIVE

• Shugart mechanism, made in U.S.A.

• Directly replaces Apple Disk II

• Fully compatible with Apple Controller or other Apple compatible controllers.

• One Year Warranty

CONTROLLER CARD... 59.95

COOLING FAN

38.95

APPLE COMPATIBLE

POWER SUPPLY

74.95

• Powers Apple type systems

• +5V @ 5A +12V @ 3A -5V @ .5A -12V @ .5A

• includes Instructions

The Flip Sort PLUS

The new Flip Sort PLUS1" adds new dimensions to storage. Its smoked acrylic elegance holds over 100 diskettes with all the features you expect from the Flip Sort Family- $24.95

™ u

APPLE COMPATIBLE

JOYSTICK

29>95

16KRAM Card-Apple 11+

• 2-Year Warranty

mmmm

Assembled & Tested 39.95

For the APPLE HOBBIEST DoKay KITS:

16K RAM card 24.95

80 Column Card 11+... 89.95

Z80 Card 69.95

Printer Card 24.95

80ColumnCard ME ...89.95

KEYBOARD (99/4) 48keys 4"x 10" 6.95

Reg. Power Supply Model 4A/PS (99/4) 3 DC Outputs:

12V @ .4A, +5V @ 1.1 A -5V @ .2A Highly Filtered

6.95

TERMS: Minimum order $10.00. For shipping and handling, incli $2.50 for UPS ground or $3. UPS Blue (air). For each additional air pound, add $1 for UPS Blue shipping and handling. California residents must include 6% tax; Bay area and LA resid

a BE Mjarai^Ba kYM ■

We are not responsible for typographical errors. We reserve the right to limit quantities and to stitute manufacturers. All mere dise subject to prior sale.

■9

. Quotes

HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 7:30 to 5:00 Saturdays 10:00 to 3:00

VISIT OUR RETAIL

2100 De La Cruz

ALL MERCHANDISE IS

100% GUARANTEED

756440 I

DoKa

Sav-On Comput

CUSTOMER

ORDER DESK Oflfl Q/IB flfl OUTSIDE SERVICE

mil cdcc nUU"JlinB # IUU i-anc ORDERR

TERMS

We accept Visa, MC. CQQs, Wire Transfers. No Surcharge for Credit Cards. UPS, Federal Express, Emery shipping available. CA residents please add 6'/;?°/o sales tax to order. Prices subject to change without notice. Not responsible for typographical errors.

fe

APPLE COMPONENTS

TG

Joy Stick... Select Port. Paddles ....

S39 39 39

KENSINGTON

Sys Saver.... S69

MICROTEK

Bam 16 S58

Ser. Int 89

MICROSOFT

16K Card G9

Soft Card .... 239

MICROMAX

View Max 80 (80 Col. Card) . .$138 View. Max 80E (for lie) 128

MODEMS

HAYES

300 S205

1200 488

1 200B 399

Micro Modem (lie) 238

ANCHOR

Mark VII 300

Mark XII 1200

$94 268

NOVATION

Access 123 $448

J-Cat 129

RIXON

PC212A H200SA). . . P212A (IBM PC)

$408 408

U.S. ROBOTICS

Password (1200B)

$339

Circle 3I7 on inquiry card.

DISKE

QUENTIN RESEARCH Apple Mate S194

RANA SYSTEMS

Elite I S240

Elite II 335

Elite III 455

DISK DRIVE CONTROLLERS

Rana (Controls 4) S89

Maynard 160

Maynard (w/Serial Port] 230

Maynard (w/Parallel Port) 210

Quentin 65

Vista 219

MAXELL

51/4 DS/DD

5% SS/DD

DATA LIFE

5% SS/DD

5V4 DS/DD

DYSAN

5% SS/DD

5% DS/DD

GENERIC

Box of 10 DS/DD

S32 ^

DISK

4

v5

^^v- PRINTERS

DYNAX

PC PRODUCTS

IgMiaiii Bill

Sav-On Computer, Inc.

12595 CRENSHAW BLVD., HAWTHORNE, CA 90250 0PEN ISZ 2 t°0°0pPZ ST**

Circle 3I7 on inquiry card.

COMPU

AMERICA'S NO. 1

==== = Systems Jz^£~E: Specialists

805-498-6635

IBM PC

256K, two disk drives 360K each, Drive Controller and Keyboard

$1899

a

iiiiiiiiiiiiihii

IBMPCw/lOMB

256K, one floppy Drive, Keyboard a « r n n

10 MB Hard Disk with Controller $2599

BOOTS FROM HARD DISK Backup also available

IBMPCw/30MB

256K, one floppy Drive, Keyboard 30 MB Hard Disk with Controller and Booster Power Supply BOOTS FROM HARD DISK Backup also available

$3999

★ PRICE WAR ★ CALLUS LAST

PRINTERS

HARD DRIVES

WITH YOUR BEST QUOTES

NETWORKING

FX-80 $429

FX-100 $649

EPSON LO-1500 $1,099

UP TO 140 MB

BACKUP ALSO AVAILABLE CALL

OKIDATA g m

INCLUDES PLUG&PLAY 84P $749

EVEREX 1OMB £000

w/Controller and 2 Year Warranty J)077

2050 $799

3550 $1,499

NEC PINWRITER P2 and P3 CALL

DYNAX DX-15 $399

Keyboard.. $149 Tractor.. $99 Sheet Feeder...$199

MAYNARD 10MB/30MB

10MB/WS-1 $899 10MB/WS-2 $999

30MB/WS1A. .$2395 30MB/WS-2A.. $2495

BROTHER HR-25 .. $649 HR-35 .. $999 Tractor $119 Cut Sheet Feeder $199

TALL GRASS TECHNOLOGY

20 MB w/20 MB Backup $3,299

35 MB w/45 MB Backup $4,495

DATA PRODUCTS IDS PRISM COLOR PRINTER

80 $999 132 $1199 OPTIONS CALL

ANADEX • DIABLO QUME • TOSHIBA CALL

70 MB w/60 MB Backup CALL

FLOPPY DRIVES

PLOTTERS

mm mm HALF 55B-DSDD $149

TEAC HEIGHT 55F-OUAD $199

AMPLOTII - 6 Pens $799

Full Ht-DSDD $199

CDC Half Ht. -DSDD $179

HEWLETT 7470A - 2 Pens $949 PACKARD 7475A - 6 Pens ST .699

TANDON100-2 £170 Full Ht. DSDD «) 1 / 7

__ - DXY-101 -1 Pen $599

ROLAND DXY-800 - 8 Pens $799

★ SUPER SPECIALS ★

ORCHID TECHNOLOGY

PC Net PLUS Starter Kit $999

PC netBlossom, PC turbo, PC netPlusRam CALL

CORVUS OMNINET

CALL FOR YOUR CONFIGURATION AND PRICES

SANTA CLARA SYSTEMS

PC Terminal CALL

MULTI-DISPLAY CARDS

in;

rument

DMP 29 - 8 Pe

MONITORS

1799

64KRAM

Set of 9 chips

$45

MAX-12 Amber $179

m%m>m HX-12 $449

PGSsR-12 $599

-MVjtftl COLORS

TAXAN MONOCHROME

CALL

310A . .$159 • 300A....$139 • 300G....S119

AMDEK COLOR MONITORS. .CALL

HAYES 1200B w/Software ... $399

SMARTMODEM1200 $479

PGSSR-12

$599

OKIDATA

INCLUDES PLUGS PLAY

92P 93P 84P

$399 $619 $749

MODEMS

MICROCOM ERA 2

PC Internal 1200 Boud w/softwore, 4 Yr. Wonanty

$349

HAYES 1200Bw/software$399

SMARTMODEM 1200 $479

QUBIE Standalone . . . $329 Internal

...$299

POPCOJVI Internal or Standalone

...CALL

KEYTRONIC

Deluxe Keyboard KB5151

$199

BROTHER hr-35

HR-25 23CPS 36CPS

$649 $999

P.O. & FOREIGN ORDERS

CALL FOR DETAILS

COMPU

NO SURCHARGE ON COD,VISA/MC

________ Mono OR Color

PER5 YST BOB Mono and Color..

$199 ...CALL

Systems MULTIGRAPH

CALL

EVEREX Graphics Edge

$399

TECMAR Graphics Master

$449

uipn^iii Mono Graphics

HERCULES Color Graphics

$329 ... .$W9

NEWSTB^sphixll

$349

PLANTRONICS color pius $366

PARADISE Multi-display Card

$299

EVEREX Color & Mono Cards

CALL

■iMllfcdlilT™ilwraTFTiTj«

NEWQUADBOARD(,°38K4K) $199 j

AST SIX PAK with 64K (to 384K) $249 j

Magic Card w/software EVEREX 0 Kfto 384K)

mi

8087 CHIP

$159

CABLE Parallel $20 Serial.

$25

IBM PC Keyboard (original)

$99

IBM PC Floppy Drive Controller $99

COMPUTER POWER ACCESSORIES DIRECTOR

P2 $109 P12 $149

STANDBY 200 WATTS $279

POWER SUPPLY 300 WATTS $379 Surge Protection, up to 30 minutes Standby Power

805-498-6635

3541 OLD CONEJO ROAD, SUITE 102, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91320

TELEX 888522

Ad #190

518 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 71 on inquiry card.

r

IBM PC 128K (1) 360k DSDD Drive Diskette Adaptor Card Color Graphic Card 10 Mb Hard Disk System $2995.00

DISPLAY BOARDS

LazerColor $199

Hercules Card 349

QuadColor I 239

PC Peacock 295

EXPANSION BOARDS

AST6-pac64K 225

Quadram EXII 64K 245

10Mb Hard Disk 899

Baby Blue II 599

IBM PC 128K (1) 360k DSDD Drive Diskette Adaptor Card IBM Monochrome Card IBM Monochrome Monitor S2195.00

MONITORS

Roland DG121 (comp) $129

Roland DG122 (mono) 149

PGS HX12 RGB 495

Max 12 Amber (mono) 195

Sakata 12" green 129

Sakata Color (comp) 295

Sakata Color (RGB) 495

EXPANSION ACCESSORIES

64K Upgrade (9/IC's) 50

IBM PC Portable CD 360k DSDD Drive Diskette Adaptor Card Amber Display 256K Ram $2450.00

MODEMS

Hayes 1200 Int $429

Hayes 1200 Ext 489

Qubie Int 289

Anchor 1200 289

PRINTERS

Epson FX80 475

Epson Fx100 725

Brother HR-15 575

Brother HR-25 750

IBM XT 128K

$3895.00

TAVA SYSTEM ONE

(2) 360K DSDD Disk Drives Keyboard (2) RS-232 Serial Ports (1) Parallel Printer Port Color Graphic Board Roland DG121s Monitor

$1895.00

TAVA SYSTEM TWO

(2) 360K DSDD Disk Drives Keyboard (2) RS-232 Serial Ports (T) Parallel Printer Port Color Graphic Board Roland DG121G Monitor 10 MEGABYTE HARD DISK $2795.00

DEALER AND CORPORATE VOLUME PRICING

501 W. Glenoaks Boulevard Glendale, CA 91202 (818) 240-0997

compumox

VISA

SAVE OVER 50% ON EAGLE HE BUSINESS COMPUTERS

COMPLETE SYSTEMS/monitor, keyboard &

disk drives

BUSINESS SOFTWARE/FREE:

•SPELLBINDER: sophisticated Word Processing from Lexisoft, Inc. • ULTRACALC: powerful electronic worksheet for tabular text from Lattice, Inc. •CBASIC: popular programming language from Digital Research

Hurry, Quantities are Limited

♦BRAND NEW/Original

Factory Packaging. *FULL FACTORY WARRANTY.

FEATURES

EAGLE HE 2

EAGLE IIE-3

EAGLE IIE-4

Memory Size

64K

64K

64K

Floppy Disk Storage

780K byte

1.6M byte

780K byte

Operating System

CP/M

Compatible

CP/M

Compatible

CP/M

Compatible

H

S

ard Disk torage

„.

10M byte

II Factory List || Price

$2495.00

$2995.00

$4995.00

HI

$995.00

$1295.00

$1995.00

SPECIAL PURCHASE!

Please send me EAGLE I IE COMPUTER(s) as indicated below: (state quantity before model number)

EAGLE ME 2 EAGLE IIE-3 EAGLE IIE-4

My check for $ . is enclosed. Make check payable to

CONSOLIDATED STORES CORPORATION. Mail to P.O. Box 627, Columbus, Ohio 43216. Or, charge to (check one):

□ visaJ Dmaster-card SB

mber:_

I Card Expiration Date:_

Card Num

Computers are shipped freight collect from our warehouse locations in Columbus, Ohio and Los Angeles, California. For further information or to place an order by phone: (614)224-1297, MR. BRIAN WAINER.

Name

I Address.

l_City _State_

Zip

Circle 382 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 519

PRICE BREAKTHROUGH

2101 5101 2102-1 21021-4 2102L-2 2125 2111 2111L 2112 2114 2114-24 21141-4 211413 21141! TC5514 2147

TMS4044 4 TMS4044-3 TMS4044 1 UPD410 MK4118 TMM2016-200 TMM2016-150 TMM2016-10O H M6 1 16-4 HM6116-3 HM6116-2 HM6116LP4 HM6116LP-3 HM6116LP2 TC5516 TMS4016 Z-6132 HM6264P-15 HM6264LP 15 LP = Lower

STATIC RAMS

256 > 256x4 1024 x 4 1024 x 1 1024 x 1 1024 x 1 256x4 256 x4 256 x4 1024 x 4 1024x4 1024 x 4 1024 x 4 1024x4 1024x4 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 1024 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 X 6 2048 x 8 2048 x6 2048 x 8 2046 x 8 2048x8 4096 X 8 8192x8 6192 x 8 Power

|450nt) (450ns) (cmos) (450ns) (450m) (LP) (250ns) (LP) ( 45m) (450n«) (250m)(LP) (450ns) (450ns) (250m) (450nt)|LP) (300ns) (LP) (200ns) (LP) (650ns) (cmos) ( 55m) (450m| (300m) (200m) (100m) (100m)

(200ns) (150ns) (100m)

(200m) (cmos) (l 50ns) (cmos) (120m) (cmos) (200ns) (cmos) (LP) (150ns) (cmos) (LP) (120ns) (cmos) (LP) (250ns) (cmos) (200ns)

(300ns) (Oslat) (150ns) (cmos) (1 50ns) (cmos) Qstal = Quasi

DYNAMIC RAMS

1.95 3.95 89 .99 1.45 2.95 2.49 2.95 2.99 8/9.95 8)10.95 8(12.95 8/13.45 8/13.95 4.95 4.95 3.49 3.99 4.49 3.95 9.95 4.15 4.95 6.15 4.75 4.95 8.95 5.95 6.95 10.95 9.95 6.95 34.95 39.95 49.95 Sialic

TMS4027

4096 x 1

(250ns)

1.99

2107

4096 x 1

(200ns)

1.95

MM5280

4096 x 1

(300ns)

1.95

TMS4060

4096 x 1

(300ns)

1.95

UPD411

4096 x 1

(300ns)

1.95

TMS4050

4096 x 1

(300ns)

1.95

MK4106

8192 x 1

(200ns)

1.95

MM 5296

8192 X 1

|250ns)

1.85

4116-300

18384x1

(300ns)

8/11.75

4118250

16384x1

(250ns)

8/7.95

4116200

16384x 1

(200ns)

8/12.95

4116150

16384x 1

(150ns)

6/14.95

4118120

16384x 1

(120ns)

8/29.95

2118

16384x 1

(150ns) (5vl

4.95

MK4332

32768 x1

I200ns)

9.95

4164.200

65536 x1

(200ns) |5v)

9/49.00

4164-150

65536 x1

(150ns) |5v)

9149.00

4164120

65536 x1

(120ns) |5v)

8.95

MCM6665

65536 x1

(200ns) (5v)

8.95

TMS4184

65536 x1

(150ns) (5v)

8.95

TMS4416

16384x4

(150ns) (5v)

9.95

41256-150

262144x1

(150ns) (5v)

54.95

41256-200

262144 x1

(200ns) I5v|

49.95

5v = Single 5 volt supply

EPROMS

'CRYSTALS^

1702

32.768 khz

1.95

256 x B

(1us)

4.50

1.0 mhz

3.95

2708

1024 x 8

(450ns)

3.95

1.8432

3.95

2758

1024 x 8

(450ns) (5v)

5.95

2.0

2.95

2716-6

£<J4tt X o

(650ns)

2.95

2.097152

2.95

2716

2048 x 8

(450ns) (5v)

3.95

2.4576

2.95

2716-1

2048 x 8

(350ns) (5v)

5.95

3 2768

2.95

TUC14 1 R I Mb2D10

£(J4o X O

(450ns) (5v)

5.50

3.579545

2.95

I MOtfr ID

*:U4o X O

(450ns)

7.95

4.0

2.95

1 Mo2DJ!

4096 x 8

(450ns) (5v)

5.95

5.0

2.95

2732

(4DUnS) (DvJ

4.95

5.0688

2.95

S7ss icn CI .)2-2DU

4096 x8

(250ns) (5v)

B.95

5.185

2.95

97io.onn

C 1 J! !UU

4096 x 8

(200ns) (5v)

11.95

5.7143

2.95

2732A-4

4096 x8

(450ns) (5v)(21vPGM)

6.95

6.0

2.95

2732A

4096 x8

(250ns) (5v) (21vPGM)

9.95

6.144

2.95

2732A-2

4096 x 8

(200ns) (5v)(21vPGM)

13.95

6.5536

2.95

2764

8192x6

(450ns) (5v)

6.95

8.0

2.95

2764-250

8192x8

(250nsl(5v)

7.95

10.0

2.95

2764-200

8192x8

(200ns) (5v)

19.95

10 738635

2.95

TMS2564

8192x6

(450ns) (5v)

14.95

14.31818

2 95

MCM68764

8192x8

(450ns) (5v) (24pin)

3995

15.0

2.95

MCM68766

8192x8

(350ns) (5v)(24pin)'

42.95

16.0

2.95

27128-30

16384x8

(300ns) (5v)

29.95

17.430

2.95

27128

16384 x8

(250ns) (5v)

34.95

18.0

2.95

5v Single 5 Voll Supply

21vPGM Program 31 21 Volls.

18.432

2.95

20.0

2.95

★★★★HIGH TECH****'

22.1184 ^2.0

2 95 2 95

CMOS

Q As Vss SO

[2 Din CAS IB

PE WE Dout IS H RAS A* m

GE Ac AilS

□[ Aj A. 11]

d A, Ai EH

□E Vcc A. 3

41256

262144x1 DYNAMIC RAM

»PIN COMPATABLE WITH 4164 • LOW POWER CONSUMPTION: 350mW ACTIVE 23mW STANDBY -FAST! 150 200ns VERSIONS

AVAILABLE 150 or 200ns NOW ONLY

UARTS

$49.95 ★★★★SPOTLIGHTS ★ ★ ★

★ Computer managed inventory - virtually no bacK ordersl

★ very competitive prlcesl

★ Friendly statu

★ Fast service - most orders processed within 24 hours!

6800

68000

49.95

6800

2.95

6802

7.95

6803

19.95

6808

13.90

6809E

14.95

6809

11.95

6810

2.95

6820

4.35

6821

2.95

6828

14.95

6840

12.95

6843

34.95

6844

25.95

6845

14.95

6847

11.95

6850

3.25

6852

5.75

6860

7.95

6875

6.95

6880

2.25

6883

22.95

68047

24.95

68488

19.95

6800

1MHZ

68B00

10.95

6BB02

22.25

68B09E

29.95

68B09

29.95

68B10

6.95

68B21

6.95

68B40

19.95

68B45

19.95

68B50

5.95

■ 68B00

2 MHZ ,

6500

1 MHZ

8000

8200

6502

4.95

6504

6.95

6505

8.95

6507

9.95

6520

4.35

6522

6.95

6532

9.95

6545

22.50

6551

11.85

2 MHZ

6502A

6.95

6522A

9.95

6S32A

11.95

6545A

27.95

6551A

11.95

3 MHZ

.6502B

9.95,

DISC I CONTROLLERS I

8035

5.95

8039

5.95

INS-8060

17.95

INS-8073

49.95

8080

3.95

8085

4.95

8085A-2

11.95

8086

24.95

8087

175.00

8088

29.95

8089

89.95

8155

6.95

8155-2

7.95

8156

6.95

8185

29.95

8185-2

39.95

8741

29.95

8748

24.95

,8755

24.95,

1771 1791 1793 1795 1797 2791 2793 2795 2797 6843 8272 UPD765 MB8876 MB8877 1691 L 2 143

16.95 24 95 26.95 29.95 49.95 54.95 | 54.951 59.95 I 59.95 I 34 95 I 39 95 39.95 | 29.95 34 95 17.95 18 951

CRT

CONTROLLERS

6845

14 95

68B4S

19.95

HD46505SP

15.95

6847

11.95

MC1372

6.95

68047

24.95

8275

29.95

7220

99 95

CRT5027

19.95

CRT5037

24.95

TMS9918A

39.95

|DP8350

49.95

HP

8202 8203 I 8205 8212 18214 18216 18224 | 8226 18228 18237 I 8237-5 18238 18243 18250 8251 18253 I 8253 5 18255 8255-5 8257 8257-5 18259 18259-5 18271 18272 18275 18279 I 8279-5 18282 18283 18264 8286 8287 8288 18289

24.95 39.95 3.50 1.80 3.85 1.75 2.25 1.80 3.49 19.95 21.95 4.49 4.45 10 95 4.49 6.95 7.95 4 49 5.25 7.95 8.95 6.90 7.50 79.95 39.95 29.95 8.95 10.00 6.50 6.50 5.50 6.50 6.50 25.00 49.95 14.95

Z-80

AY5-1013

3.95

AY3-1015

6.95

PT1472

9.95

TR1602

3.95

2350

9.95

2651

8.95

IM6402

7 95

IM6403

8.95

INS8250

10.95

GENERATORS

BIT-RATE

MC14411

11 95

BR1941

11.95

4702

12.95

COM5016

16.95

COM8116

10.95

MM5307

10.95

FUNCTION

MC4024

3.95

LM566

1.49

XR2206

3.75

,8038

3.95

2.5 Mhz

Z80

CPU

3.95

Z80

CTC

3.95

ZOO

DART

10.95

Z80

DMA

14.95

Z80

PIO

3.95

Z80

SIO/0

11.95

Z80

SIO/1

11.95

Z80

SIO/2

11.95

zeo

SIO/9

11.95

4.0 Mhz

Z80A-CPU

4.49

Z80A-CTC

4.95

Z80A-DART

9.95

Z80A-DMA

12 95

Z80A-PIO

4 49

Z80A-SIO 0

12.95

zaoA-sio/1

12.95

Z80A-SIO/2

12.95

Z80A-SIO/9

12.95

6.0 Mhz

Z80B-CPU

9.95

Z80B-CTC

12.95

ZBOB-PIO

12.95

Z80B-DART

19.95

Z80B-SIO/2

39.95

ZILOG

Z6132

34.95

.Z8671

MISC.

UPD7201

29 95

TMS99532

29 95

ULN2003

2.49

3242

7 95

3341

4 95

MC3470

4 95

MC3480

9 00

11C90

13 95

95H90

7 95

2513-001 UP

9 95

2513-002 LOW

9 95.

CLOCK

CIRCUITS

MM5314

4.95

MM 5369

3.95

MM5369 EST

4 25

MM5375

4.95

MM58167

12.95

MM58174

11.95

MSM5832

395

KEYBOARD CHIPS

IAY5-2376 11 95 1

| AYS-3600 11 95 I

4000

.29

4528

1.19

4001

25

4531

.95

4002

.25

4532

1.95

4006

.89

4538

1.95

4007

.29

4539

1.95

4008

.95

4541

2.64

4009

.39

4543

1.19

4010

.45

4553

5.79

4011

.25

4555

.95

.95

4013

.38

4581

4014

.79

4582

1.95

4015

.39

4584

.75

4016

.39

4585

.75

4017

69

4702

12 95

4018

.79

74C00

.35

4019

.39

74C02

35

4020

.75

74C04

.35

4021

.79

74C08

.35

4022

.79

74C10

35

4023

.29

74C14

59

4024

65

74C20

.35

4025

29

74C30

.35

4026

1 65

74C32

39

4027

.45

74C42

1.29

4028

69

74C48

1.99

4029

.79

74C73

.65

4030

39

74C74

65

4034

1.95

74C76

SO

4035

85

74C83

1.95

4040

.75

74C85

1.95

4041

75

74C86

39

4042

69

74C89

4.50

4043

85

74C90

119

4044

.79

74C93

1 75

4046

85

74C95

99

4047

95

74C107

89

4049

35

74C150

5 75

4050

.35

74C1S1

2.25

40S1

79

74C154

3.25

4053

79

74C157

1 75

4060

89

74C160

1.19

4066

39

74C161

1 19

4068

39

74C162

1.19

4069

.29

74C163

119

4070

35

74C164

1 39

4071

29

74C165

2 00

4072

.29

74C173

79

4073

29

74C174

1.19

4075

29

74C175

1 19

4076

79

74C192

1 49

4078

.29

74C193

1.49

4081

29

74C195

1.39

4082

29

74C200

5 75

4085

95

74C22t

1.75

4086

95

74C244

2 25

4093

49

74C373

2.45

4096

2 49

74C374

2.45

4099

1 95

74C901

39

14409

12 95

74C902

85

14410

12 95

74C903

85

14411

11 95

74C905

10 95

14412

12.95

74C906

95

14419

7.95

74C907

1 00

14433

14 95

74C908

2 00

4502

.95

74C909

2 75

4503

.65

74C910

9 95

4509

1.95

74C91 1

8 95

4510

85

74C912

8 95

4511

85

74C914

1 95

4512

85

74C915

1 19

4514

1 25

74C918

2 75

4515

1 79

74C920

17 95

4516

1 SS

74C921

15.95

4518

89

74C922

4.49

4519

39

74C923

4.95

4520

.79

74C925

5.95

4522

1 25

74C926

7.95

4526

1.2S

74C928

7 95

devices

VISIT OUR R

HOURS: M-W

PLEASEU

24 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128 00-538-5000 • 800-662-6279 (CA) (408) 995-5430 • Telex 171-110

.JZSH

STORE

-9 Sal. 10-3

R WHEN ORDERING

Microdevlces

TERMS: Minimum order $10. For shipping and handling Include $2.50 lor UPS Ground and S3.50 lor UPS Air. Orders over 1 lb and lorelgn orders may require additional shipping charges — please contacl our sales department lor Ihe amount CA residents must include 6% sales tan. Bay Area and LA residents Include 6".V Prices sub/eel to change without notice We are not responsible tor typographical errors We reserve Ihe right lo llm/l qumnllllet tnd to substitute manufacturer All merchandise subject lo prior sale

520 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 198 on inquiry card.

4164 64K D RAMS 150HS OP 200ns

9/S4900

74LS00

74LS00

.24

74LS173

.69

74LS01

.25

74LS174

.55

74LS02

.25

74LS175

.55

74LS03

.25

74LS181

2.15

74LS04

.24

74LS189

8.95

74LS05

.25

74LS190

.89

74LS0B

.28

74LS191

.89

74LS09

.29

74LS192

.79

74LS10

.25

74LS193

.79

74LS11

.35

74LS194

.69

74LS12

.35

74LS19S

.69

74LS13

.45

74LS196

.79

74LS14

.59

74LS197

.79

74LS15

.35

74LS221

.89

74LS20

.25

74LS240

.95

74LS21

.29

74LS241

.99

74LS22

.25

74LS242

.99

74LS26

.29

74LS243

.99

74LS27

.29

74LS244

1.29

74LS26

.35

74LS245

1.49

74LS30

.25

74LS247

.75

74LS32

.29

74LS24B

.99

74LS33

.55

74LS249

.99

74LS37

.35

74LS251

.59

74LS36

.35

74LS253

.59

74LS40

.25

74LS257

.59

74LS42

.49

74LS258

.59

74LS47

.75

74LS259

2.75

74LS46

.75

74LS260

.59

74LS49

.75

74LS266

.55

74LS51

.25

74LS273

1.49

74LS54

.29

74LS275

3.35

74LS55

.29

74LS279

.49

74LS63

1.25

74LS280

1.96

74LS73

.39

74LS283

.69

74LS74

.35

74LS290

.89

74LS75

.39

74LS293

.89

74LS76

.39

74LS295

.99

74LS78

.49

74LS298

.89

74LS83

.60

74LS299

1.75

74LS85

.69

74LS323

3.50

74LS86

.39

74LS324

1.75

74LS90

.55

74LS352

1.29

74L591

.89

74LS353

1.29

74LS92

.55

74LS363

1.35

74LS93

.55

74LS364

1.95

74LS95

.75

74LS365

.49

74L596

.89

74LS366

.49

74LS107

.39

74LS367

.45

74LS109

.39

74LS368

.45

74LS112

.39

74LS373

1.39

74LS113

.39

74LS374

1.39

74LS114

.39

74LS375

.95

74LS122

.45

74LS377

1.39

74LS123

.79

74LS378

1.18

74LS124

2.90

74LS379

1.35

74LS125

.49

74LS385

3.90

74LS126

.49

74LS386

.45

74LS132

.59

74LS390

1.19

74LS133

.59

74LS393

1.19

74LS136

.39

74LS395

1.19

74LS137

.99

74LS399

1.49

74LS138

.55

74LS424

2.95

74LS139

.55

74LS447

.95

74LS14S

1.20

74LS490

1.95

74LS147

2.49

74LS624

3.99

74L5148

1.35

74LS640

2.20

74LS151

.55

74LS645

2.20

74LS153

.55

74LS668

1.69

7A IS 1 54

1.90

74LS669

1.89

74LS155

.69

741Q670

1.49

74LS156

.69

74LS674

14.95

74LS157

.65

74LS682

3.20

74LS158

.59

74LS683

3.20

74LS160

.69

74LS684

3.20

74LS161

.65

74LS685

3.20

74LS162

.69

74LS688

2.40

74LS163

.65

74LS689

3.20

74LS164

.69

81LS95

1.49

74LS16S

.95

81LS96

1.49

74LS166

1.95

81LS97

1.49

74LS168

1.75

81LS98

1.49

74LS169

1.75

25LS2521

2.80

74LS170

1.49

25LS2569

4.25

74S00

74S00

.32

74S124

2.75

74S197

1.49

74S02

.35

74S132

1.24

74S201

6.95

74S03

.35

74S133

.45

74S225

7.95

74S04

.35

74S134

.50

74S240

2.20

74S05

.35

74S135

.89

74S241

2.20

74S08

.35

74S138

.85

74S244

2.20

74S09

.40

74S139

.85

74S251

.95

74S10

.35

74S140

.55

74S253

.95

74S11

.35

74S151

.95

74S257

.95

74S15

.35

74S153

.95

74S258

.95

74S20

.35

74S157

.95

74S260

.79

74S22

.35

74S158

.95

74S273

2.45

74S30

.35

74S161

1 95

74S280

1.95

74S32

.40

74S162

V95

74S287

1.90

74S37

.88

74S163

1.95

74S288

1.90

74S38

.85

74S168

3.95

74S289

6.89

74S40

.35

74S169

3.95

74S301

6.95

74S51

.35

74S174

.95

74S373

2.45

74S64

.40

74S175

.95

74S374

2.45

74S65

.40

74S181

3.95

74S387

1.95

74S74

.50

74S182

2.95

74S412

2.98

74S85

1.99

74S188

1.95

74S471

4.95

74S86

.50

74S189

6.95

74S472

4.95

74S112

.50

74S194

1.49

74S474

4.95

74S113

.50

74S195

1.49

74S570

2.95

74S114

.55

74S196

1.49

74S571

2.95

VOLTAGE REGULATORS

7400

7805T

.75

7905T

.85

78M05C

.35

7908T

.85

7808T

.7S

7912T

.85

7812T

.75

7915T

.85

7815T

.75

7924T

.85

7824T

.75

7905K

1.49

7805K

1.39

7912K

1.49

7812K

1.39

7915K

1.49

781SK

1.39

7924K

1.49

7824K

1.39

79L05

.79

78L05

.69

79L12

.79

78L12

.69

79L15

.79

78L15

.69

LM323K

4.95

78H05K

9.95

UA78S40

1.95

78H12K

9.95

C. T

TO-220

K = TO-3

76477 76488 76489

SOUND CHIPS

3.95 AY3-8910

5.95 AY3-8912

8.95 MC3340 SSI-263 39.95

12.951 12.951 1.491

BYPASS CAPS

100/6.001 100/12.00 100/8.00 100/15.00J

.01 UF DISC .01 UF MONOLITHIC .1 UF DISC ..1 UF MONOLITHIC

EPROM ERASERS

0SPECTRONICS CORPORATION

fiNTERFACEl

I 8T26 1.59

8T28 1.89

8T95 .89

8T96 .89

8T97 .89

8T9B .89

DM8131 2.95

I DP8304 2.29

DS8833 2.25

| DS8835 1.99

OS8836 .99

DS8837 1.65 |

LDS88

[CONNECTORS] RS232 Male 2.50 I RS232 Female 3.25 I RS232 Hood 1.251

Ls-100 st 3.95J

Capacity

Intensity

Timer

Chip

(uW/Cm1)

PE-14

9

8,000

83.00

PE-14T

X

9

8,000

119.00

PE-24T

X

12

9,600

175.00

PL-265T

X

30

9,600

255.00

PR-125T

X

25

17,000

349.00

.PR-320T

X

42

17,000

595.00.

DATA ACQUISITION

ADC0800

15.55

DAC0800

ADC0804

3.49

DAC0808

DAC08O6

1.95

DAC1020

ADC0809

4.49

DAC1022

ADC0816

14.95

MC1408L6

ADC0817

9 95

MC1408L8

7400

.19

74123

.49

7401

.19

74125

.45

7402

.19

74126

.45

7403

.19

74132

.45

7404

.19

74136

.50

7405

.25

74143

4.95

7406

.29

74145

.60

7407

.29

74147

1.75

7408

.24

74148

1.20

7409

.19

74150

1.35

7410

.19

74151

.55

7411

.25

74153

.55

7413

.35

74154

1.25

7414

.49

74155

.75

7416

.25

74157

.55

7417

.25

74159

1.65

7420

.19

74160

.85

7421

.35

74161

.69

7425

.29

74163

.69

7427

.29

74164

.85

7430

.19

74165

.85

7432

.29

74166

1.00

7437

.19

74167

2.95

7438

.29

74170

1.65

7442

.49

74173

.75

7445

.69

74174

.89

7446

.69

74175

.89

7447

.69

74177

.75

7448

.69

74181

2.25

7451

.23

74184

2.00

7473

.34

74185

2.00

7474

.33

74191

1.15

7475

.45

74192

.79

7476

.35

74193

.79

7482

.95

74194

.85

7483

.50

74195

.85

7485

.59

74197

.75

7486

.35

74198

1.35

7489

2.15

74221

1.35

7490

.35

74246

1.35

7492

.50

74247

1.25

7493

.35

74259

2.25

7495

.55

74273

1.95

7497

2.75

74276

1.25

74100

1.75

74279

.75

74107

.30

74366

.65

74109

.45

74367

.65

74116

1.55

74368

.65

74121

.29

74393

1.35

LINEAR

RCA

EXAR

XR 220E

3.75

XR 2207

3.75

XR 2208

3.75

XR 2211

5 25

XR 2240

3.25.

INTERSIL

ICL7106

9.95

ICL7107

12.95

ICL7660

2 95

ICLB038

3.95

ICM7207A

5.59

ICM7208

15 95.

9000

9316

1.00

9334

2.50

9368

3 95

9401

9.95

9601

.75

9602

1.50

96S02

1.95.

LM301 LM301H LM307 LM308 LM308H LM309H LM309K LM310 LM311 LM311H LM312H LM317K LM317T LM318 LM318H LM319H LM319 LM320(see LM322 LM323K LM324 LM329 LM331 LM334 LM335 LM336 LM337K LM337T LM338K LM339 LM340(see H

.34

LM348

.99

LM567

.89

LM1812

8.25

.79

LM350K

4.95

NE570

3.95

LM1830

3.50

.45

LM350T

4.60

NE571

2.95

LM1871

5.49

.69

LM358

.69

NE590

2.50

LM1872

5.49

1.15

LM359

1.79

NE592

2.75

LM1877

3.25

1.95

LM376

3.75

LM709

.59

LM1889

1.95

1.25

LM377

1.95

LM710

.75

LM1896

1.75

1.75

LM378

2.50

LM711

.79

ULN2003

2.49

.64

LM379

4.50

LM723

.49

LM2877

2.05

.89

LM380

.89

LM723H

.55

LM2878

2.25

1.75

LM380NI

1 1.10

LM733

.98

LM2900

.85

3.95

LM3B1

1.60

LM741

.35

LM2901

1.00

1.19

LM382

1.60

LM741N-14

.35

LM2917

2.95

1.49

LM383

1.95

LM741H

.40

LM3900

.59

1.59

LM384

1.95

LM747

.69

LM3905

1.25

1.90

LM386

.89

LM748

.59

LM3909

.98

1.25

LM3B7

1.40

LM1014

1.19

LM3911

2.25

7900)

LM389

1.35

LM1303

1.95

LM3914

3.95

1.65

LM390

1.95

LM1310

1.49

LM3915

3.95

4.95

LM392

.69

MC1330

1.69

LM3916

3.95

.59

LM393

1.29

MC1349

1.89

MC4024

3.95

.65

LM394H

4.60

MC1350

1.19

MC4044

4.50

3.95

LM399H

5.00

MC1358

1.69

HC4136

1.25

1.19

NE531

2.95

MC1372

6.95

RC4151

3.95

1.40

NE555

.34

LM1414

1.59

LM4250

1.75

1.75

NE556

.65

LM1458

.59

LM4500

3.25

3.95

NE558

1.50

LM1488

.69

RC4558

.69

1.95

NE561

24.95

LM1489

.69

LM13080

1.29

6.95

NE564

2.95

LM1496

.85

LM13600

1.49

.99

LM565

.99

LM1558H

3.10

LM13700

1.49

7800)

LM566

1.49

LM1800

2.37

MPQ2907

1.95

TO-5 CAN

T

TO-220

K = TO-3

:a 3023

2.75

CA 3082

1.65

CA 3039

1.29

CA 3083

1.55

CA 3046

1.25

CA 3086

.80

CA 3059

2.90

CA 3089

2.99

CA 3060

2.90

CA 3096

3.49

CA 3065

1.75

CA 3130

1.30

CA 3060

1.10

CA 3140

1.15

CA 3081

1.65

CA 3146

1.85

CA3160

1.19

Tl

TL494

4.20

75365

1.95

TL496

1.65

75450

.59

TL497

3.25

75451

.39

75107

1.49

75452

.39

75110

1.95

75453

.39

75150

1.95

75454

.39

75154

1.95

75491

.79

75188

1.25

75492

.79

75189

1.25

75493

.89

75494

.89

Bl FET

TL071

.79

TL084

2.19

TL072

1.19

LF347

2.19

TL074

2.19

LF351

.60

TL081

.79

LF353

1.00

TL082

1.19

LF355

1.10

TL083

1.19

LF3S6

1.10

LF357

1.40

RDER TOLL FREE

800-538-5000

800-662-6279

Have had good results with all of your parts!

<=■ Copyright 1984 JDR Microdevices

Circle 198 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 521

r PRICE BREAKTHROUGH

BARGAIN HUNTERS CORNER

LM338K VOLTAGE REGULATOR

* ADJUSTABLE OUTPUT: +1.2VTO +33V

* 5 AMP CONTINUOUS, 7 AMP PEAK

* TO-3 PACKAGE $3.95

TR1602 uart $2.50 DISK CONTROLLERS

$6.95 $14.95 $14.95 $24.95 $24.95

Rprom StOE SELECT $24.95

ZIF SOCKETS

1 771 FW1 - IBM3740

179l'~ FM/MFM INVESTED BUS

1793 FM/MFM TRUE BUS

2791 vvi DATA SEPARATOR 8. CLOCK 2793 w DATA SEPARATOR 8< CLOCK 2797 w/DATA SE

SPECIALS E

D 10-31-84

TRANSISTORS

2N918

.50

MPS3706

.15

MPS918

.25

2N3772

1.85

2N2102

.75

2N3903

.25

2N2218

.50

2N3904

.10

2N2218A

.50

2N3908

.10

2N2219

.50

2N4122

.25

2N2218A

.50

2N4123

.25

2N2222

.25

2N4249

.25

PN2222

.10

2N4304

.75

MPS2389

.25

2N4401

.25

2N2484

.25

2N4402

.25

2N290S

.50

2N4403

.25

2N2907

.25

2N4857

1.00

PN2907

.125

PN4916

.25

2N30SS

.79

2N5088

.25

30S5T

.89

PN5129

.25

2N3393

.30

PN5139

.25

2N3414

.25

2N5209

.25

2N3S63

.40

2N6028

.35

2N3585

.40

2NB043

1.75

PN3565

.25

2NB045

1.75

MPS3838

.25

MPS-A05

.25

MPS3640

.25

MPS-A08

.25

PN3843

.25

MPS-A55

.25

PN3844

.25

TIP29

.65

MPS3704

.15

TIP31

.75

TIP32

.79

IC SOCKETS

1-99 100 I .13 .11 .15 .12 .17 .13 .20 .18 .29 .27 .30 .27 .30 .27 .40 .32 .49 .39 4.25 call

8 pin ST 114 pin ST

18 pin ST

18 pin ST

20 pin ST

22 pin ST

24 pin ST

28 pin ST

40 pin ST | 84 pin ST

ST = SOLDERTAIL

8 pin WW

.59 .49

14 pin WW

.89 .52

18 pin WW

.69 .58

18 pin WW

.99 .90

20 pin WW

1.09 .98

22 pin WW

1.391.28

24 pin WW

1.491.36

28 pin WW

1.691.49

40 pin WW

1.991.80

WW = WIREWRAP

RF MODULATOR

(ASTEC UM1082) QUANTITIES LIMITED

* PRESET TO CHANNEL 3 NOW

* USE TO BUILD ONLY TV-COMPUTER INTERFACE

* +5 VOLT OPERATION

$695

ZIF = Zero Insertion Force

UNIT PRICE 5.95 5.95 7.95 8.95 10.95

OPTOISOLATORS

4N26

1.00

MCA-7

4.25

4N27

1.10

MCA-255

1.75

4N28

.69

IL-1

1.25

4N33

1.75

ILA-30

1.25

4N35

1.25

ILQ-74

2.75

4N37

1.25

H11C5

1.25

MCT-2

1.00

TIL-111

1.00

MCT-6

1.50

TIL-113

1.75

RESISTORS

Vi WATT 5% CARBON FILM ALL STANDARD VALUES FROM 1 OHM TO 10 MEG OHM 50PCS. SAME VALUE .025 100 PCS. SAME VALUE .02 1000 PCS. SAME VALUE .015

BYPASS CAPS

.01 UF DISC

.01 UF MONOLITHIC

.1 UF DISC

. I UF MONOLITHIC

100/6.00 100/12.00

100/8.00 i 100/15.00 ,

DIODES

1N751

5.1 volt zener

.25

1N759

12.0voltzener

.25

1N4148

(1N914) switching

25/1.00

1N4004

400PIVrectlller

10/1.00

KBP02

200PIV1.5amp bridge

.45

KBP04

400PIV1.5amp bridge

.55

VM48

Dip-Bridge

.35

MUFFIN FANS

4.68 "Square

14.95

3.125 "Square

14.95

HEAT SINKS

TO-3 style

.95

TO-220 Style

.35

SWITCHES

SPDTmlnl-toggle

1.25

DPOTmlnl-toggle

1.50

SPST mini-pushbutton

.39

LED LAMPS

1-99 100-up

LED DISPLAYS

JUMBO RED

.10

.09

JUMBO QREEN

.18

.15

JUMBO YELLOW

.18

.15

LED MOUNTING

HARDWARE

.10

.09

HP 5082-7760

MAN 72

MAN 74

FND-357 (359)

FND-500 (503) I FND-507 (510) lTIL-311 4x7

.43"

.3"

.3"

.375"

.5"

.5"

CC CA CC

CC 1.25 I

CC 1.49 I

CA 1.491 HEX W/LOGIC 9.95 I

DIP SWITCHES

4 POSITION

5 POSITION

6 POSITION

7 POSITION L 8 POSITION

.85 .90 .90 .95 .95

CAPACITORS

TANTALUM

8V

10V

15V

20V

25V

35V

.22ul

.40

.27

.40

.33 .40

.47

.35

.50

.88

.45

1.0

.40

.40

.45

.45

1.5

.45

.50

1.8

.75

2.2

.35

.40

.45

.65

2.7

.40

.45

.90

3.3

.45

.50

.55

.80

.65

3.9

.45

4.7

.45

.55

.60

.65

.85

6.8

.70

.75

10

.56

.65

.80

.85

.90

1.00

12

.85

.85

.90

15

.75

.85

.90

18

1.25

22

1.00

1.35

27

2.25

36

1.50

47

1.35

58

1.75

100

3.25

270

3.75

DISC

10pl

SOV .05

470

SOV .05

22

50V .05

580

SOV .05

26

50V .05

680

SOV .05

27

50V .05

820

50V .05

33

SOV .05

.001 uf

SOV .05

47

SOV .05

.0016

50V .05

56

SOV .06

.0022

SOV .05

88

SOV .05

.005

SOV .05

82

SOV .05

.01

50V .07

100

SOV .OS

.02

50V .07

220

SOV .05

.05

50V .07

330

50V .05

.1

12V .10

.1

50V .12

MONOLITHIC

.lut-mono SOV .18 .47uf-mono SOV .25 .047uf-mono SOV .15 .01 uf mono SOV .14

ELECTROLYTIC

RADIAL AXIAL

.47uf

SOV .14

till

SOV .14

1

2SV .14

4.7

16V .14

2.2

35V .15

10

18V .14

4.7

SOV .15

10

50V .18

10

SOV .15

22

16V .14

47

35V .18

47

SOV .20

100

16V .18

100

15V .20

220

35V .20

100

35V .25

470

25V .30

150

25V .25

2200

16V .80

220

25V .30

COMPUTER

330 500

16V .40 16V .42

GRADE

1000 1500

16V :60 16V .70

44,000ul

30V 3.95

6000

16V .85

kmtr

WEm

7nn

I

522 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle I99 on inquiry card.

4164

64K D RAMS 150DS or 200ns

9/$49°°

CABINETS FOR51/4 "

DISK DRIVES CABINET #1 s29.95

★ Dimensions 8% x 5'%b x 3'Vn"

★ Color matches Apple

★ Fits standard 5V<" drives, inc. Shugart

★ Includes mounting hardware and feet

CABINET #2 s79.00

★ Complete with power supply, switch, line cord, fuse & standard power connector

★ Dimensions: 11% x 5% x 3'yts"

★ +5V @ 1 AMP, +12V @ 1.5 AMP

★ Please specify gray or tan

NOTE: Please Include sufficient amount for shipping on above Items.

TRANSFORMERS FRAME STYLE

12.6VAC 12.6VAC CT 12.6VAC CT 12.6VAC CT 25.2VAC CT

2amp 2amp 4amp Samp 2amp

4.95 5.95 7.95 10.95 7.95

PLUG CASE STYLE

12VAC 250ma 3.951 12VAC 500ma 4.95 12VAC lamp 5.95 12VAC 2amp 6.95 I

DC ADAPTER

6,9,12 VDC selectable with unlveral adapter 8.95 Please include sufficient amount for shipping on above items

DISK DRIVES TAN DON

I TM100-1 5V«"(FORIBM)SS/DD 199.00 I TM100-2 5 V* "(FOR IBM)DS/DD 199.00

MPI

MP-525V<"(FORIBM)DS/DD 249.00

TEAC

FD-55B V2 "HEIGHT DS/DD 159.00

SHUGART

SA 400L 5</4 "(40TRACK)SS/DD 199.95

8" DISK DRIVE

FD 100-8 BY SIEMENS, SHUGART801 EQUIV. SS/DD-10/S149EA. $169.00 FD 200-8 BY SIEMENS, SHUGART 851 EQUIV. DS/DD - 10/S220 EA. $239.00 TEAC HALF HEIGHT

Please include sufficient amount for shipping on above items.

MICROCOMPUTER HARDWARE HANDBOOK

FROM ELCOMP — $14.95

Over 800 pages of manufacturers data sheets on most commonly used IC's.

Includes: * * * *

TTL — 74/74LS and 74F CMOS

Voltage Regulators Memory — RAM, ROM, EPROM CPU's - 6800, 6500, Z80, 8080, 8085, 8086/8

MPU support & interface — 6800, 6500, Z80, 8200, etc.

ORDER TOLL FREE

800-538-5000 800-662-6279

(CALIFOIiniA RESIDENTS)

CENTRONICS

IDCEN36 Ribbon Cable 36 Pin Male 8.95 IDCEN36/F Ribbon Cable 36 Pin Female 8.95 I CEN36 Solder Cup 36 Pin Male 7.95,

RIBBON CABLE

CONTACTS

SINGLE COLOR

COLOR CODED

1'

10'

1'

10'

10

.50

4.40

.83

7.30

16

.55

4.80

1.00

8.80

20

.65

5.70

1.25

11.00

25

.75

6.60

1.32

11.60

26

.75

6.60

1.32

11.60

34

.98

8.60

1.65

14.50

40

1.32

11.60

1.92

16.80

50

1.38

12.10

2.50

22.00

BEST SELLING BOOKS

OSBORNE/MC GRAW-HILL

AppleII User'sGuide 16.95

CRT Controller's Handbook 9.95

68000 Assembly Language

Programming 16.99

CBAS'CUserGuide 15.00

SYBEX

Z-80 Applications 15.95

IBM PC DOS Handbook 9.95

Programming the 8086/8088 15.95

The Best of IBM PC Software 16.95

Microprocessor interfacing

Techniques 17.95

EDGECARD CONNECTORS

DIP CONNECTORS

S-100ST S-100WW 72 pin ST 72 pin WW 50 pin ST 44 pin ST 44 pin WW

3.95 4.95 6.95 7.95 4.95 2.95 4.95

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

8

14

16

CONTACTS 18 20 22

24

28

40

HIGH RELIABILITY TOOLED ST IC SOCKETS

AUGATxx-ST

.99

.99

.99

1.69 1.89 1.89

1.99

2.49

2.99

COMPONENT

CARRIERS (DIP HEADERS)

ICCxx

.65

.75

.85

1.00 1.25 1.25

1.35

1.50

2.10

RIBBON CABLE DIP PLUGS (IDC)

IDPxx

1.45

1.65

2.50

4.15

IDC C

onnectors" below.

DSUBMINIATURE

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

9

15

CONTACTS 25

37

50

SOLDER CUP

MALE

DPxxP

2.08

2.69

2.50

4.80

6.06

FEMALE

DBxxS

2.66

3.63

3.25

7.11

9.24

RT. ANGLE

MALE

DBxxPR

1.65

2.20

3.00

4.83

PC HOLDER

FEMALE

DBxxSR

2.18

3.03

4.42

6.19

IDC RIBBON CABLE

MALE

IDBxxP

3.37

4.70

6.23

9.22

FEMALE

IDBxxS

3.69

5.13

6.84

10.08

HOODS

BLACK

HOOD-B

1.25

GREY

HOOD

1.60

1.60

1.25

2.95

3.50

MOUNTING HARDWARE

-$1.00

"or order instructions see "IDC Connectors" below.

a

IDC CONNECTORS

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

10

20

CONTACTS 26 34

40

50

SOLDER HEADER

IDHxxS

.82

1.29

1.68

2.20

2.58

3.24

RT. ANGLE SOLDER HEADER

IDHxxSR

.85

1.35

1.76

2.31

2.72

3.39

WW HEADER

IDHxxW

1.86

2.98

3.84

4.50

5.28

6.63

RT. ANGLE WW HEADER

IDHxxWR

2.05

3.28

4.22

4.45

4.80

7.30

RIBBON HEADER SOCKET

IDSxx

1.15

1.86

2.43

3.15

3.73

4.65

RIBBON HEADER

IDMxx

5.50

6.25

7.00

7.50

B.50

RIBBON EDGE CARD

IDExx

2.25

2.36

2.65

3.25

3.80

4.74

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS: Insert the number of contacts in the position marked "xx" of the "order by" part .number listed. Example: A 10 pin right angle holder style header would be IDH10SR.

Copyright 1984 JDR Microdevlces

Circle 199 on inquiry card.

SEPTEMBER 1984 • BYTE 523

NEW FOR IBM

PC PEACOCK

COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTER

BY MA SYSTEMS

★ MED. RES. 320x200

★ HIGH RES. 640x200

★ COMPOSITE AND RGB OUTPUT FOR ALL STANDARD MONITORS

★ LIGHT PEN INTERFACE

★ CHOICE OF 16 COLORS IN HIGH RES. MODE!

★ PARALLEL PORT STANDARD!

★ 2 YEAR WARRANTY! S93Q95

★ PLUS FULL IBM COMPATIBILITY £U9

TANDON

TM 100-2

★ SAME DRIVE AS SUPPLIED BY IBM

★ DS/DD-320K

$199°°

TEAC FD-55B HALF HEIGHT

★ 6ms STEP RATE

★ DS/DD

★ INCLUDES INSTRUCTIONS

'159

oo

BUY 2 FOR s29900

AND GET FREE MOUNTING BRACKETS!

MAXIMIZERl

BY SIGMA DESIGN

★ 1 YEAR WARRANTY

★ MULTI-FUNCTION CARD

★ 64K TO 384K RAM

★ PARALLEL PORT

★ SERIAL PORT

★ CLOCK CALENDAR

★ SOFTWARE INCLUDED: CLOCK UTILITY, RAM DISK AND SPOOLER.

OPTIONS:

★ SECOND SERIAL PORT

★ GAME ADAPTER

$25900

SUMMER APPLE SPECIALS

JDR 16K RAM CARD

* 2 YEAR WARRANTY

* EXPAND YOUR 48K APPLE TO 64K

* USE IN PLACE OF APPLE LANGUAGE CARD

BARE PC CARD 9.95

33995

JDR HALF-HEIGHT DISK DRIVE

* TEAC MECHANICS—DIRECT DRIVE

* 100% APPLE COMPATIBLE-35 TRACK

* 40 TRACK WHEN USED WITH OPTIONAL CONTROLLER

* 1 YEAR WARRANTY

MA SYSTEMS FD-35

* DIRECT REPLACEMENT FOR APPLE DISK II

* SHUGART MECHANISM -MADE IN U.S.

40 TRACK CONTROLLER CARD M9"

$16995

$17995

OmNIGRRPH

BY MA SYSTEMS PARALLEL GRAPHICS INTERFACE FOR APPLE II & lie

★ HIGH RES. MULTICOLOR

GRAPHICS S7Q95

♦ CENTRONICS STANDARD f 5J FOR EPSON, OKIDATA...

* SCREEN DUMP, ROTATION, INVERSION, ZOOM, AND MORE!

* 1 YEAR WARRANTY!

ALL WITH A 2 YEAR WARRANTY VIEWMAX-80 s159»5

* 80 COLUMN CARD FOR APPLE II +

VIEWMAX-808 s12985

* 80 COLUMN CARD FOR APPLE lie *64K RAM EXPANDABLE TO 128K

GRAPHMAX M29"

* HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS ♦PRINTERCARD

ACCESSORIES AND PERIPHERALS

OTHER ACCESSORIES FOR APPLE II

THUNDERCLOCK *12995

* OFFICIAL PRO DOS CLOCK CALENDAR

* 100% MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE

* BSR CONTROL OPTIONS AVAILABLE

KRAFT JOYSTICK

* SELF CENTERING

* AXIS ISOLATION

APPLE COMPATIBLE POWER SUPPLY /^4995

* USE TO POWER APPLE TYPE SYSTEMS

* +5V @ 4A +12V @ 2.5A - 5V @ ,5A - 12V @ .5A

* APPLE POWER CONNECTOR

* INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED

MONITORS

SI l>M;1

L>^Hl BMC MONITOR STAND LL II MODEL PA-900

Your Display Will . „ Till & Swivel s29"

MONOCHROME

I BMC BM J J1201G GREEN 12" s89'5

|BMCBM12EUY 18 MHZ AMBER... s139" IBMC BM 12EUN 18 MHZ HIGH

RES GREEN s115°°

I NEC JB1201M • 20 MHZ GREEN .... s169°° IZENITH ZVM-123 ■ 15 MHZ .Mtt GREEN NEW 5105°°

COLOR

I BMC BM-AU9191U COMPOSITE 13" s27900 NO C.O.D. ORDERS PLEASE

BMC BMN-80 PRINTER

* 80 CPS DOT MATRIX PRINTER

* PRINTS BI-DIRECTIONAL IN 40, 80, 71 OR 142 COLUMNS IN NORMAL, DOUBLE WIDTH OR COMPRESSED TEST.

* PRINT SUPERSCRIPT AS WELL AS SUPERB GRAPHICS IN CHARACTER OR BIT IMAGE

5-1/4 DISK FILE

★ ATTRACTIVE, FUNCTIONAL DISK STORAGE SYSTEM

* 75 DISK STORAGE CAPACITY

NASHUA DISKETTES

5% "WITH HUB RING

MD1SOFT.SS/SD 19"

MD1DSOFT.SS/DD 26"

MD2DSOFT, DS/DD 30"

MD2FSOFT, DS/4D 45"

MD11010SECTOR, SS/SD. . . 19" MD210010 SECTOR, DS/DD . 30"

8" WITHOUT HUB RING

FD1 SOFT, SS/SD 24"

FD1DSOFT.SS/DD 30"

FD2D SOFT, DS/DD 36"

VERBATIM

DATALIFE DISKETTES

SS/DD SOFT SECTOR 29"

SS/DD 10 SECTOR HARD ... 29"

I

PJDR Microdevices 1224 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128 800-538-5000 • 800-662-6279 (CA) (408) 995-5430 • Telex 171-110

Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Corporation

VISIT OUR RETAIL STORE

HOURS: M-W-F, 9-5 T-Th., 9-9 Sat. 10-3

PLEASE USE YOUR CUSTOMER NUMBER WHEN ORDERING

TERMS: Minimum order $10. For shipping and handling include $2.50 for UPS Ground and $3.50 lor UPS All. Olden over 1 lb. and foreign orders may require additional shipping charges — please contact our sales department for the amount. CA residents must include 6% sales tax. Bay Area and LA residents Include 6Vi%. Prices subject to change without notice. We are not responsible lor typographical errors. We reserve the right to limit quantities and to substitute manufacturer. All merchandise subject to prior sale.

is Copyright 1984 JDR Microdevices

524 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1984

Circle 200 on inquiry card.

UNCLASSIFIED ADS

BYTE is concerned about software piracy. Unclassified ads proposing exchanges of software must specify that the software was written by the individual or is in the public domain. BYTE reserves the right to reject any unclassified ad that does not meet this criterion.

WANTED: Tax-exempt, nonprofit residential mainstreaming organization that trains high-functioning mentally retarded young adults seeks donation of personal computer equipment. Materials will be used to train office skills, mathematics, and budgeting. References and information available. Terry Blackwell. Chelsea Residence. 193 9th Ave, New York, NY 1001 ]. (212) 924-4010.

WANTED: Tax-exempt, nonprofit organization seeks donation of Apple or compatible computer and printer system for legal-assistance project. References and IRS information on request. Will pay reasonable shipping costs. leanette Orlando. Women's Legal Clinic. 11544 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064. (213) 478-0202.

NEEDED: Tax-deductible donation of IBM PC or compatible for a medical-research foundation for word processing. DNA sequence analysis, and statistics sought by molecular biologist returning to South America. Will pay delivery. Dr. M. Leonardo Satz, NCI, NIH, Building I0/4BI7, Bethesda, MD 20205. (301) 496-9097.

NEEDED: Modem for the Apple II for communication between schools. Dr. Malley, The School of Music, 6700 Melrose Dr.. McLean, VA 22101.

WANTED: Nonprofit, charitable organization welcomes fully tax-deductible contributions of TRS80 computer equipment used in every aspect of its affairs. Dr. Robert Epstein, Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, 11 Ware St.. Cambridge, MA 02138, (617) 495-9020.

WANTED: A French radio bulletin board video telephone service is looking for cooperation with a North American BBS. We plan to start an 'American Corner" in our service and "Coin Francais" in America in ASCII 300/300. ARTS. 6 rue des Ormes. 9412 FontennySous-Bois, France; tel: (01) 877-3232, '876-4534, 873-9235.

WANTED: A handicapped man would appreciate the donation of an Apple He, including keyboard, monitor, two disk drives, phone modem, and mouse. Word-processing software and a letter quality printer also welcome, lim Krauth; 1 West Briar Dr., Madison Heights. VA 24572. (804) 929-3416.

WANTED: IBM PC or compatible. H. H. Suarez. 16 bis. chemin des Genets, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.

WANTED: Schematic and technical information for an LA 180 DEC Printer [. I can supply information on how to make the LA180 operate with a Centronics interface. Orville Boston. 650 Blue Ridge Rd„ Pittsburgh, PA 15239.

FOR SALE: Ten platter-disk packs for Burroughs B225 drive, part number 21583513. Will fit almost any Burroughs drive: S50 each. lohn Shedlock. 25852 Via Lomas #39, Laguna Hills, CA 92653.

NEEDED: Programming student needs an Apple He with two disk drives, monitor, and printer for word processing and programming. Willing to pay for freight. Kyle Ford, 784 Penny Royal Lane, San Rafael, CA 94903, (415) 479-3282.

FOR SALE: MPX-16 Semi-Kit with 2 56K RAM. CP/M-86, switching power supply with harness, one Tandon TM100-2 DS/DD disk drive, metal enclosure, technical reference, and user's manual. Best offer. Mike Maberry, 5076 Roberts Dr.. St/Box 86702. The Colony. TX 7 5056, (214) 370-0010.

WANTED: Atari 810 or 1050 disk drives, compatible printer, used, in good working condition. Also, 850 interface module. Manuel Lopez. POB 316, Bronx. NY 10454.

FOR SALE: VIC-20 plus 16K RAM, user's guide, programmer's reference guide, joystick, magazines, and more: S200 or best offer plus shipping. Eduardo Fernandez. 185 Parkside Ave. Rochester. NY 14609.

WANTED: Complete sets of back issues not in binders, in excellent condition: interface Age: Vol. 1

through Vol. 8. Creative Computing: Vol. 1 through Vol. 8, Popular Computing: Vol. 1 through Vol. 2, Compute: Vol. 1 through Vol. 5. SO-Micro: Vol. 1 through Vol. 4 5. and Dr. Dobb's lournal: Vol. 1 through Vol. 86. Walter Quatannens. Melkwezerstraat 39, B-3 3 50 Linter. Belgium. Western Europe.

FOR SALE: Silver Reed Exp 550 printer. 20 cps. wide carriage. S669 (retail S895). Magnum 80 ME 80-column card and 64K for Apples: S125 (retail $199). Panasonic CT-160 10-inch color monitor: $290 (retail $399). Microtek parallel printer card for Apples: $60. Microtek serial printer card for Apples: $120 (retail $199). Brand new. original cartons, levin Demi. 1380 Shorewood Dr.. La Crosse, Wl 54601, (608| 788-7673.

FOR SALE: H-/Z-89 includes 64K RAM. three RS-232C serial ports, one 5/<-inch disk drive. Also, many utilities: asking $800. Eric Mitchell. 43038 Burlwood Dr.. Lancaster. CA 93534, (805) 943-1051.

FOR SALE: Nine S-100 boards with documentation. SD-VDB2480 video. SD-Versafloppy FDC. Ithaca Z80 CPU, CCS-2710 serial I/O, CCS-2422 FDC. CCS-2810 CPU. SSM-IO-4 serial/parallel, lade-DD FDC, DRC 16K RAM. Best offer over $1000 for all. Arthur Zatarain, 269 Hollywood Dr.. Metairie. LA 70005. (504) 83 5-4 574 days.

FOR SALE: Godbout 12-slot motherboard. Factory A & T with active termination. Never used; $75. Mullen TB-4 S-100 Extender Board Kit with Logic Probe, new. complete: $37.50.). M. Moulder. POB 1627. Poughkeepsie. NY 12601.

NEEDED: Full-time freelance writer would like to borrow computer and printer to complete books contracted for by publishers. I have word-processing software for Apple He, Franklin, IBM PC, orTRS-80 1/111/4. Can credit benefactor. Will pay shipping both ways. M. Banks. POB 312. Milford. OH 45150.

WANTED: High school student would appreciate a donated IBM or an Apple lie personal computer for programming and experimental purposes. Will pay postage. Bill Adrian. 5974 Log House Rd. Rt. 2. Hartford. Wl 53027.

FOR SALE: Shugart SA 400 DD35T $75. Four S-100 8K static RAM boards: $30 each. S-100 4-MHz Z-80 board: $50. S-100 2P+2S I/O board kit: $75. ASCII keyboard: $25. All of above for $300, was $12 50. Shipped UPS prepaid. David Germain. 2415 North 39th Place. Phoenix. AZ 85008. (602) 275-6620.

FOR SALE: Altos 586-10 16-bit multiuser system with 10-MHz 8086 Z-80. 8089. 10-megabyte hard disk, 1-megabyte floppy. 512K RAM. and a CP/M emulator. System is expandable: $8000. Mickey Franklin. 855 Victor Ave. #302. Inglewood, CA 90302, (213) 671-6934.

FOR SALE: Cromemco Z-80 ZPU board with 18-slot terminated, fully populated S-100 motherboard on rack-mount frame with guides: $399 or offer. Also, S-100 IMSAI 24 by 80 VIO with possible graphics capability (memory mapped): $199. All above with documentation. Will accept offers. A.- Tan, 5749 South Nepal Way, Aurora, CO 80015.

FOR SALE: Memory chips: 64 K dynamic RAMs for the Tl PC. These will plug into the RAM board and work exactly the same as the Tl RAMs: S9.50 each, lames Cox, 1712 Northcrest Dr., Piano, TX 75075 (214) 422-2968 after 6 p.m.

FOR SALE: Tektronix 4006-1 graphics terminal and 4631 hard-copy unit. Both new in 1979. both in excellent condition. Were $7500 new; asking $1250 each or best offer. Bryan Noe. 2581 River Oak Dr.. Decatur. GA 30033. (4041 329-6251.

SEEKING: Worldwide correspondence with computerists. Exchange information, ideas, and news. Interested in languages, education, and graphics. Tariq B. Tahir 58-U Block 6 PECHS. Karachi-29, Pakistan.

WANTED: BYTE back issue-August 1980. I am interested in the articles on the FORTH programming language. L. W. Becker II. 144 East Burk Ave., Wildwood. NJ 08260.

FOR SALE: Pronto Series 16 computer. Runs MS-DOS 2.0 and is IBM PC compatible. 2 56K RAM. green swivel/tilt, high-resolution monitor. Uses Intel 80186 CPU. 800K floppy drive and Winchester cartridge (five megabytes): $3900. David Klotzbach, 2 5 Columbia Circle, Plymouth. MA 02360. (617) 747-0430.

FOR SALE: OS1 C4P-MF, 36K, disk drive, black-andwhite TV monitor: $600.1 ship with all documentation and newsletter collection. Also. Novation Cat, Okidata 82: make an offer. Ted Morris. 6306 Kincaid Rd.. Cincinnati, OH 45213-1418, (513) 731-3451.

WANTED: The Epson HX-20 Users' Group (HUG) seeks programming and hardware ideas for its newsletter that facilitates the exchange of ideas among HX-20 users. Ad space is available. HUG, 415 Herondo, Box 334, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

FOR SALE: Apple 48K late model rev7 with Videx keyboard enhancer, eight function keys, coresident Applesoft/Integer BASIC: $650. 128K RAM card with software: $180. Disk II with controller: $200. Disk 11: $160. All for $1100 prepaid. Also. Apple Graphics Tablet: $375. I. Catholos. Box 44032. Omaha. NE 68144. (402) 895-5309.

WANTED: Lowercase board for TRS-80 Model I Level II or word processor capable of handling lowercase without lowercase display. Steve Cohn. 33 Cameo Rd., Commack, NY 11725.

WANTED: Modem and Expander I for Video Brain Computer. lames Wright, POB 435, Denton, MD 21629, (301) 479-2000 days or 479-3835 evenings.

WANTED: Integer card, disk drive, and KoalaPad. Michael Susor. 101 Buena Vista E, San Francisco. CA 94117.

FOR SALE: NEC 7720 high-speed impact printer with serial and parallel I/O, bidirectional tractors. Fullfunction keyboard with numeric keypad. 5 5 cps. complete graphics capability. With all cables. Apple parallel card, manuals, factory packaging: $2975 postpaid. Craig Bledsoe. SR. Box 20286. 4.5 Mile Goldstream Rd.. Fairbanks, AK 99701. (907) 455-6904.

WANTED: Sanyo computer owners who would like to start or join a users group to explore its capabilities and potential by exchanging information, ideas, advice, and a newsletter. Want to sell VIC-20 with dataset and 8K expander. Timothy Myers, 1301 South Puget Dr. A23, Renton, WA 98055,

FOR SALE: Century Data Systems 833DA 300-megabyte drives (like T302). microperipherals ICOM dual 8-inch floppy drives, AED 6200 LP dual 8-inch drives, Qantex 2200 tape cartridge drive. Teletype Dataspeed 40-line printer, ADDS CRT terminals, TEC terminals, and one old IBM 1052. Keith Lamont. 135 Ann St.. Clarendon Hills, IL 60514. (312) 654-1794.

WANTED: Bidirectional tractor-feed system for C. Itoh FP-1500-25P Starwriter printer: used or new. Hans Muessig. Dennett, Muessig, Ryan & Associates. 1807 Stevens Dr.. Iowa Citv. IA 52240.

FOR TRADE: I would like to swap a four-user PDP11/03 minicomputer system with 64K memory, hard disk, and dual floppies, for an IBM PC/XT or an Apple ll/lle with monitor, printer, and documentation. Michael Mayfield, Rt. 2. Box 743, Newport, WA 99156, (509) 447-5631.

WANTED: Student would like one keyset from any old or nonfunctioning manual or electric typewriter. Steven Hofman. 30 Highland Ave.. Feasterville, PA 19047.

UNCLASSIFIED POLICY: Readers who have computer equipment to buy. sell, or trade or who are requesting or giving advice may send a notice to BYTE for inclusion in the Unclassified Ads section. To be considered for publication, an advertisement must be noncommercial and nonprofit [individuals or bona fide computer clubs), typed double-spaced, contain 60 words or less, and include name and address. This is a free service: notices are printed as space permits. Your confirmation of placement is appearance in an issue of BYTE as we engage in no correspondence. Please allow at least four months for your ad to appear. Send your notices to BYTE. Unclassified Ads. POB 372, Hancock. NH 03449,

SEPTEMBER 1984 - BYTE 525

BOMB

BYTE's Ongoing Monitor Box

ARTICLE# PAGE

1

2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10

II 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23

24 25

107 123 129 135

142 145 147 150

157 177

189 211 221 227 251

289 300 312 325 337 351 363

393

407 415

ARTICLE AUTHOR(S)

Build the AC Power Monitor Ciarcia

KAMAS: An Unlikely Combination Shapiro

Cluster Analysis Spencer

The 65816 Microprocessor,

Part 2: Hardware Hendrix

Comparing Floppy Disks Rodina

The Theory of Disk-Error Correction Sterling

Floppy-Disk Formats Thompson

Big Projects on Small Machines Appelbe

Pournelle, A.

Fractals Sarensen

Laser Graphics and Animation Collins

Tucker

The Computer as an Artistic Tool Kerlow

Computer Landscapes Cooper

Editor's Choice Tazelaar

Color Considerations Baldwin

Real-Time 3-D Graphics

for Microcomputers Newton

From Pixels to Microdots Tazelaar

The Lilith Personal Computer Sand

The Leading Edge Personal Computer.... Mazur

The Morrow MD-11 Heilborn

Five Voice Synthesizers Smith

Volition's Modula-2 on the Sage loyce

Computing at Chaos Manor:

On the Road Pournelle. I.

BYTE West Coast:

News from All Over Markoff

Shapiro

BYTE lapan: Show Time Raike

BYTE U.K.: The Sinclair QL Pountain

THE NEW BOMB RULES

Starting with the lune issue, perennial winners Steve Ciarcia and lerry Pournelle have graciously offered to forgo any prize money that they win in the BOMB. BYTE staff members have always been ineligible for the prize money. More of our outside authors will now reap the benefits of doing well in this reader poll.

Computing at Chaos Manor had "A Superbusy Month" and lerry Pournelle is the firstplace winner. )ohn Bono, the author of the second-place feature, "Build A Printer Buffer," wins $100. Third in the countdown this month is Ezra Shapiro's preview of the lightweight but high-powered HP-110. Steve Ciarcia's "Trump Card, Part 2: Software" placed fourth in the top five and in fifth place is Sabina H. Saib's feature on "An Ada Language Primer, Part I." an introduction to the language endorsed by the Department of Defense. Ms. Saib wins $50. Compliments to these authors for their fine work.

BYTE ADVERTISING SALES STAFF:

J. Peter Huestis, Advertising Sales Manager, 70 Main Street, Peterborough, NH 03458, tel. (603) 924-9281

NEW ENGLAND

ME. NH, VT. MA. Rl

Paul McPherson |r. I617| 262-1160

McGraw-Hill Publications

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McGraw-Hill Publications

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McGraw-Hill Publications

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526 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1984

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Inquiry No. Page No.

1 1st PLACE SYSTEMS 264

2 800 SOFTWARE 75

3 A ST. RESEARCH 19

4 A.S.T. RESEARCH 19

32 AT & T CONSUMER PROD 306, 307

• AT & T TECHNOLOGY 99

• AT & T TECHNOLOGY .... 100, 101

• AT & T TECHNOLOGY 102, 103

5 ACOM ELECTRONICS 389

6 ACT (NORTH AMERICAI INC. ... 53

7 ADDMASTER CORP. 458

8 ADV. COMP. PROD 504, 505

10 ADV. TRANSDUCER DEVICES. . 396

11 ALF PRODUCTS. INC 64

12 ALL ELECTRONICS CORP 443

13 ALLOY COMPUTER PRODUCTS. 324

14 ALMANAC COMP. SUPPLY .... 494

16 ALPHA OMEGA COMPUTER .... 18

17 ALPHA OMEGA COMPUTER.... 90

18 AMDEK CORP 138, 139

21 AMERICAN MITAC CORP 266

• AMPRO COMPUTERS INC 98

22 ANADEX 131

23 ANTEX DATA SYS 347

397 ANTHROPOMORPHIC SYS 500

25 APPARAT INC .399

• APPLE COMPUTER INC CII. 1

26 APPLE COUNTRY LTD. 477

27 APROPOS TECHNOLOGY 478

394 ARCTEC SYSTEMS 492

28 ARTIFICIAL INTL. RESEARCH. .488

29 ARTISOFT 494

378 ASHTONTATE 7

30 ASHTONTATE 359

31 ATARI SOFT 25

34 AVERY LABEL 320

35 AVERY LABEL 320

36 AVOCET 386

37 B & C MICRO SYSTEMS 500

38 B&B ELECTRONICS 490

39 BASF SYSTEMS 291

40 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOC 22

41 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOC 23

43 BINARY TECHNOLOGY 478

44 BORLAND INTL 28, 29

• BORLAND INTL 41

45 BOTTOM LINE. THE 365

385 BUSINESS WEEK 65

47 BYTE CONNECTION. THE 454

• BYTE ADVERTISING MESSAGE .378

• BYTE BACK ISSUES 452

• BYTE BOOK CLUB 481

• BYTE SUBSCRIBER MESSAGE . . 482

48 BYTEK COMP. SYS. CORP. 430

• "C WARE/DeSMET" 254

• C-SYSTEMS 488

379 C. ITOH DIGITAL PRODUCTS. . . 293

380 C. ITOH DIGITAL PRODUCTS ... 293

50 C.S.D. INC 172

• CALIF. DIGITAL 506, 507

• CALIF. MICRO COMP. 447

51 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT CORP.. . .262

53 CDR SYSTEMS 478

54 CENNA TECHNOLOGY, INC. ... 197

55 CENTROID 500

56 CHORUS DATA SYSTEMS 95

57 CHR1SLIN INDUSTRIES, INC. ... 392

58 CHROMOD ASSOC 194

59 CHRYSTAL SOFTWARE 274

60 COGITATE 452

61 COGITATE 498

62 COLBY COMPUTER 402

63 COMMERCIAL BUSINESS SYS.. . 480

• COMMODORE BUSN. MACHINES 62

65 COMMUNICATIONS ELECTR. 434, 435

66 COMP COMPNTS. UN LTD.. 510, 511

67 COMP. COMPNTS. UNLTD. .512,513

68 COMPETITIVE EDGE 116

69 COMPUADD 488

70 COMPUADD 496

71 COMPUMAIL 518

Inquiry No. Page No.

• COMPUMAX 519

73 COMPUPRO 288

74 COMPUPRO 369

• COMPUPRO 414

75 COMPUSERVE . . . .- 199

76 COMPUTER BOOK CLUB. THE . 257

77 COMPUTER CHANNEL 70

78 COMPUTER CONNECTION INC. . 483

79 COMPUTER DISCOUNT PROD. . . 489 405 COMPUTER EXPO 500

80 COMPUTER GRAPHICS WORLD 298

81 COMPUTER HUT OF N.E 410

82 COMPUTER INNOVATIONS 246

83 COMPUTER INNOVATIONS .... 304

84 COMPUTER MAIL ORDER . 224, 225

85 COMPUTER PRICE CLUB 118

■ COMPUTER SALES 272

87 COMPUTER SWAP SHOP 498

• COMPUTER WAREHOUSE 188

88 COMPUTERS AND MORE 85

89 COMPUTING! 432

90 COMPUTRAX. INC 252

91 COMPUVIEW PROD. INC. .420, 421

92 CONDOR COMP. CORP. 305

93 CONROY-LAPOINTE 236, 237

94 CONROY-LAPOINTE 236, 237

95 CONROY-LAPOINTE 236.237

382 CONSOLIDATED INTL 519

96 CONTROL DATA 287

97 CORVUSSYSINC 128

98 COSMOS 309

404 CROMEMCO 5

101 CUESTA SYSTEMS 26

102 CUMANA 263

103 CUSTOM COMP. TECH 499

104 CUSTOM COMPUTER 84

• CUSTOM PROGRAM HOUSE ... 426

105 DATA ACCESS CORP. 395

106 DATA TRANSLATION 439

107 DATAMAC 203

108 DATASOUTH COMP. CORP. 56

109 DECILLIONIX INC 96

110 DG SYSTEMS 456

111 DIGITAL LABORATORIES 346

112 DIGITAL RESEARCH 132, 133

• DIGITAL RESEARCH COMP.. .. .455

113 DISK WORKS 498

• DISKETTE CONNECTION 443

115 DISKS'N THINGS 496

116 DISKWORLD. INC 78

117 DISKWORLD. INC 259

118 DISKWORLD, INC 270

119 DISKWORLD. INC 396

120 DISKWORLD. INC 425

121 DISKWORLD. INC 426

123 DISPLAY TELECOMMNCTNS. . . 497

124 DOCUTEL OLIVETTI 303

391 DONOHUE & COMPANY 488

|25 DOKAY COMP. PROD. INC 514, 515

386 DOW IONES 370

381 DOW IONES NEWS/RETRIEVAL. 381

126 DOW IONES SOFTWARE 391

127 DUAL SYSTEMS CORP. 403

128 DUPONT COMPANY 346

130 DW1GHT CO.. INC 498

131 DYMEK CORP. 219

132 DYNACOMP COMPUTER SYS.. . 368

133 DYNAX. INC 279

134 DYSAN CORP. 59

Inquiry No. Page No.

136 E. T. 1 372

139 EASTMAN KODAK CO 428, 429

• ECONOMY SOFTWARE 206

140 ECOSOFT 30

141 EDGE MICRO SYSTEMS 496

142 EDUCATIONAL MICROCOMP. . . 500

143 ELCOMP 494

145 ELEK-TEK 320

• ELLIS COMPUTING INC 67

• ELLIS COMPUTING INC 442

• EMPIRICAL RESEARCH GROUP 184

• ENCHANTED FOREST 492

146 ENERTRON1C 233

• EPSON AMERICA 87, 88, 89

149 EXPERT COMPUTERS 479

150 EXPOTEK 493

151 EXPRESS BUSINESS SOFTWARE 242

398 EXSEL 382

152 FABRICATION CONCEPTS INC. . 496

153 FIDELITY COMPUTER PROD.. . .243

154 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING .... 401

155 FLOPPY DISK SERV. INC 80

376 FORTRON. INC 482

377 FORTRON, INC 482

157 FUJI PHOTO FILM 152. 153

158 FUIITSU AMERICA 186, 187

406 C-TEK 438

160 GENERAL MICRO SYSTEMS ... 253

161 GENERAL TECHNOLOGY 277

392 GENESIS MICROSYSTEMS 117

162 GIFFORD COMP. SYS 137

163 GILTRONIX, INC 498

164 GOLDEN SOFTWARE 384

• H&E COMPUTRONICS 191

166 H.H.S. MICROCONTROLLERS . . 274

167 HANDWELL CORP. 485

168 HANDY & ASSOCIATES 98

388 HARMONY VIDEO 456

169 HARMONY VIDEO 494

170 HAYES MICROCOMP. PROD.. . 36, 37

171 HAYES MICROCOMP. PROD. . 54, 55

• HAYES MICROCOMP. PROD. ... 375

173 HEATH COMPANY 216, 217

174 HELIX SYS. & DEVLP. CORP. ... 271

175 HELIX SYS. & DEVLP. CORP. ... 271 403 HERCULES COMPUTER TECH. . . 82

176 HERMES PRECISA INTL 169

• HEWLETT-PACKARD 126,127

177 HEWLETT-PACKARD 294, 295

• HEWLETT-PACKARD 367

• HEWLETT-PACKARD 376

178 HITECH INTL. INC 498

399 HOFFMAN INTL 382

179 HOLLYWOOD HARDWARE 218

180 HOOLEON COMPANY 494

181 HOUSTON INSTR/BAUSH&LOMB 159

182 HYDRUS CORP. 272

183 LBS. CORP 96

• IBM-(ISG) SERVICES 121

184 IBM CORP. 208, 209

185 ILLUMINATED TECHNOLOGIES. .52

186 IMAGE COMP. PROD 458

187 INFOCOM 174, 175

188 INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE. . 148, 149

189 INTEGRAND 441

387 INTEGRATED DATA SYS 427

190 INTERACTIVE STRUCT. 140

341 INTER BUSINESS 494

191 INTERSTAR CORP. 418

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192 INTERTEC DATA SYS 15

193 INTERTEC DATA SYS 205

194 JADE COMP. PROD 501

195 JADE COMP. PROD 502. 503

196 IAMECO ELECTR 260. 261

197 IAMES HALSTEAD & ASSOC. .. 272

198 JDR MICRODEVICES INC. . . 520. 521

199 JDR MICRODEVICES INC. . . 522, 523

200 IDR MICRODEVICES INC 524

201 IUKI INDUSTRY OF AMERICA . . 195

202 KADAK PRODUCTS 411

203 KEY TRONIC CORP. 106

205 KOALA TECHNOLOGIES CORR . 239

206 KORSMEYER ELECTR. DESIGN . . 66

207 LABORATORY MICROSYS 304

208 LAWSON LABS 389

209 LIBERTY GROUP INC 491

210 LINTEK INC 478

211 LIONHEART PRESS 425

212 LOGICAL DEVICES 32

213 LOGICAL DEVICES 496

214 LOGICAL MICROCOMPUTER .... 58

215 LOMAS DATA PRODUCTS 77

216 LONG-LIFE ACCESSORIES 425

• LOTUS DEVELOPMENT . . . 460, 461

218 LYBEN COMP. SYS 500

219 LYCO COMPUTER 495

15 M-SYSTEMS 496

• MACMILLAN BOOK CLUBS.... 193

220 MACROTECH INTL 201

222 MAGNUM PC 256

223 MANNESMANN TALLY 398

225 MANX SOFTWARE SYS 16

224 MANX SOFTWARE SYS 51

226 MARKEL SERVICE. INC 350

227 MARYMAC INDUSTRIES 496

228 MASTERBYTE COMP. OF NY. . . 478

229 MAYNARD ELECTRONICS 79

230 MC-P APPLICATIONS 285

• MCGRAW-HILL BOOK CO.. 280. 281

• MCGRAW-HILL CES 97

231 MCT 35

232 MEMOREX MEDIA PROD. . 322, 323

233 MENLO CORP. 404, 405

234 MET-CHEM INT'L. CORP. 498

235 META SYSTEMS 494

236 MFJ ENTERPRISES INC 267

237 MICRO ACE COMP STORES INC. 283

286 MICRO CITY 490

239 MICRO DATA BASE SYS 134

241 MICRO DESIGN INTL 273

242 MICRO EQUIPMENT CORP. .... 118

243 MICRO FOCUS 171

246 MICRO MART. INC 60. 61

247 MICRODYNAMICS 500

248 MICROGRAFX 156

249 MICROMINT INC 484

250 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD.... 478

251 MICROSHOP 448

252 MICROSHOP 448

• MICROSOFT CORP. 72. 73

• MICROSOFT CORP. 163

• MICROSOFT CORP. 165

• MICROSOFT CORP. 167

253 MICROTECH EXPORTS 360

254 MICROTEK LAB 226

255 MICROTIME 4

256 MICROVOICE CORP. 215

257 MICROWAY 91

258 MIDWEST MICRO-PERIPHERALS . 34

259 MORGAN COMPUTING CO 179

260 MORROW 173

261 MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS 275

262 MOUSER ELECTRONICS 274

263 MPI 17

264 MULTI-TECH SYSTEMS 24

266 MYLSTAR ELECTRONICS 498

267 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 50

159 NBS DISKETTE SALES 442

269 NEC INFORMATION SYS CIII

395 NEW GENERATION SYS 390

SEPTEMBER 1984 -BYTE 527

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Inquiry No. Page No.

270 NETWORX INC 210

328 NEW MICROS. INC 94

271 N1COLET PARATRONICS 30

273 NORTH HILLS CORP. 458

272 NORTH HILLS CORP. 478

274 NORTHWEST DIGITAL SYS 357

275 NORTRONICS DATA 412, 413

144 NOVA COMPUTER/ELECTRADE . 68

• NRI SCHOOLS ELECTR. DIV.... 433

277 OKIDATA 49

278 OKIDATA 255

281 OLYMPIA U.S.A. INC 331

282 OPEN SYSTEMS INC./UCCEL ... 317

283 OREGON SOFTWARE 258

400 ORYX SYSTEMS 444,445

401 ORYX SYSTEMS 444,445

402 ORYX SYSTEMS 444, 445

285 PC. NETWORK 69

• P.S.A 494

287 PACIFIC EXCHANGES.... 352, 382. 389, 478, 488, 490, 492, 494, 498

• PARADISE SYSTEMS 46, 47

288 PC PIPELINE 490

• PENCEPT INC 319

290 PERSOFT 343

291 PHOENIX ELECTRONIC DEVLP. 490

292 POCKET TECHNOLOGY 207

293 POLAROID CORP 20,21

295 POPCOM/PRENTICE CORP. .... 265 390 PRECISION DATA PRODUCTS . . 488

296 PRIMAGES INC 371

297 PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYS 8

298 PRIORITY ONE 362

299 PROGRAMMERS SHOP 388

300 PROGRESSIVE MICRO DISTR. . 487

Inquiry No. Page No.

384 PROMETHEUS 231

301 PROTECTO ENTERPR 245

302 PUBLIC DOMAIN SFTW. CTR . . 492

303 PURCHASING AGENT. THE ... . 419

304 PURPLE COMPUTING 488

305 QANTEX DIV 220

306 QUANT SYSTEMS 492

307 QUARK INCORPORATED 241

308 QUBIE DISTRIBUTING 183

309 RACAL-VADIC 268. 269

310 RADIO SHACK CIV

311 RELAX TECHNOLOGY 244

312 ROGERS LABS 490

313 ROGERS LABS 490

314 S-100 DIV. 696 CORP. 508

315 S-100 DIV. 696 CORP. 509

316 SAB-LINK, INC 496

• SAFEWARE 26

317 SAV-ON COMPUTERS 516. 517

318 SCHULZ ENTERPRISES 490

319 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CORP.. 214

• SCOTTSDALE SYSTEMS 122

321 SEM1DISK SYSTEMS 115

322 SENTINEL TECHNOLOGIES .... 321

• SEQUITUR SOFTWARE 490

323 SHEPHERD MARKETING 492

• SILICON SPECIALTIES 204

324 SLICER COMPUTERS 449

325 SLR SYSTEMS 396

• SOFTCRAFT 379

326 SOFTWARE ARTS 229

327 SOFTWARE SERVICES 500

• SPERRY CORP. 376

329 STAR MICRONICS 250

330 STARBUCK DATA CO 426

Inquiry No. Page No.

331 STB SYSTEMS 354

332 STRAWBERRY TREE COMP..... 467

333 STRUCTURAL PROGRAMMING . . 86

334 SUMICOM 356

335 SUNOL SYSTEMS 176

336 SUNTRONICS 480

337 SUPERSOFT 181

• SYSGEN INC 119

338 SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT ASSOC. 93

339 SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT ASSOC 333

340 SYSTEMS STRATEGIES 116

342 TALLGRASS TECH 31

343 TATUM LABS 488

344 TD1 SYSTEMS. INC 74

• TEKTRONIX INC 213

345 TELEBYTE TECHNOLOGY INC. . 446

346 TELETEK ENTERPRISES. INC. ... 43

348 TERRAPIN INC 496

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS. . . 11. 12, 13

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 377

375 THOUGHTWARE 292

349 THREE M COMPANY .... 348, 349 147 TIGERTRONICS 492

• TINNEY, ROBERT GRAPHICS 431, 459

350 TOSHIBA AMERICA INC 81

383 TOPAZ 161

• TRANS WORLD AIRLINES 383

221 U.S. COMPONENTS 452

351 US. ROBOTICS 45

352 UNIFIED SOFTWARE SYS 492

353 UNIPRESS SOFTWARE INC 92

354 UNISOURCE 336

355 UNIVERSAL DATA SYS 38

357 VANTEC 488

358 VEN-TEL INC 247

Inquiry No. Page No.

359 VERBATIM CORP 173

360 VERTEX SYSTEMS 344

361 VERTEX SYSTEMS 345

362 VIDEO DYNAMICS 478

393 VIDEO LOGIC 492

363 VIDEX 27

364 VISUAL COMPUTER 248, 249

365 VISUAL TECH, INC 71

• VLM COMPUTER ELECTR 352

366 WADSWORTH PROF. SFTW. .... 380

368 WANG ELECTR. PUBL. INC 76

• WAREHOUSE DATA PRODUCTS 397 396 WESTERN DATACOM 409

369 WHITESMITHS LTD 335

367 WILEY PROFESSIONAL SOFT.... 94

370 WILLIAMS, MARK CO 406

371 WINTEK CORP. 185

372 WINTEK CORP 352

373 X'LNT DISKETTE 374

374 X.D.S 486

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NO OTHER LETTER-QUALITY PRINTER CAN TOUCH OUR NEW SPINWRITER FOR SPEED AND EASEOF-USE.

Introducing the Spinwriter 8850.

Our newest, and fastest, Spinwriter® printer operates at over 550 wordsper-minute. And is extraordinarily easy to operate.

For one thing the Spinwriter 8850 takes care of basic settings such as pitch and forms length automatically. Of course you can also change either

THE 8850 JOINS THE HIGHLY-RELIABLE SPINWRITER LINE

one at the touch of a button. It also has a unique control panel. With large, legible alphanumeric LED's to indicate the specific operaating status. And make it simple for even an unfamiliar operator to use.

And, of course, the 8850 has all the features, quality and reliability that make a Spinwriter a Spinwriter.

The first choice of IBM PC users.

The Spinwriter printer was the first totally plug compatible letter-quality

UNIQUE LED DISPLAY TELLS USER EVERYTHING FROM THE FACT THAT PAPER IS OUT

TO THE FACT THE COVER IS OPEN

printer available for the IBM® PC. It's still one of the few that works with all IBM PC software, as well as all other popular packages. You'll notice even its looks are compatible.

Spinwriter printers also give you capabilities you won't find on other printers. Like a selection of 80 different print styles.

And, nine easily installed forms handling options that can accelerate your printed output even more. Spinwriter printers also have an enviable record for reliability.

In fact, several

CHANGE FORMS LENGTH AT THE PRESS OF A BUTTON.

years without a failure is not unusual. No wonder there are more Spinwriter printers hooked up to IBM PC's than any other letter-quality printer.

How to get up to speed.

For more information on the Spinwriter 8850 or our two companion

THE 8850 PLUGS RIGHT INTO THE IBM PC

f

models,just call NEC Informtion Systems at: 1-800343-4419; in Massachusetts call (617)264-8635. Also available at: Entre, 1-800-HI ENTRE: Sears Business System Centers, 1800-2282200; and

Computerland stores, (In California) 1-800-3211101; (Outside California) 1-800423-3308. Find out why more and more IBM PC users are saying, NEC and me."

NEC

ANDm ME ~

Spinwriter is a registered trademark of NEC Corp. IBM is a registered trademark ot International Business Machines Corp.

Circle 269 on inquiry card.

NEC Information Systems. Inc. 1414 Mass. Ave. Dept. 1610 Boxborough, MA 01719

Presenting MultiMate Word Processing for the Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000

If you're looking for a word processor you can form a lasting relationship with, look no further than a Tandy 2000 with MultiMate. MultiMate is one of the most powerful word processing programs ever designed for use on a microcomputer.

It's packed with over one-hundred features and functions—most of which can be accessed with just one or two keystrokes. To save time you can edit one document while printing another. Recall often-used text. Create your own mailing lists.

Perform mathematical calculations. Even create documents from the files of another computer.

MultiMate for the Tandy 2000 is available from Radio Shack Computer Centers for half the price you'd pay somewhere else—just $249.95. And no one else can offer you the ultra-high performance of our Tandy 2000— lease the system pictured for only $150 per month*. Be sure to ask about our training and support for MultiMate, too.

Engineered for Excellence

We've introduced the latest in technology for over 60 years. The Tandy 2000 represents the state of the art in performance, quality and breakthrough.

Our new 1985 Computer Catalog is yours for the asking at any Radio Shack Computer Center. Check out our complete line—from lap-size portables to multi-user office systems. We invite comparison!

Available at over 1200 Radio Shack Computer Centers and at participating Radio Shack stores and dealers.

Radio /hack

COMPUTER CENTERS

A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION

'Plus applicable use/sales tax. Prices apply at Radio Shack Computer Centers and Participating stores and dealers. Multimate is a trademark of MultiMate International, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Magazine quotes reprinted by permission of: PC World, San Francisco, CA.; and PC Magazine, Copyright 1984. Ziff-Davis Publishing

Circle 310 on inquiry card.